Article By: Roadside Marty
Photos By: Chris Callen
Originally Published In The June 2014 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
For those of you that missed Daytona Bike Week this year your obviously seeing what you missed out on when you see this badass Pan that belongs to a cat named Pete Massett. Well you missed that and hot tattooed little vixens from Texas as well as other parts of the country, real bikes ridden by real bikers, Choppertime as well as everything else that makes a biker smile, like a no helmet law, but I digress. You see, this year I was rappin’ with my close brother, Bacon, when he drops the word that he and his crew are comin’ down for Bike Week and that his right hand man and fab guy at the shop is bringing a sweet Pan that I would really dig.
Well when Bacon says it’s something to check out I’m definitely gonna be on the lookout and believe me I wasn’t disappointed. When I swung by the DC Choppers/Motortechnic Manufacturing USA booth where they were set up near none other than Bling himself, Mr. Bill Dodge, as well as Rene from Helmet Division and the first thing I spotted was this radical chopped Pan that was still under construction with a Denvers springer that had to be at least 20” over. Everywhere I looked my eyes were bugging out at all of the righteous iron. When I locked eyes on Pete’s Pan for the first time as Bacon just smiled and said “I told ya”, with a laugh..man I was in heaven! Let’s be honest here, any H-D can be tastefully done in a way that holds true to a certain style or genre if you will but when you see a Pan done like this you know the owner is really involved not just with his scoot but scooters in general. After drooling over Pete’s bike and saying hello to everyone, hey we’re all like family around these parts so that’s how it is, Bacon introduced me to Pete, who just like his ride was one smooth laid back cat who listened to my praises with a straight stone face and just said “Thanks Roadside.” Well when you build a scoot like this you don’t have to say much to anyone because your skills and your work speaks for itself! It wasn’t until Wednesday night when my close brother Darren and I blasted on over to Beach Street where Bill was having a party at his shop, which was a damn good time by the way, that I had the chance to spend a bit of time hanging out with Pete and getting to know him a little bit.
I’m glad I did because not only is he extremely talented, he’s a nice guy who’s pretty down to earth, a refreshing change from the scene where some guys think they know everything about bikes. You see Pete’s been working and fabricating in a few bike shops for the last 15 years. During that time he learned a lot from guys like Aaron Greene and Johnny “Nitro” Schultz, yeah you read that right! Those guys know their way around , you can count on it. While he was learning the tips and tricks that would help him build this ride he lucked out and scored this Pan off of an old prison guard in San Leandro, who according to Pete was a real cool character named Jeff. After the paper was done and in his name he wasted no time in tearing the motor down and dropping some bigger valves in as well as polishing the heads he wrapped up the rebuild on the lower end and then started on the things that made this baby pop like the stainless backrest, those bars that just fall into your hands and we can’t forget the magic he worked on that tank.
Those mounts alone had me wishing I had thought of something that not only looked like art but was also extremely functional. Pete says these days all he plans or tries to do is keep it under 90 mph. Man you just gotta love that attitude!!! After meeting Dan aka Bacon at his wedding where they hit it right off he waited about a year and then gave Reno NV the finger and turned the wheel towards the Lone Star state where he hooked up with Bacon and together they keep the stars aligned and the planet earth turning one chopper at a time six days a week down in Spicewood Tx. Thanks for letting me drool all over your chopper Pete, you did a helluva job!!!
Ku Klux Pan Tech Sheet
Owner: Pete Massett
City: Marble Falls, TX
Fabrication By: Pete Massett
Year: 1962
Model: FLH
Time: 52 years
ENGINE
Year: 1962
Model: FLH
Builder: Pete Massett
Ignition: Harley
Displacement: 74
Pistons: 50 over 9.5-1
Heads: Pan with shovel valves
Cam(s): Leineweber
Carb: M74B
Air Cleaner: yeah sure
Exhaust: Early cocktail shakers
Primary: Harley
TRANSMISSION
Year: 62 Ratchet Too
Make: Harley
Shifting: Mousetrap
FRAME
Year: 1953
Make: Harley
Rake: Stock
Stretch: Nah
FRONT END
Type: Harley Big Twin
Builder: Some dude in the 40’s
Extension: Nope
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Knucklehead
Size: 21”
Tire: Avon
Brakes: Mechanical
Rear Wheel: Panhead
Size: 16”
Tire: Shinko
Brakes: Mechanical
PAINT
Painter: MoMusic, Reno NV
Color: Black
Type: 6” deep
Graphics: None
Chroming: Who Knows?
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Pete Massett
Risers: Flanders
Hand controls: Harley
Gas Tank(s): Sportster at one point
Front Fender: Missing
Rear Fender: English
Seat: John’s Upholstery, Reno, NV
Foot Controls: Harley
Oil Tank: Harley
Taillight: Sparto
Headlight: Unity High Low
Photographer: Chris Callen