We're sure plenty of our readers have past road-trip adventures that have evolved into legendary tales. Gettin' the hell out of Dodge for a weekend was definitely part of the Street Chopper agenda back in September 1974. Here are the rules for a weekend run by Jack Land, owner of the Quaff Barrel, a biker's tavern in Riverside, California: (1) Everyone maintains the rules on the run; (2) No passing, and ride in pairs; (3) No colors or clubs; (4) All trash must be taken care of by everyone; and (5) Act like guests when you arrive at the campground. At the end of the day, the key to group weekend fun is a well-organized trip and plenty of beer-disposed of properly, of course. Hey, just because you make plans and follow some rules doesn't mean you won't come back with at least a few crazy stories.
In "Chopper Building Series, Part III," STC got deep into the art of molding. No excuses for just globbing on your Bondo. According to George "Strawberry" Bently, "For a bang-up job of molding, do even the places that will be hidden after the bike is completed. This is what really makes a nice chop."STC also covered how to quickly set up a handy solvent tank in your own garage and balance an engine. A mark of the times, the magazine took on the pushbutton shifter in the September issue: "The day of the automatic transmission for motorcycles isn't here yet, but there is a next best thing. It's called the Linear Accelerator, which in layman's terms can mean pushbutton shifting."
The cover bike, "Blue Smoker," belonged to Phillip "Flipper" Seldes of Oceanside, New York. Flipper started out with a '72 XLCH motor and began hunting down parts to build a super-clean bike he could really "jam around on." Out front, the Sporty was outfitted with an 18-inch-over Durfee girder and 21-inch spool-hubbed wheel. Out back, the 15-inch wheel assembly was set up with a Howard Barnes disc brake and sprocket, round fender, and innovative (for '74, that is) license-plate location.
Joe Siracuse's '51 panhead was "Long & Lean...and Full of Style." He extended the backbone 4-1/2 inches for the Wheel Specialties' Springer, which has a 25-inch extension. The peanut tank was tunneled to rest on the frame, and under the Corbin-Gentry seat is an AEE seamless oil tank. Check out the molding on the downtubes-they had to be extended 6 inches to handle the chopper's leggy frontend.
In nine months' time, proud parent Kenneth Sikorski of Rialto, California, took his '74 Harley and transformed it into a quick and clean street digger. The frame was raked 10 degrees, and a weld-on hardtail was added to give extra inches to the frame. Denver's Choppers handled most of the heavy modifications done to the stock swingarm, as well as installing a 15-inch-over Springer and sissybar.
The moral of this Street Chopper flashback? Call up your buddies and plan a trip while the riding weather is still good. Reliving the memories will keep you entertained when you're holed up in the garage during the long, cold winter. Or if you're lucky enough to live in perpetually good weather, there's really no excuse not to tune up your ride and see where the road takes you-just don't forget the beer.