Chopperという異端の形象が1960~70年代に黎明／進化する過程や、Hot-RodやKustom Carへの造詣を基軸とするトラディショナルな作風で、アメリカで名を馳せる人気ビルダーからも“Old Schoolの権化”としてひと目置かれるリビング・レジェンド。昨今は公の舞台から姿をくらませていたが、本誌編集長の声掛けによりHCS2023のタイミングで来日が決定。ならばと日本に点在する過去の作品を可能な限り招集し、パシフィコ横浜の弊誌ブースにて一挙公開と相成った次第。約1週間の東京滞在中に敢行したインタビューと撮影に加え、帰国後の度重なるやり取りを経て実現した今般の特集より、孤高のチョッパー仙人の不可侵領域に迫る。



An immediately recognizable living legend respected by popular builders in the US as “old school incarnate,” his style is based on his thorough knowledge of the dawn and evolution of the chopper during the ‘60s and ‘70s and of hod-rods and Kustom cars. He had been absent from the world stage in recent years, but at the request of this magazine’s editor-in-chief, he decided to visit Japan when HCS2023 was held. We gathered as many of his builds that were located in Japan as possible and displayed them at our booth at Pacifico Yokohama. To create this special feature, we interviewed and photographed him during his 1-week stay in Japan and had numerous exchanges after he returned to the US. Here, we enter the exclusive domain of the solitary chopper wizard.

THE LEGENDARY SINGLE-DOWNTUBE FRAMES



昨今のカスタムショーでもシングルダウンチューブフレームを用いたChopperが散見されるが、かねてよりごく一部の偏執狂の間で、その源流にして最高峰と謳われる幻のフレームが存在するのをご存知だろうか。本誌13号のカバーを飾ったJason Jesseeの愛機67FLH “Blue Suicide”は、 正に件のフレームの好サンプルだが、当時の取材時にJasonはこう言及している。「1976年8月刊行のCHOPPERS誌に掲載された67FLH “SANTA CRUZ CRUISER”の製作者Bill Gruhlkeは、自ら考案した軽量かつ高剛性のシングルダウンチューブフレームを用い、HONDAのデュアルディスクブレーキを取り付けたモトクロスバイク用のCERIANIをフロントエンドに据え、F19/R18のホイールをセット。 84cu.inのシャベルモーターを心臓とするBillの愛機は、Mid 70s以降のベイエリア・クラブバイクの雛形とされ、のちに隆盛を極めるパフォーマンスクルーザーの先駆けとも言われるが、その後のBill Gruhlkeの消息を知るものはいない─」。 他方、WatsonvilleでカスタムH-D専科EIGHTY-FOUR BELOW CHOPPERSを営むビルダーMike Galliは、同じ街に住むJasonから耳にしたそのフレームの真相を掴むべく、単独で捜索を開始。足掛け3年に及ぶ執念のリサーチの末に、ついに歴史の中に埋もれた幻のフレームの設計者との接触に成功する。事の顛末に加え、幻のシングルフレームの考察をMike Galliのレポートでお伝えする。



Choppers with single-downtube frames are often seen at custom shows nowadays, but are you familiar with the extremely elusive frame hailed as the pinnacle of single-downtube frames and considered to be the origin of their current use? Jason Jessee, whose ‘67 FLH “Blue Suicide” graced the cover of Ripper’s 13th issue and is an excellent example of a bike with a single-downtube frame, told us at the time we interviewed him about a bike called “Santa Cruz Cruiser”: “It was a ‘67 FLH built by Bill Gruhlke that appeared in the August 1976 issue of Choppers. It featured a lightweight and highly rigid single-downtube frame that Bill had come up with himself. It had a Ceriani front end with Honda dual disc brakes and F19/R18 wheels, and an 84 cu in. Shovelhead motor. His ride is said to have been the template for the Bay Area club bikes from the mid-’70s onward and a forerunner of the performance cruisers that would later flourish. However, no one knows what became of Bill Gruhlke after that.” Builder Mike Galli of Watsonville, California’s Eighty-Four Below Choppers, heard about the frame from Jason, who lives in the same town. He began searching for the frame on his own, and after years of legwork and research, he succeeded in tracking down the man who designed the frame that had been buried by history. Here, Mike Galli reports on the details as well as providing his thoughts on the elusive frame.



日米両国のH-Dカスタムシーンにみる
シングルループフレーム・カスタムサンプル

A sampling of single-loop frames from the US and Japan



・1967 H-D FLH “SANTA CRUZ CRUISER” / BILL GRUHLKE

・1966 H-D FLH “BLACK ROT” / LIAM KENNEDY

・1937 H-D EL “BLUE LEATHER KNUCKLE” / HAWGHOLIC

・1969 H-D FLH “HELLBENT” / ZACH GOSTELI

・1975 H-D FXE / CRIB MOTORCYCLE



CONE ZONE

Chopperが黄金期を迎えた1970年に登場し、その生産を終える1985年にかけて......結果的に“最後のアイアンバレル・シリンダー”を搭載したビッグツインH-DとなったCone Shovel。直流発電から交流発電となり、ひとつの“完成形”を迎えたこのモデルの魅力を、この特集では伝えたい。



・1979 H-D FXS / ROGUERIES METAL WORKS

・1982 H-D FXRS / LOCAL CYCLES

・1980 H-D FXE / CRIB MOTORCYCLE

・1972 H-D SHOVELHEAD / LUCKYS CYCLE SUPPLY

・1978 H-D FLH / BRANDNEW MOTORCYCLES

・1982 H-D FXWG / MC CATS

The Cone Shovel, which debuted during the golden age of choppers in 1970 and was produced until 1985, was the last H-D big twin model to feature iron barrel cylinders. In this special feature, we explore what makes these models, which were perfected with the change from DC to AC power generation, so great.

MOVING PARTS SHOW



去る9月23日、スペイン語で“小さなカヌー”を意味すCalif.中西部のビーチタウンCayucosで開催されたMOVING PARTS SHOWにて、参加者をシューティング!! 英国出身で現在So-Cal在住のTamaraが首謀するこのショーは、興行化が進み肥大するバイクイベントに対し、古き良き時代のChopper BashやSwap Meetに立ち返り、全ての参加者の顔が見渡せる規模感でセットアップ。ウエストコーストのバイクイベントの新たな潮流としてチェックすべきパーティだ。



On September 23, 2023, the Moving Parts motorcycle show was held in the beach town of Cayucos (Spanish for “little canoe”), located in the middle of California’s coast, and we shot photos of the participants. Tamara, a UK native who now resides in So-Cal, organized the show, which, in contrast to large commercialized bike events, marks a return to the chopper bashes and swap meets of the good old days. The smaller scale of the bash meant you could actually see all of the faces of the participants. The party, which is setting a new trend among West Coast events, is definitely worth checking out.



VMRS 10TH



蒼天過日、11月とは思えぬ暖かな陽射しの中、恒例となった厚木の河川敷にてVintage Motorcycle Rally & Swapmeetの記念すべき第10回目が執り行われた。日が昇る前からゲート前には大勢の旧車フリークたちが集結し、このイベントが我が国のヴィンテージカルチャーにおいて、どれほど待ち望まれており不可欠なものであるかを示していた。



Under blue skies and warm sunshine uncharacteristic of November weather, the 10th Vintage Motorcycle Rally and Swap Meet was held at a river bed in Atsugi, its usual location. Even before the sun had risen, a large crowd of vintage bike freaks had already gathered at the gate, showing how eagerly anticipated and essential the event is to members of Japan’s vintage motor culture scene.




VA /RIPS CUSTOM BIKE SELECTION

・1969 H-D FL “Suicidal Turquoise” / PRIDE ROCK MOTORCYCLE
・1946 H-D FL / CODY DAVIDSON
・1937 H-D U / STANCE





And MORE