Deep within the confines of the biker subculture has always remained a series of "happenings" and moments over the years, pure, raw, forever nostalgic moments that have given fellow bikers a sense of pride for having lived through them or been a part of them. We have always tried to pay homage to moments like this and regionally these moments have become something that have transformed the landscape surrounding these biker happenings and brought others in pilgrimage to find their own sacred yet wild moments within them. Daytona Bike week forever immortalized by the striking images in the pages of biker magazines of the eighties and nineties was forever transformed when Daytona legend Willie Jones of the famed "Tropical tattoo" in Ormond beach began hosting a "true to the core"custom bike show called "chopper time" birthed from the comradery of fellow bikers and custom builders that would often make his tattoo shop lot a staple of their adventures. The show soon became the mecca of Southern motorcycle culture and held true to its core values for over 2 decades now. Early on bringing along the outgoing vaudevillian talents of the quick witted "Roadside Marty" as his master of ceremonies and an All Star cast of judges that made the shows awards a true "judging of its own peers" the show was destined to get bigger and better with every passing year. Not only did the show allow builders from all over the country from all walks of life to showcase their talents, connect with like minded individuals over a cold well priced brew or just simply cruise the lot looking for continued sources of inspiration, it also had a very important cause fueling it that not everyone knew about.
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.
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.
