Shane Gatto of Camden, New York, really grooves on the bikes that Jesse James builds but his righteous appreciation wasn't enough to keep him from what Shane likes to call, "a sort of healing process." Like a beam of divine light, he transformed an already awesome design into something that feels even better. Shane works nights as a mechanic for a local utility company, and like most of us working stiffs, he could never afford to buy a complete bike from Jesse, unless it had a VIN registered with Huffy. Shane was fortunate enough to get a Choppers For Life rigid frame from West Coast Choppers, and his 14-year-old son Frankie was the first to see how cool it was, since he helped take off the wraps when it arrived.

Mike Deprospero is Shane's best friend, and right hand helper. Shane wouldn't think of wrenching a bike into shape without Frankie and Mike around for the ride. At first glance, most people will generalize that they are looking at another fine WCC bike. But NO! There's a gaggle of special custom gee-gaws that Shane, Frankie, and their merry band of helpers came up with to make their "Root Beer Float"; it's everything that Jesse would have done and more. It seems there are always the obligatory modifications that play an inherent part of every custom project. In this case, another of Shane's good friends, Marty Adragna, laid down some welds so fine that even Jesse himself would have been impressed. In fact, Marty works as a welder on a nuclear site, so every spark always counts. The 106-cubic-inch forged billet stroker motor is from PJ's Customs and it's a real work of art. There ain't nothing like getting stroked, and PJ made sure to give Shane's Root Beer Float, "The stroke that ain't no joke!" West Coast Choppers makes some sick parts that everybody wants on their bike, but the high demand keeps some of Jesse's products back ordered

Shane hooked up with Pearl and Mark at WCC to gain an inside line on the best of the best that Jesse had to offer. Taking Jesse's design and going in a slightly different direction is how Shane rolled out a modified CFL that makes living even better. Shane is driven by a deep belief that each of us is here to make a difference. True that! Shane is the kind of guy who is really laid back and easy ridin' all the time. He enjoys every ride, and says, "Even rides to the grocery store are cool." Shane loves to roll out to Syracuse and hang at the Dinosaur Barbecue, or motor over to Harpoon Eddie's for some tire-kickin' good times. When we talked with Shane, he was actually building his first project for a paying customer. We didn't get to look under the tarp, but we do know it has a PJ's motor, and it is gonna be a surprise.

Specifications: