“Who wouldn’t want that? “To build an Italian two-stroke Harley?” Chris Tope asked, almost rudely. “That’s the original Harley-Davidson Pan America!”
As ‘Tope’ at Utopeia Moto Company in Texas, Chris is known for building unique bikes troublemakers stacked with quirky details. His signature style is recognizable and hard to replicate—so when his latest client came to him looking for a typical Utopeia machine, Chris had full control.
From the start, Chris knew what kind of bike he wanted for the project. “I’m a big fan of two-strokes,” he told us. “I’ve also never built a custom Harley-Davidson to my style, just restored them.”
“So I told him I’d been wanting to build a Harley-Davidson Baja 100 for years—and if he said yes, that was the bike. My design idea was to create what I thought would be the original HD Pan America of that era. I wanted to add some classic natural colors and incorporate a desert feel.”
For those unfamiliar, the Harley-Davidson Baja 100 is a 98cc two-stroke dirt bike built by Aermacchi when Harley owned half of the Italian company. Produced from 1969 to 1972, it was designed to help Harley break into the small-displacement dirt bike market. The Motor Co. hasn’t built anything like it since.
The Baja 100 Chris sourced for this build is registered as a 1973 model and was fitted with a rare 125cc kit that Harley sold at the time. The OEM engine and five-speed transmission were rebuilt, the head fairings were drilled to aid cooling and reduce weight, and the engine covers were polished. Other upgrades include a performance ignition system, Dell’Orto carbs, modified K&N filters, and a hand-crafted expansion chamber from Jemco Exhaust Systems.
Chris stripped down the Baja 100 frame, before cleaning and reinforcing the factory welds. He also welded on the luggage rack and lengthened the swingarm, before finishing everything with a prismatic whisky bronze powder coat. An original Webco spark plug holder, made to match the colour, holds a spare set of spark plugs.
Restored Ceriani forks are up front, with a new pair of Hagon shocks supporting the rear. The Baja 100’s 21F/18R wheels have been powdercoated and re-mounted to the original drum brake hubs with shiny new Buchanan spokes. They’re wrapped in new Maxxis rubber.
It’s the details that really set this little Harley shredder apart—starting with the multi-faceted tank paint. “The tank still pays homage to the original Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Baja 100, but with a ’70s Toyota boho style a la Utopeia Moto Company,” says Chris.
Done by Kacey Elkins at Krossover Customs, the paint has a sand-textured finish under a perfect clear coat. Look closely and you’ll also notice a shimmering illusion effect in the stripes. Further back, a slim custom seat features memory foam padding, with a tan suede cover from Dane Utech at Plzbeseated.
Chris loves incorporating earthy materials into his projects—and he outdid himself on this one. The front number plate is a handcrafted piece of olive wood that he spent hours stabilizing so it wouldn’t warp or crack over time. Bronze epoxy resin was used to inlay the client’s favorite number.
There’s more olive wood in the back, set into the gaps of the luggage rack. A leather bag sits underneath, which Chris calls the “tool taco.”
Vintage Webco handlebars grace the cockpit, complete with Joker Machine controls and CNC-machined throttle and clutch tubes from the late Mark Atkinson. The grips are hand-milled from Australian banksia shells, with brass inlays by Greg Madrigal. The CNC-machined handlebar ends are engraved with antique copper coins.
“There’s also a 1921 Liberty dollar engraved with a rattlesnake wrapped around the skull, since it’s a desert-style piece,” Chris added. “I also incorporated a custom valve stem with a real rattlesnake rattle embedded in resin.”
Chris has nicknamed the two-stroke Harley ‘The Mojavian’ and claims it “runs like a dream”.
“The 125cc HD hop-up packs incredible power into this lightweight 198-pound two-stroke. If the engine doesn’t knock you out, the exhaust will burn you out or blow your eardrums out.”
Utopeia Moto Company Instagram | Image of David Carlo
