California Motorcycle Clubs

[Ohio-Rider]

That photos from 04. Got it in 03 as rolling chassis with fresh rebuilt engine from Akron Machine Tool. Their not in business any longer but the engine is running better than ever. Some of my freinds think I'm nuts but I turned it into a bagger this winter. That what we do here in Ohio during the snow....wy months. We get bored and ruin a perfectly good bobber. Here what it looks like now.



Its a bit of this and a bit of that. Is it still a bobber?

[AdminGuy]

Bobber? Your bagger looks great. Don't feel bad. I have to put small bags on my bobber just to haul tools and oil.

[Flathead Jedd]

Actually this demonstrates the argument I've been making here in California. I guess you changed it out of bordem, but in the midwest where it actually gets cold "bobbers" had to be changed after racing in order to commute in the weather. i don't consider this to be a bagger at all. Just a bobber in formal clothing. If you ride the bikes you need to carry stuff! Especially oil and tools I'm just lucky as are most Californians to not have to change the configuration of my bike with each season. It looks great!

[exeric]

Steve, I like your bike both ways, but I especially like it because it's a Panhead. 1956 is a great year and has that stunning paint job with the unique tank accent which I always thought was a brilliant touch. It's funny, but I keep scolling down to look at your bobber picture. . . . . I guess I like the bobber configuration more.

Regarding clubs, when I was quite young my family lived in Ohio. It seemed as though motorcycles were everywhere and looking at "Enthusiast" magazines of the period it's obvious that the mid-west was a hotbed of motorcycle activity. I recall standing on the back seat in the car, in a state of terror and fascination when a large group of motorcycles would pass. It always seemed like an endless line of ear splitting, gleaming monsters, riden by people who looked nothing like my parents. I'm sure that is where the twisted seed got planted and gave me a life long intrest in motorcycles. Putting it in perspective today, I'll bet those were great times to ride a motorcycle. . . . I was born too late.

Of coarse the other clubs I'm familiar with are the outlaw clubs of the 60's and 70's. In Florida, the dominant club was the Outlaws MC. Prior to their current diminished status, they had a very active itinerary of mayhem. An older member of the club told me that back in the 60's they would take over a toppless bar on U.S.441 between Olrlando and Kissimmee. They would block the road with their bikes so they could harrass the squares and collect tolls. Those were the days.

[Ohio-Rider]

Thanks guys for the generous compliments. I still have yet to decide which way I like it better. But it sure does ride and handle much better in its formal clothing. Thanks for the new description Jed. "Formal clothing", I love it.

I also was quite young back in the days of the outlaw clubs. Growing up, we lived in a very rural area and I was 13yrs of age when the "chosen few" club purchased a old farm house about 1/2 mile down the road from us and remember my mom telling my dad that she was concerned about it. My dad told her he would go down and meet the new neighbors. I begged him to let me go with him and he said OK. I'll never forget that feeling in my stomach as we pulled onto their drive and I saw six or seven choppers parked out front. There where four big burly guys sitting on the front porch and they didn't even get up as my dad got out of his truck and approached them. I told my dad I'd wait in the truck for him.

They talked for a few minutes and then they all went into the house. When they came back out each one of them had a beer in their hand. A women also came out from the house with a glass of cola and brought it over to me. My dad and I spent about two hours talking and looking over there cycles. And drinking beer and cola.

They lived there till 1969 when the leader of their group made the bad mistake of writing a letter to the L.A. chapter of the hell angles, calling them a bunch of p*ssys and to say if they where ever to come his way that they would be sorry about it. Well the H.A. recieved the letter and sent a group of about 15 members to discuss that letter with them. These guys rode all the way across the country to discuss this. I never did see any of the HA that came to town but that burned down farm house was proof that they had been there. I was told they spent a week in town looking for the "choosen few" but didn't find any. While they were in town they did not cause any locals any problems.

So I learned at a early age that "bikers" where men of honor and not to be feared. I'm getting a little long here so I'll cut it off short though I could go on for quite sometime on this subject.

Hey Paps......... Your old enough to remember when this all happened. Hows your memory? How about the time the H.A. went to Geneva on the lake in early 70's and tore the place up..?

How about you Hogluvr.... Thats pretty much your neck of the woods ain't it?

[Flathead Jedd]

Well boys a little earlier I was bad mouthing ebay, but.............I did find a pair of original speed ball tank badges and paid only $68 and got some extra parts with it. Still pricey, but at least not the $175 plus I've been seeing them go for lately. Now let's get some more pics of bobbers up and lets get some club pics up. I'd love to see some early club photos. Mostly the race clubs and early gypsy tour stuff. Oh by the way, not to spark a new thread yet, but does anyone know anything about a short wheelbase Indian Four? Let me know if you do. Thanks, Jedd

[AdminGuy]

My uncles rode raked out knuckleheads in the earily 70s. Neat to see the previous pictures. A big event when they dropped by the house and we got to see mom slap around, and keep in-line, two very big tough guys. They were great fun and would always take us out for a quick ride around the neighborhood. Tooooooo... cool. The bikes looked huge to us. My mom would look them right in the eye while pointing, and say, "you hurt or scare them, and I will cut your throats. I...will....be....listening." Classic response of, "It's cool sis".

My grandfather had bikes.

It was scary seeing that side of my mom. Normally she was so proper. Still a tuff little woman. She's great.

One of the knucks has been returned to stock.

Earily club photos (30's -40s)are very rare. So I'm hopeful we see something. Don't hesitate to email me or just call to make arrangements.

Paul Edwards---

Pepper at the museum in SD has some great photos.

[jurassic]

early chopper

this is the knuck i have been working on.trying to get all the period stuff in original but used condition,found a nice original paint tank as a starting point.man is it a blast to ride.i'm guessing period ,1965 .

[jurassic]

knuck

knuck

[koanes]

The bike looks great, but would any self respecting chopper jockey run a dual whitewall off a 70's bagger? The oil pressure guage could go too. A knuck will let you know if its not oiling with a squeaky exhaust rocker arm. It sure is a treat to see people riding this style of bike again, always makes me smile. When I was a kid in the 60's, I would attend the Octoberfest celebration in my hometown of La Crosse, WI and walk down the rows of bikes with drool running off my chin. There were many bikes styled like this knuck. Not so nice looking tho, most were hard ridden clubber's machines.

[AdminGuy]

Ya, Tire has to go. Pin-up girl also. A white seat? It's too pretty. A nice addition would be the leather tool bag up front. Hand spiral stitched. A mexican blanket roll on the bars would set it for me. Guys used to hide things in those blankets.

Now is that a north, east, west or south chopper?

[Chopperdave]

uhhh Jedd, why exactly are you asking about short wheelbase fours????

huh???


and come on thats a nice bike! i dont like the tire either but the rest of it looks nice to me...

with all the white stuff on it too, it would be real popular rollin in certain parts of LA back in the day, but then again thats the 60's not 40's 50's club stuff that jedd was lookin for...


whats up with your crankpin????

[jurassic]

frisco

man you guys would lose it if you know what i paid for that original white bates seat,with the early style sticker on the bottom.the oil gauge is temporary till the motor gets broke in.i have also committed the ultimate sin and converted it to 12 volt.but when it pops first kick everytime i know it was worth it.especially when i am around a group of big hog ,gay dog,orange coast choppers.priceless.it is definatly west coast style in my opinion.the tire just happened to come on the old rusty wheel i used,i was looking for a suitable replacement,but the more people hate it ,the more i like it.once the first guy asked me when i was going to restore it,i knew my job was done.

[c.o.]

Good for you jurassic! If your pissin' off the masses then your definitely on the right track!!! I had one of those "death grip" whitewalls on a BSA chopper once. There isn't much rubber on the road in the corners.............

[sveger]

Knuckle bobber

Having followed this thread with interest, just want to share a pic that I came across on a Japanese web site.
Obviously one have to admit the japs know how to make cool iron besides the plastic jap bikes.
[IMG][/IMG]

Regards
Sverre