# God Sin: Joe Martin’s Futuristic Board-Tracker Custom

- Link: https://custommotorcycles.info/god-sin-by-joe-martin/
- Published: 2015-07-07T10:00:26-04:00
- Author: Manny Costa

[View God Sin: Joe Martin’s Futuristic Board-Tracker Custom Photo Gallery](https://custommotorcycles.info/god-sin-by-joe-martin/#photogallery)

Joe Martin’s _God Sin_ takes a radically pared-back approach to the custom V-twin.
Its long, low profile is built around two oversized wheels, a polished engine and
a narrow strip of bodywork that seems to connect the front and rear ends. The result
is less a conventional cruiser than a futuristic interpretation of a board tracker,
with enough traditional influence to keep the metalwork recognizable.

## Designed around proportion

Martin developed the motorcycle for a planned million-dollar custom build-off that
was later canceled, according to the original Hot Bike report. The contest never
became the event its organizers had envisioned, but Martin’s project continued as
a finished expression of ideas he had previously kept in sketches.

The key decision was the use of a 23-inch front wheel. Martin said a smaller 21-
inch wheel would have made the motorcycle appear too slight, particularly beside
the engine’s broad cylinders. The larger diameter establishes the bike’s visual 
scale: the wheels dominate the silhouette without making the motor look undersized.
With the fenders removed, their open surfaces become an even more important part
of the design.

## Minimal bodywork, detailed fabrication

There is very little painted material on _God Sin_, so each remaining panel carries
considerable visual weight. The deep red tank and front section sweep down toward
the polished engine, while the small solo seat keeps the upper line low and uncluttered.
In the supplied photographs, the broad rear wheel and exposed belt drive reinforce
the sense that the motorcycle has been reduced to its essential mechanical forms.

The front end is the most distinctive piece of fabrication. Rather than using a 
conventional nacelle, Martin formed a surrounding structure from 1/4-inch solid 
steel rod, built it around the upper fork legs and headlight, and then filled the
framework with individually shaped sheet-metal sections. That combination leaves
the lower fork legs visible while giving the headlight a sculptural surround. It
also explains why the front of the bike feels both old-fashioned and futuristic:
the exposed fork treatment recalls early FL-style hardware, but the proportions 
and smooth surfaces push the idea into custom-concept territory.

## A deliberate absence of fenders

Martin reportedly tried fitting a front fender before removing it. The cleaner arrangement
worked better with his stated theme of minimal bodywork and intricate metalwork.
On most cruisers, fenders visually tie the wheels into the chassis; here, their 
absence creates a gap that makes the frame, engine and front suspension easier to
read. It is an uncompromising choice, but one that gives _God Sin_ its unmistakable
stance.

Rather than relying on a long list of accessories, the build makes its case through
proportion, fabrication and restraint. The oversized wheels establish the attitude,
the engine supplies the visual mass, and the small amount of bodywork is shaped 
to keep those two elements connected.

## Photo Gallery

About this time last year (early spring-ish) there was a rumbling about an event
that was supposed to come together with the biggest money shot in custom motorcycle
history-$1 million. This was going to be the build-off of all build-offs, nothing
but the top names in the game, pulling out all the stops for what could be a life-
changing payout. Well, somewhere along the way things didn’t pan out and the plug
was pulled on the entire event-no more build-off, no more record-breaking payday.

[⌊God Sin⌉⌊God Sin⌉[[⌊God Sin   2⌉⌊God Sin   2⌉[[⌊God Sin  1⌉⌊God Sin  1⌉[We don’t
need to delve into all the rumors, politics, and B.S. as to why the event dissolved;
that’s not important. What is important is that many of the builders who were involved
had already started or were almost finished building their million-dollar lottery
ticket, with a lot of time, money, blood, and sweat invested. One such builder was
Joe Martin.