The final bike in this week's ChopCult panhead trifecta is a machine that captivated me at last month's CustomBike show in Bavaria. Its builder was an elusive cat who failed to heed my repeated calls for more info, so these grainy, badly lit photos will have to speak for him. When English is your second language, sometimes not even Google can save you.
While vainly digging around for more info on Fiele and his stylish machine, I stumbled upon a fantastic cache of another man's knowledge about many things motorcycle-related—not just panheads. Lt. Jack "Force" is a military vet and amateur historian whose dedication to presenting the facts and opinions about bikes and life is good reading. Jack's spin on the MoCo post-WWII is thorough, and his story on the dream bike of my childhood, Yamaha's RD350, is also educational.
As you can imagine, the Googles come in handy when it's time to do research on people, places and machines. The deeper I wallow in this scene, however, the harder I find it to imagine how we survived without a search engine to move us. How many times per day does the average American dig for dirt on the information superhighway. My personal crumb trail on Google is massive, and includes assorted morsels I'd rather some people not know about. Suffice it to say I'm glad I learned how to empty my cache.
On the subject of browsers, there are many, and ChopCult works great with most of them. I haven't tried Google's Chrome browser yet, but one brainy player I know swears by it. Personally I'm a fan of Safari, but not everything I do on the web works as it should with Apple's browser. When this is the case, I switch to Firefox. This is the same tip I give to ChopCult readers who might be having difficulty with log-in, and it usually solves their problems.
As good as Google might be at finding things, nearly as much important stuff on the Internet gets lost. Things like subtlety, nuance and sarcasm, for instance. Billdozer and I extinguish several pissing matches in the IT sandlot every week, and most of these skirmishes are the result of insensitivity or ham-fisted communication skills. You can avoid such fallout by applying what I call "the bar" standard to your comments and threads. Before I click "send" I always ask myself, "Would I say these things to a man's face if we were sitting in a bar?" If the answer is no, I re-write in a way that reduces ambiguity and removes doubt. It's hard to apologize for being a dick after the fact, and Google makes it too easy for the stupid things we say and do to haunt us for eternity. Trust me on this one.
I love Pans but that one is TOO clean...needs some miles and abuse on it...not sure about the dresser back wheel either. Nice paint and motor work for sure.
Pannys rock...not diggin' the electric start stuff and mufflers...still a very tight bike..does not look like it has ever been ridden, handlebars are rad. Brake arm is killer. Wish I had a pan.
Pannys rock...not diggin' the electric start stuff and mufflers...still a very tight bike..does not look like it has ever been ridden, handlebars are rad. Brake arm is killer. Wish I had a pan.
Nice bike overall, but it looks a little too much like it belongs in the latest magazine ad for Roland Sands Design/Performance Machine. Half of the parts on that thing look like RSD products. Gotta love a pan, but this thing needs an evo 80 in it. Save the pan for something a little more...well, just more.
I agree too clean. A pan should have it's own soul but the soul is missing here. thats not to say I don't dig it cuz I do especially the crazy muffler. and the speed holes. guess ya gota check out that bavaria style
NoseBleed said it best. Nice bike but more evo motor style, however that's a S&S alt motor and a oil filter in place of where the generator would be on a real panhead so if you ask me it might as well be an evo cause it all aftermarkt motor.
NoseBleed said it best. Nice bike but more evo motor style, however that's a S&S alt motor and a oil filter in place of where the generator would be on a real panhead so if you ask me it might as well be an evo cause it all aftermarkt motor.
Great bike, however the effort spent on the muffler set up seems a waste. Just not a fan. Pans and electric starts ......... unless it's a stock 65 I say why??
Rod
Yea I would like a story on this, but the pics are better than nothing.
I just want to know about that tailpipe toolbox, and the tight, powder coat lookin belt into chain drive setup.
And it cold use a few scratches.
Topher
C
Nicko
Loffer
motoguru
KWashburn
Beautiful bike to say the least. Good job, to whomever crafted it.
NHMike
I couldn't agree more about think before you click. There's too many internet tough guys out there with too many opinions.
samuel4livin
samuel4livin
Nosebleed
creaturefiend1972
KY13
OldStfCycle
OldStfCycle
wickedblockhead
RODMAN58
Rod
OmegaRed
trichardson21
I just want to know about that tailpipe toolbox, and the tight, powder coat lookin belt into chain drive setup.
And it cold use a few scratches.