The Glasster Panhead

This wild chunk of functional motorcycle art was recently featured in Hot Bike Magazine. How could anyone pass up a motorcycle with glass gas and oil tanks, velocity stacks and rocker boxes? It’s a strange mixture of old, new, odd, artistic and yet practical. Check the bare metal seat with a Ford leaf spring for adjustable rear suspension, seat height and protection for the iron incased glass oil bag.

The frame and handmade girder lines are reminiscent of a Dr. Zeus illustration, yet the bike rides in a straight line. Alan Lee, the builder, set up the rear and front wheels for perfect alignment and correct rake and trail. He then manufactured the rigid frame and girder front end specifically with 4130 mild steel narrow wall tubing, for lightness and strength. He fabricated the intake manifolds for twin, dual throat Webers, and the exhaust from stainless that he brushed with a soft disc. “I saw the effect in an elevator,” Alan said. “I thought it was cool.” The stainless pipes are glass coated, the intake manifold bare stainless and the other parts are mild steel, textured and immediately clear powder coated for rust protection.

The Webers were tilted then the float bowls adjusted to handle the slant. He tuned them to enhance the power band from the Ed Martin’s, Jammer, 98-inch classic Panhead engine, but check the glass rocker boxes so Alan can monitor his valve movement, even while cutting a dusty trail.

Although the glass bike was a long-term design challenge, Alan was forced to build it in 20 days for the World Build-Off competition. It all began as an unconventional notion spurred to life by Ted Smith, of the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike show in Daytona. Months later a phone rang and a deadline was set. Alan flew from his native Belgium to Los Angeles and worked out of Jack ‘s Lowriders in Fountain Valley, California, where he wrangled Todd Townsend and Tim Dorin of Killer Glass to begin the constantly-shattering glass products. He flew to San Jose and worked with Ed Martin at Custom Chrome, on the Pandemonium engine, with the Jammer team. The girder is also Leaf spring suspended.

Kildee Scientific fabricated the glass tanks from Pyrex glass. Two fuel versions shattered and they were forced to alter the frame to prevent it from happening again. Ultimately the final iteration rested against a mated rubber-layered cradle. The oil tank wasn’t allowed the comfort of rubber, but judiciously cupped in raw metal. Two days on the road led Alan to Killa Cycles in Dallas where details were finalized. This bike currently resides in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

But that’s not all for the Glasster artist. He’s currently building a dual RevTech engine speedway sidecar bike with dual magna-charger blowers. With classic Bugatti lines and 400 horsepower, it will rock the world wherever Alan Lee decides to open his shop. Watch for reports on his new creation on Bikernet. Everything is destined to be out of the ordinary.

Glasster Specifications

Owner: Alan Lee
City/State: Huntington Beach / California

Builder: Alan Lee, Todd Townsend, Cris Madison, Tim Dorin, Giani Gallo
City/state ( or company contact info): Gangsta Choppers/ Alan Lee Designs 310.916.8164
email: alan@alanleedesigns.com
alanlee@gangstachoppers.com
Fabrication: Alan Lee, Todd Townsend, Cris Madison, Tim Dorin, Giani Gallo
Manufacturing: Alan Lee, Todd Townsend, Cris Madison, Tim Dorin, Giani Gallo
Welding: Alan Lee, Cris Madison
Machining: Phil at Precision Tooling

Engine

Year: 2003
Make: Custom Chrome/ Jammer by Keith Ruxton
Model: Pandemonium
Displacement: 98 C.I
Builder or Rebuilder: Keith Ruxton
Cases: STD
Case finish: Glossy black coating
Heads: Panhead STD
Head finish: Glossy black coating
Valves and springs:
Carburetion: Double vertical Webers facing the road with 15 degrees angle and handmade stainless manifold
Other: not a lot of info, Keith Ruxton built the motor for Chrome Specialties for the General Lee. It’s one of the three motors Keith Ruxton built to start the production of the CCI Pandemonium

Transmission

Year: 2005
Make: Baker
Gear configuration: RSD 5 speed

Frame

Year: 2005
Make: Alan Lee
Style or Model: Gooseneck rigid with spring leave seat
Stretch: 4 inches
Rake: 45 degrees
Modifications: one of the kind

Front End

Make: Alan Lee/Gangsta Choppers
Model: Spring leave bended fork
Year: 2005
Length: I have no F……… idea
Mods: Hand made

Sheet metal

Tanks: Pyrex Glass on a metallic cradle and with a metallic cover
Fenders: front: none, back:oil bag
Panels:
Oil tank: Pyrex Glass
Other: in glass you have : tank , oil bag, velocity stack and valve cover the credit for the idea needs to go to Todd Townsend and Tim Dorin. I just made it happen

Paint Alan Lee/ Brandon Winter

Sheet metal: Alan Lee
Molding: Alan
Base coat: Alan
Graphics: Brandon Winter
Frame: Alan
Molding: Alan
Base coat: Alan
Graphics or art:
Pinstriping: Brandon Winter

Wheels DB II

Front
Make: DB II
Size: 21/2.15
Brake calipers: NA
Brake rotor(s): NA
Tire: Avon

Rear
Make: DB II
Size: 18/10.5
Brake calipers: 4 pistons/ DB II
Brake rotor: Alan Lee/ Precision Tooling
Pulley: DB II
Tire: 300/18

Controls

Foot controls: Alan Lee/ DB II ( I used 2 brake side and machined one for the cluch side )
Finish: Alu
Master cylinder:
Brake lines: Stainless braided
Handlebar controls: NA
Clutch Cable: hand made
Brake Lines NA
Shifting: Hammer Shifter

Electrical

Ignition: Mallory
Headlight: Fifties police car passing lamp
Taillight: By LED the oil bag” glow”
Accessory lights: LED inside each glass parts, the bike Glow when you light it

What’s Left

Seat: Hand carved by Bulldog leather in Daytona, formerly a saddlebag
Pipes: hand formed by Alan Lee in stainless, Black Glass coating by Mario Cavazos at Killa’cycles
Mufflers: for pussy
Exhaust finish: Row
Gas caps: Fifty’s hot rod hub cap
Handlebars: Alan Lee, Todd townsend and Tim Dorin
Grips: on the pics in rubber, now in red glass
Pegs: DB II
Oil filter:
Oil cooler:
Oil lines: Stainless by Alan
Fuel filter: NA
Fuel Lines: Stainless by Alan
Throttle: inner
Throttle cables: hand made
Fasteners: maximum in stainless

Credits:Ford Steel, Dave Scott, Scott Martindale and Ed Martin From CCI and Jammer
David Demarest from Weber North America
Gloria Ishimoto of DB II
Todd Townsend of Optifoinc
Tim Dorin of Killer Glass
Phil Trenery of Precision Tooling
Bod Maiden of Kildee Scientific
Mario Cavazos of Killa’ Cycles
Barbara and John of Bulldog Leathers Daytona
Warren Vezely of Scooter Shooterz
Gianni Gallo of Iguana Choppers Belgium