Bucko Knuckle & Sydney Summers

“WHAT do you do when the price of good original Knuckleheads has gone past the National Debt and you want to build a nice traditional chopper with a bit of Grunt? This was the dilemma faced by Steve ‘Bucko’ Buckingham so he decided to pay Mark Austin a visit at Pacific HD Trading to help solve the problem.

Pacific HD has built a lot of Knuckleheads, both stock and chopped, so he knew they would deliver on the final product. The solution, after much discussion, was to build the bike from scratch but instead of using a genuine motor which is almost impossible to find, and when you do it will then have to be rebuilt, all of which turns out to be very expensive. Add this to the fact that Bucko wanted a performance engine with a few more cubes then the solution was a new 84-cubic-inch motor from V-Twin. Also if you happen to give it a caning and the unforgivable happens you haven’t made a mess of a genuine set of cases. In keeping with the traditional styling, a rebuilt Linkert carb was added but 12 volt electrics were added for better fun at night!

This was coupled to a RevTech transmission, a Primo belt drive and the drive train was now settled.

The next big issue was the frame. PHD sells the V-Twin replica frames and Mark suggested they use one of these as a starting point in keeping with the original look but with some extra mods to give it its own unique look. Note the hard edge detail added to the frame rails and the double stress bars under the tank.

Not one but two petrol tanks were built—one was the traditional Sporty tank with the edge details added to the complement the frame; the other a Mustang tank painted with the Phoenix on top so that both tanks are interchangable whenever Bucko feels the need.

For the front-end the decision was obvious. It had to be an original style springer and since PHD sells these in stock length and all oversizes a plus-four-inch was sourced and topped with Flanders risers and clamp with widened Z-bars.

The only compromise to tradition was improved braking and so GMA calipers were used front and back and calipers were black anodized to tone down the bling factor.

Bucko was also keen to go with a jockey shift and foot clutch pedal so he could reinvent his riding style all over again!

Wheels were period with 21-inch in front and 16-inch out back—no beachball tyres for this baby!

An original ’60s ribbed rear fender was sourced topped with a Sparto tailight and then all the bracketry was fabricated to get it just right.

As one would expect, this bike is kick only which in itself in a new build is a novelty these days.

Bucko supplied the Crime Scene Choppers seat which set the tone for the colour scheme.

PHD did the graphics and Ronnny Keed laid down the metalflake Red and black with just a hint of pinstriping and the theme was now complete.

Wanting to run with the period, the exhaust was bent up by Dennis Moran, the pipe genius, and topped by trumpet Dago mufflers.

All that was left was to assemble the beast and run it in before delivering it to Bucko. The bike has picked up two awards in its first two outings but for now it’s time ride and KNUC THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF IT!

Thanks to Jereme, Pete, Scott and Mark at Pacific HD—Bucko.

Sydney Summers

I LIVE IN Byron Bay but I get a lot of work in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, so I do a lot of travelling to Sydney—hence coming down here; and I wanted to shoot with you guys because I thought it would be good fun.

I like painting and drawing, and I am a make-up artist. I have recently gotten quite interested in tattoos. I was offered an apprenticeship with a tattoo artist down here in Sydney but unfortunately I don’t live here full time so that was not an offer that I took up. I did design my own tattoo and I have designed them for other people, and I do have friends who are tattoo artists, so that is possibly, definitely, a future career option.

I have a friend who has an identical tattoo to mine; identical but in different colours. Elise has been my best friend since I was a young girl and we have been through a lot together. She understands me better than anyone else; I consider her to be my soul mate which is what our tattoos say.