Saturday morning cartoons and a bowl full of sugary sustenance defined countless weekends of our youth—at least for many of us. From caped crusaders to mutant do-gooders, we each had an animated favorite. For Henry Bates, a salty sailor named Popeye stole the show. The story of a rough around the edges underdog with a serious punch made a lasting impression on this hardworking gearhead. His appreciation for classic characters and an unshakeable neighborhood nickname developed into a ZX-14 with real comic charisma: “I love cartoons. My last bike had a Foghorn Leghorn theme. I love Popeye too. I have real big arms ‘cause I work on cars all of the time so everybody around the neighborhood calls me Popeye. Because of that, I decided to give them something to talk about and came up with the theme for this bike.”
After mentally mapping out a paint scheme, Henry handed the artistic work to Peter Weber of Peter’s Custom Artwork who brought the world of Popeye to life on top of a House of Kolor Laser Blue. A special portrait of the pipe-chomping mariner, centered on a molded wind- screen, employed a clever technique for grabbing extra attention. Small holes drilled into Popeye’s chain were filled with glitter and clear coated in place for an eye-catching frontal focal point. Anchors aweigh painted on either side of the rear fairings drift attention across the tail section towards a massive steel arm.
Aligning a right-side conversion...
Aligning a right-side conversion on a single-sided arm wasn't a task for the Wimpy.
An 18-over C&S swingarm with a Monster 360 tire showcases its own special character. Challenging himself, Henry further separated his ZX-14 from the crowd by flip- ping the drive from the left to the right side using ingenuity and a rolling jackshaft bearing.
Henry took a Team Green hy- percycle and transformed it into a spinach-slammed custom unlike anything we’ve ever seen. It’s not often a motorcycle brings cartoon strip historians and customizers into the same room. And with only 800 miles on the odometer, this big brute has plenty of fight left under the tank. SSB
2008 Kawasaki ZX-14
Front End: PM caliper and rotor, Galfer brake line, RC Components wheel
Rear End: PM caliper and rotor, C&S swingarm and strut, lowering links, custom right side drive, RC Components wheel, Galfer brake line
Motor: Micron exhaust, K&N air filter
Paint/Bodywork: Peter Weber’s Custom Painting Artwork
Accessories: Roaring Toyz tag bracket, engraved jackshaft covers, clear clutch cover with LEDs, aftermarket mirrors, gas cap, and fork caps, DID chain, diamond spike grips
Owner/Builder: Henry Bates