Billy Lane’s BBO Bike — A Flaming Success!
June 22, 2006
Sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words. Thanks, Melissa.
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38 Responses to “Billy Lane’s BBO Bike — A Flaming Success!”
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Fantastic! He must be proud. Do you think as he stands there watching it burn, there is a chance he’s a thinking of people like us? I’ll bet he is. I just went and visited Sucker Punch Sally’s. And looked at their tribute to our Troops from around the world. Let us not forget the as I know we all think of them daily. I just want to say again GOD bless the men and women in our armed forces.
SWEET! I can assure you that one will be “blown up” and printed to hang in the shop.
Thanks, Beach
You ROCK, Bone!!!!
Thanks “T”, you guys “kick it” also. For obvious reasons, known by beach and knuck, I LOVE THIS PHOTO!!! and I saw it first, here at thebeachcruiser.com
As knuck somewhat suggested, this is now the standard that all BBO bikes should be judged,… I can hear Hugh now,… “Ok, at some point during the ride, did your bike breakdown and perform a “random” pyrotechnics display? Sorry, no flamethrowers are allowed. Too bad mate, that’s now a mandatory requirement to be given the title of master builder”!
Have a great weekend!
Bone
Hey Bone,
I thought you might like to see the photo.When I saw it I just shook my head.I’m glad the guys o.k. but talk about surrealistic.One of our readers said just imagine how the guy who spent $100,000 on the motorcycle must feel.My thought was how lucky he was not to gotten it yet as he could have been the one to
get toasted or worse.The reader said that Billy really handled it well and was laughing.He will be on the dr.Phil show soon to discuss his engineering degree.The whole thing is just beyond comprehension and now he is going to visit our troops in Germany.I hope all the explosives and armaments are securly under lock and key.This really is bizarro land.
Stay safe Bone-Beach
It’s become obvious to me that you are not a big fan of Mr. Lane. Aside from some of his engineering mishaps I’m sincerely curious if there is some negative history, or if Beach and Billy have gotten into it with each other at some point. I’m not trying to stir the pot here, just trying to learn the story. -Steve-
Hi Steve,
Welcome to thebeachcruiser.com.Your question is a hard one to answer.No,I don’t have a whole lot of respect for Billy Lane.There are a number of reasons why but,I think I’ll save it for another day.I think that Billy Lane does some good things.I just question his motivation and his attitude.Billy has been good for the motorcycle world which I love but it has been better for him.Billy has some patents.He arguably was instrumental in the hubless wheel and a couple of gadgets for a motorcycle.
I am a long time biker.I go back to the late 60’s.I have a deep respect for the builders,the fabs,the parts makers,the painters,the engineers,the risk takers who made the industry what it is today.I don’t have a lot of respect for people who use the industry to alleviate their own insecurities and to get rich.I had virtually no feeling one way or the other until a few years ago.
Billy builds motorcycles,is an engineer,sells everything and anything he can and,is not someone I consider to be a good builder no less a master.We all have personal preferences and that is fine.Everyone has the right to their own opinion.I don’t like Bill’s stuff.That is personal and I,like all of Billy’s fans have the right to my opinion.Some prople think it is cool to build a bike out of junk.Well,some people do that well.Shinya,who has appeared on BBO is one of those people.Hank Young certainly leans somewhat in that direction,Ron Finch who is a legend does this.These would not be motorcycles that I would buy but,I respect the genius that goes into them and they both have finished products that are professionally done.Each and every one of these people have built motorcycles that actually run.Hank lives not too far from me and I respect him.Shinya and Finch command respect due to their professionalism and the quality of their builds.Neither of these men build to promote an image.Each of these men have appeared on BBO and presented workable,excellent examples of their style.Billy Lane on the other hand has been on BBO 4 times.That’s more than anyone else.Indian Larry(rip) was on the show 3 or 4 times.The facts are that 3 out of 4 times Billy built motorcycles they either did not run,caught on fire,or both.The one Bike he built for that series that actually ran was against Mike Brown of Amen Cycles whose motorcycle frame cracked.I don’t care for him or his style either but he is not always”in my face”.Billy loves his bad boy image and capitalizes on that,not his skills.He has a rabid following.He is a great Marketer of himself.He has made a lot of money and built a small empire out of nothing.All of this deserves respect if those are the qualities one repects.I do not.
I ask some questions.Why,when Billy Lane does something for our heroes,our soldiers,does he need to do it on a stage in front of thousands of people?Why not do it privately and give the work away annonymously?Why make a dvd of his tour and then sell it for personal profit? Why publisize this “charitable
work” in every magazine,every website,every place where people will see it?Why does Billy Lane pop up at every event including BBO when he is not a contestant but somehow always ends up on stage or in front of the camera? Why did Billy Lane participate in the discovery show “Big” which was a terrible show to build a giant joke of a motorcycle?Why is it that Billy Lane was not invited to participate in arguably the best BBO so far?I am talking about Combined Genius where Matt Hotch,Chica(Johnny Chop rip),Hank Young,Mitch Bergeron,Eddie Trotta,Kendall Johnson,Arlen Ness Cory Ness and Russsell Mitchell did the build.The task was to build a custom in 3 days and present it at Laughlin.Why did Billy show up again for face time on camera when,in fact,he had nothing to do with the build?Get the picture?I want to throw Cole Foster in with the group that builds in arguably the same style as Billy only quality work.
I have enormous respect for a lot of builders.I include among them Dave Perewitz,Arlen Ness,Jerry Covington,Matt Hotch,Kendall Johnson,Russell Mitchell,Joe Martin,Shinya,Hank Young,Cole Foster,Ron Finch,Indian Larry(rip) Mike Pugliese,Roger Bourget,Paul Yaffe,Roland Sands,and several others.I may not chose to own some of their motorcycles but I respect the quality of their art and as importantly to me the quality of the men behind the art.When was the last time,or the first time that you have seen or heard these builders clamoring for publicity?When was the first or last time these men had to announce their charitable deeds for all to see?The answer is never to the best of my knowledge.They all are however,charitable men.When have you seen any of them spit into a t.v. camera?I can never remember anything like that.Respect for me is about the quality of a man’s work and the quality of the man.I don’t want to leave out Rick Fairless or Mondo.Rick is a great ambassador of our culture,and a good man.Mondo is a class act who has been around forever and represents,to me,a man who has seen and done it all and has conducted himself with dignity.I don’t want to leave out Larry(rip) who had it harder than most but became an icon in the industry.A great man with a great philosophy who had time,made time,for everyone and as an adult never carried himself without class and dignity.
In conclusion,I guess I am sick and tired of reading how great Billy is,how sexy he is(what has that got to do with anything?),what a master builder he is,his romantic liasons,and his good deeds.In my opinion Billy lives off his bad boy image and the publicity he generates for himself.I would very much like to respect Billy Lane and maybe someday I will.I just find it offensive that he is put in the same category as the men I have mentioned and some I have not.
Billy is a lucky guy and nobody’s fool.He is well liked by many and he does do some good things.The breakfast he has organized in Sturgis is a good thing for a good cause.Those of you who are his fans,I have nothing bad to say.I just don’t get it.The facts in this response are just that,facts.The opinions are my own.Anyone has the right to disagree and I will post it as long as it is repectful.
Over Easy-Beach
I am a Billy Lane fan which is why I had to ask. Just so you can examine the other side of the coin, I’ll explain a little of my story. I would never try to change your opinion and I actually respect you for having one because it’s obvious that you realize, most people are sheep.
I, like most people wake up 5 to 6 days a week and go to work. I like my job, it’s ok, but not what I would prefer to do for a living. I recall an Indian Larry quote, where he said you need to do what you want to in life, because if not, you’re waisting your GOD given talent. Man, I wish I could do what I want in life and still be able to pay the bills!
My ultimate goal in life is to be successful, make as much money as possible, and provide for my wife, and eventually kids, and give my family everything that I didn’t have growing up. I didn’t have a bad childhood, and I wasn’t deprived, but I think we all want our kids to have more. I want to have a huge house for my family, and if my wife wants steak every night, I’ll never say no.
Why am I rambling on about my ambitions in life you ask? Most people will bullshit you into thinking they go to work everyday because they love their job. In my industry we deal with an incredibly high amount of fraud. There are many people out there too lazy to work hard, and looking for any way they can to work the system. This brings me to Billy Lane, he’s a hard working man, please give him credit for that. Whether it’s viewed as shameless self promotion or not, it’s GOT to be hard work!
Let me digress for just a moment. I am 31 years old, and have been around motorcycles my entire life. My dad bought me my first motorcycle, a Honda atc 110 at 6 years of age. It was quickly followed by a Suzuki RM-50 dirtbike, then a trail 70, on and on and on. I rode a honda MB-5 in high school before I owned my first car. Not a biker by any means, but definately a bike enthusiest. I would say even at my relatively young age, I’ve been riding and working on bikes for the last 25 years. I would say ever since about 1996 I’ve wanted to build my own bike. I’ve always done well for myself financially, but just could never make the jump from my Yamaha 650, to going to a Harley dealer and dropping 20k on a softail. I lacked motivation, and I lacked direction, but I knew I wanted my own bike, built by my hands. I wasn’t sure how I would do it, but I knew I would do it. Then I met my wife, priorities changed, and although during our relationship I have owned 4 different motorcycles, I never followed through with my desire, until recently. This brings me back to the Billy Lane conversation.
I like Billy Lane’s style, yes he builds some parts out of what would be considered “junk.” It is definately a pop culture flair, with trucker girls, and dice, etc. He certainly did not invent the 44 magnum casing, or dice, or the ball milling process, but when he puts it all together his bikes look great. Here is a man who has made a living off of a “widget” that he machined for fun while attending college. I challenge you to find anyone who wouldn’t want to make good money for machining parts that began as a hobby. GENIOUS!!! I would do it in a heartbeat. It’s not as if he’s tricking anyone into buying his parts, they’re cool looking. Just last week I mounted my whiskey bars to my springer front end and they look great.
Once I took a look at all of the builders out there, including the local builders here in Vegas, I liked Billy’s style the best. So now that I’m finally building the bike I’ve wanted to for years, I’m emulating Billy’s style, because that’s what I like, and that’s cool for me. Interesting you mention Hank Young, because I like his “hot rod” style too. I’ve talked to him at several events and he’s a great guy. I’m sure I will be ordering some of his parts before my bike is done as well.
Prior to owning a Harley, or working on my current bike, I’ve walked into big twin dealers and parts houses, and was treated like shit. Now thanks to ebay, and guys like Billy, I can order my parts and get the help I need without having to deal with that shit. My bike is nearly complete now, and I did it all with the help of a local shop, Billy Lane’s book, a machinist book, and hours and hours of learning to get things right by screwing it up first.
Now on to most of the bitterness in the industry, some of which you probably feel is perpetuated my Mr. Lane…back in 2000 when Motorcycle Mania came out, America took notice. Let’s face it, prior to Motorcycle Mania I never spent 5 minutes watching the Discovery Channel, and now it’s my favorite network. Motorcycle Mania was filmed as a documentary, with that boring guy’s monotone voice narrating. They tried their hardest to make the documentary boring like all the rest but for once they just couldn’t do it. Jesse James was just too cool. What was important to me was that it opened my eyes. For years I had wanted to make my own bike(actually I just wanted to assemble my own bike) but never knew how, or where I was going to learn. I had purchased Hot Bike magazine and every other crap rage I could get my hands on, and had plenty of parts houses lined up to purchase what I needed but holy crap, here was a guy on tv making stuff with his bare hands!!! Sure guys had been doing it for 50 years, but I didn’t know that. This was the first time I had seen how a gas tank is made, what an English wheel was, etc. Motorcyle Mania is just what I needed to get me going. That was the start. Next came American Chopper. Now I’ll admit it took me a long time to figure out that these guys are bike assemblers, not fabricators or “Master Builders” I’ve seen some of their bikes up close and wondered why anyone would weld the axle covers onto the frame. But it’s great TV. These guys catch so much crap but from what I can tell, Paul Sr. has been a biker, or at the very least a bike enthusiest since the 60’s so why all the crap? Because they became so wildly successful? Because they sell bobble head dolls? Because they jammed a battery into a 1/4″ too small box and had Cody jump up and down on it, and the buyer will NEVER be able to get the battery out of that box? (ok, that was DEFINATELY CRAP, and WRONG) There are shops everywhere who do shitty work like that, why judge them? Because…
There are hundreds of thousdands of people who see Billy on TV, who see the Pauls on TV and think they are the BEST. And there are guys out there who really are the best, that never made it to Discovery, that can barely afford to keep the doors of their shops open who never get any credit or publicity. And I’m sure for some that is frustrating.
I realize for some I’m rambling here so I’ll sum it up. Billy Lane deserves everything he’s got because he’s earned it. If I could somehow find a way to become famous overnight and make millions by popping up on tv shows and selling t-shirts I would be right there. The big difference is, although Billy hasn’t been doing this for 30 years, he was doing it before Motorcycle Mania, he was doing it before it became cool again, and I’m sure he’ll be doing it long after. People that buy Billy Lane t-shirts because he’s hot make me sick. People that defend him on message boards because they saw him once on stage in Laughlin and he’s dreamy, make me sick. People who have a cousin who is dating a girl who’s brother drank a beer in a bar in which Billy Lane once drank a beer and that practically makes them friends so Billy is the coolest, bla bla bla make me sick. I like Billy Lane, because I like his style, I like his ethic, I like his parts, and I like his bikes. The fact that he IS a nice guy in person is icing on the cake. I don’t care if they guy has 200 ex girlfriends who have nothing better to do than post on message boards. Billy has gone from being a bike builder, to a full fledged businessman. Self promoting, sure…but I don’t know many people (although I’m sure there are some out there) who wouldn’t change places with him in a heartbeat. There’s got to be a little self promotion out there for you too beachcruiser, or you wouldn’t be so outspoken about Billy. Discussing him is what gets your name all over the internet…
The next time I see Billy at a show, I’m going to ask him to autograph my new hubless up in flames poster, and I’m sure he’ll do it. And when he does he’ll know it’s not an insult, but a tribute. We are all human, we all make mistakes, the next bike will be bigger and badder, and when the bike craze has come and gone, there will still be plenty of us buying Choppers Inc. parts for our scoots, because they’re just cool. Take it easy Beach…see you on the road…
Steve
Hi Steve!
I’m not sure what Beach has to say on this topic. But, I for one, am a woman who can form her own opinions so I’m offering it here. I think you have expressed your position very eloquently and done so without throwing verbal stones at anyone. That in itself proves what type of person you are to me. I especially connect with your next to last paragraph — all the “Billy Groupies” are nauseatingly irritating to me. While I still have to assert my impression that the majority of the bikes Billy builds do have mechanical flaws, after that his “style” is really only a personal preference. You obviously admire it and there’s nothing wrong with that. I say go build Billy inspired bikes until your heart’s content or your bank balance runs out, whichever comes last. :-) That’s said sincerely, not at all sarcastically. Anything you get joy out of, you should make it a point to do. Life is too frickin’ short to do otherwise.
As far as personal experiences with Billy, I have to confess that I wimped out on this one and I regret it. A couple of years back Beach and I went to a bike show with Mr. Lane in attendance. I started to go over to his booth, shake his hand and find out for myself whether he was a jerk or it was all hype. Sadly, as I got within twenty feet of the booth I could see him simpering for all the women, posing for any photograph he could and looking like the most self-important demi-god on earth. Although I should have had the guts or the patience to follow through with my plan, I walked away in disgust.
I think where Beach and I take issue with Mr. Lane is his tendency to “ride the coattails” of others. But, as you pointed out, marketing is HARD WORK. I know, because I’m the one who does the marketing for this web site. It ain’t glamorous, but if we want to be able to keep the site up, we have to have traffic. By that same token, I would imagine that Mr. Lane would have to close his doors and get a “real job” if he didn’t work constantly and diligently at promoting himself. The only thing that bothers me is the Biker Build-Offs… These are supposed to be contests about mechanical skills, creativity, team work and originality… TALENT. There’s not a Ms./Mr. Congeniality award in BBO. And when I see Billy’s work stacked up against the likes of Perewitz, Bourget, Trotta and Ness let’s face it. There is NO contest.
I’m not dissing Billy. I hope he irons out his personal issues and gets his life on track. He’s still a very young man and can be with us for decades more if he cuts out this self-destructive streak he seems to be on.
I guess in conclusion, Steve, I can say thank you for your comments and we hope to hear more from you. It’s always good to hear from people who can express themselves effectively and whose comments contribute to the overall discussion. Please keep in touch and best of luck to you!
Train
I applaud you Steve and I think that Billy is lucky to have someone like you in his corner.I would like to point out that as I criticized Billy in my post,I also praised him for what in my opinion deserved praise.I said how I think and I tried to explain how I feel.I did nothing more or less than what I ask our readers to do.Your response is intelligent,well thought out and given from a personal perspective.I think that’s great.You feel passionate about Billy and I think that’s great too.You didn’t address a lot of my critisism but that’d fine too.May I ask you as someone who admittedly watches everything motorcycycle on discovery how you explain away Billy’s failure to build anything that didn’t fail mechanically or burn up.These are facts.There was the one bike he built for the Amen episode which did run but even there the show tossed its rules to accomidate him.He crashed his bike(could happen to anyone) and the build was delayed for months.I have nothing negative to say about that build.Billy has a style that is not for me but so what?I have never criticized his right to build what he wants,just his engineering and the finish.I must add that I have personally seen these builds and others by Billy so my comments are not from out of my rear end.I am entitled to my opinion as are you and everyone else is.I never argued that Billy did or didn’t work hard.I know he works hard.Hell,just traveling as he does is very hard work.I am also a capitalist so,I am not against anyone making money off their ingenuity and ideas.I said in my post that Billy has taken nothing and built it into a mini empire.I said he is a great marketer.These are hardly criticisms.I said he does some good things and I mentioned some.
I do not trust his motivation nor do I like his attitude.I think if someone is doing something for money fine.I don’t think hiding it behind charity is a particulary admirable way of doing it.I do not like his style and I think from what I have seen he is a piss poor engineer and mechanic.I defy you or anyone else to argue that based on facts.I don’t like show offs and I don’t like people who try and grab headlines in front of their own peers.This is how I percieve Billy.The fact that he makes money off of his “charitable” acts is for others to judge.I also equate a man to his character.I don’t judge people by how much they earn,how they dress,how many “tats” they have or the length of their hair.I form my opinions by who they are,and what they stand for,their expertise,and their humility.That’s where I run into trouble with Billy.I don’t Judge anyone.I have been to many,many events and have been ”into this” longer than you have been alive so experience does or should add credibility to what I am saying.Billy isn’t the first of his ilk and won’t be the last.I probably would have let the whole thing slide if I didn’t get sick of him being in my face all the time.
There is never one side to anything so,I am always open to others thoughts.I am open to changing my mind if I have reason.I don’t close doors.
I want to address one last thing.Train and I make NOTHING from this website.We do this as a labor of love.We are trying to make this the best one stop place for those who love motorcycles.We work hard 6,8,10 hours a day for nothing.We are not looking for people to kiss our ass and are not in it for gratitude.We do appreciate a pat on the back as frankly,we deserve it.I have already had a career,a successful one so,I am now devoting a large amount of time to my passion.Our reward is that after only 21/2 months we are a very successful site.That’s our reward for now and it feels good.We may turn it into a small business but so what?We are considering t shirts at a very reasonable price and maybe a couple of other things for our readers who will wear them proudly and enjoy what we do.There are expenses to doing this so,what’s wrong with trying to make the site pay for itself?We have not decided yet so it is a way into the future.What we have decided is to provide the best we got as long as there are folks who want to read and view it.We will be in Vegas for Bikefest so,if you are there and you see us,come say hi.I will tell you that we have received praise from builders who have seen our site.Therefore,I think we are doing something right.
Over Easy-Beach
I would love to meet you in person when you come to Vegas, wouldn’t mind having you check out my bike while I’m at it. I respect your opinions, and honestly the reason I ask the questions I do is because I want to learn and grow. I guess it’s a trait that comes with age. I wish I had paid far more attention in class growing up. (ha ha) I’ll keep in touch from time to time and definately meet you in person when you’re in town. Thanks for the attention, and the responses. Obviously you don’t have to prove anything to me so I greatly appreciate your time. Take care and talk to you soon. Steve
No problem Steve,
We look forward to your posts and Las Vegas.You are a welcome addition to our family.
Beach
Guys, guys…
Get a room!
;)
L8 e
Hey Ernie,
You got one?
Beach
What happens in Vegas…isn’t happening at my house, you bastards..hahaha anyone heard anything about DHC creations or Red Barron Choppers? They’re all over Ebay as whamtrade.
The bike burning only puts the icing on the cake of a nightmare BBO. Russell broke his foot and Hugh King had both of them dressed in “Chicago Mob” pinstripe suits which as you can imagine they hated. Went to dinner and out drinking with them in Chi-Town prior to their departure the next day, and as always both of them were as kool as ever, and it seemed that Billy’s bike might not have been shook down at all from what I gathered. Most likely an electrical issue. Billy’s always seemed like a guy who knows allot about bikes and has went as far as offering the use of his shop while we finished a bike for Daytona bike week. I guess this kinda thing can happen to anybody on a bad day. Bike’s are a matter of taste, but From my experience Billy’s a decent guy and a good friend. I can’t imagine Larry, Kendall, and Paul ( Cox ) would hang with him if he wasn’t. Ride on and keep the 411 coming. DJ CHOPPER GOD. p.s. Perewitz, Bourget, Trotta bikes SUCK!!! Boring bike’s.
Hey,
Good to see you Chopper God.We love information and opinions. By G-D you have both.Like you said,different strokes for different folks.Well,I guess someone else said that but I think that’s what it means.
I like to hear good things about Billy.As you say,a lot of people like him,a lot of people love him and,some don’t.The fact that Kendall likes him means something to me because Kendall is a great guy.His whole family are good people so,his opinion holds weight with me.This is the first I am hearing about the suits etc but,if you noticed Hugh’s hair at the end of last season it doesn’t surprise me.It has been reported to me a number of times that the welds on Billy’s motorcycle failed but,I guess we’ll know for sure in a couple of weeks.I am a big Dave Perewitz fan and would put up his skills and the person he is against anyone.As you said,to each his own.
Over Easy-Beach
(p.s.) the 411 is just beginning.
I may have been a bit hard on Dave, as I do like his old stuff. Good looking out. Ride fast. Take chances!!! DJ CHOPPER GOD.
Hi G-d,
Welcome to the family.It’s good to see you post.I’m glad you appreciate Dave.To me,he symbolizes the motorcycle industry over the last 30 yrs. or so and the fact that he does it all is rare.He and Kendall are two of the real masters in my opinion.I may not like every machine they make but I do appreciate that they are two of a small group that do it all.Hotch does everything but the paint,Arlen does it all whenever he wants to,Joe Martin the same.I know I left out some people like Mike Pugliese but not on purpose.These guys just popped into my head.
Beach
I hate to jump on the bandwagon, but “Steve” sounds like a “Billy” fan worth listening to. I know that I’ve been outspoken on the Billy issue in the past, but I also respect other’s opinions, especially when they are well thought out and sensible like Steve’s. Based on my experiences, he is definitely the exception to the rule and I too would like to welcome him to the beachcruiser family.
Bone
p.s. I also like some of Billy’s ideas and dig some of the parts he finds, however I just wish he would take some more time to measure, lay-out, align, and properly finish his bikes, because some, if not most of them, are pretty crude when seen in person. But hey, “different strokes”, I guess if he can sell them the way he currently builds them, why take the extra time, it probably wouldn’t increase the selling price.
Hi Bone,
Good post.You know I was reading John Vasco’s(chop)last interview in the new Easyriders.I didn’t know him but I did see his work on a number of occassions.He didn’t build to my taste but,there was no doubt that this was a talented guy.I first became familiar with him when he worked for Chica.He didn’t impress me at that time but after reading the interview I have a different perspective.It was a short interview but eye opening.Johnny had a lot of friends so,right away that tells you something.The interview made me realize what a good person he was.He was funny,thoughtful,and really seemed to be taking off as a builder and as a man.I am always open to learning and I am glad I read the piece.Johnny was 34 when he passed.I thought he was younger.He had a damaged heart which I did not know until he died.I am glad I had the opportunity to find out more about him.
He will be missed by many and I only hope that he is at peace with his G-d.I hope reincarnation is real for a lot of reasons.One of them is that I might get a chance to meet some people I never got to know.
Bone,I rspect what you said here.It takes a good man to say what you said and I respect your open mindedness.It’s hard to back off an opinion as I very well know but that’s one of the things that makes cool people cool people.You too G-d BRAVO
Over Easy-Beach
Some of us are hard on Billy, but he had it coming, some of his bikes broke or did not run. I’ve said in the past he has to be a good person. A lot of people like him. But as Bone said more or less, slow down and do it right the first time. All that know me also know I like old school. But in his first build I voted for I believe it was Roger. It was a better build in my mind. But I felt Billy won do to the groupy thing. Just my opion now.
You are entitled to your opinion Knuck and on this issue I agree.I have learned to take a step back when I form an opinion these days.It seems Billy is different when he meets people than the way he comes across.That’s what makes me feel I shouldn’t jump to quickly.There are a lot of B L groupies but,I don’t pay any attention to that crap anymore.I do listen to folks who have some smarts and are decent people who seem to like Billy.I don’t care much for his style but,that’s o.k. I agree on what seems to be a sloppiness and mechanical flaws in the motorcycles I have seen.As I have said before,Billy gets off on the bad boy thing and it has served him well.It’s just not my thing.Groupies are groupies and I learned a long time ago to blow them off.I don’t base my opinions on looks,tats,hair,etc.I base them on the man or woman and the machines they make.
Glad you guys mentioned John Vasco as he will be sorely missed. I guess I definitely have different taste in bikes because Chop was one of my four favorite builders mainly because of they’re seemingly simple approach. What made his work kool to me was that the more you looked at them the more of the nuanced, downright insane genius aspect popped up. The suicide Jonestown bike is a great example. I would never have thought of that or built it but I sure got a big kick out of it. Great guy, very open minded. The true blue bike for example was a case in point. Johnny told me the paint, mainly the cholo East L.A. style tattoo flowers were not the way he envisioned but once he lived with the paint he really understood what the artist was going for. I guess I’d close by saying that Chop was for me the best example of the new school of punk influenced trad chopper builders and would have done even more interesting stuff had his life not been cut short. No regrets, stay gold!!!
Hey G-d,
Always good to see you.I don’t think your taste in motorcycles is so different.I believe Johnny was really just beginning.He had gotten lots of press and a lot of people were liking his work.He had a lot of respect and a lot of friends.I noticed a lot of folks wrote tributes to him after his passing.
People having different tastes is a good thing.It would be pretty boring if everyone liked the same thing.Personally,I like and respect any builder who is skilled,creative,and is a student of the art.There are a number of men and women like that I admire and we try and showcase each one we come across.As I said,the interview in American Iron with Johnny really opened my eyes.I feel bad about what happened to him and it is apparent many will miss him. If you have any photos and thoughts about the people you like send em our way and we will post em.We will let folks know they came from you.That goes for people you know as well.It’s all about exchanging ideas and opinions on thebeachcruiser.com.
Over Easy-Beach
Hey Beach, sure would be boring. Thankfully bikes are as diverse as the people who ride them, and after all that’s where the fun really starts. I do have a couple of photos to share with ya. Some are of my bikes and those of my friend and awesome builder Kenny Rollins. We like to refer to ourselves as the GARAGE GOONS!!! I’ll send an e-mail so you can get back to me with an e-mail address to attach them to. I’ll also send some shots of my buddy Pyro’s stuff. Very kool guy and great builder. Pretty good firefighter as well. Burning Rubber as always, G-D.
Found video of the bike burning on YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiq-LWFLLzs
I saw on Discovery’s site that the episode is airing next Monday, Aug. 7.
Hi Kay,
Really good to see you.Welcome to our family.Thank you for the information.I saw the clip as it’s on the Discovery bbo page.This information is however,exactly what we want and need.We will give you credit when we post the clip.Thank you again and your participation is always welcome.
Beach
Dave perewitz and Paul Yaffe both had problems traveling across Iowa this week headed to sturgis. Perewitz was stuck in dennison, and yaffe’s bike had problems starting in rock rapids sd. I went to the build off party in sioux falls at a place called sidewinders. It started at 7:00 and neither one was there by 10:00 so I left. The people were getting restless.
It seems all customs have problems and they all cost a ton of money. My $9,000 2001 lowrider ran just fine.
My 03 road king seems to get the job done also. As far as the build off goes I think billy’s bike would have won because of the hubless wheel. Even after it was chared. People want to see bling bling!! The “look at me” factor is too powerful and feeds the ego’s. Russell’s bike looked my 440 kawasaki. No rear fender and blacked out. Billy’s master fabricator will probably have openings in his schedule now if you need anything welded. lol
Most of these builder’s would be working at burger king if it wasn’t for t.v. Hugh King could wear his chopper king shirt and be the manager.
There isn’t a bike on planet earth worth $80,000.
The power of t.v. is amazing. I bet the posers will be dissapointed a few years from now when their big name customs only bring 20K. I wish someone would build bikes for the people that actually ride and know the value of a dollar.
p.s. I can’t wait for american chopper to be cancelled. I pray it will happen this year!!! Russell Mitchell is definately a bike builder. Even though i hated that bike I would buy it in a heartbeat if the only other option was an occ.
Hi Lowrider,
Welcome to the beachcruiser family where a duck is a duck.Thanks for the information on Perewitz-Yaffe.I am surprised that both had mechanical problems.These guys are usually perfection.
I don’t really care one way or another about OCC.I hadn’t watched it in a long time and I was reminded why.If no one watched it it would be gone but obviously people do.I just wonder why all of these companies and famous people go to them to build a motorcycle.I think you are right about the glitz or so called glitz and bling associated with them.It’s a keeping up with the jones’s thing.They somehow became the “must have” builder for celebrities and celebrity wannabe’s.We all know it’s not about quality,design, or rideability.
I would have to disagree on your opinion of customs.I agree that $80,000 is over the top and unnecessary.I agree that a really good motorcycle can be had for a third to a fourth of the price.I agree that a lot of it is bling.I agree that a lot of it is about one upsmanship.I also feel however,that for some,it is like collecting fine art,drinking fine wine,collecting rare automobiles,coins,rare books.
There are people who understand fine workmanship,an outstanding one of a kind machine,a motorcycle they love and appreciate.I would wonder about all the Harley people who buy that brand for what they think is a bad boy image,a statement of rebellion,an “I am better than you” thing.Harley’s in my opinion are just production line motorcycles that have neither the creativity,performance,class,or uniqueness of a great custom.It’s more of a cult thing.
I don’t hate or look down on folks who worked hard,real hard to afford something.I know some pretty outstanding people who appreciate a custom motorcycle.For some,it is a dream come true just like a Harley was for many back in the day.It’s just like anything else.The class lies within the people not,the posessions.It’s the people who appreciate nothing,that live in 7000 square foot homes for two,that can’t consume enough,that think that money makes them superior that bothers me.I just stay away from those folks.
We are glad you posted here Rider.We welcome you to our family.We hope you will come back frequently with opinions,news,photos,whatever you got.We appreciate your opinion and respect it.Good people can have different opinions and still be great friends and respect each other.That’s what we are all about.Yes,Billy probably would have won.I understand that he did win the popular vote but,they didn’t show it so,I am going on what I was told.They also cut the way they gave away the trophy.I am told that was based on who had the biggest breasts.Maybe they were custom breasts,who knows?
Beach
Thanks for the response beach. I have a few more opinions on biker build off i’d like to share.
I thought russell would have lost to billy, but russell’s trike should have easily beaten the detroit brothers. Didn’t the people vote on those bikes in detroit? If so that’s not a neutral location. Talk about popularity and not the craftsmanship. How about Indian Larry’s chain of mystery bike. That bike should have taken the overall trophy. Matt Hotch had a great bike that used cutting edge technology but a log chain frame is the most insane idea ever brought to life. A custom defeated a true chopper. Both were very nice bikes. Where do they come up with these matchups. Big bear choppers vs. Some guy who lost eveything in hurricane katrina? I’d love to see big bear lose. It will never happen though. Take on Arlen Ness or someone else with unlimited cash flow. Why the hell did arlen ness have to build off against roland sands? That’s like mike tyson vs. brittany spears in a street fight(bitting will be allowed). Sands vs. Rooke is a lot better. Boy someone had their thinking cap on. Hotch vs. Martin was another instance where someone was thinkin. Similar styles might force people to look at the bikes. Here’s a match up ….How about the guys behind the scenes who actually build the bikes(sorry Eddie Trotta don’t tell us about the tank try building it and show us). Here’s a match-up Nick Fredella vs. Bill Dodge or Chopper Dave from WCC. The guys with 7,000 sq. ft homes will be puzzled but you and I will know what’s going on. Now for the popularity build-off nick vs. billy? Nicky Bootz will out drink billy and shock the crowd!! Maybe he’ll eat chicken out of the dumpster again. LOL That would be the most anticipated and highest rated BBO yet. Who knows if they would even have to build bikes? Wait a minute this idea is already called american chopper…OK back to popularity builoff. Two crazy long haired tattooed guys. Billy might have his work cut out for him on that one. Dreads are bold but fangs won’t be outdone. Hugh King would have to do something stupid like shave his head and bong a corona just to get his 15 seconds of air time. I bet he’d wear the “fxxk hugh” shirt or the “hugh’s your daddy” t. wonder how many miles are on his rigid. He is the chopper king.
Someday I’ll learn to appreciate customs more. I just need to find the guy’s who appreciate their bikes and sacraficed to get it. It’s unfortunate that my exposure has been limited to the guys with big checkbooks, sandals, and boyd coddington t-shirts.
When I pull into the bike shows I find myself parking next to the late forties panhead that hasn’t been washed in ten years. The real reward is getting to hear the stories from the sixty year old guy whose riden it for the past 30 years. A guy whose rode longer than i’ve been alive is a blast to talk to.
p.s Wonder how stacked the trophy winner was at laconia. wow….the build off trophy goes to a chick in the audience.. How funny
ride safe and tanks for the post.
Hey Rider,
We always try and respond to our family.Hell,that’s what it’s all about.It’s fun to hear what passionate people think.I guess you’ve had no good experiences with people who own custom motorcycles.I have one and I have been working since i’m seven yrs. old.I lived in a cold climate when I was young and cleaned snow off peoples driveways for $7.Not seven bucks an hour,seven bucks for a days work.I mowed lawns in the summer and never
spent a year of my life where I wasn’t doing something to bring in a buck.I worked 2 1/2 years to buy my first car.I was a soda jerk(watch it) at Howard Johnsons after school and on weekends.The first was a 1961 Corvair.Remember those death traps?
My point is that there are a lot of folks who have spent a lifetime working for themselves,their families,etc.People have dreams.It’s always good to have a dream.Some people dream of travel,a nice home,a nice car,good food.It depends.Some people dream of a great motorcycle.I agree that there are many who don’t appreciate what they have and many who didn’t have to work for it.My attitude is,who cares?These people wouldn’t be my friend as I would have no respect for them.
As far as Arlen Ness is concerned he started out poor.He built his little empire from nothing.He took chances and followed his calling.He is a humble guy who hasn’t forgotten where he came from.He is hard working,creative,a good person and will shake the hand of anyone.Success is not a crime.You don’t have to eat out of a garbage can to be cool.Nicky Bootz would be real hard to look at for a whole hour.
I agree some of the match ups could be better but hey,it’s a t.v. show.The idea behind Arlen and Roland was old master vs new.
I respect any motorcycle that is well built,well thought out and functional.I respect all styles although I, like you have my preferences.You gotta remember rider.The industry really took off because of shows like BBO and helped a lot of people make a great living and get recognition who otherwise might have to dig ditches or work at a job that they hate.It made a lot of people aware of motorcycles custom and not.A custom for a lot of people is about who they are,not how much money they have.I have found many Harley riders a lot more elitist and stuck up than custom folks.People are people rider so if you meet a good one hold on.I have found some really good people in the industry who could be jerks but are really great folks.I say look at what they do,how they are,what they stand for.There are cool people out there who ride motorcycles I might not own but so what?It’s fun to find out who they are and why they ride what they ride.People who truly love,respect,and have a passion for the motorcycle not the sizzle are generally very good people.
Well,that’s my opinion.Thanks for writing Rider.Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome here.
Beach
hey beach, i was born in the 40’s so i am not very adept at this internet blog thing, however i am a biker since the late 50’s. i was searching for a picture of indian larry’s chain mystery and came across this site and saw lane’s torch, got interested, started reading lane bashing/praising, and decided to try and kill a couple with one. do you have a pic of larry’s last bike, and i take offense at the mention (negative) of using junkyard stuff to build bikes with. that is exactly what we did in the 60’s cause that’s all there was. we did okay, maybe a few busted bones, but they were ALL works of art-in our own opinions, i suppose. and by the way, concerning billy lane, not in the class of larry, however, definately in a class of his own-as we all are, in our ways.
thanks sir good luck to you on your internet blog.
tyke
Hey Tyke,
Welcome to the Beachcruiser.It’s always good to hear from a biker with your experience and stories to tell.We hope you come back often.I am sure I can scare up a picture of chain of mystery for you.It’s real late right now and I am about to try and count some sheep.
Listen,I don’t think anyone here is opposed or critical of using old parts from various sources to include on a build.Hell,we enjoy Shinya’s work a lot.We also enjoy Larry’s work.I think if you look in the archives you will see a lot of positive comments.I would also like to say that back in the day when people chopped a bike or built one they weren’t charging $50,000 and up for their art.People back then were mostly making something for a friend or for themselves.There were many cool rides that were created from stuff that people now call junk.The era you are referring to was very different than the one we live in today.Those guys and maybe yourself were the fathers of the industry.We have nothing but respect for what they created.
I am not as experienced as you but I have been riding since the 60’s myself.I started young.I remember Harley,Norton,Triumph,BMW,some Indian,Ducati,the very early Japanese motorcycles and a few others as pretty much all there was.If I left something out,it’s late.We respect any motorcycle art no matter when it was made.We also feel that a number of folks make motorcycles today and charge enormous amounts of money.They don’t use the best parts,they don’t finish the bike and some are mechanically inferior.These people still charge huge dollars and it seems some folks are buying a name rather than a machine.
Check out the British Museum motorcycles our brother Bone sent.They are in the archives.They are masterpieces,great art,and we said so.I’ll get Larry’s bike up asap.
hey beach,
finally found picture, with help from the kids. i told you i’m not that adept at this internet blog thing. chain mystery, good view, thanks.
little feedback concerning the builders of today vs yesterday-the prices, as well as the build format. back then we built as a team, the owner had the basket he picked up for 50-100 bucks(if he actually paid for it, that is) and the whole club jumped in to get it finished, usually for a particular run-similiar to todays builders. finished product, however was worth usually no more than a few hundred bucks, if that. we did not have the yuppie community to sell our products to once it became “cool” to own one. it usually got traded among clubs to get another one to build. we were looked upon as dirty trash, the bottom of the food chain, so to speak, so for the interest these new builders have brought front and center to the “have” part of our society, i thank them. mondo, larry, denver, finch among some others were part of this from the beginning and now getting the last laugh on those who, just a few years ago, would not even take the time to look down upon us. hell, even ness was just a name floating out there in oblivion only on occasion when his first design was being copied by clubmembers on each coast. so if the lanes of the world continue to keep that interest up, i am glad for the sport-regardless of the business it has become, as today’s businessmen are made up mostly from yesterday’s “trash” and i say great to allow them to laugh all the way to the bank.
thanks again for the pic, if you have any other views i would appreciate you passing them along, use my e-mail if you wish.
tyke
Thanks Tyke,
I agree with everything you have said.We have some brothers on here who go back to the era of which you speak.Bikers were the bottom of the food chain.The guys were the ones in shop class auto class,stuff like that.The folks who were moto heads,mechanically inclined,good with their hands didn’t get a lot of respect outside of their own kind.Today,it’s a lot different.People who can use their hands and who know mechanics are respected by most.A lot of the guys are successful and doing what they love.The people you mention and folks like Dave Perewitz,Donnie Smith and a few others are finally getting the respect they deserve and the financial rewards that come with it.
Knucklehead,and myself are not much younger than you if at all so,we remember the day.I always feel a little strange when I meet lawyers and doctors and politicians etc who ride.A lot of them are good guys with a true love of motorcycles.Some of them are the same folks I would just as soon forget.
All in all,the industry has been on a roll for quite awhile now and it’s great to see the art and ideas that keep coming up.A lot of people get to do what they love because of the “yuppies” and such so,it’s good.
Keep dropping by Tyke.We’ll have some fun and you’ll get to learn how to use this computer device.
Beach
you meet the nicest people on a honda.
lets just say i personally been tinkering with bikes since 1967 1st harley was in 77 a orange fx 1200 been building and playing ever since what your both missing is the mind set of todays generation mo money and me . while i waited a while to respond im not a fan of any of em on tv. would i be fk no, my work famous some might say others wouldnt know as i like it that way. am i going to make it rich dont really care doubt it , do i enjoy what i do yeah is it gratifying to see someone enjoy the fruits of your labor of course after you do “good bikes like fine wine take time not days” lol but the point of this is the best builders and actual real time people you do not see on tv or standing on stages