First, the 2017 Handbuilt Show in Austin did not disappoint again. In part because there was a wide variety of early-era to modern motorcycles.
And one of the impressive bikes was the custom “Dead Pan.” This chopper was built from a 1951 Panhead by The Forge in Loveland, Colorado. And Josh (fabricator) and Mike (owner) are the two builders.
Then, to get more details, we got in touch with the shop. Some of the details on the Dead Pan include a 21-inch front rim, a 16-inch rear rim, a rear drum brake, no front brake, and a slap-shift foot clutch. And this makes for a good start on a classic-looking chopper. But this isn’t “just another” chopper. A lot of thought went into building the bike. And of course, it took a lot of skill to design and fabricate so many one-off parts.
And the first part of the build was the Springer front end. This was something that Josh had envisioned for a long time. Then the brass added to the front end served as a starting point for part of the bike’s overall look. Next, the Harley FL motor and 4-speed tranny were rebuilt by Carl’s Cycle Supply. As you can see, the motor, tranny, and frame all match.
In addition, the majority of the Panhead Chopper was handmade: gas tank, rear fender, seat, oil tank, bars, foot pegs, controls, rear brass cover plates, kicker pedal, and high chopper exhaust were all built by Josh. Other details include a Panic Cycles headlight, an After Hours Choppers rear taillight, and a BDL belt-drive system. Although the hidden gas cap came about by accident, Josh went with it, and it looks good.
Then Josh used a hand-copper-plating technique. And as you can see, all of the work really paid off.
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