CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn. - The ****'s Angels motorcycle club was formed in 1948 in the San Bernardino area of California.
Let the record show that the Whizbangers got their start in Cumberland Gap, Tenn., in the winter of 2009.
Instead of Harley-Davidsons, the members ride classic bicycles powered by 80 cc, two-cylinder gasoline engines.
So far, the club consists of four charter members. Their ages range from 52 to 64, but don't call them the "Over The Hill Gang." What they lack in horsepower, they make up in attitude.
Recently, the Whizbangers gathered in downtown Cumberland Gap, their home base. Riding down Main Street, they sounded like a swarm of bees.
In the middle of the pack was Harvey "Moon Dog" Fuson, a lifelong resident of Cumberland Gap who runs the same Main Street drug store his father opened in 1907. Moon Dog's bicycle is modeled after a chopper. It has Harley-Davidson headlights and Harley-Davidson mirrors. Moon Dog built it from a kit two years ago, and has been tricking it out ever since.
"I kinda got carried away," he said.
The second club member to soup up a bicycle was Robert "Moose" Mullins. A motorcycle enthusiast, Mullins ordered his bicycle engine kit just two weeks after he saw his friend Moon Dog tooling around town on his motorized bike.
"I took one look and said, 'I got to have me one of those,' " Mullins said.
The third Whizbanger member is Ralph "The Judge" McClanahan II, who in fact is an actual district judge who serves three eastern Kentucky counties.
McClanahan owns and operates the Little Congress Bicycle Museum in downtown Cumberland Gap. The museum has more than a dozen rare bicycles on display, including a 1934 Quadrocycle that sat four riders and was used as a pacer vehicle for the six-day bicycle races that were popular during the Great Depression.
The bicycle McClanahan chose for his engine upgrade came from his museum. It's a 1949 Roadmaster Luxury Liner complete with front and rear crash guards, dual spring shocks on the front fork, balloon tires and a wide, cushy seat.
"Of all the collectible bicycles in the world, the 1949 Luxury Liner is supposed to be the most comfortable," McClanahan said.
McClanahan's bicycle sports a pinup girl decal reminiscent of the "fly girls" painted on the nose of many American bombers during World War II. He says the best thing about his bike is that it gets about 135 miles to the gallon.
"You pedal it a few times, let out the clutch and give it some gas," McClanahan said. "The top speed is only around 30 mph, but it feels like you're flying."
The fourth and final member of the Whizbangers is Randall "Turkey" McNew, who runs a dry dock on Norris Lake near the Union-Claiborne county line. He bought his bicycle - a Schwinn Stingray Orange County Chopper - last year at a yard sale. The rear tire is beefy, and the front tire is narrow. Like the other club members, McNew motorized his bicycle from a kit.
"I had to get a special mounting bracket for the engine and a smaller sprocket for the rear wheel," he said. "I like the fly girl stickers Ralph stuck on his bike. I plan on doing that, too. I just haven't gotten around to it."
When the Whizbangers ride as a pack, people tend to gawk. So far this winter, cold weather has confined their outings mostly to the streets of Cumberland Gap and the adjoining Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
Come spring, Moon Dog, Moose, Turkey and the Judge hope to venture out on the open road.
"We're going to take tours," McNew said. "But first, we're going to see if we can't recruit more members. We're hoping some of them will be female."
Morgan Simmons may be reached at 865-342-6321.
Motorbike enthusiasts form club in Cumberland Gap, seek members » Knoxville News Sentinel
Let the record show that the Whizbangers got their start in Cumberland Gap, Tenn., in the winter of 2009.
Instead of Harley-Davidsons, the members ride classic bicycles powered by 80 cc, two-cylinder gasoline engines.
So far, the club consists of four charter members. Their ages range from 52 to 64, but don't call them the "Over The Hill Gang." What they lack in horsepower, they make up in attitude.
Recently, the Whizbangers gathered in downtown Cumberland Gap, their home base. Riding down Main Street, they sounded like a swarm of bees.
In the middle of the pack was Harvey "Moon Dog" Fuson, a lifelong resident of Cumberland Gap who runs the same Main Street drug store his father opened in 1907. Moon Dog's bicycle is modeled after a chopper. It has Harley-Davidson headlights and Harley-Davidson mirrors. Moon Dog built it from a kit two years ago, and has been tricking it out ever since.
"I kinda got carried away," he said.
The second club member to soup up a bicycle was Robert "Moose" Mullins. A motorcycle enthusiast, Mullins ordered his bicycle engine kit just two weeks after he saw his friend Moon Dog tooling around town on his motorized bike.
"I took one look and said, 'I got to have me one of those,' " Mullins said.
The third Whizbanger member is Ralph "The Judge" McClanahan II, who in fact is an actual district judge who serves three eastern Kentucky counties.
McClanahan owns and operates the Little Congress Bicycle Museum in downtown Cumberland Gap. The museum has more than a dozen rare bicycles on display, including a 1934 Quadrocycle that sat four riders and was used as a pacer vehicle for the six-day bicycle races that were popular during the Great Depression.
The bicycle McClanahan chose for his engine upgrade came from his museum. It's a 1949 Roadmaster Luxury Liner complete with front and rear crash guards, dual spring shocks on the front fork, balloon tires and a wide, cushy seat.
"Of all the collectible bicycles in the world, the 1949 Luxury Liner is supposed to be the most comfortable," McClanahan said.
McClanahan's bicycle sports a pinup girl decal reminiscent of the "fly girls" painted on the nose of many American bombers during World War II. He says the best thing about his bike is that it gets about 135 miles to the gallon.
"You pedal it a few times, let out the clutch and give it some gas," McClanahan said. "The top speed is only around 30 mph, but it feels like you're flying."
The fourth and final member of the Whizbangers is Randall "Turkey" McNew, who runs a dry dock on Norris Lake near the Union-Claiborne county line. He bought his bicycle - a Schwinn Stingray Orange County Chopper - last year at a yard sale. The rear tire is beefy, and the front tire is narrow. Like the other club members, McNew motorized his bicycle from a kit.
"I had to get a special mounting bracket for the engine and a smaller sprocket for the rear wheel," he said. "I like the fly girl stickers Ralph stuck on his bike. I plan on doing that, too. I just haven't gotten around to it."
When the Whizbangers ride as a pack, people tend to gawk. So far this winter, cold weather has confined their outings mostly to the streets of Cumberland Gap and the adjoining Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
Come spring, Moon Dog, Moose, Turkey and the Judge hope to venture out on the open road.
"We're going to take tours," McNew said. "But first, we're going to see if we can't recruit more members. We're hoping some of them will be female."
Morgan Simmons may be reached at 865-342-6321.
Motorbike enthusiasts form club in Cumberland Gap, seek members » Knoxville News Sentinel
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