A custom motorcycle built by Fort Collins resident Carlos Gallegos is featured on the cover of the January/February 2007 issue of IronWorks magazine (www.ironworksmag.com). Gallegos named the bike, the first custom motorcycle he’s designed and built, “Salamanca,” after the Spanish province where his mother was born.
A writer for the magazine, J. Kent Conte, was riding in Old Town Fort Collins, saw Gallegos on his motorcycle, and approached him about featuring the bike in a future issue. Conte took some snapshots of Salamanca and sent them to IronWorks headquarters in North Carolina.
IronWorks gave Conte the go-ahead to write a feature on the bike, and sent photographer Curt Lout from Denver to shoot the cover and get images for the article. The shoot was done on location in and around Windsor, and at Windsor-based Pinkee’s Rod Shop (www.pinkeesrodshop.com). Pinkee’s owner, Ed Peratt, offered Gallegos a part-time job after seeing the metal work on Salamanca.
“It’s really been amazing,” notes Gallegos. “Building this bike has really opened up a lot of doors for me, and has presented me with a lot of opportunities in the industry that I never thought I would have.”
Salamanca won 2nd place in the People’s Choice category at the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota in 2006, even though Gallegos entered the bike late, and it only had an hour for viewers to see and vote for it. Salamanca beat out machines from established and well-known builders, including NYC Choppers and designers featured on various Discovery Channel television programs.
Gallegos describes himself as more of a hobbyist bike builder, although he hopes to design and build more bikes in the future, for himself and others as a side job. Building Salamanca was a learning experience, as well as a labor of love. He turned to local old-school biker and mechanic Ed “White Tiger” Whittaker, who lives in Rist Canyon.
Salamanca, a “bobber”-style chopper, features bare metal throughout, including an unpainted aluminum gas tank and rear fender – leaving the welds exposed, a bold statement, and a testament to the builder’s metalworking skills. The bike also features a springer front fork, jockey shift, and footrest brackets that also support the bike, taking the place of a kickstand when the bike is parked. Tooled leather accents, including the seat, a saddlebag and a gas tank bra, complement the clean, unpainted look. The seat was created by Quality Shoe Repair of Fort Collins. Local vendor ACME Machine (www.acmemac.com) also did some modifications on the gas tank. The bike’s crown jewel is a 1927 Ford Model T headlight.
Gallegos estimates he has approximately $17,000 in parts in the bike, along with a lot of labor. He has received at least one offer to purchase the bike from him for $50,000. He turned it down.
Gallegos is now working on his next bike to take to Sturgis later this year. The new ride will be somewhat similar in style to Salamanca, but more of an old-school nostalgia-style racer. The machine will take design cues from Schwinn-style balloon tire bikes, and Gallegos hopes to blend classic design with modern technology, and have it run quiet, clean and “green” on E85 ethanol-based fuel.
The January/February 2007 issue of IronWorks magazine is available on newsstands until January 29, 2007. Content from the current issue, including the story on Gallegos and Salamanca, as well as images of the bike, can be viewed by registered subscribers of the magazine at www.ironworksmag.com.
Carlos Gallegos can be reached at (970) 690-8855or carlosgallegos6@hotmail.com.
Photos of Gallegos and his creation, Salamanca, are available on request.
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