Harley-Davidson Panhead Chopper Family Affair
“Dad, we want to buy you a Panhead for your birthday,” said Jamie’s two sons.
I LOVE Panheads and Shovelheads. I have a back tattoo of a Shovel engine and a chest tattoo of a Panhead engine. I am the proud owner of an original 1952 Pan in the last stages of build; this 1953 Panhead chopper; a 1979 FLH Shovel, my everyday ride for 25 years; and a 2012 Deluxe which is now my everyday ride.
The story starts around my 50th birthday two years ago when my two boys came up with a surprise at a family dinner. My three kids who I am extremely proud of, all started riding Harleys as soon as they were old enough to sit on the tank or sit on the back and hang on. Anyway, back to dinner. When my two boys came out and said, “Dad, we want to buy you a Panhead for your birthday.” Any man’s dream; a tear to my eye. They came up with the dollar amount and I was paying for the import.
I started searching the internet and after several weeks I came across this little beauty. After several emails and calls a price was decided, and a very good one at that.
Everything was good until it was time to move the bike. I bought it off a bloke living close to New York in the winter. The rigid truck could not get down the driveway in the snow, so after a lot of screaming from the old owner, I had to hire a bloke with a 4×4 and trailer. He picked the bike up from his shed and brought it to the top of the driveway then loaded onto a rigid truck with a tail-gate lifter. The bike was then taken to New York, unloaded onto a semi and taken to LA. Sounds easy, it wasn’t. It missed the boat, twice. But it’s here now.
The bike was in pretty good order but it is ‘awesome’ now. From what we can work out the bike was built in 2003 by Chicago Choppers. The engine is pretty much a standard 1953, 1200 cc, Pan. The left-hand case is a Shovel and is running A/B grind cam.
The oil is pumped through the veins via a S&S oil pump. There is a custom sump that sits under the gearbox and the filler comes up next to the oil pump.
The fuel is being pumped through by a S&S E-Series carby and the electronics come to life through a 12-volt system, Nology Profire PF C300 coil, MSD ignition with a one-off electric start.
The primary drive comes together with a three-inch open belt-drive with a late-model, five-speed box with suicide shift and foot clutch. One of the eye-catching features is the tranny-mounted, rear-disc-brake.
The front tyre is a 21-inch running Avon tyre and disc brake. The rear tyre is 18 inches and 300 wide running an Avon tyre.
Front and rear guards are custom made along with the fuel tank, seat and the list goes on.
I’ve hidden all the wiring, replaced the buzz bars with relays and modified the bars and brake lines. I have also built a stainless battery box, fitted a GPS speedo and had some re-chroming done.
The most time-consuming job was polishing the cases and alloys. I’m talking weeks and weeks and endless boxes of Jack Daniels. I’m currently spinning up some covers on my lathe. I spun up a nice little adaptor for the old pressure gauge and the list goes on.
The bike was an older build and in so, so condition. We have had the bike for two years now and have it looking pretty damn good.
A special thanks to my two boys, Noodles and Sam, for supplying the funds.
Madison Kelsey
WHEN I grew up I listened to a lot of punk and metal music, and all of the people in those bands were obviously really alternative, and because growing up I was bullied so I always tried really hard to fit in, and it was really detrimental to my mental health. Then, when I finished school and turned 18, I was like, “Wow, I can finally look the way that I want to look.”
I got my first tattoo on my 18th birthday and never stopped. I feel like, with every tattoo I get, I get closer to being the person that I was always meant to be.
One day someone tagged me looking for tattooed models to practice with and I started there, and then I just fell in love with it. It really helped me to increase my confidence after I lost a lot of weight.
I feel like when you ride motorbikes, you just feel so free. Whenever I used to be stressed out or if I just needed to get away, I would just go and jump on my bike and I would just ride and ride until I found somewhere nice. But it’s just that feeling of freedom.
Stardust
I’VE always looked up to alternate women because of how different they are, and how confident they are with the tattoos, and it made me always want them. So, the minute I turned 18, I’ve been tattooed ever since.
I do love motorbikes. I love the appeal, I love the sound of a bike revving. I get that adrenaline rush every time I hear like a motorbike rev.
I’ve been modelling since I was 18, and I’m 24 now. I enjoyed the photoshoot today. I thought it was fantastic. It actually exceeded my expectations.
photos by Julius Goboly at Tower Photographics
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