In 1992, Jesse James opened West Coast Choppers (WCC) out of his mother’s garage. His big personality, legendary street hustle, and undeniable bike-building skills turned his business into a powerhouse.
West Coast Choppers’ headquarters in Long Beach, Calif., became a mecca for gearheads. James also opened up an accompanying burger joint called Cisco Burger (named after his dog).
TV fame followed with Discovery Channel’s Motorcycle Mania and Monster Garage, and Spike TV’s Jesse James Is a Dead Man. A big key to building the empire was the West Coast Choppers CFL frame, as seen in this custom 2008 West Coast Choppers CFL motorcycle recently offered on eBay.
A Game-Changing Frame
The CFL frame hit the streets in 1997. James sourced quality materials and TIG-welded his frames for a rock-solid structure. The design was more performance-oriented than most competing frames. It featured a patented drop seat design, spider web gussets, and polished oil tank. You could buy the CFL as a frame, a kit, or a full WCC custom build.
The CFL kit, which is no longer available new, included these features:
- A mounted raw seat pan
- Rear fender
- Frisco-style gas tank
- Raw top motor mount
- Oil tank
- Rear axle
- Neck WCC badge
- Fork stops
- Polished axle covers
The racy ’08 West Coast Choppers CFL on eBay checks all the boxes. It runs an S&S Cycle Super Stock engine with a black WCC Maltese cross air cleaner and devil tail downswept pipes. A big Rivera Primo open belt primary and chain drive puts the Super Stock’s power to good use, spooling up the hardtail’s spoked rear tire.
The tail end is ultra-clean thanks to an Exile Cycles sprocket brake kit which combines the rear brake and final drive sprocket into a single unit. The stainless sprocket is coupled to a two-piston billet caliper. A Performance Machine caliper provides stopping power at the front.
WCC Style
The WCC insignia is all over this motorcycle, from engine to axle covers. The oil tank houses a Jesse James .44 mag oil filler cap, a hot ticket item in the early 2000s. The gunfighter theme extends to the WCC 5 Shot grips as well. These designs portend James’ later career as a gunsmith and founder of Jesse James Firearms Unlimited.
The motorcycle’s clean custom paint job includes subtle ghost flames, a WCC Maltese cross on top of the tank, and the CFL symbol sporting a king’s crown across the side. The gold neck badge is another of the motorcycle’s genuine WCC articles.
The CFL was integral to James’s business. In 2008, he unveiled a limited-edition CFL II. Its monocoque-style triple-box gusset sun frame was way ahead of the game. This version included a slick three-piece oil bag, an integrated battery tray, and adjustable seat pan. He would also make a limited-edition CFL III with stainless steel and redesigned components.
While you can’t visit West Coast Choppers and grab a Cisco burger in Long Beach anymore, you can catch James bickering with the Teutuls on America Chopper: The Build-Off reruns. Or you can own this piece of rolling chopper history. The CFL was one of the best things to come out of WCC.
