Nicknamed “The Left
Coast Limey' because of his British heritage, Mike Cook is busy working
his way to the top of the custom motorcycle industry. Like the bike he
has created, Mike is a combination Anglo-American. Born in England in
1963 Mike enjoyed an upbringing in a country with a rich history of
motorcycling and motorsports. His father constructed his own racing
cars and the family spent many weekends on trips to all the race
circuits around the country. Mike started building and modifying Karts
and Motorcycles at an early age and quickly developed a reputation
among his peers as the top “wrench” in the area, even though he wasn't
old enough to get his license. By 15 he was the mechanic for the
British National Karting Champion. In 1980 the Cooks moved to Kansas
City in the United States. Mike adapted to his new life by building the
potent Yamaha TZ750 engines for a local racer and continued building
and modifying his own bikes. The home garage housed a constantly
changing lineup of machines needing his attention but Mike seemed to
have a particular interest in the bikes he remembered seeing in
England. He continued his work in the local speed shops and honed his
skills building engines, welding,designing and making custom parts. He
restored several vintage racing cars for area enthusiasts and supported
them at race meetings around the country. In 1990 Mike was invited to
join Toyota Racing Development (TRD) building engines for their sports
prototype race team, owned by Dan Gurney of All American Racers. Their
first win came with Mikes engine. He stayed with TRD for three years
and two IMSA championships. In1992 Mike joined Cosworth Racing as an
engine builder and special tools designer. He taught himself CAD/CAM
designing and machining, and studied design at Pasadena Art Center
College of Design. In 1999 Mike accepted the position of CART race
engineer also for Cosworth Racing. He traveled the world and helped
develop the sophisticated electronics systems necessary for top-level
competition. Famous CART drivers, amongst them, 2 time Championship
winner Jimmy Vasser, Canadian Alex Tagliani and American Alex Baron
benefited from Mikes work. During his 10 years at Cosworth Mike
continued to indulge his motorcycling interests by building bikes and
collecting ideas and concepts for the future.
Wanting to follow his
true passion and design motorcycles, Mike took the job as head designer
/special projects supervisor for Jessie James of West Coast Choppers,
motorcycle maker to the stars. Besides building bikes for Kid Rock and
Keanu Reeves, Mike was heavily involved in several special projects,
having just recently designed and built the $250,000 Honda Concept Bike
featured on the cover of Cycle World magazine. Mike also advised on
engineering issues and problem resolution. During his time at WCC Mike
started designing and building the Supermanx at home in his garage. He
built his own frame jig and fixturing as he progressed with a mind
towards the future. Once the bike was finished he decided to leave WCC
to dedicate himself full time to his company - American Café
Racers.
| Frame | Twin duplex cradle, 1.25 d.o.m. steel TIG welded |
| Front Suspension | WP inverted fork. Adj. comp/rebound. Polished black anodized finish |
| Rear Suspension | Monoshock
swingarm, 2.5” tapered roller bearings, chromoly pivot tube. Works Performance shock, Adj. comp/rebound |
| Wheels | Front-
19 x 3 alloy rim. Stainless spokes. 120/70/ZR19 AVON Rear- 18 x 5.5 alloy rim. Stainless spokes. 200/55/ZR18 AVON |
| Engine | H-D
twin cam 88B series engine used as the base, with vibration reducing
counterbalancer. Displacements available up to 124 cuin. Massive torque and horsepower. (140/140) |
| Transmission | RSD 5spd. ACR custom case. ACR custom mainshaft |
| Exhaust | 1.75”/ 1.875” stepped equal length system. Twin ACR Gattling Gun mufflers |
| Bodywork | Fuel Tank- Hand formed aluminum. Capacity 6.5 gallons |
| Oil Tank | Hand formed aluminum. Capacity 4 qts |
| Fender | Front- hand formed steel |
| Weight | 495lbs |
