Josh Soto’s Nostalgia
89 images Created 13 Aug 2020
The foundation of this bike was built around original HD parts found at a swap meet, from a Panhead collection I bought from a guy who sold it to move to China to chase a woman, and the frame I purchased from a widow who lost her husband to a blood infection.
In the last 25-years of being in business, I have realized that building custom bikes is genuinely my passion. I’ve enjoyed owning and operating a motorcycle shop regardless of whether the times were good or bad. I never cared if I made money or if I didn’t. I just want to work on bikes. I’ve worked right through the night and all the next day on many occasions. If I had to sleep in the shop, that’s where I slept. I work on the bikes, make parts, call customers, order parts, sweep the floor, write paychecks, test ride bikes, hire and fire employees, and that is why I am single with no kids. There is no white picket fence and BBQ in my life, just bikes, and hot rods, and I love it.
This bike was named Nostalgia from the choppers that were built in the past. I’ve talked to old dudes and read magazines about what it was like in the 50s and 60s, and I’m profoundly interested in timepieces from that era. I built this bike to reflect on what I’d be riding back then. Above all, I appreciate the respect and love real true bikers had for their bikes in the old days. You could just tell how much heart and soul and how every dime they could muster went into their bikes. That generation is gone, and I’m here to let the old dudes know that there are a few of us that will continue to keep it alive.
This bike was built in 6 weeks from start to finish. With the majority of the parts machined and fabricated, this was no easy task. I have to give a special thanks to my mentor, machining instructor, and friend Ralph Dorsey, an old biker, for sharing his knowledge and teaching me the skills to make all this possible. Also special thanks to Nortons Custom Painting and Sam Marcos polishing for putting the rush on it.
Josh Soto (2020)
In the last 25-years of being in business, I have realized that building custom bikes is genuinely my passion. I’ve enjoyed owning and operating a motorcycle shop regardless of whether the times were good or bad. I never cared if I made money or if I didn’t. I just want to work on bikes. I’ve worked right through the night and all the next day on many occasions. If I had to sleep in the shop, that’s where I slept. I work on the bikes, make parts, call customers, order parts, sweep the floor, write paychecks, test ride bikes, hire and fire employees, and that is why I am single with no kids. There is no white picket fence and BBQ in my life, just bikes, and hot rods, and I love it.
This bike was named Nostalgia from the choppers that were built in the past. I’ve talked to old dudes and read magazines about what it was like in the 50s and 60s, and I’m profoundly interested in timepieces from that era. I built this bike to reflect on what I’d be riding back then. Above all, I appreciate the respect and love real true bikers had for their bikes in the old days. You could just tell how much heart and soul and how every dime they could muster went into their bikes. That generation is gone, and I’m here to let the old dudes know that there are a few of us that will continue to keep it alive.
This bike was built in 6 weeks from start to finish. With the majority of the parts machined and fabricated, this was no easy task. I have to give a special thanks to my mentor, machining instructor, and friend Ralph Dorsey, an old biker, for sharing his knowledge and teaching me the skills to make all this possible. Also special thanks to Nortons Custom Painting and Sam Marcos polishing for putting the rush on it.
Josh Soto (2020)
