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From The Better Late Than Never Archives

Kerry & Arte
A Short Tale of The Brotherhood Between Builders

5/27/2014
Hello Chris, how is everything?  Still liking your MC art blog. Always interesting and informative. Anyway I was really liking your story and pics about your friend Arte. I remember meeting this guy at the swap meet too, I think he bought some stuff from me. He had this red and black panhead in Supercycle that I really liked. Found out we had a mutual friend so I got together with him and went out to his place.  Back then he was the only guy that had a disc on his VL front end. So he let me measure everything up so I could do it to my bike. Very cool of him to do that. Had a great day with him checking out some of his work. Back then I thought he built some of the nicest bikes around. Saw some of his other builds in Supercycle. I agree with you that he has a certain style and that he is still building killer bikes! Does he still have that sweet pan in the pics? Man he should ride that out to born free and let some of these youngsters check out that. Do you know if he might be going? Like to say hi again. Glad to see he is still out there doing it.

Arte still has this Panhead and it looks as new as in these photos. The collector is a Dick Allen unit but Arte built the header pipes. A Cal Mag brings up the rear.

Kerry's Panhead. Other than more chrome it's pretty much the same formula from the bars to the brake. Both bikes also feature Fat Bob tanks with emblems, rear disc brakes, dual button seats, tool box and bullet (guide type), running lights.

Kerry continues:

I liked his style and simple paint jobs so much I used some of his ideas on a couple projects I did up here in Placerville. Candy red and black shovel I put together for someone and a paintjob for another guy. Sorta looks like a Arte bike.  Thought you might get a kick out of these pictures.

The South Bay Originals

This should make up for the recent lack of posts.

Around 2006-2007 I went on a mission of surfing the net to see if there were any good vintage chopper photos floating around. At that time motorcycle blogs were just starting to take off and there were some really cool photos showing up here and there. 

That exercise eventually lead to the creation of this blog in 2008. Through the blog I was fortunate to connect with guys like Joe Hurst, Bruce Parrish, Kerry Crist, and lately Angel Marc which really helped in sharing some of the best vintage chopper photos out there.

About two and a half years ago I posted three South Bay Originals photos that Joe sent and was totally knocked out by them. They especially touched me since I had memories of seeing choppers on  my visits to Hermosa Beach in the late sixties. Other than they were being shared by a few old South Bay friends on facebook, I did not know their orgins. Then recently I was contacted by Angel Marc who filled me in. As metioned in a previous post they are photos of his Huns brothers taken by the club's unofficial photographer Bill Miller.

I had hoped there were more and now it turns out there is. Marc has sent me several more to which I have included the three previously posted ones to round out this set.

They were taken around 1967 in Hermosa Beach. Some in front of the pier and a few others near the pier by the old Taco Bell. 

These are as good as it gets and it would be hard to pick a favorite. Because they were taken at night they have a great aura about them. I'd put them right up there with the classic photos of the Hells Angels by Bill Ray or Irving Penn.

2x4 Joe. He got his name after one time when his bike wouldn't start he picked up a 2x4 and beat it.

Alky Al

Filthy Frank 

Rac

Steve Drale

Ron

Dishpan Dave

BSA Bob

Lindsey

Thank you Marc for sharing.