Simmering in the Samhain of my soul since 2001My uncle Rick left an impression on me in the spring of 1996, giving me the deal of my life to buy his old '74 sporty while in I was in auto college, making payments when I could for the princely sum of $1000. Therein lies the disease through which I have lived the last 16 years of my life. The sporty is no longer in my possession, but still in the family.
My second purchase was a 1959 Pan in a '65+ swing arm frame a local cycle enthusiast named Kenny Kipp. Kenny was a good friend for a long time; a stand-up guy, fair and honest. He died last year after his heart finally gave out. For what I have learned, live and breathe now, he is partially responsible.
A fair total indeed I paid for a running Panhead. I would consider Kenny to be responsible for plunging me into the madness that IS kick-only; and for the shape my right knee and ankle are in. I know he won't feel guilty, though. I can't express the amount of knowledge and experience I gained through owning that bike. There was a mass of history with that purchase, and I have been lucky enough to add to it. I am stoked that it lives on for this project; another frame, another springer and more revs for its flywheels.
Then I ran into this long love affair.
I was lucky to receive a call from my girlfriend, telling me to call this Rick guy she worked with. He had a rolling chopper chassis he was looking sell. When I checked it out, I found it was a molded smooth Paughco at about 40 degrees, an early hydraulic HD front end with a 21" wheel, an old self-supported Corbin Gentry king queen seat, a molded and smoothed fat bob rigid style fender with a cat face tail light and a wheel with a gold insert, one that I'd never seen on a motorcycle before, housing an HD '67-'72 juice hub & drum. After talking to Rick, I learned he got it from a guy from Athens, MI who had a shop down there. We found a price and I rolled it out of his garage and into my (tiny) one.
The frame underwent numerous cuts and ideas, but to no real fruition. I traded it to a pal a couple years ago for a trailer. It still sits in Tanny's garage/shop, awaiting the chopping it has always truly deserved. The seat was decoration then given to a pal for modification to his '49 Pan. The rear fender was cut, sanded and butchered for another project that I have no recall of. '98-'03 was a bit of a blur in spots. The front end was swapped onto my pan, as I peddled the one I had to the pal with the '49. The Cat Face went to a sickly raked, barely running Honda 750 to L.B., another pal I shared a shop with at the time.
The wheel was too cool and different to separate myself from. Later research said it looked like a "Gold Digger" style wheel. Yes, it once was anodized gold, but it got stuck in a box of shit to get sand blasted years back on accident...so it got some cast gray, and here it is.
The current frame (49-52) came along from a guy name Jack Sueme, from Bellevue, MI - as a friend knew I had, he knew I was looking for an HD Rigid. This gem came with an oil tank and upper engine mount. Back to where my girlfriend works, a fellow named Andy talked to Jack, who had an old wishbone in his basement. Jack was in the Navy out East in '72 when he picked the frame up for $50. I high-tailed it up to Bellevue, MI and cut Jack a check. Soon after, I was thanking the graceful chopper God for a nice little basement find.
About 6 years ago, I nabbed the narrow springer from a local ex-chopper dude named Squid. I lived across the street from him at the time, and was there for a 4th of July Party when I spotted it in the rafters of a small garage he had. "I bought that back in 1969 and rode it on my '52." I nearly lost my tongue trying to ask him what he wanted for it. A little harassment later, he sold it to me. I have to update the info he gave me, as I have forgotten details of the who, what , when, where etc.
The the pullbacks I bought at the Kalamazoo swap meet a couple years ago from a place out of Jackson, MI.
More info and pictures to come
Then I ran into this long love affair.
I was lucky to receive a call from my girlfriend, telling me to call this Rick guy she worked with. He had a rolling chopper chassis he was looking sell. When I checked it out, I found it was a molded smooth Paughco at about 40 degrees, an early hydraulic HD front end with a 21" wheel, an old self-supported Corbin Gentry king queen seat, a molded and smoothed fat bob rigid style fender with a cat face tail light and a wheel with a gold insert, one that I'd never seen on a motorcycle before, housing an HD '67-'72 juice hub & drum. After talking to Rick, I learned he got it from a guy from Athens, MI who had a shop down there. We found a price and I rolled it out of his garage and into my (tiny) one.
The frame underwent numerous cuts and ideas, but to no real fruition. I traded it to a pal a couple years ago for a trailer. It still sits in Tanny's garage/shop, awaiting the chopping it has always truly deserved. The seat was decoration then given to a pal for modification to his '49 Pan. The rear fender was cut, sanded and butchered for another project that I have no recall of. '98-'03 was a bit of a blur in spots. The front end was swapped onto my pan, as I peddled the one I had to the pal with the '49. The Cat Face went to a sickly raked, barely running Honda 750 to L.B., another pal I shared a shop with at the time.
The wheel was too cool and different to separate myself from. Later research said it looked like a "Gold Digger" style wheel. Yes, it once was anodized gold, but it got stuck in a box of shit to get sand blasted years back on accident...so it got some cast gray, and here it is.
The current frame (49-52) came along from a guy name Jack Sueme, from Bellevue, MI - as a friend knew I had, he knew I was looking for an HD Rigid. This gem came with an oil tank and upper engine mount. Back to where my girlfriend works, a fellow named Andy talked to Jack, who had an old wishbone in his basement. Jack was in the Navy out East in '72 when he picked the frame up for $50. I high-tailed it up to Bellevue, MI and cut Jack a check. Soon after, I was thanking the graceful chopper God for a nice little basement find.
About 6 years ago, I nabbed the narrow springer from a local ex-chopper dude named Squid. I lived across the street from him at the time, and was there for a 4th of July Party when I spotted it in the rafters of a small garage he had. "I bought that back in 1969 and rode it on my '52." I nearly lost my tongue trying to ask him what he wanted for it. A little harassment later, he sold it to me. I have to update the info he gave me, as I have forgotten details of the who, what , when, where etc.
The the pullbacks I bought at the Kalamazoo swap meet a couple years ago from a place out of Jackson, MI.
More info and pictures to come
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