Charlie’s ’51 EL
Charlie’s a wild man with a long flapping gray beard. At 65 he screams through the black hills of South Dakota on and 1946 Knucklehead trying to out run the winter.
He hit a rusting, riveted guard rail recently, shattering his leg, which was pinned but wouldn’t heal. The doc pulled the pin, yet the painful leg refused to heal and Charlie snubbed the notion to quit riding. A year later, on the teetering, aching calf he hit another galvanized guard rail on a notorious mountain curve and slit his hand open, more pins. He’s still riding. “I’m trying to pay attention,” Charlie said.
Charlie has two ongoing loves, building antique motorcycles back to ’36 and riding with the wild-men of the AMCA in the black hills.
He wants a woman in his life but grapples with life’s lessons. But let’s check this story from the vantage point of his refurbished 1951 EL Panhead. He bought it originally as a chopper. At the same time he scored a 1955 Panhead bobber.
That happened in 2005 and his mantra was to build a bike every year or so. This occurred during his flashy era, and he hunted for all the correct sheet metal and shipped the pieces out for a knats-on correct Persian Red paint job. Married at the time and looking after his ailing mother-in-law (for 22 years), he worked commercial construction in Alsip, Illinois in the labor union.
His ol’ lady, Beatrix, for 31 years supported his single garage packed to the chrome gills with motorcycles parts. “Oh boy a trike,” she said when he tried to stuff a 45 trike into the packed shop mix of motorcycles, parts and tools.
He shipped his original but slightly modified wishbone frame, the 61-inch engine (the factory stopped building 61-inch ELs in ’52) and the four-speed transmission to Jim Long in California for restoration work and rebuilds. He handled the rest including meticulously researching ’51 Panhead construction and parts. Searching swap-meets for each correct component and rusting fastener, he parkerized and painted each sought-after element and handled all the mechanical, tuning and testing until the ’51 was complete, correct, original and an everyday rider.
This classic, tank-shift Panhead started first kick after stored in his current U-shaped shop in Boulder Canyon for 16 years. The shop wraps around his home like a horseshoe.
“It’s basically a brand new 1951 Panhead,” Charlie said, “with turn signals, an official Harley accessory kit at the time.” He is also willing to sell the sorta matching, sister-ship, polished, gloss-black 1955 Pan rebuilt from the ground up in the same manner the next year or so 2006-7. In ’55 the factory tested tins attached with only six fasteners to the thin aluminum lip around the head. They leaked and the factory returned to 12 fasteners.
Charlie generally doesn’t sell motorcycles, although he does sell parts. He has most every motorcycle he’s ever straddled, old and somewhat new.
Both Bikes are all original, super low mileage restored Classics. The ’51 is currently shinning and adding serious class to Bandit’s 5-Ball Emporium on Main Street in Sturgis, SD. If you’re interested stop by or call Bandit at 310-528-9258 or call the man, Charlie directly at 708-431-6778 at his RustyOldIron shop. He might also have a part you need.
