CandyPurple
21-07-2010, 01:55
Quelle postate in basso sono fotografie dell'epoca scattate da Jeff McCaan, il "Michelangelo" della verniciatura, il "Caravaggio" della foglia d'oro.
Le foto ritraggono sue realizzazioni in toto o solo nella verniciatura. Grande amico di Arlen Ness, può essere considerato insieme a quest'ultimo il padre del moderno "Custom". Ho incollato le sue stesse descrizioni; tradurle, oltre che una grossa fatica, sarebbe stato anche ingiusto. Post lungo ma ottimo per chi vuol farsi un po di "cultura" in merito.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/45/124039311_fbfd306855_o.jpg
The first custom bike I ever built, although I had been riding for 4 years by 1968. In the fall of 1968 my friend Chris and I decided to build a chopper as a joint project. I provided the money, paint and molding labor and he did the welding and mechanics. After I recouped my costs for the motorcycle and parts purchased we agree to split the profit, if any 50-50. We really weren't that interested in the money making possibilities but rather just wanted to try our hand at bike customizing
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/3640825373_395d3fd3a4_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/124039313_8a5be1e74f_o.jpg
Scanned from a 1974 Kodak print. All the aluminum parts on this bike were glass beaded for the "racer look". Arlen's bolt together springer forks (only weld was the front rail spring perch). Cycle Shack "tiller" bars myself and Steve Reedy designed. Danny Gray three piece seat, and yes it was uncomfortable as hell but so cool looking! Weighing less than 400 pounds these Sportsters were the quickest street bikes around.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/3770599360_89322bd176_o.jpg
After riding my XLCR Cafe Racer Sportster for two years, including a trip to Yellowstone packing the old lady, I decided to build a shovelhead. I bought a none running Electra-Glide from a coworker at the printing plant. Stripping it to the bare frame and I blackout everything with wrinkle paint on the engine,tranny and primaries. Chrome allen hardware completed the look which mimicked my all black XLCR. A dual disc Sportster fork with custom tree to fit it to the FLH frame was found at the salvage yard along with an FX rear fender and rails. I replaced the 5 gallon tanks with 3 and a halves and painted everything black. Drag Specialties had the dual seat Arlen never stopped teasing me about. He insisted they made smaller couches than my seat! So here's the custom painter with an all black bike, no leaf work, no striping and no airbrushing. I had all the work I could do at the time and really didn't want to spend my riding/drinking/lieing hours talking paintwork with friends or other riders.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3520/4015040686_c6e032c92c_b.jpg
This bike features many parts from our catalog and retail store. The finned,cast pan covers were the latest part from Custom Cycle Engineering, the weld on hardtail was from Santee Industries and the 20 over girder forks from Wayne Engineering. We cut the bottom bar from the neck area of the stock frame and welded in a half inch thick gusset which I then molded smooth with bondo. The neck was cut and raked to 40 degrees and all unused tabs were removed from the frame. That's a 2.2 gallon Paughco mustang tank that I painted light pearl blue with kandy blue "blow dots" on the side panel. Paughco drag pipes supply the noise and our own adjustable width pullback handlebars top the girder forks. Cheetah Engineering seat and bayonet sissybar (made with a real military surplus bayonet) with an iron cross taillight to match the handlebar mirror. The rear wheel is a steel 4 inch wide Santee rim (half inch wider than stock HD rims) with a 500x16 ARCO tire. The front wheel is our own all steel spool 21 inch wheel with an Avon Speedmaster ribbed tire.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/4151921769_636675c513_o.jpg
Another view of my quickie restyle long before the factory invented the "Night Train" softail model.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3642517068_7f6f0af17e_o.jpg
Scanned from 1978 Kodak print. My 4 year old son goes for a ride with dad. Radical Jim Davis front section frame and a 100% chrome plated engine featuring hex cut cyclinders, Sifton cams, Mikuni 38mm carb and .060 overbore pistons. The bikes name is lettered in goldleaf on the top of the Bob Munroe "rocket tank".
The build of Hellbound began when I purchased an XLCH engine from a wrecked bike we had originally built at my chopper shop. The motor was 100% chrome plated and had low miles when wrecked but the fins on both heads and barrels were broken. I found a set of stock heads and barrels at a cycle salvage shop another friend owned. Arlen offered to hex cut the barrels and remove the lower three fins before sending them out to the chrome shop. You can't see it in the photos but this was something we were doing to Sportsters in 1976. We also cut the rocker boxes into two parts and rerouted the top end oil lines. Countersinking the rocker box allens also also made the engine appear smoother. One of the design themes we followed was make everything smaller or eliminate it if possible. For example, we cut off the first 1 inch of the rubber handlebar grips and shortened the stock clutch lever removing the ball end and about 1 inch of the lever itself. Magnetos meant no batteries and spool 21 inch front wheels meant no brake lever,cable or brake drum. We even trimmed the license plates which really pissed off the CHP. I bought a stock frame from another friend and had Jim Davis, Arlen's frame builder, install one of his latest gooseneck front sections. The radical 45 degree rake was Arlen's idea and his 6 inch over stock springer barely made the bike level with the short struts used to replace the shocks.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3919914474_8123a83f21_o.jpg
I built this bike in my garage for Bill Goolsby a good friend. Arlen's weld on front section and a Santee hardtail were mated to HD swingarm frame. Bob Munroe prizm tank from Arlen's catalog as was the 12" over Ness "low bend" springer. Painted, leafed and striped it in my garage. Scanned from a 1975 Kodak print and post processed in Photoshop CS.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3912049540_643e07ab94_o.jpg
In 1973 Julie became our theme girl and appeared in many of our print ads in magazines and the local newspaper, We ran a weeky ad in the Friday sports section and she became something of a local celebrity. Her day job was as a USPS Mail carrier, she often showed up at photo shoots in uniform and changed in the shop van as she did this day. Scanned from a 1973 8x10 Kodak color print.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3501/3917835865_ceff488e8f_b.jpg
David Chapin was a former president of the Devils Disciples MC chapter here in Stockton,CA. After a shootout with the Satans Slaves MC he went to prison for a few years. I met him when he became a customer at my chopper shop and we became good friends. He was an interesting character and could really tell a story. I remember he slept in the garage on the floor next to this bike while he was building it. Working on it everyday until it ran. As soon as it did he rode straight to the shop and these are the photos I took that day. Scanned from a 1971 b/w Kodak Print and post processed in Photoshop CS
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3406779839_159f399182_o.jpg
This is what we chopped and rode in central California in the early 1970's. Girder forks were the most popular front end in the valley and we built and rode "long" bikes. This has a Arlen Ness front section welded to the stock Harley swingarm frame. The mini drum brake on the 21" front wheel was useless but satisfied the legal requirement for all bikes manufactured after1966. Archive photo scanned from 35 year old print.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3951075497_d25745bdcc_o.jpg
The factory gave Arlen this bike and he promptly chopped it. This display is at the Oakland Grand National Roadster show circa 1979. This was the first bike I rendered the winged A logo on. Arlen painted the bike and I did the leaf and striping. He liked the design so much that he adopted it as his shop logo. Scanned from a 1979 Kodak print and post processed in Photoshop CS
Le foto ritraggono sue realizzazioni in toto o solo nella verniciatura. Grande amico di Arlen Ness, può essere considerato insieme a quest'ultimo il padre del moderno "Custom". Ho incollato le sue stesse descrizioni; tradurle, oltre che una grossa fatica, sarebbe stato anche ingiusto. Post lungo ma ottimo per chi vuol farsi un po di "cultura" in merito.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/45/124039311_fbfd306855_o.jpg
The first custom bike I ever built, although I had been riding for 4 years by 1968. In the fall of 1968 my friend Chris and I decided to build a chopper as a joint project. I provided the money, paint and molding labor and he did the welding and mechanics. After I recouped my costs for the motorcycle and parts purchased we agree to split the profit, if any 50-50. We really weren't that interested in the money making possibilities but rather just wanted to try our hand at bike customizing
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/3640825373_395d3fd3a4_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/124039313_8a5be1e74f_o.jpg
Scanned from a 1974 Kodak print. All the aluminum parts on this bike were glass beaded for the "racer look". Arlen's bolt together springer forks (only weld was the front rail spring perch). Cycle Shack "tiller" bars myself and Steve Reedy designed. Danny Gray three piece seat, and yes it was uncomfortable as hell but so cool looking! Weighing less than 400 pounds these Sportsters were the quickest street bikes around.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/3770599360_89322bd176_o.jpg
After riding my XLCR Cafe Racer Sportster for two years, including a trip to Yellowstone packing the old lady, I decided to build a shovelhead. I bought a none running Electra-Glide from a coworker at the printing plant. Stripping it to the bare frame and I blackout everything with wrinkle paint on the engine,tranny and primaries. Chrome allen hardware completed the look which mimicked my all black XLCR. A dual disc Sportster fork with custom tree to fit it to the FLH frame was found at the salvage yard along with an FX rear fender and rails. I replaced the 5 gallon tanks with 3 and a halves and painted everything black. Drag Specialties had the dual seat Arlen never stopped teasing me about. He insisted they made smaller couches than my seat! So here's the custom painter with an all black bike, no leaf work, no striping and no airbrushing. I had all the work I could do at the time and really didn't want to spend my riding/drinking/lieing hours talking paintwork with friends or other riders.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3520/4015040686_c6e032c92c_b.jpg
This bike features many parts from our catalog and retail store. The finned,cast pan covers were the latest part from Custom Cycle Engineering, the weld on hardtail was from Santee Industries and the 20 over girder forks from Wayne Engineering. We cut the bottom bar from the neck area of the stock frame and welded in a half inch thick gusset which I then molded smooth with bondo. The neck was cut and raked to 40 degrees and all unused tabs were removed from the frame. That's a 2.2 gallon Paughco mustang tank that I painted light pearl blue with kandy blue "blow dots" on the side panel. Paughco drag pipes supply the noise and our own adjustable width pullback handlebars top the girder forks. Cheetah Engineering seat and bayonet sissybar (made with a real military surplus bayonet) with an iron cross taillight to match the handlebar mirror. The rear wheel is a steel 4 inch wide Santee rim (half inch wider than stock HD rims) with a 500x16 ARCO tire. The front wheel is our own all steel spool 21 inch wheel with an Avon Speedmaster ribbed tire.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/4151921769_636675c513_o.jpg
Another view of my quickie restyle long before the factory invented the "Night Train" softail model.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3642517068_7f6f0af17e_o.jpg
Scanned from 1978 Kodak print. My 4 year old son goes for a ride with dad. Radical Jim Davis front section frame and a 100% chrome plated engine featuring hex cut cyclinders, Sifton cams, Mikuni 38mm carb and .060 overbore pistons. The bikes name is lettered in goldleaf on the top of the Bob Munroe "rocket tank".
The build of Hellbound began when I purchased an XLCH engine from a wrecked bike we had originally built at my chopper shop. The motor was 100% chrome plated and had low miles when wrecked but the fins on both heads and barrels were broken. I found a set of stock heads and barrels at a cycle salvage shop another friend owned. Arlen offered to hex cut the barrels and remove the lower three fins before sending them out to the chrome shop. You can't see it in the photos but this was something we were doing to Sportsters in 1976. We also cut the rocker boxes into two parts and rerouted the top end oil lines. Countersinking the rocker box allens also also made the engine appear smoother. One of the design themes we followed was make everything smaller or eliminate it if possible. For example, we cut off the first 1 inch of the rubber handlebar grips and shortened the stock clutch lever removing the ball end and about 1 inch of the lever itself. Magnetos meant no batteries and spool 21 inch front wheels meant no brake lever,cable or brake drum. We even trimmed the license plates which really pissed off the CHP. I bought a stock frame from another friend and had Jim Davis, Arlen's frame builder, install one of his latest gooseneck front sections. The radical 45 degree rake was Arlen's idea and his 6 inch over stock springer barely made the bike level with the short struts used to replace the shocks.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3919914474_8123a83f21_o.jpg
I built this bike in my garage for Bill Goolsby a good friend. Arlen's weld on front section and a Santee hardtail were mated to HD swingarm frame. Bob Munroe prizm tank from Arlen's catalog as was the 12" over Ness "low bend" springer. Painted, leafed and striped it in my garage. Scanned from a 1975 Kodak print and post processed in Photoshop CS.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3912049540_643e07ab94_o.jpg
In 1973 Julie became our theme girl and appeared in many of our print ads in magazines and the local newspaper, We ran a weeky ad in the Friday sports section and she became something of a local celebrity. Her day job was as a USPS Mail carrier, she often showed up at photo shoots in uniform and changed in the shop van as she did this day. Scanned from a 1973 8x10 Kodak color print.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3501/3917835865_ceff488e8f_b.jpg
David Chapin was a former president of the Devils Disciples MC chapter here in Stockton,CA. After a shootout with the Satans Slaves MC he went to prison for a few years. I met him when he became a customer at my chopper shop and we became good friends. He was an interesting character and could really tell a story. I remember he slept in the garage on the floor next to this bike while he was building it. Working on it everyday until it ran. As soon as it did he rode straight to the shop and these are the photos I took that day. Scanned from a 1971 b/w Kodak Print and post processed in Photoshop CS
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3406779839_159f399182_o.jpg
This is what we chopped and rode in central California in the early 1970's. Girder forks were the most popular front end in the valley and we built and rode "long" bikes. This has a Arlen Ness front section welded to the stock Harley swingarm frame. The mini drum brake on the 21" front wheel was useless but satisfied the legal requirement for all bikes manufactured after1966. Archive photo scanned from 35 year old print.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3951075497_d25745bdcc_o.jpg
The factory gave Arlen this bike and he promptly chopped it. This display is at the Oakland Grand National Roadster show circa 1979. This was the first bike I rendered the winged A logo on. Arlen painted the bike and I did the leaf and striping. He liked the design so much that he adopted it as his shop logo. Scanned from a 1979 Kodak print and post processed in Photoshop CS