Time Capsule

February 27, 2016

Article By: Paul Wideman www.bareknucklechopeprs.com

Photos By Darren McKeag www.mckeagart.com

Originally Published In The June 2013 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

How many of us have lamented the day we sold our first chopper? I know I have. It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of building the next one, that you sell your first love to finance the next build. Guy Lorenz is one of the lucky few that still has his first chopper. Actually, Guy still owns every motorcycle he’s ever owned. Yes, every single one. Guy grew up in North County St. Louis watching all the older kids get their first Harleys, seeing them chopped, always noticing how completely killer it was when they would come down the street with their left hand hanging by their side, slapping from one gear to the next. He had no idea at the time, but those early chopper jockeys were shaping Guy’s life. He was bitten by the bug–bad. At the age of 19, Guy had saved enough nickels and dimes to lay his hands on his very own 1957 Panhead. 1957 was a very special year for the “74s,” with many special features that are unique to the 1957 FL, and Guy can tell you each and every one.

Scraping up his $1500 in 1978, Guy went and picked up his basket case. Damn near everything needed for the complete bike was in the basket. The first order of business was getting the engine off to the Motor House in STL, where a killer 90” engine was assembled. The Motor House was known for building bulletproof high horsepower motors, and this FL was no exception; it’s still going strong today. Once the motor was done, Guy and his friend, Little Greg, got to work putting the bike together. The frame is a D&D frame, circa 1972, with unknown dimensions, and an even lesser known Springer, also with unknown dimensions. There is no need to measure the frontend, because it’s obviously the perfect length. A stock Panhead transmission was used for simplicity sake, as was a stock tin primary. There may be a secret or two lurking within the driveline, but who’s to say, or remember, after all these years? After squaring up the rolling chassis, Guy went to work on the tank and fender, finishing up the molding job that had been started by the previous owner. He added a set of pipes and an oil tank, both from Paughco, and then got some help from his friends for many of the remaining parts.

Being the late ‘70s, and in the heart of the Midwest, there was not an abundance of painters offering the kind of work Guy was really digging on in the magazines of the day. He stumbled onto a part time painter by the name of Jerry that laid on the thick lacquer paintjob that is still holding up to this day. He finished the molding with just a little bit of bondo, and laid out the timeless flame job. It’s really cool to see all the character and history in the paint. And it’s incredible that it has held up so well over the years. As soon as the chopper was back together, Guy was out riding with all of his friends, jumping right past the “beginner’s” bike to his kick-only, hand shift, hot rod, Panhead chopper. The best part of this whole story is that Guy’s younger brothers, Matt and Andy, were now the youngsters in the neighborhood watching Guy and his pals screaming down the side streets on their choppers, while they dreamed of one day owning a kickass chopper, just like big brother. It’s really cool how Guy became the person he envied as a kid, without ever even thinking about it.