Article and Photos By: Daniel Venditto
Originally Published In The July 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
When it comes to a bike that gets some attention, Erik Everwine’s ’65 Purp Sauce Ironhead wins the prize. It’s one of those bikes that, even at an event with builds from all over the world like the Brooklyn Invitational, you get people fighting over space to get a picture. As soon as he rolled up to the Invitational last September, social media was blowing up with shots of this bike. Erik is a union glazier from a southern Jersey town called National Park, not too far from Philadelphia. He said that he has always liked motorcycles and W has had dirt bikes and quads most of his life. His first bike was a street bike, Honda 600RR. He sold that to get another quad but ran out of spots to ride it so he bought his first Harley. His first build was a ’98 Evo Sporty. It was a super fun bike to ride, not to mention reliable, a turn-key bike at its best! He misses it when the Ironhead is giving him a hard time and just doesn’t want to start. Two different animals to say the least, but obviously there’s something about the older bikes/ motors that appeals to many of us, including Erik. He really digs the look, the feel of the ride and most importantly, the way they sound. He remembers the first time they fired up the Ironhead in front of his house. He said that excited was an understatement, just staring at it while it was warming up thinking “Holy shit, that thing is mine!” He remembers making the pipes and couldn’t wait to hear how they sound, then the payoff when he heard them. Even though it was running like shit, it was the best feeling riding it around for the short, ten-minute trip.
Erik first came across the bike at a local shop where it had been sitting for a while. At the time, it was the only thing he could afford so he decided to make an offer. Erik explained that it took him a little over a year to get it from the condition he purchased it to where you see it now. He estimates that he did about 70% of the work himself, with the biggest change being the custom frame by Noise Cycles. He has owned it for about 2 years and 24 July named it Purp Sauce as kind of a joke with his bud Kyle of Xecution Style, who did the amazing paint for him. Kyle really did a number with that part of the project. Erik said it blew him away when he saw it for the first time. Besides the outstanding paint, another eye catching feature is the motor engraving by local artist Mark Ferris. This is something you have to see in person. In addition to Kyle and Mark’s noteworthy craftsmanship, Erik also got a hand from Joe Zito for the wheels and Mike Lippincott in Philadelphia wrapped the seat. Two of Erik’s close buddies, Tommy and Bruce helped with late nights at the garage. Understandably, one of the most challenging parts of this build was getting the clutch dialed in properly. It’s an Exile twist clutch and trying to make it work on a ‘65 Ironhead was frustrating, to say the least. The question he hears the most is “Where’s the clutch?”
While working on the overall look of the bike, a lot of inspiration came from 60’s style choppers and many of the well-known Indian Larry builds. The favorite thing he made on the bike would have to be the handle bars and sissy bar. When they first made the bars, he just had the bends going out towards the sides and wasn’t happy with it. So he and Tommy made some marks, heated them up and bent them forward by eye. They agreed that they were perfect for the overall look. As far as the sissy bar, he wanted to try to tie it in with the bars. They laid it out on the steel table and made a jig to make the bends. They cut a notch in a piece of L angle and made the bends with that. The build felt like it fought him every inch of the way, but the payoff was twice as good. Making the crossover for rear brake and shortening the pedal 3 inches to make it a heel brake was a cool detail to create. He jokes that building and owning a ’65 Ironhead definitely made him a better mechanic. At this point, he’s still trying to make it bullet proof. The motor is getting a top to bottom rebuild by Chris Mell at CMMR. Erik doesn’t have any builds going on right now, just plans to keep Purp Sauce for a few years and ride the shit out of it. Erik wants to thank Bruce and Tommy D for all of their help with the build; Dan for shooting the bike in Wildwood. Also, Kyle at Xection Style for that paint job, Mark Ferris for the engraving and Joe Zito for the wheels and of course his crew The Burnouts. Most of all, he wanted to thank his fiancé Starr for putting up with all the late nights in the garage and all the money spending.
Purp Sauce Tech Sheet
Owner: Erik Everwine
City/State: National Park, NJ
Builder: 2015
year: 1965
Model: XLCH Ironhead
Value: More Than The $10K I Put In
Time: 12 Months
ENGINE
Year: 1965
Model: Ironhead Sportster
Builder: Owner & Friends
Ignition: Morris Magneto
Displacement: Stock
Pistons: TP Teflon Coated
Heads: Stock
Carb: S&S Super B
Cam: PB Cams
Air Cleaner: Benchmark
Exhaust: Owner & Friends
Primary: Stock
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1965
Make: Harley-Davidson, Rebuilt
Shifting: Exile Twist Clutch
FRAME
Year: Noise Cycles
Model: Rigid
Rake: 30 Degrees
Stretch: Little Shorter Than Stock
Forks
Type: Inline Springer
Make: Repop
Extension: Stock
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Akron
Size: 23”
Tire: Chengsin 3.00
Rear Wheel: Akron
Size: 18”
Tire: Coker
Rear Brake: Mechanical Drum
PAINT
Painter: Xecution Style
Color: Purpsauce
Type: Over The Top
Graphics: Over The Top
Chroming: Frankford Chrome
Engraving: Matt Ferris
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Custom
Risers: Crows Nest Top Clamp
Hand controls: Exile Twist Clutch
Gas Tank(s): Throttle Addiction
Front fender: Absolutely Not
Rear Fender: Coppersmith
Seat: Mikeyseats
Foot controls: Owner
Oil Tank: Modified K Model
Headlight: 2” Laserstar
Tail light: Modified Old Nautical
Speedo: Hahahaha
Photographer: Daniel Venditto