THE MOTORCYCLE: DESIGN, ART, DESIRE PREVIEW - 1941 HARLEY - JUST BIKES

The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire PREVIEW - 1941 Harley knucklehead chopper

Amongst all motorcycle styles, the chopper is perhaps the most recognizable, especially to non-bike people. While the chopper had a major revival in the new millennium, its roots lie in the ‘60s and ‘70s with bikes like the one pictured, which will be on display at ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’, as part of a 100-bike exhibition celebrating the motorcycle’s long history as a design object.

Opening at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) on 28 November, 2020, the exhibition runs through to 26 April, 2021.

This particular chopper has a JUST BIKES connection, of sorts, as it was listed for sale with long-term JUST BIKES advertisers Antique Motorcycles in Cheltenham.

This 1941 knucklehead-based custom has all the category’s signature styling cues, from the extreme rake, to the hardtail rear, ape hanger bars, candy twist springer fork, modified lighting, front brake delete and custom paint job.

A multitude of original-era choppers were considered for the exhibition, including an Easy Rider ‘Captain America’ bike, but this one was chosen as it not only represents the style but is also Australian-owned.
Built in New York in around 1973, this chopper was part of a collection in New Jersey for many years before it came to Australia sometime in the 1990s. The current owner purchased it from Antique Motorcycles.