Easy Rider Chopper - Here's your chance

[Freebird]

All you have to do is open that piggy bank and you can own it.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/09/17/easy-rider-chopper-going-up-for-sale-next-month/?intcmp=latestnews

[djh3]

Could have sworn I saw that bike last year @ Wheels through Time in Maggie. Those 60-70 style choppers were all the rage, but most were terrible to ride. I never rode one I'm going off what a couple of guys I knew in them days told me. That is definitely a history piece, kind of like the Steve Mcqueen bike from great escape.

[brd7666]

It looks like it will bring in a lot of money. I really wouldn't think whoever buys it will ride it. If they do, I wouldn't think it would be much. It's a nice collectible piece of history. That was a big movie back in the day. I'm sure they never imagined it would be worth that kind of money.

[cowpuc]

No doubt about it,, I would ride it!! I love those old chops - of course, it being a hard tail I wouldn't ride it very far! I am sure I would give up before Tippy would!

I LOVE those old panheads, they had a sound and look that was just incredible!

The affect that the Easyrider movie had on the public back then was amazing.. I wore a Captain America helmet while motocrossing and harescrambling back in the day. I still have an original EasyRider posters..

Those were crazy times back than, has taken a good while but motorcycling has changed.. For the better I might add!!

Man thats a LOT of money, think of the impact something like could have at St. Judes:bighug:

[zagger]

Kinda shiny for me, and the passenger pegs seem to be set a bit high. http://www.mrzip66.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/easy_rider_peter_dennis_and_jack_on_cycles.jpg

 

For $1.2M do you suppose they would sand it down and paint it flat black for me? And lower the pegs?

zag

[The Tooch]

All you have to do is open that piggy bank and you can own it.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/09/17/easy-rider-chopper-going-up-for-sale-next-month/?intcmp=latestnews

 

When I saw this........Easy Rider Chopper - Here's your chance

 

I thought you were still talking about this........International Rally Grand Prize

 

[djh3]

I thought I had read somewhere Arlen Ness had something to do with the building of the bikes for that movie.

[eagleeye]

I saw that bike last year at the National Motorcycle Museum in Iowa.

Surprised that it is for sale.

 

And if you guys haven't been there, you should go. It is an amazing place!

[Yammer Dan]

My 56 Pan put that one to shame. I have a pic somewhere.

[cowpuc]

My 56 Pan put that one to shame. I have a pic somewhere.

 

Tick Tock Tick Tock,,, hmmmmmmmmmmm,,, TICK TOCK TICK TOCK,,, HMMMMMMMM:confused24:

[rbig1]

why that was why I go to the motorcycle museum. go up and wish I could ride it. it needed a good bath last time I saw it. they had just moved into new building. hope it don't go into a private collection and never be seen again.

[Freebird]

That's a great looking chopper Puc. Would love to have something like that now to play with.

[djh3]

Puc, my guess is thats a 750 Honda, circa 1973 ish

[cowpuc]

That's a great looking chopper Puc. Would love to have something like that now to play with.

 

Thanks Don,, I really enjoyed building em and riding em,, lots and lots of fun!! It would be GREAT if the economy would snap back,, I would LOVE to go back at it!!

 

Puc, my guess is thats a 750 Honda, circa 1973 ish

 

Good guess DJ!! Both are 750 SOHC Honda's, stock motors. The red one is a 72 motor on a 1971 Amen Savior frame (notice the plungers). 12 over girder.. Came out real pretty..

The black one was one I kept for a while after building it.. It was a 69 motor and 69 Santee Soft Ride frame. 18 over Cali Springer.. An interesting thing on the springer,, I picked it up for 175 bucks at the Gilmore Museum Bike Meet in Kalamazoo Mi.. The rockers were locked up tight on it and I was expecting to end up rebushing it.. When I nocked the rockers apart it became obvious that it had NEVER been on a bike - the original bushings still had ream marks in em - GORGEOUS PIECE!! Being a the Soft Ride frame and length of springer it rode like a DREAM!! I actually rode it out to the Sturgis Rally 3 times from Michigan!!

I built a bunch of em (for a living) thru the years.. Here's some shots of a 59 I did.. Lets see if anyone can guess the motor on this one! And if so,, lets see if you chopper lovers can guess the front end - only made em 2 years!!

[Freebird]

I'm pretty much guessing here but I'm thinking something like a 750 Iron Head?

[cowpuc]

I'm pretty much guessing here but I'm thinking something like a 750 Iron Head?

 

Good on the Iron Head, not so much on the 750 Don.. Those 750's were left side exhaust outlets for flat trackin (that ol XR750 is REALLY RARE!!).. This was a 1st year (59) 900 XLCH (had the magneto and was kick only) IronHead.. Pretty rare motor that I was VERY fortunate to run across.. Besides being an AMAZING motor (were dominate in Hill Climbing, Drag Racing for many years) they came with a well known flaw right from the factory (no - not oil leaks - they did that but that was NOT a flaw - if it leaked it had oil in it:rotf:),, the kicker bendix was KNOWN for releasing just before the kick start lever was at the bottom of the throw,, many many knees were blown out because of folks not knowing how to kick them (step down on it with a straight leg - dont bend your knee!!).. There were all kinds of myths around about the broken legs being caused by back firing because the mags were set in the wrong position and such when almost ALL knee injuries were caused by that stupid little disengaging bendix!! I put BRAND NEW parts in this one and, yep,, every once in a while - pow!

Another interesting thing about those early year HD's,, they came titled to the motor and NOT the frame.. I actually got the title with the Engine (back then, if you purchased a Harley motor without a title there was a good chance it was hot).. Than when I purchased the frame at a swap meet (Amen Hardtail = 150 bucks) it was stamped and came with a 68 title of its own.. When I sold the bike I actually handed the guy 2 titles for it,, crazy eay:backinmyday:

[Yammer Dan]

Loner looks like something I would have been at home on Puc. My 2nd wife thashed all my pic but I have one little one left of that Pan somewhere.

A 1956 Pan, hardtail frame, no shocks at all. Extended 16 inches, raked 47 degrees, no exposed wiring, drilled frame and ran wiring thru frame. Twisted tube grundy? Front. Only set I can remember like that. No front brake. Candy Apple Red with Gold Metal Flake. Tank molded to frame. Rebuilt Top end of engine, went thru tranny and replaced everything needed. redid charging system. A bunch of stuff I can't remember. A work of Love. Riden by a outlaw with the well deserved name of "Lunatic" at the time. Sometime wish I could roll back the clock. This new kinder gentler crap don't fit at times.

[cowpuc]

Loner looks like something I would have been at home on Puc. My 2nd wife thashed all my pic but I have one little one left of that Pan somewhere.

A 1956 Pan, hardtail frame, no shocks at all. Extended 16 inches, raked 47 degrees, no exposed wiring, drilled frame and ran wiring thru frame. Twisted tube grundy? Front. Only set I can remember like that. No front brake. Candy Apple Red with Gold Metal Flake. Tank molded to frame. Rebuilt Top end of engine, went thru tranny and replaced everything needed. redid charging system. A bunch of stuff I can't remember. A work of Love. Riden by a outlaw with the well deserved name of "Lunatic" at the time. Sometime wish I could roll back the clock. This new kinder gentler crap don't fit at times.

 

Really well put their bro!! "Loner" was the nickname my Grandfather gave me,, guess he noticed that even at a very young age I couldnt help but swim against the stream, so to speak.. That name followed me all the way into young adulthood, including the early "biker" years like your "Lunatic" days:rotf:..

Man, I agree with ya about the modern stuff.. Loner (the 59) just wreaked of those days long gone by,, a since of "soul" or something else really deep.. With its right side shift, magneto, 10 over Grass Hopper forks and it being a hardtail it had the true Stallion of days gone by attitude!!

We just pulled in from Harley Demo Days at our local HD shop about 20 minutes ago.. They had one of the new Limited Lows.. Pretty cool bike really.. They have narrowed the primary case (dealer said very very few people noticed that), seat was low formed so you sit in a "U" (didnt really care for that aspect),, gotta sit a good couple inches lower than last years ultra's.. Anyway, wife and I are cruising along yakking about exactly what you mentioned brother.. She asked what I thought of this gorgeous new bike.. I said,, "this modern stuff stuff is AMAZING! No shaking, quiet, no oil spots on our jeans and this thing feels like if I knew how to program it - it would autopilot itself"... Than I said,, "crazy as this sounds,, I miss the old days".. I think what is really missing is the human to machine connection that a grubby, long stringy haired, grease covered biker instilled in his bike with his own heart:confused24:

With all due respect of you and your past and out of my love for those old Panheads, if you get a chance and bump into that pic of your 59 I would LOVE to see it!