The Force Was With Him

A while ago, Joe Hurst sent me some scans (magazine unknown), of one of Nez's bikes he really dug.

While diggers or Crazy Frank fenders aren't at the top of my list (I might get flak for that), this thing is pretty damn cool. Especially when you consider when it was built.


Joe likes performance so it's natural, he likes it. One thing he really liked, is the VL style ibeam forks with the dampened springs. It probably doesn't hurt that the paint job is sort of White Bearish in color and style.


This almost identical photo from the Kid Duece' collection looks like it was taken during the magazine shoot. What's up with that?

Enquiring minds want to know. The Force, obviously built after Star Wars (1977), shares a number of similarities with this bike built earlier by AEE in 1974. Digger style chassis, check... Bodywork, check... Supercharger/Blower, check... Springer, check. Now, I like Nez's bike much more but, it begs the question, was he influenced by the AEE bike?

Nasty Nesbit Choppers

Here's some old photos of Nasty Nez's bikes. The first three images are courtesy of Joe Hurst.

Nez's Knucklehead. Probably taken at Dick Allen's shop around '68-69. That's Dick's chrome frame chopper and Joe's wheelie pulling buddy Steve Drale's panhead in the background. Note, both bikes have their primaries removed.


Nez's Shovelhead. I'm guessing it's the same bike below. The twisted sissy features the "South Bay Swoop".


"Confusion". The tanks are not chromed in this version from a magazine. What confuses me is, why run almost the same angle photo twice, and the comment about '69 heads (whatever they are?).


Ladies Like'em Long Phase III style. Nez is the guy responsible for Phase III Belt Drives. This image is from one of their ads. It's probably safe to say Nez liked girders. At this point his bike is taking on a more of a White Bear/Southbay look.

Blog Blahs

I've been slow posting. Once you start one of these dang blogs, you constantly feel obligated to keep posting new stuff all the time. Usually I have a bunch of stuff to post and feel like I'm holding back, but lately I just haven't felt like spending the time scanning, or photo editing, or writing. Maybe it's just August. It's the month of no holidays, nothing much happening and everyone goes on vacation before summer's over. I kind of hate just throwing photos up, but...



...For now, here's a groovy space filler. Retouched photo (removed photo insert), of the cover feature bike.... make that trike, from the Feb. 1972 Street Chopper.



I need to "snap out of it"!

LLL 4 LV2

Here's another one from Hurst Airheart featuring Linda Vaughn.

Dick Allen's Blue Print Part 2

These shots of the Blue Print are from an old Street Chopper and were found floating around the blogs awhile back. I Photoshoped the top one, it was taken by camera and had a flash reflection and was distorted. I had this issue (since lost), and am guessing it's from around 1974-75. Anybody know the month and year of the Street Chopper this is from?

Except for the paint and the bars, the bike is pretty much the same as first built. Note the raised transmission. I forgot to mention that feature of the frame in the first post. It looks like this was shot near the Del Amo financial center at Hawthorne and Carson Blvd. in the South Bay.


If you can get past the model, you'll notice some of the goodies of the bike. She helps illustrate just how low this bike sits. Note the seat. Dick liked to keep them real thin.


Sorry about the magazine gutter but it's not my scan.

I wonder what became of the bike or frame?

This Season's Header L.L.L.#3

Since the beginning of the year, I decided I'd change the header every season instead of every month. I may go back to every month but this will do for now.

Linda Vaughn (Miss Hurst), from an old Hurst Airheart ad. I never thought I'd post a Kawasaki, but I dig the composition and thought it would make a great header. Linda ain't bad either.

L.L.L. #2

Long yes, but square?

A Gaggel of Geese (species: Southbayneous Bluenis

For some reason a lot of Goosenecks are blue. Here's a couple of submissions that flew in recently.

Grant of FMA sent this one from an old (large format), Choppers Magazine. I've seen this bike on some blogs but not this great centerfold shot.

The two Geese below were sent in courtesy of Vilmino of LoserRules. If you haven't gone there, check it out. It's in Italian, but there's no need for an interpreter to enjoy the photos. They both are from Easyriders.




This one sports an Indian type girder, instead of the more typical Dick Allen style springer.


Goose Girl approved.

For many years an old gooseneck Sportster sat in a buddy's shop awaiting resurrection. The color?.... metal flake blue of course!

Da Ladies Like'm Long....

....Chopper's, that is.

This one sports some typical South Bay features. A long Dick Allen/Fats/Sugar Bear Type Springer, 2 into one collector exhaust, extra sissy bar brace (South Bay Swoop), Cobra seat, and I'm thinking that's a 15' rear rim with a car radial tire. Also, Every goose neck of this type and from this period I've seen has been on a South Bay Bike. What's not typical is the too cool chrome Nazi helmet oil tank. My guess, it's a Fats built bike. Anyone know it's history?

Indian Summer

It's been really hot the last few days. We're about a mile or so from the ocean and escaped the summer's heat this year, but not now. It was 109º nearby on Monday. Downtown L.A. set a record at 113º, 6º warmer than some of the local desert cities.

Just a lame excuse to post this.

LA Calendar Show

If all goes according to plan, I'll be at the Bikernet.com booth on Sunday. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No Stockers or Fat Broads Please

Good Issue IV. More from CM July 71

Pretty funny stuff. An attempt to look tough just makes her look Sour. This bike was in the first issue of Big Bike and it appears to be from the same photo shoot .

A Good Issue II "A Real Colorado Chopper"

A crushed velvet seat and fender with a Nazi helmet tank! Extended forks?... why not e x t e n d e d swing arms?

From the July 71 CM shown below.

Happy Mama's Day

Mamas, treat 'em right, or else!

Custom Chopper July '71 East of Eden

The style of this feature fits right in with this month's header. As in the header, the young lady is wearing hot pants, tall boots, a knitted sweater, and round sun glasses

One of the best Custom Chopper covers and a good issue overall. Note, it's the same issue that featured the Christian Chopper.


I should of saved this shot for my '"What sort of woman reads MC art?" series.


I'll let the article do most of the talking.


Not many guys run a single carb on the left side. In this case, an S.U.


One happy dude. How many 19 year olds have/had a bike this nice?

January Antifreeze

St Chopper Jan.'72

The look 38 years ago. Great issue, all Sporties. I want to go to there.

For our Friends in France

Another shot of Brigitte.

Likely from the same shoot as the previous photo, but she switched bikes with one of the guys.

What Sort of Woman Reads MC ART?

An out front woman. An independent gal who's not afraid to break from the pack. The kind of gal who knows where to find the kind of MotorCycle entertainment, that like her, ....is miles ahead.

The Early 70's...

Rocked!
Sometimes I forget how cool it was.

Custom Chopper was probably my favorite magazine at that time.


I usually don't dig chops with stretched frames and long narrowed wide glides as much as I do on this ride. This bike is just about perfect. It was somewhat rare to run a rear 18" at that time.


Fashion was still influenced by the 60's. It was cool that they just used the guy's girl friends for models instead of the (strippers), poser models of today.



Peace signs and...


... bell bottoms.

Hopefully this post will keep M.D. from getting the blues again.