Born-Free 7 Part 6 Not Just Choppers

Here it is August and I'm still posting Born-Free 7.

While Born-Free is predominately a vintage chopper venue, there is always a good showing of vintage, racing and other styles of customs. Not to mention artistic types of various crafts hocking their wares.

This 1935 VD sports a 101 cu. in. engine along with a mix of parts from later machines. Fenders and battery box: Super-Glide. Front wheel/brake assembly: 1970 Triumph. 4-speed rachet top trans. Keihin Carb and dual WL mufflers to name a few. It all blends together rather well.

A really clean 1969 Electra-Glide with a decade later seat.

I'm always charmed by vintage stock Sportsters. This XLCH being from 1967.  I saw on Born-Free's Instagram page that it was stolen about a week later in LA.  F'ing thiefs!... are lurking among us. 

Alan Luke Vaughn's art seemed very popular with the crowd. He's been an illustrator for Easyriders for quite some time.

I had a long conversaion with artist Jack Knight (in black). You might know him from his many illustrations in Supercycle magazines in the eighties. No, that is not me in red.

Cool '56

This racy custom's size is very deceiving. The Twin-Cam's engine large size plus the oversized (26''?), wheels make it hard to tell just how HUGE this bike is in a photo. My problem with it is, it's most likely to be all show and no go with those treadless tires and antique suspension. To me that's kind of a waste of such a finely hopped-up and customized engine. 

On the other hand this tastefully done new Harley 750 custom looks like it's ready to GO!

A somewhat unusual high tech chopper-digger custom. I'm not too keen on hard-edge tanks and square fenders, but overall it's an interesting, creative, and finely built machine.

Is it just me or does the left side come off  better than the right? It could just be the kickstand-lean induced stance.

While I've never really been a fan of Arlen Ness's bikes, his Ness-tique was a bit of an exception. It might have been responsible for a trend of antique-styled Sportster based customs in the late eighties/early nineties. Some companies sold complete kits (less engine), and even offered antique-style side-cars as an option. 

Tiller Bars & Top O' the Tank.

With only a few fairly simple mods, this sport style FX comes off rather well. Other than the custom tank and fender it's mostly a bolt on affair.