Johnny 99's 1967 Sportster

hen Johnny Humphrey started building this 1967 Sportster, he had a “good” engine, an aftermarket w frame, and an idea. To some, that may seem like plenty. To others, it may not seem like anything. To Johnny, it was the perfect beginning of a yearlong journey. Now, a year may seem like a long time to build a custom, but as many of our readers know first-hand, builds always take their own path. Custom builds are just that, CUSTOM. A lot of times, you may buy something that is “perfect,” only to realize it is not what you envisioned. Lastly, when building a bike, “good” parts seldom are. So, with those couple of constants in mind, let’s check out this beautiful custom.

Starting with the 1967 900cc engine, Johnny tore into it to make sure his “good” engine was indeed good. Turns out, it was not. Not only did it have issues, but it may also have had more bad parts than good. So, before anything could happen, the little Ironhead came completely apart. The crank was gone through, and the transmission freshened up. Next, a set of Wiseco pistons were attached to the rods. Andrews Y Grind Cams were installed, and the cylinders were slipped on topped by rebuilt heads. A 38mm Mikuni and K&N filter were added to feed it.

To connect the engine and transmission, Johnny decided on an open belt drive. If you’re not familiar with the primary

drive of a Sportster, this is a major undertaking. There is no kit for this. It is all custom. The stock drive set up shares its oil with the transmission. This means that all the passages between the two had to be sealed. Bearings had to be upgraded, and custom parts had to be fabricated.

This, now finished, jewel of an engine needed a setting to rest in. No off-the-shelf frame was going to work, so Johnny ordered up a Santee frame and then chopped the front off of it when it arrived. A new neck and bracing were fabbed up, giving the frame the look he pictured.

With the engine and frame laid out, it was time to get the whole thing rolling. Johnny started out with a 39mm fork set. The fender tabs were shaved off, and a Wilwood brake caliper was hung from it. For rolling stock, a 23-inch wheel was mounted with Shinko rubber. As Johnny says, the 23” helps do away

with the dead space between the tire and lower tree. Out back, a 21inch rim was mounted up with yet another Shinko tire. Johnny fabbed up a custom bracket for a Wilwood caliper for rear brakes to match the front.

With the bike now rolling, the finishing touches were needed. A Harley Davidson Sprint gas tank was mounted to the backbone. A modified XLCH oil tank was hung for lubrication duties. A Sportster fender was modified and mounted on the rear. Just Needle Trades then jumped in and made the seat to mate up to the fender.

While it may seem like the bike would have been done at this point, there was still plenty of work to do. You see, part of building a custom is putting it completely together and then taking it entirely apart. That’s right, it’s time for the shiny stuff. Parts were sent off to Dink Rieneer for the candy apple red and black paint. Becky at Precision Powder

Owner: Johnny 99 Customs City/State: Terre Hill Pa Builder: Johnny 99 Customs Year: 1967 Model: Custom Sportster Value: $15,000 Time: 1 Year

Engine Year: 1967 Model: Custom Ironhead Sportster Builder: Johnny 99 Customs Ignition: Points Displacement: 900 Pistons: Wiseco Heads: Stock H-D Carb: 38mm Mikuni Cam: Andrews Y Air Cleaner: K&N Exhaust: Johnny 99 Customs Primary: Open Belt

Transmission Year: 1967 Make: H-D Shifting: Right Side 4 Speed

Frame Year: 2020 Model: Custom Builder: Santee/ Johnny 99 Customs Rake: 30 Stretch: 1 1/2

Forks Builder: H-D Type: 39mm Triple Trees: H-D Extension: Shortened 2 Inches

Wheels Front Wheel: Size: 23” Tire: Shinko Front Brake: Wilwood Rear Wheel: Size: 21” Tire: Shinko Rear Brake: Wilwood/Johnny 99 Customs

Paint Painter: Dink Rieneer Color: Candy Apple Red And Black Type: Graphics: Chroming: DGM Chroming

Accessories Bars: Johnny 99 Customs Risers: Integrated Hand Controls: Aftermarket Foot Controls: Johnny 99 Customs Gas Tank(S): H-D Sprint Oil Tank: H-D/Johnny 99 Customs Front Fender: None Rear Fender: H-D/Johnny 99 Customs Seat: Just Needle Trades Headlight: L.E.D Taillight: Johnny 99 Customs Speedo: None Coating handled the powder coat, and the Chrome was done at DGM Chroming.

One other tool that comes in handy when building motorcycles is friends. Johnny would like to praise Jebby Shack, The Ironhead Guy, and Robbie Davison. Without them, it would have been a little more challenging.

So, if you ever wonder why it takes so long to build a bike, you can flashback to this story and remember, awesome doesn’t come easy and always takes some time.

lined with sheer rock walls towering to the cloud speckled sky above, the road climbed steadily toward a divide in a geological show of resilience towards mother nature’s relentless pursuit to flatten the earth. The smooth and tidy tarmac, about midway through the show, began a large sweeping turn toward the south and directly perpendicular towards an invisible, yet violent, wind tunnel. I began to lean into the turn at a very reasonable s p e e d , watching the tumbleweeds float through the air, the dust spiraling in all directions when suddenly I was broadsided by what felt like a team of linebackers. In a mere fraction of a second, I was tossed like a rag doll 12 feet across the road. My hands clutched the handlebar like never before,

I slammed my knees against the tank and rodeod the bike back into my lane. My heart raced as I shakily breathed a sigh of relief that

I was still upright and making forward progress.

All these years, all these miles and that, by far, was the most incredible display of an over the top, isolated sidewind I have ever experienced.

Its moments like these that remind us that we are very much alive and moments like these which will live in our minds forever.

I’ve only been on the road for two days now and what a way to start an epic adventure. The moment Keith and I, a friend who has decided to join me for the first part of the ride to Puerto Vallarta, began our journey south, the wind has been relentless. Annoyingly so. It has been either directly in our faces or straight at our side, both situations leaving us exhausted from wrestling our bikes all day. We are talking 3040mph winds. Strong even for Kansas standards. However, the winds finally did subside on day three, about 400 miles south of the Mexico border. We crossed near the town of Columbus, NM, a small out of the way border crossing that is a breeze to get through especially if you are their early in the morning. At 7am we only had to wait for a few cars in front of us and after a quick VIN verification and a glance at the passport we were on our way.

Next stop, Creel. Creel is a tucked away mountain town high in the Sierra Tarahumaras. Sitting at an elevation of 7,700 feet, the town has

a rustic yet cozy and outdoorsy vibe. I immediately felt comfortable. The town however is not where I want to focus my energy at the moment, if you want to know more about it, you’ll just have to go see it for yourself. What I really want to tell you about is the road that runs straight south out of Creel and drops you off, 98 miles later, into the town of Guachochi. This was a road I knew nothing about previously. I found it while scouring a map of the area, had to look real close and squint a little to find it, but there it was. Just sitting there, all curvy and prickly and calling my name. Fairly confident the road was paved, yet nothing is certain in these parts, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t secretly hoping for a little dirt road action, Keith and I sailed down the road on that brisk and sunny morning. An overnight mist, now frozen, left much of our surroundings sparkly, a reminder that winter is welcome in Mexico as well. Into the unknown we went, like two vagabond explorers.

The twists and the turns and the dips and the dives began coursing their energy straight to our veins, this road was addictive. Each turn tighter than the next, steeper than the last and promising an even more spectacular view than witnessed before. The road climbed and sank then climbed some more. I watched as my altimeter clicked north of 6 then 7 then 8,000 feet. I watched as the canyons got deeper and the peaks got bigger. We passed through small villages where brightly dressed women hung clothes out to dry, smokestacks roaring from their small one room cabins. A step back in time. For 98 miles we did this, we charged through the landscape, one twist and turn at a time, with not a care in the world.

As of this moment I am sitting in a small motel room in the town of Concordia, near Mazatlán, with a stomach full of tacos. I might say that they were the finest tacos I’ve ever eaten but the reality is that I was starving, and a deep-fried sock would have tasted amazing. Quick side note, Concordia is a really neat little town. We chose to stay here purely out of convenience and kind of hit the lottery. The town square has an incredible amount of charm, and the people all seem friendly and welcoming. The reason I pulled into this quaint little village so hungry is because I just finished tackling the famous Devils Backbone. The Backbone is 180 miles of the most glorious road you have ever seen traversing East and West

between Durango and Mazatlán. My friend stated “sounds like the Tail of the Dragon of Mexico” to which I scoffed. The Tail of the Dragon is child’s play compared to this road. You’ll want to plan this ride as a full day event and not start it at 1pm as we did. The dizzying 180 miles will take every bit of 7 hours as speeds will rarely exceed 30 miles per hour, and you’ll find yourself stopping constantly to take photos. This mostly rough and tumble and scarred stretch of tar river spends most of its time over 7,000 feet in elevation and tops off at 9,300 feet with the vast majority of that hanging precariously off the side of the mountain. As you leave Durango you also leave the palm trees behind and climb steadily into a landscape more reminiscent of the Colorado Rockies with dense evergreen forests and rocky outcroppings. Fallen pine needles blanket the rich dark soil. For a seemingly endless number of miles, you snake your way along a perpetual series of S curves and hair raising switchbacks all while being graced with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Towering ivory rock faces shadow the inside shoulder and bottomless cliffs hold the other. Guard rails are nonexistent. Many of these tight turns will drop you into 2nd, if not 1st, gear and put your ability to lean a bike through a corner to the test. Maintaining focus is a challenge as a new grand perspective of the surrounding craggy peaks of the Sierra Madres, heavily dressed in lush green foliage, lurk around every bend. The road climbs for what feels like forever and the grand vistas reach National Geographic caliber. Eventually the road does reach its top where a stop at the Espinazo Del Diablo sign and a grand panoramic overlook will offer a welcome reprieve. From this point your journey to the ocean begins, and the road doesn’t hold back. As the rapid decline in elevation towards the ocean begins the road tightens even further. The temperature begins to climb and slowly the pine trees and boulders are replaced with a more tropical jungle flare. The humidity and salty ocean air replace the cool dry climate just miles back, evidence of recent rockslides still litter the shoulder and long heavy Tarzan looking vines hang like curtains along the roads edge. The last 80 miles is where the magic happens. The pavement becomes smoother than anything found in this country, the camber of the road seems built with a motorcycle in mind and traffic is completely nonexistent. Aside from the occasional cow, donkey, dog or chicken in the road you’ve got the place to yourself. It’s as if the engineers of this marvel were motorcyclists themselves and set out to create an experience like no other. Mission accomplished amigos.

Come sunrise I will continue my journey south to Puerto Vallarta where I look forward to a couple of days rest before returning north towards Arkansas and a Christmas with the family. Where the road will take me after that is anyone’s guess. Until next time my friends, keep scouring those maps for those hard-to-find roads and out of the way towns, you just never know what adventure lies around the next corner.

As always you can follow along in real time on Instagram @travelingchopper