The bike itself regardless of the engraving is a fine piece of custom fettle that would be just peachy without any additional metal carving, but it sure doesn’t hurt it a bit that it underwent cosmetic surgery. When you start with a great formula like a Harley-Davidson Panhead to start building around, you’re pretty ahead of the game. With the frame featuring basically...

     The shock value of a radical chopper of the ‘60s and ‘70s can’t be underestimated or really understood by someone who hadn’t experienced it during that silly, yet wonderful time period. Catching a glimpse of something like Rose Mary cruising down the street would be enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Understanding what you just saw would probably come later after your...

     To me anyway, purple is one of those dangerous colors that can make or break a paintjob. Use the wrong hue or maybe too much of it and it’s only satisfying to purple freaks of which there are quite a few of you out there. Many times I had people ask, “What Harleys have you got in purple?” That was the most important question, not what model or the cost, but was it available in...

    The 24-spokes burst from the hub dramatically upward creating an illusion of being taller than the actually are and accentuating their skinniness. It’s a busy design that doesn’t look busy. Accommodating those big hoops was a bit of work, though, including some major (for me anyway) frame mods like the raked-out stock XL frame and extended swingarm. Those two changes alone take...

  I did say I thought it was at least 37-yeqars just because of the hinged rear fender on the bike that was dropped after the 1980 model year. I also have a feeling that the owner stayed true to details even though this bike has been customized from tip to tip. The builder was also smart enough to make any changes easily reversible in case it had to be returned to stock. Man, I...

  Lexington, North Carolina, proclaims it’s “The Barbeque Capital of the World” and with 20-some BBQ joints in a city of only 18,000 people, they might be right. But, if the smoked meat purveyors don’t watch their backs it may soon also be “The Fat Motorcycle Tire Capital of the World” if Dave’s shop, Garwood Custom Cycles, has its way. Now that I think of it, maybe these two...

    I can’t say I’ve ever seen that on a Harley or any other bike I’ve ever seen and the closest we ever get to it is maybe wearing a T-shirt of another brand of bike we own, but there’s no passive/aggressive bragging going on. Motorcycle people just love motorcycles and a lot of Harley riders also own other brands besides the big H-D. We just don’t make a big deal about it like...