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SHARON'S
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I started riding about 23 years ago. It really all started at age 10, when the neighbors' brother
came home with a new Panhead. We all got rides, but I kept asking for another, and another... I
knew right then that this was for me and I had to have one some day. I did 4 years in the Air
Force as an Equipment Mechanic to get the money to buy my first bike, a 1960 XLCH. It was
way too fast and I traded it off for a '59 Chevy Panel Wagon after I bought the Panhead in 1980.
To see my bikes, click The Pan was a disaster, it had 74" cases, 61" barrels, 74" flywheels, and 1/8" stroker plates. The
motor was permatexed together, and it finally gave up the ghost. But it was PURPLE and had a
lot of the things I wanted on it.
I rode till I was 8 ½ months pregnant with my daughter, and she had her first ride at 10 days. She
has more miles than a lot of folks I know. We live in warm weather states and can ride year
round, it makes for lots of miles.
In 1988, I had viral Meningitis and almost died. I had a bad back from a car wreck, and the
hardtail Pan and my Dr. got crosswise, and he recommended I stop riding. Well... NO was the
only appropriate answer. But I did find the 1988 Police Special with a 50 pound air shock for a
seat post, and bought it new. Talk about a land yacht! I put over 20,000 miles the first year, and
over 35,000 miles the next. And this was while working half time, going to engineering college
full time, and being a part time mom. (not bragging too much, just letting you know I have paid
some of those "dues"...) I went to Sturgis for the 50th in 1990, and had a trouble free, great time.
Coming back, I got into some unmarked road construction and went down, doing a lot of
cosmetic damage to the bike, and giving me some mild road rash. We straightened out the bars
and brake pedal, taped things back on, and rode another 300 miles, where I hit a deer. NOT A
GOOD DAY!! I recuperated at a friends at an after-Sturgis-Party, then rode the other 700 miles
home. Insurance was good, I kept the bike and did all the work myself. I did the paint and Steve
Kafka, God bless him, did the pinstripes over again. I finally got the purple on this otherwise
stock bike.
CAN YOU TELL I LIKE PURPLE???
It was about the same time that the Pan gave up the ghost, and the insurance money came in real
helpful. I had a friend at New Life Builders in Los Lunas, NM build me a stoker motor for the
road. I wanted reliability, but wanted to have enough power to pass trucks in the long uphill
stretches where it is NOW or NEVER! He went with STD cases and heads, and a complete
S&S; 88 inch stroker kit. The heads were prototypes, they have given me problems, which STD
says they have fixed. I had to have all the head bolts welded and re-drill and tapped, they kept
pulling out and blowing head gaskets.
As an aside, you can change a head gasket in a Pan in about 2 hours, complete. You can NOT do
that on an Evo. You have to pull the whole MOTOR to do that. Give me a break, HD!!! After
tearing the bike down to paint and clean, to have to pull the motor out again!??? Oh well, after
85,000 miles with nothing done to the motor, I guess a rear head gasket is ok.
Back to the Pan! I had friends scout around for an old gorilla seat post for me, to keep the back
and docs happy. It really makes a difference, rides like a rocking chair (sorta). Started with a
Mikuni carb and gave up and went to the new S&S; E. I like it a lot, it fires up first kick most
every time. I have even gotten into some kickstart contests, but keep losing to a friends' old flat
head. Mind you he can start it by HAND, in a pinch. The transmission was original to start with,
but kept lugging the motor real bad, between 1st and 2nd. So I had Mike Poole in Dallas build a
bullet proof tranny from STD cases and all Andrews close ratio gears. YEEEEEHHHHAAA!! I
was incredibly impressed with the change. I found out what a stroker motor is all about:
MORE, right NOW!!!
I don't get to do as much riding anymore, since I got a job in East Texas with the National
Scientific Balloon Facility . We fly high altitude (130,000 feet high) helium research balloons
for NASA. Here is my information about my job . I get to travel to fair parts of the world, like
Greenland; Fairbanks, Alaska; Lynn Lake, Manitoba; Inuvik, North West Territories; Alice
Springs, Australia; Brazil; New Zealand (greatest place on earth, in my humble opinion) and
ANTARCTICA .
But the bottom line was, this cut into riding time, SERIOUSLY!! I have not put a whole lot of
miles on lately, tho I do what I can to keep the road rolling by. My husband also rides, he has a
1981 Super Glide and a 1984 FLHT. Joy is having a partner that rides too. I guess I never was
much for packing.
The Pan SOLD on Christmas of 2000, to a gent from Seattle who wanted ONLY a Pan or early Shovel. May he put lots of
miles and smiles on her, and may she treat him as well as she did me. I miss the Pan already....
I always like other folks bookmarks (saves ME the time of looking them up), so here are some
my bike .
I have added another page of bike 
photos.
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Thanks for dropping by. This page was last updated on - 01/29/01.
Copyright © - 11/24/96 - ruckomatic.
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