Special Feature ~ Ron Finch’s Aorta

Ron Finch’s Aor ta SPECIAL FEATURE

The Aorta is the main artery that carries blood to the heart. Ron Finch has named his 1970 Ironhead Sportster after that vein. The rods that make up the frame appear to be arteries that flow toward the motor or the heart of the motorcycle. The frame is actually two parts, held together by the engine, a concept that was conceived by Finch and referred to by him as his “suitcase motorcycle.” It could be disassembled into three parts and carried in a suitcase! The rear fender houses the gas tank and is molded with flame tips and a “frenched” license plate. The oil tank is an aluminum cylindrical tank that was used in the 1950s. It has been modified to clear the one-off custom straight pipe exhaust. The front end is an old Harley JD Springer. The handlebars are custom-made to eliminate the risers and stimulate a tiny windshield. The headlight was purchased by Ron at an antique auction—the history is unknown. The 1000 cubic-inch engine has polished cases, a Joe Hunt Magneto, S&S carb and Sifton cam. The air cleaner was handformed in the shape of a heart with arteries made of metal rods. Leatherman of Flint, Michigan molded the leather seat in the shape of a human heart. The battery is encased in leather that has been dyed and molded to match the seat, and the grips are braided in leather. Ron Finch finished this beauty in the spring of 1982, one year after his serious motorcycle accident when he was rear-ended by a drunk driver at 50 mph. He suffered a crushed pelvis and a broken hip socket; doctors predicted that he would never walk again. Ron was walking and riding within three months!