La Mirada, La Habra, El Camino?

The 35th Annual El Camino Antique Motorcycle Show is this coming Saturday. In some ways that statement isn't true. I don't know how many regular attendees know it, but it wasn't always at El Camino College in Torrance.

I first heard about the show in the Feb. '83 issue of Supercycle magazine (first one I bought), when they did a feature on the '82 show. It seems they usually had the show in La Mirada in those days. The first one I went to was in '84, but was held close by in La Habra. The following year it was again in La Mirada. La Habra, La Mirada... whats the difference?

They used to make some pretty cool posters each year. This one from 82 was printed in the Feb. '83 Supercycle. Check the credits for technical assistance. I have a couple of nice posters from some later years.

Any way, it moved to El Camino in 1986 and has pretty much been there ever since. One year it didn't happen as there wasn't a promoter to pick it up (I don't know the politics or how or if the So. Ca. Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America works with the promoters these days). It also, sort of got rained out one year (2007).

I do know that Glen Bator kept it going for quite awhile. At one time he was putting on the Del Mar show too, which was some years, only a week apart.


I forgot that '84 was my first year until I dug out this old shirt. Notice it was a two day event. The show bikes were invited to a ride. I only have a few other year's shirts. Most year's designs weren't to my liking.

In those days, it was like Antique M/C Season here in So Cal. Sometimes El Camino was on Saturday, and Sunday was the Long Beach Swap Meet. Other times they were a week apart. Some years all three events were in a week's span.

Two years ago Glen announced at the show, he's moving on and not doing it anymore and the show was going to die if someone didn't step in. It was strange as it had the largest attendance ever. It didn't seem right, everyone was in disbelief and disappointed.

When the current promoter (Classic Cycle Events), took over last year, he stated he's keeping the traditional date in Sept. but up until a few years back it was always on the first Saturday in Oct. Then it crept up to the last Saturday in Sept. Now it's in the middle of the month. So much for tradition.



The old shows were quite different for better or worse. The better, it was a free event held in a shopping center's parking lot and more like a field event with riding games/contests. The worse, the bikes were roped off from spectators. It was still that style of show the first few years at El Camino where they also first began charging admission ($3.00), in '86.

I've never missed a year yet, and don't intend to miss this one.

Vintage Chopper Action, or Fun with Joe and Steve

I was blown away when Joe Hurst sent me these photos from 1968.


This was Joe's first Harley. While building it sometime around 1967-68, Joe met Dick Allen who rebuilt the heads. Joe said Dick just had a big smile when he first saw the completed bike.


Another view of Joe's Purple Panhead. Note the braced sissy bar. I call it the "South Bay Swoop". This style of sissy bar was to become a standard feature on most south bay choppers and I had always attributed it's design to Dick Allen, but Joe was actually the first to run one. The design on the tank was a stylized 13.


This and the following photos really blew me away. Joe's old friend Steve Drale is on the left. Steve's dad was once the mayor of Torrance, CA.


A film package was placed on the ground to serve as a starting mark to let the fun begin.


This photo is just too much! Everything about it is way cool. The look, the angle, the kids. To me, it rates as one of the best vintage chopper photos ever!.. and is likely my favorite wheelie photo of all time. Joe said his forks took a pounding from doing this.


Steve's slick Panhead. The neighborhood kids got a real treat that day.

Noot's Dresser

Actually, he just thought I'd like this old school '67 dresser from Sturgis. The tail piece is outrageous and those lanterns really crack me up. It's cool to see these old land barges are still being ridden.

AEE's Big Twin Lives...

...well, sort of.

I thought I had read somewhere that it still existed.

Blog reader Stu, sent an email to let me know it's on freewh33ler.blogspot.com explaining that it's for sale on ebay right now. Item#170675591779. Note the outboard wheel is just placed here for the photo since it is both unbolted and inside out.

The replaced fork and front wheel assembly totally sucks and betrays Ed Newton's original elegant design. It originally showcased a narrow AEE Springer (which is how it looked the best). When AEE repainted it to this color scheme, they replaced the springer with a rigid girder style fork (not the current forks). You'd think that if anything would have been pirated, it would have been the engines.

Someone had the brilliant idea (NOT!), to modified the frame to accept a blower.

Besides the fact that they shouldn't have modified a classic show piece, the blower mod kind of ruins the effort of the reversed heads of the left side. The original intention was for the pipes and carbs to be a symmetrical mirror image of each side. The listing mistakenly states that machining of the flopped heads was done by Harley, it was actually performed by AEE's own machine shop. Good God, what happened to it's seats?!!

Note that it was licensed and tagged up to June 1980, meaning it was likely driven on the streets.

My vote would be to put it back to it's first incarnation's paint and forks.

I guess it's better that it has survived in this shape than not at all. Now all that is needed is for a rare individual who has the means and desire to rescue and restore it to it's former glory.

This Month's Header-Under The Influence

I did this drawing sometime in 1973 and you can clearly see the influence of the two bikes below.

Much of the general design was inspired from Joe Hurst's White Bear, but I used a Cone Motor instead of a Generator Shovel.

The bike from the center spread of Big Bike Magazine Sept. 1972 was the other source of influence. Borrowed from it were the rear fender, polished mags, rectangular headlight, pullbacks, and much of the style of the paint. It was also a South Bay bike but had more of a AEE Choppers look rather than the Dick Allen/Fats South Bay Style. The photo looks to be taken at the break water in King Harbor Redondo Beach, CA. with the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background.

Flocking Ecstasy

There is so much going on with this 1966 Electra-Glide and it's display it's almost hard to figure out what is what. Mirrors, lights chains, tinsel garlands, signs, trophies, drapes, skulls, devil heads, coins, and confetti.... and then there's the bike. How about that flocking paint job! (Purple Velvetex). Read what you can on the sign. It makes for one busy photograph, but it must have been fun to see in the flesh.

L.L.Long Bike Art

Here's a drawing I did either late in 72, or early 73. Long bikes were still in but getting lower. No high seats and pipes. The performance trend was gaining strength. Big carbs, magnetos and custom oil tanks were the hot set up... as were "Hot Pants" (short shorts on da'ladies).

The Chrome Frame Chronicles

The story of Dick Allen's/Joe Hurst's Chrome Frame Bike is complex and varied. At one time, Joe pulled the running gear out to put in the Green Bike. A buddy with an unfinished bike then asked if he could ride it (the Green Bike), to Northern California. Joe said, "is your motor and trans done"? When his friend answered, "yeah", Joe told him he could put it in the chrome frame roller for the trip. Sometime later, Joe put it's motor and trans back in and sold it.

This is probably right before Joe sold it. It was originally fitted with a H-D Sprint tank. Here it has a larger Super -Glide tank.

After it was sold and painted blue by the new owner. Looks good. Just about any color will work with a chrome frame.

Joe got it back years ago. Here's how she sits today.

Chrome Won't Get You Home...

...but it might get you a trophy.

Some guys think if a little is good, a lot is better. Chrome or not it's a pretty cool old scoot. Okay, the risers and bars are a bit much, but it was for show.

New Rubber...

...for the road.

A long over due tire change. The old Continental sucked and was on borrowed time. I've had the new Dunlop for about year. Don't know why I put off the most simple things? Getting stuff like this done gives peace of mind.

Born-Free 3-3

Okay, are you tired of seeing Born-Free yet? If not, check it out. I know I missed a lot of them and you might have seen these same bikes on other blogs, but what the hell.

If I make any mistakes on the credits/owners, let me know.

Jeremiah of Love Cycles entry in the Builders Invite. I probably don't have to say it's his. Jeri's bikes have a style of their own, you just know. His spartan style is quickly developing a following.

Jeff Leighton's Knice Knuckle. Not the sharpest picture but I had to include it. Great stance, paint and combination of parts. So how does one safely extend a VL fork?

Lord knows I'm not a Honda guy, but this 750 from Sunrise Cycles is pretty damn slick. My two cents.... I would have left the engine cases natural or polished.

His....

...and Hers. I've seen both of these bikes in my neighborhood. The handlebars, sporty tanks with flames makes me think they are of Fats influence more than that of Dick Allen. Also, because of the headlights, seats, tires, fork width, and billet controls, I'd call them modern takes on the South Bay style.

The vintage look of this clean Panhead (black skinny wheels and springer), almost tricks you into thinking it's a Knuckle at first glance.

One for Noot. Does a Sportster qualify as a Bob Job? It's very close to some ideas I've had, but I'd like it a wee more with polished alloy rims, brakes, and with chrome shock dust covers and fender struts.

The Sunsetter from 1965. The original owner/builder (lost his name), was in attendance and very proud. The current owner told me the frame and chrome is all original and that he only had the tank and fender re-painted. That leads me to believe that it probably only had minor flaws and he should have left it alone!!!! The current buckhorns kill the look, put the drag bars back on it!

A really nice shovel ala Shawn Donahue. I heard more than one guy say it's his pick. It's similar style and mostly black paint made for good juxtaposition to John Edward's scooter. The bright afternoon sun made it hard to shoot these clean machines.

Ironhead Ron took advantage of some shade and a chair in my booth. I'm not quite as grumpy as I look, just don't like my picture taken much.

Maybe one or two more Born-Free post to come.

Chrome Frame Confusion

After seeing the Chrome Frame Lives post, Bruce Parrish sent this photo and said, " I see the South Bay saga continues. This is the tank I painted for the Chrome bike. As I remember it was for Doc . He had something similar to this eagle a few years earlier". (Note that the bike is in the house next to the Christmas Tree.)

When I posted Joe's first version of Dick's chrome frame bike, I purposely left out this cool photo and was saving it for another day. As I remembered it, Joe told me that Bruce repainted it for him based on the Eagle he did for Doc.

Joe later sent this photo showing how it looked when he got the bike from Doc in '73. It was originally pearl white with yellow tips. Bruce said he didn't do this version and did not come up with the Eagle Scallops concept but instead had traced it for the silver to black version.

Joe liked the motif so much he used it once again on his green bike. What makes things even more confusing is that this bike seems to have all the drive train components from the Chrome Frame Bike including the oil tank with the peg mounts. (Note the neck, and it's similarity to the one done later on Bruce's Funny Bike.)

Joe's thinking of using the Eagle design again on the latest build of the Chrome Frame Bike, but with a new twist.

CK's Chopper Sculpture

First, I posted Greg Parigian's sculpture and then Bruce Parrish's, so here's mine. It was done in the fall session of my senior year in 1972. It was part of an assignment in a art class where we were suppose to learn the craft of lost wax casting a plaster figure. Of course I made a biker figure for the bike using a wire armature covered with and sculpted in wax. I never did the casting part nor remember any classmates doing it for that matter. I think we all ran out of time.

It's a time consuming yet primitive technique since it takes no welding or soldering skills...
...just needle-nose pliers and wire.

Check out the amazing detail!... ...I kid.

I wish this old photo was better. The figure was actually fairly detailed and pretty cool. I kept it in a box with other stuff for a long time but finally grew tired of the wax sticking to things so tossed it. I now regret that.

Born-Free-3-2

More from the show. As said before, I didn't have enough time to see all the bikes, take photos, or inspect their details , as I'd liked to.

1947 Knucklehead with lots of nickel plating built by Dave Polgreen was another Builders Invite award winner. Love those wheels. Paint by Harpoon.

Robert Hernandez's long bike. I think it won best in that class. Class was judged by long time long bike expert Sugar Bear.

Levi Louie's Loose Goose. Built it in 69. He's now offering Dick Allen styled forks. This is the bike that was in my first "Ladies Like'm Long" post. Unlike most, he made the back bone one piece from the seat post to the neck.

Mike Davis brought out his own Knuckle Project. Mike has a nack for putting just the right parts together.

A very clean and nicely done Panhead out amongst the sea of bikes. Bobber?... I still say it's an early style chop.

I remember seeing this 70's style Sporty in flat black at the Jan. 2010 Long Beach Swap Meet. Click HERE to see it then. At that time, I had no idea it was a work in progress.

I judged the Bobber class and chose Hogan's '47 Knucklehead as it was obvious that he took great effort to make it authentic. The white and blue pan behind it also belongs to him. His buddy, the notorious Doc. Sprocket rode his Sportster down from Sacramento to Hogan's place in Socal and then accompanied him on the Bob Job to Born-Free. I later found out it won the same class at the David Mann Chopper Fest.

The proud owner, stopped by my booth to say thanks and farewell.

More to come.