James Best 49′ Panhead
Article And Photos By: Chris Condon
Originally Published In The May 2014 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
Jame Best was literally born into the hardcore motorcycle scene. His father, James Floyd Best (R.I.P.), or Dudley as most knew him, is a legend in these parts. Dudley opened up his shop, Dudley’s Basement in Central Islip, NY in 1957. Thousands of bikes have passed through the doors since 1957. The shop was a scary place in the early days. Various clubs would always be stopping by and hanging out. Dudley would work on all of their rides while they sat outside, drank and partied; the shop still carries that stigma. Although there are no more clubs hanging out, many independents come by to shoot the shit with James. This is a real bike shop. There’s no fancy display window, and nobody trying to push chrome parts on you that you don’t need. There aren’t any annoying counter people asking you what year, make and model your bike is. It’s just James, by himself, working on customers’ bikes day after day.
James continues to carry on his father’s tradition of helping bikers stay on the road. He specializes in old iron. Dudley was a great man who helped everyone who came through his door and James follows in his dad’s footsteps. He was an innovator and created many outrageous bikes in his time. He also made the worldfamous “Dudley’s Lifters.” He created and patented a lifter that featured a more direct angle for the pushrod to travel which resulted in a 10 percent increase in power. The legend has it that the H-D Motor Company tried to buy the patent from Dudley, but he wouldn’t sell it to them. James still has the patent rights and plans on making them in the near future.
This Pan you see here was built by Dudley in the early ‘70s. He raked the frame, built the motor and tranny, and also painted the bike. All of Dudley’s customers were very loyal, and as a child, James remembers seeing the bike in the basement for service. You see, James did not have the usual childhood. You know, playing sports with your friends, riding your bicycle around the neighborhood. While most of us were screwing off during our younger years, James was down in the basement, at the age of eight, making lifters. He was tearing apart motors and trannys under the guidance of his father and older brother Eric (R.I.P). He also learned how to weld steel and aluminum. His father taught him how to run a lathe and a Bridgeport. He was doing all these things as a child, so naturally, now that he i s a man, he has mastered his craft!
FEature
James is always so busy working he never made time to ride, that was until 4 years ago. The old timer that his father had built this bike for called up and asked James to come by the house. When I said he carried on his father’s tradition, I was not exaggerating. James still services the very same bikes his father built 40 years ago. Some of these guys are now in their seventies and eighties. James naturally thought the old guy wanted some work done. When he got there, the old man called him inside and sat him down. He told him stories of how his father would do things. He recollected on good times spent at the shop. He then told James he was too old to ride the bike anymore and he wanted James to have it. He gave it to James for a very good price. The tranny was missing, but the rest of the bike was all there. It sat the same way it was when his dad built it 40 years before.
James got the bike home and parked it in his kitchen. It would sit for another three years before he had time to get to it. The 2013 Brooklyn Invitational was coming up. Me and some of James’s other friends busted his balls to get a bike of his own on the road. He told me all he needed was a tranny. I had one sitting around for years so I gave it to him with a primary tin, saying that now he had no excuses. He had only 10 days before the invitational. He took the motor apart and polished the rods. Then he shaved and balanced the flywheels. James also shaved and drilled out the gears in the cam chest. He took 20 lbs. out of the motor alone! Oversized valves were used in the heads which were then ported and polished.
He worked day and night for 10 straight days. This bike sounds like a drag car when he starts it up. It runs like a raped ape and keeps up with the “Twin Shams.” James wanted to keep the original patina, so the paint is not pristine. It is a genuine seventies’ chopper built by him and his dad. It has torn up the streets for over 40 years and it is going to tear up the streets for quite some time to come! If you want the best, seek out the best — James Best! You can reach James at 631-851-9005. Follow him on Instagram @ Dudleysbasement and check out more of this motor that I couldn’t show here.
Family Values Pan Tech Sheet
Owner: James Best
City: Islip, NY
Fabrication By: Dudley and James Best
Year: 1949
Model: FLH
Time: 40 Somewhat Years…and 10 Days
ENGINE
Year: 1949
Model: Panhead
Builder: Jame Best
Ignition: Points
Displacement: 74”
Pistons: Wiseco
Heads: HD Ported and Polished
Cam(s): Andrews B
Carb: S&S E
Air Cleaner: S&S Bell
Exhaust: Superior – Modified by James
Primary: Stock HD Chain
TRANSMISSION
Year: Old
Make: H-D
Shifting: Jockey
FRAME
Year: 1958
Make: HD
Rake: Yes
Stretch: De-Stretched
FRONT EN D
Type: HD
Builder: Dudley
Extension: 8 Over
Triple Trees: HD
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Spoked – Star Hub
Size: 18”
Tire: Conti
Brakes: None
Rear Wheel: Spoked – Star Hub
Size: 16”
Tire: Dunlop
Brakes: Juice Drum
PAINT
Painter: Dudley
Color: Blue
Type: Lacquer
Graphics: None
ACCESSORIES
Bars: ‘70s Custom
Risers: 6”
Hand controls: Jockey Shift
Gas Tank(s): King Sporty
Front Fender: None
Rear Fender: Flat
Seat: King/Queen
Foot Controls: Foot Clutch
Oil tank: Dudley Modified
Headlight: Bates
Taillight: Mastercraft 69
Photographer: Chris Condon
