53 Panhead
Project Z
"The Machine"

"Z" - the last letter of the alphabet and the last bike I intend to build for myself. I'm getting a little long in tooth these days and really don't need anymore bikes. I've always wanted a Panhead, so this is it, a 1953 engine/trans in a mid 70ish swingarm frame. Not a lot of mods were done to this bike, The Orange Machine has a lot more custom work. This bike is more subtle. The shock mounts were move back about 3-4 inches on the swingarm and thus lowered the rear end about 1.5". The nuts for the brake disks and sprockets were welded to the spool hubs and the ugly area between the disks/sprocket and wheel hubs has a machined aluminum sleeve pressed over the hub flanges to cover up the ugly. The stamped clutch cable anchor under the oil tank was replaced with a piece of solid machined steel, a far trickier operation than it would appear due to several angles machined into it. The battery tray under the oil tank was eliminated and battery mounts were welded to the bottom of the oil tank, just to clean up the oil tank/battery installation. The exhaust mount tabs on the frame were cut off and machined bosses were welded to the frame and the tabs were welded to the bottom of the through the frame exhaust pipes just to clean up the look of that installation. The foot controls and floorboard mounts were hand made to tuck everything in a little closer to the frame. A few bends that didn't need to be there were taken out of the foot shift side and the rear brake cylinder was relocated behind the pedal instead of in front of it, once again, subtle, but it does neaten up the whole arrangement. When I bought the bike it was "gangsta" style, needless to say all the "gangsta" crap went in the trash, except for the front fender. It was a WCC Jesse James fender, probably cost about $350 bucks. I cut it up and trimmed it down, no offense Jesse, but I think it looks much better now. The open primary speaks for itself.

Finally, HD was founded in 1903, that makes this bike a fiftieth anniversary edition. Apparently Harley forgot about the fiftieth anniversary until 1954, when they did make a fiftieth anniversary model, so this bike is my own fiftieth anniversary commemorative edition. A classic engine in a semi-modern chassis.

Photos by Pegitha. Taken in front of Reno Reds in Roanoke, Texas.