- Home
- Custombikes
- Harley-Davidson
- Softail
- The Picturebooks Bikes
The Story Behind
The Picturebooks screw in cooperation with the boys of Thunderbike on two personal bikes. Here they tell their story about the remodeling:
We got to know Steven Fröhlich from Harley Davidson through a tour with the Volcom Skate Team. He had given the Volcom guys for the Europa Tour Harleys and we talked to him about our old Harleys and told him that we had long flirted with the idea of rebuilding our new Harleys in our style. After all, the motorcycle on the cover of our album “Imaginary Horse” is a Softail. We also saw and drove great Evos and Twin Cams through various friends in the US, and were keen on reliable bikes that start right, arrive safely and brake properly. We came to the conclusion that one could very well convert new Harley Softails into cool choppers in our style and he could just give us a present … interestingly enough he did that as well and we had a big task ahead of us. A short time later we played in Faak at the Harley Bike Week and addressed our good friend Andreas Bergerforth on the whole thing. He said that he would like to help us with the conversion and since we are two, he said that we need two bikes accordingly. Andreas just gave us a second and we agreed to do the whole thing directly at Thunderbike, because of course everything is there on site what we need for such a conversion. The bikes arrived there at the beginning of 2017 and since February we meet in the Thunderbike Custom workshop at irregular intervals and help with the construction of the bikes. The entire Thunderbike team does a great job. The bikes become the HAMMER!
Fynn and Phillip are currently recording their new album “The Hands of Time” in addition to their touring life. You can see the first release “Howling Wolf” from their new album here.
The video was shot in the Yucca Valley in California and shows the typical style of the boys. No wonder, because cinematically everything is in Claus Grabke’s hands.
The album can already be pre-ordered now, so make sure you get a copy fast. From 08 March 2019 you can find “The Hands of Time” in stores. We wish you much success with the new album!
The Shooting
For the first shoot of the two bikes, we kidnapped the boys to a port whose charisma is made for it. To put the bikes in the limelight, a clean, but also expressive background had to be created. Here you can see the result:
Easyriders Magazine
They are now on the road: Fynn and Philipp on their Softails – at Castle Run in Denmark, at Chopper Bash in Belgium and across Europe to various events. During their stage performances, one can feel acoustically and visually transported back several decades and now the Picturebooks on new Harleys curves through the area? Yes, exactly people, that’s the way it looks. And as we find: not bad, guys, bad!
Most recently we reported about the guys from Westphalia more than 2 years ago. At that time, at some event, we noticed their booth with old Harley parts and rare chopper parts. Next to it stood a Shovelhead in a rigid frame in late sixties style with a long spring fork. In the evening they are directly from the booth to the stage and booted and scrabbled what the stuff on partially self-built and rusty sound devices, so that it was a party to the party people a real joy. The joy continues to this day and the customer of her way of making music spreads almost by itself.
They used to be seen on small Japanese choppers and US bikes, always in the old school look. But if you take a closer look, the bike on the cover of the 2014 album “Imaginary Horse” is a Softail. And they tell us that they’ve actually flirted with the idea of rebuilding new Harleys in their style. “During a tour with the Volcom Skate Team, we met Steven Fröhlich from Harley-Davidson. He had given the Volcom guys for the Europa Tour Harleys and we started talking to him. We talked about driving great Evos and Twin Cams with our friends in the US, and we’d be really hot on reliable carts that start right, arrive safely, and brake properly. We came to the conclusion that you could very well convert new Softails into cool choppers in our style and he could just give us a present … Actually he does it and we had a big task ahead of us. ”
A short time later, they played at Bike Week in Faak and on the occasion just addressed Andreas Bergerforth from Thunderbike on the matter. “He said that he would like to help us with the conversion and since we are finally two, he said that we then need two bikes. Andreas gave us a second and we agreed to do the whole thing directly at Thunderbike. ”
In early 2017, the bikes arrived in Hamminkeln and the two helped at irregular intervals in the Thunderbike Custom workshop during the conversion of the bikes.
In order to turn a Softail Heritage Classic into an oldschool chopper, a number of structural changes were necessary, in which case, of course, the proven Thunderbike box was used. And some parts were made specially, because what was not there, but was not allowed to miss, were the sissybars. And as we see, whether live or at You Tube, they do a good job when the two of them are jam-packed to their gigs.
"Good mobile and vintage-friendly custom bikes are exactly our thing!"
The Making Of
Andreas, the head of Thunderbike, was immediately inspired by the idea of the bikes:
“I’m a fan of the Picturebooks! Their music and their livestyle carry the spirit of the old biker days without being imitation or artificial, the idea of building Custom Harleys for the guys, with whom the two of them across Europe are coming from gig Exciting, I found that such “modern” 70th Chopper has not yet existed, so I was immediately on fire. “Good mobile and Custombikes for everyday use are just our thing.”
- Model Harley-Davidson Softail FLSTC 2009
- Construction Time 3 Months
- Exhaust Thunderbike / CCE (modified)
- Air Cleaner Thunderbike Drilled
- Handlebar Narrow Rise Bar
- Master Cylinder K-Tech
- Hydraulic Clutch Thunderbike
- Speedometer Motogadget
- Turn Signals Thunderbike / Rizoma
- Grips Thunderbike
- Footpegs Harley-Davidson Dyna (modified)
- Motor Bracket Thunderbike
- Fuel Tank Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight (modified)
- Front Fender Harley-Davidson 72 (modified)
- Rear Fender Harley-Davidson Slim (modified)
- Seat Warmsbach / Thunderbike
- Sissy Bar Thunderbike
- Front End Thunderbike Narrow 8“ Over
- Riser Thunderbike
- Suspension Harley-Davidson / Müller Lowering
- Front Rim Wide Glide Custom 2.15×21
- Front Wheel Avon Speedmaster 3×21
- Rear Rim Harley-Davidson 3×16
- Rear Wheel Shinko 5×16
- Brake Calipers Harley-Davidson
- Brake Discs Harley-Davidson
- Painting by Chikos Pinstriping
You can find Thunderbike Parts and original Harley-Davidson Parts in our online shop.