Ignore the idiots and haters Todd, anybody who actually rides or has ridden a kick only bike knows how temperamental they can be. Especially a mag machine that is not properly tuned. Cool machine.

I only have trouble like that when starting my shovel when people are watching

Looks like a nice bike. Love how each bike has a different starter personality. They can embarrass you or make you look really cool. Sometimes both

Awesome ride, bro. Reminds me of my '64 Pan chopper, back in '84. Watching this, still gives me goosebumps. Keep up the good work !!

This video bring back some old memories for me. When I first started riding motorcycles almost every bike on the market was a Kickstarter bike.

Looking forward to. Kicking over my '56 pan newly rebuilt , what fun !!! She's been mine for 34 years !!! Nothing else like a good running PANHEAD !!!

that is a beautiful bike!!! always LOVED those panheads. the look tough and sound good to boot

Cyclesinc when you were young calling bobber's choppers (I see lots of young guys today doing that, or, calling them bobber choppers, the old guys who bobbed their bikes 15 years prior to you getting a bike didn't correct you and your friends. I always try to educate the young guys, before long, they become the old guys, like us. I recall all too well being 19 and not knowing how to kick my Panhead and one of the older guys in his 30's rode with me for a day until I learned to kickstart properly. Pay it forward they call it now

Heck yeah man. Love those old bikes. So cool to think about someone back in the 50s rolling that thing stock off the dealer lot. Vintage stuff is so interesting.

Thanks anyhow. And thanks for the great series of videos, time given for them and info shared. Much appreciated and enjoyed.

@hunting harleys, thanks for these videos, I love learning about these old girls

What i really appreciate about these videos is its history of how alot of these choppers were built back in the past.. Cool bike for sure!

THAT is the style I grew up and fell in LOVE with. There are 2 Bikes I want to "update" using newer engines. An Old School Trumph Chopper and a Harley Bobber in this style.

I can smell the gas from here. I used to have a '54 Matchless 500cc twin, loved it

What a sweet ride ! Love the sound of the older bikes

Badass Bike, been there done that with the kick start. But that's like riding history. So cool

My brother that past away a few years ago..was e hell of mechanic..he could tune those old motors to start first or second kick..no problem.. especially older sportys..

Our old British bikes were the same, each bike had its own personality and very temperamental. That’s a beautiful bike there 👍

It's nice little motorcycle, Todd. New owner is lucky to have it! I never cared for mags. Maybe one day I'll take one apart and have the magnets re-magnetized so it will be up to snuff. Yeah, the carb was obviously not performing right, either... Love those rattly throwout bearings! lol

I love the look of these old pan head motors; the neatest looking design of them all, IMO.

I can appreciate this, having grown up in Berdoo, having ridden Honda Mini-Trails in '68, played piano at age 16 at HA parties, and bought/ridden every freaking bike on earth since, but just now on the verge of needing open heart surgery, and after 7 spinal fusion surgeries, at age 63, I DON'T WANT TO FREAKING DIE JUST STARTING A FREAKING BIKE!!! Lol

Brings back memories watching you move your left leg out of the way after the kick. I’ve been bit there too. Sweet ride

1st bike I ever started was a 51 panhead for a close brother..was the beginning of the rest of my life to love riding and motorcycles with a passion

You are fitter than me.......Six kick's in and I'm sat on the floor knackered......Awesome bike.

I was waiting for it to fall off the sidestand. Nice bike though. I ride an XT500 & old BSA so I've got the knack of kickstarting, (& a scar from kickback !)

I remember the local 81 riding bikes like this back in the late seventies early eighties coming down the highway amazing sounds

Great looking Panhead...........you sure know where to find 'em, hats off to your forte.....

I miss my old kickstart. I think it gave my bike character. Cool video btw

That was great!!!!! ..... thanx for all the videos!!!!!!

I am in Los Angeles California. Glad you enjoy the videos!

Beautiful old bike. Love it!!

i loved the way how you started it. nice work man. i believe that every one should watch your videos. i love them all :)

that's why so many old school bikers went to prison. they couldn't get away fast enough. lol

One of the best looking bikes I've ever seen.

I love that bike. I remember people who owned bikes like that back in the 1970s. Every morning my neighbor rode his to work in summer. At 8:00 in the morning there was this loud FRRRRAAAAMP! and this raked-out bike would roar up the street. It was all young men who owned them back then.

I appreciate your efforts 👍🏾

The reason I asked if it's the original front end is it looks longer than stock and looks like it has more rake than stock. I love the way this bike looks, just want to get a little more info about it. P.S. I love your videos, I just recently started watching them, and I think there great.

Brings back A LOT of memories- I remember kicking till my leg felt like it was gonna fall off....Lol

Actually, 1957 was the last year production of the rigid frame Panheads. The '58 Duo Glide was the first Panhead to get the Swingarm suspension. Athough I agree that '54's are pretty rare. Great looking Pan though! Thanks for the video!

Back in 1986 there was this mexican dude with a Panhead chopper. He would kick start it ten times, step back a few feet and stare at the bike for a moment. Then he would kick start it ten times, step back a few feet and stare at the bike for a moment. Then he would kick start it ten times, step back a few feet and stare at the bike for a moment. It's 2019 and some say to this day he's still kick starting it ten times, stepping back a few feet and staring at the bike for a moment.

what a cool old bike, I'd love to have that bike, but I'm happy with my custom Softail shovelhead.

Hey Todd, no worries! I know what you meant. Today's world with the information being "so easy" to get makes for a new generation of "experts" in those terms (Bobber / Chopper). You got my idea as i got yours (no mater how long the forks were). Your explanation of the terms in the video are a perfect baseline to distinguish the "Bobbers" vs "Choppers"! Keep it up! All the best David

Living at the beach in San Diego was crazy starting my Pan. Night air / day air winter, summer drove me nuts! And I was 275 lbs. Now days 98 Blockhead and Kickers are for Kids. But cool thing was, the bike was always handed off to one of the crew.

I love the sound of that dry clutch with that pan cackle

This is why i love my 1980 Yamaha xs 850 2 kicks and ur on ur way

brings back memories, had a 49 pan with a hunt magneto no battery, over time depending on how much you ride the shaft and mag head wear and develop play, it fucks with timing there's a way around it but I just went back to distributer and battery, made kicking a lot easier, timing and running better

I know this video is old, but I dig that blue paint. Nice Bike!!!

Thanks! Learned some tricks today!!!

Oh yeah that's a beautiful bike. I'm currently on a 2007 electric glide ultra classic but I am looking to get a hold of a nice older bike again Harley Davidson of course, maybe a pan or shovel my last old bobber. And yes it was a bobber not a chop chop. Was a 48 pan-shovel jockey shift four speed trans. S&S super g carb 6over mid glide front end duel front break's open belt and rear belt. 10in risers with 2in z-bars

Wow Im in love with those pipes!

I can understand completely. glad you enjoy the videos!

Love the frame and tank colors!

there is a tremendous variance in value on something like this. costs can range from $5000 - $20,000 or more

I knew a guy and he had 62 Panhead. And when kick-started it it was like a combination lock. You turn the throttle three times, You moved the distributor so these two lines lined up. Then you kicked it a couple times. If it didn't start you cleared it with the ignition off. Then usually it would fire. You got to ride it.

mixing of the two styles of build has given rise to the common modern term chopper bobber. When bobber's originated in the 1930's, they came from a prior movement called a cutdown. These were built from JD's and involved shortening the frame which because of the nature of the JD, also involved shortening the gas tanks (usually).

That bike would be great with an electric starter and battery. I am an old fart. I had a 56 pan but a distributor and standard carberator, therefore mine stated easy. However mine was not as compact or maybe as powerful. The other thing, it is important to know and ride your bike. Nice example

I also forgot to mention, stock 4 inch extended factory forks are not new. This was done on ALL XA and desert WLA models. They came with a factory 4 inch over stock springer. Since you could of bought these forks easily in the 1940's - 1980's, I personally don't view a 4 inch "extension" as a chopper as it still falls into a potentially stock fork length.

I'm 59. Bought my 63 when I was 15 . Still riding it. Have always had a mag on it. Theres a little tweek to your timing, but will always fire right up . Hot or cold. Don't flood it.

1954 saw three dramatic changes in the year. 3 different heads, two different frames (early is wishbone and late is straight leg). early bikes had a horn by the front crash bar and later took the trumpet. HD and every company, even today, puts on later, or earlier, parts during change overs as stocks run out. They don't stop production waiting on the one part that ran out. Unless you have day of sale photo's, you cannot be certain what came on what bike. Only what is on it when you find it.

Pan bobber's tend to go 15 to 35k, 10 is a good shovel bobber price

That's a real Man's bike right there. However, growing up my buddy's aunt had a pearl white 54 pan, and she weighted all of 120lbs. She would kick it with two feet,and fire it up,and shepimp away. So cool!

It seems you guys have an abundance of very cool bikes where you are.(california ?) Up here in toronto canada it is very rare to see a nice old school bike. I'm really enjoying the vids and appreciate the time you take to teach the viewers something about them cheers

excellent video! Beautiful Bike!

Just frickn awesome! ✊💪✌

beautiful bike man. !!!!

I had a 1953 panhead. The way I use to start it was, 2 or 3 kicks with the ignition off then turn the ignition on and it would usually fire up after 1 or 2 kicks. If it didn't, then it could take up to 10 or 20 kicks to get it going.

Nice bike! Great video too!

you are the Harley man..no doubt. you showed it warts and all.

Very cool looking and sound bike

In 1967 a bobber had stock tanks and was just stripped down, usually no front fender rear fender with hinged flip taken off and small solo and pillion seats. A full custom, total strip no floor boards, custom pegs, tank , bars, springer or glide, no front brake, custom rear fender, custom lights and upsweeps etc, that was a chopper. The neck could be raked or not. They weren’t always raked, there were many tall bikes! A full custom Harley was always a chopper, this bobber thing came along much much later, in the late seventies early 80’s. I’ve recently seen Harley with paughco custom frames sportster tanks and solo seats called “bobbers”. I don’t know where that came from but that combo is the definition of chopper. The Panhead that the guy is trying to start is a chopper. Extended front end no front brake 21 “ front wheel no fender custom rear fender equals chopper, raked neck or not. The original name came from “cutting the bike up”, bobber came from taking stuff off. I have been building Harley choppers for a long time, my first was a knucklehead in ‘67 when I was 18. I don’t know how old this author is but we disagree on this matter. Of course you can call the bike anything you want but I think the young guys who are really into the traditional Harley choppers should know the history. No hate, just old guy rant.

Great video!

Can you tell me please how many inches over stock the fork tubed are. 4? 6? Thanks, love this bike.

I'm getting an acid flashback man. Awesome machine

Thanks for the imput. I made this video for a customer who wanted to see the bike run. It is no longer mine now. Unfortunately, the mechanic I brought it to did not "ungum" the carb properly and this is what gave me fits in starting it. it just was not getting fuel properly to make it easy to start.

Man it is crazy how many times you have to kick some of the old school bikes to start them; sure makes me appreciate the electric starter on my '11 Street Glide.

man that brings back some memories.

Amazing bike, ride safe bro

Panheads never die.... absolutly great bike..

I would like to have an Evo Soft tail that looked similar to this bike. Any recommendations on year or model that would be a good starting point? I don't know if there is a soft tail frame that has a similar rake as this wishbone frame but I really like the stance on this bike.

REALLY NICE!!! NICE BIKE .

when your ready, we do sell bikes. glad you like the vids!

The neighbors must love living across a bike shop LOL!

Wow, so nice classic bike. 👍👍👍👍

Dude you have a great eye and tons of talent. I want to buy a bike from you.

Electronic ignition is a life saver, did the conversion on my '71 triumph and never looked back. Sweet ride otherwise

Cool looking bike. I'm sure a modern ignition (electric start, and a front brake) would fix some of the problem. Any 65 year old engine that sits a lot, or is ice cold, would be hard to start. Great stance.

Beautiful bike🖤

I'm not sure why this one vid gets so many views. There are close to 400 vids I have made up

Cool video!👍🇨🇦

yep and any year big twin frame 1937 - 57. 1936, only the OHV (what we call a Knucklehead) had them. The side valve made in 1936 was a VL series and their frame types did not have them.

Hi Todd. I've always had Pans. Magnetos too. I also run Linkert carbs wich, of course have no accelerator pumps. That &S should have some sort of accelerator pump. Even if it is not working, just closing the choke with a few slow kicks will flood it up without ignition. Open the choke & kick it a bit faster,(producing spark),and it should fire up. the spitting out the carb means lean. enricher the idle jet. Hope this helps

yes, that is why you cannot see them on the bottom of the front down tubes, they were cut off

Good old Harley Quality,20 kicks and it still dont start up :D

Oh and that's a nice bike you have there as well.

This channel is special

Try kicking it over a few times with the key off first. That's what worked for my Sportster. Had to prime it that way, 'cause if it coughed out the carb, you had to kick and kick. Sharp looking bike.

didnt notice and side car loops in the frame did they have them that year ?

Beautiful bike

Love that cam.

My dad had D7 Cat Dozers with 2 cyl gas pony engine (magneto ignition) starters...you useta could start those PEs with a crank, arm breaker though. We had electric start for the PEs but sometimes you are out in the boonies and the battery would be dead. The crank was always in the tool box. Spray start was an important ingredient in the winter. Dad was built like a weight lifter just by running those old dozers.