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If you ever have the chance to see an original Denver's bike...

1M views 2K replies 355 participants last post by  2Loose 
#1 · (Edited)
go out of your way to do it.

I'd heard my machinist has one, but could never seem to mesh our schedules. Today I finally saw the bike when picking up my trans. and Holy cow! I've seen lots of neat show bikes w/ tons of fabrication, lots of chrome, etc., but this thing was something else.

What catches your eye first is obviously the 25 over springer. We're talking 10 and one half feet of bike here folks. But there's so much more. Every tube on the frame was peaked and molded. The tank was custom made and quite unbelievable. It was larger than the Wassels and such people go out of their way for these days and probably held five gallons, but you wouldn't know it due to the perfect proportions. It just blended in so well! Each mount, bracket, and anywhere a bolt went through the frame was molded. The flow was hard to describe. And that springer...beautiful. Simple too.

So this is all sounding super 70's, way over-molded, and in general, just overdone, right? No, not at all. All this work was subtle and perfect. Granted, it was no understated bobber, but it wasn't the overchromed, too much of everything mess you're envisioning. It was...tasteful, but in a waaaay far out way. How is that possible? To be honest, I'm not sure. I've seen 70's show bikes before and was overwhelmed (which is never good). Think early Arlen Ness bikes; neat, but too complicated.

I can only say that the late Denver Mullins and Mondo really were working on a different level. You hear the stories...well, believe them. Artists.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I had no idea I'd be seeing it today. Hopefully next time I'm out I can snap a few.
 
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#799 ·
Now that's a bad ass frame!
 
#168 ·
Lil Louie "Lil Louie Pinstriping" San Bernardino Ca. with Denvers#3. Lil Louie started working for Denver when he was 14. In 84 he did this bike the first time and again in 2006. He was blown away with what we were doing and we were blown away with his quality.

 
#171 · (Edited)
Denvers #3 going back together Feb.2007.

Yes kevinhog thats all bondo. I'm amazed how well it has stood the test of time. all I have done is spot repaired areas and primed over the original work.

I emailed Lynda and Lisa both a few times and called this morning , left mesage. I pray everything is ok. I hope it's a computer crash if anything.

 
#1,038 ·
Question about the molding on his frames...
I saw some pics in this thread where the tank was removed and you could see this build up just behind the tank on the frame. Never having seen one in person, I thought the tank was molded right onto the frame...but I guess it is "removable".

How was this buildup on the frame for smoothing out the joint between the frame and the tank (both front and rear) done? In this pic it looks like about 1" or more high. Was it all built up layers of bondo?
 
#175 ·
OK I'm spent for the night. someone elses turn. Denvers#4 will be a short one.

For the rake this bike has it rides surprisingly well even with two people on it. Denvers#5 and #6 have a more heavy front end with less rake.

 
#181 ·
Ok here's Denvers#4. It's a KZ1000 built in 84. We first saw this bike on a trailer with another Denvers Honda in Laughlin at the River Run I think in 2000.
In 2003 I called him to see if he would was interested in selling one of them. He told me he had just traded both to Fred for one of his rollers. I called Fred up and he said he just sold the Honda and the Kaw was still their. I told him to hold the bike and that we would be their to pick it up the next weekend. The son of the owner of the shop I work at is the one who bought it first. Then he sold itt to a friend of his a few months later. It still stayed at the shop with the other bikes for a couple of years before I was able to buy it.





 
#182 ·
Thanks dragon that was TOO easy.
Last shot of Denvers#4 for now. This will probably be the last of our six bikes to get done. Denvers #6 is most worthy of being done next when chopperjim's is closer to being finished. We need to freshin the top end,rechrome and repaint the rest. I had a set of drag pipes made for it so far and the plans for the paint are that it will be the same color candy with twice as much gold leaf.

 
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