Oshawa's own chopper topper Written by Jillian Follert Wednesday, 27 July 2005 Mike Yurko aiming high in national custom motorcycle competition When Mike Yurko takes his motorcycle for a spin through downtown Oshawa, people crane their necks out of cars and pause on the sidewalk to stare – if they’re not too busy covering their ears. Glistening red and chrome with a devil’s tail on the back and a deafening roar, his pared down chopper doesn’t just look unique, it really is one of a kind. “I don’t order parts from a catalogue if I can make them myself right here,” he says surveying the workshop tucked behind his Columbus home. “It’s partly because I don’t know what will work until I’m building it but mostly because you never want your bike to look like someone else’s.” Choppers are bar bones motorcycles that have been stripped of all non-essential parts, like fenders, gauges and even front brakes. They were hugely popular in the 70s, and have resurfaced again thanks to high-profile companies like Orange County Choppers, and reality shows that give bike builders a celebrity following. Anyone who has watched Discovery Channel shows like “Biker Build Off” and “American Chopper” knows that in the world of custom bikes, individuality is key. With fingers crossed, Mr. Yurko says the unique hand-crafted parts on “She-Devil” will help the bike take first place at this week’s Canadian Biker Build Off in Niagara Falls, where competitors will vie for the chance to represent Canada at next year’s Daytona Bike Week. Earlier this year, the devilish bike took 13th place out of 85 entries at Daytona, a standing Mr. Yurko says he can definitely top next time around. Building competition-worthy bikes is no part-time job. After spending 25 years as a pipe fitter and short time on his own welding and fabricating business, Mr. Yurko, now 42, made bikes his career three years ago when he opened Yurko Custom Choppers. With the help of his dad and a handful of employees, he works on his own creations and helps fellow enthusiasts customize existing bikes and build new ones from the ground up. He also buys and sells bikes and keeps a rotating stock of hard-to-find parts. It’s been hard to get this off the ground. I’m doing the work of five people most of the time,” he says. “But bikes have been my passion since I was a kid, so it’s nice to finally have a job I love, instead of something that just pays the bills.” Right now his workshop is home to the She Devil and two bikes in progress, one of which boasts a 360 millimetre tire, the biggest on the market today. All three are for him, but he hopes to start work on bike orders after this next competition is behind him. “The hype around choppers is crazy right now, but it’s mostly in the U.S.,” he explains. “We’re trying to create more of a market here, but it’s hard because they’re not for everyone. You have to be on tough dude to ride some of these bikes.” The She-Devil is a case in point, with its extremely low seat and jockey shift/suicide clutch, that means the rider can’t put his foot down unless the bike is in neutral. ImageThe expense is another obstacle, with the average chopper starting at about $40,000. So why not buy a conventional bike? Mr. Yurko has one – a Harley Davidson Road King Classic – for day-to-day riding, but says nothing compares to the startment a chopper makes. “They’re just sick looking bikes, they’re totally off the wall,” he says. “I can’t even describe the feeling you get from taking one of these out for a ride.” Return to News