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Jason Remington’s Pan Shovel, Never Done

Jason Remington’s Pan Shovel, Never Done

Article by George the Painter

Photos by Missi Shoemaker

Originally Published August 2019

Unless you’re building bikes for a living or one of those fortunate enough to have multiple bikes to keep your interest, you’ll find the bike you ride is in a constant state of flux. Sitting on the same bike year after year without ever taking the time to modify it is now, as it always has been, a sure sign of smooth frontal lobes and communist inclinations.

Bikes are meant to be modified and if your efforts are geared towards one bike it will never be the same from one season to another, sometimes not even that long. Such is the case with Jason Remington’s 1954 FL you’ll find smeared across the pages before you.

During the Lonestar Rally, Galveston TX, November 1-4 2018, Copyright Melissa Shoemaker

The bikes configuration has been transformed according to the changing needs, tastes and mechanical calamities that have steered Jason towards its current assembly of parts and beyond. Even having just gotten the phone with him, the bike only ‘kinda’ looks the same as it does on these pages. This could be viewed as a brief glimpse into a bike that although very nice, is ridden and things have a way of changin’.

All I can offer you is a look at the bike as it appeared when it and a camera where in the same location. It was, at this moment, that the following configuration was immortalized.

It was roughly three years ago when Jason first road a Panhead, shortly thereafter he was out looking for one of his own when he landed this 59FL. It remained as it was for a while until he rode it and bad repairs and sour welds started the inevitable metamorphosis.

During the Lonestar Rally, Galveston TX, November 1-4 2018, Copyright Melissa Shoemaker

What stayed constant throughout is the original 1954 frame running its original measurements. With only a quick clean up and powder coat it remains unmolested.

 A 2” over H-D Springer hangs off the neck and was powder coated black. The chrome springs providing the only brightwork on the front end. The handlebars and risers are from PCP and don’t require any hand controls. The foot controls consist of the stock rear brake pedal as well as a Pangea Speed foot clutch pedal.

During the Lonestar Rally, Galveston TX, November 1-4 2018, Copyright Melissa Shoemaker 

Rolling stock consists a 21” front hoop laced to a Bob’s Wheels ‘star’ type hub and then wrapped in an Avon tire. Out back the same ‘star’ type hub, also by Bob’s, is laced to a 16” hoop and running the stock drum rear brake and wrapped with Firestone rubber.

During the Lonestar Rally, Galveston TX, November 1-4 2018, Copyright Melissa Shoemaker

The motor (repaired now and sitting pretty on a shelf) self-destructed due to some bad repairs years earlier on the cases.  Instead of laying the bike up until the bottom end disaster could be rectified, he used a 1959 bottom end that is still nestled between the frame rails. The top end is of 78 Shovel vintage.

A 1.5” BDL belt drive transfers the pony’s rearward to the stock ’54 transmission.  Things are kept simple with the use of a jockey shifter and a foot operated ‘tapered shaft’ style five finger clutch. Obviously, the bike is kick-only.

During the Lonestar Rally, Galveston TX, November 1-4 2018, Copyright Melissa Shoemaker

Like I stated before Jason is three years deep into this bike and to all accounts, he hasn’t been kind to it. Not to say he is beating on it but sometimes things may tend to exceed safe operating perimeters. This bike is his daily and is constantly changing based on Jason’s changing tastes or mechanical necessity.

During the Lonestar Rally, Galveston TX, November 1-4 2018, Copyright Melissa Shoemaker 

The bike is now further down the metamorphosis timeline and is no longer in this state of being. Thing have changed, they will always change, just like they changed before. Happy Motoring “GTP”

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