Article By: Chris Callen
Photos By: Kerri Schindler
Originally Published In The April 2013 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
So my boys at Chop-in Block always have a great assortment of kick ass sleds when they roll into town, but in Sturgis I laid my eyes on a real gem. It was an old Flatty that was done up in the slickest traditional bobber dress. Now this is the k i n d a stuff that drives me nuts; I had to grab the owner and bend his ear for a half-hour or so. Well, the story that I walked away with was one I had to bring to our readers, and one I am honored to tell. Wendell Turner is a Detroit boy who has become known for building great old bikes that always win awards. He grew up under the influence, as it were, when his dad got a chance to grab an old ’46 Cleveland Police Knucklehead. He still remembers the old man taking him for rides on the buddy seat of that bike with another friend of his up on the tank. They didn’t have a garage growing up so the old girl sat outside with a tarp over it. Sure as the sun would be shining, his old man would find Wendell with the tarp off, sitting on the bike waiting until he could ride it. But before he would get that chance, a pickup truck showed up one day with some hairy biker guys in it. They handed Wendell’s father a roll of cash and loaded it up; the Knuckle was gone and it only brought in $150. It crushed Wendell, but it also burned the love of motorcycles into his skull.
While Wendell has built and owned many bikes since the old man’s Knuckle, when it came to this bike, it would end up being h i s favorite motorcycle ever. You see, Wendell’s son Jared came to him around 2002 and told him that he wanted to build a bike with his dad. Wendell was into it and told his son he had a fresh Flathead motor on the bench. They started rooting around the shop for parts to get started Originally, he was going to restore this Flatty, but the bobber thing was just getting popular and he thought that would be a more fitting bike for the kid to ride so it was gonna be retro all the way. It was about a year into the build when Jared was diagnosed with cancer. They were just about done with the bike, but once he started chemo treatments, he didn’t feel safe taking a hand shift, rocker clutch out on the road. If he wrecked, even a light fall, it could be fatal. He underwent a major surgery to remove a tumor from his lower back that left him without the use of one leg; it didn’t stop him from fighting. For the next four years the bike sat finished waiting for Jared to ride her. He got stronger, was able to walk again and continued to fight the cancer, but sadly was never able to ride the Flatty. He was only 32 years old when he lost the battle with this gripping disease–too young and Wendell’s only child.
You would think that this story would be too painful for a parent to pass along, but Wendell chooses to celebrate his son’s life with positive thoughts and cherished memories, and the Flathead is among those. Over the years, it has become his favorite bike. It never leaves him stranded, it’s never hard to start, and it has been the perfect bike. He’s not sure if his son has seen to that in some way, but he’s decided that he’d never take it back apart. For the rest of his days it will remain in the exact configuration it was built. Funny, he mentioned that the bike with rattle can paint and spare parts has won m o r e awards and captured more people’s attention than anything else he’s ever done. Today, Wendell rides the hell out of the Flatty and continues upon the work of building and restoring some of the greatest old bikes throughout the Midwest. He favors the pre-1980 bikes; mostly the ‘40s and ‘50s style motorcycles. You can see him these days running with the Chop-in Block crowd. You’ll know him right away ‘cause he has a few little beauties like this Flatty that he travels with. If you see him on the road, you can guarantee it will be on this old girl.
In Memory Of Tech Sheet
Owner: Wendell Turner
City: South Lyon, Georgia
Fabrication By: Turner’s Cycle Shop
Year: 1945
Model: UL
Value: Priceless
Time: 6 Months
ENGINE
Year: 1945
Model: UL
Builder: Wendell & Jared Turner
Ignition: H-D
Displacement: 74c.i.
Pistons: H-D
Heads: Cast Iron
Cam(s): H-D
Carb: M33 Linkert
Air Cleaner: H-D
Exhaust: Stock 2-into-1
Primary: Open Belt Drive
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1945
Make: H-D
Shifting: Tank Shift
FRAME
Year: 1945
Make: H-D
Rake: Stock
Stretch: Stock
FRONT END
Type: Springer
Builder: H-D
Extension: Stock
Triple Trees: Custom TCS
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Spoke
Size: 21”
Tire: Goodyear
Brakes: Stock Drum
Rear Wheel: Spoke
Size: 16”
Tire: Goodyear Speedgrip
Brakes: Stock Drum
PAINT
Painter: Turner’s Cycle Shop
Type: Rattle Can
Color: Fat Black
Graphics: Turner’s Cycle Shop
Chroming: Very Little
ACCESSORIES
Bars: 16” Apes
Risers: Custom TCS
Hand Controls: Stock H-D
Gas Tank(s): Stock H-D
Front Fender: None
Rear Fender: Custom TCS
Seat: K-Model
Foot Controls: Rocker Clutch
Oil Tank: Aftermarket
Speedo: V-Twin
Taillight: Cat’s Eye
Headlight: Cycle Ray-Guide
Photographer: Kerri Schindler