Branko knew that S&S was founded in 1958 and kept an eye out for parts he might be able to use from that year on his custom. He didn’t have to look far, in the back of his shop he had an original ’58 Harley frame. A while ago Branko had planned to chop the frame and fit it with a ’64 Panhead, but the customer changed his mind and the frame was mothballed. “I thought it would be appropriate to pair Harley parts with the S&S motor — the two companies complement each other,” Branko said. He didn’t modify much of the frame but he did bolt a set of Fournales shocks in the rear and he kicked out the steering neck three-degrees for some added rake. Another three-degrees were built into the raked triple trees of the V-Twin Phatt front end that has covers over the legs somewhat like an H-D front end from the past. H.D.W. built the 18-inch rear and 21-inch, radial-spoked wheels and fit them with a rear 160mm and front 120mm Metzeler tires. A Jaybrake 6-piston caliper stops the front wheel while a V-twin ’58 drum replica slows the rear.

The meaning of the bike’s name, Panvision, is far from cryptic, it’s simply what Branko viewed as his version of an almost period-perfect looking Panhead, using a P-Series S&S motor and a few other parts that resemble their half-a- century-old counterparts. “The 93” P-Series motor is great. S&S eliminated the crappy Panhead manifold and used bigger intake and exhaust valves,” Branko said. He ordered his motor unassembled with polished cases and made a few minor modifications before he inserted it within the frame. He cleaned up the ports in the heads and polished them to match the cases and had the cylinders powdercoated silver and attached to the cases with 12-point bolts. On the left side of the motor, Branko used a BAKER Drivetrain Function Formed wet primary to transfer power to the BAKER Frankentranny 6-speed shoehorned into a five-speed case with a hydraulic clutch actuator end cover and kick starter.

After the drive train was assembled and the bike’s frame was molded and painted black, the tins were painted blue and white pearl in hues similar to color options offered during the Fifties. Next, a skilled graphics man named Kriss Czesny painted scenes of S&S’ history on both bags and either side of the oil tank and covered it in a few protective layers of clear coat. It doesn’t get much more exotic than the seat on Branko’s bike, he used buffalo and emu skins, but then those animals might be more common Down Under. As a nod to the company’s 50th anniversary, the way paper symbolizes a first year anniversary, gold symbolizes 50 years so Branko added a number of gold accents to the bike. “There are a few gold-plated parts, but some of the parts that look gold are actually polished brass intended to look like gold,” Branko said. He gold plated half of the spoke nipples and the opposing spokes on the wheels, the tops of the pushrod covers, handlebar-riser caps, derby cover, forward-control end covers, distributor cap, front-fender spacers and a number of small detail parts all over the bike. Instead of gold plating, he used brass pieces on the swing arm bolt covers, spacers for the exhaust bracket, and parts of the rear shocks.

Well-planned details abound on Branko’s Panvision, but the main elements of the bike are true to the origins of S&S and the brand of motorcycles they’ve been improving on for half a century. “It was cool to see the Harley representative at the ceremonies acknowledging S&S’ contribution to the industry. But I was surprised that more of the other builders didn’t use parts from ’58 and/or tie the two brands together,” Branko said.

This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #65, November 2008.