This Wassell Mudlark Is A Customized Ice Tracker Gone Very, Very Proper

It’s ice central in Chicago proper now—which makes it absolutely the excellent time to ponder this tradition 1973 Wassell Mudlark construct that was handcrafted by Chris Tope and his store, Utopeia Moto Firm. After present process an intensive transformation, it’s now an ice tracker, fittingly referred to as the Ice Decide. 

One in all my favourite issues about motorbike historical past is that there’s seemingly no scarcity of random branches off the principle tree, all resulting in tales you’ve by no means heard earlier than. The Wassell Mudlark is a kind of tales, which advanced as a trials bike constructed by famed enduro rider and builder John Penton. The story entails a 125cc two-stroke Sachs engine made by KTM in Austria, which sadly had a problematic transmission that had a fame for producing an entire lot of false neutrals.  

British agency Wassell received concerned someplace alongside the best way—and fairly quickly, because the story goes, Penton had the one trials bike mannequin that didn’t accomplish that nicely. In keeping with Tope, solely round 50 or so of those bikes had been documented within the U.S., in order that they’re fairly uncommon. He discovered the inventory machine in a store outdoors of Dallas, Texas—and little by little, turned it into the attractive customized machine you now see earlier than you. 

In fact, a motorcycle from the ‘70s goes to wish alternative components, even for those who’re constructing it right into a customized machine. With one thing this uncommon, not all of the components had been simple to search out—so what Tope couldn’t discover, he fabricated. Another issues, he wished to manufacture from the soar. That aluminum tank and one-of-a-kind seat cowl are all welded aluminum, with a stunning iridescent paint job by Krossover Customs.  

Tope constructed this bike in his spare time, over the course of barely greater than six months. He doesn’t have a full storage or store to dedicate to his builds, and as an alternative works out of a trailer. Tope is a builder who was bitten by the moto bug early, grew up using, and continues to do what he loves when he has time outdoors his day job as a biologist and compliance monitor with varied U.S. vitality firms.  

The tip consequence, outfitted with studded tires, seems like the proper machine to tackle all of the lands of ice and snow. Earlier this yr, it appeared at Gasoline Cleveland, the place this video was shot. It additionally went on to make what’s reportedly its closing present look ever on the Glory Daze Bike Present in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in September, 2022.