If you read the last issue of GK, you'll remember Jeff Baer. He has the most incredible collection of old bikes... although 'collection' makes it sound like they sit around being looked at. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jeff builds bikes out of boxes of bits, and then rides them. His Knucklehead in the last issue featured all 'as found' parts. Another of his bikes is in issue 8, and to be honest, we could could put a bike of his into every issue and never run out – or get bored.
This is his flat-track bike, and these photos are from races in Ohio over the past couple of years. Jeff says: "I built it for flat track racing about 4 or 5 years ago. The chassis is basically 1941. The fork is an XA type with the extra ground clearance. As you may well know, HD used these on some 1941 WLA’s as well as Canadian Knuckles also. I used it so I could run the bigger clutch and still have room to lean in the turns.
"The motor came out of an Ice Racer that belonged to a Champion Hill Climber named Charlie Jacob and hadn’t run since the early 1960’s. I unstuck a valve (as usual) cleaned the points on the magneto and have been racing this engine ever since without a tear down…yet. It’s a real testament to the simplicity and dependability and durability of these 45 ci engines."
This guy is beyond cool.
1 comment:
That blasting cabinet seems to be gasping in delight!
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