Vagabond Choppers 78 FLH

Article And Photos By: Tom Beerpoot

ené Wassink is the drummer of ‘Strike,’ a well-known biker band from Holland, Europe, and a Garage Builder. He also loves to ride and build radical choppers. This badass chop here is his latest. ‘Building a real Highneck chopper has always been on my bucket list, and now I have finally done it,’ the musician says.

A Highneck chopper? WTF is a Highneck chopper? ‘Highnecks’ is what Europeans call all choppers with a lot of stretch in the downtubes. Although the term is not used in the US, the chopper style is still of

rAmerican origin. You would probably call them West Coast style choppers or club choppers. Not only did we start liking how these bikes looked, but we also discovered how well these Highneck handle. In Europe, you will find a lot of bobbers and retro choppers. This Dutchman hails from the town of Vorden, near the German border. Building, owning, and riding a Highneck was something René wanted for quite some time. He sold his Paughco hardtail Sportster chopper and made enough to start his dream project. René still owned an old Harley Softail and was to scavenge the Softail’s motor, gearbox, primary and other parts. René ordered a frame, a springer frontend, wheels, and other components. From there, it was fullthrottle.

René took the Softail apart in his little garage behind the house. He sold off the titled frame…and whatever else was left after taking what he needed to fund more of the chopper build. The single downtube frame that René had custom-built to his specs arrived, and he bolted the motor and gearbox in and quickly made it into a roller. Wassink

Owner: Ren Groot Wassink City: Vorden, Holland, Europe Fabrication by: Owner Year: 2014 Model: Highneck Value: Not for sale Time: One year of and on Engine Year: Model: Evolution Builder: Harley Davidson Ignition: Pistons: HD Heads: HD Cam: HD Carb: CV Air Cleaner: Maltese Cross Exhaust: Owner Primary: HD Softail Transmission Year: Make: Harley Davidson Shifting: Five speed Frame Year: 2013 Make: L&L Choppers Rake: 40 degrees Stretch: 6 inch in downtube Forks Type: Retro Springer Builder: L&L Choppers Extension: 18 inch Triple Trees: L&L Choppers Wheels Front wheel: spokes, extra wide rim Size: 21 inch Front tire: Metzeler Front brake: L&L Choppers Rear wheel: spokes, extra wide rim Size: 18 inch Rear Tire: Metzeler 200 Rear brake: HD Softail discbrake Paint Painter: Kustom Bart from Ede, Holland Color: Black, silver, orange Type: Candy and baby flakes Graphics, flames by Kustom Bart Molding: Kustom Bart Chroming: None Accessories Bars: Owner Risers: in Bars Oiltank: L&L choppers Fueltank: Villain Hand Controls: L&L Choppers Front fender: Say what? Rear fender: Flat bender L&L Seat: Foot Controls: HD/Owner Headlight: Taillight: Photographer: Beer fabricated the pipes, the sissybar, the handlebars, and anything else he could.

René says his favorite part of building bikes is making stuff you can’t buy anywhere. In our opinion, René did an excellent job. Look at how the Z-bars curve around the gas tank and how natural they look on those springer forks! The copper oil lines look pretty cool too. Instead of buying expensive aftermarket controls, René took the stock Softail ones and chopped and rebuilt them into something personal. The fender is mounted to the swingarm. You may not have noticed, but this ain’t a hardtail. René just made it look very much like one!

Lastly, Kustom Bart did an excellent job painting the tins, making this bike stand out in a crowd. The way Wasnick built this bike to be reliable as hell and handle like a dream. René rides this bike a lot and loves it. René took off the government-required blinkers for his maiden voyage. Unfortunately, local law enforcement took notice, so René had to put them back but did so inconspicuously. I challenge you, can you find the blinkers? I can assure you they are there somewhere.

René is the perfect example of why Dennis Kirk celebrates the home garage builder. He builds what he loves and draws inspiration from the motorcycle scene worldwide. You can share your build with the world too, go to www.garagebuild.com

NO THERE ISN’T ANY REAL PRIZE, JUST SOMETHING TO DO WHILE YOU’RE IN THE CAN.

1. Extra Paint Panel On Fuel Tank 2. Different Color Seat. 3. Wxtra Carb. 4. Differ ent End On Voltage Regulator. 5. Bigger Shifter Handle. 6. Smooth Cover On Front Pulley Of Primary. 7. Extra Holes On Pressure Plate. 8. Heel Toe Shifter. 9. Different Color Rear Chain. 10. Changed Number On License Plate.