Daily Slideshow: This Classic Shovelhead Chopper is Classy as Hell

A Side Project

Be honest, how often do you actually finish that 'side project' you've been working on? Well thankfully Buddy Collins isn't like so many of us and finishes what he starts, and then adds a little extra. Many of us, this writer included, could take a leaf out of Buddy's book because there are a lot of benefits to accomplishing something like this. As Collins puts it, "the feelings and sense of accomplishment one can get out of starting with an idea and working hard to reach a goal is incredible. And for me, that outlet came in the form of this bike." 

A Friend of a Friend

Collins came across the basis for his creation while on a trip. The bike originally belonged to a friend of a friend, who had planned to rebuild it himself as his own side project but never got around to it. When Collins got his hands on the bike it was basically just a frame and engine and would, realistically, need almost a total rebuild. But the hardest part wouldn't be rebuilding the bike, it would be letting it go. According to Collins, "because working on, riding, and building bikes is something I really love, the hardest part is letting go of the bike so I can move on to the next one."

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Brass and Wood

Collins completely rebuilt the motor and, in the process, made some brass pushrod covers, keeping with the brass and chrome style of the bike. The pushrods are easily one of the standout features of the bike. Something which doesn't keep with the brass and chrome style, however, is the wooden bowl. According to Collins, "one day I happened on this wooden bowl I made back in high school. With a few changes and the right stain color, that's that. It is real wood!"

>>Join the conversation about this custom Shovelhead Chopper right here in HDForums.

Special Touches

Yes, the brass pushrods and wooden bowl really stand out, but there are other special features on this bike which shouldn't be overlooked. Like the set of drag bars which sit on top of a Paughco Springer and really help to set the lines of the bike. Then there are the split rocker boxes which are truly split by jumping the oil lines from one to the next. Although Collins says, "I just built my vision of a simple bike." We're not sure if this build could truly be called "simple", but it's definitely special. 

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Mostly Hand Made

So much of this bike was put together by Collins' own hands. Like the leather seat, grips, and belt, for example, which Collin's hand-tooled, stitched and stained himself. One of the tasks which Collins sought outside help for was the painting and powder coating of the bike, to which Justin Powers gets props. The only part of the paint scheme which stands out from the dark olive base is the Harley Davidson logo on the tank - simple but effective. Buddy Collins set himself an ambitious goal, then went out and crushed it. Why not use Collins as inspiration and set yourself a goal today, then make sure you finish it.

>>Join the conversation about this custom Shovelhead Chopper right here in HDForums.

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