Sean C. Morgan
David Kem’s new vehicle is a motorcycle, at least according to the Division of Motor Vehicles, but it doesn’t look much like it.
Kem displayed the “reverse trike,” built just a month ago, at Grampa Tom’s Get Together on Saturday.
Function dictated the form of the new mutated motorcycle. Kem started developing the idea for it because he didn’t want his wife, Kellie, riding behind him.
“This is what we wanted, so we could sit side by side,” David Kem said.
The result was a radical remodel of a Yamaha FJR 1300.
Kem knew how he wanted to twist and turn the bike, but he didn’t know how to do it.
“I’d been thinking about it for a long time. I couldn’t get it bent into the shape I wanted, but this guy could,” he said. That was Craig Short of Lafayette. Short completed the work on the trike about a month ago.
“You can do 80 mph in a 30-mph corner, guaranteed,” Kem said. “And it’ll run at 120 down the road and 71 mph in second gear. Whenever it hits that power band, it really just pushes you back in that seat.”
It over-revs at 9,000, although he only runs it up to 3,000.
The seats are after-market, but the dash instruments and controls come straight from the heart of the Yamaha.
Its front disc brakes are from a Ford Mustang II, and its wheels come from a BMW. Its windshield was cut to fit and added to a custom frame securely attached the Yamaha engine behind the seats.
It rides just 6 inches above the ground, and the faster it moves, the lower it drops, Kem said. It drives like a car, but it’s registered as a bike. And Kellie can drive it too.
It draws a lot of looks and questions from just about everyone, Kem said. The police haven’t bothered him much. They usually just look at it.
“Lebanon did stop me,” Kem said. “They were over here, and he just wanted to look at it.”
The officer had previously seen Kem driving it in Lebanon, Kem said.
The following are the results:
Grampa’s Choice: A 1952 Ford pickup owned by Bryan Shilts of Sweet Home and in motorcycles, a 2006 Harley Davidson owned by Harold and Ruby Greene of Sweet Home from among 48 entries.
Best of Show: Bob Stone of Sweet Home, 1940 Ford Model A coupe.
Participants’ Choice: Ken McMackin, 1956 Ford Pickup.
Princess’ Choice (Sportsman’s Holiday Court): Dave and Lisa Herring of Sweet Home, 1969 Pontiac GTO.
Best Ford: Ken McMackin of Albany, 1956 Ford pickup.
Best Chevy: Mike Rice of Sweet Home, 1955 Chevy Bel Air.
Best MOPAR: Steven Makinson of Sweet Home, 1970 Dodge Challenger.
Under Construction: Dennis McKinney of Sweet Home, 1952 Ford Mercury.
Costume/Display: David and Linda Faller of Albany, 1937 Chevy pickup.
First-Place Car Trophies
Street Rods: Bob Stone, 1940 Model A coupe. Second place, Bob and Eunice Craycraft of Lebanon, 1927 Ford Tall T.
Pre-40s: Linda and David Faller of Albany, 1937 Chevy pickup. Second place, Ken Fitzwater of Lebanon, 1928 Ford Model A.
1940s: Davie and Lisa Herring of Sweet Home, 1947 Chevy Fleetmaster. Second place, Don McCrary of Albany, Chevy four-door.
1950s: Bob Andros of Philomath, Chevy Bel Air. Second place, Mike Rice of Sweet Home, 1955 Chevy Bel Air.
1960s: Ted Hufford of Sweet Home, 1961 Studebaker Hawk. Second place, Chris Harris of Bremerton, Wash., 1961 Chevy Parkwood.
1970s: Steve Makinson of Sweet Home, 1970 Dodge Challenger. Second place, Tom Tenbusch of Sweet Home, 1971 Plymouth Duster.
1980s and newer: Brent and Bernadine Lindemann of Stayton, 1988 Chevy Camaro. Second place, Loren and Carol Stogsdill of Lebanon, 1989 Ford pickup.
Pickup: Ken McMackin, 1956 Ford pickup. Second place, Felix and Sharon Betcher of Washougal, Wash., 1940 Ford pickup.
Convertible: Ed and Josh Ames of Cascadia, 1964 Ford. Second place, Mike Pickett of Sweet Home, 1964 Ford Falcon.
First-Place Motorcycle Trophies:
Dresser: Ed Winkler of Sweet Home, 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King.
Japanese; Eric Munts of Sweet Home, 1983 Honda CB 1100F
Old School Chopper; Les Jensen, 2003 Indian Scout.
Stock: Harold and Ruby Greene, 2006 Harley-Davidson.
Woman Rider, Diana Jensen of Sweet Home, 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan.
Trike: David Kem of Sweet Home, Yama FJR 1300.