2018 Strider Rider Customs – Builder Spotlight: Paul Yaffe
Featured as part of the 2018 Strider Rider Custom build class benefitting The Flying Piston.
About the build:
When Paul Yaffe texted me a picture of Low Brow’s peanut gas tank and asked if I could procure one for his Strider custom, it threw me off at first. I politely confirmed that he was aware of the fact that Strider Balance Bikes didn’t have engines (yes, he’d noticed) – then reached out to Tyler at Low Brow.
Well, you can see where Paul was going with the concept: a Captain America-style chopper Strider had to have a gas tank, right?
If only for the classy red, white & blue paint scheme. And as you’ll see from the pictures, Paul was flat out stoked about the project, no holds barred.
He started out by cutting the stock bike into pieces, then stretched the frame with an extra length of channel. He sourced a spoked front wheel, then fabricated the front end, fender and sissybar. Research showed that Strider once offered spoked wheels, one of which would match the front, and Strider kindly provided it. After chroming and assembly, the Low Brow tank went out for paint and Paul reached out to LePera for the miniature king and queen seat, complete with studs, of course.
Yep, it’s a chopper, baby! And definitely one of a kind! Below see more images:
Paul’s 2018 Custom Strider Rider
Watch for the 7 Strider Rider Customs to be displayed at motorcycle events and Strider races through next June. They’ll be auctioned off before the 2019 class is unveiled at the Flying Piston Builder Breakfast at the Buffalo Chip CrossRoads during the 79th annual Sturgis Rally.
About the Flying Piston Builders Breakfast
The Flying Piston Charity Breakfast, presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, is a celebrity-strewn meet & greet held at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip that brings together cutting-edge custom builders and motorcycle industry influencers to meet the public. The event supports veterans suffering from PTSD and provides technical education scholarships to students in South Dakota’s Black Hills.
An initiative with Strider Sports International sent Strider bikes to top name builders for customization. The Strider Rider Customs were unveiled at the 2018 Breakfast event at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It was the first stop on their year-long tour. The Strider Rider Customs will be auctioned at the 2019 Breakfast, as a new group is revealed.
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