LOW AND SLOW THROUGH FLYOVER COUNTRY

Flyover Country. The Rust Belt. No Man’s Land. Nothing to do, nothing to see, nothing to miss.

That about sums up the Midwest for the millions of Americans who don’t call it home and don’t understand why some do. These ideas aren’t wrong, but they are perhaps too simple, too easily digested, and accepted as fact. So I traveled to Ohio on purpose, as a destination, with low expectations and an open mind.

It helped that I wasn’t in search of the fastest road, the most jaw-dropping scenery, or really anything that will gain acclaim on the internet or in the “real” world. I was just here to ride.

Luckily, I ended up riding a motorcycle well outfitted for that simple goal.

To find that machine was the reason I’m in Ohio in the first place, specifically Lowbrow Customs’ “Pan-American.” The bike is an elegant mutt: a ’79 FLH frame stuffed with a 93-inch S&S Panhead instead of the Shovelhead it rolled out of the factory with.

For those who don’t wander to the custom side of the culture often, Lowbrow is an e-commerce store for parts, accessories, and fabrication pieces. But there’s nothing simple about being in the business of custom. You can’t just sell stuff. You have to be involved with the community by supporting it with time, expertise, and passion.

Lowbrow is steeped in