I say she’s from 1977, but “The CheMistress” is quite a concoction of parts. As it sits now, it is an 88” Shovelhead motor with S&S internals inside 1977 Harley cases with an Andrews B-grind cam, and the trans is a close-ratio, 4-speed cowpie inside an STD case.
Being that we've been preaching that vintage Japanese bikes are a solid starting point for your Bug Out Transportation. We thought it would be fun to share with you some of the men and women of the Mad Max Run who are already one step ahead of the game.
Whether it's cars or bikes the name of the game is pre-1950's. You won't ever see anything even as "new" as a Panhead or Shovelhead out there. The 45" flatheads make up a big chuck of the bikes but the big twin flatties and knuckleheads is where the action really heats up out there. Along with the old Harleys you can often see a strong presence of early Indian motorcycles as well asHenderson, Excelsior and many more. No matter what the bike each rider brings their own unique flair to the event, something that brings spectators back again and again.
As the Mama Tried motorcycle show progressed they sought to include the option of a variety of entertaining spectacles surrounding the event happening in all different parts of the city of Milwaukee. From the pre parties, after parties, Flat Out Friday, Harley Davidson Museum and several other "moto-happenings" you would think, how could it get any better?
From 1973 to 1983, the United States was going through what’s now known as the “malaise era”. It’s not really hard to figure out why this was happening, after all, the Vietnam war had just come to a close, fuel economy/emissions regulations were stricter than ever, and political turmoil was mixing with disco dancing in a way that no one really needed. As a result of all these unique elements, automobiles of the era were slow, bland, and frankly, uninspired.
Motorcycles of this period, however, were anything but malaise and it seemed like our country had found its passion not in Automobiles but in the culture of motorcycles. This era produced some of the most legendary bikes, machines that would go on to inspire, slightly terrify, and build a permanent place in the hearts of fun-loving men and women everywhere.
