Joe Hurst's Black Bear

Anyone who has been following the blog has seen several of the bikes that Joe built over the years. I always tell Joe, you need a program to follow what bike was what, which version, and the years to keep track of them all. As a matter of fact, between this bike and the last few versions of the chrome frame bike, there were a couple versions of his red bike which I haven't posted yet. Except for having H-D 9 spoke mags and a Sportster tank, the red bike was very similar to this black bike.


If I remember correctly this is from 1995. Joe never call it Black Bear. That's just what I think is an appropriate name for it.




It's a very purpose built bike. That purpose being function and performance. It was sold to a friend many years ago yet still exist and for the most part, is totally intact.

To see all of Joes' bikes, photos and related stories, click on the Joe Hurst label below.

Nasty Nesbit Choppers

Here's some old photos of Nasty Nez's bikes. The first three images are courtesy of Joe Hurst.

Nez's Knucklehead. Probably taken at Dick Allen's shop around '68-69. That's Dick's chrome frame chopper and Joe's wheelie pulling buddy Steve Drale's panhead in the background. Note, both bikes have their primaries removed.


Nez's Shovelhead. I'm guessing it's the same bike below. The twisted sissy features the "South Bay Swoop".


"Confusion". The tanks are not chromed in this version from a magazine. What confuses me is, why run almost the same angle photo twice, and the comment about '69 heads (whatever they are?).


Ladies Like'em Long Phase III style. Nez is the guy responsible for Phase III Belt Drives. This image is from one of their ads. It's probably safe to say Nez liked girders. At this point his bike is taking on a more of a White Bear/Southbay look.

David Mann LA/Southbay Style

I've been thinking I'd like to post some more stuff that relates to this month's header but, have also known, I'm way overdue for posting some David Mann art. Then, as I was clearing out some files, I ran across this:
Was Dave purposely portraying a South Bay Chopper?

You might remember this from one of the Chopper Fest flyers. There's quite a few things of interest going on here. 1. Off hand, I can't think of any other of Dave's work featuring American 12 spoke mags. 2. The springer's front legs has a round perch like Dick Allen's did. 3. He's sort of revisiting the Hollywood Run with the sign and search lights. 4. It's signed Roach 1975, meaning it was done for Roach Studios, an old (t-shirt and decal), competitor of Ed Roth. Dave wasn't the only one that jumped ship. After Roth folded up shop, Ed Newton went over to Roach as it's art director. BTW Roach Studios has been rekindled and is now once again selling Newt's old designs.

All this, and the fact that my Google stats consistently show that the largest number of keyword searches are related to Dave's art, means there's a huge audience out there hungry for it.

An All Time Favorite

This month's header creates a good reason to post the last of the White Bear photos.

If you've been reading the blog for awhile, then you know that Joe Hurst's White Bear is one of my all time favorite bikes and also a perfect example of the South Bay Style.

Dick Allen thought so too. He loved Joe's bike and his own bike (Loco-Motion), pretty much matched it feature for feature. The only big differences are the paint, the use of a knucklehead, and a traditional spoked front wheel instead of a 12 spoke American mag.

Holiday Follow Up Chopper

I believe this is Doc Holiday once again with another chopper around 1973 in Lawndale, CA. I'm not sure if it's a rebuild of the bike from the earlier post. If it is, it's now more akin to other long South Bay bikes. Would like to see more of it. Photo courtesy of Joe Hurst.

This Month's Header-Workbench Wise Guys

Be it a project you have in mind or yourself, the beginning of the year is a natural time reflect and think about what your going to get done. For those in the colder climates, it's a natural time to fix or rebuild your bike.


This month's art was originally inspired by the art below. It's also inspired by events that may or may not have actually taken place. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely intentional.

Cool old art from something titled Workbench Wisdom. I don't recall what blog it came from.

I usually don't make resolutions but, this year I plan on getting a lot more stuff done including finally finishing a motorcycle and doing more art.

The other day I heard a study that said, 92% of new years resolutions are not kept. While that doesn't bode well, Why wait for New Years? You can decide to make a change any day of the year.

The Joe Hurst Blog presents: The Blue Bike

Since becoming friends, Joe has sent me a lot of cool photos and for awhile there, the blog was in danger of a coup d'état. Since it's been awhile, and the threat has subsided, it's time to share some more from his archives.

Circa 1970. Joe just calls it the Blue Bike but, it's actually the Hustler redone with less rake, a shorter springer, a Harley Sprint tank, and of course, blue paint.


Great roadside shot. I'm loving the pan too.


A bit later with fish tail up-sweeps.


Joe out on the road. This photo is interesting for two reasons. 1. Joe's wearing one of those cool Harley shirts with the psychedelic font from a page in a 1970 parts and accessories catalog as posted here in Dec. 2009. 2. He's also wearing one of those heavy duty wide leather wrist/watch bands. Joe says he had it made with a cover to protect his watch, and as far as he knows, was the first to wear one. Did Joe invent them? At one time they were quite the rage. I could easily see how they might make a comeback... at least within the retro chopper scene.

Doc Holiday's Witch Street Chopper May 1970

Back in November of 2010 I posted The Witch as featured in Roth's Choppers Magazine (click Here to view it), and also used it for this last October's Header. Therefore, I figured some of you might like to see the Street Chopper feature since it has better details and shows how the bike changed some. I reformatted the article so that it would fit the blog and make it easier to read the captions.

Once again it was also the cover bike. Instead of the original metal flake, the bike was repainted a candy orange. I like the former better.


Check the custom touches like the peanut tank's chromed side panels, the hex down tubes and pin striping as you view the photos. Very much like the stuff you'd see on a Von Dutch custom.




Custom Cycle Engineering Finned Dish Pans were now installed.


Randy of Gardena as in Smith repainted the witch again but I like his first witch better. Go back to my October 2011 header post to compare.


Note the very high position of the brake pedal. Back in the 60's, a lot of guys liked the radical (but not very practical), look it gave. The small photo shows a high clutch pedal as well.


The sissy bar now sports what I call the South Bay Swoop. Again, the paint and the metal work looks Von Dutch inspired.


The bullet taillights are cool, but note the broken license plate frame.

This bike may relate to more posts than any other to date. As evidence, check the Labels/links below.

Joe in Iowa

After the last post, it only seems natural to bookend it with this shot of Joe Hurst on White Bear.

Joe (circa 1973), in Iowa on a cross country trip with Dick Allen. Note the added double sissy bar with auxiliary fuel tank. White Bear is still the ultimate South Bay Chopper in my book.

Bruce in New York

Bruce Parrish (circa 1972), rode his first chopper from CA to New York twice. While there, a friend made this poster. Bruce said only one poster was made but I could swear I've seen this image on a blog a few years ago. The Paul Newman poster in the window sure seems familiar. It might have been another bike with the same background.

This is one of the last photos from Bruce. Click the Bruce Parrish label below to see all the cool images he's sent... you'll be glad you did!

This Month's Header-Under The Influence

I did this drawing sometime in 1973 and you can clearly see the influence of the two bikes below.

Much of the general design was inspired from Joe Hurst's White Bear, but I used a Cone Motor instead of a Generator Shovel.

The bike from the center spread of Big Bike Magazine Sept. 1972 was the other source of influence. Borrowed from it were the rear fender, polished mags, rectangular headlight, pullbacks, and much of the style of the paint. It was also a South Bay bike but had more of a AEE Choppers look rather than the Dick Allen/Fats South Bay Style. The photo looks to be taken at the break water in King Harbor Redondo Beach, CA. with the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background.

The Chrome Frame Chronicles

The story of Dick Allen's/Joe Hurst's Chrome Frame Bike is complex and varied. At one time, Joe pulled the running gear out to put in the Green Bike. A buddy with an unfinished bike then asked if he could ride it (the Green Bike), to Northern California. Joe said, "is your motor and trans done"? When his friend answered, "yeah", Joe told him he could put it in the chrome frame roller for the trip. Sometime later, Joe put it's motor and trans back in and sold it.

This is probably right before Joe sold it. It was originally fitted with a H-D Sprint tank. Here it has a larger Super -Glide tank.


After it was sold and painted blue by the new owner. Looks good. Just about any color will work with a chrome frame.


Joe got it back years ago. Here's how she sits today.

Chrome Frame Confusion

After seeing the Chrome Frame Lives post, Bruce Parrish sent this photo and said, " I see the South Bay saga continues. This is the tank I painted for the Chrome bike. As I remember it was for Doc . He had something similar to this eagle a few years earlier". (Note that the bike is in the house next to the Christmas Tree.)


When I posted Joe's first version of Dick's chrome frame bike, I purposely left out this cool photo and was saving it for another day. As I remembered it, Joe told me that Bruce repainted it for him based on the Eagle he did for Doc.


Joe later sent this photo showing how it looked when he got the bike from Doc in '73. It was originally pearl white with yellow tips. Bruce said he didn't do this version and did not come up with the Eagle Scallops concept but instead had traced it for the silver to black version.


Joe liked the motif so much he used it once again on his green bike. What makes things even more confusing is that this bike seems to have all the drive train components from the Chrome Frame Bike including the oil tank with the peg mounts. (Note the neck, and it's similarity to the one done later on Bruce's Funny Bike.)

Joe's thinking of using the Eagle design again on the latest build of the Chrome Frame Bike, but with a new twist.

The Chrome Frame Lives

Captain America may be the most famous chopper ever, chrome frame or not , but before Captain America there was Dick Allen's chrome frame chopper. Dick's chopper was another one of those bikes that everybody seemed to dig.

In an earlier post , I mentioned that the Shovelhead that once powered Dick's chrome bike ended up in Joe's Hurst's Hustler. Which brings up.... what ever became of the chrome frame?

This collage serves as a refresher, shows some changes, and helps to illustrate a few things.

Joe Hurst has it today. Jim Andrews got it from Dick and then it went to Doc Holiday. It had been stolen at one time too. Joe got it from Doc around 1973, kept it until '84, and then he got it back in '86. It's hard to keep all the years and facts straight but like many bikes (or parts of them), they seem to find their way back to Joe.


I posted this shot of Joe's pad before in hopes that someone would have recognized the twisted cross sissy bar and rear fender.


This first version built by Joe in the early seventies is probably my favorite of all his bikes second only to White Bear. The tall sissy bar and full fender isn't what you'd normally think would work with with the long springer, or what was hip at the time, but somehow, it all works... and to think, at one time I didn't even like chrome framed bikes.


A little later in the Mid Seventies, it got the black treatment and the forks were modified using Honda 750 rear shocks for hydraulic dampening.


Flash forward to December 2010. It's been on the back burner for about the last 20 years, but Joe is now working on it's come back. This time as a Panhead.


That's Dick's original rear fender. The seat was re-upholstered years ago, but it Dick's old seat pan too.


The modified Dick Allen springer. Joe says it's now mounted on the frame. Those Shovelhead cases on the shelf are from Joe's White Bear!


Joe still has the 6 quart oil tank that Dick made. Since all previous versions of the bike had a magneto, there was no need for a battery. Sadly, it probably won't be used this time since Joe is using a five speed with electric starter. The upper holes are for passenger pegs as pointed out in the Choppers Magazine Wheeler Dealer article.

Joe has about everything he needs for the engine and trans so hopefully he'll get it together soon. I'll keep you posted.

Earing Mike's South Bay Chopper, or Ask and You Shall Receive?

I said I'd like to see more of the bike, so I get a call from Joe Hurst saying, "you asked for it".


Mike still has his bike and as you can see, not only is it almost unchanged, but it also looks fresh as ever. The beautiful forks deserve a double take as they are narrowed and extended Harley (by Mike), with Dick Allen rockers.


While not having all of the exact same styling cues, the look and stance is definitely South Bay. The Sportster headlight, Hunt magneto, 12 spoke mags, and D.A. rockers do add to the recipe. Go back and look at Joe's White Bear, Foots bike, or Bruce's Funny bike, and you'll see it was all in the family of friends.


Compare this shot with the one in the last post and it drives home how, other than the paint and the plug wires, nothing has changed!


While repainted, the tank retains the Ride to Live and Wings theme. The frame is fantastic. Note the seat area. It's been stretched, raked, and molded with metal before chroming. The sissy bar doesn't have the normal South Bay Swoop, but instead has an almost invisible fender following support bar. The oil tank reminded me of the Funny Bike's tank and it's no coincidence since it was made by Bruce's mentor, Steve Davis.

My thanks go out to Mike and Joe for sharing this cool ride.