When I first started getting into Harleys as far as performance and reliability was concerned, the Evo was easily the best motor around. I wondered why anyone would want to build an old Pan or Knuckle when there was a huge variety of Evo parts and motors that anyone could get for a cheaper price and less hassle. Besides, building an old motor on my budget would have been a project in itself - scrounging up parts from swap meets and hanging out in old widow's garages waiting for her to finally give up her long dead husband's old Harley parts. Granted, that kind of patience will occasionally yield incredible deals, but I wanted to ride as soon, and with the least amount of cash, as possible.
Thankfully, there are a number of people who don't feel the same way as I did, and after many years, I agree with them. It's hard to appreciate anything or anyone without knowing its history. In order to appreciate the technology of the present, it is important to understand how the technology came into being, or in the case of a custom bike builder, it's important to see what their influences were early in their career to understand how they developed the style they are known for now. So study up on the bikes and motors built in the past, you'll learn something and probably be inspired to build something of your own.
I don't know anyone that wants to look at the same old thing every day, and I'm not talking about your wife or life partner here. I like Evos, but I get sick and tired of looking at Evo-powered bikes all the time. I get excited when I hear that somebody spent the time and effort it takes to restore and modify a Knuckle or a Pan, and I am stoked when I look at a motor that I can't identify at first glance. It's great to see a magneto, or a truly custom set of rocker boxes, or a Pan/Shovel motor (like the one Kill City built in this issue), something that had to be engineered, and I don't mean sheetmetal work, it seems like everybody does that - engines, suspension, braking, steering, cooling engineering. How many builder's can you think of that use two different heads on the same motor other than Indian Larry? Or an old drum brake from a '50s truck, or a hubless wheel, or a 23-inch wheel. Praise the interesting bike builders out there like Mike Brown at Amen, Billy Lane, or Hank Young (and so many more) that use parts that will never be sold over any counter.
A little advice for the up and coming builders out there - do your homework, research history, and don't get caught up in the current trends. Keep your customers happy and build them what they want, but make sure that you take the time to build bikes that show off your skills and innovative ideas.
So if you've got an old motor that you know you'll never use, put it up for sale at a reasonable price so that the guy in the oily coveralls who appreciates the motor can actually afford to make something cool with it again. Or maybe you found a really cool part from an old boat, tractor, or car, and you think it would look perfect incorporated into a build you're planning - take the time to figure out how to make it work. The time you spend modifying will pay off later when everyone in the industry wonders how you did it.
That said, Street Chopper will always try to keep a variety of bikes in every issue. While the majority of customs bikes use Evo motors, we'll be doing our best to find custom Flatheads, Knuckleheads, Panheads, and Shovelheads. But we need your help, so send me a CD or photographs with images of your bike. Allow me to beat you over the head one more time with the contact information for the offices of Street Chopper:Street Chopper Magazine2400 East Katella Ave.Anaheim, CA 92806