“Berserker” by Bill Evans

Bill Evans - Salisbury, Maryland

Instagram: @evanscycle1691

Meet Bill Evans, 33, a lifelong mechanic and builder out of Salisbury, Maryland. Bill started working full-time at just 15 and grew up building bikes with his father. After years of wrenching for others in the evenings, he recently made the leap to go full-time, launching Evans Cycle, a small home-based shop where he now builds and works on bikes full-time.

His latest project, Berserker, is a no-nonsense 70’s-style chopper built to ride — not to sit pretty at a show. The bike is powered by a 1951 FL Panhead motor, set in an old Jammer frame, with a 22-over front end from Mick’s Chop Shop. It’s kick-only, foot clutch, and stripped down to the bare bones.

“I love the paint on this bike — simple but aggressive,” Bill says. “And the stance gives it that Frisco look — high front, narrow, but still ten feet long. I built this one for me. Just to ride and enjoy.”

The build came together over about seven months during a slow season. Bill did most of the fabrication himself, drawing on skills he picked up over the years in different jobs. “I’ve always had to cut, weld, and make things myself to save money. Mostly self-taught.” One standout detail: the one-piece handlebars were made by his buddy Nick Channell — a custom touch that adds serious style.

But the build carries deeper meaning. “My father passed away about seven years ago. I wanted to build something he’d be proud of. Like I’m still carrying on what we started together.”

The paint, done by Iron Wolf Custom Paint (Len Scarola), features pagan gold flames over black with a Death Dealer on the tank — a perfect match for the bike’s name and energy.

From his first build — a stripped-down, open-belt ’80 Shovel Lowrider — to this deeply personal chopper, Bill’s mission has stayed the same: build with purpose, ride with heart.

“Motorcycles take the stress away,” he says. “It’s like escaping the world while having the time of your life. Nothing compares to riding an old ‘60s chopper. It’s like time travel.”

And for Bill, Berserker is just the beginning.