Making A Statement
There’s a lot to unpack with this in-your-face shovelhead chopper from Ed Jankoski. You might have recognized his name from the local scene or within the pages of our previous issues. Like some of the best personalities in the chopper community, Jankoski could look intimidating from a distance, but up close, he’s as warm and welcoming as they come. That receptiveness is well represented with his latest build, a hot pink, oversized 1980 Harley-Davidson shovelhead with a few different layers of purpose. We met up with him in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood to discuss this new build and how he was able to get a core group of friends involved.
How long did you have this shovelhead before going all out with a full chopper build?
Ed Jankoski: I’ve had the bike for about three years. I first reached out to Nick Miller to keep an eye on shovelheads for sale, and the next day he found this. Nick, Josh Howells from Uptahn Metalworks, and I went out and picked it up from some gnarly drunk guy. He mentioned it had some motor work done and was pretty quick. I rode it around a little bit while it was stock but was still enjoying my Sportster chopper at the time. Then in January of 2022, my buddy asked to buy the Sportster, and that kind of kicked this into gear. I was happy with the Sportster, but this was more of what I wanted. So, I sold that chopper and got into this build right away. Josh from Uptahn and I threw a bunch of crazy ideas out there. We came up with the single downtube frame, which he customized. It was raked out a little bit, roughly five degrees. The idea was to make a really narrow, lean bike.
Ed Jankoski: I’ve had the bike for about three years. I first reached out to Nick Miller to keep an eye on shovelheads for sale, and the next day he found this. Nick, Josh Howells from Uptahn Metalworks, and I went out and picked it up from some gnarly drunk guy. He mentioned it had some motor work done and was pretty quick. I rode it around a little bit while it was stock but was still enjoying my Sportster chopper at the time. Then in January of 2022, my buddy asked to buy the Sportster, and that kind of kicked this into gear. I was happy with the Sportster, but this was more of what I wanted. So, I sold that chopper and got into this build right away. Josh from Uptahn and I threw a bunch of crazy ideas out there. We came up with the single downtube frame, which he customized. It was raked out a little bit, roughly five degrees. The idea was to make a really narrow, lean bike.
Any particular reason you wanted a cone shovel?
EJ: I always wanted to do a cone shovel but only had a loose idea of the direction. Things just kind of lined up, and I got really lucky with it. After selling my other bike, the build just fell into place.
EJ: I always wanted to do a cone shovel but only had a loose idea of the direction. Things just kind of lined up, and I got really lucky with it. After selling my other bike, the build just fell into place.
How did the process unfold?
EJ: A big thing for me was fitting it to my size. I’m not necessarily a heavy dude, but it gets tricky being taller. I’m 6’4”, so we extended it as far as we could geometrically without making it look goofy. It fits me very well but looks giant with anyone else sitting on it. I really liked a bunch of bikes I saw that were tight, compact, and fit well. I feel that was a big thing for this build, so we kept that in our thoughts when we were designing everything.
EJ: A big thing for me was fitting it to my size. I’m not necessarily a heavy dude, but it gets tricky being taller. I’m 6’4”, so we extended it as far as we could geometrically without making it look goofy. It fits me very well but looks giant with anyone else sitting on it. I really liked a bunch of bikes I saw that were tight, compact, and fit well. I feel that was a big thing for this build, so we kept that in our thoughts when we were designing everything.
Can you run through the bike’s parts and pieces?
EJ: I’m using a Harley five-speed transmission. It’s a warehouse springer front end, maybe twelve over, with a 21” front wheel and an 18” back wheel. The panther paw kickstart pedal, taillight, and points cover were made by Andy Mak of Uptahn Metalworks.
The seat was done by Diego Galarraga aka Mr. Comfy, a buddy of mine in New Jersey who is a super-talented guy. He got me some fake leopard or cheetah print, and I let him do his thing. He crushed it.
Uptahn Metalworks also did the frame, exhaust, and handlebars. The bars were originally six-bend pullbacks but were too far in my gut, making it hard to ride. It was already sketchy, so we cut and extended them out a little bit. Having any advantage on these roads is a big thing, and at the end of the day, Josh and Dan from Uptahn brainstormed the bars and hit a home run.
I still have the original uncut frame that came with the bike. Uptahn had a neck piece and back half in the shop, so Josh Howells customized a single down tube and made it all fit together. It’s their first custom frame build. I hope I still have it thirty years from now and that they continue to keep doing what they do.
EJ: I’m using a Harley five-speed transmission. It’s a warehouse springer front end, maybe twelve over, with a 21” front wheel and an 18” back wheel. The panther paw kickstart pedal, taillight, and points cover were made by Andy Mak of Uptahn Metalworks.
The seat was done by Diego Galarraga aka Mr. Comfy, a buddy of mine in New Jersey who is a super-talented guy. He got me some fake leopard or cheetah print, and I let him do his thing. He crushed it.
Uptahn Metalworks also did the frame, exhaust, and handlebars. The bars were originally six-bend pullbacks but were too far in my gut, making it hard to ride. It was already sketchy, so we cut and extended them out a little bit. Having any advantage on these roads is a big thing, and at the end of the day, Josh and Dan from Uptahn brainstormed the bars and hit a home run.
I still have the original uncut frame that came with the bike. Uptahn had a neck piece and back half in the shop, so Josh Howells customized a single down tube and made it all fit together. It’s their first custom frame build. I hope I still have it thirty years from now and that they continue to keep doing what they do.
What’s the story behind the Pink Panther theme?
EJ: Being a huge fan of chopper history from the 1960s and 70s, I liked that they were always known for vibrant colors. I really wanted to make an impression with this build, so I tossed some ideas around with Tyler Elliott of TE Customs. He thought about using pink. The idea worked because my dad was really into the Pink Panther, so we incorporated that. The pink is literally called “pink panther’ paint, so it’s a little homage to my dad who was a big fan of those movies. That meant a lot to me. My buddy, Ray Karhut, added some more little paint pieces that fit the theme. From there, the leopard idea came together with the seat. The big thing for me was making a statement if you were to see it coming down the road.
EJ: Being a huge fan of chopper history from the 1960s and 70s, I liked that they were always known for vibrant colors. I really wanted to make an impression with this build, so I tossed some ideas around with Tyler Elliott of TE Customs. He thought about using pink. The idea worked because my dad was really into the Pink Panther, so we incorporated that. The pink is literally called “pink panther’ paint, so it’s a little homage to my dad who was a big fan of those movies. That meant a lot to me. My buddy, Ray Karhut, added some more little paint pieces that fit the theme. From there, the leopard idea came together with the seat. The big thing for me was making a statement if you were to see it coming down the road.
How did the process unfold?
EJ: A big thing for me was fitting it to my size. I’m not necessarily a heavy dude, but it gets tricky being taller. I’m 6’4”, so we extended it as far as we could geometrically without making it look goofy. It fits me very well but looks giant with anyone else sitting on it. I really liked a bunch of bikes I saw that were tight, compact, and fit well. I feel that was a big thing for this build, so we kept that in our thoughts when we were designing everything.
EJ: A big thing for me was fitting it to my size. I’m not necessarily a heavy dude, but it gets tricky being taller. I’m 6’4”, so we extended it as far as we could geometrically without making it look goofy. It fits me very well but looks giant with anyone else sitting on it. I really liked a bunch of bikes I saw that were tight, compact, and fit well. I feel that was a big thing for this build, so we kept that in our thoughts when we were designing everything.
What does it mean now that it’s finished?
EJ: Besides being a really cool homage to my dad, my favorite part of the bike is that there are so many hands involved with it from start to finish. I’m fortunate to have a lot of friends who are very helpful and knowledgeable. I had friends involved with everything from picking up the bike to putting it all together. I’ve known some of these guys for over twenty years. That’s the most meaningful part and what I’ll remember most about it. It’s a really unique experience that we all got to throw our creativity into. Years down the line, I’ll know that I have custom one-off parts on this bike that were made by my friends.
EJ: Besides being a really cool homage to my dad, my favorite part of the bike is that there are so many hands involved with it from start to finish. I’m fortunate to have a lot of friends who are very helpful and knowledgeable. I had friends involved with everything from picking up the bike to putting it all together. I’ve known some of these guys for over twenty years. That’s the most meaningful part and what I’ll remember most about it. It’s a really unique experience that we all got to throw our creativity into. Years down the line, I’ll know that I have custom one-off parts on this bike that were made by my friends.
Any future projects?
EJ: Not unless something comes up. I’m going to try and enjoy this for a little bit and see where it takes me.
EJ: Not unless something comes up. I’m going to try and enjoy this for a little bit and see where it takes me.
