By David Edwards — Named after a South American cactus known
for its hallucinogenic properties, “Achuma” is part old Harley and part
motocrosser, a Shovelhead-powered streetfighter that’s got a style all
its own. There’s even a built-in skidplate for inner-city curb jumping!
“Yeah, I don’t look too hard at what everybody else is doing,” builder
Satya Kraus says about his styling influences.
The 35-year-old was born and still lives in the shadows of Northern
California’s mighty redwoods. A fairly ordinary early career path led to
a computer company gig, but working with his hands, making things he
could actually hold and feel called out, and in 2004 Satya chucked it
all to build choppers. Ink, awards and bike commissions soon followed,
but a rigid frame’s limitations bothered him. Kraus grew up riding
dirtbikes and appreciated the spine-friendly benefits of a working rear
suspension. “I wanted something with a racier look and feel, a real
‘roadable’ machine,” he says.
A collection of old engineering books substituted for formal training,
helped by curiosity, trial-and-error, learning from elders and a good
dose of common sense. “As far as fabrication and welding and machining
and all that stuff, that’s all self-taught. I never went to school for
it,” he says. Chief in Kraus’ build philosophy is light weight. “I think
people tend to overbuild things, to use a lot of metal because they
don’t know how much or how little it really takes,” he explains.
“They’re adding needless weight, and then suspension, speed and
quickness suffer.”
Paint doesn’t tip the scales very heavily, but you won’t find a drop
of it on Achuma. It is a full-metal motorcycle. “Me and paint don’t
mix,” Kraus states. “I never learned to paint; besides, it’s the first
thing that goes. Paint never looks good once it gets hammered on, so
I’ve developed a style that doesn’t have that issue.”
Not even the frame is painted. Rather it’s been plasma-arc sprayed with a
thin coat of real bronze, a nice complement to bike’s shinier
componentry. “There’s just something to bronze,” says Kraus. “When you
actually get close up, get your hands on it, touch it and feel the
difference between paint and a real-metal finish, that’s what really
gets you…when you see the perfect imperfection of it.”
The forks are Kraus’ take on a traditional springer, brought up to
date with a cleaned-up design and a Foes Racing air shock. The latter
was originally intended for downhill bicycle racing where heavy-duty
mountain bikes plummet down trails at up to 60 mph, getting huge air in
the process. Here, it’s more than up to the task and is set up to yield 3
inches of travel. The twin-shock swingarm, braced and running a pair of
Foes dampers, gives about 5.8 inches.
To power this machine, Satya went with an S&S Shovelhead 93-inch
high-compression motor. At about 90 hp, he feels it provides plenty of
power for the weight and also gives a nice look, especially after the
three-man crew at Kraus Motor Co. takes it apart, shapes some of the
fins, smoothes down casting lines, and polishes the cases and covers.
Safe to say the bike’s owner, a 30-something member of England’s
banking community who prefers to remain anonymous, is happy with his
purchase. Kraus reports there’s a touch of hooligan beneath the man’s
tailored three-piece suits, an inner brat brought out when Achuma blasts
along the proper avenues of London’s financial district. He’s even
planning on taking it out to trackdays. Says Satya, “He’s using this
bike the way it was intended and this to me is the best honor.”
Photography by Mike Chase. For more on Satya Kraus’ work, head over to the Kraus Motor Co. website.
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