El’s pandemic Panhead

El Bernardes got her Panhead, a 1956 FLF (the second F shows it’s a hand-clutch/foot-shifter), in 2020 during the pandemic as a fairly stock ‘un and, as she’s always admired the Japanese chopper scene, and the women who rode choppers over there in particular, reasoned that if they could do it, so could she.

She lived in Switzerland at the time, and although the country offered incredible scenery for riding, its strict vehicle laws made owning a rigid chopper challenging. At the time, she had an Evo Sportster custom, but longed for something older and cooler, and after doing some research decided on a Fifties Pan because to build and own a rigid-framed bike in Switzerland, the rules stated that it needed to be pre-1957. And ‘cos it’s a Panhead too, of course.

Eventually a suitable one was found and purchased but, due to the pandemic, it took several months to arrive. Once it did, I realised it’d need a complete rebuild to pass the Swiss inspection laws, and to make it the bike she wanted it to be, so she, and an older biker friend, took on the task, in the end keeping only the original engine and transmission. The rebuild took a total of about nine months and, just as they finished, she decided to move back to the UK, which made the shakedown process much easier.

The bike runs a pair of spoked drum brake wheels (21-inch front, 18-inch rear), and a set of what vintage Harley afficionados called a ‘33.4 hamburger front end’ – a set of 33.4mm forks as fitted to the original K-model Sportsters from 1964-’72, and a large ‘hamburger’ drum brake (so called cos it looks like the top of a hamburger… apparently) as fitted to Sporties of the same year, and early Super Glides too. They’re top with a set of Bobby Good Times’ (or Rob Hultz, as he’s known by his mum) ‘bars, and sits just in front of an original Wassell from day in the day which she’s left as is cos it looked so cool with its dents and patina, other than adding the crown of thorns motif. The seat was made by a guy in Switzerland to her design, the rear mudguard (we’re in the UK – it’s not a ‘fender’) is a cut-down NOS (new old stock) item held on by a one-off sissybar, the oil tank’s a horseshoe ‘un that cradles the battery too, and the ‘plate-holder’s very cooly made from barbed wire (as is the chainguard). The snake side-stand’s pretty cool too.

Motorwise, the engine and ‘box’re pretty much as the famous ‘im, ‘im, and ‘im intended, just carefully rebuilt to mostly stock specs bar a Super E carb and suitable-looking aftermarket air-cleaner, a sensible electronic ignition, and a very sensible belt primary conversion. The exhausts’re upswept cocktail-shakers, with a neat little heatshield for her leg when she needs to put her foot down to stop, and give the bike such a strong part of its visual identity.

Once the shakedown period was over, and the bike’d proved itself reliable, she used it on several trips that year, but it was the following year that she truly got to enjoy it, riding it through the UK, and across Belgium, Holland, Sweden, and France. When winter arrived, and her Pan- riding adventures had to pause, she came up with the idea of doing a cross-country trip across the USA – buy a bike in California, ride it across the country, and then ship it back to the UK, and so she commissioned Marcus Ellis in Sonora, California, to build her a hardtail Shovelhead. Many people told her that trip would change her, but it wasn’t ‘til she reflected on the journey afterwards that she truly understood its impact. She says she had so many breakdowns as the bike was only ready two days after she’d arrived to pick it up so its shakedown was on the trip itself – every day brought a new story, a new breakdown, a new challenge, and at the time it was exhausting, but looking back, she wouldn’t’ve changed a thing. “The experience” she says “taught me so much about myself, pushed me to learn about the bike, and introduced me to so many people who helped me along the way.”

When she returned to the UK, she experienced a serious case of post-trip blues, so started writing about the journey to capture every detail, and that eventually turned into a book, ‘Chrome Chronicles: My Solo Adventure Across the Land of the Free’ (still available for sale through her Instagram page @eltattoo). The, last year, she visited Japan for the first time, and had the unforgettable experience of riding to Mount Fuji with friends, and riding choppers at BG Taka’s place. They also visited the massive Mooneyes show which, she says, was phenomenal – “it’s easy to see why people from all over the world come to experience it. I’m looking forward to going back to Japan and exploring even more – as a tattoo artist, I’m fortunate to have the freedom to travel often, work around my own schedule, and explore new places. I’ve had the opportunity to work in so many different locations, and alongside incredibly talented artists, and I don’t take any of it for granted. I love my job and the opportunities it gives me to meet new people and see the world.”

Sounds like a perfect lifestyle, don’t you think?

Spec: 1956 H-D Panhead 1200 engine/gearbox (S&S Super E carb, aftermarket air-cleaner, aftermarket belt primary drive, aftermarket electronic ignition, upswept cocktail-shaker exhausts)/frame, aftermarket side-stand, one-off footrests, 21-inch front wheel, H-D ‘hamburger’ front drum brake, 33.4mm H-D forks/yokes, Bobby Good Times ‘bars, vintage switchgear/controls, Pangea grips, Wassell petrol tank, one-off seat, NOS H-D rear mudguard (modified), one-off sissybar, HD horseshoe oil tank, one-off barbed wire ‘plate-holder, 18-inch H-D drum brake wheel, one-off minimal loom, Bates headlight, aftermarket tail-light

Finish: Oil tank/rear ‘guard aged/painted to match original tank, hand-painted crown of thorns on tank, by owner

Engineering: Bike built by owner & friend, seat by Glen’s Custom Leathers