Black Swan & The Coney Island Motorcycle Show
This year at the 2022 Wauseon Nationals AMCA meet there was a special show that had its first year at the event. Wauseon is all about honoring and keeping antique motorcycles alive. A part of vintage culture that has never been fully represented at the meet is the elaborately decorated vintage Harley Davidsons in the Coney Island motorcycle style. The old style bright multi-bulbed signage and lights of the Coney Island boardwalk in New York birthed the idea for the style and custom builders began designing these insanely intricate ornamental seat rails, light rails and over the top adornments making their bikes much like a rolling Christmas trees. Each bike willing to out do the next in terms of shiny chrome accessories and blinding lights. Each one it's own challenge to make unique in it's own way. Well, a man by the name of Ernie Barkman of upstate New York sought out to build his own Coney Island bike in the style he had grown up with since the early 1960's. The bike would serve as an example of Ernies work building custom seat rails and other light mounting fixtures for himself and other Coney Island style riders. We sat down with Ernie and his bike and discussed the show he brought together and his awesome vintage Coney Island tribute, The Black Swan.
So why don't we start by having you tell us a little about the bike, it started as a 1950 Panhead correct?
Yep, It's a 1950 Pan and there was a guy by the name of Dave Starr that made the gas tanks for this back in the 1960s. I found these scooped gas tanks and I knew he was a big custom gas tank builder back then and this would be a perfect part of it. Most of these accessories came off of a shovelhead back in the sixties. Someone made all these different accessories and decided they did not want them on the bike so a lot of them had to be narrowed to fit on this bike. So, it took some work to get them to fit. A few pieces also came out of some swap meets in Florida. Really a lot of this was from a big accessory accumulation I had amassed over the years. I found all these rails and everything for the back in different swap meets. Just started collecting about 10 years ago when I bought the bike. It actually started out as just a stock panhead.
Wow, so that's pretty neat you actually built this all up to emulate the specific era of Coney island motorcycles that was so famous to New York and the east coast. Which you are actually part of the Coney island rider's motorcycle group that has a bit of a following online now keeping this alive correct?
Yeah we have a pretty good following on the Coney island mc Facebook group page. It's got almost 1,000 members from all over that share their motorcycles and stuff. Like all this style. When the chapter wanted to have a Coney Island weekend here at Wauseon I got everyone together that could bring their bikes to the show. It's not easy either, you know cuz we've got guys from all over.
Where are you from then?
We live up in the Catskills in upstate New York.
So have you done a bit of riding with the bike up there?
Ohh yeah, we've gone on some great rides around there. The roads are just beautiful up there.
So you set this all up with the AMCA?
Yeah they contacted me through the group.
So how did you go about getting all these other people to come be a part of this? There are some really great bikes that honestly, we go to a lot of shows and we've never seen. It's really impressive.
Well I got ahold of a lot of the guys I knew could make it and I was expecting about a Dozen or more bikes at least. We only were able to get 9 to show up in the end.
You know it's honestly really neat to be able to see even one or two of these bikes let alone a dozen together so I know a lot of people appreciate this and it's really a treat for Wauseon weekend here.
Well you know just even for me I'm pulling a motor home and a trailer. It takes about $600 in gas to be here roundtrip so it's a lot to get alot of these guys out. It's understandable though.
Well we really appreciate everyone who was able to come out. Like I said, this is a very niche group of bikes you wouldnt see any where. I mean it's honestly just a whole different part of custom motorcycle culture that is really unique. Its definitely something like custom choppers where you have a guy with a wild long front end and people approach their bike and go, how or why would you even ride that? Or where they put wild high pipes or some taller than life handlebars. I'm sure you've gotten quite a bit of that response riding this around right?
Ohh yeah definitely, you know people love to come up and see it and see it all lit up in the back. I actually had to set up a whole different charging for that because the stock charging system couldnt handle all the lights.
Did you have to convert a lot over to led then?
Yeah. I did, I changed them all over to LEDs. It saves a lot of power. I make these light rails too and I've got some of the lights for sale so people can try it on their own.
Wow that's really cool, so you actually made the custom seat rail on this bike and some of the other bikes here right? I believe I recognized your work on the seat rail for Franklin's "Blackula" coney island bike that was in the Mama Tried show this year. Is that your work too?
It is, it is, and you know Franklin is here he just couldnt bring the bike cuz its in the museum but yeah, I make all these seat rails and I made the one for this. It's just kind if been my hobby, I like it.
So, I see you have several rails for sale here alongside the lights and that's really cool. These will undoubtedly be collector items one day just as the parts you found from the 60s where. So, in regards to the show here today, is this the only one of it's kind or have you organized other shows like this somewhere else?
Well, no not a big collection like this but I have shown the Black swan Panhead at other shows. Like I showed it at the Oley, Pennsylvania show and the Rinebeck show. We also have Catskill mountain thunder in September. Typically it's only my bike and no one else's.
So the bike has a name you just mentioned then right?
Yeah, the Black Swan. It's a black bike, it's got a swan on the front, I mean, people started asking me about it and I realized hey you know that's actually a cool name.
So where did the actual swan ornament originate from?
It came off of a Packard car from back in the 40s.
I kinda feel like this bike is a good crossover with classic custom car culture. The tail fins especially.
Ohh definitely. Like a 50s thing ya know?
This is like a 57 tail fin on a Chevrolet. I mean that's definitely what the styling is about and where it came from.
What's one of your favorite details or parts of the bike that someone might not quite notice at first? There's definitely a lot to take it when you first look at it.
Well at first of course the tanks are a great part especially where it has these scoops on the sides. Also can you see down here, the polished cutters here on the front fender have engraving on the underside of them. Like the person who made these actually took the time to engrave the underside knowing you would have to see the reflection on the bike at just the right angle to see this. I think that's pretty cool you known.
So when did this whole Coney Island motorcycle style really begin?
Around the early to mid sixties really. You know that's really when I started seeing it. My dad used to take me to scrambles and hill climbs back in the day when I was like 8 or 9 years old and in the parking lot of these events you would start seeing all these kinds of bikes popping up. I remember just loving seeing them. The way they were decorated and all the lights. It was a really neat thing.
Well it's really cool that all these years later you've been able to keep that interest going and even help contribute to the Coney Island riders culture by making these awesome seat rails and light rails to keep other people inspired in transforming their bikes into this type as well.
Photos and words by Mike Vandegriff
So why don't we start by having you tell us a little about the bike, it started as a 1950 Panhead correct?
Yep, It's a 1950 Pan and there was a guy by the name of Dave Starr that made the gas tanks for this back in the 1960s. I found these scooped gas tanks and I knew he was a big custom gas tank builder back then and this would be a perfect part of it. Most of these accessories came off of a shovelhead back in the sixties. Someone made all these different accessories and decided they did not want them on the bike so a lot of them had to be narrowed to fit on this bike. So, it took some work to get them to fit. A few pieces also came out of some swap meets in Florida. Really a lot of this was from a big accessory accumulation I had amassed over the years. I found all these rails and everything for the back in different swap meets. Just started collecting about 10 years ago when I bought the bike. It actually started out as just a stock panhead.
Wow, so that's pretty neat you actually built this all up to emulate the specific era of Coney island motorcycles that was so famous to New York and the east coast. Which you are actually part of the Coney island rider's motorcycle group that has a bit of a following online now keeping this alive correct?
Yeah we have a pretty good following on the Coney island mc Facebook group page. It's got almost 1,000 members from all over that share their motorcycles and stuff. Like all this style. When the chapter wanted to have a Coney Island weekend here at Wauseon I got everyone together that could bring their bikes to the show. It's not easy either, you know cuz we've got guys from all over.
Where are you from then?
We live up in the Catskills in upstate New York.
So have you done a bit of riding with the bike up there?
Ohh yeah, we've gone on some great rides around there. The roads are just beautiful up there.
So you set this all up with the AMCA?
Yeah they contacted me through the group.
So how did you go about getting all these other people to come be a part of this? There are some really great bikes that honestly, we go to a lot of shows and we've never seen. It's really impressive.
Well I got ahold of a lot of the guys I knew could make it and I was expecting about a Dozen or more bikes at least. We only were able to get 9 to show up in the end.
You know it's honestly really neat to be able to see even one or two of these bikes let alone a dozen together so I know a lot of people appreciate this and it's really a treat for Wauseon weekend here.
Well you know just even for me I'm pulling a motor home and a trailer. It takes about $600 in gas to be here roundtrip so it's a lot to get alot of these guys out. It's understandable though.
Well we really appreciate everyone who was able to come out. Like I said, this is a very niche group of bikes you wouldnt see any where. I mean it's honestly just a whole different part of custom motorcycle culture that is really unique. Its definitely something like custom choppers where you have a guy with a wild long front end and people approach their bike and go, how or why would you even ride that? Or where they put wild high pipes or some taller than life handlebars. I'm sure you've gotten quite a bit of that response riding this around right?
Ohh yeah definitely, you know people love to come up and see it and see it all lit up in the back. I actually had to set up a whole different charging for that because the stock charging system couldnt handle all the lights.
Did you have to convert a lot over to led then?
Yeah. I did, I changed them all over to LEDs. It saves a lot of power. I make these light rails too and I've got some of the lights for sale so people can try it on their own.
Wow that's really cool, so you actually made the custom seat rail on this bike and some of the other bikes here right? I believe I recognized your work on the seat rail for Franklin's "Blackula" coney island bike that was in the Mama Tried show this year. Is that your work too?
It is, it is, and you know Franklin is here he just couldnt bring the bike cuz its in the museum but yeah, I make all these seat rails and I made the one for this. It's just kind if been my hobby, I like it.
So, I see you have several rails for sale here alongside the lights and that's really cool. These will undoubtedly be collector items one day just as the parts you found from the 60s where. So, in regards to the show here today, is this the only one of it's kind or have you organized other shows like this somewhere else?
Well, no not a big collection like this but I have shown the Black swan Panhead at other shows. Like I showed it at the Oley, Pennsylvania show and the Rinebeck show. We also have Catskill mountain thunder in September. Typically it's only my bike and no one else's.
So the bike has a name you just mentioned then right?
Yeah, the Black Swan. It's a black bike, it's got a swan on the front, I mean, people started asking me about it and I realized hey you know that's actually a cool name.
So where did the actual swan ornament originate from?
It came off of a Packard car from back in the 40s.
I kinda feel like this bike is a good crossover with classic custom car culture. The tail fins especially.
Ohh definitely. Like a 50s thing ya know?
This is like a 57 tail fin on a Chevrolet. I mean that's definitely what the styling is about and where it came from.
What's one of your favorite details or parts of the bike that someone might not quite notice at first? There's definitely a lot to take it when you first look at it.
Well at first of course the tanks are a great part especially where it has these scoops on the sides. Also can you see down here, the polished cutters here on the front fender have engraving on the underside of them. Like the person who made these actually took the time to engrave the underside knowing you would have to see the reflection on the bike at just the right angle to see this. I think that's pretty cool you known.
So when did this whole Coney Island motorcycle style really begin?
Around the early to mid sixties really. You know that's really when I started seeing it. My dad used to take me to scrambles and hill climbs back in the day when I was like 8 or 9 years old and in the parking lot of these events you would start seeing all these kinds of bikes popping up. I remember just loving seeing them. The way they were decorated and all the lights. It was a really neat thing.
Well it's really cool that all these years later you've been able to keep that interest going and even help contribute to the Coney Island riders culture by making these awesome seat rails and light rails to keep other people inspired in transforming their bikes into this type as well.
Photos and words by Mike Vandegriff