March of 1971 marked the dawn of a new era for Street Chopper. One step ahead of media mogul Ted Turner, who sought to increase the appeal of classic movies through colorization, Street Chopper began increasing the use of color into its stark black and white pages. The change came in small doses, of course, starting with just a few color-worthy photos that included a tangerine '74 Harley and a multi-colored 450 Honda turned chopper, featuring a cartoon frog on the gas tank.
With the mag's new transformation, readers were also able to experience Bob Hall's Harley panhead in a centerfold absent of varying shades of grey. Hall, an ex-AA fuel dragster pilot from South Gate, California, presented his chopper creation to the world - a 12-month-long project he named California Flash. The bike started out as a stock Harley Special, but was transformed into a speed machine with engine modifications. The chopper also sported a futuristic appearance, thanks to a custom hexagonal-shaped oil tank, an angular gas tank, and Z-bars.
Moving on to sections without color, the politically charged Chopper Speaks exposed the battle for the police bike market in Los Angeles, with Hondas and MotoGuzzis slowly replacing the Harley Electra Glide as the law's ride of choice. Speaking of the law, the informative What's the Law? section answered questions about current helmet requirements and legal limitations on fork extensions.
This landmark issue also introduced a few of the industry's most novel innovations. In "Are You Carrying a Torch?" readers learned that the days of cumbersome welding torch kits were over with the introduction of Solidox - a compact alternative available to bike builders at an affordable price. The magazine's Product of the Month reviewed another item that made everyone's life easier - AEE's miniature-sized brake hub, which aided in improved appearance and conformed to existing brake laws.
Although Street Chopper underwent an adjustment to its format in March of 1973, it was still unmatched in providing the latest and greatest in the chopper industry. Next month, we'll show you another one of our favorite retro issues, complete with more stretch, taller sissy bars, and funky styles.