USA 2017 Roadtrip
Our 2014 honeymoon roadtrip across America lit a fire within me, I was in Australia yet yearned to be back in America engulfing myself in Automotive culture. This post depicts the purchase of 1/2 a motorcycle, the build of that motorcycle and then a roadtrip through America visiting some of the greatest events on the Automotive calendar.
I was looking for a vintage Harley project, daily searches on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook ect pointed to an expensive prospect and one that would be difficult to verify that whatever I bought would work. I came across a very vauge add on eBay, the details were wrong, the catergory was wrong and things didn’t really make sense. But the price was right and I knew a guy close by that could pick it up. So I bit the bullet and purchased this unknown condition mid 1950’s Harley Davidson Panhead. After receiving confirmation that the motor was in good condition, the frame was genuine and the bike was infact better than I imagined I decided not to send it back to Australia right away. Instead I rang Dan in Texas and had the bike shipped from New York to his shop in Texas to take it to the next step.
Dan in Texas stripped all the parts I didn’t need off the bike, laced up a set of Akront rims, fitted a 4 speed transmission, a new generator, a mid rise foot control system, an S&S Carb, a magneto, cleaned and filled the oil tank and then fired up the bike. I remember the morning phone call, he said it ran unbelievably well and the motor one was one of the best he had seen. From here my direction changed, the bike was better than I imagined and it opened up the opportunity for me to fly over and ride it. It still needed a front end, fuel tank, fender, wiring, headlight, exhaust and the rest. I rang my friend Ted and borrowed his mid 50’s Harley so I could make all these items, box them up and send them over. I had Dan from Texas send the bike to Jasin Phares who ran Phares Cycle’s in Vallejo California and Jasin got to work making me a front end.
Jasin wrapped up the fabrication on the front end, it’s an original style springer that he casts to be 2” narrower with a fabrication process that emulates the way it was done 80 years ago. I flew in with my backpack that I designed my sissy bar for and spent two days at Jasins workshop finishing the bike.
After waking up in my budget in, walking down to the workshop, filling the bike with oil, finalising the wiring and firing it up it was time to hit the road. I can’t thank Jasin enough for dedicating his time to this, he was the key to the success of this trip and his work was second to none.
The first ride was to the DMV to get it registered, I jumped through all the legal hoops that I had learn’t from my Honeymoon three years earlier, but little did I know the bike required nearly $3,000 worth of back fees due to being laid up for so long. I walked out the DMV and told them I would have to go and source the money, I took the paperwork, fired the bike up and rode off down the road, I just needed to make it through a month without getting pulled over, it was a risk I was willing to take.
I packed my bag, strapped it to the sissy bar and headed out of the city, learning to ride a bike with almost zero brakes in the middle of San Francisco was tough, I got through it and set my map to Lake Tahoe. I stopped into a workshop in Sacramento to change the plugs and tune the carb and then continued on my way.
The mountain air, the roads and the ride throuh Lake Tahoe was a dream.
Across state lines and into Nevada
Rolling through into Yosemite NP, the bike got better and better, everynight I would give it a bolt check, fix small problems and start to understand the bike more and more.
I had places to be, I had been dreaming about this event for a long time and to be riding my very own 1955 Harley Davidson through the gates of the Hot Rod Reunion was a moment I’ll never forget.
The swapmeet was good, I didn’t have room for anything but that $3k I saved at the DMV sure did get me thinking about a few things.
The pits were full of nostalgia race machines and customs.
The front engine dragster of the 1960’s is a sight to behold, raw function created a form that is pure automotive art.
When the sun went down the nitro started to burn.
It was a day I’ll never forget. I got back on the bike and headed off down the road.
Days in the saddle were long, I would try and snake my way around the highways preferring the quiet backroads and visit as many automotive landmarks as possible.
Looping around into LA for a very special reason.
I stopped by Galpin Auto to meet Doug, Doug is an artist and drew my Hilux project which we connected with, he kindly gave me a tour of the operations.
I can’t thank Doug enough for his time.
Next stop the Petersen Museum
It’s a must see in LA.
Across town to the NHRA Museum
The perfect place after seeing, hearing and smelling the Nitro at the Hot Rod Reunion a few days ago.
While on the northside of LA the Justice Brothers museum is a little known destination, it’s filled with old race cars and I was in particular blown away by the maroon circle track car, it was perfection!
I would later meet Ed Justice Jnr and chat about his lifetime of racing involvement, this is a place I will forever go back when I am near.
In a twist of fate I won a 1951 Harley Davidson in a raffle, thats right while I was looking for an old Harley Davidson I put my hat in the ring and purchased a $100 raffle ticket to the Born Free giveaway bike. After I bought the Harley I am now riding on this trip I won this bike and had it stored at Good Art in Hollywood. My dad flew in and joined me on this adventure.
We left Hollywood behind and headed through the hills to see a very famous dry lake bed.
I was not only excited about the bike I was excited that my Dad could join me on this adventure.
We ended up at Glen Helen raceway for the Hell On Wheels Hillclimb, we met some great people and watched some great bikes tackle the hill.
Back on the road and off to Willow Springs as I had heard there was a Shelby meeting being held.
Dad was in heaven, I was too, we don’t have the opportunity in Australia to see this caliber of rare machinery being used as intended.
As you can see there were an amazing amount of historic Fords in attendance.
Reluctant to head back into the hustle and bustle of the city we headed through to a little place called Death Valley.
Americas expanse and extremes were no more evident than out here, Death Valley was very much alive with some of the most beautiful vistas I have ever laid eyes on.
After Death Valley I headed to Las Vegas for SEMA, it’s a bucket list event and one that has no comparison when it comes to sheer volume and quality. I was lucky enough to be a guest speaker on a Podcast inside the show.
I walked till I couldnt walk anymore, it’s a chaotic show but I was able to meet a lot of people and spend some fun nights in Vegas partying with some great friends.
The plan was to follow the Colorado River back into LA, I was hunting Hot Boats and I found them at the Avi Casino.
This encounter would spark a new found love for boats, big badass blown jet boats!
Growing and watching Crusty Demons 2 on VHS I made sure to checkout Glamis Sand Dunes and it didn’t dissapoint. I’ll be back on something more appropriate than an old Harley Davidson.
Around the corner from the shipping depot who was sending the bikes back to Australia was Mooneyes, Mooneyes rose to fame in the golden era of drag and landspeed racing, it’s still around and doing things how they have always been done.
Big thanks to the guys for showing me round the workshop.
With the bikes loaded in the container the trip was complete, as I sat in the Uber on the way to the airport I reflected on the journey, the people I had met and the places I seen, one change of clothes, a bag of tools, a fuel bladder and a few thousand miles of good times.
Riding such a motorcycle involves trust, instincts, mechanical sympathy and the ability to fix whatever whenever. I came prepared and I wasn’t expecting for this trip to go smoothly but I held onto the fact that whatever unfolded would be a journey that I wouldn’t forget. I want to thank those that made this possible, Dan Carr for making the bike run, Jasin Phares for building the front end and opening up his workshop to me and last but not least all the amazing people I met along the way.
I urge you to go do something like this, just getaway and put your trust in the great unknown, you never know what you might encounter.