An All Time Favorite

This month's header creates a good reason to post the last of the White Bear photos.

If you've been reading the blog for awhile, then you know that Joe Hurst's White Bear is one of my all time favorite bikes and also a perfect example of the South Bay Style.

Dick Allen thought so too. He loved Joe's bike and his own bike (Loco-Motion), pretty much matched it feature for feature. The only big differences are the paint, the use of a knucklehead, and a traditional spoked front wheel instead of a 12 spoke American mag.

Doc Holiday's Witch Street Chopper May 1970

Back in November of 2010 I posted The Witch as featured in Roth's Choppers Magazine (click Here to view it), and also used it for this last October's Header. Therefore, I figured some of you might like to see the Street Chopper feature since it has better details and shows how the bike changed some. I reformatted the article so that it would fit the blog and make it easier to read the captions.

Once again it was also the cover bike. Instead of the original metal flake, the bike was repainted a candy orange. I like the former better.


Check the custom touches like the peanut tank's chromed side panels, the hex down tubes and pin striping as you view the photos. Very much like the stuff you'd see on a Von Dutch custom.




Custom Cycle Engineering Finned Dish Pans were now installed.


Randy of Gardena as in Smith repainted the witch again but I like his first witch better. Go back to my October 2011 header post to compare.


Note the very high position of the brake pedal. Back in the 60's, a lot of guys liked the radical (but not very practical), look it gave. The small photo shows a high clutch pedal as well.


The sissy bar now sports what I call the South Bay Swoop. Again, the paint and the metal work looks Von Dutch inspired.


The bullet taillights are cool, but note the broken license plate frame.

This bike may relate to more posts than any other to date. As evidence, check the Labels/links below.

Ridondo Beach

That's Joe's Hustler. It says any extension to 15", but many of them (including on Loco-Motion), were longer. I'm guessing it was a higher price point from 15" up. From the Dec.69 Choppers Magazine.

Ed Roth's Hustler Photos Uncut and Uncensored

Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit... nothing was censored, but these photos have never really been seen before.

Awhile back, In the midst of an unrelated email subject, Joe Hurst surprised me with Ed Roth's original photos for the Hustler feature in Choppers Magazine. As it turned out, Ed gave Joe the photos after it was in the magazine. The first two photos (below), were not published. I did a post on the Hustler feature last Dec. and although the last three made the magazine, I'm posting them again since they are much bigger, much better (than the bad print quality of the magazine), and uncropped.

Here's a cool one. It's an alternate to the shot Roth used to open the article. Yes the angle of the one used is better, but it has that big finger print on it. Like Roth said in the feature, "those forks really shine!"


Another photo that didn't make it.


The sissy bar in all it's glory. This one and the two below were featured, but the top of the sissy bar and the groovy trash can got cropped out.


Besides the details of the Phil Ross stitched seat, Jim Andrews bike "Grapes of Wrath" (upper left), is easier to spot in this large print.


The money shot, large and uncut. Joe later had the big SU carb polished to match the other shinny stuff. As mentioned in the first post, the engine came out of Dick Allen's Wheeler Dealer.

I think it's pretty cool to see these behind the scene shots all these year later.
Thanks Joe!

The Hustler

.... and a little more Joe Hurst history.

This time from Choppers Magazine May 1969.

Roth liked nicknames and the bikes named for the features. Roth asked Joe if he had any nicknames, Joe said no.... then Ed asked, if he liked playing pool.... Joe said said yup.

The Hustler is pretty much the prototype of what would become the South Bay Style.

If I got it straight, this was Joe's second Harley and the Shovelhead was out of Dick Allen's chrome frame bike (Wheeler Dealer Chop. Mag. Oct.'68). Joe always laments, the funds from selling his complete Panhead only got him an engine and trans.


Joe's the Godfather of the swooping double braced sissy bar and Dick Allen springers. This fork was the first one Dick Allen made. Actually second, the very first was for a Triumph, but Joe jokes, that doesn't count! The first few Dick made had Harley spring perches and top trees, later versions were completely fabricated from scratch.

From the shadow of the sissy bar, I was able detect the bike next to Joe's was his friend Jim Andrew's Grapes of Wrath. It was featured in another issue.


The tank featured a stylized "13" as on his former Panhead. The seat maker's credit is an error, Phil Ross stitched it up. As Irish Rich pointed out, this front view of the forks was used for the ads in this issue and others.


Here's the cover of the issue it was in. Not Joe's bike, but I know you guys enjoy the Choppers Magazine stuff.

Prior to this feature, the Hustler had tall stacks and had won First Place in the Street Bike Class at the Trident's custom car and bike show. More on that later.

Doc Holiday's Witch... Too Late for Halloween

I wanted to post this for Halloween but got hung up on some other stuff.

Randy Smith painted the Witch on the tank. The text mentions that Randy is now making his finned valve covers.


Typical Choppers Magazine layout. The print quality wasn't the best and not one good overall shot of the bike, but you got to love it. Roth mistakenly says that the chrome front tubes of the frame were twisted. They were instead made from hex stock. In addition to the tubes and tank, the fender tip also features a dip of the shinny stuff.


Randy Smith is another famous South Bay builder. Here he is on his Hawg Wild panhead. The nearly identical stance of Doc's Witch is probably no coincidence. The similar length of springers and sissy bars, handlebars, bates style seats, 19" front wheels, tells me that Randy was a major influence. The Witch also had Randy's "Finned Dishpans" installed about a year later when the bike was redone. Since they were all South Bay bikers, Joe Hurst knew both Randy and Doc.


Roth shot some interesting angles. Robert Williams wife Susan, is said to be responsible for that lovely masthead.

Back around 1969-'70, I was lucky enough to see the Witch in the parking lot of what is now called the South Bay Galleria.

Hardly David 3

Also from Choppers Magazine Nov. '69 issue. These cartoons are always signed Luke? As mentioned before, they look like they could be Ed Newtons work.

This Month's Header, Freaky Forks

I try to relate each header's image with something to do with the month. This time it's the cover from Roth's Choppers Magazine Nov. '69 and the drawing I did of it sometime in 1972.


For all you Choppers Magazine fans, here's the actual cover. I recently posted a few Goose-Necks, so why not a Freaky Fork?


Regardless what you think of the strange fork, it's a cool image, and it inspired me. India ink and a black color pencil on illustration board. 1972.


Here's a better look of the featured bike.


Too bad the forks got cropped in the magazine's gutter. I'm not sure his chic was dressed for a putt.

Then as now, guys have always been look'in to be different but, there's a point when it gets ridiculous. Thankfully freaky forks never really caught on.

Random Radness

More good stuff from July 71 Choppers Magazine

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 .

Good Issue III Choppers in Action

More coolness from Choppers Magazine July 71

Does anyone use the term "Putt" anymore? The group of Dresser riders in the background seem amused.


Poking fun. Apes were considered old fashion by this time. No mention that it's Tiny


Cool bike. I really wouldn't consider it that conservative. This guy looks familiar. Shot in front of Roth studios.


The shovel at the top is just about perfect. Forks are little long for today but right in style then. The bottom left photo was used on the cover of the Nov. '69 Choppers Magazine. Bottom right, I don't recognize the bike, but it kind of looks like Dick Allen. He did once run a girder and a chrome frame.

A Good Issue

It's been a while since I've posted any of my old magazines. This one has a ton of "out of sight" images. The American Chopper Enterprises/Himsl Custom Paint Studio ad came from this issue and so did one of the photos of Roth's Mail Box trike.

These cover bikes were not featured, but here's what it said on the index page: Jammin' is what it's all about. In front is a bastard '57 lower end in a '56 frame, topped off with a '62 shovelhead upper end. Close behind is a '49 Pan bored .030 oversize, raked, and running a 12" overstock extension.

The tape on the bound edge of this issue is testament to how many times I looked through it. I'll be posting more from it soon.

Sano Trike Orgins

I've been meaning to post this cool ad for Himsl Trike Bodies for some time. I didn't just want to post it and leave it at that, but rather to show how it relates to other Heros of Chopper History.

The design of the body brings up the question, who first designed this style of trike body?

An Ad for Himsl trike bodies. Love the illustration. The art is not signed, but I have a strong suspicion it was done by Ed Newton. From the July '71 issue of Choppers Magazine.


Art Himsl's Preying Mantis as featured in the larger Nov. '70 Choppers magazine. It had been previously featured in Roth's July '69 digest sized Choppers magazine. Both articles mention the sale of the semi mass produced bodies. The first article calls it the Himsl Brother's Mantis and mentions Art's brother Mike. Art is still going strong but, what happened to Mike?

Because of the dates mention above, I'm sure Art's design was influenced by Roth's first trike, The Candy Wagon.

The trike won Custom Bike of the Year at the '69 Oakland Roadster Show. Art's Alien show car can be seen in the garage in the background.


Roth's Candy Wagon on the Dec.68 cover. One might assume that Ed Newton designed it, but it may not be wholly true.


The article inside shows Newton's early more ominous designs featuring booze related items plus a machine gun. Roth wanted something more kid friendly. Note that the high back seat body is absent in the drawings and nothing is mentioned in the article of the seat body's design orgin.


Was another Roth artist, namely David Mann, the one really responsible for the Candy Wagon's seat/body? Notice the pipes too, and compare to the Candy Wagon cover above. Did Roth decide on the style after seeing this? Did Dave do it after seeing the CW or see another sketch of Newt's, or visa versa? Based on this art and the date, I think Dave had the idea first. Roth published this poster in '68.

BLACK M/C HISTORY MONTH

February ain't just about Valentine's.

Looking sharp in the '30's.


Brother Ben. Perhaps one of the most influential builders ever.


Ben on a '65 H-D that is very likely an ex-police bike. There's another inside the shop's left window.


LA Choppers. From the style of their bikes and their location, I'm sure they knew Ben. This club still exists. I love their colors. I've seen a few members at the Long Beach swap.


EBD's. Probably the most famous of all the black clubs.


Gerald “Fat Daddy”, “Bubba”, “Gerry”, “J.R.”, Biddle. Member of the "Crazy Pharaohs" Port Washington, NY on a well dressed '68.


Bessie Stringfield. Google her.


Good looking group. Note the pin stripes on the second bike and the bobbed fender on the fourth.


Can't hide her feelings sitting on that brand new boat tail.


Sugar Bear. Doing them long, long time.


Can she actually get that Fro in the helmet? Brings a whole new meaning to "Helmet Hair".

So how come Black History Month is celebrated in the shortest month of the year?
"The Man" just keeps stick'in it to the Brothers and Sistahs.