Seven Degrees of Inspiration Words by Ryan Zapko — Photos by Alexa Diserio In this eclectic and motley world of motorcycling, much is often made of innovation and original ideas, but where do our local builders actually derive the concepts for their modern builds? In the case of the 1974 1000cc ironhead pictured here, it begins nearly sixty years ago at a 3,000-acre fresh water lake in Southern California. Lake Elsinore, California, with its steep elevation changes and challenging topography played host to the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix, one of the most famous motocross races of the 1960s and 70s. The demanding course and the rugged participants, including none other than Steve McQueen, would then lay the inspirational foundation for documentary film director Bruce Brown. Academy Award nominated On Any Sunday would be released by Brown in 1971 as a powerful documentary parsing the world of motorcycle racing and vivid characters such as McQueen and Malcolm Smith in addition to scenes from the storied Lake Elsinore Grand Prix. Just as Brown’s film was making its initial impact, Honda was wrapping up its soon-to-be dominant two-stroke racing concept. The year of 1973 brought the venerable and world-changing Honda CR250M Elsinore, drawing inspiration from the popularity of the grand prix and documentary that preceded its debut. The Elsinore and its magnanimous notoriety did not escape local resident Ben Derringer, who owned and rode a CR250M years before starting a family which among his two daughters, brought him a son, Josh. As Josh was celebrating his third birthday in 1992, Ben happened upon a 1976 Honda XR75, and as the father/son duo tells it, the rest is history. Josh, inspired by his father’s gift and love affair with motorcycles, went on to replace bike after bike. Although growing in skill and speed throughout his developmental years under the tutelage of his father, he never parted with the beloved XR. Inspired by the recent work of childhood friend, Brian Petronchak of Revelry Custom Cycles (featured in issue Number 002) and his familial connection to the storied Elsinore, Josh formed a plan for combining chopper and motocross legend. Acquiring the numbers-matching hardtail ironhead in 2017, Josh proceeded to make mostly subtle, yet effective cosmetic touches, including his own Elsinore tribute paint work. A blend of clean chopper lines, a knobby 21-inch front tire, and a clever Corvette seat belt battery mount differentiate Josh’s build. The chopper is a graceful, aesthetically pleasing design and after a few kicks, sounds just as good as it looks. Nearly 2,400 miles from the unassuming lake town that eventually inspired them, Ben and Josh still have an affinity for the historically significant Elsinore, but more so for the bond that motorcycling has cemented between father and son. Their enthusiasm and respect for two-wheeled creativity coupled with a strong family connection will ensure a never-ending stream of inspiration to future generations of motorcyclists. The Beaver County Airport is home to the Air Heritage Museum, which features several vintage aircrafts, including an F-15 Eagle and a C-123K Provider. Josh and Ben Derringer Featured in Issue 004 1974 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 1000 CHOPPER Built by JOSH DERRINGER instagram Words by RYAN ZAPKO Photos by ALEXA DISERIO

TWO-WHEELED BRITISH REVIVAL Words by Robert Bupp — Photos by Alexa Diserio I’ve always been a gearhead, grew up with a wrench in my hands. My father taught me everything I know about anything mechanical. He and I restored, rebuilt, and wrenched on several of his cars, out of necessity vs. hobby. Our bond was wrenching and gasoline. Our mission was to fix the broken, solve a problem, or build something from just an idea. I took what I learned and employed it on several of my own cars: a VW bug and a heavily modified Chevy for starters. Later, I restored a Porsche, a vintage diesel Benz, and a forgotten VW Kombi. Modifying and bringing back the old is just something that runs deep in me. Eventually my four-wheel passion expanded to motorcycles. A café’d Honda CB550, a resto-mod CB1100F, a completely refurbished R75 BMW, and my current affair with a Ducati 900SS. The simplicity of a motorcycle. An engine in frame, fuel and spark. Clutch to sprocket, chain to tire. This reaches into my DNA and extracts an ancient urge. Direct contact with the physics of motion, the visceral, two wheels, one pilot…it’s completely intoxicating to me. Whistling down the road atop something I put together with my hands—a culmination of parts hurled at the excitement of a proper shakedown—is probably the closest I’ll ever come to being a test pilot. I drank the Kool-aid, and I’m all in. About a year ago, my friend Scott White, a fellow gearhead and motorcyclist, had asked if I wanted an old Triumph he had sitting around. I was curious. “I’ve never worked on a Triumph,” I said, foreshadowing my intent. Scott said, “I’ve had this thing taking up room for years, and I need it out of my way. It’s going on the curb if you don’t take it.” He was serious. Days later I went to his shop, took a look, then loaded up the unloved Brit lump into my Transporter. One wooden crate, a hacked frame, and a questionable (at best) engine. This 1961 5TA Triumph Speed Twin, a midweight 500cc single carb commuter bike with a sketchy history, was now mine. I had no clue about this bike… zero. As they say, bad decisions make great stories. So I began a new and unknown challenge. Why not give this sad pile of parts another go? The back story, in brief was this: the Triumph was taken off the road around 1975 and somehow found a home in Scott’s friend’s basement. Scott then took custodial duty of it at some point in the 1980s until I ended up with it. From stories shared by Scott and further history gleaned from the evidence of modification, this bike had been converted into a spindly chopper with a deeply cut subframe sporting a crappy Z-shaped, handmade gold-flecked vinyl saddle (Scott kept this). It was topped off with a rectangular chrome headlight, pentagon chrome oil tank, and four foot forks. Easy Rider eat your British heart out! My battle plan to rescue and revive the glory of a road capable lightweight commuter was on. I was not going to restore this bike to a stock 5TA—I’m not that guy. I had no intention to create a show queen, a parts perfect restoration with period precise paint and badges, nor a custom show bobber or chopper. I planned to reveal a new café’d version of Triumph’s basic sketch, and create a bike fit for the backroads and for tearing up city streets. Part rat, part art, and 100% fun to ride. I started reworking the frame by splicing in a replacement section for the cut subframe and modifying to hold a seat pan and rear bump stop. After some research, I decided a sleeker profile was needed for this little motorcycle. eBay provided a shapely Yamaha-like rip-off direct from China. I ordered the tank, quickly received it, then tested for leaks, only to discover a hole by the mount on the inside tunnel. Crap. I am not a professional welder but can weld most anything. I understand what heat does to metal and what to avoid. That said, I unsuccessfully patched the hole with my MIG welder and caused a warp that was irreversible. Warped Chinese fuel tank became a seat bump/pan with some custom metal work. Then I ordered another fuel tank from China. This one had no leaks, so I sealed it right away. Success! Included in the wooden crate parts heap was an original oil tank. I just loved the look of it, and it functions correctly with a Triumph 500cc engine. I used old photography and a lot of measurements to rebuild the oil tank frame since the original chopper deleted all the tank and under seat supports. On the left side, I mimicked the oil tank with a modified 1960s Bonneville battery cover plate, hid the modern electronics, and located switches and fuses. Simple. The 5TA front fork chopper sliders were made to move again. In the process, I found each stanchion filled with water. The water had galled the bronze bushings to the aluminum sliders to such an extent that I couldn’t separate the components. Damn. 5TA forks are complicated and hard to find used. Of course, all the components are available for one to build a new complete set of forks, but I didn’t want to spend an unrealistic amount of money. This lead me to a complete fork swap. After obsessive measurements and a lot of research, I found and purchased a complete 1972 CB350K front clip. This was real-world testing of my headset bearing swap theory: to mate a ’61 Triumph and ’72 Honda triple tree, fork, and front wheel. Proper preparation, research, and diligence paid off. It worked out easily. Next, I disassembled the engine and checked all clearances. I found a Triumph shop manual, original parts book, and other technical articles online that made it pretty easy to get into the rebuild with confidence. Almost every part I needed was available: pistons and rings; all new oil seals and an entire gasket kit; a new primary chain; mechanical oil pressure thingy; electronic CDI ignition; Amal carb rebuild kit and rare choke assembly; and myriad other parts. Everything is available for this odd and honestly unpopular fifty-seven year old Triumph in the USA. I can’t find certain parts for my ‘92 Ducati 900SS anywhere. Not even Italy. Go figure! Once I had the engine back together and was positive it would run, I moved onto wiring. The Electrex ignition system from the UK will run the bike without a battery, but the lights are dim at low RPM. Old Triumphs are positive ground, however, I planned to make this bike negative ground since I wanted to use LED lights. LEDs cannot reverse polarity like incandescent bulbs, so I planned to utilize a small lithium battery to provide a constantly bright tail and brake light. I also decided to complete the look by sourcing an era-appropriate Lucas headlight. Clearly, the negative/positive ground dilemma needed to be worked out. Once again, old manuals proved indispensable on this build and provided direction for a needlessly complex 3-position Lucas light switch and overall polarity. To complete the cockpit, a new Lucas ammeter, pilot light, and hi-beam indicator were added—a nod to Triumph nostalgia. My skinny little 5TA resurrection is really fun to ride. It’s much like a bicycle with its narrow tires and nimble geometry. It has some surprising get-up-and-go with its slight 20hp twin engine. In the city, a bike this size is right at home. Pedigree for a motorcycle connoisseur and hipster cred for the rest. Producing a smile on bikers, motorcyclists, and other builders seems to be the result. People love old Brit twins—and this bike get thumbs up from all sorts. Honestly, I never expected this reaction to such an odd creation. Long live the Queen. Featured in Issue 004 1961 TRIUMPH 5TA SPEED TWIN CAFE RACER Built by ROBERT BUPP instagram Words by ROBERT BUPP Photos by ALEXA DISERIO

Keep It Sketchy Words by Kurt Diserio — Photos by Alexa Diserio Why the hell do people love vintage choppers so much? They’re absurd and don’t typically handle well. They’re not safe and rough on long rides. Plus, it seems that everyone that has one is constantly fixing it. For the next 385 words, I’ll attempt to provide a few reasons by using Josh Howells’ 1976 Harley-Davidson FXE chopper as an example. First, you have to understand that it’s in our blood to seek a challenge. These groovy stripped-down machines have little to do with practicality, and the danger this creates is part of the allure. With the exception of a couple weekend trips, Josh mostly uses his shovelhead as an everyday source to get around Pittsburgh. While riding an ordinary motorcycle can often become mundane over time, trying to maneuver something so outrageous through traffic will keep things interesting. As he put it, “When it comes to choppers, you take the thrill of motorcycles and multiply it. Every ride is exciting.” Remember how you felt when you successfully assembled that swingset for your kids? Multiply that feeling, too. Building and maintaining a chopper forms a great sense of fulfillment by being both strenuous and rewarding. Josh spent about four months last winter piecing together this loud, temperamental machine. The frame was originally an aftermarket swingarm style but was converted into a hardtail that uses a six over springer front end. The only parts he purchased new were the kicker, grips, and mirror. Everything else Josh either made himself, had laying around already, or acquired from online swap sources and friends. There’s no better way for him to know his bike, and this knowledge proves useful when something inevitably goes wrong on the road. This leads us to the one underlying characteristic that has attracted people to custom choppers since the early 1960s. Style. We’re allowed to build them however we want, and somehow they’re still legal. For the most part, you can make it as long, skinny, and dangerous as you’d like and launch yourself onto a busy highway at great speeds. Josh explained, “You kind of want to make it more ridiculous and sketchy just because you can.” This artistic freedom fuels an individuality that cannot be easily duplicated. Custom chopper culture is thriving because of the gratification and soul of these highly-modified machines. Everyone has their preference when it comes to motorcycles, but my hope is that you’ll at least understand what motivates people like Josh to build such a bizarre bike. All of the drawbacks mentioned at the start are precisely why we love them. Featured in Issue 004 1974 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXE SUPER-GLIDE CHOPPER Built by JOSH HOWELLS instagram Words by KURT DISERIO Photos by ALEXA DISERIO

A WEEKEND GATHERING FOR BRITISH MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS Words by Kurt Diserio — Photos by Alexa Diserio Every August near Toronto, Ohio, a large group of diehard British motorcycle owners get together for three days of fun at Cable’s Creek Campgrounds. The Ohio Valley BSA Owners Club Annual Rally is an AMA-sanctioned event that is as much about community and family as it is about the bikes. Preserving these old British machines may be the foundation, but what truly keeps attendees coming back are the friendships developed from this passion. Just a quick walk around the campground and you will feel this sense of camaraderie. Alexa and I met up with Bud Kubena at this year’s rally. He is currently the vice president of the club but had previously served as the president for ten years. There’s no better way to highlight the family-oriented mood of the gathering better than Bud’s family. They all live for motorcycles, both riding and helping out over the course of the weekend. He showed us around, introducing us to the many friendly faces while discussing the activities and history of the club. Everything got started in the late summer of 1982, when Clark Francy and Paul Atkinson established a British bike meet. For the next month, they printed some flyers and spread the word, which brought a total of thirty-five riders to their first rally in October of that year. With help from an article in a national motorcycle magazine, the second event drew nearly 150 attendees, and the number continued to increase over time. This grew to an average of approximately 800 riders annually and around 4,500 total registered members throughout the years. The first annual rally was in 1982. Special thanks to Bud Kubena, vice-president of Ohio Valley BSA Owners Club Bud broke down the schedule for us, addressing the different organized rides that occur over the three days on the country back roads that surround the campground. This consists of breakfast and dinner runs, a vintage reliability run, guided road tours, and even a ride specifically for small bore models. During the weekend, you’re likely to see quite an assortment of vintage BSAs, Triumphs, Nortons, Vincents, and other rare models from people all over the United States and Canada. For example, U.S. Hill Climb Champion Earl Bowlby is an honorary member and has attended the last six events. One rider, nicknamed Metal Flake Herb for obvious reasons, travels annually from Florida, trailering his vintage motorcycle on the back of another motorcycle. Even more notable is that he’s over eighty years old. One of the most exciting elements are the trails competitions that take place along the creek. There’s eight trials sections, with four lines of difficulty on each. Bud explained, “The idea of trials is to ride over or through obstacles and never put your feet on the ground. If you touch the ground, you get a point. Points are counted one, two, three, and five being the maximum. The goal is to finish with the lowest number of points.” You can learn more by searching the event online or visiting their website. There’s a full schedule showing a more detailed list of activities, including the swap meets, live music, parts auctions, and vintage bike show. Thirty-seven years is an impressive number for any occasion, but what makes the BSA Rally so special is the dedicated, passionate group that have helped it continue for decades. Parts auctions are held throughout the day. Featured in Issue 004 OHIO VALLEY BSA OWNERS CLUB 37th ANNUAL RALLY CABLE’S CREEK CAMPGROUNDTORONTO, OHIO www.ohiovalleybsaownersclub.com President: Ted Guthrie Vice-President: Bud Kubena Secretary: Keith Barnett Treasurer: Barb Kubena Words by KURT DISERIO Photos by ALEXA DISERIO

An Unconventional VLX 600 Words by Kurt Diserio — Photos by Alexa Diserio Let’s be real. In the past, if a person had casually mentioned that they were building a Honda Shadow chopper, I wouldn’t exactly know what to picture. I might have even tried to talk them out of it. To someone who isn’t very familiar, a Shadow just sounds like a complicated project compared to the popular, traditional models. However, if the true intention of building a custom chopper is to be different, then I suppose it’s somewhat appropriate. A quick web search proved that this platform was more popular than I had known. So when I was first approached about the impressive 600cc Shadow that Dan Brown of Harmony, Pennsylvania built last year, I had to find out more. After messing around with performance cars for many years, Dan developed a random interest in two wheels. He had never ridden a motorcycle before but found a reasonably priced 2005 Honda Shadow that he figured would be a good start. Dan was so new to motorcycles at the time, that he even had to have his friend come along during the purchase just to ride the bike home. About five years later, the restlessness started to take hold, so Dan decided give his reliable Honda a facelift. With aid from his friend Matt Sylvester, they started with the hardtail. Matt helped mostly with welding and fabrication, providing assistance when he could. The fuel tank was originally from a Harley-Davidson Sportster, but they had to cut out and restructure the entire bottom of the tank to mount it on the frame’s dual backbone. When it came to the wiring, Dan built an oil tank for the purpose of hiding the majority of the electronics and ran lines through the handlebars to clean it up. He decided to keep the front and rear turn signals to avoid being hassled. You would barely notice them anyway, with the front signals being the size of a penny and the rears built into the license plate. The front brake was a bit tricky. After searching high and low, Dan ended up using a rear system from a 2009 Honda Gold Wing with a remote master cylinder mounted to the frame. The bracket positioning required some trial-and-error adjustments, but this setup allowed for the removal of the bulky stock handlebar controls. Zombie Performance constructed the handlebars specifically to fit this build. Custom Mooneyes wheel covers were used to dress up the OEM spoked rear wheel. Other parts and pieces were acquired from TJ Brutal Customs in California, a great source for anyone looking to mess around with their own Honda Shadow. In the end, the same bike that Dan learned how to ride on eventually became a fun project with promising results. Let this be inspiration to anyone on the fence about giving their old bike a whole new custom look. Cruising around Pennsylvania’s pothole-filled roads on a hardtail isn’t for everyone, but Dan’s chopper hasn’t given him any problems. When it comes to modified machines, what more could you ask for? Dan Brown with his 2005 VLX 600 chopper In memory of Kristine Bartman Featured in Issue 004 2005 HONDA SHADOW VLX 600 Built by DAN BROWN With help from MATT SYLVESTER instagram Words by KURT DISERIO Photos by ALEXA DISERIO

BRINGING LIFE TO AN OLD BONNEVILLE Words by Kurt Diserio — Photos by Alexa Diserio The traditional approach to getting your son a street bike is typically choosing a lame starter model that tends to focus largely on safety and affordability. That isn’t always the case when it comes to us gearheads though. It’s hard to shake that belief that if you’re going to ride, why not ride something that genuinely excites you? Alexa and I talked with Kevin Cook of Wheeling, West Virginia, about the bike he had built for his son and what all went into it. The short story of this 1968 chopper goes something like this: A father was trying to fix up his father’s old Triumph T120 for his son to ride. In the process, he ended up building a completely different T120 before finishing the other. To his credit, it was a one-of-a-kind, show-worthy custom chopper. Tell me about how you first acquired this Triumph?Kevin Cook: I have a 1962 Triumph T120 that was my dad’s bike, and we brought it with us when we moved up to Wheeling from Mississippi. When my son, Kaden, started expressing interest in motorcycles, I said that we’ll try to get it fixed and running again. So I started searching for different pieces and came across a Craigslist ad for Triumph parts in Washington, Pennsylvania. When I got there, the guy had a 1968 T120 in boxes, so I made a deal. Was there a reason for starting your son out on such a radical bike?KC: He’s twenty-one now, but my kids have been riding dirt bikes throughout their lives. He became interested in street bikes, and I figured if you’re going to do that, then let’s do something different than what everyone else around here is doing. Let’s build an old school chopper. It’s very different to start out with, but I figured he’d appreciate the mechanics. It’s something that he’ll have to take care of and figure out the little idiosyncrasies. I wanted it to be safe, so this uses modern elements like the brakes and electronics. Who built the frame and was responsible for the work?KC: I put on the digital electronics, a lithium battery, and other parts from Lowbrow Customs. The frame turned out to be a hardtail built by Scott Anderson of East Coast Fabworks here in Wheeling. The guy who bought it originally just never finished the bike. Luckily, I knew Scott, so after I assembled what I could, I just kind of let him finish the bike from there. What look were you going for?KC: I told Scott I wanted a barn-fresh, distressed look, so he did a number of things to accomplish that. For instance, he used different weld material on the fender stripe to bring out the contrast color. Some other pieces were brushed down into the copper to give it the old school look. Was there any other help?KC: I came to find out that one of the contractors who was working on my house at the time, a guy named Wayne Skinner, was involved in vintage Triumph drag racing and had a wealth of knowledge. He checked over the whole engine. Wayne and I also assembled several unique parts and combined them with Scott’s one-off custom fabricated pieces. The total build time was about a year. Any unique features you’d like to mention?KC: One of the coolest details is where the switch and electronics are. They run into a tunnel that was built inside the tank and out through a tube that leads to the flask off to the side. You just pull up on the lever to start it. What do you like about the finished build?KC: It’s different, not another one like it. I enjoy that it’s a first-kick crank that runs great and stops good, and for what it is, it’s fairly comfortable. The front end soaks up a lot, but there’s also an air bladder under the seat to help absorb the shock. Are you still planning on finishing the 1962 Bonneville?KC: Yes, we’re working on it now. I just kind of pick up stuff here and there, but it should be finished soon. Scott Anderson and Wayne Skinner are also helping with that bike. It’ll basically be a drag setup with a few modern parts. I want it to be obnoxious.  Featured in Issue 004 1968 TRIUMPH T120 BONNEVILLE Owned by KADEN COOK Built by KEVIN COOKSCOTT ANDERSONWAYNE SKINNER Words by KURT DISERIO & KEVIN COOK Photos by ALEXA DISERIO

VINTAGE CARS & MOTORCYCLES TAKE OVER SCHENLEY PARK Words by Mike Hyjurick — Photos by Kurt Diserio The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, now in its 36th year, is all by itself an incredible event. You get to see automobiles of a certain age running wide open on actual city streets inside of Schenley Park during the heat of a Pittsburgh July. This aspect of the event is likely exhaustively covered elsewhere, and with this being Pittsburgh Moto, we’re going to discuss the subjectively cooler portion of the show known as the Motorbikes at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Since 2012, the Motorbikes at The PVGP has brought together some of the most amazing vintage motorcycles assembled in one place at one time. Initially started by Tip Paul and the Moto Guzzi Club, the event torch has since been passed to The Ton Up Pittsburgh Club for the sixth year. A $10 donation to the PVGP’s cause, The Autism Society of Pittsburgh, gets you motorcycle parking for the day on the greens. “All are welcome, of course vintage bikes and scooters are preferred,” says Patrick Martin of the Ton Up Pittsburgh Club. “Saturday we had beer, food and water included. You also get the best view of the races, as well as an extremely convenient entrance point on Darlington Street. It’s a great deal to benefit a great cause.” This year’s marquee machine was BMW, a motor company that has been as successful making cars as it has been making motorbikes. There were quite a few very nice examples of this success displayed on the Shenley Park greens. This, particularly, because all of these vintage motorcycles were ridden in and not dropped off of a trailer. As always, the show was stolen by the Ohio Valley BSA Owner’s Club and Bud Kubena. Inside their Union Jack roped off area you will find beautiful examples of vintage British iron from Triumph, BSA, Vincent, and an extremely rare 1923 Douglas Model W 348cc. In its time, Douglas was a common British flat tank motorcycle. Produced during WWII, this was what the British troops would ride, so you can imagine that not a lot of these had survived. Also, Douglas never pursued sales in the States, so there aren’t very many of these stateside. The bike originally belonged to a friend of Kevin Hillyard, its current owner. Kevin had to sell a couple of his own bikes from his collection to take on the project. The motorcycle was nearly complete, but was missing some of the levers. Kevin managed to machine them by looking at another Douglas that resides in the Barber Museum. If you were unable to make it this year, we’ll be back again next year on July 13-15, 2019 for the seventh time. Don’t miss it. Featured in Issue 004 PITTSBURGH VINTAGE GRAND PRIX 2018 Schenley Park, Pittsburgh www.pvgp.org instagram.com/pghvintagegp Words by MIKE HYJURICK Photos by KURT DISERIO

One Night at a Time Words by Kurt Diserio — Photos by Alexa Diserio “I found it on eBay. I hit the bid button, and all of the sudden I won. What a rush,” said Ryan Mazzaferro, explaining how he acquired the original 1974 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster that he would use as the platform for his first custom build. Most motorcycle projects use eBay at some point for parts, but this one in particular literally started on the e-commerce bidding website. The ironhead was shipped nearly 400 miles from Michigan to Blairsville, Pennsylvania, where Ryan spent roughly eight months constructing the V-twin bike. “This Sportster was all original when I bought it,” he stated. “I’ve always had motorcycles my whole life but had never built one like this before. There was no vision at first, I just kind of went for it. Eventually I decided that I wanted something lower with a springer front end. I worked on it a little almost every single night, starting in August and finishing by April the next year. My mind was completely blown at how much work it took—far more than I expected.” All of the work was done in Ryan’s garage. After rebuilding the motor and transmission, the original frame was chopped and lowered about 1.75 inches in the rear. He built the exhaust and seat brackets himself and added a TC oil tank, Moto Iron springer front, and a fuel tank he found at Lowbrow Customs. To freshen up the rocker covers, he removed all of the old chrome and polished them by hand. The stock wheels were in rough shape, so he taped off each individual spoke and painted them gloss black. Looking back on the time spent assembling the finished bike, he recalled the best and worst moments. “I think the most satisfying part is the way the tank and fender come together. As soon as I saw the components, I knew it was exactly what I wanted. I created all of the mounts for the tank and used a torch to heat the bottom so it’d fit around the rocker covers.” He continued, “The worst part of the build was probably that the frame was cracked in a couple of locations, and when I went to weld it, there was so much oil inside the frame that it almost caught fire. I probably welded it fifteen times in the same section before it finally burnt all of the oil off.” Ryan has already planned to build another bike when winter rolls around. “I’m thinking a big-twin Harley, a Victory chopper, or possibly even a two-stroke. I used to have a Kawasaki H1 Triple when I was younger, so I feel that’d be a lot of fun.” Featured in Issue 004 1974 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLCH SPORTSTER Built by RYAN MAZZAFERRO instagram Words by KURT DISERIO Photos by ALEXA DISERIO