E'Ville Twin's Hoodlum

Story by Buck Manning, Photos by aeroappraisals.com

For a lot of us, the holy grail of motorcycling is the discovery of a Barn-find yielding a rare and pristine bike that looks like it had just run yesterday. Pulling one of these out from underneath an old tarp or hauling it down from the rafters and bringing it back to its former glory is as good as it gets. I’m always so envious when someone relates a story of tracking one down and making the deal of a lifetime on some cool old crock. At first glance, it would appear that Miles and Lorrie Brown had scoured the Canadian countryside to unearth a Barn-find bobber right out of the late 40s, but that is far from the truth. This period-correct looking bike is a product of their custom shop, E’Ville Twin Motorsickle Company of Eckville, Alberta, and it was all intentional. “The theory behind it was simple. What would a post-war vet (WWII) have built as a personal statement upon returning home?” said Miles. With that concept in mind, Miles went about finalizing the design he had in his mind for several years and started sourcing needed items to get this whole ball of wax rolling.

Today there’s a such an interest in bobbers that the style has mutated and changed from an original stock frame with factory castings to a more simple to produce, steel- tubing affair. Miles would have none of that and hooked up with Big Al Wilkerson at Bitter End Old School Choppers in Scottsburg, Indiana. “We decided that in order to accomplish this, we would use as many original-type castings in the fabrication of the frame as possible and keep the tube size as close to original as we could as well as the single-loop downtube,” said Miles. “I do think in all honesty that this is the first time anyone has tried to duplicate a completely new frame from scratch and done it successfully.”

What to fill the frame’s 30-degree rake neck with was easy; a stock VL-style I-beam fork was the obvious, period-correct choice. Rolling stock had to be 16” wires, with tasteful star hubs and “grab a big handful” mechanical drum brakes. Black powdercoated rims surrounded by immense Coker whitewall tires. They really give the bike a jaunty look and set the fun dial to high.

Which engine to use was a no-brainer for Miles, “I always knew that the engine of choice would be a Knucklehead,” he said. Today the choice is so much bigger and possibly better with the reproduction engines that are being made. Nothing’s cooler than an original Knuck that’s totally restored and re-built, but sourcing one and making it work well in today’s driving climate is asking a lot. Miles chose to pick up a V-Twin Manufacturing replica Knucklehead engine that looks authentic in every detail. The 84” long block was equipped with a Joe Hunt magneto and nestled between the cast iron cylinders is an S&S Super B topped with a Goodson air cleaner. Miles fabbed a set of high/low wrapped- headers and installed a pair of Superior Motorcycles vintage mufflers shooting straight back. Next a 3” BDL open belt primary, with a small Art Deco-style belt guard, delivers power to a jockey shifter, 4-speed kicker tranny with Andrews gears.

Picking a tank to fit the curved backbone and still flow with the bike was next. “We needed a gas tank that would give a guy some capacity, yet not so big as to be overbearing and take away from the smooth lines. The Wyatt Gatling tank pretty much fit the bill except for the tunnel, so we changed it, fabricated the appropriate receiving hole for the Ford Model A gas gauge and had a really cool tank with an awesome fuel gauge unlike any we had ever seen,” said Miles. A classic Moon 4-quart oil tank fit comfortably under the frame’s seat stays and keeps things cool while looking cool. Miles fabbed a simple rear fender held up by a holed fender strut which doubles as a sissy bar with a hand-formed brass knuckle topping it off. Paint for this bobber was by Precision Auto Body and Miles explains his choice of color, “What the hell would a guy do for color if he’s a hardass and fresh out of the service? Damn green!” Actually, it’s Spruce iridescent pearl with the bike’s moniker, Hoodlum, by Juniper Emblem on the tank. Speedster bars, classy lights front and rear, and a Tedds V-Twin solo saddle finish it off tastefully. Oh, and one last thing, if you don’t know what the ball peen hammer is about, you ain’t Old School.