Awesome Vintage Chopper Pops Up in Arizona
The punk kid who tore around on this thing back in the day is probably somebody’s grandfather now.
It’s one thing to find a perfectly restored, museum-quality Harley-Davidson. It’s something else entirely to find a vintage custom chopper, still looking like it did when it emerged from the garage of its builder half a century or more ago.
We found a great example of the latter on Racing Junk. Located in Tucson, Arizona, it’s a genuine classic-style chopper. In true chopper style, it’s built from several bikes.
In this case, the frame is from a 1938 bike, while the engine is a 1947 EL Knucklehead. The chrome oil tank is dated 1939, while the front forks come from one of the earliest Sportsters.
The four-speed, jockey-shift transmission is dated G6. We know enough to know that that means that it was built in July of either ’36, ’46, or ’56, but we don’t know our early Harley gearboxes well enough to be able to tell which from the photos. The seller states that this bike was originally built in the late 1950s.
The high exhaust pipes, ape hanger bars, and Bates seat are all hallmarks of early chopper style. So are the chopped rear fender and deleted front fender.
Still Ready For Trouble
The 3.5-gallon tank still wears it original black paint, but it’s dented and shows some surface rust where the paint has flaked off. Assuming the inside is fine, we’d still ride it.
The seller states that it’s a running, riding bike, ready to tear up the streets again. Some basic maintenance was performed, but it apparently didn’t need much. After a carburetor cleaning, fresh points, and a new battery, it was apparently good to go.
We often share cool, restored vintage bikes here on H-D Forums as pieces of history. We don’t share classic customs like this as often, but that’s only because they don’t pop up for sale nearly as often.
Harley-Davidson motorcycles are all about freedom and individuality. Vintage custom bikes like these are just as special — and just as important to Harley’s history — as painstakingly-restore museum pieces.
Photos: Racing Junk
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