True Love Speed Shop started in Dayton, Ohio, approximately six years ago, in a small 500 sq. ft. shop. ChopCult member Nick Thomison owns and operates True Love Speed Shop and enjoys working on any make and model bike. "I believe we can make anything look good - and we have fun doing it! We recently relocated to Brookville, Ohio, and are in the middle of renovating our new 3000 sq. ft. shop. Our goal is to continue building custom bikes along with essential services and repairs. Eventually, we would like to start manufacturing our parts as well. In the future we may be taking on traditional hot rod builds too. Our shop motto is to keep our builds clean and simple, and everything's meant to be ridden hard!" If this righteous shovelhead below is an example of what you can expect from True Love Speed Show I'd say they are on the right track. Keep up the great work! -Lisa

Photos by Dade Razete

Owner name, location: Nick Thomison True Love Speed Shop Brookville, Ohio

Chop Cult Member profile: choppedxs

Bike name: Shanks Redemption

Engine, year and make, model, modifications: 1979 Harley shovelhead, bored 20 over, high compression pistons, Andrews cam, and lifters.

Frame: Harley frame, slightly modified

Fork: Sportster 39mm with Mullins narrow trees.

Chassis mods: stripped all the factory tabs off, and reworked the frame back to factory specs. The frame was previously stretched in the downtubes, and raked.

Tire/wheel size and style: Avon Speedmaster front, Avon mk2 rear; 21” front spool wheel and 16x3.5 rear

Favorite thing about this bike: I just like the overall appearance of the whole bike; it’s simplicity and handling; it’s a blast to ride.

Next modification will be: Think I may change out the headlight for one I picked up at a swap meet once I have it re-chromed.

Other mods, accessories, cool parts, etc.: Most of the parts on the bike were built right in my little shop; from the sissy bar to the custom setup mid controls. I tried to make as much as I could there's a lot of work on the lathe making little brass parts.

Any building or riding story or info you'd like to include: Picked the bike up from a buddy who did a trade deal and the bike just never worked right. Handled terrible and would constantly break down. Got him on a bike that was more suited for him then started to rework this basketcase of a bike I just traded for. Fast forward a couple of months, after pulling the whole thing apart, fixing the frame in my jig, rebuilding the motor, and making all the other parts. My buddy saw it and was in love. Said this is the bike I pictured having when I made the deal to have this bike originally built. His last name is Shank, so that’s kinda how I came up with the name Shanks Redemption.

Thanks to: Pops Garage and Restoration for the paint and bodywork on the bike and anybody who lent me a hand during the build. -Nick

Photos by Dade Razete

True Love Speed Shop - Website / Facebook / Instagram

Photographer: Dade Razete Instagram / Facebook