Here’s another great customer build we came across while scrolling through the social media channels. This beautiful 1974 Ironhead chopper was built by Chase Jankowski, utilizing our Ironhead weld-on hardtail kit along with a slew of other parts we offer. The result is one seriously good-looking bike. We’re stoked Chase was willing to share some insight into the build, along with a bunch of great photos. So come get a closer look at this killer Ironhead chop.
-Mikey Revolt
B-side
A CLEAR VISION IN MIND
The passion for motorcycles started young for me. Growing up around my dad building hot rods in the garage, I was always drawn toward anything mechanical, but motorcycles always stood out to me more than cars. A few years after getting into riding, I built my first custom motorcycle alongside my dad and my brother Jon. It was a 1977 Suzuki GT250 cafe racer. That project sparked something in me and pushed me deeper into building motorcycles.
Chase with is newly found Ironhead on marketplace.
In June of 2025, I found this 1974 Harley-Davidson Ironhead on Facebook Marketplace just a couple hours from home, and the second I saw the black paint and old hot rod flames, I knew I had to have it. The previous owner told me his brother painted the bike back in the early ‘90s to match his ‘56 Chevy. That instantly gave the bike character to me. It already had a story before I ever touched it.
Chase doing some fabrication with a Lowbrow Customs Hell Rider Banner flying in the background.
I started tearing into the bike in November of 2025 with a pretty clear vision in mind: build an old school ‘70s rigid chopper that looked like it could have existed back when the bike was new. Almost like a factory custom. Nothing overdone, no unnecessary extras, just the bare minimum. A true rider that could still steal a show when needed.
Frame back fresh from the paint booth. The tank was the inspiration for the rest of the paint.
One thing I knew from the beginning was that I wanted to preserve the original spirit of the motorcycle. The survivor tank stayed exactly how I found it, including the rough spots and flaking paint near the front. To me, that history matters. I didn’t want the bike to feel restored. I wanted it to feel alive.
Over the next three and a half months, the bike slowly came together through late nights in the garage, fabrication work, problem solving, and more than a few setbacks along the way. Ken Frolek from Frolek Custom Center in Lidgerwood, North Dakota helped tie the entire build together by perfectly matching the original flames on the new horseshoe oil tank. Seeing the fresh tins sitting on the newly powder coated frame for the first time was one of the biggest moments of the build. That’s when the bike finally felt real.
Combos with Chase's Chevy and Ironhead in the back.
Like any Ironhead project, the build definitely fought back along the way. When I tore into the engine, nearly every gasket surface was packed with silicone from previous repairs. Then, one week before the bike’s first show, I broke the starter during final assembly. After all the late nights and setbacks, finally hearing the bike fire up for the first time was an incredible feeling of relief and completion.
Sissy bar, Seat, oil tank, handlebars, tires, fender, hardtail, exhaust pipes, and more all came from Lowbrow Customs.
Most of the parts for the build came from Lowbrow Customs, and over time the bike evolved into exactly what I wanted: a simple old school rigid chopper with nothing extra. It’s not a huge stretched-out show bike. More of a bike that feels tight, mechanical, and real. The kind of motorcycle that makes you want to turn around and look at it every time you park it.
This bike also became the spark behind my YouTube channel, @Mousetrap636. Documenting the build and seeing people connect with it has been one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience.
The first show I brought the bike to was something I’ll never forget. So many people from the older generation came up to thank me for not only bringing the bike, but for actually building it. That meant a lot to me. A few of them stood there telling stories about the choppers they built or rode back in the ‘70s, and hearing those memories while my own bike sat there on display was a surreal feeling. It felt like the bike connected generations of riders through the same passion for stripped down, garage-built motorcycles. I think the bike reminds people of a different era of motorcycling when bikes were built in garages, ridden hard, and made to feel personal.
Just a proper looking Ironhead chop.
The bike sounds exactly how an old chopper should. That slow “potato potato” idle from the Ironhead never gets old, even if it still leaves a little oil underneath wherever it’s parked.
Honestly, one of my favorite moments is just staring at it from the back corner while it’s hard parked on the kickstand with the front wheel turned. Something about the stance, the flames, and the silhouette just feels right.
To me, that’s what a chopper is supposed to be.
Words by: Chase Jankowski
Photos by: Chase Jankowski & KG Photography
WHAT PARTS WERE USED TO BUILD THIS 1974 IRONHEAD CHOPPER?
Dig this bike, and want to know just what parts were used to build it? You are in the right place, click here to see the parts Chase used to build this bike!
Lowbrow Customs Ironhead weld-on hardtail, Manta Ray Fender, T-bars, LePera seat, Bates style headlight and so much more. Go check it out!
CHASE'S 1974 HARLEY IRONHEAD CHOPPER BUILD SPECS
General
Owner: Chase Jankowski
Year/Make/Model: 1974 Harley-Davidson XLH100 Ironhead
Fabrication: Chase Jankowski
Build Time: 3.5 Months
1000cc Ironhead motor with MCM Slash Cut and Dragton II air cleaner.
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1974 1000cc Ironhead
Carburetor: Bendix
Exhaust: MCM Slash Cut Drag Pipes
Air Cleaner: Dragton II for Bendix
4 inch stretch 2 inch drop with the Lowbrow Customs Ironhead Weld-on Hardtail
Frame
Year/Type: 1974 XLH with Lowbrow Customs Weld-On Hardtail
Rake/Stretch: Stock Rake 4" Stretch and 2" Drop
After market Springer and a front brake set up!
Front End
Type/Brand: 4" over Stock Aftermarket Springer
Front: 21 wheel with Shinko Super Classic E270 Tire 3.00-21
Rear: 18" wheel with Shinko Super Classic E270 4.50-18
Wheels
Front Size: 21" Wheel with Shinko Super Classic E270 Tire 3.00-21 57s
Rear Size: 18" Rear Wheel with Shinko Super Classic E270 Tire 4.50-18 70H
Gas tank paint is original from when Chase purchased the bike.
Finish/Paint
Paint BY: Ken Frolek With Frolek Custom Center
Plaiting/Polishing: No Plating. Polishing by Chase
Powder Coating: Kelly With Elite Powder Coat
Bates style headlight
Accessories
Front Fender: Nope
Rear Fender: Lowbrow Customs Manta Ray 4-3/4"
Gas Tank: Stock
Handlebars: Lowbrow Customs Smooth 8" T-bars - Narrowed 2"
Grips: Stock
Mirrors: Stock
Hand Controls: Drag Specialties Clutch / Stock Front Master Cylinder
Foot Controls: Hand made the left side foot brake to convert to hydraulic disk
Headlight: Cycle Standard Bates Style Rectangular Clear lens
Tail Light: Prism Supply Co. Box Tail light Polished
Turn Signals: Nope
License Mount: Prism Supply Co. Weld-on with chopper light mount
Seat: LePera Rigid Baron II 1- Piece
LePera Rigid Baron II Seat
MORE PHOTOS OF CHASE'S 1974 IRONHEAD CHOPPER
Real nice stance.
Gasbox top motor mount 1957-85 Sportsters with coil and key relocation.
Classy!
Skinny!
That ironhead is probably a whole lot better on gas :).
Another good look at that front brake set up.
Narrowed T-bars on a springer look good!
Hawg supply carb support with filter, and Dragton II air cleaner.
Bside in the back of a truck.
Just one beautiful Ironhead chop!
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