When It All Comes Together--A Thing Of Beauty
See more of Kristen and Frankenstein in the gallery section
Is there anything as American as a Shovelhead with a pretty girl hanging on it? Well other than Mom, baseball and apple pie…not much says “PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA” like this combination, which we thought was appropriate for this month.
Mac McCready, a metal fabricator from Franktown, Colorado, decided back in 2003 that he needed to be riding a Shovel. So he gave John Henning of Henning Motors $2500 for a frame, title, and big box of parts from just about every year shovel made. Then, he set to work creating his piece of garage art…with the blessing of his very patient wife. And, just like this great nation of ours, with some effort, he pulled together a bunch of parts to create something special.
Since the whole thing was unmatched parts in a box, Mac very rightly going with an old-school approach was the way to go on this one. We’re glad he did. Since the bike was a collection of parts, Mac figured he needed to enlist the help of a collection of pros to help him out.
Scott Yamasaki wrenched together a 93-inch Stroker Shovel and the original 4-speed transmission, which were dropped into the swing-arm frame. Bill from Pioneer Metal Finishing took care of the black chassis, which helps create the stunning look of the bike.
Most of the rest of the work was done by Mac…there was a little parts shopping, but he created most everything to complete the bike—pipes, bars, you name it. Mac did go with a different approach for with the rear struts: he used American-made Craftsman 1-inch wrenches.
He also took the time to convert the enclosed primary to an open drive, cutting vents into the old primary cover and keeping it on the bike, giving the look of an enclosed system. All the chrome done at Denver Bumperworks, which gives the scooter the nice sparkly look—we like shiny things….
The finishing touch is the tank art. A skull and crossed shovels is a unique and personal touch that is set off nicely by the black paint, and leaves no doubt as to where the heart of this machine lies. When it was all said and done, the one-of-a-kind creation is not only ridden on a regular basis, but it won at the 2007 Easyriders Show in Denver, and has collected a few other trophies.
Mac took to calling the bike “Frankenstein” because it was put together from the various parts of so many other bikes that had seen better days…kinda like Mary Shelly’s legendary monster.
We didn’t really want to go with the monster theme, so opted for the All-American girl look instead. We tracked down Kristen, who mixes some mean cocktails at the Stagecoach Saloon, and asked her to come decorate this fine scooter. She quickly said yes, and then did a fine job of making this already sweet scooter look even better.
Two homegrown beauties coming together to make one gorgeous picture…where else but in America?
