Anniversary Panhead is a Personal Project

Logical Rip

Once a small Suzuki dealership, Germany's Thunderbike is now a premier Harley-Davidson dealership and one of Europe's best custom bike builders. To mark thirty-five years in business, owner and founder Andreas Bergerforth did the only logical thing—build a raked-out Panhead chopper to showcase Thunderbike's achievements, and, of course, rip around the Westphalia countryside.

Photos courtesy of Thunderbike.

Lived Art

In The Chopper: The Real Story, author Paul d'Orleans accurately described the chopper building as quintessential American folk art. While the language and location might be different, Bergerforth's build holds true to d'Orleans' organic observation. Inspired by multiple sources and driven by passion, Bergerforth drew on history, his peers, and lived experience to realize his vision.

Extended Laws

At the core of Thunderbike's anniversary project was an influential and guiding trend known as the 'Swedish-style.' As the popularity of choppers exploded in the late 1960s, so did vehicle modification legislation. Almost universally, the length of extended frontends was subjected to restrictions, but not in Sweden. A loophole in the country's laws allowed bikes with any length of fork to be registered.

Clean Rake

During the 1970s, Swedish choppers became a force unto themselves, one that still carries influence. More critical than fork length, neck angles could be also altered without penalty. The result was narrow-frame bikes with more rake than stretch and almost comically elongated forks. Unlike their American counterparts, overly-raked Swedish choppers also sat relatively parallel to the ground.

Different Work

Typified by clean, minimal lines, Swedish-style choppers filled Bergerforth's imagination. Further inspiration came while attending the vaunted Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy and the Custombike-Show, held in the German resort town of Bad Salzuflen. Seeing the work of his contemporaries put Bergerforth down the chopper road, a departure from Thunderbike's usual output of customizing newer Harley-Davidsons.

Team Caliber

Thunderbike's anniversary bike is beautifully crafted, showcasing both skill and experience. Bergerforth spoke at length about the build in a Thunderbike video feature. He detailed his fascination with blending modern technology and traditional techniques. He was also quick to point out that a build of this caliber was not a “one-man-show,” but the result of a dedicated and proficient team.

Iconic Internals

Bergerforth deliberated on the engine choice for the celebratory project. True to chopper pedigree, he settled on a Panhead motor, but also wanted to honor the shop's ethos of bikes “built to go—not for show!” This duality led him to Luz Fuhr of Motortechnic Manufacturing in Wernberg, Germany. The small shop crafts high-quality reproductions of Harley-Davidson's iconic motors, replete with modern internals.

Mega Project

Bergerforth's chopper is better than new and definitely “built to go.” Almost every other part of the anniversary bike was fabricated in-house, including the forks, wheels, frame, and gas tank. The spectacular metal-flake paint was handled by Ingo Kruse of True Custom Painting. Not bad for a personal project, or loosely translated from German, “Ah, it looks simply mega!”

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