Even More South Bay Originals

Angel Marc sent more photos awhile ago and I thought it's about time I shared them.

Lindsey(up front) and Alki Al trailing. I'd say it's near the Hermosa /Manhattan Beach border.

Angel Marc and Lindsey in front of the Club House.

Marc's photos are truly among the best historic chopper photos around. If you'e never seen them click on the label/link Angel Marc, or South Bay Originals just below this post. Even if you've seen them they are worth a second look.

More from Angel Marc

Here's some more images courtesy of Angel Marc.

Marc's Panhead build circa late '60s. It featured molding and paint by Nez along with one of the first sets of Randy Smith's Finned Dishpans.

Marc first built his '46 Knucklehead in 1973. Here's how it looked in the late '80s. Marc says it still looks pretty much the same today.

Be sure to click here to see all of Marc's great South Bay Originals stuff!

Juxtaposition Is Everything

More from Angel Mark

Marc says: Larry and I were roommates at one time. We did a lot of riding together and to make it easy when we parked, we would use one chain through both rear tires to lock the bikes. Well with my Jewish star and his Nazi gas tank, we got a lot of looks.

Little Brother Larry (AKA Kansas City Larry), and his Nazi Helmet gas tank. 

Angel Marc pushing his Pan.

The photos are cut because they were once part of a collage under the glass of Marc's coffee table.

More South Bay Coolness From Marc

Angel Mark sent these follow up photos of the South Bay Originals.

Filthy Frank wheelies while Marc (to the left), and others watch.

Marc says Big Chuck was not holding the bike up, just worried as the bike was firmly planted. That said, it does look a bit precarious.

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.

South Bay Originals- Angel Marc Setting the Record Straight

My name is Marc, AKA Angel Marc.  I was a founding member of the Huns MC So. Cal. in Hermosa Beach and one of the seven Huns who patched over to became the Hells Angels So. Bay.  I moved out of California over twenty years ago. Several years ago, living away from my friends and family, I joined Facebook in order to share photos with them.  A lot of my old Brothers had passed on, Dick Allen, Fats, Randy Smith & Outlaw Chuck among them.   I decided to share the memory of them by posting some of my old photos, first on my Facebook page and then after it was started on the South Bay Originals page.  I posted quite a few old photos for my old friends to enjoy. One old friend and Brother is Joe Hurst.  I got together with Joe when I rode down to the Kern River for the Fats Memorial Run and he told me of your site and that he had sent some of the pictures I had posted to you, among them Dick Allen doing the wheelie, Frank on  trike and the bike with the Huns colors on it.  I realize that when you post on the internet, you’re showing it to the whole world, so if more people enjoy the memories of my old South Bay Brothers, that’s Ok with me.  Which brings me to the reason I’m writing to you, I want to set the record straight as to the bike with the Huns colors on it. You wrote that Joe thought it was my bike, but that beautiful Pan belonged to my Brother Bob Kurek.  Bob was shot dead the year after this picture, so I feel it is important that he gets the credit that is his as the builder/owner of that bike. I enjoyed looking at your art work and pictures.  A nice bit of history.  You have some nice pictures of Randy Smith too, so I thought I would send one of him and me from the last time I saw him.  Also sending one of Bob with his bike.  Use any of the pictures you like, quote me if you want, but at least put Bob’s name with his bike.  Oh and most of the pictures I have were taking by a free lance photographer named Bill Miller.  He was like our unofficial club photographer.

 Angel Marc and his Pan circa 1967.

Hun's at the wall behind Taco Bell in Hermosa Beach. Left to Right: Marc, Lindsey, Dishpan Dave, Filthy Frank, Nez with Copper up front.

Bob Kurek with his Panhead.

One story was left out of Marc's email which will be included in a future post.

Joe Hurst always says the history of the South Bay Chopper really can't start without the tales of Marc and his brothers at that time. Therefore, my thanks goes out to Marc for sharing this history.

More South Bay Originals

Joe Hurst sent these photos which were circulating amongst the old South Bay group on Facebook. I later learned that they belong to Angel Marc.

Here's Nasty Nez with his original Loco Motion knucklehead chopper. He later gave the tank and name to Dick Allen. If you go back and look up the post of Dick's Vincent chopper you'll see the same tank. The post of Joe Hurst's White Bear before paint jamming down the 405 also shows this tank.

Here's an early photo of Dick Allen with his Chrome Frame Chopper when it had a knuckle in it. I believe this is after the Choppers Magazine article when it featured a Shovelhead. The Chrome Frame Chopper has possibly been changed and rebuilt more than any other bike out there. Party on Girl!