This is the other faded picture I had in the garage, for inspiration. Originally, I scanned this picture from Rooster's Feb. '76 feature article in Choppers magazine, and posted it on Nelson's message board almost 10 years ago. I see this picture all over the net, and I know it came from Nelson's board. How do I know when I see it? Because, if you look at the R/H and L/H lower corners of the picture, you can see my thumbtack holes. Next time you see this picture posted on a blog or message board, look for the holes.This bike just blew me away when I first saw it. There is just something undeniablely right with the whole bike. This bike was cool 33 years ago, and if you rolled it out today, it would still be cool, just as it sits. That's a timeless classic. It just looks like it's waiting for it's owner to kick it to life, and hit the road.
Here's Rooster's bike as it appeared in the June '77 issue of Easyriders. It had changed a little, but not much. The square Caddy sealed beam is replaced with a traditional 5 1/2" Bates lamp, the drag bars are gone in favor of Flanders #1 wide bars, and the pipes were chrome now. You can also see the classic "point" molding job on the doglegs where the sidecar loops used to be, in these pictures.
Also, Rooster had taken the Trans-Go auxiliary automatic transmission cooler he was using for an oil cooler, and put it back behind the rear pipe, from its former location on the front downtubes. This is a great shot of his hand-fabbed outer primary with the smoked plexi derby cover, the shaved off inner primary, and the high mids. I'm also thinking that the Lake Injecter didn't stay with this bike for long, either.
I almost bought that sled from Rooster in November of 1975.He was asking 5k and due to a court problem, I only could muster 4k.Some other info, tony at Minestrone leathers out on Macarthur Blvd in Oakland did the seat,at that time spun aluminum oil tanks were rare so members fab'd it, all metal was bead blasted.The pipes were straight but had crosses in them to prevent a nightstick test for mufflers.It had a 468s sifton cam and Andrews first and third gears.I remember his three white German shepards wouldn't leave me alone and I almost droped it in his garage once.One of the dogs tried to do a lamp dance with me.He had a MSD on it and Frisco pegs.The mag wheels were pretty advanced for 1975.I liked 'em but my buddies didn't.I THINK Rooster got killed out on 120 about 13 years ago but i'm not sure.I really miss that bike.Fuck 'em up Chuck in Sonoma was in a 81 calendar with a bike very similar to this one using 2006 era parts.AFFA
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention before I go that in july of '84, I was discussing bikes and D.B. who had recently retired as prez of richmond brought up rooster's bike.Said he too had always liked it a lot and had contemplated building one like it.funny thing was, D.B. retired at church on friday night and saturday morning went down and bought himself a Gold Wing.He told me he'd never go back to Hawg.It's rare for the most part to meet people who ride these days that appreciate the thought and love that we all put into our putts way back then.Now it's sunny days insta biker and a testosterone look.I ride in the rain and snow and them folks always seem to have something other to do when it's not pristine weather.Too bad...Biker used to mean something.
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