Big Bear Choppers Athena 100 Carb 2009 — Specifications

We still remember the 2000s, when American custom culture pushed eccentricity to the absolute. Big Bear Choppers never compromised, and its 2009 Athena 100 Carb is the apotheosis of that philosophy. This machine doesn’t negotiate with the road; it imposes its conditions. With a wheelbase of 2235 mm, it stretches across the asphalt like a cruise ship on two wheels, immediately announcing that it’s not made for tight turns but for endless straightaways and the looks it attracts.

The heart of the beast is a 1638 cm3 four-stroke V2 engine, a large displacement with a perfect square bore of 101.6 x 101.6 mm. Fueled by an S&S Super E carburetor, this engine spits out a torque of 149 Nm, a value that is felt more than measured. Power is not displayed, it doesn’t matter. What counts here is the twisting surge that presses you against the seat at the slightest touch of the right wrist, a fat and immediate push that makes you forget the absence of numbers. The six-speed transmission mainly serves to modulate this energy, in a universe where fifth gear is already a highway.

The chassis is a statement of intent. The BBC Athena Softail frame conceals its rear shock for a clean line, while the stretched fork and 21-inch front wheel give it the look of a giant spider. The tires, a 90/80 at the front and a 300/80 monster at the rear, are sculptures in rubber that speak more to style than to grip. The braking, ensured by single discs and PM four-piston calipers, is there to reassure, but no one rides a machine like this to attack chicanes. The 508 mm seat height from the ground is a false promise of accessibility, because the real challenge is to tame its 317 kg dry weight and its excessive proportions.

With its 16.5-liter tank and monumental dimensions, the Athena 100 Carb is aimed at a very specific rider. It demands space, confidence, and a certain indifference to frequent stops. It is the antithesis of the sportbike, the radical counterpoint to a Ducati 1098 or even a classic Harley-Davidson Softail. It belongs to that era when American custom culture aimed at the physical limits of the road, a living collector's item that recalls that a motorcycle can also be a kinetic sculpture. For those seeking a challenging mount, a rolling conversation piece, and a lesson in ostentatious mechanics, it remains a reference. For others, it will remain an enigma on two wheels.