1969 Harley-Davidson Custom Bike Putty - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1969 Harley-Davidson Custom Bike Putty - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
PUTTY IN YOUR HANDS
"Get a Look at the Tank"
Each rider wants to build a different
bike, a better bike than the fellow down
the street Because of this there will
always be people like Tom Fisher of
Cincinnati, Ohio who has just spent two
years and 00 building his idea of a
show machine that has been cleaning up
on the show floors. . . .
Tom's first bike was a 1949 Harley
chopper and he became interested in
bikes "by just being around them I
guess"is the way Tom puts it. Tom did all
the work on the bike himself but friend
Perry Fink reworked the 1961 Harley
mill. Cubes were upped from 55 to 57 via
punching out
Why the show bike stuff? Tom told me
he wanted this type of a machine that
would be good enough to travel the show
circuit He is getting his wish and the
trophies are becoming more numerous.
So also are the custom and bike shows.
One look at the bike and you know
what was the hardest to build. That tank
and the fenders! Look at all the metal
and fiberglass work. The tank was
scooped cut into flames and built com-
pletely out of fiberglass. The design was
built up on the tank then completed with
the 'glass work. Top painting is shown in
the photographs. The fenders front and
rear were reworked in the same manner.
In fact the front fender is the bicycle type
with fiberglass added for the finished
design. It is one of the most interesting
'glass work designs that I have seen at
the various shows. Three months were
spent on the tank and the fenders. Fisher
also painted his own bike light green
candy over pearl.
Chassis or frame work on the '61
Harley Sportster was held to a minimum
with an eight inch slug in the front
telescopic forks. The front wheel was left
stock but a 74" Harley mounts at the
rear. Brakes are stock but the rear brake
arm has been perforated.
Perry Fink smoothed out the Sportster
mill keeping it in stock specs most of the
way. The heads were ported and Tulip
valves are used. Intakes are 1-15/16"
while exhaust valves are 1 Vi". >4 Sifton
full race cam was installed along with
MC forged pistons and rings mounted on
MC stock rods.
Chrome work is much in evidence and...
16179