Remember This

Iowa 409 Guy

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
Back in the late 60's early 70's this was the only place I could find to get custom parts. There were probably more, but that was before Agore invented the internet.

Back then we made our own stuff. I bent the steel in a vice for a sissy bar and had it chromed. I cut a piece of hood out of a 57 De Soto I had junked and had Tom Shaw's Trim All upholster it. Did all the prep work for paint and traded my welding skills to a buddy for his painting skills. You could get very inventive when you had no $$$$. I wish i had a pic of the cab I welded on my painter guy's 750 Kaw. Fugly..............

Riding down the highway back then you either saw "the nicest guy on a Honda" or a grubby guy on a Harley, and not very many of either..................:chopper:chopper:chopper

Anyone else remember AEE Choppers??
 

61belairbubbletop

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I remember. I've been ridin all my life. Got my 1st bike in 65.
Built a chopper in 73. Still have it. And yes, I still ride it. 1957 FLH Panhead, with a shovelhead
top end, 11 to 1 forged pistons, "J" grind solid lifter cam, drag pipes, kick start, "Jammer" rigid
frame, Solo seat on springs, narrowed glide front end 10" over.
I love this bike, and will never part with it. My son may ride it when I'm gone, but I kinda think not.
He'll prolly sell it for mustang parts.
I've had other bikes thru the years. I bought a new Ultra a few years ago so my wife would be more
comfy when we go riding. She had a Sportster for quite a while, and we did a lot of riding together.
Her on her sporty, and me on the chopper. But she developed pretty severe arthritis and got to where
she couldn't ride solo. So she sold her bike, and that's when I bought the bagger.
Live to ride / ride to live.
 

Iowa 409 Guy

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
61belairbubbletop

I bought my first bike in 66, a 1953 K, predessor to the Sportster which came out in 57. It was 45ci . Mine was black. I bought a new XLCH in 70 and started chopping it that year. Going for a weekend ride Memorial weekend year we got married, Mary taking pic.My 80ci Sporty.IMG_20150209_192119807.jpg
 
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Iowa 409 Guy

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
I guess I was destined to own a high priced 409 built engine. I never was too bright. I blew my new Sporty up after a year. I spent $1,640 for the bike. I saved several hundred dollars by buying it a hundred miles away at Kelsey HD in Iowa Falls, Ia. They were located in a couple of hip roofed chicken houses in the country on a rock road. Chad, that is probably coming to 42 is one of the only people I know that remembers them. Anyhow, I put $1,200 of borrowed money in the engine build. I met Leo Payne then as he taught the guy that built my engine the finer points. Lyle Collingwood in Cedar Rapids had a shop at his house called the Harley Hospital. We took it from 55ci/60hp to 81ci/100hp. Power wheelies in 3 gears with a 12" over front end. Absolutely no power shifting as you would blow the cases.

I found a couple interesting reads about Leo.


http://motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=

248https://selvedgeyard.com/2016/02/08...ace-days-squeezing-blood-from-a-turnip-eater/
 
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