The National Motorcycle Museum has become quite a cross roads for all sorts of antique and vintage motorcycling. John Parham, long time collector and president of the Museum practically lives there and welcomes in almost daily collectors of motorcycles, toys, artwork, photos and more, even old oil cans and great porcelain signs.
John knew Mike Wolfe for about 20 years before he became a celebrity through the television hit, American Pickers. So Mike makes it a point to stop by and see John when he’s in the neighborhood, or has some super new find he wants John to see, maybe even own. But then sometimes, Mike keeps the coolest things he finds, like many of us do. Such was the case recently.
What is a picker? In case you don’t already know it a picker is the first guy to lay eyes on a neglected, hidden, forgotten interesting object from our past. Pickers knock on doors out in the country if their sixth sense says the barn holds an old motorcycle or car or just a fine nickel plated kerosene lamp from the late 19th Century. Pickers know what’s good, dig it out, dust it off and for the first time in maybe 50 years identify it, price it and try and sell it for what it’s really worth. Mike Wolfe is a real picker, has been for most of his life. And Mike likes to share his finds with John Parham, and the National Motorcycle Museum. Case in point, the Von Dutch XAVW motorcycle Mike Wolfe recently scored.
Mike got a call one day from a friend telling him about a Von Dutch motorcycle. Two things probably popped into Mike’s mind. First; BOGUS!, because Von Dutch stuff is so rare. Second; I’d better get there quick before someone else does. And he did. What he found was the bike Von Dutch had built around 1966 along with paperwork that had Ed “Big Daddy” Roth as a past owner. He made a deal on the spot and took the motorcycle home with him. Real pickers don’t fool around when they find something great.
What’s so special about the XAVW? Most people know Von Dutch for his artistic classic pin-striping and some know he has painted a few bikes, written some strange prose, made some knives and pretty whacky sculptures. But working with a Harley-Davidson XA, a World War II shaft drive machine that’s relatively rare now, some Moto Guzzi components and a 36 horsepower flat four Volkswagen engine he joined some cool components and built a completemotorcycle. A complete Von Dutch motorcycle. That’s rare.
After showing the bike at TorqueFest in Iowa this summer Mike made a deal with John Parham to lend the bike to the Museum for display. The museum has lots of bikes and memorabilia on loan which keeps things there changing, always new. You can head over to Anamosa, Iowa any day and sit down right beside the bike, study it and consider all the thought and the work Von Dutch put into it. It appears he had to stretch the frame, make it wider to get the VW engine to drop in. Amazingly a lot of other pieces lined up well as he mated the engine to the XA clutch and trans. He even made the kickstarter work. Forks are early 50′s Moto Guzzi and the seat may be as well. Visually the components all fit together really well, even the form of the Guzzi fenders connects well with the mid-sixties Honda CB450 gas tank, especially with Von Dutch’s two tone paint and striping. Even the VW badge fits well artistically. But anyone who has done work like this knows the challenges. Looks easy, maybe, but this was a lot of work and the outcome must have made Von Dutch grin.
At the Museum the XAVW is parked next to a Triumph Von Dutch painted and some other great Von Dutch creations and paint work. It’s one of over 400 motorcycles at the NMM, and one of about 30 custom bikes, and in a sense one of the most radical, even if it doesn’t gleam with a ton of chrome. It’s another marker of the accomplishments of one of the most revered artists in the motorcycle and custom car world. Pickers, creatives and visionaries like John Parham come together so you can get side by side with some great Von Dutch creations any day of the week at the National Motorcycle Museum.
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ric ealy
November 5, 2012 at 5:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
i just watched the episode last night where mike bought the von dutch motorcycle, how cool is that, and just wanted to google it and see what he did with it, now i know, what value could be placed on this excellent ride, i have a 1970s italian motorcycle that i have to get off my butt and restore, it was my dad’s, he had a biker gang back in the day, but not with this bike, i have a picture of him and his boys and their gals sitting on their indians/harleys, its my favorite picture of him, thanks…
kumar srinivas
January 8, 2013 at 8:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
hai mike. congrats. u really got a great bike. von dutch motorcycle was really amazing one. its only one in the entire world.
donston
January 8, 2013 at 4:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Did this bike got a drive shaft or a chain shaft?
Kibu
May 12, 2013 at 5:30 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It’s got a shaft. That’s part of what makes it unique, in that the time that Von Dutch built the thing, it was extremely ahead of its time.
Bakir moral
January 10, 2013 at 11:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
awesome bike i like it………….
Gaurav
January 11, 2013 at 8:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hi,
Same with me………I watched the episode and googled it. This all reminds me off about my dad’s bike, that was 1962 Rajdoot bike(indian brand). 10 Years back we sold it.
sandman
January 16, 2013 at 5:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Of all the so called custom bike builders Von Dutch stands alone. Most builders develope a style that defines them, Von Dutch seem;s to cover every style.He has streamliners, choppers,bobbers,dirt bikes,sport bikes, stretched bikes ,shortened bikes,high and low bikes and he used Harley’s, Honda’s, Italian and English bikes.
Most builders you see on tv just keep doing mostly the same thing with Harleys
Just amazing talent and vision and courage to do his own thing .
Tim Henrich
January 17, 2013 at 3:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This really puts into perspective what is still out there in some people’s barns and shops.
Definitely the best pick I have seen on either one of the picker shows American or Canadian.
Should he not have paid double ; To the couple he bought it from that wour be my only negative
Input to this whole epic find. I think he stole it for $21,000 could only imagine what
Some would have paid for this jem a must have for a motorcycle collector.
Kindest Regards,
Tim Henrich
Ettore
January 26, 2013 at 12:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Chissà se sono vere queste puntate, o sono messe in scene per finta?
bukhorree
February 14, 2013 at 3:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I like that!!
Jay Barrington
March 10, 2013 at 9:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Mike,
I’ve watched your show now what seems like forever with my boys. Though Im not a bike collector I still remember my little 75 RD 100. The thing is it was neat to see that somthing that we see on your face that is really special. It makes me and probably a lot of us want to know more about it. I have a tremendous thirst for knowledge and you always peak my intrest. Thanx Mike
Veno
April 10, 2013 at 6:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The show only went to air in Australia on the 11 april .
great to see mike has left the bike as it was found and
is now letting every one enjoy his rewards.
This website helps dot the pieces together.
cheers
Ian
Steven
April 11, 2013 at 9:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Mike Wolf could not sleep the night before because of this bike, he knew how rare this was. I watch this show all the time, and know that what he paid to this couple for the bike (21,000.00 US) is pennies for what it is really worth. I dont think this couple knew what they really had after all. Remember mike said he could not sleep the night before. For example at auction a painted tin sign from Dutch’s shop in Tempe Arizona shop 48 x 48 inches sold for 18,720.00 US. This couple looked like they really needed the money, and said they appreciated it. I remember when these guys bought some old carnival canvas signs $600.00 for both and got them appraised and sold them for 10,000.00 US. These guys then went back and give the guy ( previous owner) $5000.00 US to get his park up and running again. Funny this bike was not appraised on the show as they always like to let you know what they will profit. If he does sell this in the future, do you think he would let this go for 40,000.00 US which would still be a steel, I don’t think so. Dutch is a originator of the Custom Kulture not just a brand that Paris Hilton wore. But it would nice to see him give that couple a slice of the pie if he does, the GFC hurt a lot of people and happy endings are always good too
Thanks Steven
Coop's
April 11, 2013 at 5:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I can’t see Mike Wolf giving a cent to that couple, he was well aware that he had struck gold and pulled out all stops to get that bike, and good on him, but there is something I don’t like about that man. Anyway sad that the couple had to let it go, and many a fortune has been made off the back of a recession. It is great to see the old Dutch Banger in the public eye again, due to it being hidden for so long. Another mystery solved hey.
Cheers from Down Under,,
Gilberto F. DHS
April 12, 2013 at 11:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Same here. Just watched the episode, googled it, found this. On the dark side of the story he stole it from that couple. On the bright side, me and everybody that is posting about it didn’t even knew it existed. Good for Mike even though some times he sounds rare…..
Pedro
April 13, 2013 at 12:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I saw the bike on last night show, and was amazed by the fact that in Brazil, they have mated vw engines to bike frames to make the Amazona bike, for some time. On the show Mike decides to keep the XAVW, so there is no profit for him there; so it is more of a loss of $21,000 dollars. The beauty is that for Mike the XAVW has greater value then what he paid, and he is sharing that with us.
joe walsh
April 19, 2013 at 4:31 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Looks like a piece of shit it is a piece of shit its rusted doesnt run and lokks like a bitsa
get over it
junk
Andrea
April 25, 2013 at 1:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am from Brazil and I saw the episode last night and I was facinated by this motorcycle! Awesome!
Jadson
May 1, 2013 at 7:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am Brazilian, today was seeing the program on channel Hystory, I was impressed by the story and by bike.
Congratulations to all.
Andy
May 6, 2013 at 9:19 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What an absolutely fantastic find. . . im an aussie, and know Ken’s work well. its a crying shame that alot of americans have no clue, even in this day , as to who he is. cherish your find mike. . keep his memory alive ! #Von dutch was a f**king legend. . not just a clothing label ! !
Chris
May 6, 2013 at 11:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I think that a policy of additional compensation for some of these old timers who are clearly in financial stress and rich in hard won memorabilia would be the right thing to do. I notice that on the same American Pickers show, seen in Australia last night, the team decided to pay another $500 to an ancient Indian artefact collector once the appraisal was done. Good on them for doing that. Adds cared my friends! 100% profit is normal, more than that then lets consider the situation guys.
Kibu
May 12, 2013 at 5:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My roomie’s dad was friends with Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. He’s got some of the original artwork that Roth did here with his dad, and an original draft of Rat Fink which his father drew. The story he was always told was that Roth thought it was “far out” and modified the drawing and used it on his work. Not sure what the artwork is worth, but I keep bugging my roomie to loan it to a museum.
Blog // BBT
January 17, 2013 at 11:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
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