All Hallow's Eve

Have a "Safe Insane" one.

Blog of the Month RHS

I read and have many more blogs bookmarked than just those listed in my right column. They are the most visited and therefore it's in dire need of updating.

Any blog with a header like this can't be all bad.

Nicke's Rigid Hips Stockholm is definitely one of the more intriguing blogs I read and should have been added long ago. Nicke is quite the fabricator and builds some cool vintage machinery, so it's always interesting to see what he's up to... but it's the Sorcerer's mystical writings that really take his blog to the next level. This does not comes without a caveat. To fully understand what the Wizard of Two Wheels speaks of, you may need a degree or at minimum a primer in the following subjects: Philosophy, Religion, Mythology, The Occult, Astrology, and Alchemy.

Joe in Iowa

After the last post, it only seems natural to bookend it with this shot of Joe Hurst on White Bear.

Joe (circa 1973), in Iowa on a cross country trip with Dick Allen. Note the added double sissy bar with auxiliary fuel tank. White Bear is still the ultimate South Bay Chopper in my book.

Bruce in New York

Bruce Parrish (circa 1972), rode his first chopper from CA to New York twice. While there, a friend made this poster. Bruce said only one poster was made but I could swear I've seen this image on a blog a few years ago. The Paul Newman poster in the window sure seems familiar. It might have been another bike with the same background.

This is one of the last photos from Bruce. Click the Bruce Parrish label below to see all the cool images he's sent... you'll be glad you did!

This Month's Very Late Header

I was busy during the beginning of the month then left town for 2 1/2 weeks, so I couldn't post or put up a new header. While away, I started the header on my wife's laptop and thought I might post from a remote location but, it was too difficult to do good Photoshop work on her laptop.

The art for This Month's Header is borrowed from the tank of Doc Holiday's Panhead. The Witch was painted twice by none other than Randy Smith. The photo on the left is from the January 1969 Choppers Magazine (posted here last Nov.) and the right is from the May 1970 Street Chopper. I like the first version and the metal flake paint better. I'll try to post the Street Chopper Feature soon.

It Takes a Lot of Balls #2

Another Balls to the Walls fully dressed Harley.


Sorry about the lack of posts (been busy), and it's probably going to stay that way until later this month. I'll catch up with photos from El Camino and other stuff as soon as I can.

L.L.L. #5 A Denver's Chopper?

The bike in this image is from The Leather Works ad from the September 1975 Street Chopper I've had since new. I've looked at this bike many times and wondered about it since it appears to be a high quality build. I was just going to post it, then thought I better take another look at the photos below.


I had the Street Chopper with this feature on Bob Clark's bike but, never put the two together until now. Since I no longer have that magazine, I don't recall anything about the bike. (I don't recall which blog this and the 2 below photos are from)


This photo really shows it off well. I was never a fan of Invader 5 spoked wheels but got to admit they seem to go well on this bike.


A check of the 40th anniversary issue of Street Chopper revealed a page written by Bob with this photo. He used to be co-owner of Choppers Specialties but calls it his Denver's bike, so I guess that's who built it, or where the frame and forks came from, or was his inspiration.

Another one to make you wonder.... where is it now?

German Helmets and Purple Shag Carpet

I always think folks from the past would be puzzled and or amazed by the strange combinations of stuff that emerges. Can you imagine telling a soldier during WWII, that in the future, there would be some guy wearing a German motorcycle helmet on a rig like this? What strangeness awaits us?

I have some Drag Specialties Holy Pegs for sale in my parts blog.

For more info and additional photos, click here or on the MC Parts banner at the top of the page.

Von Dutch Indian 4 in Color...

...found in Dudley's Basement ‹link

The Imposter was one of the coolest choppers of all time (in my opinion), and it ain't a Harley, but an Indian... and a Four at that!

Finally a color photo of the Imposter. It wasn't identified on Dudley's blog. I hadn't seen another post about this photo, so I wanted to get the word out. I'll bet more photos will some day emerge since it's picture was likely taken by many show goers. (photo is slightly enlarged, enhanced and restored)


Irish Rich did a post on this cool Indian when he used to do his Von Dutch Mondays series. Rich posted this and two other black and white photos from the Art of Von Dutch book. I too have the book, and have since been hoping that more information or color photos would emerge.

The Nostalgia on Wheels blog had the link to Dudley's awhile ago for old show bike photos. If you missed it, use the link at the top of this post to see more bikes from the same era.

This Month's Header, A Little Knucklehead

This months header's art is from a small painting I did of a friends bike back in 1995. If my memory is correct, it was a rare 1942 model. I used a H-D factory photo from a 1939 model for reference and then made changes to match his bike. He ran a 18" wheel in front and a 16" in the back. One mistake, I retained the smaller size of the earlier model's air cleaner.

Knuckleheads Rule. Ruler and penny for scale.


Getting old sucks. It even surprises me the level of detail I use to paint without the use of reading glasses.

The Art of the Engine #3 & 4, Grime Time

It's been a long time since I last did an Art of the Engine post, so here's two old crusty nuggets.

A recent non running barn find. 1948 UL in a '51 frame.


A 1938 Knucklehead Bob Job at Born-Free 3. It features many chromed parts including the forks, which leads one to think it was a real pretty bike back when it was first bobbed.... It's still a beauty in my book.

I actually prefer old bikes with their "earned patina" over ones that have been freshly restored. At most gatherings, bikes like these usually get more onlookers than clean fresh bikes, but many still don't get it and hastily erase all the signs of time and originality. The guys that get my goat, are the ones that take real nice original bikes, and repaint and re-plate them just because they ain't perfect. Keep in mind, any old pile can be re-plated or painted but an old motorcycle or part is only original once!

Remember When...

..you were different, a rebel, or thought it was cool to wear a Harley shirt?

From the Pre-Evo era. I bought this one at the Orange County M/C swap meet around 1979-80.


A friend of mine (not pictured) had this one. This design was being sold around the same time as the one above. In case you can't make it out, it's a big Harley tattooed arm squeezing three little cartoon (and not very flattering), Japanese dudes. Their hats read, Honda, Suzuki, and the other either said Yamaha or Kawasaki ? (from the Harley Porn photo page)


I thought this one was funny and wore it until it was a tattered rag. I believe it's dated 1988. Acid wash and graphics certainly date it.

I'm sad to say, I pretty much stopped wearing factory shirts about 10 or so years ago. It felt like it went from cool to bandwagon way before that. I just don't dig to be lumped in with the stereotype image of today's Harley rider or how corporate or marketed it's all feels. Most of the new shirt's designs aren't my style to boot.

Now don't go thinking I'm ALL anti the Factory or new bikes. Sometimes I cut them slack and sometimes I don't. Maybe it's just because "Nothing's Cool Anymore"!!

Noot's Dresser

Actually, he just thought I'd like this old school '67 dresser from Sturgis. The tail piece is outrageous and those lanterns really crack me up. It's cool to see these old land barges are still being ridden.

Blog Blahs

I've been slow posting. Once you start one of these dang blogs, you constantly feel obligated to keep posting new stuff all the time. Usually I have a bunch of stuff to post and feel like I'm holding back, but lately I just haven't felt like spending the time scanning, or photo editing, or writing. Maybe it's just August. It's the month of no holidays, nothing much happening and everyone goes on vacation before summer's over. I kind of hate just throwing photos up, but...

...For now, here's a groovy space filler. Retouched photo (removed photo insert), of the cover feature bike.... make that trike, from the Feb. 1972 Street Chopper.

I need to "snap out of it"!

Gunther's Knuck

A little while ago, Joe Hurst sent this shot of a buddy's Knucklehead from an old car/bike show.

Joe was a judge at the show and gave it First Place in it's class. When some others protested it was favoritism, Joe replied, "show me a nicer bike"!... they couldn't.

Looks cool, I'd like to see the whole bike. Dig the paint and the skinny matching seat.

Born-Free 3 #4 The last post

This will likely be the last full post I do on the show. Not to mention, by now, you've probably seen most of the same bikes over and over again.

I like old Triumphs the best when they tight and simple. That is not to say that it's simple to build a bike like this.


It's not hard to make a rigid look good, so I'm always interested to see how different guys handle a swing arm bike.


Hogan, who won the best bobber also owns this Panhead. I sort of have a problem with white frames... not the most practical color for and old Harley.


VL frames have made a comeback. Some make room for an overhead mill better than others. This is one of the better ones. Also, It appears the hard tail was replaced with a EL/FL rear section.


Josh resets the knuckle just before the winner is announced. I think he's doing a double take to make sure it ain't gonna fall off it's side stand. The guy with all the camera gear is the famous biker photog Michael Lichter.


One different way to set up a shovel. The rear seat doubles as an auxiliary fuel tank.


Shameless Self Promotion. A few goodies in my booth. I hand color (paint), black and white line art prints. The goal is to make and sell affordable one off original art.


This very cool 1938 knucklehead was runner up for the Best Bobber Award. It was a very tough decision between it and the Panhead I ultimately picked.


It wasn't just choppers. Todd had his own display full of antique bikes. This all original cop bike ran like a sewing machine.

I may post a individual shot of a particular bike here and there, other than that... That's all folks!

AEE's Big Twin Lives...

...well, sort of.

I thought I had read somewhere that it still existed.

Blog reader Stu, sent an email to let me know it's on freewh33ler.blogspot.com explaining that it's for sale on ebay right now. Item#170675591779. Note the outboard wheel is just placed here for the photo since it is both unbolted and inside out.


The replaced fork and front wheel assembly totally sucks and betrays Ed Newton's original elegant design. It originally showcased a narrow AEE Springer (which is how it looked the best). When AEE repainted it to this color scheme, they replaced the springer with a rigid girder style fork (not the current forks). You'd think that if anything would have been pirated, it would have been the engines.


Someone had the brilliant idea (NOT!), to modified the frame to accept a blower.


Besides the fact that they shouldn't have modified a classic show piece, the blower mod kind of ruins the effort of the reversed heads of the left side. The original intention was for the pipes and carbs to be a symmetrical mirror image of each side. The listing mistakenly states that machining of the flopped heads was done by Harley, it was actually performed by AEE's own machine shop. Good God, what happened to it's seats?!!


Note that it was licensed and tagged up to June 1980, meaning it was likely driven on the streets.


My vote would be to put it back to it's first incarnation's paint and forks.

I guess it's better that it has survived in this shape than not at all. Now all that is needed is for a rare individual who has the means and desire to rescue and restore it to it's former glory.

This Month's Header-Under The Influence

I did this drawing sometime in 1973 and you can clearly see the influence of the two bikes below.

Much of the general design was inspired from Joe Hurst's White Bear, but I used a Cone Motor instead of a Generator Shovel.

The bike from the center spread of Big Bike Magazine Sept. 1972 was the other source of influence. Borrowed from it were the rear fender, polished mags, rectangular headlight, pullbacks, and much of the style of the paint. It was also a South Bay bike but had more of a AEE Choppers look rather than the Dick Allen/Fats South Bay Style. The photo looks to be taken at the break water in King Harbor Redondo Beach, CA. with the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background.

Flocking Ecstasy

There is so much going on with this 1966 Electra-Glide and it's display it's almost hard to figure out what is what. Mirrors, lights chains, tinsel garlands, signs, trophies, drapes, skulls, devil heads, coins, and confetti.... and then there's the bike. How about that flocking paint job! (Purple Velvetex). Read what you can on the sign. It makes for one busy photograph, but it must have been fun to see in the flesh.

L.L.Long Bike Art

Here's a drawing I did either late in 72, or early 73. Long bikes were still in but getting lower. No high seats and pipes. The performance trend was gaining strength. Big carbs, magnetos and custom oil tanks were the hot set up... as were "Hot Pants" (short shorts on da'ladies).

The Chrome Frame Chronicles

The story of Dick Allen's/Joe Hurst's Chrome Frame Bike is complex and varied. At one time, Joe pulled the running gear out to put in the Green Bike. A buddy with an unfinished bike then asked if he could ride it (the Green Bike), to Northern California. Joe said, "is your motor and trans done"? When his friend answered, "yeah", Joe told him he could put it in the chrome frame roller for the trip. Sometime later, Joe put it's motor and trans back in and sold it.

This is probably right before Joe sold it. It was originally fitted with a H-D Sprint tank. Here it has a larger Super -Glide tank.


After it was sold and painted blue by the new owner. Looks good. Just about any color will work with a chrome frame.


Joe got it back years ago. Here's how she sits today.