Shovelhead Garage Bike

by Michael Cadenhead
(Rio Rancho, New Mexico)

I started gathering up parts for my shovelhead garage bike 11 years ago (1997) and finally completed the bike this past month. I am not a professional mechanic or builder and this is my first attempt at building a bike. The bike is a "stroker" 88CID Shovelhead in a Santee wide-rigid frame with wideglide front-end. I prefer to call it a "garage bike" rather than labels like "old school", chopper, bobber, rat-rod, industrial, mish-mash scooter trash, etc. I suppose technically it would be classified as a "ground-up modified custom". It gives me a great sense of satisfaction and pride in being able to identify with the roots of custom bike building. I'm just a regular guy with a full-time job, limited tools and skills possessing an unlimited desire to create a bike that is uniquely, my own.

To everyone out there planning to build or currently working on a custom bike...the world needs more choppers and we need to see yours. So, get it built! You'll never regret doing it.