'55 Pan-kenstein project

I bought this Panhead in April 2005, and have finally got it looking a little more how I want.

I bought it cheap, and no wonder: it was in a softail frame, and the engine was compiled from years stretching from 1955
(right side case) through the sixties (heads) to 1973 (alternator shovel left-hand case).
Never mind, it was registered (titled as a '55) and ran good!

I rode it around a bit, but the softail frame and overlength springer weren't cutting it, so in January 2006 I pulled
the bike apart and started again. Ebay came in handy: I sold off the frame and springer, and bought
a cheap Paughco frame, horseshoe oil tank, repro Model A tailight and some NOS cocktail shaker mufflers.
Then I spent a fair whack on a brand spankin' new W&W VL-style springer from Germany. And what a beautiful bit of kit it is.

October 2006. Getting there ... (see that green thing in the b/ground? That's called fun in a KTM wrapper).

April 2005. Softail frame and extended springer. Ugh!

I also opened up the belt primary to the elements and fitted a jockey shift (since removed again)
and installed some new clutch plates. A fellow chopper freak, my friend Buzz, gave me a bearing support,
then flew up from Geelong and did some fine welding on the frame,
creating the cool pipe tabs and tank mounts. Thanks mate!

Then I put the thing back together with a repro knuckle rear fender (from Taiwan, crap) –
which as you can see I have now swapped for a NOS UK-made ribbed skinny mudguard.
(I made the struts, Buzz massaged the radius of the fender).

Buzz, the mad fabricator!

One of the biggest headaches
was aligning the rear wheel: only after I realised I have a '63-'66 juice rear brake
could I get the correct spacers and axle in order for it to fit.

But for now, it's running well, I've got a couple of nice CD cast parts on it (air horn/pegs),
a beautiful hand-turned aluminium stack (Buzz, you rule!) and ... it's legal (kind of)!

Stay tuned .... Pan-kenstein is going to keep transforming!