BiG BiKE #1 Part 2 Bad Banana

I've seen a few images of this bike posted here and there but, here's the whole damn feature.

Keeping it simple and classic. You really can't build a nicer bike than this. This color shot is printed on the page preceding the feature.


1969 and already considered as done like "the good old days".


Nice shot/stance. Note that the copy states, styled as a perfect "1960" chopper. The term bobber was not, and really should not be used for bikes like this. Some might prefer a side mounted light and plate and although the caption implies otherwise, side mounts were run well before 1960.


The copy shouldn't say "74" in regards to the "XA" springer. My guess, they're referring to it as having a 1" stem thus fitting a "74" . Back then "74" was commonly used to mean big twin. Interesting how XA forks were considered rare even back then. It was a lot tougher to find parts before the internet. Hell, in 69 there probably wasn't a decent MC swap meet anywhere.


Do you really think you could do better? That's a 20" wheel up front. I've only heard mention of one since then, and I think it was on the Born Loser blog.


Check how nicely the tanks have been axed to fit.


The copy mentions the dilemma of the 20" tire. (Note: a 21" is not mentioned as a replacement as they were beginning to be considered a bit "out" in '69). The bike is so well balanced that a 19" might be too small and a 21" too big. That said, I'd probably opt for the 21". It's hard to think that $1,700 was considered a lot of bread.


From the David Mann Chopper Fest of several years ago. I see several differences, so I'd say it was inspired by, but not the same bike. Behind the bike there appears to be framed pages from a magazine feature. Anybody know the story on this bike?

BiG BiKE Magazine #1 Part 1

In an effort to make this one of the more interesting blogs, I try posting stuff that you just don't see everywhere else. I have a lot of old material and try to post it when I find time. I planned on posting some bikes from my collection of early Big Bike magazines, when a reader emailed me asking that I do just that.

Those early issues (69-late 70), were the best and there's probably no better place to start than with issue number 1.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I found this magazine on the newsstand of a drugstore in July of 1969. (magazines come out a month early).


Note: Joe Teresi (later of Easyriders) was the Technical Editor.

Before I post the first bike feature, keep in mind a few things:
1. I didn't want to damage the spine on a precious 40 year old magazine by smashing it flat on the scanner so, I took pictures with a camera.
2. These old magazines didn't always have the best photo or print quality.
3. I Photoshop each page adjusting for distortion, exposure, flaws, etc.
4. If you hate my watermark on the images (I'll try not to make them too distracting), remember, I spend a lot of time on each image only to find that they sometimes get posted on other bogs without credit.