Panhead Evolved | Custom 1953 Harley-Davidson Panhead
1953 Harley-Davidson Panhead
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
Like any other creative work, a custom bike is a snapshot of its creator’s mind and skill set—a rolling photograph of what that person was thinking and how capable they were of realizing those thoughts on two wheels in the real world. Line up all the custom motorcycles they’ve ever built, from first to last, and you get a rolling road map of the builder’s creative evolution. That first bike is usually much less polished than the most recent. This Panhead chopper is a perfect example of what I mean.
1953 Harley-Davidson Panhead
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
A few years back, Christopher Staab and Rudy Sedgewick met at the Smokeout West in Arizona. It was the start of a team effort that produced eight or nine ’60s-style choppers, the last of which sits before you on these very pages. Chris came up with the designs, and Rudy cut and welded them into reality. “He had some things he wanted to do,” Rudy says. “I threw in ideas along the way.”
1953 Harley-Davidson Panhead Motor
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
Those first few choppers were Chris figuring out what he really wanted and how to get it. Trial and error was the name of the game, finding out what ideas did and didn’t work well together. Over time, the two guys narrowed their focus down until Chris knew exactly what he hoped to build: a straight-legged home for his Panhead motor. Only, Chris didn’t want to cut the frame to make it fit.
21 x 2.5-in. Honey Comb Spool Hub
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
That was the real challenge here. Rudy told us: “This was the one where he sharpened what he wanted and was after. We couldn’t have built this one if we hadn’t built the others.” Compared to its older siblings, this chopper is a lot more put together and polished (execution-wise) than the rest. It took a while for Chris to find a frame that fit his bill, but in the end, he made it happen. The rest of the bike was made to work in and around that skeleton.
What really stands out about this chop is the sissy bar. It slides through the fender, and the top is removable while the bottom is stationary. That was pretty tricky. The guys created and used more than 20 pieces in the sissy bar alone!
Rudy Sedgewick| Bars
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
From the sound of it, Chris couldn’t have pulled that off with chopper number one. Maybe, but not nearly as well as he and Rudy did with this here Panhead. Line them all up and I’d bet anything that while they’re obviously related, they get rougher the farther back in time you travel along the lineup. Each one, though, represents exactly what Chris was capable of doing at the time. The same holds true for any other creative work too.
1953 Harley-Davidson Panhead
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
RELATED | MORE CUSTOM PANHEADS
1953 Harley-Davidson Panhead Frame
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
1953 Harley-Davidson 4-speed
Photos: Tommy Koppingers
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Christopher Staab |
| Builder | Christopher Staab/Rudy Sedgewick |
| Year/Make/Model | 1953/Harley-Davidson/Panhead |
| Fabrication | Rudy Sedgewick |
| Engine|1953 FL | |
| Builder | Highway Choppers |
| Cases | H-D |
| Cylinders | H-D |
| Heads | H-D |
| Rocker Boxes | CCE |
| Cam | Stock |
| Carb | S&S Super B |
| Air Cleaner | Chopper Dave’s |
| Exhaust | Swap-meet find |
| Transmission | |
| Year/Manufacturer | ’53/H-D/4-speed |
| Gears | Stock |
| Clutch | Primo Rivera Pro Clutch |
| Primary | 1.5-in. belt |
| Primary Cover | Imperial |
| Frame | |
| Year/Manufacturer | 1954/H-D Straight Leg |
| Rake | Stock |
| Stretch | None |
| Suspension | |
| Manufacturer-Front | 1936/H-D/VL Springer |
| Length | Stock |
| Wheels, Tires, and Brakes | |
| Front | 21 x 2.5-in. Honey Comb Spool Hub |
| Builder | Bob’s Cycle Supply |
| Tire | 21 x 3-in. Avon Speed Master |
| Rear | 18 x 3-in. Star Hub |
| Tire | 18 x 4-in. Avon MKII |
| Rear Brake | Mechanical Drum |
| Finish/Paint | |
| Colors | Blue and White |
| Paint/Graphics | Sonny Boy| |
| Plating/Polishing | Concours Plating |
| Accessories | |
| Rear Fender | Wassel |
| Gas Tank | Wassel |
| Handle Bars | Rudy Sedgewick |
| Hand Controls | H-D |
| Foot Controls | H-D Forward |
| Foot Pegs | NOS Flying Wheel |
| Headlight | Bates |
| Tail Light | MasterCraft |
| Sissy Bar | Rudy Sedgewick |
| License Mount | Rudy Sedgewick |
| Seat | The Upholstery Shop |
| Hand Grips | Chicago |
| Kicker Pedal | Chicago |
Get the all the latest issue of Hot Bike magazine! Subscribe directly from us.
