Born Free Vintage Chopper And Classic Cycle Show

I mention this show because it’s becoming one of the west coast biggest one day free events celebrating the love of old motorcycles. It will be held June 25th, 2011 at Oak Canyon Ranch in Orange County, California. Open to all makes and styles, but is heavily geared toward vintage bikes that can be stock, modified, chopped, raced, etc. Any bike with a story or history from old Harley-davidson JD to original Denver’s CB750 diggers. A short video for you to feel the atmosphere… Born Free Show.

15 Responses to “Born Free Vintage Chopper And Classic Cycle Show”


  1. 1 chopmonster66 May 4th, 2011 at 9:21 am

    looks like a great time and lots of cool bikes, need somthing like this in florida ,what do you thng Cyril?? BORN FREE IN FLORIDA.

  2. 2 Burly Brand May 4th, 2011 at 9:45 am

    We’ll be there…

    ~ Burly

  3. 3 Sugar Bear May 4th, 2011 at 11:29 am

    I haven’t missed one yet …… will be there ……

  4. 4 badams May 4th, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    Socal bike season is upon us. Loads of neat bikes at Born Free, worth Cyril hopping a jet to check it out.

  5. 5 chopperfreak29 May 4th, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    I wish I could be there. Maybe next year.

  6. 6 Wiz May 5th, 2011 at 3:28 am

    I WANNA GO, I WANNA GO!! Wiz

  7. 7 Kirk Perry May 5th, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    “Support the scene” – winner

    “I’ve always wanted a Pan…. own a Triumph ….. but I think I’ll like the Pan too.” – winner

    I didn’t know there were this many free-breathing motorcycles left in California. All in once place too. I gotta get out more. – Plumber

  8. 8 nicker May 5th, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    RE:
    “…heavily geared toward vintage bikes…”

    Ah yes, basic transportation.
    Elegant in their simplicity.
    Form following function.
    And everyone a unique expression of the owner.

    So, there is an “up-side” to $5.00 a gallon gas…..
    Just add a teaspoon of Bean-oil to that gas for that old time fragerance…….. 🙂

    -nicker-

  9. 9 Kirk Perry May 5th, 2011 at 11:38 pm

    The parts I’m getting theses days from V-Twin® are solid replacement parts.
    Yea, you probably have the odd Parkered clutch release arm that won’t have the slot cut-out for the clutch pedal rod and some old stock of something, but overall, the parts like “domed” ’46-47 speedometer lens is now glass. The Replica™ one I just received is in a clear-windowed, blue & orange display box! Like something you see in Wal-Mart. The ’50’s green face one I have had 3/10’s of a mile on it new. Like it was tested. The needle action is smooth and the glass face is a respectable replica.
    Tedd Cycle is on some kind of “quality rib” now. The speedo’s come with the knurled odometer knob. It use to be you’d get a plastic face speedo that’d run OK for awhile until maybe one day the sweep needle would start spinning like crazy, fall off and lay down at the bottom of dial face.

    There’s been some big changes with that organization. I don’t know why.
    Last year, a shipping invoice was received that a set of 3.5 fuel tanks was in route. No reason. Experimental? Dunno.
    I posted the pics of the tanks on Classic American Iron. The “new” tanks had some design flaws and we tore them apart online, focusing on several things that were made wrong. Odd behavior from a super-secret corporation – releasing a prototype product into the hands of an ex-felon grease monkey (who they had already threatened with a “cease & desist” once before). 🙂

    I had a set of the old CCI 3.5 “ballooned” tanks on hand. Handling the newer version of the V-Twin 3.5 tanks was a different feel altogether. Even though the “new” tanks were flat-sided like Sportster or AMF era tanks, they had the narrow, much sought after by customizer’s, drawn-in, 3-1/2″ rear tank (tail) widths (across) like OEM, (vs. the 4-1/2″ CCI tank tail widths).
    So, I felt like I should return some of their parts they sent, but after offering to return to them some sets of 1951-1953 (and ’54) tank emblems they sent as tester’s, they said “keep them, you might need them later”.
    Then, I received an email from them, with a 6 month projected “newer” version tank shipment notice. That was in June of 2010.
    Well, anyone in the old Haley replica parts knows that “6 months” actually can mean “18 months”. So, after receiving their 2010 catalog (the last paper catalog they’ve published), I see part numbers for replica tanks. Every year group is listed. Knuckle and ’48 Pan. Then ’49 – 50 Pan, ’51-53, and then 54. Then, ’55-56. Then ’57 and ’58. Then ’59-60.
    My point being, they have the fuel tanks listed in the catalog. And if they weren’t going to make the tanks indented for the specific emblems, then why did they list the tank groups all with different part numbers?
    Making tanks cost money. Who knows how much they threw at those first prototypes, but it was wasted. Nothing salvageable on the tanks, except the fuel bungs if you cut them off with a plasma torch. $$$ down the drain on those first proto’s and they didn’t even flinch. 🙂

    I’m expecting some real replica tanks to arrive before June 2011. Why? Because when they print something in a catalog, they ALWAYS follow up.

    I never asked for and tank shift (lugs) tanks but I wouldn’t doubt it if they made both the tank and foot shift.
    May not seem like a big deal, real looking 3.5, but I’m telling you what I know – I used Hylomar® on my 8-sealing surface shut off valve (pop-up reserve) and it hasn’t sweated a DROP in two months. Nothing. Dryer than OEM ever was, no matter what, and a custom looks originally old using the coil tube crossover fuel line, and that brass cap pop-up rod.
    Happy days.

  10. 10 Vintage Bobber's May 6th, 2011 at 2:40 am

    Hope To Be There Next Year I Will Ride A UL From Daytona Hopefully!!!!

  11. 11 nicker May 6th, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    Kirk,

    RE:
    “… shut off valve (pop-up reserve) and it hasn’t sweated a DROP in two months. …”

    simply drill out all that “sealing surface” and tap the hole for an 1/8 pipe fitting.
    Counter bore the top of the new pipe fitting to accept a Teflon tube and let the pop-up rod seat into the other end that tube.

    No more “sweating or dripping” and no more silly HD gas-cock seat reaming tool.

    -nicker-

  12. 12 Kirk Perry May 6th, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    “No more “sweating or dripping” and no more silly HD gas-cock seat reaming tool”
    •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

    Unfortunately, and I believe I speak for many of the degenerates that can’t let go of the past, In order to fully appreciate superior World War-2 engineering and not appear to have “cheated” by using “modern” parts, you have to fool a lot of knowledgeable people that are still alive and actually know what an antique knuckle or Pan looks like.
    I’ve seen it get ugly, when know-it-all’s pick your machine apart in front of a crowd of fact-hungry people. There is no way an OHV mechanic can rationalize using a “chrome slide-cock” or “drill -n’ tap” modification as a modern day “go around” for not tackling the 8-sealing surface, OEM style, fuel shut off valve.
    You’d end up getting backed into a corner, protesting …… “I only did it because I couldn’t make the assembly leak-proof”, with no one believing in your mechanical ability……? Oh the horror…..the….HORROR. 🙁
    Imo, the only way you can CHEAT with anything early OHV, and get away with it scott-free is to be able to HIDE your shame, yea ye, hide your shame …. by covering your mod with something. Something like a ’36-54 outer primary cover. To wit, an 1-1/2″, 11mm, belt inside the can instead of a anchor clanking, fish frying, double-row chain that will soon (3,500 miles tops) stretch-out like the waistband of a pair of cheap underwear, unless you flood it (and the pavement) with snoot-drip oil.
    So, I was wavering before, but now fully convinced on corking my Knucklehead crankcase nest week and hiding a primary belt drive.
    The belt installed on my 55-57 Pan works flawlessly. The trans never needs adjusting, but the only way a belt primary will work reliably is to use a proprietary clutch assembly like Primo® or BDL®. Using any “kit” to make a stock style clutch work in a belt drive modification is a waste of time and money.
    Chain primary Knuckle & Pans are worthless, imo. Been to both, not going back again.

  13. 13 Wiz May 7th, 2011 at 3:48 am

    Tedd Cycle ‘an me been doin’ biddness fer a long time now. Good folks ‘an lotsa stuff! Wiz

  14. 14 nicker May 9th, 2011 at 9:09 pm

    Kirk,
    RE
    “…no way an OHV mechanic can rationalize using a “chrome slide-cock” or “drill -n’ tap” modification as a modern day “go around” for not tackling the 8-sealing surface, OEM style, fuel shut off valve…”

    Well, in my case the chrome-slide-cock i inherited leaked like a sieve. And it’s location caused me to piss in my pants every time it brushed my hand against the Raja clip on the front cylinder plug. That basically helped me “rationalize” ordering a stock through-the-tank gas-cock.

    RE:
    “…In order to fully appreciate superior World War-2 engineering…”

    OK, i can appreciate good engineering, but when the stock gas-cock showed up, let’s just say that it’s “design limitations” (i’m being kind here) were obvious. So instead of buying the HD tool i simply redesigned the inside of the thing to make it trouble free. And if ya seat the pipe fitting down deep enough the modification is hard to spot.

    RE:
    “…when know-it-all’s pick your machine apart in front of a crowd of fact-hungry people… You’d end up getting backed into a corner, protesting …”

    Can’t say as i remember ever being “backed into a corner”…. that would require taking such idiots seriously…… 🙂

    -nicker-

  15. 15 Kirk Perry May 11th, 2011 at 10:25 am

    ~ BIG NEWS –
    Dennis Corso constructed another 23″ (overall) custom cigar muffler for my ’57 Pan. I called to ask if we could make a quieter muffler, with more baritone and less treble, he said, “that’s a good question”.
    Installed it yesterday and rode 10 miles down the coast and back. It sounded much better. More Harley. The extra ping-pong shaped baffles inside cut a little-bit of snap out of the motor, but it’s worth it to be able to hear the clickity-click from the motor and not the exhaust.
    I believe the quieter muffler draws more attention instead of noise repulsion. Imo, human cells will absorb this sound faster in personal DNA than any other M/C sound. It really puts the emphasis on potato, potato.
    Ask Denis for one. It’s called the “quieter 23″ muffler”. About 130 bucks shipped.
    http://www.denniscorso.com/exhaustpipesets.htm

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Cyril Huze