n the 10th anniversary of unveiling a custom motorcycle at the annual Dealernews Motorcycle Dealer Expo, Cobra Engineering may have built its boldest (and certainly largest) custom to date. The gang from the Cobra Special Projects Division (CSPD) took a stock, just introduced 2004 Kawasaki Vulcan 2000, and from it created a prototypical ’70s chopper—albeit a version for the new millennium—from its way stretched front fork to its chicken-wire paint scheme and 240 rear tire. All hail the “Mad Kaw!”
     When CSPD creative artist Denny Berg received the stock VN2000, he pulled the engine and threw away the rest. It’s that massive 2,000cc engine that sets the proportions for this bike that is over 9-feet long. “When you look at the bike in its finished form, everything looks right,” says creator Berg. “But when you lead the Mad Kaw up to a standard-sized V-Twin cruiser, it dwarfs the stock machine. This thing is huge.”
     Ken Boyko, VP of Cobra Engineering expanded: “We wanted to do something really cool for our 10th anniversary of unveiling bikes here at the Dealer Expo. But I never dreamed it would be this big! Then again, when you start with a bike like the VN2000, you know it’s not going to be a petite finished product; it’s going to be super-sized. Once we decided this was going to be a chopper, we knew we were on to something special.”
For more info on the Mad Kaw project and/or Cobra products check their website - www.cobrausa.com or phone 714-692-8180.

Cobra Special Projects Division’s Denny Berg (left)
awaits the unveiling as Ken Boyko makes the formal introduction.

One of the special events every year at the Indy Show is Cobra’s “unveiling”
of a new concept bike from Denny Berg and his design team.

When the sheet comes off, all you hear are the “ohs” and “ahs” as people react to the latest Cobra concept bike. This year was no exception.

A close look at the Mad Kaw shows the beauty of the polished motor as well as the pin-striping work on the frame and gas tank.