R K Smith
Former Managing Editor
Street chopper magazine, for me, started before its existence, mainly because I worked for AEE Choppers (Buena Park, California) and owner Tom McMullen, who used to freelance for a few automotive magazines back in the day. As his motorcycle business flourished, I was in Germany in the Army, Tom started his own publication and sent me his first issue of Street Chopper, if I remember correctly, in the early '70s.
When I returned home a year later, Tom took me back at AEE, but this time at his new facility in Anaheim, and then soon after, he moved the business (chopper part sales, manufacturing, and publishing) to nearby Placentia. I took care of counter sales on weekends and laced wheels during the week at AEE, but Tom and his long-time friend Jim Clark, asked me if I wanted to try my hand working for TRM Publications' Street Chopper magazine, and if I didn't like it, I could stay on the parts side, no problem.
My very first article dealt with how to lace spoked motorcycle wheels, thanks to help from Leroy "Tex" Smith's editorial expertise. Jim showed me how to use a Mamiya 220 "2-1/4" camera. I had the writing pretty much down, but was anxious to put the company's camera to work too. I still remember to this day my very first camera experience; I was the rookie and many a day, stayed back at the office during lunch to "watch the fort" if you will. A guy came in with his bike and wanted it shot (photographed), so I took it upon myself to break the ice, grabbed the ladder and 220, loaded black-and-white film, and went out to the parking lot.
I got the proofsheets/negatives back from the film developer, and there were no images, at all, both rolls! Jim checked out the camera, told me the red indicator was showing, which meant sunlight from the lens never made it to the film. I called the chopper owner, rescheduled the shoot, blaming the film processor of course, and this time around, it was all good, and my first feature was in the book. Soon, my junior editor status changed to managing editor, thanks to Tex, and I worked with more editors such as Dain Gingerelli and Bob Clark. As the months flew by - helping with technical articles, shooting bike features and shows, test-riding motorcycles, plus going on runs with editor Steve Stillwell and also Paul Walker, who was editing Chopper Guide - we all had fun. One favorite event for me was in 1973, driving the company van (with two of Tom's ultimate choppers) all the way to Daytona Beach for Bike Week. Steve and I got the duty, as Tom flew one of his planes to meet us there. We had a blast sharing the wheel, making it non-stop to Steve's hometown of Acworth, Georgia, in 43 hours.
We got pulled over in Texas in the middle of the night. I'm sleeping between the bikes, Steve wakes me up, the back doors open, I show my Hawaiian-tanned face to the officer (me with Fu Manchu mustache) and the guy wants to see my "green card." Steve thought I was going to jail, until I spoke and said, "Hey man, what's happening?" When we got to Tennessee and hooked-up with 200-plus Harleys, which convoyed down to meet another 250 bikes, man it was impressive to say the least. I can still see people on their porches, stunned yet waving as we passed through Atlanta. And the fun kept continuing when we got to Daytona, and then back on the road home.
It's amazing that after all this time the majority of the Street Chopper initial crew is still involved with automotive publishing of some sort. I thank both Tom (who's no longer with us) and Jim for putting up with us, teaching us, and becoming friends with us, more like family, as we still keep in touch.