The idea, to hand build a one of a kind show stopper that wasn't a Harley Davidson. An idea that Bob Hannon of Schaumburg, Illinois had beginning in 1981 when assembling a team a various Craftsman all over the Midwest to build the “Project: Ultimate Honda.” “The goal is to build the show bike of show bikes, a machine that could not be beaten” said Bob in a Choppers magazine interveiw in 1982. The build was picked up by the publication Custom bike - Choppers magazine as an ongoing feature in multiple issues during the full build process and the hype really began to circulate about this one of a kind machine. Once completed Bob traveled the show circuit in 1982 winning award after award under the bike name “Chicago.” After a couple of years of racking up trophies, the bike laid dormant only to end up changing hands a couple of times and was then finally discovered again around 2005 by chopper enthusiast Jim Tigner. The bike at that time had been completely disassembled repainted bright purple and crated in a custom crate leaving Jim with the daunting task of collecting all of the 1980’s magazines and figuring out a blueprint to restore “Chicago” to its former 80’s glory. We caught up with Jim and the fully assembled masterpiece CB750 chopper at this year's Wauseon swap meet and he shared with us a little back story on how he came to restore this one of a kind show stopping Honda survivor chopper.
Flat Track racing is deeply rooted in motorcycle history, especially here in North America dating back to the early 1900s. For many people, the invention of the motorcycle was a new way of transportation, but for some it was a new lease on life. For those that saw the motorcycle as something more than just getting you to and from work, little did they know they would be on the ground floor of building the longest running extreme sport. Although Flat Track racing may not be for everyone, it is easily respected and appreciated by anyone who has thrown their leg over a motorcycle.
When it comes to vintage choppers just about everything under the sun has been done, so it takes a true craftsman to take the inspiration from other builders and projects and make it truly their own. A machine that stands out and continues the line of inspiration for generations to come. Such is the case with the very unique 1948 Panhead built by Dan Haas. Dan has spent a lifetime collecting antique oddities and sharpening his skills in metalwork and fabrication and his build is like a perfect blending of his love for obscure antiquities and the dedication to his craft. We spent a weekend with Dan in beautiful Daytona Beach Florida for the 2021 bike week and had the chance to get up close and personal with his incredibly "one off" machine. Something that you absolutely can not walk past without doing a double take at all the intricate details and custom brackets and fabrication. So here is our chance to do that double take and get to know Dan a little better in this one on one interview.
The 1970’s + 80’s were some funky years in the flat track world, motorcycles were quickly evolving and manufacturer’s were fighting to claim the title of the best performing motorcycle and team. During the late 70’s through the 80’s we saw all sorts of oddball bikes popping up and making their attempts to claim the title. In this story we’re going to cover one specific model that made an appearance in the flat track world for a short stint, that many people may have forgot about our weren’t aware it was even a thing. Before we dive into the trials and tribulations of this specific manufactures push into flat track, we need to give a bit of back story and lay out the foundations of how this came to be.
The amount of great times that can be had in Daytona during bike week often seems limitless with events happening daily and one of the great ones not to be missed this year was the Traditional Chopper/ Chopcult show taking place at the world famous "Last Resort Bar" in Port Orange, Florida. This tiny hole in the wall bar has had a very long history of wild times and interesting characters that have left their mark on the establishment and the grounds that surround it. Also a scene for the Hollywood movie "Monster" starring Charlize Theron playing the female serial killer Aileen Wuornous who in real life made the bar one of her last stops before her final incarceration. Who could also forget the infamous "Japanese motorcycle hanging tree" that has a long Daytona history ever since the early 80's bringing to light the dark side of the divide in vintage motorcycle culture. While we do not condone it, the fact remains it's an interesting part of southern biker culture that has long since carved into history so we had to see the tree, the bar, the show and the grounds of Last Resort for ourselves.
