Big Changes in Store for TheBeachCruiser.com!!!
July 31, 2006
Hi everybody,
We are SO excited about all the changes that are going on behind the scenes with thebeachcruiser.com! :-) We don’t want to give away all the details but we did want to give our loyal readers some notice that the site will be undergoing some changes over the next several days. Trust us — it’s going to be bigger and better than ever! We’ll keep you updated. All you have to do is keep coming back here.
Bone sends amazing photos, amazing places and a personal story
July 31, 2006
Hey,
Our family member Bone has sent us a bunch of photos of classic motorcycles taken by him. Bone is a good friend and as you know, good friends are hard to find. He also knows his way around a motorcycle be it custom, stock, metric, or antique.
He is providing photos that you won’t find elsewhere. This is exactly what we hope for. We want people to send us photos they have taken at events, on trips, at shows, of their favorite motorcycles, their favorite builders, whatever our viewers might enjoy. Naturally, this is a motorcycle website so that is what we want. Your opinions would be great, your ideas, your thoughts, your dreams. We hold ourselves to be a step above. We run a classy operation here so be classy. We have never had to delete anyone yet so thank you all for helping Train and me create something special. The story and the first of the photos will appear tomorrow.
Over Easy-Beach
Billy Lane Video Update
July 31, 2006
The owner of the video has asked that we provide a link back to his main site. Here it is:
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/bike/bike.html
We want to thank him again for letting us use the video on our site!
Billy Lane Biker Build Off Bike Fire Video
July 31, 2006
Well, I was unable to embed the video into the blog, so here is the URL for the page to view it:
Billy Lane BBO Bike Fire Video
Have fun!
Train
Special Sale Just for BeachCruiser Readers
July 31, 2006
Hi all,
Our friend Hersey over at Chopper Stickers is running a sale through August 10th. Here are the details.
10% Discount for BeachCruiser readers at ChopperStickers.com http://www.chopperstickers.com/
The promo code is BEACH and it is good for 10% off any order of 5 stickers or more.
To use the promo code just add the stickers you want to the shopping cart and before you check out enter the code BEACH in the Redeem a Discount Coupon Code box at the bottom of the cart page and click on the submit button below it. A 10% discount will be applied to your order.
The coupon is good until August 10, 2006.
American Motorcycle 1902-catch them at Sturgis and in Las Vegas
July 31, 2006
Hey,
We think AMC 1902 builds some amazing motorcycles. We are showing just two. There are many more. Catch Branscombe and the gang at Sturgis and then Las Vegas Bikefest. Tell em Beach and the Train sent you.
Catch us in Vegas.
Over Easy-Beach
All photos used by permission.
Trik Daddy Custom Motorcycles The Follow up
July 30, 2006
Hey,
We take no pleasure in reporting on the dark side of the motorcycle business. We wish no harm to anyone — builder, client, contractor, no one.
We reported to you last week that we had heard that Trik Daddy Custom Motorcycles had declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. We had posted previously that Zeel up in Canada had accused Trik Daddy of ordering wheels and other items for a custom build and walking away from the bill. We reported that there was an online argument between the two. We reported what was said and by whom. We reported that we would inform our readers when more news came to light. You can read all the origional background in our Archives.
We now know that Trik Daddy did file chapter 11 and hurt a lot of people. They had run up almost $700,000 in debt which they cannot pay. They left a lot of people holding the bag. Please read the accompaning newspaper report. The story is told.
We don’t like to report negative news but we feel it is our obligation and duty to remind our readers that people like this do exist. Thankfully we don’t hear too much about this sort of thing but we do hear about it. One time is one too many. A business can fail. This happens all too often but according to this report Trick Daddy was taking money from unsuspecting contractors and clients knowing they were in big trouble. One guy is out $57,000.
Please be careful when you decide to do business with anyone. This is especially true when there is upfront money involved and the expense is thousands, sometimes many thousands of dollars. Try and check out the financial strength of the company, how long they have been in business, get references and do the due dilligence. It’s a pain in the butt however it’s very necessary. When you buy a house the money goes into escrow. This protects you. I don’t think I would do business with anyone who didn’t have the resources to do a build. At the very least I would pay as the motorcycle was being built upon making sure it was what they said it was. Yeah, it would be great to trust everyone. It would also be great if we were not at war and the air wasn’t polluted.
We take pride on reporting the news FIRST or damn close. We believe we did that in our origional post. If Trik Daddy had turned up clean, we would have reported it immediately.
Over Easy-Beach
Motorcycle shop files for bankruptcy
July 30, 2006
But two months ago, Trik Daddy’s quit taking Harrer’s calls. Now, almost 10 months after he ordered the bike, Harrer is short $57,000. He doesn’t have a motorcycle and he may never get one — at least not from Trik Daddy’s Custom Cycles.
Harrer is one of many Trik Daddy’s customers who were left short on cash and minus their bike. That’s because the company filed for Chapter 11 on July 13 in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, due to $689,735 owed various individuals and organizations, according to court documents.
“They have left a lot of people hurt, basically stealing money and declaring bankruptcy so they can just walk away from the debt,” Harrer said in an e-mail.
Trik Daddy’s attorney, Buddy Ford, estimated that less than 20 people were waiting on motorcycles that were either under construction, under consignment, or undergoing repairs.
Owners John and Maria Neger could not be reached for comment.
Trik Daddy’s gained international acclaim for motorcycle design, placing in design contests and receiving magazine and television coverage. John traveled to Europe, where one of his designs, Predator, was a headliner in German bike shows. But all of the travel that comes with that international acclaim may have played a role in the company’s downfall, according to Trik Daddy’s attorney.
Ford said he believes the Chapter 11 filing, which can result in either liquidation or reorganization of a company, stemmed from mismanagement and lack of oversight while John was on the road. The paperwork submitted to the bankruptcy court said that the company was forced to file because of lawsuits from a vendor and a former employee as well as employee theft and delays in production.
According to Ford, the company lost “tens of thousands of dollars” from employee thefts.
“The reports from the CPA look like the company was very profitable, but in actuality it was losing money,” Ford said. “It has been losing money for a year or two. The sales went down this summer quite a bit.”
Trik Daddy’s currently owes $300,000 for motorcycle parts to Regions Bank and an additional sum of nearly $340,000 for purchases, credit, advertisements, builds in progress and refunds due. Smaller amounts are owed to various other organizations.
At this point, Ford said they have not made a decision about whether they will liquidate or reorganize the company.
As for those waiting for their money, there are several categories of “predators,” each of which will be dealt with separately. The first, secured creditors, have liens on assets such as the building. That group is top priority, Ford said.
The second are the unsecured creditors such as vendors who have supplied parts. Those creditors do not have liens, he said. The third group consists of people who had motorcycles on consignment at the shop. Ford said those people would get their cycles back as soon as he can verify that they are the actual owners.
As for the people whose bikes are still being built, like Harrer’s, they will most likely be given what’s been completed so far so that they can have the motorcycle completed elsewhere. Some people have specifically requested to have their bikes finished at Trik Daddy’s. Neger is looking at the feasibility of completing them. If Trik Daddy’s is unable to finish the project, they will return the parts and the bike so they can have if finished somewhere else, Ford said. They would also have a claim in the bankruptcy and would most likely be paid a percentage of what they paid out. Motorcycles in for repair would be evaluated similarly, Ford said.
“I know he’s trying to complete the bikes and do the repairs on those that he has been paid for, but to the extent that he’s going to be able to do that economically, I don’t know,” Ford said.
For now, Ford advised the Negers to close the shop after they received threats from customers.
“My experience is once the debt settles and a lot of people realize that we do have a game plan, we do have a reorganization plan, that the anger and hostility will subside,” Ford said.
A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 24 at 2:30 p.m. at the Sam M. Gibbons Courthouse, 801 N. Florida Ave., Tampa.
Reporter Morgan Moeller can be contacted at 352-544-5229.
New special on the Boardtrack Platform
July 29, 2006
Rick Krost, our friend over at U.S. Choppers, just sent us this press release. Please check out his site. He does excellent work and is “good folks” on top of that. We are proud to have Rick in our online family.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Friends,
We are proud to announce the addition of another new distributor on the West Coast! Daniel Boone . Daniel Boone and company have been around making and distributing parts on the west coast for over 30 years. If you are not signed up with them or familiar with them, take this opportunity to check them out now! Shops and retailers should be aware that DB2 can customize points, derby covers and related parts with your shop name/graphics. They also carry an extensive billet wheel line which can be customized. DB2 is also a west coast distributor for many large main line manufacturers and their deals and specials cant be beat! I hope that this summer is going well for you all.
-Rick
U.S. Choppers
2039 S. Lyon St
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-546-4699
Appointments Only Please
http://www.uschopper.com/
an example of Rick’s work
used by permission of the builder
Grail-Knucklebuster-swap meet-some guys
July 29, 2006
Hey,
Our friend and family member Grail is hosting a swap meet next weekend in Peabody Mass. We have a poster about the event. We also have a photo of some of Grail’s pals. Now these guys are real motorcycle men. You can visit Grail at http://www.knucklebusterinc.com/
