Ol' Blue, The Green Chopper - Matt Gibony's Mutt

This thing showed up at the garage as a dirty, crusty, old mutt, and despite some efforts and a few layers of lipstick, thankfully it still is. Matt Giboney’s good friend Rob Clague ended up with this scooter, originally as a partial trade between himself and an old greybeard biker.

When Rob got the bike, it was in a Pan/Shovel configuration. The former owner said that after building it back in 1978, “the finished motorcycle spooked him.” We never found out why, but apparently whatever “spooked” him was enough of a reason to keep the bike sitting under a tarp, leaning against his house for 40 years.

Despite the bike’s rough appearance, it wasn’t anything a hit of bourbon and a bit of squinting couldn’t resolve. In its time in hibernation, the engine and tranny had been filled with antifreeze and everything rubber showed decay, but the pistons were free. Plus, the bike had a list of groovy old chopper gold pieces bolted on, which Rob made a point to preserve. With fresh fluids and a fresh perspective, clean gas and new shoes, he had this thing running on the first kick, every time.

The faithful old scoot became Matt’s loaner bike on many rides and gave him plenty of hassle-free miles and smiles to Daytona and back. Somewhere along the way, Matt took it off Rob’s hands. Although some coin changed hands, it was more of a donation on Rob’s part.

Once the bike was his, looked kind of respectable and was runnin’ like a champ, he decided to tear her apart for the winter. Unfortunately, that winter lasted about two years.

The bike ran too well to warrant going through the motor. So, aside from swapping out the Shovel heads for Pans, it has remained untouched. Rob and Scott Hoepker of Chemical Candy Customs molded a fresh gas tank that I originally couldn’t stand, but once perched on the backbone, it actually flowed pretty well.

The old Paughco frame, with its large flat neck gussets, made a perfect canvas for some round bar around the downtubes. Matt spent a month of Sundays sanding and massaging the sheet metal and frame to get her ready for one of Scotty’s Chemical Candy coatings.

Initially shot in a faded blue hue that never really jived, it was quickly traded for the killer tint you see now. As the road wears on her around areas of high abuse, the occasional blue flake can be seen. Ol’ Blue.

She is still an amazing running bike that has transformed quite a bit over the past few years. She’s still a mutt down deep and a good one. Matt is not just a guy with a killer bike, but more of a guy with some killer friends.

— Choppers Mag