My Panhead Story !

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Revette
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Bikes: 1956 FLH
1955 Cushman Eagle
2019 FLHX

#76

Post by Revette »

Its been interesting reading your chronicle and it brings back memories of "the old days" when I'd run into bikers on the road riding real Harleys not the doo-ragged idiots on $80K "choppers" I find today.

Revette - former member VNV M/C and state charter member

There's a couple pix of my '56 pan posted.
crasha51pan
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#77

Post by crasha51pan »

Thanks Revette ! Ya made me laugh.......


"Welcome Home, Brother".....
crasha51pan
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#78

Post by crasha51pan »

I have left the land of red sky, generic seasons and the endless traffic jam for blue sky and 4 seasons. I will admit that I have been in 3 traffic jams since I have moved here. I was caught in a cattle drive that was crossing the road, I was caught in a line of three cars that were behind a slow moving tractor headed south on Hwy. 93, and had to stop once to let a herd of wild turkeys cross the road. I'm not complaining, I can live with that.
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I have seen Christmas, the way I always thought it should be. A little log cabin burried deep in the forest.
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I have seen the trees turn color in the fall.
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On our small 20 acres, I have seen moose, black bear, wolf, mountain lion, eagles and a ton of deer. The only thing I was missin was a Grizzly bear and last fall I was granted that privilege. The wife yelled that a bear was walkin up our drive, I went to the window thinkin black bear. It was a large male Grizzly, I now could die a happy man. It's like livin on the Discovery Channel. When I go out on the porch in the mornin and smell the pines, look up at the "blue" sky, look at all those trees, what can I say, "I'm livin my dream". As of now, I have only 2 concerns. One is, "How fast time seems to fly". I guess the sayin is right ! It's hard to think that I have been here 5 years already. The second concern, sometimes I think I will never ride again. I try not to let myself dwell on that thought. When I went to turn in my California drivers license, the gal asked me if I wanted to keep my CDL ? Told her "nope", I'm never drivin again, I'm Retired ! She then asked if I wanted to keep my motorcycle endorsement ? "HELL YES" !!!!!!!!!
crasha51pan
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#79

Post by crasha51pan »

A number of you have taken this 40 year ride into the past with me. It's been a blast !

It started with a 19 year old kid in Viet Nam who came home with a large anger trapped inside.

My finding the Panhead, and it's ability to make life tolerable.

Hookin up with a little gal who, dispite my early issues, has stayed with me goin on 33 years now. Who understood my need for the "motorcycle and the mountain", and embraced both with me. Who never, ever gave me grief about either......

The forming of a dream that itself lasted for 22 years. A dream that maybe, someday, I would live in those mountains that I always seemed to find myself headed for.

And finally. Livin that dream...

As for the bike, I have not given up on that. Who Knows ? Maybe someday we might pass each other on the road. You will know it's me, I'll be the old man with the smile that runs from ear to ear.......

Till Then:
" Ride safe and Keep'em rollin "


THE END !!!!!!
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PANHEADS RULE !
Last edited by crasha51pan on Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Revette
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1955 Cushman Eagle
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#80

Post by Revette »

Its been a good ride...enjoyed reading about it.

Welcome home and peace to you.
Pantony
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#81

Post by Pantony »

Boy I was supposed to start my taxes today. I was riveted by your story. I wish there was a way I could group the pictures and your posts together so I could print them out. And seeing as how this is a technical forum (no disrespect at all yours was the best I've read in years), Let us know if you can;
The first bike- the carbs, overbore if any, stock pistons or? How many rebuilds, did you do engine bearings, did you have to ever rebuild the tranny? How many miles did you pile up on that one

Second bike same thing, I know you metioned you tryed diffrent carbs and heads, when did you sell the last bike,

And you must have a great knowledge of "what to take along for tools and spare parts" In the 70's when I started riding we never had much money, and shovelheads were rocket sience back then so there were a lot of pan parts at stealerships. but if you remmember what you took with you that would be kool.

And Lastly: if I didn't work in a factory and I had an extra Million laying around I'd find you a Pan and crate it up and ship it to ya! And I DO hope I see you on the road with a grin from ear to ear.
Pantony
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#82

Post by Pantony »

That last "guest post was from me, I forgot to log in
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crasha51pan
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#83

Post by crasha51pan »

Pantony,

I do check back to the board, once in a while. I'm not ridin and my story is finished, I do like to look at those "old" Pans though.
First, let me say THANKS for the kind words !
I knew this was a TECH site, but when I found this thread and saw the word PANHEAD, it was like "the moth to the flame". Couldn't help myself, I thought I might get kicked off. Would be neat to have a space titled "Biker Stories". If you have ridden for any length of time, ya got stories !!
My 48, the mechanics stayed mostly stock, kept the 6 volt system, would step out the cyclinders when needed.
On my 51, I tried to make it as sound for the long trip as I could. Tried most everything on the market. I mostly rode alone so I built it to get me there and back. I went different size front ends (overstock and understock), carbs (Bendex, Tillitson, S&S B & E), S&S oil pump, tried a altenator to replace the gen. (that was a piece of S*#T, went back to the gen., Went 12 volt (easier to find a battery out on the road), STD Dual Plug Heads, 3 different distribuators (manual, auto, and one called Blue Arc that was like a car distrib., had a cap and rotor), ran with and withour a oil cooler, two different oil filters. Had swapped the hand shift tranny lid for a foot shift ratchet lid (never got into the guts of the tranny, no need)
As for the tools I carried, boy, did that bring back memories. Ya got no idea how much S%*t I caught (sittin here with that "smile that runs ear to ear). I carried everything I could think of (cause I rode alone) and used them all at one time or the other. I carried: 8" cressant, 12" cressant, 2 of every wrench (open and box) that runs from 3/16 to 3/4, set of allen wrenches, screw drivers, small ratchet set, large ratchet and socket to remove my front pulley, electrical pliers, needle nose, channel lock,and vise grip pliers. I carried elect. connectors, duck tape, timing light, elect. tape, quart of oil, can of seal & air, clutch cable, throttle cable, couple lengths of rope, spare primary belt, master links, points, bag of every nut, bolt , washer, cotter pin that I could think of. Ya get the idea ! Sounds funny but it paid off on a number of occasions. They would say that I carried enough tools and parts to build another bike if needed (but when someone broke down, ya know where they came). Didn't always work out, there were a few times I would pull into my drive in a shinny red U-HAUL truck with my bike in the back (not often). The wife would come out and just shake her head. I would say to her, "hey, it's just part of the game".
On long trips, my saddle bags were full of tools and parts and I had another leather pouch on my sissy bar full of tools. My tent, S&W 38 snubbie, and a change of clothes were rapped in my sleeping bag.
I feel good again, thanks for bringing back those memories. I would like to run across you someday, when it happens "the first one is on me" !!

By the way: NICE SLED !!!!!!!!!!!
Pantony
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#84

Post by Pantony »

I might take ya up on that, I need to get away sometimes
1950Bobber

Hung in there with 'ya!

#85

Post by 1950Bobber »

Read it to the end also, crasha51pan! Great, thanks.

good havin' ya here, Bro.

Jim "1950 Bobber"
crasha51pan
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#86

Post by crasha51pan »

I know I had said "I'm outta here", but it's snowin again !
I was thinkin about the question from Pantony and the things I carried in my saddlebags. This story came to mind...........................
It was Sunday, early. Headed north on the 605 fwy. lookin towards the hills again. At a point, I came up next to a 18 wheeler, normally I don't like to ride next to them but this time I just kind of hung there lookin at those tires a turnin. I glanced down to look at the pavement (there is somethin about doin 70, 3" off the ground) then back to those singin tires of the big rig. Finally, I goosed it, got around the truck and got back to my business.
Got into the mountains on a quiet twistin road. Came around a curve and found a turnout with a big old shade tree, pulled over and shut her down. Went into the saddlebag, pulled out a cold one and just walked around. It smelled different up there, it was quiet. After a bit, decided to get on down the road. Walked over to the bike, pulled out the kicker peddle, put my right hand on the bars and gave her a kick. Somethin snapped ! My bars were turnin, the front end wasn't. Seems one of the bolts used to mount my riser had snapped in half. I had zero steering !!! My knees went weak, I started to shake. My thoughts went straight back to that 18 wheeler, had that bolt snapped while I was rollin next to that truck, I would be dead, meat in the tires ! I thought about the wife and kids and the phone call. I got to tell ya brothers, I was shakin !
Once I got past that, got to thinkin "what do I do now ?". Started to empty my bags to see what I could come up with. You remember that I carried two lengths of rope, had carried them for probably 15 years and the thought was, "maybe someday, someone will break down and I could use those ropes to tow the bike". I thought that just maybe, I could use a rope to tie my riser to the tree. I threaded the rope thru the tree and around the bar, over and over and around itself. I tied it off and sat on the bike, grabbed the bars and turned. It Worked, I could steer. I turned the bike around and headed down the mountain, a rope holdin my handlebars on. It seemed to work but there was no way I was goin to get back on the fwy., I took surface streets home !!!!!!!!!!
Guess what I'm tryin to say is "just because you don't use it much, ain't no reason not to carry it" or "ya can't have too much rope !".
Another thought, I started to swap out my riser bolts once a year after that. Lesson learned !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Outta here, again.
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crasha51pan
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#87

Post by crasha51pan »

Happen to drive by the local Harley dealership (not really local, it's a 70 mile trip) and decided to stop in. Opened the door, there was a group of sales people standing by the counter. Talking stopped and all eyes went on me. I walked over and started to look at the bikes, a voice said "can I help you ?". Told him that I was just lookin and after a few minutes I had worked myself back near the group. In a loud voice I asked them, "what"s that" and pointed towards the rear shock on one bike. Thats the shock (I heard some low giggles) said one large salesman. Never seen that before I said, where is the kick start pedel (it got real quiet again) ? They are electric start, he said. Then I asked "where are your Panheads ? Then came the blank look that I was so used to gettin whenever I walked into a dealership lookin for parts.
The big guy asked "what decade are you from ?" and I couldn't hold it any more, I had to laugh !
We all talked for a while, then came the pitch. We can get you on one of these, zero down and financed for 7 years. 7 years ?????????????, something else I found strange, there were no price tags on the bikes. Guess they thought that maybe it was scaring the customers off. I know that 8 or 9 years ago they put the price on the bikes. I have turned some over and was shocked then, $23,000. I thought "Holy Christ"!!!!! Must be some medical directive, don't put the prices on our bikes anymore cause we are havin people suffering heart attacks and are being held liable.
Got to say this, one more time..... I feel now as I always have . The Harley Panhead is the best lookin bike Harley ever produced...EVER !!
Keep'em on the road........................................
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Startin to feel like a bad ole lady, "I just won't go away".......
rustinheale47

#88

Post by rustinheale47 »

Hello crash

Your story is a reference !!!

I have found my pan rusting in a garden shed in a XVII century .

It was in original condition, rusting away for 40 years .

Hope to ride it this year...Your story, so different tough, it was inspirational.



rust
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#89

Post by Guest »

You enjoy that Pan ! It's all about the ride and the memories you make.

My best to ya......
crasha51pan
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#90

Post by crasha51pan »

Careful, ya might get caught up into somethin bigger than ya thought ! Ya got treasure, make it your own then go enjoy.......

Sonny Barger was asked why he rides ? He answered it better than I have ever heard it put. He said " have you ever seen a car go by with a dog who had his head shoved out the window as far has he could get it and his nose up in the wind ? HE KNOWS !!!"....

I envy you...
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