An invitation to construct a {custom} bike for the annual Born Free present within the US is a large accolade. But the distinction is often reserved for {custom} builders which might be effectively established throughout the scene—and that’s the place the Biltwell People’s Champ competitors is available in.
“Biltwell’s goal for the annual, democratic People’s Champ bike building competition has been the same since day one,” says the corporate’s founder, Bill Bryant. “Give grassroots builders an opportunity to showcase their talents, earn some money, and gain recognition in the custom motorcycle building world.”
In the months working as much as Born Free, Biltwell scours each nook of the scene to unearth 12 potential {custom} builders. That quantity will get whittled down by half by means of public voting, earlier than the finalists collect on the legendary Cook’s Corner bar in So Cal on the eve of Born Free. The winner takes residence a money prize of $10,000 and a coveted spot with the invited bikes on the present.
Last 12 months’s trophy went to Sean Jackson for his unimaginable 1948 Harley Panhead. As to what precisely it’s that he constructed; that’s onerous to say. Part chopper, half steampunk fantasy, it’s a extremely imaginative construct that reveals the talents of Sean, and the crew that helped him construct it.
Based in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, Sean’s day job includes working with classic bikes and motorbike components as a part of Competition Distributing. Most of the bikes that he offers with are even older than this Panhead—so though he knocked it out of the park, he was method outdoors his consolation zone on this venture.
The bike began as an ex-Florida 1948 Panhead that had suffered the results of residing so near the ocean. Sean yanked the motor out and handed it over to George Banks and Gary Ellis, who spent six months rebuilding it and cleansing it up. Gone are all indicators of the pitting that littered the casings when Sean obtained the bike.
The engine is just about the one Harley Panhead half left. Just about every little thing else, save for the wheels, tires, and brakes, was fabricated from scratch.
That contains the eye-popping modular body, which, regardless of appearances, principally conforms to the unique Panhead geometry. Sean designed it utilizing the 3D CAD software program SolidWorks, then manufactured it from 1/4”-thick laser-cut stainless-steel plates. The inflexible ‘swingarm’ was constructed the identical method, with the axle plates raised to decrease the general experience peak.
All of the chassis plates are held collectively by numerous handmade aluminum spacers, with black oxide-coated stainless-steel {hardware}. As for the plates themselves, Sean painstakingly polished these by hand.
The entrance finish is {custom} too, but it surely follows a radically totally different design ethos. Taking inspiration from the Nineteen Thirties Harley-Davidson DAH hill climber, Sean and co. fabricated a set of crossover main hyperlink forks and buckhorn-style handlebars. (The method the entrance springs lengthen past the handlebar risers is a direct nod to the DAH.)
Moving to the wheels, Sean ordered a set of Invaders from Led Sled Customs, wrapping them in W&W Cycles Bates Baja rubber. There’s no entrance brake, however he’s made up for it by putting in two Brembo calipers on the one rear disc, bolted to a custom-made caliper mount. It sounds foolish, however there’s technique to his insanity.
One of the grasp cylinders is activated by way of a mechanical linkage connected to the foot brake, whereas the opposite is attached to a particular twist grip on the left facet of the bars. The Panhead makes use of a foot clutch and hand shifter, so Sean makes use of this second caliper as a hill maintain. And because it and the throttle run inner cables, the cockpit is as sparse because it will get.
A pair of handmade break up gas tanks sit up high, with the bike’s solely switches rigorously mounted between them. They put on a beautiful scalloped paint job, laid down by Brian O’Neal. (Sean additionally credit Kevin O’Neal and Tom Banks for his or her help and help.)
There are quite a few different particulars to soak up, from the twisted shaft on the hand shifter to the best way Sean has neatly stacked the 2 rear brake grasp cylinders subsequent to one another. A Linkert M74B carb sits on either side of the Panhead donk, linked by way of 3D-printed aluminum manifolds, whereas twin exhaust headers feed an intriguing underslung muffler. And for those who flip up the bike’s leather-based saddle, you’ll have the ability to entry the crank deal with for its post-war period starter.
Yes, you learn proper. This Panhead fires up courtesy of the starter from a V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin airplane engine—the identical engine that was used within the legendary Supermarine Spitfire. Cranking it by hand engages a spool drive on the left-hand facet of the bike, revving the engine as much as round 300 rpm.
You can all the time keep away from all that effort and use the Panhead’s OEM kick-start lever to wake it up as a substitute, however why be boring?
There’s no query that it takes an enormous creativeness and a wholesome skillset to construct a machine like this—particularly when it needs to be rideable, too. “To ensure the bikes are actually ‘go’ bikes and not just ‘show’ bikes,” explains Bill, “they have to be ridden over Ortega Highway, which is notoriously twisty and sketchy, for a total of about 50 miles to the venue. If a bike can’t make it to Cook’s under its own power (no trailer queens here) it can still go on the platform for partiers to admire—but it won’t be eligible to claim the title of the People’s Champ.”
Needless to say, Sean’s Panhead aced the experience—even when he does admit that he was initially skeptical about how effectively it will carry out.
Sean Jackson Instagram | With due to Biltwell Inc.
Source: www.bikeexif.com