Dennis DeSilva began his love for motorcycles in the 1970s sometime after he was married. His first bike was a 250 Yamaha MX which he began racing in Enduro motocrosses, poker runs, and the always-brutal, bust-your-okole, Hare and Hound races.
Dennis DeSilva began his love for motorcycles in the 1970s sometime after he was married. His first bike was a 250 Yamaha MX which he began racing in Enduro motocrosses, poker runs, and the always-brutal, bust-your-okole, Hare and Hound races. At one point in his racing life, he was rated No. 10 out of 250 racers on Kaua‘i.
Like a fine Madeira wine, DeSilva gradually matured and eventually found himself gravitating toward one of those deep growling machines that cruise the highway, filling you with an endless sense of freedom.
DeSilva approached Spence Aguiar at S&S Speed Shop to build him a custom bike with a Harley Davidson Sportster motor, modified to a 1460cc engine, on an Atlas Softail frame. This became DeSilva’s super cruiser for him and his wife Carolyn to enjoy on the weekends for quite a few years.
Then around August 2006, DeSilva flew to O‘ahu for a medical evaluation on an industrial accident he sustained a year earlier on the job. When DeSilva was finished completing the testing, he and his son-in-law decided to spend the afternoon “just looking” at motorcycles.
When they arrived at Pacific Rim Cycle, DeSilva was impressed with the line of beautiful Harleys and S&S custom motorcycles. As he reached the last custom painted, yellow Big Dog K-9 Chopper he thought to himself, “Big mistake.” DeSilva slowly turned to his son-in-law and said, “This bike is going home with me.”
Within seconds after being smitten by the S&S love hammer, a salesman suddenly appeared and graciously offered to let DeSilva take the K-9 out for a quick test run. One cell phone call later, DeSilva’s wife arrived after finishing up her shopping at Ala Moana. She carefully appraised this Hollywood dream bike with the big yellow price tag hanging from the handlebar and calmly looked her husband in the eye and spoke the words all husbands ache to hear.
“We ain’t buying no bike,” said Carolyn DeSilva.
Dennis DeSilva is a modest and soft spoken man, who knows his way around a thing or two in life, lowered his head and softly whispered as he quickly slipped into negotiation mode.
Then he turned to face the salesman, who raised his hands and sadly assured DeSilva that there was simply no way the price could fall on this heavenly, one-of-a-kind S&S creation. “But,” the salesman said with a warm smile, “I will go see the manager and try to work out something for you.” And he did, and he came back with the same price that would have been offered to handsome Brad Pitt of Beverly Hills.
Carolyn DeSilva was not going to be swayed by a $5,000 custom layered paint job out of Kansas, or a Big City Honolulu snow job. She staunchly held fast and sent her smooth and patient negotiator back into the ring, to take another swing at the price tag.
By this time the salesman was sweating and barely breathing, as he hung onto the ropes of his commission. Instead of reaching for the throw-in-the-fight towel, he abruptly held up his last defensive glove and with a pained expression of defeat said, “Look, I’ll go and see the manager one more time and try to work something out for you.” And he did, and this time the price tag dangled just within reach of the DeSilva’s steel toed budget.
“O.K. you win, show us the paperwork to sign and let’s close this Big K-9 Dog show down,” was the reply from the DeSilva negotiating team. When team DeSilva returned to Kauai’i and revealed to close friends the closing cost of the S&S chopper, they were told that the price reached for the chopper was a real bargain.
And that was how Dennis DeSilva and his lovely bride were able to bring home their gorgeous trophy bike and why the happy couple are now able to drive from Ha‘ena to Koke‘e on a nine foot steel cushion of S&S luxury.
Dennis DeSilva’s Big Dog K-9 has a 117 cubic inch motor and a three-inch Karada open primary drive. It sports a custom made seat by Big Dog of Kansas City, an air cleaner made by D.M.M. Custom Cycles of Minnesota and smooth as a cloud Air Ride shocks. DeSilva also made a number of chrome modifications that give his chopper a visually pointed and very streamlined look.
Every Sunday, as long as it doesn’t rain, you will find Dennis DeSilva, his brother Wayne and The Sons of Kauai’i group cruising from one end of Kauai’i to the other. Next time you see them be sure to tro’ em’ da shaka!
• Leo DuBois, reporter and videographer, can be reached via news editor Nathan Eagle at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or via e-mail at ldubois@kauaipubco.com.
