Raw Metal Panhead Taps at Vintage Racing Look
Old traditions are blended with a touch of crazy in this 1948 Harley-Davidson Panhead bare-all build.
Street Culture
Forget the lipstick and wigs, this custom 1948 Panhead dubbed 'Drag Queen,' is all about being stripped-down and looking fast. Builder Kaichiroh Kurosu elaborated on his motivations in a 2018 Hot Bike Magazine feature. He stated, “I get many ideas for custom motorcycles from racing culture. For this particular bike, I wanted to build an old-style drag racer for the street.”
Photos courtesy of Michael Lichter Photography
Annual Distraction
As the antithesis to dressing-up, Drag Queen was first displayed at Naked Truth—the 2015 iteration of the Buffalo Chip's 'Motorcycles as Art' exhibition. Curated by Michael Lichter, Naked Truth featured “thirty-five tantalizing custom motorcycles, unencumbered by the distraction of paint and graphics.” Presented in the Russ Brown Event Center, Motorcycles as Art is an annual occurrence during the week-long Sturgis rally.
Soul Work
As one of the better-known Japanese builders, Kurosu is the founder of Cherry's Company in Tokyo, Japan. For over two decades, he has specialized in vintage and traditionally-styled customs. For the Drag Queen build, Kurosu wanted to emphasize the handmade nature of the work, rather than use a CNC machine—something he feels “cannot fully reflect the entire soul of the creator.”
Raw Talent
Kurosu continued, elaborating about some of the intangible aspects of the build, “I choose to make as much as possible entirely by hand, which has taken me many years to learn how to do. This is what you see when you view a raw bike—the skill and talent that has taken so long to acquire is right in front of you.”
Best Company
Drag Queen sits somewhere between a garage-built racer and a work of art. It is the bike's handcrafted details that really set it apart. Drag Queen's subsequent parade was at the 2018 Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show, sponsored by Mooneyes. Cherry's Company is no stranger to the influential event, having won Best in Show on multiple previous occasions.
Fascinating Mix
Japanese custom motorcycle builders are among some of the biggest Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. A 2019 Bike EXIF article titled, Marc and Christine shoot Japanese Custom Motorcycles, highlighted some of the particularities of bike building trends in Japan. They stated that it was a “fascinating culture, where old traditions blend perfectly with the crazy side.” Something that was labeled an “intoxicating mix.”
Engraved Values
Japanese bike culture and its dedication to the Milwaukee-make is even more remarkable given the formidable language barrier. Less than ten percent of the Japanese population speak English, and fewer than 1 in 500 Americans can speak Japanese. Despite communication challenges, Kurosu's passion and reverence for American cultural values are literally engraved into the Panhead's motor.
Metal Passion
Language aside, actual physical space is another real challenge for Japanese enthusiasts. Bike EXIF's Marc and Christine note, “Builders are dedicated to their craft...and are often located in very small shops—since space is something of a luxury in big cities.” Kurosu's loop-frame, bare-metal, vintage drag racer might be presented in bare metal, but its 'tattooed' engravings carry a story of unending passion.
For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.
