2006 Zombie Dark Dayz Chopper - War Of The Worlds

What do KFC, Johnny Walker, and Dark Dayz Choppers all have in common? They all have executed a successful blend. Blends are hard to get just right. A century ago, Colonel Sanders mixed his 11 herbs and spices on his back porch before founding his chicken empire. Two centuries ago, John Walker blended malt and grain whiskeys for the first time ever, creating a smooth concoction that opened up whiskey as the drink of choice the world over. Well, Dark Dayz's Denny Mialki blends old-school simplicity with modern glitz in his two-wheeled metal creations bringing it all to a very satisfying result. Sanders and Walker changed the world with massive consumption of chicken and scotch, amassing huge fortunes in the process. Is Mialki set to do the same and set the gearhead world afire with his mixture of styles? Okay, probably not. But in a world of homogenizing styles and strict categorizing, his alloy of differing influences is refreshing.

This fan of Sam Raimi's zombie films (Army of Darkness and so on) dubs this bike "Zombie." (There's another called "Boomstick.") The Zombie is Mialki's idea of a stripped-to-the-bone custom, with not one thing on it that isn't essential for the bike's running down the boulevard. Instead of tacking on stylistic touches, he'd rather incorporate them into the overall clean design.

The theme on this bike is slightly rounded "V" shapes: the tank comes to a point, as do both ends of the seat, the rear fender, the headlight, and the oblong oil tank. Both fenders hug their respective tires, and just about everything electric is hidden from sight. There are some really sweet details as well, like Dark Dayz proprietary jester's crown tire valve covers, the simple (but trick) Supreme Leather seat, and sinuous Streetwalker Jane Doe pipes

Unlike most gooseneck bobber-type bikes, this one isn't afraid to sport a metallic-flamed paintjob, or push the envelope with a 200-series rear tire, or even a fat 1-1/4-inch frame. But on the practical side, Mialki hasn't shied away from modern innovation where it counts: on performance. A beltdrive (not the easiest thing to fit on a big-tire bike) keeps maintenance to a minimum, while four-piston calipers in the front and rear make slowing the bike a breeze.

Perhaps the most important and practical consideration is that Dark Dayz is a federally-registered VIN-issuing builder, making financing, insurance, and all the other headaches of custom bike ownership a little easier. That is the part of the Dark Dayz Choppers blend that is smoothest going down.