The old saw about the gruffest exteriors always holding the biggest hearts may be older than the recipe for Chinese gunpowder, but in the case of Walter Gemeinhardt, the shoe fits. I met this rock 'n roll road manager, drum tech, motorcycle shop owner and big thinker in 2007 at a greasy spoon in Hoboken. Walt is a builder in his own right, but when the chance arose to take the pink on Jason Roche's shovelhead, the man who made the Gypsy Run what it is today grabbed it.

Jason Roche is the artisan at Special '79. His work is a staple in ChopCult fab threads, but this is the first time we've featured one of his creations. Walter bought the bike when Jason mentioned his golden beauty might be headed to eBay. The trade between friends consisted of a shovel swap plus some cash, but nobody is saying which way those dead presidents traveled. After christening his new ride Pony Boy, Walter set out to make it his own. Walt's a motor freak, so the first thing he tore into was Pony Boy's mill. Next came some Biltwell bars and risers, plus a couple secret tweaks only Walter knows about. The rest of the specs are boilerplate, and can be seen in the photos.

Owner: Walter Gemeinhardt

Builder/fabricator: Special '79

Motor model, year, and mods, if any: 1975 74" shovel

Frame model year and mods: hardtailed 4-speed

Fork model, year and mods: 39mm Narrowglide with shaved sliders

Front wheel: H-D Narrowglide hub on a 21" rim

Rear wheel: 60-spoke 16" with disk brake

Primary drive style, model, mods: Carved up 4-speed primary cover with a 1.5" belt; 5-finger hub

Thanks: To my wife Lori for putting up with all my crap

For more info on Walter's life and times, visit Kickstart Cycles.

Go here more info on the East Coast Gypsy Run.