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Zylstra Choppers

February 25, 2021

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.

1966 Crazy Frank Shovelhead

February 02, 2021

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."

The Greasy Dozen: John Moorehead

January 19, 2021

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.

The Greasy Dozen: Fred Elwell Shovelhead

January 08, 2021

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.

The Greasy Dozen: Nigel Mount Buell Lightning S3T

January 05, 2021

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 Nigel Mount's submission was exactly that! Nigel submitted a 2002 Buell S3T Thunderbolt into the tracker category. It's not every day you see a Buell being used as the starting platform for a build. Some of you may have never heard of Buell, and that's not uncommon. The Buell Motorcycle Company had a short lived life, ex-Harley Davidson engineer Erik Buell founded the company in 1983, it was then acquired by Harley Davidson in 2003 and production was ended in 2009. The Buell was a unique motorcycle and many people think Harley's decision to end production was a big mistake.

The design of the Buell is intriguing to us, using a tubular frame, cradling a Harley engine... The possibilities with this starting platform seem endless, when Nigel submitted this, we knew we had to pick him. Without further ado, let's dive into this interview and learn more about his build.