Lichter Photo | Motorcycle Photography

Aaron Greene's Cherry Bomb - 2004 The custom bike building path is not always the easiest one. On three different occasions since 1997, I have given up creature comforts to live in my shop, or in a cabover camper, to make sure I followed my passion first and kept my shop going. Why?  Because, simply put, bringing life to the ideas in my mind literally feeds my soul. This is my own form of therapy within a world that keeps building squares, but hungers for curves. This passion for machining, fabricating, shaping a new creation, and allowing that creation to take root in the minds of those who stand before it is what has always kept me going.   And now…”Cherry Bomb”. The bike you see before you was built for the 2005 Easyriders Celebrity Bike Tour.   I have long been entrenched in the Hot Rod culture and Hot Rod Harleys.  I wanted an over-the-top, custom built, power driven hot rod with an outlandish motor. The manifestation of that inspiration came in conjunction with the launch of our newly patented HCH frame, which was able to accommodate the wider tires being built then. The HCH frame was the natural choice for the backbone of this incredible bike. We had already created the first 280mm bike, but here with “Cherry Bomb”, we pushed it even further, becoming the first ever built with a 330mm rear tire. We pioneered new territory by pairing unbelievable power with the far-reaching custom chopper feel, including an insane hand-crafted tank, and our patented integrated hard lines and offset bearing support.   “Cherry Bomb” is chock-full of our one-off custom parts throughout and comes fully into view with a brilliant in-house hot rod custom paint scheme. Please feel free to take a picture and share with your family

Arlin Fatland Lucky Strike - 1995 The name Lucky Strike came from the racing scene. Found the motor first from a guy selling out and then Road Race Ceriani forks. Time to start the build. I Wanted a different exhaust, so I had Bob Schenck fab the metal around pipes, and he cut and widened the finned primary so it would fit a belt drive. The dual drum brakes add to the dirt track racer look. I collect shit, so finding parts is never a problem - that’s what I’ve been doing for myself, and for 2-Wheelers M/C, the shop I started in 1970. (We are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year.) Every build starts me on a new challenge. To fuck it up first and then create something entirely different is what I like most. When I can’t find something, I go to the best fabrication guys I know; Steve Ruby, Dave John, and Dennis Goodson. All I need is a couple of unique parts, and I’ll have the vision for what a new build will look like. When your business is your lifestyle, you have the dedication, determination, and passion it takes to survive and achieve success.

Bill Dodge's Blings Motard - 2002 Back into 2000 when I built this bike, the motorcycle world was all about fat tires, big shiny motors, and so on. I wanted something that was more fun and that reminded me of those times when Larry and I rode the back roads around Sturgis. To make this happen, I asked my friends Mark and Hector who worked in the shop with me at the time, to make me a skinny tire zero-stretch CFL frame. Right about the same time, Charlie from S&S approached me about a new 93 ci generator Shovelhead engine they were prototyping and so they hooked me up with one. (A second engine they were working on went to my good friend Johnny Chop.) As for the tranny, I was working with Bert Baker on a new project that ended up being called the Frankentrans, which is a kick-only spline-shaft style transmission with hydraulic clutch actuation. For the front end, I was very honored that Warren Lane got me a 23” front wheel like he had been using, the first one he ever sold, and of course the first of 23” wheels I have used on my bikes in the years since. These are just a few of the details that went into starting this project. There is so much more, I feel I could go on forever. Basically, it was so much fun to build this bike and such a piece of history at the time. Obviously, my style has continued in this direction right to my present motorcycles. I think the reason I love building bikes so much is the sheer happiness I get from the people I build them for. Somehow, they’ve all turned into family, and this is what drives me every day. It doesn’t matter what type of bike it is, chopper, dirtbike, sportbike… I pour my soul into each one. For that matter. as long as I get to make someone happy, and make the coolest thing that I can - I’m in! If you look hard, you can see my soul in this bike. Putting it in there is what really makes me go -Bill Dodge

Billy Lane (2020) Blue has been with me for over two decades. I started building her in 1998, but she was shoved to the side so that I could take on other opportunities. Everyone has always called her "Blue Suicide" which, fitting as it might be, is a name I've avoided using. I'd lost a close friend in the late 1990's to suicide, and that name was always a reminder. Michael Lichter noticed and photographed my 1999 custom, "Money Magnet," at the Charlotte Easyriders Bike Show, after which "Money Magnet" became the breakout success that elevated me to be included, ultimately, in the company that gathers here today. "Money Magnet" sold shortly after Charlotte, but the buyer wanted an EVO engine in place of the 1972 Harley-Davidson twin-carbureted Shovelhead. It was this '72 that went into the bones of "Blue." It sat in a corner as I went back to work on "Devil-in-a-Red-Dress", "Knuckle Sandwich", and "Psycho Billy Cadillac". When I got back to completing "Blue", she took Best of Show at the 2000 Columbus Invitational Easyriders Show before I even had time to have the flames shot on the tank. Not long after, my brother George dropped a brown bag of cash on my desk and said, "Blue is mine!" to which I agreed, and she left me for the first time. George wrecked "Blue" repeatedly, so I see her beauty in her scars. And somehow, “Blue” keeps coming back to me and she keeps getting more and more scars! She fell out of my pickup truck after one rescue, was wrecked by another friend in Sturgis, was stolen in Miami and very sketchily recovered. We ripped countless wheelies at the 100th in Milwaukee, and she became my west coast ride at Mondo's Denver's Choppers in Vegas and Jesse James' West Coast Choppers in Long Beach. When I went to prison in 2009, I thought Blue might be gone forever, but she came back to me this last time in 2015. She's very simple, and I still think her lines make a helluva lot of sense. When I look at "Blue", she reminds me of the mid 1990's. She's my longest relationship. Indian Larry told me "Blue" was his favorite of my customs, so I'll leave you with that.

Brian Klock's Cherry Bomb - 2004 This bobber was built for the 2004 “Bob’s Back” exhibition when it was still being staged at the Journey Museum in Rapid City. Michael’s challenge to me at that time was to build a twin cam that would be able to participate and hold up alongside all the Knuckleheads & Panheads from the greatest builders out there. Due to a number of factors, we ended up building this bike in 10-days to capitalize on the opportunity. The bike you see before you started life as a 2000 Springer and was owned by my good friend Greg Wick. Just as they made a bobber back in the day, we trimmed it down to its bare essentials. Features include a hot rod 95 ci motor, Works shocks, and a twist clutch, all of which make it now my personal favorite bike. (Greg was kind enough to sell it to me.) Coincidentally, my “Heavy Mettle” Un-Masked Edition build for next year is the big brother to this; built from an original 1947 Knucklehead. As Greg has been a mentor in business, now Matt Olson is teaching me old bike tricks. This industry is all about relationships and that makes my “Cherry Bomb” series of builds that much more special to me. -Brian Klock

Carl’s Cycle Supply, Carl and Matt Olsen - 2018 Everyday I wake up happy and know that I’m lucky to be working a dream job with dream bikes. Our customers are happy people and the group of guys we work with are the best crew we’ve had to date. Times go up and times go down, but if you have a good base, do something you love and enjoy, and put quality first, it’s easy to make it through waves in the economy and industry. Carl Olsen (2020)

Cole Foster's Chris’s Flathead Cruiser This bike was the second Flathead I did for Chris Huber, the first was a round-town bar-hopper whereas this one is a real road cruiser. I enjoy working with Chris because he has great taste, gives me good input, but also gives me plenty of free rein. While we all may start with the same ingredients, we all cook them a little different. A basic stock 1941 Harley-Davidson Flathead that I created a convertible for, so sometimes it goes out with bobbed rear fender and 21” up front without a fender, but you are seeing it before you full fendered in its cruiser configuration. The fuel tank was made from scratch as a nod to the 1930’s, the speedo is an original Model T, I made the seat pan, exhaust, tail light, handlebars and messed / massaged everything else on the bike. For over 3-decades (4-decades if you count the bicycles I chopped), I’ve been both top-level hotrods and custom bikes out of my shop in Salinas, CA. (curator’s note: Cole was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame in 2009.) Salinas and the Central Coast of California is a great place to be doing this work with its amazing landscape, weather, and motorhead history the area has. (Think Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” with James Dean.) I never thought I could do this for a living let alone travel around the world many times over. As far as I’m concerned, I feel like I’ve lived a charmed life. I get to do what I’ve always wanted to do, with friends everywhere I go, and land in places doing things I could have never imagined. -Cole Foster (2020)

Cory Ness Indian Digger - 2018 Our family has been in the motorcycle business for 50-years. Fueled by pure passion for custom motorcycles, we have all worked hard, but like all businesses, there have been many ups and downs. Nothing has been taken for granted and we are still learning every day. We are constantly making changes to survive in this business and will continue to carry on my dad’s legacy as long as humanly possible and to this end, I will pour my heart into making the best customs I can. The custom you see here today was a build I have wanted to do for some time. When Indian Motorcycles was re-launched by Polaris in 2014, many builders were customizing them, but the Ness family stayed away from the brand due to our business alliance with Victory Motorcycles, as it was also owned by Polaris. When Polaris eventually decided to go with Indian exclusively, it opened the door to this project. Starting with a wrecked 2014 Indian Vintage, I kept the engine assembly and a few key electronics and that was about it. Everything else was hand fabricated or CNC machined. The bike features traditional Digger styling that my dad perfected back in the day. It has lean minimalistic design that features a single-sided front and rear suspension with 23" offset-style billet spoke wheels. Another design feature of the bike is the small steel tubing used throughout the bike. I started with the gas tank mounts and instead of hiding them as we do on 99% of our builds, I chose to have them be in your face as a design que. I was so happy how they came out that I decided to use that tubing throughout the build. If you keep looking, you’ll see lots of details like this throughout the bike. This was a very challenging build when it came to hiding all the electronics a new Indian is equipped with. Since I wanted an open space under the seat, I had to find a new home for many large components such as the electronic computer module, electronic throttle to cable converter, external fuel pump and much more. Lots of thanks to our crew at Arlen Ness Motorcycles and a big thank you to everyone for their support throughout the years. We could not have done this without you. -Cory Ness

Dan Carr (2020) This bike started out when I bought a basket case engine from my friend Jeff Montgomery in Hanford, CA. It sat in my store for almost 2 years for sale with no action on it at all. Later was at my friend Panhead Marks place in Hot Springs Arkansas sleeping in his pile of Harley parts for a night. The next morning, I walked outside and saw the frame leaning up against his pool and absolutely had to have it! I didn’t really have a plan for it, but when I got it back to my shop, I just started building a cool bike. Bill dodge gifted me the stainless rear fender and we built the aluminum tank, oil tank, exhaust and everything else. In the middle of building the bike I was called by Randy Kelly in Montreal, Canada. Randy was the guy I started working for over 20 years ago and taught me the way. He asked if I wanted to come to a bike show in Montreal and we could have our bikes in there together and that made it so I for sure couldn’t disappoint with this build. We are very proud of this skinny little chopper and can say it’s a blast to ride. In the end, that’s what it’s all about for us.

Dave Perewitz's Nolan's Bike - 1988 I built this bike for myself in 1988. I sold it in 1990 in Sturgis for $25,000, which was a lot of money back then. It stayed in the owner’s garage while he was on “vacation” with the State. Eventually, he called me and said he wanted to sell it so I told my friend Nolan about it and he purchased it around 2005. I freshened it for Nolan at that time. We buffed the paint and got it running. It then stayed in Nolan’s collection until he passed away in 2019. It’s amazing, but in the end, he left this motorcycle to me and my daughter Jody, so now it’s back where it all began. -Dave Perewitz

Don Hotop's Auction Special - 2018 I built my first full up custom in 1973 and then opened my own shop in 1975. I was never particularly interested in what is trendy, but rather, just built bikes to ride with lots of attention to detail. In my entire career, I have only entered two bike shows. Whether at these shows, or more likely when I, or a customer, was out riding one of my bikes, parts that I designed caught the eye of people at Drag Specialties. In the many years since, we have developed a close working relationship where I do my design and Drag manufactures (and sells) my parts. I've survived the many ups and downs of the economy through hard work, long hours and dependable bikes, that you can ride. Like I always tell people that I build bikes for. It's not for show, JUST RIDE IT! -Don Hotop

Donnie Smith's Headhunter “Head Hunter” appeared in Street Chopper magazine in September 1982. The bike was modeled after a drawing by Donnie of a street digger. The project took about a year to build, as most of the parts were hand made one-offs built in the Smith Brother & Fetrow (SB&F) custom motorcycle shop. Donnie started SB&F along with his brother Happy Smith & Bob Fetrow in 1971. The frame is a rigid SB&F with a dropped top tube, 48º rake and a 3-inch over SB&F round girder. Donnie designed and fabricated the fender and tank areas. The intricate engraving was done by Cycle Fabrications, a shop in Massachusetts, owned by Donnie’s good friend, Dave Perewitz. The House of Color candy red, orange, & purple was applied by Kevin Winters of Sunshine Paint Studios. The pin striping was done by Street Chopper magazine cartoonist, Dave Bell and Keith Nybo stitched the solo seat. When the project was finished, it looked almost exactly like the drawing Donnie had originally made. SB&F was in business from 1971 until 1985 when the economy took a downturn. Custom motorcycle shops were one of the first to feel the impact as people were no longer purchasing luxury items. Donnie’s passion for custom motorcycles remained after SB&B closed down so he continued to design and build custom motorcycles in his garage where Donnie Smith Custom Cycle was born. The shop weathered more economic fluctuations over the years. Because of market volatility in this industry, to be true to his passion, Donnie learned early on not to allow himself to be seduced to grow too big just because the economy was doing well. This allowed him to get through the not-so-great times and stay true to his custom motorcycle design & build passion. Donnie’s custom creations have been featured in many custom motorcycle magazines in the USA as well as in Japan and Europe. He has received many accolades over the years including his induction into the Sturgis Hall of Fame in 1995 and his receiving of the Hot Bike Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 for “continuous contributions in the motorcycle industry. Donnie is a pure artist, and as such, has lasted in this industry for almost 50 years.

Eddie Trotta's V-Twin TV Bike - 2004 This Thunder Cycle 120” Single Sided Swingarm was built for the V-Twin TV show. We shot about a dozen episodes showing how we built the frame, motor fab, bodywork, paint and assembly. Then we gave the bike away to a lucky viewer, who sold the bike and never rode it one mile! We bought it back and sold it to Karim Ghachem in NYC and he has owned it for the last 10-years. The last 12-years have been very challenging to keep Thunder Cycle open for business. Between the 2008 crash and now the pandemic, I’ve had to make major adjustments. I sold Eddie Trotta Custom Parts to a company in MO and so I have continued to operate Thunder Cycle as a smaller shop. Health issues have always been an issue for me, and so now, as a 3-time cancer patient, COVID19 is something I don’t want to mess with. I just know it would be a major battle if I got exposed to it, so I do what I can to be safe. There was a time I built baggers, but really, it was just something I did to keep the shop open. There were two or three that I was proud of, but for the most part, building them was like punishment to me. I don’t like them and don’t care to ride them. I’ll give my employees most of the credit for them as they took my ideas and ran with them putting in the bulk of the effort. My 2,500’ shop feels a lot better now. I can still do almost everything I was doing before, except now there’s no CNC equipment to play with. My goal would be to build just 3-4 bike a year as well as continue to maintain bikes I’ve built over the years. Basically, I love building motorcycles, and will do so as long as I can. Who knows, With all of the young talent I see out there, maybe someone will want to come and learn a thing or two as they help me build new custom choppers. Now a days, I’m just happy at a slower pace. I enjoy going in at 2 pm and working until 8-9 pm. I plan on doing some boating and would love to build a very fast boat to do some speed trials. Who knows, maybe I’ll break the the few bones in my body I haven’t broken already? What can I say, I just love the feeling of high speeds on water. (curator’s note - Eddie raced off shore power boats as in the Bacardi Trophy race from Miami > the Bahamas > Miami that he won in 1981.) And if the boat thing doesn’t happen, no worries, I’ll just get on my 103” S&S Pan and ride off into the sunset! - Eddie Trotta 2020

I started coming to Sturgis in 1973 to race flat track with my friends. After a few years, we stopped racing, but kept coming just to ride the hills. I was mostly building 750 Honda choppers until 1978, when Arlen Ness showed up in front of Gunners on Main Street with his Blown Knuckle. I loved it so much I built a number of “digger” style bikes myself. My first customized Harley was a 1969 Bay Area Style Sportster I built in 1980. The very next bike was this red-wheeled Shovelhead. By this time, we were all hanging out in Spearfish and would blast back and forth through the canyon to Deadwood. Given our condition, the bike thankfully rode itself once it got over 5 MPH. We were pretty much the only ones riding what people called “show bikes”. I always looked forward to getting up here, and especially seeing Arlen to see what he was up to. What a great guy. If you had any problems with paint, he would tell you what he knew. He had no secrets. He was the King. Sitting over beers in the Stockade in Deadwood, Arlen would just pull a napkin out of his pocket and show me a drawing of the newest creation in his head. After building “Red Wheel”, I swore I would never build anything I couldn’t clean in a car wash, and then there was powder coat! Over the years, I’ve gotten into FXR’s, Buell rigids & eventually flat-track inspired Evo-Softails that I’m still building. (I call them “Deceive-O’s” when people ask!) From chopping bikes in my home basement in 1974 and starting my own shop in 1978 (after I quit the Honda shop for giving me a hard time for going to Sturgis) to now, I’ve turned out the best hand-built customs I can. Recently, a friend said to me, “if you count the hours you work, you’re not really making much money.” I can’t argue, but I love going into my shop, an old “Vess Cola” building. As an old Harley dealer friend said, “This ain’t a motorcycle shop, it’s a museum.” Sometimes, I find myself staring at the neon, the bikes, the posters… and then I’ll stare at a piece of steel, get an idea and bend it just to see how it looks. I may keep it, or I may throw it away. And then I’ll mess with a piece of sheet metal. The next thing you know, I’m at the bench working on a new bike, at least until friends show up after work and we break out the beers. I’m getting to that age where people retire with great retirement packages, but then a lot of people live miserable lives at jobs they hate. So I won’t get that big check, but I’ve had a lot of fun and I’m still laughing. Me and my dog still love going into the shop and I still love riding, racing, and customizing. One of the best parts is all of the great people and great friends I’ve met along the way. And on this note, I want to thank the Ness’s, Gary Bang, Arlin Fatland, Michael and Rick Pew along with my customers and all those friends that keep dropping in. Thanks for the good times. Special thanks to Jerry. Fred Cuba (2020)

As a young child Jeff grew up working on Grandpa & Uncle Shorty's farmland. He learned lessons out on those plains that have lasted his lifetime. Old wood is thirsty, paint is expensive, barn roofs are high and if you live right, there may never be enough time or money...so don't waste either. Stick together to make it to the other side. A broken-down combine or worn out old truck do not fix themselves. Family is just a phone call away. If you get up early, work hard, do it right the 1st time, keep your word and find a way to laugh through the pain, your life will produce great results. By working together, they found a way to survive the volatile farming lifestyle. By applying those 1st life lessons to everything Jeff does, I've never seen a challenge overcome him. It’s been amazing to me to not only watch how he approaches life, but his constant encouragement to those around him. The lessons I've learned from him have allowed me to live out my dreams without fear, because I know that even when we're apart, he’s only a phone call away. His strong work ethic and the respect he shows to everyone who crosses his path will always allow him to succeed at whatever he chooses to do. - Beverly Cochran My Grandfather, his brothers, my dad and his cousins always had motorcycles. They were not bikers; they were just hard-working guys that spent a lot of time together enjoying the things they loved. There’s a lot to be learned spending time with some old farmers. Like working together on a tractor on a Saturday night that has to be fixed before the rains comes. I learned very early in life that there weren't going to be any handouts, but if you work real hard, are fair and honest, it is almost impossible not to succeed or at least. As to bike building, I just seemed to fall into it. I was actually a musician that spent almost a decade of time on the road playing guitar in many of bands. Unfortunately, as in business, you are only successful and strong if everybody else is as hungry as you are. Then, I did the big business thing with partners... employees and all the chaos that came with it during the 2000’s motorcycle boom. I quickly realized that when push came to shove, the only people I could rely on was myself and my wife Beverly. The business was a big success, but I was unhappy with what it had become. Thankfully, I predicted what was coming and knew selling it was the fastest route to my family’s happiness. In my second (and current) business, SpeedKing, I knew keeping it small and not relying on anybody other than me and Beverly would ensure it wouldn’t fail and we’d be happy. The majority of my customer base are hardworking guys that worked really hard for the money they are giving me. I think if you stay humble, work hard and are fair, you cannot fail. Fortunately, I stay busy year-round though crashing stock markets, pandemics and a world that I have a hard time understanding. Stay Hungry and you shall succeed. - Jeff Cochran (2020)

The idea for this bike came from wanting to do something different than a chopper so we dropped the neck down 2”, added a 7" stretch, and then dropped the seat. We made most of the parts in house including the frame, wheels, trees & sheet metal. This bike was one of the first for the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off series to only have 10-days to complete. In today's world of social media, there are those that are about the right-now short-lived attention it gets them, and those that are about the passion for the motorcycles. We feel we have survived through the years because we have an awesome talented team that go above & beyond to build amazing quality motorcycles, a strong loyal customer base & we don't believe in giving up. When the times get rough, we just downshift & hit the throttle! If you just coast along, the only way you can go is downhill! Consequently, we believe in dedication, passion and creativity to stay on the cutting edge of design and performance. These are our keys to success. Jerry Covington (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)

Kiwi Mike's The Chieftain - 2003 America is the most exciting market and and still a place where dreams do come true. I started out with a dream in a garage making some parts for vintage Indian motorcycles in 1988 which grew fast into designing and manufacturing over 2000 part numbers of my own Kiwi Indian brand. I continued dreaming of one day manufacturing my own engine, which in all honesty I thought to be just a pipe dream. Dream big and my Kiwi 84” flat head engine was born in 1999. I kept dreaming about making brand new Indian inspired motorcycles, and then this too became a reality in 2001. Today, we have 7-models in the offering and with more on the drawing board. You dream it and I will build it. All economies go up and down and the US is no exception. In every down economy I always see opportunity. The vintage Indian market is resilient to recessions and in the 32 years of being in business, I’ve been through a few, which have always led to big growth spurts and new opportunities. While the Indian market is foreign to most custom US builders as they just don’t understand it, but thankfully, I do understand it and this has helped me survive all these years. The bike that you see before you is my first ever complete bike build and the first attempt of anyone in building a brand new vintage Indian. While some things you see that I've done aren't quite up to snuff, we've all gota start somewhere. This is my "Chieftain Roadmaster" which when decked out with a windshield, luggage rack, saddlebags and spotlights, was the King of the Indian range back in the day. This replica utilizes my 84 ci Flathead engine and 4 -peed overdrive transmission for modern day riding. This purpose-built spring frame, hydraulic forks and spring seat post allows for excellent handling and comfort on today’s highways. My 45-year passion has always been Indians (since I was 15 years old) and even today continues to grow into a lot more models than this. The US is a huge market with immense opportunities. I remember a well-known TV celebrity telling me 20-years ago that building new Indians is a silly idea so don’t even go there. Today that same guy loves to ride my bikes. Believe in yourself, follow your own dreams, go with your own gut feeling and make your own road. It’s OK to be different. I built a career and successful business out of being different. Dream big, dream small, but dream and believe in your product, your brand and yourself. Your passion will carry you to unimaginable places. Don't be one of those people that looks back on life and says, "I could have, would have, or should have ". Just go for it. As my Grandfather Mick Tomas would say "never look back at what you have done but look ahead as to what you have got to do". -Kiwi Mike Tomas (2020)

Denver Mullins started Denver’s Choppers in San Bernardino in 1967. He had a progressive vision and exceptional talent for the design and creation of custom motorcycles. Denver was instrumental in the creation and design of the long bike (stretched frame and long front end). As an early pioneer of the aftermarket custom motorcycle industry with their custom-made frames, front ends, and accessories for many makes of motorcycles, Denver’s paved the way for many of the custom motorcycle parts suppliers we all know today. Denver’s also created many complete custom chopper builds with Mondo part of the original crew. He did the frame molding, and so he was known back then as “Bondo Mondo”. Denver and Mondo were also involved in professional drag boat racing. Sadly, Denver was killed in a tragic top fuel drag boat accident in 1992. Shortly after, Mondo took over the business and so Denver’s Choppers has survived. They’ve weathered the ups and downs of the economy and many other challenges by working hard, staying humble, and staying true to their roots and legacy. Mondo acknowledges the support of family, friends, loyal customers, and industry peers as being crucial to his, and the shops, longevity. This bike was built for the Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off 2004 “Mondo vs. Indian Larry”. The bike was built in nine 8-hour days without any drama. It is a throwback to Denver’s Choppers early days when we were building digger style bikes out of Honda and Kawasaki 750s, and of course Harleys. The wheels are old 12-spoke magnesium wheels (15” and 18”) that were popular in the early days of drag racing. The motor was built by a good friend, Berry Wardlaw, and his crew at Accurate Engineering and it runs as good as it looks. Paul Cox did an outstanding job on the seat and it still looks great after 16 years. During the filming for the show, Larry was performing a stunt for the crowd (standing on his seat, doing the Iron Cross) We all know what happened next. We tragically lost a good friend and custom motorcycle icon that day.

Mr. Martini is a person, a custom bike builder, a clothing brand, a shop / café / bar and much more, but it all goes back to when a young Nicola Martini began customizing British bikes. This led him to opening a Royal Enfield dealership out of a corner of his father’s gas station in Verona, Italy and eventually, to becoming a Triumph dealer. Clearly, Nicola’s creativity extends from his rolling creations to his approach to business. Now in 2020, Mr. Martini has become a brand made from sheer passion, dedication, research and unique creativity. Mr. Martini lab sums up the long-time experience of Nicola Martini; it is a place where things are not only created, but experimented with, and where unique motorbikes are created. It explores new concepts about motorbikes and accessories, and always creating new styles. Years dedicated to work and research have traced a unique two-wheeled story, a truly Italian story which contributed to the culture of motorbike Style. The worldwide presence of Mr. Martini creations has further highlighted the uniqueness of its style, in which both technical expertise and aesthetic intuitions help create smart prototypes, featuring new technical solutions and ultra-fine finish, top materials and pleasant chromatic matches. This custom project started as a one and only motorbike for a customer based in Russia, but then the elegant and unique style lead Nicola to create a family of “Flashback’s”, including the bike you see before you today, “Flashback America.” I wanted the bike to be something extremely different, built on a performance base, but with an aesthetic vision that takes a little bit from the past and then projects itself into the future. Nicola has said of “Flashback America”, “The exhaust and the fairing are the most erotic parts of this motorbike. Together, these are style and performance in one object.”

Pat Patterson's Naked Truth - 2015 The bike you see before you, “Naked Truth”, was born from an invitation from Michael Lichter to show a custom bike in his 2015 Sturgis exhibition, “Naked Truth”. I purposely built this bike to have no paint. I wanted to create a raw bike that had stand-out details as opposed to just a raw motorcycle. All metal was finished with a transparent powder coat to protect it and keep the intended look. I decided to add silicon bronze welding into the mix to give it a little color and contrast. Silicon bronze is a softer weld, so all structural welding was completed first. The bronze was laid secondarily over top. Look closely and you will see the badges, grips, and pegs are all welded beads. We machined through the silicon bronze to the metal to create the contrast for that design. The bronze welding can be a little tricky because if you weld it too hot the weld loses that cool color. You need to learn how to dab your tig puddle offbeat to weld it correctly in order to get the desired look. All of the parts on this bike were built and machined in-house by Led Sled. We machined the magneto case so the coil could be mounted in it, which gives the look of a magneto, but provides the dependability of electronic ignition. I could write a book on how I have turned my love of riding motorcycles into a business that not only pays the bills, it has allowed me the blessing of raising a family. The short of it is trying to keep my head on my shoulders, working long hours, and staying focused. From starting Led Sled Customs in a single car garage in 1998 to today, it has been 22 amazing years and I look forward to charging ahead with just as much ambition. Patrick Patterson

Paul Wideman's Jane Doe - 2013 Jane Doe took about 6-months to build starting with a couple of simple ideas; I wanted a bike that would have wooden inlays in the tank and use a magnesium drum brake from an old dirt bike I had. It also had to be the skinniest bike I could make and had to be a Saint Louis style “De-rake”. With a lot of help from friends including Berry Wardlaw of Accurate Engineering, Scott Takes of Underground Art Studios, Jordan Dickinson of Union Speed and Style, and my long-time friend, Darren McKeag, the bike before you is the end result. It is a testament to my Mettle, as many unforeseen obstacles presented themselves, but we persevered, and the bike turned out great. I am happy to still own it and happy to show it in this exhibition.

Paul Yaffe's Prodigy - 2000 Prodigy:  “An impressive or outstanding example of a particular quality / An amazing or unusual thing, especially one out of the ordinary course of nature.” This build named “Prodigy” was the third and final exercise in a particular direction of style. The exercise started with a bike named “Cashmere”. While building Cashmere, I started another project named “Sliver”. While building “Sliver” I was commissioned by Dennis Block who I had met in Daytona while showing Cashmere, to build Prodigy. By the time the “Prodigy” build had my full attention I was so obsessed with perfecting this particular 4-year style exercise that every detail had to be just right! I cut the Daytec frame into a dozen pieces tweaking its geometry until it flowed just right. I raked the swingarm pivot area, dropped the seat height and raked the neck. This build was all about flow. I wanted to integrate everything I could, eliminate as much clutter as possible having each part carrying multiple tasks.    Once the mountain of fabrication was completed (1000+ hrs) Prodigy had to be completely assembled pre-paint to allow every detail and function to be considered and perfected. A compartment was created within the tank tunnel that housed coils, all electrical, on-off and start switches and even the chock knob! Looms were fabricated and welded to the frame to route brake lines and such to avoid any clamps or zip ties. Prodigy went on to capture Best of Show honors in Verona, Italy and Germany as well as every well-known show across the United States. Somewhere along this journey The Mattel Toy company decided to immortalize Prodigy by creating a Hot Wheel in her likeness! What an honor and certainly one of the biggest feathers in my career hat! During her recent restoration I found even myself blown away at the level of detail and obsession I was capable of as my career took shape over 20 years ago... One thing I can tell you is that I got to ride her again a month ago before sending her here and she rides as good as she looks! She’s a keeper! Thanks for taking the time…. -Paul Yaffe (2020)

Bettie was a bike that I built in my mind several years before she actually came to life in 2005. Ya see, in the late 1990’s, I was on a plane with my wife coming home from some far away bike show in “pick a city” USA! I was looking at my wife’s wedding ring & noticing how big the diamond was. It started me to thinking about how the motor is the diamond of a motorcycle. So then, if the motor is the diamond, why can’t the frame be the wedding band? So, I drew out, on my cocktail napkin, a V-twin motor with a curved frame arched over the top of it. At first it was just something to fill my time on the plane, but then I took a hard look at my doodling. Ok, I thought, how can I make this work? The gas can be in the top part of the frame & then the oil can be integrated in the bottom part of the frame. But I’d need a little space between the gas & oil because the oil gets hot. Yeah, why not, I could make this happen. When I got home, I just filed away my idea, and there it sat for a few years. Then in 2005, I started the process of creating a curved frame & we figured it out. I wanted the bike to be psychedelic & I wanted the wheels to look like sunrays radiating off the sun. The bike was extremely curvy, so I called it Bettie, named after the extremely curvy 1950’s pin-up queen, Bettie Page. The result, as they say, is history! As for me, I’ve been in the Motorcycle business for over 25 years & built many motorcycles over that time period. We, in the American Motorcycle Industry, are facing some of the toughest times ever faced in this industry. The Baby Boomers that have made Harley-Davidson flourish for over 50 years are aging out now. In other words, some of us Old Timers have moved on to the other side of the clouds, while others have got too dang old to ride. The young people aren’t much interested in riding motorcycles & the few that are don’t want to ride a Harley because that’s what all the old men ride! I have built my business around Harley-Davidson Motorcycles & the people who ride them. I’m a survivor. I will weather this storm like the many I have weathered before and will be even more prepared for the next one. In my 25 years of owning Strokers Dallas, I have never missed a day of work & I’m proud of that fact! I tell the young people, “You can achieve whatever it is you want to achieve, as long as you want it bad enough and are willing to work extremely hard to achieve it!” As for me, I’m a “Heavy Mettle” kinda cat, so I’m gonna keep on doing what I love & what I know best…Custom Motorcycles! PEACE & LOVE TO ALL! Rick Fairless (2020)

Roland Sands' Glory Stomper - 2005 Built for the 2005 Discovery Channel Biker Build Off vs. Arlen Ness, this machine needed to be over the top but still maintain its performance. Named after the 1967 biker flick The Glory Stompers, staring Dennis Hopper. The bike started life as a crashed ’03 100th Anniversary Softail and was reborn as a high performance street fighter, taking influence from Roland’s roadracing background. While Evo’s were the norm for custom bikes of the era, this bike was one of the first customs to be built from a H-D Twin Cam engine. Built in 3 weeks but should have been built in 3 months minimum. Roland got physically sick and passed a kidney stone shortly after completion. Roland had a great team of guys to help out on the project and, without them, it would have never been finished. Huge thanks to Johnny Chop (RIP), Wink Eller, Tom Foster, Brett Marshall & Lyndel Berry. Roland lost out on the popular vote but, for viewers at home, he stole the TV show. He went on to be voted as the best new custom bike builder by his peers, which also brought him back to TV for Discovery Channel Biker Build-off in 2006 vs Jesse Rooke where he was victorious. The beauty of Glory Stomper is in the details. The engine covers inspired the Roland Sands Design "Nostalgia Engine Cover" Line which is still in production and have stood the test of time. They are still popular in the V-twin aftermarket and thus used by bike customizers around the globe. Looking back, the bike before you is considered by many as pivotal, not only in Roland's career, but for a new generation of builders and how they have approached customizing.

Ron Finch's Loophole - 1987 Ron Finch has been building custom motorcycles since 1965, when he opened Finch’s Custom Styled Cycles. His unique style and design in metal sculpture is unparalleled in creativity. Finch created Loop Hole in 1987 using a 1973 Shovelhead motor with the exhaust crossing over the engine and looping through the frame to the opposite side! He rode what he calls his first “bagger”, on the long ride from Michigan to Sturgis in 1989. When he returned, he decided he needed more power! He reworked the frame to install a 96 cubic inch S & S Evo with Delkron cases and added a Morris magneto. The gas tank was built “Finch Style” into the rear fender. The oil tank is an old-style cylinder with concave ends. Ron’s signature rod work and custom paint include candy blue paint with multi-colored blends, blue anodizing, and a plexi-glass primary cover. Like a loophole in the law, this custom motorcycle stretches the legal limits of imagination and originality. Loop Hole is one of eight personal motorcycles that make up the Finch Collection. In April of 2005, competing with the top builders of the day at the Biker Build-Off Finale in Las Vegas, Ron was awarded the “Biker Blacksmith” Award for extreme metal fabrication. He was recognized in Daytona Beach in March of 2006 at the V-Twin Biker’s Ball with the Lifetime Achievement Award! The artistry of Ron Finch is also expressed in paint. Over the years he has mastered the use of many new techniques and the ever-changing chemistry of paint! He often accentuates a Finch paint job with the application of multi-colored pin striping before the final clear coat is applied. Ron was awarded the House of Kolor Prestigious Painter Award in 2008. In recent years Finch reimagined himself to pursue another avenue of art. This venture is called METALife, and it allows him to bring metal to life in plants, creatures, and abstract furniture. He often displays his sculptures at shows along with the custom motorcycles. This allows his admiring fans to purchase a piece of “Finch Art”. Ron and his wife, Ruth, have worked together in the business for over 52 years! In 2019, the year of his 80th Birthday, Ron was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame! Ron’s custom motorcycles have been appreciated by art lovers in prestigious museums, art galleries and in shows throughout the U.S. and in Germany, France, and Sweden. He is currently building and painting on a daily basis from his unique studio behind his home in Pontiac, Michigan. Labeled as “too extreme” by some, the work of Ron Finch appropriately proclaims the freedom and individualism that is so often associated with the motorcycle lifestyle. Ron Finch, Profile by R.H. Swan (2020)

Russell Mitchell's Mad Max - 2001 I have always loved custom motorcycles, but I didn’t start building because I dreamt of being a fabricator or a mechanic. No, I started building bikes because it was the only way to turn the bike in my head into the bike in my garage. I could always envision the bike I wanted, and as those visions became more detailed, I had to learn all the disciplines necessary to build a bike from scratch. And I wasn’t satisfied bolting together catalog components; no, I had to design my own parts. During the inaugural ride on a particularly involved creation I had a chance meeting with Bandit, who was at that time the editor of Easyriders magazine. He asked to feature the bike, and after a few unexpected twists, Exile Cycles was born. That was 25 years ago! The bike you see before you is called Mad Max, and it was originally conceived in 2000, making it onto the streets of California in 2001. It appeared in all the magazines as the centerpiece of our little ad, with a young-looking Russell Mitchell knelt behind it, sporting a freshly shaved mohawk (bright red back then, rather more salt-and-pepper today). We have built Mad Max many times over the years, and the one here dates back to 2003. By the turn of the century we had already garnered a reputation for doing things our own way and not giving a s**t about what everyone else was creating. Fat front tires, 1.25” bars, 2.5” pipes, sprocket brakes, internal throttles, completely clean handlebars and total industrial minimalism were our calling cards. Not to mention a complete aversion to chrome and bright paint. Mad Max was the first of our ‘long front end’ bikes and it show-cased a couple of new finishes. The wrinkle black powder-coat is virtually bullet-proof, and the brushed aluminum has really become our signature look. Of course, everyone said it couldn’t be done, and, of course, we didn’t listen. When you work with something you love, it isn’t really a job. At times, I have to wrangle a shop full of a dozen lunatics, and at other times, I’ve whittled bikes alone in a modest workshop. Either way, I’ve loved every minute of it! Fortunately for me, clean design is timeless, and our parts line really never changes. The bikes I build today are indistinguishable from the ones I built twenty years ago, or the ones I hope to build twenty years from now. -Russell Mitchell

Maxine was my first Harley and my first build. At the time, I was living 2-doors down from an infamous M.C. club. The guys took me into their basement where I picked out a frame, motor and front end to buy. Butch Garcia of Ultimate Performance went through the motor and helped me build her. I only owned 3-wrenches and a pair of pliers but was determined to build this bike regardless. The only machine I had access to was a friend’s lathe, but I still managed to Frisco the tank with Bob Maganza, who had a welder and cutting tools. When it was done, the infamous Steve Bonge laid down the black Emron and flames, Bobby had taught me how to tig weld and Butch how to put a motor together. They made me do the work, so that was my apprenticeship! This is the 4th or 5th motor in Maxine. The heart now is an early S&S case (serial #5!) It is completely polished and inside is the best of everything. True 12:1 compression pistons, the heads are one-off STD shovelheads, ported, polished, and flowed. Dan Baisley was my mentor, so I guess you know where this is going! Now I run and am the sole employee of STD. Additional motor work includes the heads having custom kibble white and serious valves and springs. Intake valves are stainless with bronze guides, so I can shoot a lot of nitrous in there. I shaved the bottom 3 fins off, which allowed me to engrave “Maxine” into them. There’s a Super G carb with an adjustable air bleed and an air horn that's slotted to allow more air. The jets are huge, so she runs 110 octane race fuel. (It won't run without it) and the oil pump is one of my adjustable Frankenstein pumps. I can control the volume and the breather timing is also advanced. The ignition is a custom modified single fire dual plug setup. It has multiple preset advance stages and my ignition coils are also one-off, and wicked hot. It made 154 on the dyno, so doing 100 mph in fourth gear, if you pull the throttle, it spins the back tire! I've ripped the sprocket right off that Kosman wheel twice. The bike has run the 1/4 in the mid 9's at 138 mph. The dual steering dampners hold the early 70's Wideglide tight and keep her straight with a 21" wheel (no front brake.) The rear is a dished aluminum Kosman with a PM 4-piston caliper. The oil tank I made from a piece of round aluminum tube. I had Lock Baker copy the set of pipes Larry and I originally made. She has a 4-speed Rev Tech ratchet top with close ratio 1st and 2nd. I also run a 2" evil engineering V-tooth belt drive and clutch running 12-springs for maximum pressure. Not only is Maxine a blast to ride and always starts, I can hold that bitch wide open for 5-miles straight without a hiccup. She just keeps pulling. I've been offered insane money and trades, but I'll never part with her because she’s the love of my life. When I go, she’ll go to my son. He knows how special she is and then, she’ll hopefully get passed down from generation to generation and live on. Steg Von Heintz (2020)

Steve Broyles' Twister-Her - 2005 All history starts with someone's mentors, or as in my case, my parents.I watched my dad go from a truck driver to a dispatcher and then work his way up the chain of command to become the president eventually of the Geo F. Alger company, a transportation company here in Detroit. My mother, well, that's another story she was a strong-willed woman who taught me how to weld at the age of 12. She was a welder in the Naval shipyard in Boston during WWII welding the warships and me, well I just tried welding a plate onto a 20" bicycle frame to build a mini-bike. She didn't know what I was doing, but then, she always used to say to me, "if you put your mind to it, you can do it." In August of 1969, my son was born when I was 17. I had just opened my first shop in the garage behind my parent's house naming it Stevenson's Cycle after my son and me. It was in December of that same year I got my first commission to build a bike, a 1952 Panhead, for a friend/customer named Larry G. It took me 4-months to finish and collect the money, the rest is history. Stevenson's Cycle has been in business for over 50-years now. Looking back, I remind myself that perseverance, determination, and passion is what has kept me going all these years. The passion is for motorcycles, and that's what drives my determination to stay in business. It's pretty tricky to maintain a business that needs a boatload of your time AND a truckload of your money. It's that passion again that keeps me going during the low times. I sit here writing today just after reopening my shop after an 8-week forced closure due to COVID19. It's times like this that I remind myself this isn't the first time things have been tough, and I'm sure it's not going to be the last. Over the past 50 years, I have refinanced my home 4-times to get through rough patches, so that I could keep playing with motorcycles. It's always said if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life, and this, my friend, is why I love playing with motorcycles. The inspiration for TWISTER-HER came after building SWITCHED, a reverse flow Shovelhead. I looked down and saw two S&S carburetors and thought this would be an excellent idea for a motorcycle. I held the two carburetors up by an Evolution engine and said I'm going to put them right here. I have always pictured ideas in my head rather than drawing them on paper, so what you see here is what I saw in my head as I built TWISTER-HER with its reversed flow Evolution engine and hand-crafted transmission. I wanted to give TWISTER-HER a 1950-60 hot rod look, which I hope you'll agree I achieved. It hasn't always been easy, but anything worth doing is never going to be easy. Just put your mind to it, and you can do it. -Steve Broyles (2020)

Steve “Carpy” Carpente Greenday Special- 2006 My dad was an original Rocker, so I grew up with the Cafe Racer lifestyle in England. It was like an inheritance, a natural transition into all things two-wheels. When I was a teenager, the majority of my motorcycles had clubman bars and cut down seats. Eventually, I became a motorcycle courier/dispatch rider in London where we all shortened our handlebars, lowered our seats and made the bikes as light as possible. This made it easy to belt around the city avoiding traffic and heavy congestion. When I transplanted myself Stateside in 2000, it was only natural I’d build a motorbike to get around and of course, that first one was just like had been making at home. It was different than what people were used to seeing and so, I’d get stopped in the street and get asked what sort of bike it was. And that’s when the light bulb lit up! I still get phone calls from people telling me I have inspired them to build motorcycles for a living. Some said they have taken MMI classes because they love what I did. One father called to say his lad was getting a bit wayward and disrespectful, so he pulled his old Honda out and they built a Cafe racer together using my parts and advise. It seemed to change his son’s way of thinking and now he builds his own parts. I can’t say I ever thought I would inspire people, but it’s a warm feeling when I receive compliments notes like this. As for this bike, Mike Dirnt, the bass guitarist of the infamous punk band Greenday phoned me one day after he saw me on one of my cafes on the cover of a motorcycle magazine. He said he wanted one for himself and commissioned me right then to create a tough looking bike to his color scheme. He followed this up by riding down to see me and so we brainstormed until we came up with the bike you see here today. Years later, the bike is still together, and Mike still loves it. I thought it would be a great candidate for “Heavy Mettle” as it shows that after almost a decade and a half, a design over the phone can turn into a reality and continue to turn heads years after it was originally conceived. Basically, motorcycles are my life. Being represented in “Heavy Mettle” is testimony to a kid that was always getting told off at school for drawing motorcycles on his schoolwork. And now, I’ll just continue to push the envelope on nostalgic style road machines and see where the road leads me. -Steve “Carpy” Carpenter

The “1157” bike came at an interesting time, just as Nash Motorcycle Company was doing better than ever. I was also remodeling my 1940s home mostly by myself at the time and had taken down a wall to open up the floor plan of the home. On the old brick fireplace, “1157” had been written on the bricks. Both the color of the bricks and the name stuck. This bike was completed at the beginning of 2008, just before things got weird in the world. I wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on because business was still good, but then some months later, I did ultimately feel the effects. Things got worse over the next few years. I had to sell lots of things that I would have loved to have kept, and we even lost our home. Knowing that I had always been able to figure out a way to make things work, I just kept pushing forward. A lot of tears and waffles later we survived. It’s been a tough ride in this industry, but I have learned so much about people, life, the world and especially building motorcycles and fabrication, and for this, I am very grateful. Taber Nash (2020)

I have been working on and building Motorcycles since I was a young kid going back to dirt bikes. By the time I was 16, I started doing heavy collision body work and paint at dealerships and then when I was 21, my brother and I built our first lay frame single-sided pro-street Softail. It was an instant hit so we started Ballistic Cycles to build our own line of motorcycles. Around 2007, I saw the writing on the wall as to outlawing and insuring customs builds, so we decided to try our hand at custom baggers. True to form, we wanted to be a company that stands out so we decided to build the first 30” Lay Frame one-off custom body Bagger and killed it. The following year was obviously tough for the motorcycle industry, as it was for the whole country. We lost so many builders due to the economy. We were able to pull through, because unlike many shops, we could do it all ourselves. Another milestone came in 2013 when we Built the first 30” all-aluminum twin-turbo hubless Bagger that to this day, is the hands down most incredible bagger built . That bike went on the first Hot Bike Power tour, and this was when we really started growing. It only took a couple of years when I couldn’t take the bagger world anymore, so I started building lay frame turbo Softails and that same year, I purchased the company. While this was a hard time in life for me, inspiration came in the form of the all-aluminum twin-hubless turbo bike. And this is what led me to my newest brainchild, the “Legacy Series” you see here today. I've had the idea for over 10 years, it just took time to pull the trigger. With my Amazing team that includes Steve Schuller, Colton Hardison, Jeff Transou, Mike Trainer and Mike McNamer, we got to work. The Legacy bike was finished for 2020 Daytona, where I put over 600 miles on it in 4-days. There werer absolutely zero issues. I was amazed at its speed, braking, and handling. Then over the next 5-months, during this crazy Covid going on in the world, I was somehow able to sell six more electric bikes. I was floored how much people seem to love these bikes and how they are willing to spend that kind of money. When I thought life couldn't get any better, Michael Lichter called to invite me to be part of this Motorcycles as Art “Heavy Mettle” exhibition at the Buffalo Chip featuring the top motorcycle builders & artists. I am absolutely honored to be able to display my bike with the legends of the industry. To think that I can be considered in this way is a dream come true. Tim McNamer (2020)

I've been in business for just over 20 years. In the beginning, I started building bikes during the Discovery Channel Build-Off crazy years. After building quite a few bikes, I realized that to stay in business, I had to rely on my mechanical abilities and do more service and repair work. Growing up pretty poor, my dad taught me how to work on cars and pretty much everything, so I became an Auto Tech to get me through school, and then went fulltime. Once I shifted the main focus of the shop, it began to take off. I still build bikes, but now they are just to ride and display my talents and bring in customers. "HEAVY METTLE" is the perfect name for this year's exhibition. With the ups and downs of this fickle industry, as well as the financial ups and downs of the past 20 years, it's a miracle anyone is still in business! What has helped me has been the unconditional support of my family, the long hours, dedication, and sleepless nights I put in, and my many friends in the industry that lend a hand, provide information and help with ideas when needed. This industry is like no other. The people are the best! This bike started as an idea to build a killer shop bike with a Knucklehead engine. When I couldn't find a good Knuck, I decided I would get an S&S KN 93. Because of the aftermarket engine, I wanted a clean Harley titled frame, so I found a titled, but FX frame, and a second butchered rigid Panhead frame with no neck. The total price of frames was $1050. I immediately hard-tailed the FX frame with the Pan rear section, and that's when I got to work. A set of stock FX tanks were sectioned to make them skinnier, and Blings Cycles' bings were welded in. It originally had a VL springer front end with the current wheel/ tire set up, but while it looked great, the handling wasn't. After 2500 miles, I opted to switch it out to the current 39 MM shaved sporty legs and Custom Cycle Engineering mid-width triple trees. The combination proved stellar in both handling and looks! The front wheel is a Suzuki RM 250 Talon Hum laced to a 1979 Honda XL 600 aluminum rim with Buchanan's spokes. The rear wheel is an Akron's 18" aluminum rim laced to a Harley star hub with a juice drum brake. I got the transmission right from Bert at Baker Drive Train and went with a BDL 1.5 belt drive. The mid-controls are made up of Victory rear brake master cylinder and a creation of mine. The miss and I wanted them to be functional as I intended to ride the hell out of the bike. The day after finishing it, I rode from Pa to NC for the Smoke-Out, where it was a big winner, but best of all, I put 1250 great miles on it that weekend! The bike went on to win the Horse Back Street Choppers show at the Sturgis Full Throttle, and I was able to put 1,500 miles on it just in the Hills. It has won many shows in the years since, and I still ride it regularly. It's a rider, handles incredibly, and I like it so much it's part of the shop's logo. Tom Keefer (2020)

I have always loved and built functional, performance-based bikes. The “Death Dealer” came about when I happened into a hot rod 89 ci Evo motor left over from one of my customer builds. I actually designed the bike around it. Big brakes, lots of power, light weight and NO frills. As for what it takes to stay in this game despite the trends that come and go and the people that have to jump on them, I have always just built bikes the same way I live my life: honest, reliable, and true to my beliefs. Following trends and bending to the will of what is current and/or trending just isn't my style, Some love me for it and some hate me for it, but I don't get concerned about the hate. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I wake up knowing the guy in the mirror never sold out. The times are changing so who knows how long this industry will survive. Kids these days don't have the same connection to history that many of us older generations have and it shows. I will always do what I love and love this country and its history. Let the chips fall where they may, I'll be here doing my thing! Trent Schara (2020)