It's entirely fitting that a chopper built in actor Steve McQueen's memory be a high-performance machine. Basis for the project was a Buell Firebolt from Harley-Davidson's one-time sportbike division. It provided the kitted 1200cc V-twin, beefy upside-down forks and rim-style front brake with six-piston caliper, hardly traditional chopper fare.

The outfit responsible for the build was East Side Custom Choppers, with the approval and participation of Barbara Minty McQueen, Steve's widow. The bike was constructed in 2007 and presented in conjunction with the debut of "An American Rebel" a documentary film about McQueen's life, and the release of "The Last Mile," Minty McQueen's highly personal book about her time with the actor during his final years.

Besides it sporty underpinnings, the bike's graphics treatment sets it apart from other customs. Various McQueen movie logos adorn the bodywork, as does a barbed-wire theme taken from "The Great Escape," one of the star's best-loved movies, in which he did much of his own stunt riding. A Gulf Oil roundel recalls "Le Mans," McQueen's 1971 ode to the 24-hour car race. The top of the gas tank contains an airbrushed likeness of McQueen from "Bullitt," plus a good luck medallion passed down from McQueen's father to his son and an inscription from Minty McQueen.

So, in Steve McQueen's name we have a high-performance custom chopper with heartfelt, one-of-a-kind overtones. No doubt the King of Cool would approve.

Without Reserve