Thinking about that biker build off and it occurs to me that all of these build offs are about choppers. Why don't we see more shops building standard bikes or sport bikes? If you are going to do a chopper, at least do something different. Choppers seem to be the rage right now and they get lots of coverage in the media but there have been some great examples of custom built motorcycles over the years where parts gets mixed and matched and Cycle World magazine has regular features of American Flyers that cover a lot of diverse territory. One of the most beautiful bikes I've ever seen is a single cylinder Rotax powered flat tracker by Ron Wood. It's clean, simple and gorgeous. I wonder if a TV show about building bikes without all of that yelling and tool throwing would get good ratings?
Doug Staab says
you are right and I am glad a good website is finally publishing the lack of exposure for custom sport bikes….
Discovery, are you paying attention? There is more to motorcycling than riding a lop-sided, 9 foot long cruiser to the bar and posing. Do these “riders” know what a corner looks like from the seat of a motorcycle?
The people buying motorcycles and motorcycle accessories are tuning into Speed Channel or something else besides Knucklehead Sr. and Knucklehead Jr. Sooner or later, American pop culture will find something else to be entertained with besides the re-run of the David Mann bike 5 times in a month….But, if you produce a balanced show about craftsmen and women building a variety of bikes, you will get a faithful audience that lasts.
A good first step for Discovery would be to showcase American Cafe Racer’s Supermanxx or Acme Rocketbike or…. Ron Wood ….or, etc.
thanks.