"Low 'N Fat - Plenty of Show 'N Go"

No freakin' way, Jose. Six straight years under a deck? Your guts all rustin' out and one fine relic's rotten and molding? Yeah, well jeez Louise, ya wuss . It's time to show who 's got the cajones in yer crib, fer crissakes. Take a stand with the sweet li'l object o ' yer affliction, maybe she'll relent and let ya come in for some , even if hell don 't freeze over ... Nah, probably not. But we're talking about a prodigious '60 Panhead here, that did just thatrust away under owner Robert Shade's deck in Severna Park, Maryland, for six years (oh, the pain).

Robert's father-in-law bought the bike new with every available option , including covers on the kicker spring and clutch arm, even a cigarette lighter, for $1300 (the pain, the pain). He was a police chief and Shriner in Mississippi, firing the bike up for work and parades. Notice there 's no P-pad or rear footpegs? Hey, the Shriners don't play that: "The little woman stays at home, cookin' and cleanin ' , whe re she belongs." (yeah, right. Now yer beggin' for a long squat under the deck, brother, and no chance o' parole-sounds reasonable to me, though).

In 1980, Robert bought the Pan for $2,500 . When he and his wife worked in England for five years, they brought it along. "It always drew crowds," he says (back then the Brits didn't see many big bikes around). It came back home with them, where it wai ted, sad ly but pat iently, under the deck, till he up and put the wrench to it at last. Enter Roy 'Chamberlin, of C&C Cycle in Crofton, Maryland. Roy and significant squeeze Margaret Nicast ri have been doing restor ations and building customs for 14 years. H ~ says the bike was in pitifu l shape when Robert brought it in. The restoration took two years, though most of that time was spent bird-dogging rare original parts from friends, collectors, and some real private sources by bargaining, trading, selling a few souls, then reconditioning them all to concourse.

The Pan's been on the show circuit for about a year now, taking first place at the respected Toronto International and second behind a righteously restored Indian, at the Budweiser International in Baltimore. In fact, it also took an award at the Easyriders Invitational Bike Show in Columbus, Ohio.

So that's the story of one tough tintop's triumphant return to glory. Robert says that when the show circuit's done, and he's not sweatin' scratches so much, some long road mileage is indicated (it's got only 14,000 original now). Way to go, Robert, and keep it somewhere nice from now on, like where I park my greasy 01' oil dripper: her mother's room (snicker, snicker). Well, it looks like rain, so I'd better climb under the deck. Hey, maybe the mouse'li let me come in for some tonight, ya think? Nah, probably not.
-Glider