If choppers are designed to freak out the squares, this one will send them running in horror. Eric Penrod's panhead is the kind of bike that many self-appointed experts on the Internet have said is unrideable, but they always have to eat their words when they see Eric bounce his ass down the freeway at 70 miles per hour.
Owner: Eric Penrod
Bike name: Christine
Location: Devil's Playground
Engine year and make, model, modifications: 1950 FL panhead stroked to 80 c.i. with T&O Torque Monster flywheels, 9-to-1 S&S pistons, Andrews F grind cam, M74 B Linkert, ratchet top 4-speed with jockey shift
Frame: old Paughco
Fork: Old unknown 8-over twisted springer
Chassis mods: Stretched down tubes about 15 in and the backbone about 12; deraked the neck tube to 22 degrees. My bud Shannon Aikau of Aikaubuilt did all the welding at Count Customs, which is where I work part-time
Tire/wheel size and style: 16" rear with some chunky lookin' off-brand tire and a 21" Avon on a spool front wheel
Favorite thing about this bike: It's deraked, baby!
Next modification will be: Paint the tank (Black of course: Satan doesn't like any other color), headlight made out of a '67 GTO turn signal
Other mods, accessories, cool parts, etc: Tank built by Hillbillies Wicked Choppa; it's a copy of an old AEE/Accu-weld Bat Wing tank. Upside-down Tomb Stone taillight. Seat, oil tank and various other parts all acquired in the classifieds on ChopCult
Thanks: Shannon Aikau; my Vegas Crew brothers; Swazi Mike's deraked Sporty for the inspiration
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Flatironmike
CaptainBob
Homerun with this one, Eric. Congrats.
lvvato
motoguru
spokesniffer
unclecreepypants1977
me
I think this bike is so well done because the designer knew the stance was going to be so knarley so he kept everything pretty simple on it...I think its a perfect example of a kick ass in your face chopper.
I also wanted to say to you CC guys who write these articles:
Even if you don't scope out a specific backdrop for a specific bike it always seems like you do...for some reason your backdrops add to the overal photo alot...maybe your just really good photographers and it doesn't matter where or when you shoot but it really cool either way.
GregorySeth
davidabl
Dig
imtheslime
Nice work Eric!
WarGhost
northtown
northtown
gilbygtr
Rudehog
Thanks for all the good response and the ones that are not so sure!
Thx Bill & Josh!
Last but not least Thanks Satan, I hope you put my soul to good use............
Hooligan80
TheGooch13
r757rob
KevMoore
craftsmanship is high. The bike is also interesting to look at, and does what all good bikes do: reflects the taste and vision of the owner. However, it does raise a question, one that I'm curious to hear the responses of from other members.
How is this different in spirit from the fat-tire, glam-bike explosion of the mid 2000's?
During the fat-tire years, rear wheels first went to 200 and looked great. They next went to 230 and 250 and were alright. They finally went to 300 and even 360, becoming ridiculous. They went beyond functional to overwhelmingly big, maybe to "freak the squares." Is this frame the same in idea? Is it stretched beyond the point of different to ridiculous? Again, I like the bike, but it does beg such questioning.
As a final note, I feel the need to print out the side shot of the bike and calculate the trail. As a scientist and engineer, I don't know how such a machine could do 70 MPH without wobble. The fact that it does is amazing. Eric must be some form a magician, bending the very laws of physics to do his bidding.
UpstateNYFritz
Shit,
Eric rode the first Gypsy Run with stripped out risers and a set of 18" apehangers flopping back & forth!
He just gives it more gas and lets the gyro effect do its thing.
Rudehog Rules!
Shooter469
Rudehog
{How is this different in spirit from the fat-tire, glam-bike explosion of the mid 2000's?}
Maybe not different in spirit but different since I am not humping a trend, not that this has not been done before but it is a rare sight and if it does become a trend I will be the first to cut it up and gut it or just sell it.
I've been told that there were a lot of derakes done in the 70's but I have never seen any pics of extreme derakes, mostly just upstretched with a little derake.
The bike that inspired me I saw on the JJ back in 07, was Swazi Mikes rigid ironhead. That was and is the most "Outlaw" chop I have ever seen and just about every comment about it was total hate, it made me dig it just that much more! I ran into Mike on the EDR 07 and rode with him from San Felipe to Ensenada and he had no problem handling that bike on the shitty roads.. After that I knew I was gonna build something like it some day.
As far as wobble goes, it only shakes if you hit a hard dip or bump at freeway speeds, actually kind of a side to side "flex" due to the long springer but the pull back handle bars give a lot of leverage.
-Eric
eli777
MIKE47
Twinkies
TemeculaTerry
Jeff71
Nosebleed
When was the last time that you saw a bike running down the road that looked like this? Yup, me neither.
johnytrump
ElViajero
Rudehog
mad750
Eric has a bitchin' tramp stamp.
Eric gives manly hugs.
Eric is a superhero.
dertyD
GrandWelderB
TS
Tyler
Dangerboy
Much love from Canada. Bike is tits and I hope it brings you as much joy as it did in it's first incarnation.
Alexander
~Alex
L7Josh
the chewed bubblegum was courtesy of none other than the Douche Larouche crew.
samshow
lanesplitter
lanesplitter
Rudehog
SpagettysGarageCo
hotrodkid
fastbastard
I think the antechrist motormount sums it all, fuck you all I ride what I want when I want.