Paper Street Customs 78 Shovel

ryan Gore is one of those The amount of detail he put into that So much so that we invited him to guys that takes this bike as a builder who was still virtually compete in the first never “In Motion” motorcycle thing to an unknown took me back a little. We show at the Lonestar Rally 2017. Ryan unhealthy level. Thank God put it on the cover back then, and I’ve had just sold his blue Panhead and he does because it pushes those of us always been thrilled to have Ryan’s didn’t have anything to build for that around him to up our games. I first met bikes in our shows and on our pages. show. He almost had to pass on the him at a show in Vegas that we used to The story on “Excitable Boy” is years opportunity when his brother Marc do when he rolled in on a Shovelhead later and finds Ryan at accomplished stepped up. He had an old ’78 Shovel that brought the show to its knees. craftsman status among his peers. sitting around that would be a donor

anyway and offered it to Ryan with the caveat that they would sell it when it was finished. The two men would split the profits. Of course, it was a hit, and the one and only Michael Lichter shot it, and we ran it in the August 2018 issue of Cycle Source. When Marc saw that feature title “My Brother’s Keeper,” a new deal was struck. He told Ryan to keep the money from the sale but wanted another ’78 that he had built into something to keep. Marc would supply Ryan with all the parts and the donor, so for sweat equity, he would not only get another project, but he’d also get to build a bike for his kid brother.

Ryan said that what Marc gave him was described as a loosely assembled basket case. In truth, it would be better defined as a loosely assembled basket case from a meth head from the Oregon coast. Once he got into it, Marc saw that it was held together mainly with JB Weld, so he tore it apart and built it into a stock daily rider. Shortly after, the

engine grenaded. It was pushed to the side and sat that way until he brought it to Ryan. While Ryan hardtailed the frame, Marc, a former H-D tech rebuilt the motor and transmission rebuilt from top to bottom. As far as the design, he had carte blanche and was let loose to create his vision. Ryan made as much as he could for it with a handmade gas tank, oil tank, pipes, bars, risers, sissybar, kicker arm, foot controls. All one-off stuff from Ryan’s hands. Of course, it got a set of his one-of-a-kind grips as well.

What Ryan didn’t do reads like a who’s who at the top of the custom motorcycle game today. Scott Takes leading the charge on the paint job and none other than Curt Green from Bare Bones Leather covering the seat pan with a two-tone black leather and diamond stitch suede seat. Like most Gore builds, this bike needs time to sink in; it is pretty impressive. It isn’t until the third or fourth time you look it over that you truly see his genius.

Owner: Marc Gore City/State: Salem, Oregon Builder: Ryan Gore/Paper Street Customs Year: 1978 Model: Shovelhead Value: 30k Time: Time Is A Construct

Engine Year: 1978 Model: Shovelhead Builder: Marc Gore Ignition: Dynatech 2000i Displacement: 80 Cubic Inches Pistons: Harley Davidson Heads: Harley Davidson Carb: S&S Super E Cam: Andrews Air Cleaner: Bareknuckle Choppers Exhaust: Paper Street Customs Primary: BDL

Transmission Year: 1978 Make: Harley 4 Speed Shifting: Foot

Frame Year: 1978 Model: Shovelhead Rake: 30° Stretch: +2 In The Rear

Forks: Harley Davidson Builder: Paper Street Customs Type: 39mm Triple Trees: Midglide Extension: -2

Wheels Front Wheel: 40 Spoke Spool Size: 21” Tire: Dunlop Front Brake: Unknown Rear Wheel: 40 Spoke Size: 17” Tire: Michelin Rear Brake: Performance Machine

Paint Painter: Scott Takes Color: Kobalt Blue Type: House Of Kolor Graphics: Scott Takes Chroming: Industrial Plating

Accessories Bars: Paper Street Customs Risers: Paper Street Customs Hand Controls: Performance Machine Foot Controls: Paper Street Customs Gas Tank(S):Paper Street Customs Oil Tank:Paper Street Customs Front Fender: Unknown Rear Fender: Led Sled Seat: Bare Bones Leather Headlight: Lowbrow Taillight: After Hours Choppers Speedo: Unknown Subtle but exacting details that tie the whole bike together make it more than a rolling sculpture but instead make each of his bikes a statement.

The build was on track to be finished just before the 2019 In Motion show, and Ryan had plans to return to the show that started it all with “Excitable Boy” as his entry. As good luck would have it, an incredible opportunity, the kind that only comes around once in a lifetime, would push his schedule to the point that he couldn’t make it. Pretty sure this thing would have given them a run for that 10 Grand too, but there’s always next year! He did manage to get it to a couple IMS shows and even walked away with some prize money from them just before the world went into Covid lockdown. Like most of us, Ryan is frustrated with the world today and offered this comment: “Hopefully, this shit ends soon, and I can show it some more this year.” Seems to be the general consensus of anyone who got a bike ready for the 2020 season and then got put on hold.