Comments on: Who Builds for Famous Motorcycle Builders?

By: Cj

Cj — Tue, 22 May 2007 18:32:41 +0000

As an owner of a SMALL shop, i can tell you that if a builder starts getting publicity (which we have recently) and having to get “face time” with media, his shop and builds suffer. Thus, the necessity of having guys you can depend on, such as what Todd’s is doing for Jesse. Unfortunately it’s a situation of “necessary evil” for survival. Just the way it is…..
http://www.guiltycustoms.com

By: hoyt

hoyt — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:53:31 +0000

I’m sure these builders have also taught the big names several things along the way, too.

any of you need someone to sweep the floors, drop me a line at:

http://customtorque.blogspot.com/

By: Bryce

Bryce — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:25:09 +0000

Credit where credit is due seems to be a phrase we all like to think we are capable of living by, but few are. It seems that a lot of these successful custom builders have to be good at concept, delegation, and marketing/promotion in order to have a successful shop. Consequently, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for hands on fabrication. Fabricating things oneself is part of the machismo mystique of being a custom bike builder; you have little “cred” if you don’t actually DIY and get your own hands dirty.

By: Mark Savory

Mark Savory — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:47:41 +0000

There is a LOT of the outsourcing / private building taking place. I’ve done enough small projects for “names” to personally attest to that fact — fabrication and a LOT of CAD design work itself.

One of the perks of being a “name” is you can do these high visibility builds and/or get the money for them. Unfortunately the negative is that you spend a lot more time making phonecalls and marketing/media than you do in building yourself.

By: F451

F451 — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:22:52 +0000

My wife and I eyed the VTX cafe racer for about an hour and half at a show, where they had it so that you were close enough to touch it. The bike is outstanding, and a thoroughly detailed piece. I don’t know whether some of it works, but it looks the part. Reportedly, Honda paid an outlandish sum to JJ for it. I never realized the Mike Cook was involved, and I have never been able to view the actual American Cafe Racer site, although I check to see whether it is up every week. I’m not a fan of the other bike builders mentioned…they do nice stuff, but some it is not my definition of a motorcycle—too stylized.