Ready-built frames, off-the-shelf forks, and rigid adherence to the Harley-Davidson V-twin engine conspire to limit the custom nature of most choppers. Outside of an innovative tank or fender, the basic plan is to frame a V-Twin, with individuality confined to the use of chrome, paint and sheet metal.

When Ted Taormina, proprietor of Sick Choppers, wanted a special performance chopper, he was prepared to try something very different. First, it had to fit his 6-foot-plus frame, and it had to have a special look that would distinguish it from all the choppers that have come before. He also wanted some serious horsepower in that long wheelbase. One look at the Copper Chopper confirms that Taormina not only met his objectives, but exceeded them. To see this machine in a photo is to immediately suspect the work of a talented Photoshop technician. (Click image to enlarge)

Taormina’s approach was to render his metal sculpture entirely in copper-plate finish, then install a powerplant that is both traditional and completely out of the ordinary: the Feuling Motor Company W3 engine, a 45-degree, three-cylinder version of the traditional Harley-Davidson V-twin.

The late Jim Feuling was a very special sort of engineer. His designs ranged from the aerodynamic shape of F1 Ferrari star Michael Schumacher’s helmet to the Feuling Bonneville streamliner and from high-performance Harley-Davidson cylinder heads to entire engines of advanced design. His client list covered just about every automotive and motorcycle manufacturer on this planet— and perhaps others in far away solar systems. (Click image to enlarge)

Involved in the exotic car industry since 1988, Taormina met Feuling while working with Al Burtoni at Milano Imports. He assisted Feuling on his streamliner, and became familiar with many of his engine projects, including the intriguing W3. In January of 2000, Feuling offered him the opportunity to ride his new Fueling W3 prototype, and Taormina’s passion for building exotic choppers was born.

Building a frame around this unique engine was a challenge. Most choppers are constructed on ready-made frames designed around the conventional Harley/S&S engine configuration. Taormina wanted to start out with an Arlen Ness–manufactured frame and rear suspension to ensure uniform alignment and engine mounting ease, but there would have to be some changes. “I decided on the Arlen Ness frame because it could be modified to accept the engine, and because it used the rubber-engine-mount Dyna Glide system and suspension,” Taormina explains. “The frame was ordered with an 8-inch rise and 3-inch stretch.”

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Seeing triple. The Feuling W3 Engine in all its sick glory. (Click image to enlarge)

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Behind every chopper is an ace welder/fabricator. In this case, it is Terry Puccio. He cut the Arlen Ness frame and added a new horseshoe section to accommodate the front cylinder of the W3. This allowed the frame to retain the desired proportions and geometry. “Terry is just amazing. If I could think of it, he could make it,” says Taormina.

Fuel tank shape is always critical to the look and proportions of a bike, and Taormina was again looking for something different. “I found a company called Independence that would make me a custom stamping, longer and wider to fit this frame, in two pieces so that I could make a smooth seam,” he relates. The fenders were also modified from custom stampings, the rear gaining some width to cover the fat 250 tire.

The wheels came from Precision Machine, as did the brakes. Dual discs would be part of this build, as would the custom triple clamps. The Spyke fork tubes are actually threaded into the top Cory Ness–designed triple clamp. This eliminated the pinch bolts, leaving a perfectly polished, milled aluminum part without scars or exposed bolt holes.

In the rear, the brake was recessed into the belt-drive hub, leaving the right side of the wheel fully exposed. “I fell in love with the look of the open wheel, along with the polished aluminum and copper,” Taormina says. Matching the wide rear wheel is a customized PM unit up front, allowing for a larger tire to ensure stable handling and braking. (Click image to enlarge)

Taormina has a preference for color and chrome, but having already built a much-admired all-chrome machine, he took an entirely different approach. Finishing the chopper completely in copper-plate was a bold move, but a very successful one that has helped stock Taormina’s trophy case. The effect is that of a gleaming proof penny, set off with accents of polished aluminum for the controls, beautifully framing and reflecting the massive engine and its trio of exhaust pipes. The entire machine gives off a soft golden glow. Of course, in order to achieve the flawless nature of the finish, the welds, bends and metal surfaces had to be perfect.

Copper aside, the real star of this creation is the massive W3 engine. The Feuling W3 is a full 2,500cc—that’s 2.5 liters or 150 cubic inches. Taormina also specified the “max flow” cylinder heads, gaining a 40 percent increase in engine breathing. To put the bike’s 195 horses and 219 ft lbs of torque into perspective, consider that a 5.0-liter V-8 Mustang engine puts out about 235 ft lbs of torque on a good day. All of that power is available at low speeds, with the rpm limit at 6,000 and peak horsepower arriving at about 5,600 rpm. Turbocharger? Giggle Gas? No additional power supplements are needed, thank you; it runs on pump gas.


W3 “Copper Chopper”
Horsepower: 195 crank, Weight: 700 pounds, Price: $150,000

Feuling’s engine borrows heavily from aircraft radial engine technology. Round aircraft engines have nine cylinders in a circle, utilizing a peculiar piston, rod and crankshaft arrangement, with a single “master” connecting rod for every three-cylinder segment. Each flanking cylinder’s rods are connected to the center cylinder’s master rod. Feuling used this arrangement because adding the third cylinder requires that the crank have only one journal, adding no additional width to the engine case. The single journal also allows the crankshaft to be lighter, and this type of configuration has been a proven power producer. The W3 engine produces more than twice the horsepower and torque of the traditional H-D type, yet weighs only 12 pounds more than a typical 106-cubic-inch twin.

What makes this engine even better is that it goes together with standard H-D gaskets, rides on H-D rubber engine mounts, and transfers power through a standard 4-bolt Dyna-style transmission. Although this engine looks like a tool room special, any competent Harley-Davidson mechanic can work on it. Gaskets, valves, pistons and barrels are all standard high-performance H-D fare. Flat-slide carburetors handle the fuel mixing chores, feeding the W3 and resulting in a loping idle reminiscent of a Pratt & Whitney aircraft engine.

With the smoother W3 engine, this chopper lends itself well to long hauls. “I’ve taken it on a 300-mile trip and it was more comfortable than my old Fat Boy,” offers Taormina. “And the sound! It’s like a Harley with an extra pop.”

That the Copper Chopper is quick, comfortable, and rides well is simply icing on the cake. The spectacular coloring and classic design used to frame that unique Feuling engine should put this bike at the top of any chopper collector’s wish list. Meanwhile, Taormina has taken delivery of another W3 engine for his next envelope-stretching project. Makes you wonder what color that one will be.

408.988.2233 | www.w3sickchoppers.com