Unfortunately, this bike has an unknown owner much like The Gong Show’s Unknown Comic and for that we are sorry because whoever built this deserves any and all accolades they get. This bike is smoking hot beautiful and looks like a trip to hop on and crack that throttle WFO. Just like Right Said Fred’s 1991 unbelievably surprising hit song I’m Too Sexy , this butch Panhead is too sexy for it’s shirt. Just sitting there it looks like it’s going to rip up the road in a torrent of Panhead exhaust turned up to 11.

 

   What started as probably a Harley FL model of some sort has been re-imagined into a hot-to-trot hot rod looking for the nearest drag strip while still being kept streetable enough to ride there and back. The Motor Company Panhead has been lovingly and carefully rebuilt and updated a bit without losing one iota of authenticity as far as I’m concerned. The four-fin Harley generator cover is always a point of simple beauty to me and the way this was matched up to the air cleaner cover really pulls it all together without even trying to. It’s a natural. Those splendiferous left-side right-exit twin pipes are just shockingly beautiful while allowing the engine’s right-side to be exposed for the cast beauty it is. All of a sudden, the magneto stands out bigger and manlier than life along with the Heckman Customs kicker pedal while the thin belt open primary exposes the engine block casting for all the world to see. Nice, nice mechanical art that always existed, but usually not so exposed.   

   The stance of this bike is killer, killer. There’s not an offensive or even very, very slightly line from front to back. It looks like a million just sitting there and I can’t even imagine what kind of personality it takes on when the engine’s fired up. Even the meekest looking guy would feel bad ass sitting on this bike and blipping the throttle. Putting it in gear and nailing it while being pushed up against that lovely street track/drag racer seat and tail section could make for a rush like everyone was looking for in the ‘60s but never found. Who knew this is where it was happening?

 

  This bike is so close to perfect to me that I have only a few quibbles at all and they’re strictly personal. If I gave a list of everything I love about this Pan, it’d take up page after page after page. The bodywork is perfect, the clip-on bars/triple tree/headlight area is perfect, the MOONEYES oil tank says “hot rod” whenever it’s used, and the shrouded chrome FL-style shocks are just plain cool like no rigid can be. If I had a quibble or two and I mentioned I did, I’d have skipped the fork gaiters as they’re so squished with the lack of travel as to be nonexistent and made the brakeless front end a stopping zone too. 

 

   There, that’s it. The paintjob is outstanding as is and I can’t see it any other way after seeing this finished project. Normally I always have some tick with paintwork be it color, design or too much graphics, but here it’s just the right amount of everything with an original design thrown in. The laced wheels and vintage tread tires might seem the obvious choice in retrospect, I just think they’re retro perfection.

 

   This whole build is a definite one-off with a taste of performance from the many possible styles incorporated in one bike that touches both modern and retro aspects of design at the same time. Our Barnett’s Magazine Online’s hats are off to you oh unknown builder whoever and where ever you are.