Over the years Panhead engines always were the choice of chopper freaks and that included the iconic Captain America and Billy Bike to name two incredibly famous ones. It seems like when you think vintage choppers a Panhead is always included in the package. So many Panhead choppers have been knocked out over the years you have to wonder if there are any original models left other than in museums. 

   What a pleasant surprise then that Barnett Magazine Online’s photographer, Señor Jack Cofano, stumbled across this absolute beauty at the Boardwalk Show in Daytona Beach last winter. Sometimes you forget how incredibly beautiful the dead-stock Panheads are especially the early versions. They just have a perfect line of form that really can’t be bettered although many have tried. It’s like all the stars came together when Harley-Davidson originally released this engine series and things only got better from there. 

  The first year Panhead came on the scene in 1948 replacing the Knucklehead and was only available with a springer front end. In 1949 you had a choice of a springer again, but Harley announced their new Hydra-Glide model with a now conventional telescopic fork like we have today on most Harleys. In 1950 springers were history and you could only get the hydraulic front end. From what I can gather a 1950 is exactly what we’re looking at here.  It has some of the features both the ’49- and ’50-only shared, like the lovely Art Deco three-stripe hinged rear fender that I’m incredibly hung up on. But the ‘49’s forks had black lower legs while the ’50 was all chrome so I’m going with 1950. 

   Somehow I think whoever restored this bike so nicely and with such detail would bother to “customize” a black leg model with chrome as that would almost invalidate all the other purist restoration that took place. That goes for the 1950 Riviera Blue paint too compared to 1949’s  Peacock Blue which was more on an aqua blue. Besides 1950 was the year I was born so, again, 1950 it is until I hear otherwise. 

   Even though this bike is tagged and licensed, I somehow doubt that it sees a lot of street miles. That’s way too bad , but when something’s been restored as absolutely beautifully as this bike has become, I don’t blame them for not wanting to tangle with texting SUV drivers. Those drum brakes worked when new, but in today’s insane traffic I’ll admit for the first time it would be okay to keep this to parade, show or the occasional event miles. It’s a piece of Harley history that hopefully will be preserved so people today and in the future will admire for decades and decades to come. 

  So my hat’s off to you mystery person who restored this lovely Panhead to the perfection it is. Unfortunately I can’t actually verify that 1950’s Panheads ever looked this perfect coming from the factory, but I’m okay with believing they did.  As far as which year is the favorite Pan, I’m sure there are many people who might pick a later model for the improvements that were made over its 18-year run, but for me, the three fender stripes and the chrome hydraulic fork are all it takes, it just doesn’t get better than that. Besides, who needs improvements in dream bikes? It’s all about the look and feel and the Panhead you’re looking at hits all the right buttons for me.