Building a chopper from scratch can take a lot of time, sweat, thought and aggravation. I’m Frankie from Sweatshop Industries and this is my 1951 Harley Pan chop. When I decided to build a truly one-of-a-kind chopper, I went to the best guy I know, Brandon Nine of House of Choppers. Brandon and I sat down, keeping our minds open, with the goal of putting together a clean chopper that would be a timeless work of art. I think we succeeded.

Josh builds bikes out of his home garage in Minden, Nevada. This particular panhead was built over the last two years and put together for the Born Free Show. “I really tried to put my all into this one,” Josh tells us. “There are so many cool details on it.” We’d have to agree.

What do you get when you mix Texas weather, hundreds of vintage bikes and choppers, vendors, dirt track and dirt drag races, and hundreds of people from around the country and not to mention one of the best swaps around? You get an amazing party in a beautiful Hill Country setting right on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, Texas called The Texas Fandango.

There is a lot I could say about this bike build and a lot of amazing people were involved in bringing her to life. It was an odyssey that spanned over three years. When all this started, I knew I wanted a long, raked CB750. I picked up a frame and new rear wheel from Rawhide Cycles. The springer is an old S&W I snagged from a guy on Instagram.

You have to love the distinctive styles some artists are able to create. Styles that immediately make you go… oh yeah that’s that kat. This truly applies when talking about Matt Wilkins, aka @matt_sabbath. Being an artist myself, I appreciate someone like this. He has honed his style and skill set to develop a style that is instantly recognizable. Matt has been creating art for bikers, bands and country western stars for a few years now. He is also a member of the artist collective known as the Mystical Freaks.

Bold designs that speak volumes… and create images that stay with you. Matt has designed both posters and t-shirts for bike events in the UK and Europe such as the Hook Up Chopper Show. His work with the Waylon Jennings brand speaks volumes. If Shooter Jennings trust Matt with this so should you. Along with bands, moto brands, and even alcohol companies like Soundgrowler Brewing and Fireball Whiskey have also reached out to Matt, his work is everywhere. We had a chance to ask him a few questions, sit back, spark up and enjoy.

As we all know, time stands still for no one. I was in the middle of moving my family from Hanford, California, to Texas when Mike and Grant asked me to build a bike for the biggest chopper show on the planet. How could I turn down such an amazing opportunity?

Timing was not on my side, but I made a commitment and pushed forward. I was part of Born Free 8 after winning the People’s Champ competition, so getting the chance to be an invited builder was something I had wanted to do for a long time.