ver the past year or so some of the best customs seen on magazine covers and filling the inside pages have had one thing in common. Dig deep into the specs listed with those features and you’ll find that the frames are coming from Jesse Jurrens’ Independent
Cycle, either the swingarm-style Lowlife or the rigid Hardlife. A few months back we had one of these beauties on the cover, too, a Lowlife creation by Tank Ewsichek.
     Now take a look at the other half of that custom equation from Independent Cycle. It’s the
Hardlife, a rigid version of that long, low, and super extended frame that’s become so popular as
a start for so many of those oneoffs.
     Everyone from Chip Foose to Jim Nasi to Kendall Johnson to, well, pick just about any name
builder you can think of and they’ve chosen the Hardlife as one heck of a start to a dream machine. Independent Cycle has made it easy to kick-start that dream into reality, too. Along with the basic Hardlife frame package they offer plenty of the finishing parts to go with it. They’re all in the FatBook, right along with the frame. There’s the matching Slither gas tank, there’s a slick set of Pullback Handlebars, there’s Independent’s Millennium Headlight Assembly, there’s a trick Hidden Brake Mount and for those ambitious enough to fab up their own gas tank
     Independent has the right start with a Universal Gas Tank Base and Universal Mount Kit. All those extras are designed to work perfectly with the Hardlife/Lowlife frames and, put together as a
whole, form one beautiful custom bike.
     The base for all this, the Hardlife Chassis Kit, comes with a lot all by itself. This stretched and radical drop-seat frame is constructed entirely of DOM tubing and all the bends are smooth and radial. The frame’s ultra-low seat height is exaggerated with an extended, and definitely unique, primary for a radically stretched appearance. There are narrowed bottom frame rails for improved cornering clearance, and the engine and transmission mount right at the centerline of the bike.      The Hardlife is perfectly balanced. With an outboard final drive the biggest 300-Series tire fits right in with no headaches and no extra work, and the Hardlife Frame Kit includes everything needed. The frame comes with a neatly hidden oil tank; the axle with flush caps
and hidden fasteners are included; there’s an extended-length onepiece billet primary backing plate complete with pulleys, belt and a Rivera Pro Clutch; and there’s a choice of mid- or forward controls.
     Every part has been designed to work with everything else, to fit right the first time and nothing’s missing. The machined neck stem comes ready to accept the included bearings, the transmission plate is a solid 1/2-inch thick and the battery mount is rubber isolated.
     Add in the matching gas tank–designed by Jim Nasi, incidentally– or the Universal Base & Tunnel if you want to make your own tank, the big Pullback Handlebars with built-in riser, the Millennium Headlight and the Hidden Brake Mount and the Hardlife is closer than ever to becoming real life. Everything listed here is in the FatBook. Take a good look at the Hardlife. Pro builders have. Hard to believe that the bikes they’ve built, the ones on all those magazine covers, are based on a packaged chassis kit from the FatBook–the Hardlife Frame Kit from Independent Cycle. Call your Drag Specialties rep today for more information.