by 1960gypsycamper » Thu Aug 12, 2021 7:55 pm
Keith, the first time it was Judged, at Dixon 2013, they told me they couldn’t issue 100 pts to a restored bike so they had to find something! There was a very small blemish in the cad plating around a weld, and a small nick in the paint. (Dam neighbor sat on bike with rivets in his jeans! He got on the bike when I went in the house for a minute. I didn’t notice it until a few days later). Anyways its been judged a few times and usually if I’m next to bike during judgement I can prove all of it’s factory correctness. They deducted me once for decorative valve caps and a couple of other items but I wasn’t given the opportunity to contest. Ultimately, I’m positive I have done the closest restoration to factory correct as it gets! I spent more than 12 years trolling for NOS parts before committing and with the Guidance and services of Mutt, Steve Sellers, and just about every guy listed in the HHC site, I was able to complete the project in under 7 months. (2-3 month delay fighting UPS over lost parts including the one year only forks!). I took it to Quail gathering 2013 and the judges spent a considerable amount of time arguing about my bike and a 47 FLH full dresser. What got me second place was I had cleaned the bike a few days prior right after riding it. The exhaust pipe was hot and my stupid microfiber rag brushed against it and left melted plastic on it! Again a small blemish but with only a 1/10nth of a mile they looked at my bike with a microscope. The 47 with mileage was scrutinized less. Believe me I had that new pipe in the mail the following week!