I
ended up at the Long Beach Swap Meet after my grandson wrecked his Dyna but we didn’t find much. We rambled throughout the packed aisles looking for parts, and I came across a large flatbed truck sporting a line of new, bare Kraft Tech rigid frames. Turns out they only sell to distributors like Biker’s Choice, but they bring a few frames to the swap meet once in a while, and the price was right. The frames were obviously set up for Evo engines and 5-speed transmissions but looked almost stock. I couldn’t resist. We carried that frame up and down aisles until we finally headed toward the exit with no Dyna parts and a set of stock Softail tanks, perfect for the frame.
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June ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE
As I meandered toward the exit, my cell phone rang. It was Brad Olsen, an old friend who recently scored an Oregon shop’s inventory. “Yo,” Brad said. “I need to recoup some of my investment. Do you need a Panhead engine?” I about shit my pants. I had just scored a sharp, rigid frame, a set of fatbobs, and I knew I had a 5-speed Softail transmission at the Bikernet Headquarters. What the f$@k? Hell yes, I needed a Panhead engine! Suddenly my grandson wanted to go to Sturgis. I came up with a plan. How about taking two old bobbers to Sturgis for the kicks? Suddenly, I had a deadline. Oh, what the f@*k? I was inspired by many factors, but I still needed a few pieces to make it happen. I couldn’t think of anything else but this Panhead
project. As it turned out, the engine was seriously incomplete. The ’69, last kidney, Shovelhead right case was mated to a ’79 left case, which would allow me to run an alternator and Evo primaries. The engine was missing a cam and most of the cam case elements. It needed a carb, intake, distributor, oil pump. I hauled ass home from the swap meet and started to dig through drawers, cabinets, and lockers looking for parts. I created a pile next to my lathe. I had a set of rebuilt Panheads, but they were early model, and this puppy would need outside oilers. I started to ask around. I also needed the right year cam cover, and I found one online. I immediately ordered them from
