Lowbrow Panhead: Painted and Done (for now)!

Just got the tins back yesterday morning from Joe Koenigsmark / Angel Dust Cycle Paint. Joe is the talented gent who painted my green '55 Triumph land speed bike last year. Along with his brother Jerry they run Jerry's House of Kolors in Elyria, Ohio. If you have a bike or car and you want a killer 60's paint job, hit them up. Their dad started the shop in 1957, so it's in their blood.


Got the pipes chromed as well, and Kyle's girlfriend Ava went OCD on my bike with a bunch of q-tips, rags and polishing compound and made it look nicer than ever. The bike and myself will be out at Born Free 3 next weekend, hope to see you there!

Customer Bike Spotlight Update: Rob Watt's '53 Pan Chopper

You may recognize this bike from a blog post a while back of Rob Watt's 1953 Harley-Davidson Panhead in-progress. Rob and the guys at American Cycle Service in in Alexandria, Ontario, Canada did a killer job finishing this build up, and Rob has to be super stoked on this bike. Thanks for sending the new pictures along for us to share Rob!

Lowbrow Panhead: Coming Together

I haven't done a ton of updates because I am too busy every night busting my ass to get this bike done and broken in for EDR 2011. Which is in less than a month. I will go over some of the progress in broad strokes, leaving out the countless hours of thought and minor details that I had to go over, the boring stuff that isn't as obvious as the early 50's Triumph forks getting rebuilt the other night after I got the lowers and trees back from the chrome shop.


Or the stainless steel handlebars bent for me by Craig at Front Street Cycle. He makes bars to order, contact him for your handlebar needs. Add some Barnett levers and a Kustomtech throttle.


I spent the last two evenings getting the dual mount headlight mount done. This would have been easier if I had a plan but I basically dove in and started making it. The first evening I did the actual light mount, so both lights were in position relative to eachother, but I still needed to sort out the mount to the forks. I wanted to make it adjustable so the light could tilt, as I have only ever seen fixed mount ones with the typical chromed steel bracket that bolts to the lower tree pinch bolts. I was dozing off and the idea popped in my brain and this evening I went ahead and finished the mount. I am stoked on how this turned out, sturdy, functional, and all stainless steel so it will polish up nicely.


Wheel is in place though I still need to set up the brake shoes, arm, cable, etc. One main thing on my list to do still as far as fab work goes is to finish the damn exhaust. Still want to make a custom top motor mount and carb support.. More updates coming soon..

Lowbrow Panhead: Bates Tail Light Redo

My Panhead is coming along pretty quickly, and it has to, a month or less til we are headed to California for El Diablo Run. Worked on the tail light today. Here is the final product, sans license plate. I have to run to the hardware store and get the proper hardware to flush mount the screws to wrap it up. Read on to check out some of the tail light fab stuff.

I had a Bates cast aluminum tail light housing that takes a stock Lucas tail light that is commonly found on Triumphs. I didn't want to run a fender mount light due to space constraints so here is what I came up with. I also enjoyed cutting up a cool period chopper piece and making it cooler, in my opinion.

Five minutes later I had cut the light into three pieces.


Apparently I was having too much fun and didn't stop to take photos. I went ahead and welded the original flange for the license plate back to the backing plate but lined it up straight to work on my sissy bar.

Some 3/16" 304 stainless steel plate to match the sissy bar, drilled, cut, and welded for the mount. I would have to say my new favorite metal is 304 stainless, so nice to weld and looks so good, can't wait to polish this whole thing up!


While I was at it I took a scrap of fender and made a doubler, welding it to the underside of the fender where I will do the sissybar-to-fender mounts, which will be through-bolted. These are beefy fenders and I don't think it needs it, but it can't hurt. I like overkill, I would rather spend the time fabricating now then fixing it when it breaks on the side of the road.

Lowbrow Panhead: Sissy Bar In The Works

I have never made a sissy bar before, and I have spent the last 3 evenings doing just that. I also had never welded stainless before. This is the 2nd incarnation, a full 12" (!) shorter than the first version. 36" didn't seem so tall til it was sitting on my fender. Anyway.. 9/16" 304 Stainless Steel that will be polished up to a mirror finish. I still have to sort out the mounts to the fender, the plan is to tackle that late night tomorrow then move on to the exhaust. About 32 days from now this bike will be headed to California and I will be doing El Diablo Run, so I hope to be riding this bike in 2 weeks!

Lowbrow Panhead: It's a Roller.

I am in my office, a.k.a. the old Lowbrow shop before we moved into our new warehouse this past week. How sweet it is, working on my bike where Kyle's desk used to be. Less than a week ago it was hard to walk from one end of this room to the other, a hive of activity, now it is mainly empty and I am alone, working on my bike. Rad.

Got my wheels all laced up, my friend Todd got the tires mounted for me and I got it together as a roller this evening. The forks are early 50's Triumph and still need a bit of work, the lowers plated or painted, and I am going to shorten them up a hair. Dropped the motor that I picked up from Gasbox yesterday in the frame, looks great I can't wait to ride this bike!

Customer Bike Spotlight: Rob Watt's '53 Panhead Chopper Build In Progress

I look forward to posting more photos and a writeup from Rob on his '53 Panhead chopper when it is totally done and on the road, but I have been keeping an eye on his build thread on the Jockey Journal and his bike is turning out killer. Scope out that Narrow Alien Gas Tank looking right at home as well.

My Panhead project... wait that's not a Triumph!

Last month I got a new project in the shop, something I had been half-looking for for a year and a half or so. I got a good deal on this '59 Panhead and it came home with me. I got it running that weekend (thanks for the help, Todd!), and I just pulled the motor and trans. The only things I am using from the bike are the motor, trans and title, the rest of it is a mish mash of years and parts and that is traded off to a friend of mine. I have a vision in my head of what this bike is going to look like when done, and I have some parts accumulating around here for the build.


I just shipped the gearbox off to Frank Kaisler today for him to work his magic on, and I think I am going to tear that motor down next. I have a lot of black paint to remove, and I really want to go through this thing totally so I know what I have. Stay tuned for more updates as I get some free time to make progress..

Tyler