Early Hydra Glide

I pieced together an early set (stock rake for rigid frames)

but, it was kinda Fuk'd . . .

 

1. Fixed stem and threads

2. Stripped paint, roughed up chrome

3. Acid etched

4. Primed & painted

5. Sportster Buckhorns (made into one-piece bars)

6. Drilled & tapped for switches

7. The destroyed lower Timken removed

8. Lower stem repaired

9. Fork Stops repaired

10. Fork Caps repaired

11. New lower Timken installed with dust shield

12. Painted everything

13. Stainless top plate repaired

14. All special top nuts, and parts, etc deburred and fixed

15. All mock-up assembled.

16. All the parts were kinda cheap (for a good reason)

17.  Everything was kinda Fuk'd

18. Good now(but I missed a lot of TV programs)
19. Damper parts plug the hole - and look cool

 





Gordy's Panhead

My dad rebuilt this motor 25+ years ago for a local Vietnam Veteran.  Now it's back for a re-fresher and I'm really diggin' these gold cap bolts !

Measure It - Then Build It

The WHITE paper has calculations for 2 different crank pins(1.2505 and 1.2495) The pins are supposed to be 1.249, but these aftermarket crank pin sizes run all over the place!  I really didn't want to use the 1.2505 pin, since it's way too big anyway.

Each pin was installed in the flywheels (without the rods) to check the female rod endplay at the thrust plates with a divider.  You measure your rod width, and subtract it.  The pin(1.2495) I want to use has the best endplay for these parts at .023 - I'll use this pin.

The ORANGE paper has the calculations for honing the rod races to proper bearing fitment.  My rod race diameters need to be 1.6255.  Sometimes depending how they "feel" on the slip-fit test,  I might make the center rod have only .0008 clearance to tighten it up a bit. 

Workin' Weekends

Spinning down cast-iron 80" valve guides for Ricky's heads.  I like to buy them oversize, then cut the diameter to the proper press fit I need.

 

 

Every "X" needs a 10-24 Heli-Coil to keep those pan covers from leakin' on Billy Mize.

After Dustin repaired this exhaust flange, we rigged up this fixture to drill the hole straight - and tap it 5/16-18 for a stud on Ricky's shovelhead.

The lower cooling fin on this '48 head of Bill's was broken off and missing.  Dustin recreated the fin and shaped it to perfection.

McFarland surfaced Gordy's panheads, and undercut the steel inserts. 

I'm fortunate to have some talented individuals around me to achieve excellent results.  But, I feel this work benefits us both - two-fold.  These guys have furthered their resumes to include repair and reconditioning of a lost art, which slips away a bit - day by day - as we lose the men who serviced these engines.  The old-timer H-D mechanics who proudly repaired and serviced the brand.  Just trying my best to keep it alive - so these old marks keep burnin' down the road - rackin' up carefree miles . . .

S&S Cycle: "Where's the first one?"

Jeff Beck

 . . . is Wired for hot rods and Stratocasters.

Speed Merchant

. . . . Del Mar . . . and Brawny Racing

Rayon

Harley Racing Team Manager, Dick O'Brien in the race trailer - 1970's.

I ordered it immediately . . .

I'm walking around the swap meet in Lawrence, KS last Sunday morning.  Not much for parts, but these guys with the Jawa racers (and flat track tires) were playing a DVD in their booth titled:

 Take It To The Limit

I couldn't stop watching it ! 

Eventually, there's 6 or 7 guys all standing in their booth watching this.  It was getting crowded.  I asked what the movie was?  Do you sell it?  They finally got the DVD box out, and I took a picture of it.  As soon as I could get to a computer, I searched it - and ordered a copy.  There's a trailer for the movie on You Tube.

Lee Marvin

Lee was born in New York City.  He served in the Marines in WWII.  Marvin was a democrat and against the war in Vietnam.  He moved to Hollywood around 1950, and got the part of Chino in the movie "The Wild One" along-side Marlon Brando just 2 years later.  Married and divorced and then sued by a girlfriend (he didn't do so well with relationships with women). Later in life he moved to Arizona and died there in 1987. 

Marvin was in many many movies, and starred in many more.  But it's him as Chino that I always think of when the name Lee Marvin comes up . . . and his panhead motorcycle is the style which thousands were stripped to resemble . . . 'til this very day.

Kansas City Long Weekend

Hangin' with Ricky Anchor at the shop in KC.  Doing some sales, welding, junk shopping, great food, the full downtown tour of West Bottoms . . . and the show and swap in Lawrence.  Good times.  A big thanks to Ricky, Amber (and Dozer too).  Always make me feel welcome and showin' me a good time - You guys rock. Your friend -Noot

Blip Roasters has damn good coffee - for two-wheeled  enthusiasts.

Thai food anyone?
 

The best choppers for us "irregular dudes" come from Anchor Moto.

Lot's of history on these walls . . .
Chopper Dave's frame/panhead build above ( for Fuel Cleveland)

 

 No more Japanese

Anchor Moto went full on American Muscle ONLY

 

 

This customer drew up his bike build . . .

I dig the bitch bar/seat detach combo. 

Shea did all that work on this crazy fender - and here it sits

So crazy sad . . . (Crazy frown face)

________________________________________________________________________

 

 B I K E  S H O W  T I M E - Lawrence, Kansas

 

 He loaded the stroker, and we headed west. 

This motor runs the same flywheels and cams as Noot's old XLCR café racer -

and Ricky says it totally rips !

Looks decent in photos - but you have to see it in the flesh sometime -

- Original Hot Wheels Green -

______________________________________________________________

Lots of nice iron at this show - with a few of my favorites:

Like this Rickman Matchless

 

Above: Someone's imagination was workin' overtime - Big time.

I liked it.  It was professionally built and clean.

Only one like it on planet earth for sure . . .

Magnetos are great on these things - then no battery woes.

My favorite row.

I might have to go back for the Vintage Iron Show in May?

I like Kansas City - Missouri and Kansas.

His new band demo  NO QTR(No Quarter)

Blew my mind,

Blew wax from my ears,

(and almost) Blew my speakers. 

 A Gnarly Hard Screamin' Jam this is . . .

 

 

Portland, Oregon - Every February

I just met a guy passin' through who's goin' to this show,

the party . . .

the races . . .

sounds like fun ! 

Cold enough today to talk race sleds . . .

I know the shortest guy is Brad Hulings, behind him is Eastman

and Jerry Bunke (pronounced "bunky") far right.

No. 874 Jerry Bunke of Rushford, Minnesota. 

It only took him a few years to win about everything, make a huge impact on the sport and tragically get killed in a racing accident.  His death was such a blow to the sport, the Polaris factory quit (if not because of Bunke, it didn't help matters . . .) 

Jerry Bunke with the No.1