I have been riding since I could straddle a mini bike and I have ridden Harleys since the last part of the '70s. I grew up in Houston but have lived in the Austin area for nine years now.

I have always remembered the first Harley that really burned into my young mind. It wasn't just the Panhead (though I didn't know that then), but a combination of the bike and the most beautiful blonde I had ever seen! Apparently I had an appreciation for the finer things in life back then also. My father still rides a '79 FLH and my stepfather had a BSA. We used to live right across from I-10 in Houston before it was completed and he would take me riding up and down the freeway on the weekends. I was surprised my mother never heard that bike blasting up and down the freeway. You had to be careful on the return because the freeway ended at an overpass for the bayou.

I started building this bike in September of '97. I had seen a guy's bike at one of the toy runs that was running a big tire and knew that I had to have one. I know him now and have found out it was only a 150 or so, but I was impressed. There was really no choice but a rigid frame. I rode a rigid Shovel during the '80s. Granted, there are days now at 40 when it's not as easy on the body, but what the hell, I'll keep shrinking. I was going to go solo with springs like those on the Blue Flame but I could never bring myself to change the lines. There is no doubt about what the rear tire on a rigid is doing. You know about it right away.

All of the parts have been ordered from aftermarket companies, except the trans, which I got local, and the drag bars, which were from an old Sportster. The engine came from Bob Dron in Oakland. When I ordered it in '98, I was a little pissed that they didn't send me a shirt. Now I travel to the Bay Area kinda regular, especially during the summer. Unfortunately I have no bike when I'm there.

I did most of the work myself except Tom Egan helped me stretch that new 3-inch belt to get it on the first time. Man, that was a bitch. You just have to hold your tongue right. Another friend, Henry Pedroza, and I fired her off the first time. I did all the wiring with the help of a harness kit, which I just cut apart to use the stock plugs style connectors. The majority of the wiring is run through the center post to conceal it as I did with the switches on the bars. I used Paul Yaffe switch housings. At the time they were not producing them on their machines since there was a bigger demand for other products. I kept bugging him until he found a set that had been returned. Paul had the screw holes re-machined and sent them to me.

I fired it off the first time on Jan. 2, 1999, and was legal and on the street by the 14th. I rode it until March 2000, rattle- canned and primered with different sheet metal. I knew that would happen though. It was a huge difference once I changed out the sheet metal and got her painted. It went from people going by saying nothing more than "big tire" to them saying "nice bike" and stopping to ask questions. The bike was built in the dining area of the duplex I used to live in and stayed inside most of the time after it was running. I still have to replace the front brakes and clean up some other items, but I'll get there. I just ordered the front wheel, which is why I held off on getting my Bandit's Bedroll for a little while.

Again, thanks for the interest in my bike.

Richard (Rigid Frame) Roesler
Pflugerville, Texas

Nice Ride Richard - Thanks for sharing it with all of us - Bandit