Motorcycle News - Custom Bikes Of The Week: Best of The No Show
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H-D pulled their entries from the canceled Mama Tried, Congregation and Born Free shows, with a few international wild cards in the mix, totaling 60 bikes from the USA and abroad. Each bike was posted to Harley’s Instagram account with a walk-around style video from the builder. Bike EXIF was asked to join a small judging panel to pick the Media Choice Award winner. Alongside myself on the panel were American Iron’s Steve Lita, and my good friend Morgan Gales from Cycle World. Here’s a look at the bike that took home that award, along with seven other builds that caught our eye.
In the end, there was only one bike that landed on all of our lists: this luscious 1963 Panhead from Ben ‘The Boog’ Zales.
Take note of how the tiny fuel tank (which Ben reckons holds enough fuel to get you to the next gas station) tapers and flows almost seamlessly into the frame, where a special junction has been shaped. Then notice how the seat reflects that shape back. Lift the seat up, and you’ll find that same teardrop effect in the custom-made oil bag, which is repeated again on the kicker pedal.
The amount of detail work is staggering, with highlights like a pop-up gas cap, and a rear fender stay that flares out to hold the exhaust. The H-D No Show was packed with good-looking motorcycles, but Ben’s Panhead was one of the few that we wished we could have seen in person.
You can’t spot it from this side of the bike, but the sprocket and rotor actually sit on the outside of the frame. And Christian modified the transmission too, using aftermarket case components and his handiwork to narrow it 2 1/2”. Even the girder front end is more complex than it first appears, with special offset risers that flow through the top yoke, and hold the headlight. [Photo by Brandon Fischer]
Justin rebuilt the motor to 93 ci, with new flywheels, late model pistons, a custom cam shaft, custom valve pockets and new valves and springs. It sits in a 1929 frame with a shortened seat post, a reinforced rear end, and a reinforced JD front end. Justin built the split tanks as a nod to the classic hillclimber style—a vibe that carries through to the whole bike.
It was no small task—particularly the swing arm and custom rear shock linkage, which reportedly took some doing to get right. Other changes include a Honda CB200T fuel tank and a custom-built tail section, with an external fuel pump hiding away behind mesh side covers. The twin exhaust system with its Cone Engineering mufflers is a nice touch too, and sounds bananas. [Photo by Sergio Meza]
The frame’s a fully custom chromoly job, with a pretty unique rear suspension system. It features a set of hand-built pivots right at the rear wheel that run on needle bearings, offering about 1 1/8” of travel (which Chris reckons is “just enough to take that sting away in your kidneys”). And there’s a custom air suspension setup under the seat, too, that can be raised and lowered electronically. [Photo by Brian Redmond]
They also modified the exhaust heat shield with a drilled effect that carries through to the bash plate, and wrapped the forks and shocks in covers to emphasize the bike’s overall chunkiness. The bike features custom bars, risers, grips and foot pegs, and engraving on a number of smaller parts. Every detail ties in to another: like the hand-shaped sprocket cover that mimics the tank mount. [Photo by Malhaar Chaturvedi]
Achieving that meant keeping only the OEM motor and forks, and building the frame and bodywork from scratch. The forks weren’t left alone though--Jordan narrowed them to slim down the overall profile. Details like the handlebars, exhausts and rear fork brace all shine, and parts like the motor mounts were actually machined, welded and finished to look like vintage forged parts. [Photo by Heather Dickinson]
Highlights include the scalloped tank and ducktail rear fender, the flawless stance and those super-sano Arlen Ness fork legs. Winston added his own catalog risers that incorporate the Street Bob’s tiny LED speedo too, along with new bars, and a number of engine dress-up bits. There are also new wheels, and a Rough Crafts / SC Project prototype exhaust system. [Photo by JL Photography] Motorcycles via Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/2Mf9b0c June 28, 2020 at 12:10PM Leave a Reply. |
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November 2020
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6/28/2020
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