American Iron Magazine December 2017

towards the things we liked when we were young,” Tommy
Goode responded when asked what led to his Panhead project.
Wanting to build a low-slung Pan bobber with original
Arizona home, Tommy drove to the Long Beach swap meet
in neighboring California. A potential treasure trove of
vintage motorcycle parts, the event is known for uncommon
items thought all but extinct. So it was for Tommy,
who found exactly what he was looking for, in his terms:
the “bones” of a Harley-based Panhead. Purple with silver
just enough so that it could be rolled to a truck or trailer, but
While Tommy had no extended tour plans for his
bobber-in-the-making, he did want enough reliability to ride
worry-free through Arizona’s desolate mountains. To that
end, he chose Carl Olsen, of Carl’s Cycle Supply in Aberdeen,
South Dakota, to rebuild the engine. Wanting “just a
kick or three” to start the bike and roadworthy reliability,
was a Linkert M74B, the classic Harley carburetor. The
grind camshaft. Only slightly more radical than the original
range without compromising the tractor-like torque that
guarantees power on demand, ideal for reaching the next
peak during those mountain jaunts Tommy had in mind.
48 / American Iron / Issue #358 AIMag.com