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A Swingarm Pan By El Padre

From The September 2014 Issue Of Cycle Source

Article & Photos By: Grizzly

Feature 5a

El Padre lives in the city of Nantes, France. He has been building more than a handful of choppers lately, purely as a hobby, only selling one when he feels the urge to build a new one. This is his latest creation and El Padre is not the only one who loves it! When I first saw this beautiful bike I thought it was built by a Japanese guy. That racey stance, that awkward high and narrow gas tank, the slim bars tilted forward, the tire-choice, those incredible pipes… Guess how surprised I was when I was at a 70’s style chopper party in France and this bike comes roaring in. Excited, I immediately introduced myself and asked if I could do a photo shoot for Cycle Source Magazine, he was honoured. Not many Europeans appear in an American mag, you know. I learned the man behind this excellent swingarm chopper is in fact French, not Japanese, and goes by the Spanish sounding name Cycle Source September ‘14 77 of El Padre or Padre. This bike is not his first, as he tells me ‘I started riding in 1976’. ‘I owned Sports bikes like Ducati’s 450 demo’s and 750 sport’s. I joined the army and after that I started racing not only on the road but also on the circuit. After a bad crash in 1979, I stopped the racing thing and started riding off-road from 1981 until 1994. I always liked choppers but it seemed so difficult to build one and I couldn’t afford to buy one. It took a long time before I was riding my first hand built chopper. It was 2004 and I was hitting the streets of France with a Swedish style 93 cubic inch rigid longbike’. After selling it Padre started building a Panhead hardtail, inspired by Chopper Dave’s orange flake Panhead. ‘I loved that bike. It ran great and looked perfect in my eyes’, he tells me. ‘In a crazy moment, I sometimes still regret that I sold it. But this way I had the cash to create something new. I’ve built bikes in all different shapes and forms, even built a bike that looked like a Lowrider from Arlen Ness. This bike here is my latest, but I am currently working on an Ironhead Digger as well’.

Feature 5b

When Padre bought the donor bike for creating this badass chopper it had an eighteen litres gas tank, stock fenders and a Springer frontend. ‘It was all but good looking but the motor was sound and it had French papers’. Together with his friend Grole, who rides a rigid shovel with twenty four inch overstock forks, Padre started stripping the bike and turned it into something way better. The frame is a 1972 Swingarm frame that once housed a Shovelhead motor. Padre saw it as a challenge to have a good looking bike that is not a hardtail for a change. He started fabbing one off parts and went looking for special stuff on the internet. His own good taste guaranteed a good mix. The most outstanding part is the Japanese gas tank, for instance, looks made by the man himself but is one of those cool items actually available on the market. It looks so different from anything else that it immediately draws everyone’s attention. Padre went out to look for bars that fit well with the tank, he found a slightly tilted forward set on E-bay that look as if they were specifically made for the tank. He swapped the Springer frontend for a Sporty and bolted on some covers from Low Brow. He then set out to design the awesome exhausts. His buddy Groleg helped him with by welding all the stainless bends together, and the end result: too cool! The rims of the 21 inch front and 16 inch rear wheel were powder coated black. The short rear fender with hidden mounting was made by Groleg as well, from a big stainless bend cut in half. Padre made an organic looking license plate mount and the brake pedal was a gift from Kutty Noteboom. The impressive S&S two throat looks and works better with the help of Japanese chopper parts. El Padre wanted a black and gold paintjob because it reminded him of old British bikes like Norton, AJS and Velocette, all bikes he dreamt of owning when he was young. The gas cap, petcock, Biltwell petcock and Panic Cycles headlight, are all bronze or bronzed, again nothing overdone, just subtle details that look great with the paint. This French talent has won many prices with all of his bikes, including this one. ‘But that is not the first objective for me’ he says. ‘I just like building and riding nice bikes. I can’t sit still and am always on the look out for new projects’. Our French dude has ridden 7500 miles with this bike since he finished it. The Panhead motor is completely rebuilt by a professional, the pistons, crankshaft, and lifters, are all brand new! El Padre ends our conversation stating that he loves all choppers, Frisco, West Coast, Japanese or Swedish style. But he also likes the lifestyle, cool attitude and free spirit of the chopper people a lot. ‘I have ridden all kinds of motorcycles but riding a hand built chopper is a totally different sensation. It is also not for everybody. Many do like choppers but are too afraid to ride one or don’t know how to build one. That makes for a good selection of people I can live with!

Feature 5c

El Padre’s Tech Sheet
Owner: El Padre
City: Nantes, France
Fabrication By: El Padre/ Groleg
Year: 2012
Model: Japanese Style Swingarm Chopper
ENGINE
Year: 1960
Model: Panhead
Builder: Flo Headworks
Ignition: Mallory Unilite
Displacement: 74”
Pistons: Wiseco
Heads: STD and Flo Headworks
Cam(s): Crane 296 A
Carb: Two Throat S&S
Air Cleaner: Velocity Stacks, Bronze
Exhaust: El Padre/ Groleg
Primary: Narrow Belt
TRANSMISSION
Year: 2011
Make: Rev Tech
Shifting: Foot, clutch is hand, with help of a mousetrap
FRAME
Year: 1972
Make: Harley Davidson
Rake: Stock
Stretch: Stock
Forks
Type: Sportster Telescope
Builder: Harley Davidson
Extension: Stock
Triple Trees: Shaved
Covers: Low Brow
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Spool hub, Powder coated rim
Size: 21”
Front Tire: Avon Speedmaster
Rear Wheel: HD, powder coated hub and rim
Size: 16”
Rear Tire: Firestone
Rear Brakes: HD Hydraulic Rear Brake
PAINT
Painter: Atelier Kustom
Color: Black and Gold
Graphics: “El Padre”
ACCESSORIES
Bars: E Bay Motors
Hand Controls: K-tech
Gas Tank(s): Zodiac
Front Fender: Dumped It
Rear Fender: Handmade, Stainless Steel
Seat: Rich Philips Leathers
Foot Controls: Mix Of Stock and Aftermarket
Oil Tank: Stock Shovelhead Swingarm
Headlight: Panic Cycles
Taillight: Retro
Photographer: Grizzly

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