Don't Get Burnt!

I found this cool old CHP publication on the Vintage American Motorcycles website. The crude art work is both funny and an interesting view on how the CHP viewed choppers. I'm guessing a CHP officer drew it. The publication is probably from around 1970 and is available as a download. It has valuable information on how to detect bad numbers. On the other hand, you might say it tells thieves what and what not to do.

Some of the stuff in the glossary is amusing and really has nothing to do with the rest of the pamphlet. It's funny to see what definitions they chose to put in or left out (like Panhead). It really should have been titled as a glossary of Outlaw Terminology as opposed to Motorcycle Terminology.

Loco-Motion's Tank

Dick Allen's Knucklehead Loco-Motion still exist or at least parts of it. These are the original tanks that date back to Nez's purple knucklehead and later were on the Vincent experiment, the Rat Bike, and the Ratty build up of White Bear.  I've never seen this version of paint with script lettering with a train behind it. The former and more familiar paint was sort of wacky lettering with a hyphen, no train with wavy lines surrounding the indents. They are being repainted by Dick Doughty an old time South Bay painter and the current owner wants to retain the side panel's since this is how Dick last ran it.  

Not only is the left side different from the right, it's indent is smaller.

Note the unusual frisco mount at the front.

This is the best photo that I could dig up (previously posted), of the most famous design. It was basically a black version of Nez's design (below on the Vincent). Sadly there aren't any really good photos of Loco-Motion.

The Brothers Noriega

Last March I posted a photo of Fats on his chopper and explained how he was another important figure in the South Bay Chopper scene. Click Here to see it. I also mentioned that I had a magazine that featured his and his brothers bikes. Here's the complete article from Choppers Magazine December 1972. 

Though similar to Dick Allen's, the lower spring perch is the give-away that these are Fats built springers.

Joe Hurst says Ramon's Sportster was a fast one. I believe it's the only bike he ever lost a street race to.

This last image was found awhile back on the Jockey Journal. I believe it's from Street Chopper.  It's been enhanced and reformatted for this blog.

Born-Free 5 Part 4- More Bikes

 Oil's in the left tank.

Rigids are easy, Swingers are harder to get right. 

Dirt Bike? Sorry, I just don't get knobbies for street  bikes.

Keeping it simple.

I like grey. Except for the cool factor, the Evo is likely the best motor Harley ever made and actually quite a cool runner.

More Knobbies. I guess this time it's a Flat Tracker.

It's OK, I think it's hers.

More simple.

We'll end it in (South Bay), Style.