Brenda Leigh: A Timeless Classic

August 5, 2016

Article By: Milwaukee Mike

Photos By: Kerri Schindler

Originally Published In The November 2012 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

For those of you who don’t know, we have some very talented people here in the Midwest. There’s one in particular that I would like to tell all the loyal Cycle Source readers about. He is an up and coming artist that has been quietly honing his skills. He started off by making some fine American made cycle parts, but has now advanced to building complete bikes as can be seen from the photos on these pages. His name is Chad Pearson and his shop is Pearson Customs. The first time I heard of Chad was when Kevin “Teach” Baas used one of his front ends on a class build about 6 years ago. His work stood alone and had a very distinctive, chunky look. Its appearance must have hit a chord with more than a few people because he became so busy that he had to quit his day job and start working full time at the shop to keep up with orders. This also gave him the freedom to expand his offerings to more than just front ends, which now includes a whole new direction in the skinny line. Chad also fabricates one-of-a-kind, made-toorder frames for almost any bike you can dream up. He is very easy to talk to and is as down to earth as they come. So, what are you waiting for; time to get Chad on the phone and get the ball rolling!!

Now back to the bike that is gracing these pages. This is the perfect example of timeless, classic beauty, and an ideal calling card for what Pearson Customs can do. This machine was built so Chad and his wife Kari would have a ride to show off in Sturgis this year, but due to unfortunate events it became so much more than that. The bike was in its last stages when tragedy struck and Chad’s aunt, and sometimes his inspiration, past away. It was a bitter sweet couple of days as the bike’s final assembly was done out of town while they attended Chad’s aunt’s funeral. Because of this, the machine got its distinctive moniker, the Brenda Leigh, his beloved aunt’s name. The icing on that cake was the flying lady that adorns the top of the gas tank. Now, every time he and Kari look down, he can remember that his aunt is always in the wind along with them as they roll wherever they may wander. Even though Chad didn’t know it at the time, because that piece of metal art had been acquired about 10 years ago or so — Chad couldn’t quite remember, but it would be the spitting image of how he would remember Brenda. In fact, as they were at the wake, Chad wanted to park the bike outside the funeral home. The director of the funeral home said it would be more fitting to bring the bike inside and show it with her photos and personal effects to remind people of how special this lady really was.

Chad and Kari came straight from the funeral to Sturgis. They wanted the rest of the world to see the fruits of his labor and give another angle on how special this machine had become. The bike became a part of the healing process for his family. Chad and his father did all the final assembly, but the whole family pitched in because that’s just the way they all are. The extended family also lent a hand. Jason Schulberg reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out a rear fender from his first ever chop and donated it to the cause. The fender fit so perfectly, that even the holes for mounting and the sissy bar did not have to be redone. Teach donated the carb and helped Chad rebuild it as well, and Big Jimmy did all the paint and finish work. Chad’s friend Dennis at Hot Metal Designs drew up the tank badges while Greg cut them to make vision a reality. Chad said this bike got an immense amount of help and became a bit of a group effort as the whole process took only 30 days. As I mentioned, Chad built the frame himself using all American steel tubing, as he does with all his frames. He used a stock Pan frame to model the bottom half, but the top is all Pearson. A 2” out – 5” up and 38 degree rake was added to the list of changes. He then designed and hand built the Springer to fit. Like I said earlier, it is one of the brand new skinny Springers he is now producing. The stock 1957 Pan motor and kick-only transmission were sent out to Ken Mlsna at Smiley’s Cycle Works. Ken handled the rebuild of the 74” motor and did it in a very quick and proper fashion.

This bike was swimming around in Chad’s head for at least the last ten years, and it all came together in just 30 days. Chad said, “It was a bit like watching it being built on a time lapse camera as every day brought me closer to my goal.” Chad would like to thank Kari for putting up with all the madness in those 30 days. He also wants to thank: Ken at Smiley’s, Kevin, Jason and Big Jimmy as well as Dennis and Greg and his dad for their invaluable help turning a personal ride into a family heirloom. Now we can all enjoy seeing Brenda Leigh in the wind!