Last month we featured Lance Ainsworth's riding buddy Gabe Choate's sweet XL1200S on the old 33. This week Lone Star chopper freak and ChopCult member XLlance's sweet ironhead gets its day in the Texas sun.We photographed Lance's tidy Sportster in front of an old brick building that was a staff hostel and headquarters for one of Texas's oldest coal mining towns. That town is ancient history, I'm afraid, but Lance has made sure Millwaukee's answer to American motorcycling's British invasion of the '50s and '60s lives on.
Owner/builder: Lance Ainsworth
Hometown: Bryson TX
Motor: 1972 H-D ironhead bored 10 over; P-cams; CV carb
Frame: Original frame with a modified bolt-on hardtail. Didn't like the look of the bolt-on so I had some tubes bent to my liking and welded it all up. First time at attempting anything like that. It's about a 4'' stretch and 4'' drop
Fork: Harley 35mm trees modified to accept SWM trials bike legs. Gabe Choate had an axle machined for me to use the original drum. I used Showa springs. It handles poorly without a fork brace but we're working on that as we speak
Homebuilt bits: Front brake stay; front brake cable guide; modified H-D risers; chopped cam and sprocket cover; CV carb support bracket and oil tank mount (I hate the oil tank); seat, which is in the burn pile as of this writing (now I'm going with a sprung solo); fender strut/license plate bracket; fuel bottle holder made from an old generator housing; chain idler block from an old skateboard wheel; the battery box, pipes and a couple powdercoated things. It never ends, I'm always changing things
Best back story: I guess that would be my trip to the Twine Ball Run in 2010, and and the week after. Had a blast racing around the dirt track and then on to Denver to visit friends before heading back home. Nothing really outstanding, just time well spent with good people, kicking the bike I built down the road without a hitch—other than my fender cracking). Nothing better!
Thanks: Of course to my dad—it's his old scoot). To Saltytonk for the paint and much more; Jay Turner for the '36 Ford spare tire ring; Steffan at Zombie Performance for the Quarter Racer bars; my cousin Benjie for help rebuilding the motor, and to ChopCult for the daily inspiration. I sure wish 33 would've been around when I started this project—it would have saved me tons of work and money
Saltytonk
Kaveeks
Nosebleed
Plus, once, when I was low on funds, Lance hooked me up with a set of short chrome risers in exchange for a chicken sandwich. Now that's a good feller.
scotttowne
steffan
Ansutton21
Saltytonk
Nope. He's been in Texas since day 1 .....I believe..... but I know for sure he doesnt have a sister.
Saltytonk
MrSchroyer
OmegaRed
dmenace78
It was a real pleasure to ride with y'all on the PMR2, and I'm looking forward to seeing y'all on the Road to Ruin.
Cheers!
JesusChrist
RHINO
vagrant318
Doc14
Momo