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

[Tony Bones]

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.

[SltyDog]

Pix! We need pix!

[JOCK E SHIFT]

i got hard readin your story,hope it was a pan

[nardi1]

A good friend of mine has an original Denvers Triumph. Unfortunately its been pretty hacked up. He is in the process of restoring it.

[Derek Mitchell]

I've seen the pics hangin in Mondos old dragboat shop when he was in Havasu, before he went to Henderson. Fuckin cool shit.

I cant say enough about Mondo, he is a great guy. Instead of charging me to do something, he would show and help me do it. I just walked off the street when I met him, and he treated me like family.

If you have a chance to meet him, go for it. You wont be sorry.

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by Derek Mitchell

I've seen the pics hangin in Mondos old dragboat shop when he was in Havasu, before he went to Henderson. Fuckin cool shit.

I cant say enough about Mondo, he is a great guy. Instead of charging me to do something, he would show and help me do it. I just walked off the street when I met him, and he treated me like family.

If you have a chance to meet him, go for it. You wont be sorry.

You are absolutely right about Mondo. I was in his shop about a month ago and he does make you feel like family. Really cool stuff in there and enough motorcycle history to blow your mind!

[G Griffin]

Originally Posted by Tony Bones

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...

What about Freddie!?

G.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Tony Bones

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.

This story was told to me from Freddie Hernandez, who was Denver's right-hand man from the beginning. In fact, Freddie was building choppers years before Denver.

Mondo had nothing to do with Denver's as far as motorcycles go. He did sell race boat cages (for the cockpits) for Denver's but that was about it.

Mondo never built a single bike while Denver's was in business (while he was still alive). Mondo bought the place after Denver died. Freddie had no interest in buying the place - why would he? Denver was dead.

Denver was also never a "Harley" guy. He main interests with motorcycles were Japanese-powered choppers.

Mondo owned two bikes while Denver's was in business. One of them was built by Freddie.

The bottom line, to me, is that who would you rather believe? Freddie, the man who can build springers, frames and entire bikes with his bare hands or Mondo?

[Tony Bones]

Originally Posted by Nelson

This story was told to me from Freddie Hernandez, who was Denver's right-hand man from the beginning. In fact, Freddie was building choppers years before Denver.

Mondo had nothing to do with Denver's as far as motorcycles go. He did sell race boat cages (for the cockpits) for Denver's but that was about it.

Mondo never built a single bike while Denver's was in business (while he was still alive). Mondo bought the place after Denver died. Freddie had no interest in buying the place - why would he? Denver was dead.

Denver was also never a "Harley" guy. He main interests with motorcycles were Japanese-powered choppers.

Mondo owned two bikes while Denver's was in business. One of them was built by Freddie.

The bottom line, to me, is that who would you rather believe? Freddie, the man who can build springers, frames and entire bikes with his bare hands or Mondo?

I talked on the phone w/ Freddie today about frame stuff & asked him if he remembered that bike. He did.

I've never spoken personally w/ Mondo but thought he did all the molding on the builds. Doesn't matter, I guess.

Regardless of past politics or who did what, see one of these bikes if you can. Pretty amazing work.

Oh, congratulations Nelson.

[hellmet]

kutty had one denvers own bikes it was lime green kawi gold leafing and shit the bike has repainted some orange color with a big bird on it he re did it and painted it purple/ pearlesnt orange named it phyco thearpy in was in some magazines nelson might have some pics of it. billy

[shiftace]

Denvers is right down the street from me. I've been going over there and getting a few odds and ends taken of on my build. Mondo has always been very nice to me and been patient with all my dumbass questions. That story about Freddy H. is interesting too. Never heard that before.

[Danny F.]

Here's Denver and Sonny Martinez building one of their VW trikes...(??) Late Seventy's..

[baytowngreaser]

I was out in Vegas a little over three years ago and I stopped by to see Mondo. He was working on a bike when I got there but he stopped what he was doing and we shot the breeze for about an hour.






-eddie

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Tony Bones

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.

And... Freddie stopped selling his front-ends and frames to Mondo about 3 years ago.

[Mike V]

So was there bad blood between the two?
Are any of you West Coast guys going to make the Smoke Out with Chopper Dave?

Originally Posted by Nelson

And... Freddie stopped selling his front-ends and frames to Mondo about 3 years ago.

[caffeine]

fuck mondo.

[sintax]

I pulled in some favors from some buddies in the drag boat scene to get some pics. There should be more on the way. One of the guys I talked to was there the day Denver passed. He said they really had it together that day and they all were pulling for him to win.

[Paw]

My friend was/is selling generic springer blueprints for $35. Most of his original products are $200 and up and he doen't need the $35. Mondo confronted him at a show and flew apart about how these blueprints were ripping him off, threatend him and everything. I guess he invented the springer fork, so don't build one or you'll be ripping Mondo off.

[Danny F.]

Don't know where I got this pic from..(sorry bad quality)

[Danny F.]

I was in their shop pretty often in San Berdoo about 25 years ago,I was amazed since even longer about the peak molding, removable molded-in tanks,the chromed mounts on their frames and yes they had mostly Jap powered bikes (and VW powered glass bodied trikes...(?!)
Denver told me back then that they all went to a Lake Havasu trip and "the only bike that broke down was the Panhead"...He was never a Harley guy, you are right...
Molding was done mostly by Mondo and Kim Kohrell at that time... However, they rulled !!! Not anymore, as far as my taste goes now...About 10 years ago I bought a lot of Denver's build Jap Choppers (and 2 Pans) in the San Bernardino area for $ 4,500-$6,000...
Later (1992-93) I was in F. Hernandez shop and he had all the original frame jigs from Denver's right there !