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ASHEBORO — The love affair started in 1971.

Ed Rich was a young man, fresh out of the Army. She was a sleek, chrome-plated beauty in hi-fi blue over silver — a 1959 Harley-Davidson Panhead .

Nearly four decades later, Rich remains besotted with all things Harley-Davidson. Especially the vintage and classic bikes before 1957.

He owns five Harleys overall. Uses them as subjects in many of his acrylic paintings. Runs a museum, gift shop and diner dedicated to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Repairs them at his shop, American Classic Motorcycle on U.S. 64 West .

And he teaches others how to restore them.

Harleys are “woven into the history of the country,” he says.

“They have a character all themselves,” Rich, 60 , says. “There’s nothing else like it.”

This year’s class will tackle a 1943 — one of only 38 civilian motorcycles that Harley-Davidson made that year because most of the company’s efforts were turned toward the war, according to Rich.

Harley-Davidson produced nearly 90,000 motorcycles for the military from 1941 through ’45. With materials sparse, the civilian bikes became spartan machines — gray with little chrome and plastic instead of rubber details, such as the handlebar grips.

For the next eight months, students will help reassemble the motorcycle from both original and after-market parts that Rich has been collecting. The finished product will join the museum collection.

For the past nine years, Rich has shared his years of Harley experience with continuing education students from Randolph Community College. They’ve built 10 bikes in that time. The next series of classes will begin Sept. 8 with the first five-week session: engines.

“I have a lot of people come that don’t have a motorcycle and probably never will,” he says. “But they’re looking for something interesting to do.”

He tries to give students that, dropping tidbits of history and Harley lore. Best of all, he says, students get hands-on experience.

“We put a bike together as we go, so you can see the fruits of your labor,” he says.

The Latham brothers took Rich’s class several years ago. They restored a 1950 Knucklehead that now resides on the ground floor of American Classic Motorcycle.

“We actually learned more than we thought we would,” says Eddie Latham , 55, who took the complete series several years ago with his younger brother, Chris. He also has dropped in for refresher classes.

The brothers had rebuilt Eddie Latham’s ’77 and had started working on an ’82 when Chris Latham died in April. He was 53 .

The ’50 they built in honor of a friend. It’s as accurate a restoration as they could do, Eddie Latham says.

Restored motorcycles often don’t contain all original parts. Harley doesn’t make parts 10 years after a model comes out, Rich says. His restored bikes typically contain about 70 percent original parts with the rest made to meet specifications for that year and model.

“They’re as correct as we can get ’em,” he says.

His museum collection includes such classics as the “Flying Cloud,” a 1936 Knucklehead with the original red paint and a restored “Captain America” chopper like the one ridden by Peter Fonda in the movie “Easy Rider.”

Placards detail the history of some bikes, such as a 1947 Knucklehead ridden by a man who delivered Western Union telegrams in Randolph County. During World War II, the sound of his Harley often heralded bad news for families, Rich says.

“Each bike has their own stories and quirks,” he says.

The museum can’t hold all that he has collected over the years. So he and museum co-owner Rick Allen plan to expand another 1,200 square feet by the spring. They also hope to add on a complete, authentic 1947 dealership in the next couple of years.

Visitors have come from all 50 states and 26 countries since the museum opened in 1993 .

He showcases only classic Harleys in his museum, which takes up the second floor of his shop and diner. There are about 40, with more around the shop in various states — some literally in pieces — waiting to be put back together. Many on display Rich restored. Others come from former students, such as the Lathams, and from Harley enthusiasts eager to share their passion.

“Lots of people bring their bikes here, rather than leave them in the garage,” he says.

He still rides his ’59, along with four others in his personal collection: a ’38 and a ’45 Knucklehead, a ’65 Panhead and a ’66 Shovelhead .

The nicknames come from the shape of engine’s cylinder heads.

Rich claims no single favorite but likes models from 1936 to ’57 the best.

Sure, he takes on other motorcycles at his repair and restoration shop. Over the years, he has restored a few Indians. The latest non-Harley project comes from England: a 1947 Famous James DeLuxe that Rich believes was used by the Red Cross because of the trademark emblem he found. If not for the small motor, the slight frame and thin wheels would scream “bicycle” more than “motorcycle.”

But mostly, he sticks to his first love: Harley-Davidson.

“They’re a lot of fun to mess with,” Rich says. “They’re not just nuts and bolts.”

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jennifer.fernandez@news-record.com