‘Hondamaharley’: Brookhaven man puts dreams onto wheels
Published 7:00 pm Sunday, May 26, 2013
American ingenuity has been credited as an integral component of our country’s strength and prosperity, an attribute that defines our nation’s character.
Had our forefathers listened when told, “it can’t be done” the nation we live in today would be dramatically different.
Ricky Smith, owner of DynOmite Metal Works, embodies that principle. There is no job he can’t do – at least when it comes to building motorcycles.
So when Joe Price approached Smith with a somewhat unconventional vision of a supe’d-up, street-legal, transformed four-wheeler, he was up for the challenge.
“The man came in with a dream,” Smith said from his Highway 51 shop on Thursday. “So I said brother, come in here and I’ll fix you up.”
Smith replaced the two wheels on the front of Price’s 1989 Yamaha four-wheeler with one and installed a larger sprocket and long forks connecting the handlebars to mimic the Harley Davidson choppers Price idolized.
Smith didn’t stop there. He added a Honda 200 CC dirt bike engine and Harley Davidson mufflers. Aluminum wheels from a Porsche and an alligator skin seat were added to give it the finishing touch.
“The more we got to working on it, the better it got to looking,” Price said. “Before we knew it, it was a full-blown motorcycle.”
Smith’s masterpiece, dubbed a “Hondamaharley,” can reach a top speed of 55 miles an hour while getting 60 miles to the gallon.
Price is undoubtedly pleased with his new roadster, as he can be seen parading it through Brookhaven on any given day.
“I just wanted something to kick around town on,” Price said. “This thing is pretty unique, it’s definitely a head-turner.”
“Ricky has a real good vision for building these things,” he continued. “He can do just about anything when it comes to working with metal.”
Smith said he is eager to tackle the next “Hondamaharley,” or whatever his customer’s imagination can throw at him.
“I’ll work on anything but a broken heart,” he said.