Sept/Oct 2006
ASSASSIN
by Dain Gingerelli/IronWorks
Rucker takes aim at the high-end market
Often times when someone I meet learns that I write for a motorcycle magazine, they’ll ask me what I consider to be the best bike made. An open-ended question, to be sure, so I reply with my own open-ended statement.
“That depends on what type of riding you are talking about.” For instance, the best bike for touring won’t necessarily be the best bike for commuting, and the best bike for commuting may not qualify as the best for customizing, and so on.
So when Bill Rucker established Rucker Performance Motorcycles a few years ago, his ambitions were to build the best factory-built custom bikes on the market. He took square aim at the rest of the industry, and what recently rolled out of the Ft. Worth, Texas factory is the Assassin, which also happens to be RPM’s flagship model sailing in the point position ahead of the Predator, Gauntlet, and Vandal. And with an MSRP of about $50,000, the Assassin should certainly be recognized among the best of its genre today.
But it takes more than just an MSRP the size of a third world country’s GNP to qualify as the best factory-built custom bike on the market. It takes a solid design and sound engineering, too, and on that note the Assassin might score the bull’s-eye that Bill Rucker set his sights on. The Assassin’s S&S 124 engine—among the first of the Wisconsin-built twin cams to report for duty with S&S Cycle’s new VFI Tuned Induction System—a closed loop fuel injection design---is rubber-mounted in the proprietary RPM frame, delivering a smooth ride thanks also to the rear adjustable air suspension and Goldammer inverted fork. The Assassin’s paint and finish is first class, and its polished and plated components seem to be whittled and formed precisely for this bike. Which, as it turns out, many of them were. Indeed, the Assassin greets you as a cohesive package, one designed, engineered and built to accomplish one goal—to be the best that it can be (my apologies to the U.S. Army for sloganeers).
When Bill Rucker took out the contract on the Assassin, he selected Jason Delago, an expatriated Cheesehead-cum-gearhead who left Wisconsin to immerse himself in Ft. Worth’s burgeoning custom bike industry, as triggerman for the project.
“Jason is real particular about things,” said Rucker, “and that’s just the kind of person I needed to complete this project.”
Just how particular can Delago be? Rucker cites Delago’s design for the Assassin’s hefty, yet lightweight transmission sprocket support that rides on roller bearings and could probably support planet Earth as it rotates on its axis. The unit helps convert the Baker 6-speed transmission for an O-ring drive chain. It also necessitated a special ¼-inch extension to the clutch assembly, but no problem—it works beautifully, and there is absolutely no flex to the transmission’s mainshaft when the engine’s 124 horsepower (claimed) is corralled to the chain before it finds life in the hefty Metzler 280 tire.
To be sure, you won’t feel any flex when you ride the Assassin. After you settle into the form-fit saddle that sets your butt 22 inches off the deck you find the controls are easy to reach (bikes are custom-fit to owners who opt for RPM’s Fly-N-Buy Program, more on that later), and there’s no special procedure to ignite the mix in those 4 1/8"-bore barrels, either. The VFI fuel-injection knows precisely how much fuel and air to meter at any given time, and thanks to twin exhaust-mounted oxygen sensors this engine meets current EPA and CARB standards.
The big twin-cam engine immediately settles into idle, and the baffled exhaust pipes emit a healthy, yet subdued burble. The exhaust’s tone increases with engine speed as you accelerate, building to a crescendo that, while pleasing to the heart and soul of any V-twin enthusiast, remains friendly to civilians who happen to care more about stock portfolios, PTA meetings or new dinette sets than they do owning a premier custom motorcycle.
Power delivery is smooth and linear, too, and when you settle into sixth-gear’s overdrive mode there’s no annoying vibration prompting you to pull over for unnecessary rest stops. There’s adequate fuel capacity in the gas tank too, and while we’re talking about the tank, it’s worth mentioning that RPM has these aluminum gems specially made by an aerospace company that uses a process known as Super-Form to shape each one. The process leaves no unsightly seams or ripples in the curves, and because the tanks are made of aluminum they add (subtract?) to the bike’s light weight, coupled with the carbon-fiber composite fenders and body work the Assassin checks in at a claimed 640 pounds. And to help keep the center of gravity low and to reduce temperature, the dry-sump engine’s oil is stored in a chin-faring at the base of the downtube where it enjoys a constant blast of cool, fresh air.
Perhaps what many potential owners find most appealing about the Assassin is the exclusivity it offers. RPM offers a Fly-N-Buy Program that includes round-trip airfare to Ft. Worth, plus one night’s hotel so you can visit the Rucker Performance factory and be fitted for your own bike. You do more than just kill time at the factory; the visit includes a test ride on an Assassin so you’ll know exactly what to expect when your bike arrives. And the deal includes consultation with RPM’s design director, Carl Tyndell, who will help select a paint scheme based on RPM’s exclusive Toxic Colors paint formula.
So is this the best turnkey custom you can buy? That’s for the customer to decide. But one thing’s for sure, even though 50 G’s is a lot to ask for a bike, Rucker Performance has made sure that you get a lot of bike for your bucks. That’s the best anyone can ask for.
August 8, 2006 11:15 AM | send page | Press Releases