Originally built in the 60s and taken apart in 1978. Needed a front end and a trans case. I got a front end from a local parts hound and had to cut 7 inches off the bottom of the legs. SEM Hot Rod Black with Roth Beatnik Purple flake. It handles very good and the steering is super light. Opposite of a flopper. Tank shift with no gate. The arched backbone was cut and flipped upside down and it looked like a swayback horse. I put in a 4130 .120 wall backbone. Parts I donated to the build were bars and risers. Pipes. Gas and oil tanks. A whole lotta labor.
Me and my friend Doug built this. 4130 1 5/8 .120 wall tubing. 6061 .125 sheet for all aluminum work. K model top end. Sporteter oil pump. Hot. 4 5/8" stroke. Norton Commando trans. Dual 19 wheels. Custom belt drive.
I did not do the Aluminum actually. Doug Harnden did. He made wood hammer forms for each item. Welded the pieces together and hand filed the welds. After welding no power tools were used on any of the aluminum. He conceived the frame too. I am responsible for the mechanicals and many of the executive build decisions on that bike. Here is a pic of the first ground mock up.
here`s my old 45 that i got in trade for a t100 Triumph...it was a basket case got it painted,engine was put back together by fella named Mäkelä near Turku etc.not really a daily driver type of bike so it mostly sat in the garage until i traded it to a Shovelhead that i still ride the most...
Here is a 45 jalopy I made from extra and scrap parts. The frame was three different sections. The VL forks were really long and deadly until I cut them back to stock length, straightened and reinforced them. The fender was a Ford spare tire cover. The engine has 4 5/8 T&O flywheels and pistons. Delta Cams in Washington ground me some hot street grinds. I ran a Sportster oil pump instead of the two separate feed and scavenger ones. I made heads from 3/4" 6061 plate and welded on the .120" fins. I used Chevy 235 valves for the intakes. I ran a big twin 4 speed trans with custom belt drive. Flatside fatbobs from the early 2000's. 16" apes on 4" dogbones. That bike hauled ass for a 750cc stroked to 900cc engine.
Here is my 45 flathead I purchased at an auction in Los Angeles in the late 70's and restored it. It was used by the L.A. Fire Department and it was completely red when I bought it. It was horrible as it appeared that they taped a few things off and stood back with a spray gun so it would definitely be red and no longer a black and white meter maid bike. Left hand throttle, right hand tank shift and I used to ride it all over the San Bernardino area for years. It also had the stock or maybe it was an aftermarket tow bar but I towed it home from the auction behind my 60' El Camino.
Found on another website, the guy's dad had a Sportster, an FL, and this flathead trike. Also an Aermacchi H-D single. This is the only pic which fits the thread. I'll post another pic in the general bike pics. Guessing it's a '70's build.
Attempt #2 to find an appropriate home for this bike. I know three things about it: (1) it's about the all-time sleekest 45 I've seen; the builder has a hell of an eye for proportion, flow, understatement, yadda yadda; (2) a friend took the shot at the Black Hawk swap meet, Davenpork, Iowa, in I think 2019; and ...
(3) it's a custom, not a bobber: I forgot about Dragon's super-useful, though long in the tooth and therefore partial, sticky (which can be found atop the thread listings for The Board) concerning picture threads. That led me to put the pic up in a "flathead bobbers" thread I found. My double-barreled mistake was corrected, with patience and good humor, by HD48FL, the Charles Atlas of moderators/babysitters. Thanks for that!
Just seeing this now....WOW! That is the most tastefully done custom 45 I've ever seen. I'll be adding this to my little collection of bike porn. Thanks for posting!
Ratso, that bike was built by Little Chris out of Milwaukee. I assume he still owns it, although the last time I saw it was at the Brewtown Rumble in '19.
It IS beautifully done. Beautiful proportions and lines. It had a Wico mag on it when I saw it.
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