For those who didn’t see Christian “CT” Newman’s Born-Free Show build this past summer, you definitely missed out. We had to do the bike justice and get the scoop from CT himself of everything that went into this functional work of art.

Christian’s building philosophy is simple: Make every part matter and build with a cohesive end goal that works both aesthetically and functionally. Also, don’t always take the easy way out when trying to solve a problem. 

CT started with ULH engine cases. That was it. He sourced a hodgepodge of other engine parts (Knucklehead flywheel, custom connecting rods, Evolution pistons, and Panhead jugs), but from the head gaskets up, he built. His buddy Tim helped port/polish the 8 valve heads (four valves per head). The rocker arms cross over each other so even though the intake valves are closest to the center of the “V” the cam and pushrod associated with them are closest to the exhaust. 

The charging system is powered by AC power too. Where the generator normally goes, it was removed. Christian developed a “unit” which uses a tractor alternator with magneto on top and a gear reduction between the two. So essentially the stator outputs AC voltage that isn’t converted to DC. The whole bike runs on 14-volt AC power like your house (except not 120 volts).

The kickstarter powering the twin turboed engine to life also serves a dual purpose. The brake lever flips up and becomes the kickstarter, which is what’s connected to the chain that’s inside the primary on the left side.  

It’s great to see such ingenuity going into custom bikes these days. The Born-Free show winning champ was definitely a title well deserved. 

That’s a springer frontend as well, not a girder like some have mistaken. It’s just that the front leg is essentially inside the rear leg. As for all the shiny bits below, everything is pretty much polished stainless or aluminum.