My Panhead Story !

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crasha51pan
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#31

Post by crasha51pan »

Panz,
I always have, and always will, think Pans are special. Never owned anything but ! I have never owned a bike with an electric start ! Got a fist full of pictures and 32 years to cover. I know every tramp out there has a head full of memories, it's just that I got time to write about them.....
crasha51pan
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#32

Post by crasha51pan »

I rode the rest of the year and during the winter (such as it was in Southern California) I decided to go back to the Brandywine color the bike was painted, before the fire. I also changed the tank emblem, couldn't decide which I liked best.
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I also got my garage back into shape. It was always "my space", if things started to get to me, thats where I would go.
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crasha51pan
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#33

Post by crasha51pan »

My pan pic's change but they are the same bike. Over the years, I would change this or that. I will run it down to get it out of the way.
Had 4 different seats, 3 different distributors, 4 carbs, 2 tanks, tried an altenater (went back to generator), front end went from 2" under to 2" over, 21" front tire to a 19" front, would run it with a front fender and without, bobbed rear fender and a stock rear, stock and STD dual plug heads, 2 cams, belt drive primary, with and without oil cooler, with and without oil filter, with tins and without tins and many color changes (many paint jobs with candy reds, one black with blue pearl and finally black).

This would be the Kern River. It's a place we called "Homebase". It was hard to find but gave us some privacy. A small clearing up against a mountain on one side, and a row of trees and bushes on the other. A large sandy area that allowed you to get totally screwed up, and then if you were to fall flat on your face, you could still get a good nights sleep (that happened alot). The river was on the other side of the road, but within walkin distance. The only thing you needed to watchout for were the Mojave Green Rattle snakes (these things are bad news). On this trip, I did battle with one that parked it's ass in front of my tent. I always carried a Smith & Wesson Model 12 when I was on a ride, and so I won that one (still got it's rattle hangin in the garage).
This is where I brought the wife (then girlfriend) to show her what it was like. That would have been on my 48. As the years went on, somehow every ride would end up back here. I could ride the coast up to Paso Robles or San Francisco, ride the Mojave or the Eastern Serria, be in Nevada or hangin out on the slopes of the Western Serria, it didn't matter. I always seemed to end up at Homebase. It would be that way for 32 years....If I could locate the brothers I rode with in the early years, and said I will meet you at Homebase, to this day, they would know exactly where I was talkin about. Major "Good Times" in that clearing !
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crasha51pan
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#34

Post by crasha51pan »

The pictures I have posted to this point bring a flood of memories. Most of which I can't write about, but they make me "feel good".
These pictures make me feel something else:

Wife explains to our son about "dad and his Panhead"
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The kids know....
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Was working in the garage when I noticed the boy come out of the house and walk over to the Pan. He climed on, and started to kick. I watched him a bit, then walked over and turned the ignition on. I never said a word, I walked back into the garage. I hid a smile, thinkin to myself the old Pan would kick back and end up tossin him over the bars. I went back to work and the next thing I heard was "that old Pan fired up". Got to say, I was shocked, I turned and there he was, with a grin from ear to ear. Talk about one proud dad !!
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Here's what I'm thinkin:
My daughter is married, my son just returned fron Iraq two weeks ago, he has been in the service for 8 years now.
I "was" a young buck who would "pick fights with thunderstorms", and I had no expectation of livin to see 30, and I was OK with that. In my short life, my skull has been split by a tire iron and a ball bat, been blown up twice, shot at, and stabbed. Yet here I am !!Brothers, I have learned 3 things...
1. Time passes quickly
2. The older I get, the faster it passes
3. I'm glad I made it past 30

I am still makin memories, but on this cold, snowy day, I got a bunch that allow me to look back and "SMILE"...
Last edited by crasha51pan on Sun Jan 27, 2008 1:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
crasha51pan
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#35

Post by crasha51pan »

This would be my closest brother, we rode many miles together. This too was Homebase...
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crasha51pan
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#36

Post by crasha51pan »

The Pan allowed me the space I needed, but the family needed some too. In Calif. there is no such thing, there is no place you can go that people ain't there already. We did find one "place for space", Death Valley. It was a 3 hour trip up a dry riverbed. Thru sand, over and around boulders, inbetween cliff walls. When I go that far out, I always carry a gun. I had this fear that we would come around a mountain and run into a bunch of bald headed guy's, chewin tobacco, playin the banjo and drinkn moonshine. We got to our spot, set up, and started to enjoy the quiet. 2 day's into it, we heard a truck coming, it was 2 rangers. They got out, pulled their weapons, put me spred eagle over the hood of my Trooper. I'm thinkin, "S*#%, not again". The kids were cryin and the wife stood there with her mouth hung open. Now, here is a heads up to any of you brothers headed to Death Vally, "YOU CAN"T CARRY A WEAPON"...I argued with them (they were playin good cop, bad cop), they took the handgun and drove off (had to pick it up on our way home).
Our Cave..
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That was another reason we bought the 20 acres in Montana. Nobody would already be camped on it when we got there, and made the rules (I allowed myself to carry my handgun). Granted, it was a 3000 mile round trip, but it was worth it. I wanted the kids to see real wilderness, see how they took to it. We would go in August, but even then it could dip into the 30's at night. We slept in a tent, cooked by campfire and washed in the creek. The daughter did well, I think my son had some issues (by the look on his face, I think he had somethin he wanted to say, if he could only talk).
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I wanted to check the "ole lady" too. See how she could adapt to that kind of life style (just in case we got to live our dream of someday livin in the Rocky Mountains). She took to the woods well...Never complained !
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She will be fine...(that water was freezin).....
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Between the land and the Pan, I'm doin OK.......
crasha51pan
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#37

Post by crasha51pan »

Three times a year, sometimes four, I would just get on the Pan and ride, normally gone for 3 or 4 day's. The wife would ask where I was goin and my responce would be "don't know". The cool thing was, I really didn't. Would get up at 3am, leave around 4 and I wouldn't know which direction I was goin till I got to the freeway on ramp. Could be north, could be south, I let the bike decide. Was always gone on the big weekends, Memorial Day, 4th of Ju;y and Labor Day.
This trip took me across the Mojave Desert and up into the sierra mountains. The lakes, the trees, the smell of pine, the heartbeat of the old Pan, it all fit together. When the sun would start to go down and I was set for the night, I felt good..........
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crasha51pan
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#38

Post by crasha51pan »

Silver Lake. Waterfall in the background coming off the mountain can only be seen at this volume, during the spring runoff. When I feel crowded, this is the picture that I turn too.
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crasha51pan
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#39

Post by crasha51pan »

Left LA, got across the desert and into the mountains. Rode along the Walker river and up to Lake Topaz. Was headed for the Carson Valley in Nevada, ran into these two college gals who wanted a picture .
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Rode thru the Carson Valley and up the mountain to Lake Tahoe, what a zoo ! Was stuck in a line of cars and my speedo read "zero miles an hour" for a good 45 minutes (this wasn't ridin, this was standin). Cars standin still, people walkin everywhere, all I needed was to find a place to turn around and get back down the hill. On my way down the hill, to my right was a drop off (straight down) and coming up the hill was a guy in a cage who had crossed the yellow line and was headed straight for me, all the while, busy dialin his mobile phone. I swerved to the right and got around him, just as he noticed what he had done and got himself back to the right side of the road. I did have some words for him as he went by. The day was gettin long, so I headed back down to the Mammoth area to spend the night .
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Got up the next mornin and headed up over Tioga Pass (10,000 ft.) and into Yosimite Park. Spent some time talkin to a "Old  Jarhead" who was workin the entrance gate to the park. He warned me of road work that was up ahead, I spent a little more time and then I was off. Was rapped up in the scenery and forgot about his warning. I rounded a curve, the pavement stopped and gravel began. My front tire hit that loose rock and I went one way and the bike went the other. I scrambled to get the bike up and out of the way, was worried about the cars behind me. Over to the side of the road, I took inventory. Handlebars were bent, front fender bent, foot pegs bent, levi's torn, hands and knees pretty chewed up from road rash. Other than that, I was good. My original intent was to ride down the Sacramento valley and cut off at Delano, up over Greenhorn Mountain and back to the Kern River to spend the night. I was starting to stiffen up, so I decided to make the trip all the way home. I did 1000 miles in two days on that rigid. Was beat and sore, BUT HAD A GOOD TIME ANYHOW !!!!! I looked a mess when I rolled into the drive, pants torn, knees bloody, the wife just shook her head and I just smiled...
crasha51pan
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#40

Post by crasha51pan »

It's Gonna Happen !
We decided to go the the USMJ being held in Tulare near Fresno.
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Left early, arrived in the afternoon. These things are always held in a "Fair Grounds" area that has one tree that stands maybe 6 ft. tall and thats it. It was probably 106 at this time, so our intent was to hang around for a bit and then head back to the town of Delano, cross over the mountain and spend the night back at Kern River.
Got to Delano, stopped for a beer, then headed out thru the rolling hills towards the mountains. We were the only ones on the road, east or west bound. Way up ahead was a car at a intersection, just sittin there. As we got closer we could see his face lookin at us, so we figured he was just waitin to watch the bikes go by. Mind you, there was nothin else out there except the two bikes and his car....
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As we got over the tracks and neared the intersection where he had the stop sign, he stomped on it, peeled out and my brother I was with threw his bike over hard to the right and just got around his rear bumper. I center punched him just in front of his rear wheel at 60 MPH. All I remember is sayin or thinkin "OH SH*T". The next thin I remember is my brother holdin my head and yellin for me to move my toe. Made sence to me, so I did. I thought, at least I'm not paralized (was not wearin a helmet). The next sound I heard was the ambulance. The police report said I had flew 40 ft. from the point of impact and had a 4 foot diameter circle of body fluid around me (blood). Doc said that the only thin that saved me was that I flew "over" the car instead of hitting it with my body. My brother had called my wife, told her not to panic but there had been an accident. She made it up there the next day with the truck. They got myke load in the back and picked me up and we headed home. My face had been ripped open from eyebrow the the corner of my mouth, my knee had to be sowed shut and my left arm was broken in 3 places. Other than that I was in good shape, I needed an operation on my arm but they were goin to let the hospital who I had coverage throught do it (Kaiser). Ended up, was off work for a year, in a cast on my left arm for 11 months and had the operation. The front down tubes on my bike, one was broke completely in to and the other was bent behind my brake peddle. Tank, generater and exaust was gone and the frame was bent.
The guy that did this was a field worker from Mexico, had no license or insurance. I called the Kern County DA and told him it wasn't an accident, he saw us and waited on us. I wanted to testify (I had lots of time). Never got a responce until one day the phone rang, it was the DA. He told me that Mr. Guzman had plead guilty, I said great, what did he get ? There was a long pause, then he said, "he was fined $200". I went balistic, I told him "my bike is ruined, my 23 hour stay in the Delano Hospital cost $8,000, I'm off work for a year and still facing an operation. He then told me "off the record", I would pay him a visit. I think by this time, he had beat feet back across the border and didn't even have to pay the $200. The CHP had told my brother, after they had hauled me off "Don't get off the interstate up here, these people can't drive". There's a heads up for you brothers headed in that direction....
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crasha51pan
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#41

Post by crasha51pan »

Over the months, I would walk out to the garage and look at what was left of the Pan. I would grab a wrench and remove a piece here and there. My left arm and hand was still in a cast after 10 months, finally they decided to operate. After the operation I went back into the cast for another month, and then a month of rehab. It was 3 days shy of being exactly one year since the accident that I went back to work. It was 2 days before Memorial Day Weekend. I could now get serious on my sled..
The only thing I could keep on the front end were the sliders, new trees, down tubes, bars, front wheel, tanks, generator, exaust and I had to have the frame straightened. Other than that I was good to go. It would be a black base with a blue pearl this time.....People asked if I was goin to rebuild/get back on it. They said I was crazy, I thought "they" were crazy for askin that question. I couldn't wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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crasha51pan
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#42

Post by crasha51pan »

Normally, when I'm headed across the desert, I leave at 4am. That will get me on the other side of the town of Mojave and out into the real desert as the sun comes up. The first thing ya notice is that the road (Hwy. 395) stretches out in front of you for what looks like 100 miles. You get the smell of sage brush, the thump of the Panhead engine and the air is pleasantly warm instead of brutally hot. It's one of the best rides in the world, but it has to be done at sun-up.
This trip, I left at 10pm. I just needed to go. Leaving that early put me in Lone Pine around 2am. Was gettin tired, just north of town I noticed a rock wall just off the road. Pulled over and leaned up next to that wall, I crashed for the night. When I woke in the mornin, cars were passin (some honked), I noticed the wall was actually in the local cemetary. When I cross the desert, I always carry something to drink so I went to my saddlebag and pulled out a tall one. Said hello to the morning and got on down the road. Mount Whitney was in the background, really a good way to start the day...
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Pooka
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#43

Post by Pooka »

At the bottom of my post, you will see my signature.

It's Latin.
It translates to this : Ride fast. Life is short. Seize the day.

I have been following your story.
I think we went to different schools together !
If any one here will understand what my signature is about, I think you will.
Semper Fi
crasha51pan
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#44

Post by crasha51pan »

I do get it, and I get comfort from knowing there were others. Now in my "older" years, and as I look back, I'm starting to learn that I wasn't the exception....................................
Live Long and Ride Free Brother !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Semper Fi....


Even in the desert, if you knew where to look, you could find water. Found this small creek between Lone Pine and Bishop. Couldn't help myself, had to stop and jump in !
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crasha51pan
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#45

Post by crasha51pan »

Left Dam Corner #1 at Lake Isabella, headed up over Piute Pass into Piute Meadows. This place is the "forgotten valley". You can go days without seeing a car (not a place to break down). There is a sign as you go over the pass, "This is open range country, sit back and relax, enjoy your ride for the next 50 miles"...I always took this route when headed home !
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