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Zylstra Choppers out of Grand Rapids, Michigan is known for his well defined style that includes a range of high performance big bore motors in classic 80's muscle bike chopper style frames. We had come to know Reece Zylstra through many motorcycle events over the years but we wanted to get down to the route of where it all began for him and what lead his amazing progression of building extremely high quality machines from the start. What we came to realize about Reece was that much like many builders in the midwest he learned his skilled trades through years of dedication and hardwork that with every bike got more refined and more satisfying than the one before it. After years of honing his skills he has built some of our favorite bikes, bikes that have earned their place not only in some of the biggest magazines and bike events in the country but actually out there on the roads stacking mile after mile. We joined Reece on a chilly winter day at his home shop, talked about his Upper peninsula Michigan bike event "Apocalypse Run" and got to get up close with the one bike he couldnt let get away, his 1955 FL generator Shovelhead Harley Davidson.
It's always a great thing to find a vintage motorcycle that has just the right amount of patina that shows it's been appreciated yet actually ridden and such is the case with this 1974 Amen Savior framed CB750 chopper from Brandon Paschke. Originally assembled from parts ordered out of the back of an old biker magazine this bike started out as a product of the chopper boom in the 70's and remained true to the style all these years. We caught up with Brandon and his bike at Powell Farms in beautiful Oregonia, Ohio just after the wild party vibes of the Devils Staircase hillclimbs where many bikers make the homage trek with their vintage bikes continuing a tradition of rolling custom machines out to the farm, something that's been happening literally since the 70's when many of the Amen framed bikes were on the rise. From the photos you could honestly look and imagine you were back at Powell Farm in 1974 seeing as how both the farm and the bike have changed so little in almost 50 years. So to get an idea of how Brandon came to own this awesome survivor we picked his brain on the bike and some of the good times he has had with it continuing on with its journey.
In the world of custom choppers it's easy to get wrapped up in the ever popular doom and gloom motif when choosing what statement your bike is going to make. Well what if doom and gloom isn't your cup of tea? What if you are more of the good times party vibes kinda chopper enthusiast? Well we have just the bike for you then and quite frankly we've had just about enough gloom for one lifetime this past year so right now the world could use a little P.M.A. and a solid vacation. Which is why we wanted to get a little insight on the "party shirt vibes" Iowa native and custom builder Jace Schroeder is laying down with his 1966 Crazy Frank shovelhead swing arm chopper "Vacation forever." Along with the paint masterworks of Michael Geltz aka "Flying Weasel" and one shot wonder artist Bob Anderson, Jace is setting the dial to a cool yet comfortable 72ﾟ permanently with this ever chill Shovelhead "Vacation Forever."
When it comes to the Greasy Dozen Builder Collective, you never know what you'll see. The range of makes, models, and even styles is so broad, when selecting builders each year we look for things you don't always see and John Moorehead's submission was exactly that! John submitted a 1977 Harley-Davidson Ironhead XLT into the Chopper category. Just from looking at the pictures he submitted, we could tell this wasn't going to be your everyday Ironhead chopper. His submission immediately sent us back to the 1970s when ironhead choppers were everywhere. John clearly had a vision of building a 1970s chopper and he absolutely nailed it with this build. Hop in the time machine and let's head back to the 1970s! Without further ado, let's dive into this interview and learn more about his build.
When it comes to the Greasy Dozen Builder Collective, you never know what you'll see. The range of makes, models, and even styles is so broad, when selecting builders each year we look for things you don't always see and Fred Elwell's submission was exactly that! Fred submitted a 1980 Harley Davidson Shovelhead into the chopper category. Along with his submission photos, he wrote a little bit about his plan to build a swing arm chopper... that got our heads turning, it seems to be a continuous debate within the "chopper world" if a swing arm bike can be considered a chopper. Could Fred's build change the mind of the naysayer's? We had alot of faith in him, and we must say, he absolutely knocked this build out of the park! Without further ado, let's dive into this interview and learn more about his build.
