Who Are the Best Custom Motorcycle Builders?
March 9, 2010
Custom motorcycle builders are here to stay. They are as much a part of the motorcycle industry as some of the largest motorcycle companies in the world. While their bikes do not have the global impact of companies like Harley Davidson and Kawasaki motorcycles, their bikes certainly make a large impact at motorcycle events, biker shows, competitions, and local bike nights.
In many cases, custom builders have become celebrities. Jesse James, The Teutel Family, the Detroit Brothers, Arlen Ness, and others have now become household names. Some custom builders gained fame and fortune through TV shows that moved them, their companies, and the entire custom motorcycle industry into the mainstream.
But the big question is, which builders are the best? That question is nearly impossible to answer since judging custom builders is largely subjective. However, here are some that are recognized as innovators and front runners in the industry.
- Redneck Engineering: Despite the name, the guys at Redneck have taken frame building and turned it into an art form. Their style is highly recognizable giving their brand a level of distinction and a leg up on the competition.
- Wicked Custom Cycles: Most custom cycles are made from American motorcycle components but these guys use the Yamaha V-Star 1100 as their base motorcycle model. Wicked Customs is doing some amazing things with metric cruisers.
- Detroit Bros.: The Detroit Bros are relative newcomers to the custom fabrication world but they have made such a big mark that they have a show called Motor City Motors on the Discovery Channel.
- Arlen Ness: He’s probably the most influential custom builder in the industry. His work is considered artistry and his brand is one of the most well known in the industry. From bikes to components, Arlen Ness is the man.
- Orange County Choppers (OCC): Unfortunately the show that made Orange County Choppers a global phenomenon, American Chopper, was cancelled from The Learning Channel and Paul Jr. left the show and company. Fortunately for bikers, OCCs bikes are better than ever.
Posted Under: Hot Bikes Tags: American Choppers, Arlen Ness, custom bikes, Custom motorcycle builders, custom motorcycles, Detroit Bros., Harley Davidson, Kawasaki motorcycles, metric cruisers, Motor City Motors, Motorcycle companies, motorcycle industry, Orange County Choppers, Redneck Engineering, Wicked Custom Cycles, Yamaha V-Star
Reader Comments
Paul Jrs bikes suck but he builds an awesome coleman grill.
Frank im not sure what show you watch but Paul Jr is the creative one. The hands on creativity that Jr brings to the table is mind blowing. Paul Jr set the standard at OCC. Now they have to have a couple of designers to stay at the level Paul Jr set. The thought of an OCC bike now is Jason Pohl’s not Paul Sr. even though he has to singn off on the design. Where would Paul Sr be without his designers? It is safe to say Paul Jr. is in the more updated class of designers today, where Sr. is in the class of OLD SCHOOL bike building. Should i remind you it takes patience to make a masterpiece.We all know who doesn’t have patients. So Frank next time you write a comment it should have a little more thought than something a three year old could say.
Anyone with common sense, a familiarity with tools and a little manual dexterity can “BUILD” a motorcycle. A motorcycle should reflect the person. A true motorcycle “DESIGNER” can work with any pallet, just as any true artist would.
Ridgebacks look great. But can you tour on them? Can you run through the mountain roads with them? They are great on flat ground running in a straight line but the physical properties of a stretched ridgeback makes cornering and quick response through hard curves impossible.
Too many “BIKE BUILDERS” are quick to tell you what they can’t do. I should know, I have found the mother load of “It can’t be done” bike builders.
Impress me, show me a “Bike Designer” who can take something that no one else would touch and produce a true work of art.
OCC…without Paul Jr.? So in other words, Jason Pohl, the kid who knows nothing about bikes, can’t pick a frame (when he’s throwing them off lifts) to match real-world builds (because his only skill is he’s PC-CAD qualified) is a better designer than Paul Jr.? Please…the only talent in that shop was Jr. Sr’s talents may have been old-school but he can’t even hang a tree or turn a wrentch without screwing something up. It took him and Jason to put together a tree, and they still did it wrong.
And any new designs are a patch-work of Jr’s old designs that practically go through committee so the real builders (Rick and Mike) can make sure the design is even structurally or geometrically possible…since often it isn’t. I know a lot of so-called real builders and bikers don’t like Jr. because he doesn’t fit their stereotype, but the kid can flat-out design. He can certainly out-do the oldman and posser who now designs for OCC.
To answer Mr. Kevin Russel’s question – I know a bike builder who will take something that no one else would touch, like an ugly rusty frame of a Harley WLC 1942 and would make it into a piece of art. Nick Gale at UK is a bike builder who will never say ‘this can’t be done’ to his clients. That’s why his bikes are true pieces of art. Check him out.