Hello, It takes all kinds of custom motorcycles to build ride and showcase in some circles. From knucklehead Harleys, to shovelheads and even those flat panheads were all a part of the show. (pun intended) So, creativity was never in doubt. It was just the quality of the builds that made each version stand out. The panheads had the look of early Harleys. But the reliability and creative power from the shovelheads was never in doubt. Add a different carb or two change the cam, stroke… all hot rod stuff, but for custom motorcycles for the street. Jnaki This Panhead had all of the stuff to be a cool custom motorcycles, including the bone shaking rigid frame, suspension? and solid bars front end. That narrow front tire would absorb some of the road bumps and the solid forks would flex a little. But, the rigid chassis and smaller rear tire would make the ride a little rough at any time... To each his own…
Della Crewe, manicurist in Waco Tx bought a new Harley in 1914 with a sidecar, and travelled with her dog ‘Trouble’ to Dodge City Kansas for some motorcycle races, then onward to Milwaukee Harley Davidson where she was greeted with a picnic. More amazing traveling was done (even over seas) before settling down in California & recording 10,778 miles on her Corbin odometer. https://www.rideapart.com/features/245708/della-crewe-bikers-you-should-know/amp/
Hello, Hillsides and tall slopes that are a part of an overall race course and in a hill climb race only, always presents problems when you least expect them. We had been racing all over the Mojave Desert in different kinds of terrain, from the thick sandy washes to the hard packed dry lakes surfaces nearby to soft sandy river bottoms and even soft uphill terrain as a part of the 40 to 50 mile random courses. It was called a Hare and Hound race, as one course was not like the other. In one Hare and Hound race, I was doing ok in our large class. I was still in the dust as the top racers ready to move on to the expert class took over and almost flew away. But, a group of us were in the race, although, the dust tends to make the course ahead a little obscure. When we approached a different set of circumstances, it was as if it popped up instantly upon getting out of the dusty course. The tall cliffside hill climb portion looked daunting and watching the other racers getting over the top inspired me. But, watching as I approached the start was daunting. So, power blasting up the hill in second gear and digging into the soft dirt was the style of the moment. Sitting back on the rear wheel was a game of chance as we needed more traction, but too much weight shifting would make a scene like the photo above. Flying backward down the hill climb area. Jnaki At first, it was daunting, but after coming to a similar hill, it was if the riders were wanting to get to the front and at all costs. There were three of us going up the same trail on this 8 foot wide soft sand/dirt hill. I was close to the lead and on the left side. The power guy was in the middle and was doing his best. But, in an instant, we started to drift into each other and the left side of my trail was a sharp drop off, back down hill. So, as he approached the top, he drifted over and just before we collided, he kicked me slightly off course and my bike hit the softest sand and started sliding back down hill, with me being flung off of the bike and landing on a bush. My bike several feet away in another bush. It was not just a bush, but a Manzanita Bush with strong branches and spiky thorns. Well, as I got up, I felt a pain in my neck. Even though I was wearing my Bell 500 helmet with full face coverage, somehow a branch of the Manzanita Bush went under my helmet and poked me in the neck. By the time I got back to the pits, my friend was almost falling over with laughter and wonderment. How did I get shot with an arrow in the neck? The branch was strong and sharp. It made a short 6 inch stick coming out of my neck like a broken arrow from those old cowboy movies. Of course we packed up and instantly went to the nearby desert hospital. There were humorous nurses and a chuckling doctor that asked if I was in trouble with a band of Indians. Ha! They took out the long stick and luckily it did not go in too far. I was given stitches and sent on our way. The hill climb fall backwards was probably the place where I got a dent in my aluminum gas tank, too. YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
