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Bourget’s Bike Works
Diamond Anniversary Motorcycle
Roger Bourget definitely thinks outside of the box. I don’t know how to say it any other way. His motorcycles are unique from the front to the back. But the biggest difference you will notice on this bike has got to be the frame. If you want the feeling of sitting in, and not on top of your bike, then this motorcycle is for you. By running the oil through the frame he can make use of the extra space once used by the oil tank to lower the seat height even more. It should also prove to cool the oil a bit more and lower the center of gravity. A well thought out design. A concept once used on older British bikes, but Bourget takes it to a new level.
Another item you will spot right away on the Diamond Anniversary are the twin Nitrous Oxide bottles strapped to the sides of the stretched gas tank that add additional power to the large 113 cubic inch S&S power plant. That should tell you this bike was built to drive and drive hard.
If you love a lot of paint then this bike might not be for you. But if you (like me) are a chrome fan then you’ll perk up at the shine on this machine. The frame, and fenders which normally get the same color as the tank are now covered in a show quality chrome finish. Normally I’m not a fan of chrome frames or fenders, but I truly think this one would look wrong any other way. Plus the chrome shows off the quality welds which most bike builders try to hide.
Another item I must applaud is the seat. When other bike builders pick a seat for their customs it often looks like they grabbed one off a shelf. But I don’t know many (any really) people who have a contoured seat done in blue with raised tribal flames sitting in their inventory. It just shows you the amount of thought and attention that went into this bike.
The swingarm is another area that most builders fail to tweak, but on the Diamond Anniversary, Roger Bourget does not fail to impress me again. Carrying the raised tribal look to the swingarm gives it a complete look. A far cry from the generic soft tail swing arm a lot of builders think is "enough."
The beefy front forks have quite a bit of stretch to them but with the frames 45 degrees of rake and 2 inches added to the down tubes it gives the bike a low, long stance.
I could go on and on about what I like about this bike but my list of things I’d personally change is a lot quicker read.
First off, this bike looks like it has the power to launch you into another zip code without even trying. With all that horse power I have to wonder why Bourget’s Bike Works chose to only use a single disc front brake set up. My only guess is so that he could show off the polished mag rim without a large disc getting in the way.
To me a custom bike on a Saturday night cruising the strip equals girls begging for a ride. But with no place for a passenger or their feet, it means that you will be riding solo for sure.
With the aid of a drill press and some patients all or most of the wires could be fished through the beefy handle bars and frame. That many cables and lines on the front of the bike gives it an almost unfinished look. I admit that he does hide a lot more lines than most builders but why stop with "most?"
The length of the swingarm gives it an almost hill climber look. I know he was going for that long appearance but the rear tire really would look better tucked up closer under the fender.
But overall I give this bike high marks. In a time when custom bike builders are giving their customers less bike for more money it’s good to see a machine that is well worth looking into. Did I mention that he is only building 30 of these machines?
Now although this bike is really not a style that I like or plan to own, I have to give it high marks on the artistic scale alone.