Father and Son Build 1949 Panhead Land Speed Racer
It took three years of perseverance and a team effort to cure this case of 'salt fever.'
Panhead Record
Bitten by the 'speed bug,' Chris Morehouse was dissatisfied on the sidelines. More than just participating, Morehouse took it all the way by setting two Land Speed records on a modified 1949 Panhead at the Bonneville Salt Flats. For many it is the journey, not the destination — here is a look at the bike and the backstory.
Photos courtesy of Lowbrow Customs.
Vintage Category
The culmination of Morehouse's journey was at the annual Bonneville Speed Week in 2018. On his 100 cubic-inch (1650cc) Panhead, he set records in the 'Special Construction' or 'A' category at 142.032 mph in Vintage Engine: Fuel, and 141.518 mph in Vintage Engine: Gas. The letter designations on his trophies read 1650CC/A-VF and 1650CC/A-VG — accompanied by coveted SCTA timing plaques.
Photos courtesy of Lowbrow Customs.
Racing Ambitions
With his 'salt fever' temporarily stayed, Morehouse reflected on the journey. “The whole process started as a group of friends who wanted to go to the race to spectate, turns out I'm not a spectator, I needed to race.” It took Morehouse over three years, a partnership with his father, the help of skilled builders and support from friends to materialize his racing ambitions.
Photos courtesy of Lowbrow Customs.
Capital Con
Seeking capital to get his racing project rolling, Morehouse reached out to his father, John. He euphemistically admitted in a 2018 Lowbrow Customs Spotlight, “Somehow I conned my dad into financing the whole thing.” Judging by their expressions in this post-victory photograph, deception was not the case. After all, parents choose to live vicariously through their children — right?
Photos courtesy of Lowbrow Customs.
Special Chassis
A donor bike supplied the guts for Morehouse's vintage go-fast vision. He wrote, “In December of 2015, I took a pro-street style Panhead that was super ugly and robbed the motor and tranny from it.” In order to qualify for the Special Construction category, Morehouse worked out a new chassis design with the skilled Haifley Brothers, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Photo courtesy of Instagram.
El Mirage Test
The 1949 OHV motor was sent to an unnamed shop for a complete rebuild. By June 2016, Morehouse had his modified racer assembled, but was lacking an engine. He related, “The motor builder was dragging his feet. I really wanted to test the chassis at El Mirage before Bonneville, so we pulled a stock Panhead motor out of one of my other bikes and headed for El Mirage.”
Photos courtesy of Lowbrow Customs.
High Expectations
Test runs on El Mirage's dry lake bed in California proved positive. Morehouse recalled, “We ended up hitting 114 mph on the first pass, and 120 mph on the second.” Expectation were high for the upcoming 2016 Bonneville Speed Week, but it turned out not to be the case. Morehouse recanted, “We were riddled with fuel problems, broken parts and broken spirits.”
Photos courtesy of Lowbrow Customs.
>>Join in the conversation about this Panhead Speed Racer right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Build List
With problems resolved and a new team, Morehouse headed back to the salt in 2018. A testament to his passion and dedication, Morehouse is listed as an Invited Builder for the upcoming motorcycle custom show, Born-Free 12, held at Oak Canyon Ranch, Silverado, California. If there is any lingering doubt as to who was conning who, the build list categorically states, 'Owner: John Morehouse (Father).
Photos courtesy of Lowbrow Customs.
>>Join in the conversation about this Panhead Speed Racer right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
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