JR's Cycle Products: September 2012

I've been waiting for the dust to settle to go on a rant about how INCREDIBLE Hood Bush was. But I'll save that rant for another time.. instead I'm gonna take a second to..pay tribute (for lack of a better term) to Warren Jr's 1977 Shovelhead, "The Lowrider 2".

Warren has been more than kind enough to let me be in control of this gorgeous bike for nearly the entire summer of 2012, not to mention a handfull of incredible adventures in the years past. Little did I know this would be the last summer Warren would be in possession of this dream machine.

I've learned a couple things about this bike in the time I've been aware of it. I've always heard stories that someone lost their life on this bike. I most recently came across a magazine article written by Colleen Schwartz in which she goes into more detail about how Warren Sr and Jr actually knew the man who previously owned this bike. And (I'm remembering this story loosely) but I want to remember that she goes in to detail about Warren Jr coming across a scene where the bike is lying along the side of the road and the owner (who's name I am regretfully failing to remember) not far away. She goes to say that the owner did not survive this accident and the bike was stored immediately after. Through a few moves and a peak of Jr's interest, contact to the widow was made and after very slight prying Jr was now the proud owner.

After Jr 'chopped' the bike, somewhere along the lines, he and the bike found their way to the Sturgis rally in South Dakota. Where as luck should have it, he met a beautiful young girl by the name of Stacy. While there she spent many a mile riding on the bare fender of 'The Lowrider' (as it became known). I don't know many details about their relationship between then and now, but the two of them are wildly in love and engaged to be married. With majority of their sweetheart years spent riding The Lowrider and The Lowrider 2 (which is what the bike became known as after the rebuild)

I, on the other hand, have an entirely different love affair with this bike. To me, it is a Milwaukee legend. The legend that came true and became a reality. It was THE CHOPPER that kick started my obsession with choppers. I remember seeing photos of it as far back as MySpace. Photos of Milwaukee events, The Hardtail Party, Cook's parties, Rocketbox, Cheaterama, and many other little events. And swoooooning over it and zooming in on every detail. This bike, in my eyes, was perfect. I remember the first time I saw it in person, at the Cheaterama show 3 or 4 years back now, Warren pulled in on it, with Cody and a handful of others, Stacy on the back, the way he backed it up to the curb, so hard that Stacy bounced off the seat.... it was perfect. As perfect as everything this bike was involved with. Wheelies, and crashes, and jumps, and off roading. Such a beautiful bike, yet ridden like it should have been. Warren, and Cody, and Jerimiah, and myself, and I'm sure countless countless others have put many a hard mile on it. And now Milwaukee must say good bye to Warren's creation. All I hope is that we see all the pictures of whoever owns it now, riding it, taking it on dirt trails, doing two up wheelies, burnouts and choppy stoppies.

Thanks for the memories and inspiration Warren.

-Dusty