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Feature Bikes

Son Of A Hot Rod- Buddy Johnson From MC Creations

Originally Published In The April 2014 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

Article By: Jack Shit

Photos By: Kerri Schindler

Feature 4a April 14 Kerri

My plan was set, I was hopping on a plane for Galveston, TX. By this time of the year, my rally season was nearly in the history books with only a few local gigs and Biketoberfest left. I was ready to kick back and relax by the sea at the Lone Star Rally.

My dear friend, Buddy Johnson, was the man who would pick my old busted up ass at the airport. His generosity didn’t end there either. He also loaned myself and the entire Cycle Source staff some of the baddest murdersickles in Texas. One would think in a town known for being waist deep in oil money, our first stop would either be for a big juicy steak or a visit to one of the Lonestar State’s premier jiggle joints, but Brother Buddy had an even better plan.

As I opened up the double doors, I was frozen in my tracks after only a few short steps. No matter where my eyes focused, they were transfixed! The place was MC Creations in Houston, and walking through those doors was like traveling back in time. Every square inch of this showroom was packed like a hoarder’s dream. Bikes were jammed bar to bar: Flatties, Pans, rare race bikes and this sick Shovel that you see here before you.

I climbed up and onto a 1925 just to get a better look at the work that had been done on this spectacular ‘72. The attention to detail and craftsmanship screamed out even though most of the bike was obscured by other bikes and parts piled on top of them. We always hear about the East Coast style vs. West Coast style, but in my travels I’ve come to realize that there is another style out there and it is loud and proud: Northside style — that being Northside Houston.

This bike was inspired by Hotrod — a real Frankenstein beast of a bike — that was run by the shop’s own Big Shane Cole. To say Shane was instrumental in this scoot coming to life would be a drastic understatement. The original vision was simple: build an early ‘70s era hot rod with as many original HD parts as possible, and when done, race it on the Texas Mile. It’s one thing to look at old pics of bikes from a certain era, but it is another thing to get with the guys who built and rode them back then.

Feature 4b April 14 Kerri

He turned to his friends Jeff Pike and Tommy Graviano for their knowledge and inspiration. Panhead Brad, the owner of this gem, didn’t want to just drop off his pile of parts and pick up a runner when done. Brad got as involved in the build as possible even if that meant dripping sweat onto the shoulder of the guy working beneath him so he could pick up on the knowledge. Anyone who has ever tried to build a bike using as many OG parts as possible knows that it is more of a quest than just a build. The owner can have as many hours in hunting and traveling to find those parts as there is in building it. In this case, Brad tells me that to this day he has never added up those receipts.

As I stated earlier, there are so many custom and oneoff pieces on this bike that it would be impossible to mention them all. Nearly all of the fab work on this bike was performed by Jeff Pike, from stretching the stock swingarm 6 inches, coming up with a custom battery box and building a one-off motor mount that pulled double duty for mounting the hand shifter, the foot clutch assembly, the rear fender support with integral chain guard and lighting mounts, seat pan and the seat pan supports. Since Jeff was at it, he modified the peanut tank as well. The credit for the custom stainless chain guard, brass wheel spacers and the solid brass points’ cover as well as some other trick shit, has to go to Stanley Fischer. I can honestly say, there were items on this bike that I had never, ever seen before anywhere. It’s a feature that is best served by checking out the tech sheet and pics, and giving credit where it is due. I’ll tell you this much though, it’s propelled down the road by an 88” Shovel stroker w/ stock cases and some S&S goodies inside. Tommy Graviano went through the stock 4 speed ‘72 tranny and gave it an extended kicker shaft to clear the exhaust. The motor and tranny are tied together by a Phase 3 motor/tranny plate.

This bike is the perfect example of friends coming together. If not for Big Greg Hale and his MC Creations’ shop and staff, this project would have never gotten off the ground. Even Greg’s own daughter got involved with this build when she pinstriped the fins on the Phase 3 plate. The rest of the pinstriping was thrown down by Jim Carnifax who spent hours going over the colors and design.

Anything that even resembled being shiny was grit blasted to flatten out the look because that’s how Brad likes it. They say if you can’t figure out some great way to end a story then use a quote. So in this instance, I’ll quote the owner, “As far as riding the bike, you launch it from a dead stop with the vintage mousetrap hand clutch, then switch to the foot clutch, one forward, three back…it’s a grin from ear to ear when you hit the ignition kill button on the shift knob so you don’t have to use the clutch at the drag strip. You can run just like those rice burner boys!” If ever you find yourself on the Northside of Houston, you owe it to yourself to check out MC Creations, and tell Big Greg Cycle Source sent ya.

Feature 4c April 14 Kerri

Son Of A Hot Rod Tech Sheet
Owner: Panhead Brad Johnson
City: Plantersville, TX
Fabrication By: Jeff Pike/MC Creations/Shane Cole
Year: 1972
Model: FL
Time: 10 Months
ENGINE
Year: 1972
Model: Shovelhead
Builder: John Koehnle / MC Creations
Ignition: Dyna
Displacement: 88” Stroker
Pistons: S&S
Heads: Stock – Massaged By John Koehnle
Cam(s): Andrews C Grind
Carb: S&S Super B
Air Cleaner: S&S or Velocity Stack
Exhaust: Stock w/ Modifications
Primary: Open Belt / Early Phase 3 Plate & Guard
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1972
Make: H-D
Shifting: Hand/Tank
FRAME
Year: 1972
Make: H-D
Rake: Stock
Stretch: None
FRONT END
Type: Stock / Hyd Dampening
Builder: H-D
Extension: None
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Landmark 80 Diamond Cut Spokes
Size: 18”
Tire: Metzeler 130
Brakes: Stock H-D Dual Dsic Calipers / DNA Rotor
Rear Wheel: Landmark 80 Diamond Cut Spokes
Size: 18”
Tire: Metzeler 150
Brakes: PM Caliper / DNA Rotor
PAINT
Painter: Owner – Tank & Rear Fender
Color: Satin Black
Type: DupliColor Rattle Can
Graphics: Jim Carnifax
Chroming: New Age Plating & Precision Powder Coating
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Used Shorty Drags – Split
Risers: Stock H-D FL
Hand controls: Sifton Front Master/Stock Clutch
Gas Tank(s): Modified Peanut Sporty
Front Fender: Zero
Rear Fender: Stock H-D Softail Modified
Seat: Pan – Jeff Pike / Leather – Cy-fair Upholstery
Foot Controls: Right – Stock/ Left – Jeff Pike
Oil Tank: Santee
Taillight: ‘59 Cadillac Left w/ Retro Bullets
Headlight: Stock H-D Nacelle
Photographer: Kerri Schindler

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