As I walked through the doors for the first day of my new job here at STREET CHOPPER, the butterflies in my stomach were in full attack mode; but the welcome I got eased my mind and helped me get down to work quickly. As I rode home that night, I had one day down (and many more to go) and a lot of adjusting to do in my new environment, going from a job in a work truck, with all the time I needed, to a new position where time is working against me and deadlines are not my friends. You can see how this will take some getting used to. The one thing that eases my worries is the fact that I have been around bikes all of my life, and that should make this job fun. I'm looking forward to meeting the best in the business and seeing the custom bikes that they build.
It seems motorcycles have always been a part of my life. My grandpa had a Harley or two, as did my dad, and I guess I could say I was born to have one too. I can remember things from my childhood like the sound of 10-plus Harleys riding down the street on a Sunday morning, waking the neighbors up, or getting a ride to school on the back of an old '51 Panhead and seeing all the kids at the fence, as my dad dropped me off sporting Tuff-skins and a beat-up leather vest.
I have a passion for all types of motorcycles, but mostly choppers that are raked out, stretched, and stripped to the bone. I love the crack of the straight pipes roaring down the road, the way a 21-inch wheel looks rolling 5 feet out in front of you, and the feeling that you're sitting right on top the tire as you motor down the highway. Add to that a tweaked knee from kicking over the motor, the dirt on my face from running no front fender, and one or two tickets in my wallet for high apes and loud pipes, and that is what I call a good day.
Some bike enthusiasts tend to change their style with time, age, and the amount of money they are able to spend. For me, it has always been about choppers. I have seen a lot of really cool bikes in my time, some of which have been way out there. But, even though the chopper has been outnumbered over the years, it's obvious that they are still hanging in there and have come a long way. The one thing you can count on today is that builders are pushing the limits and raising the bar, keeping with the look and style younger riders prefer, while offering some great flashbacks for the older riders.
Most of my buddies ride choppers, ranging from a '59 Panhead, chopped and raked with an old girder frontend, to a '69 Sporty slammed to the weeds in a Rigid frame, and a '95 Evo with a 21-inch wheel in a restored '50s springer frontend; there's even a Fat Boy that got worked over in a small crash and now looks like an old chopper. I, myself, used to own an old '77 Shovelhead with adjustable triple trees and a 10-inch-over frontend. It was a backbreaking ride; two lanes and handling that called for just going straight.
So, when the opportunity came my way to upgrade from the old ride, I did. With the help of the guys at SGV Choppers and an open rack, I got started. I knew that I still needed to have a chopper, but this time I wanted one with comfort and reliability. A short four months later, it was off the rack and rolling on down the road. I love the new bike, which looks like a chopper but rides like a Fat Boy. Now I know that anything is possible. I also know that my chopper-owner friends will only continue to see an increase in their popularity. With any luck, the chopper may become the dominant bike on the road (at least this would make me happy).
Now the day is coming to start work on a new bike, the old '51 Panhead I got from my dad. He just got a new Road King and doesn't have time for both. And you know where I will be taking this one: Straight to Chopperville. I plan to rake it out and create a mean-looking hardtail, long and low. I'll keep you informed as I make the changes.