Lucky’s Choppers Von Ripoff

Von Ripoff

AJ’s stolen chopper

A pro builder’s personal bike is an interesting breed. Sometimes it’s almost bone-stock, just something functional to blast around town on, while other times they take on a life of their own, getting worked on between paying jobs, collecting pieces slowly and coming together possibly never.

Von Ripoff, the bike seen here, is one of the latter. The sheetmetal, frame and paint were done, exactly the way Lucky’s Choppers owner AJ Magnesi wanted it done, to please nobody but himself. The paint was an homage to Von Dutch, simultaneously honoring the old artist while savaging the new T-Shirt vendors who were making a mockery of the brand. Hidden messages are everywhere in the incredibly detailed paint referencing Lucky’s, Seattle, and other random thoughts worked in by master painter Tim Conder.

But the bike was an empty suit, though cosmetically done, it had no powertrain or brakes, and it simply waited in the corner of Lucky’s for its day to ride. The week before Sturgis ’05 was the time. AJ decided that Sturgis was calling his name and he needed a suitable machine to take him there. 

He wanted badly to ride the Ripoff, so he appro

priated the remaining parts needed to finish it from other unfinished projects around the shop. On build gave it’s Evo motor and transmission, 

while another supplied a primary, and still another several missing brake components and a front end. 

The final build was started on Friday, finished and on the road to Sturgis by Monday.

Naturally, all of the pilfered parts were replaced. Eventually.

Surprisingly, the haphazardly selected components worked really well together. AJ mentioned that he’s never had a wide-tire equipped chopper handle or track quite as well as this one did. 

Aesthetically, the bike is a mix of high-concept chopper art and down-and-dirty brawler. Thick metal flake covers the frame and tank, while most of the rear fender is just a dull brushed finish, which is just as well, as that’s where AJ’s old lady rides. And where she rode most of the way to Sturgis.

Matt Adams, owner of Redsoul, who used to work at Lucky’s Choppers made the hand-tooled HA logo seat along with much of the metal fabrication. When asked about the bike, Matt got all misty too, claiming it to be one of his favorites as well. The pegs and controls were made in-house, and also combine a sweet design with a very functional groove.

After the Sturgis trip the thing got ridden all over Washington and the rest of the country, piling on the miles. AJ’s last chapter with it, was just last year when he rode it (loaded down with gear) to his new home in San Fransisco. It was sold soon after, AJ getting into a silk screen business and building some hot rod cars and bikes for friends, when we spoke to him he’d just finished a Panhead chopper for a buddy. The bug has bitten him again recently, and he wishes he’d never sold the Von Ripoff. But he claims to have a stash of Evo’s and tranny’s, ready to drop into the next frame he jigs up.

Words and Photos by Billy Bartels