When Jesse James and his West Coast Choppers first appeared on the Discovery channel, the world got a little taste of what custom motorcycles were all about. The economy was good and many men began to dream of having their own custom bicycle. Of course, many of them, who were upper-middle-class soccer parents, thought that the biker lifestyle, as described by the great Jesse, was too scary for them.
Then came the Teutel. American Chopper struck a chord with men that Jesse couldn’t. He made them spend money. Suddenly every American man over thirty wanted a custom motorcycle. And those who had the money bought them in droves. Custom bike shops sprang up in almost every small town in the country, and many custom motorcycle builders thought they had made landfall.
Even people who weren’t really planning on buying one ended up buying a bike because we got caught up in the phenomenon that was American Chopper. Five motorcycles later and two custom builds under my belt, I can honestly say that if custom bikes hadn’t been all over television, I probably wouldn’t have a garage full of them now. The country went crazy with custom motorcycles.
Doctors and lawyers gladly shell out $ 30,000 bikes to join the custom motorcycle craze. Along the way, some custom motorcycle production companies went live and made their fortunes in no time. If you had the money and wanted a great bike without worrying about sourcing parts and such, the production helicopter was a perfect fit. Many of these trendy motorcyclists became real motorcyclists, myself included, but that’s where the problems started.
If you’ve ever ridden a helicopter or bobber, you are well aware that these things are great for bar hopping and parading on the local bike night, but as full-time rides they just don’t work. Believe me I know; After a 400 mile drive to Niagara Falls, I quickly realized that having a long and low custom bike was not what I wanted to ride on long trips. And many other new pilots learned the same lesson. As touring model sales soared, the custom motorcycle industry began to hear the knockout that was just around the corner. Then the tragedy struck the motorcycle industry in general.
As the US economy fell, the demand for custom bikes also fell. Many newcomers to the bike building business who had been lucky enough to have a full-time hobby career soon found that when only real riders wanted to build custom bikes, only the strongest custom motorcycle shops got the business. Even well-known OCCs felt the rush when their once coveted themed bikes became a low priority for corporations now on a limited budget.
Viewers of the show saw how Paul Teutel Sr had to fire a group of workers and fans only wondered if his new building was not in a timely manner. The craze for custom motorcycles was over.
So what does this all mean for the custom motorcycle business in general? Is dead? Hardly. It is much bigger than before the fashion started. Many upstart companies have survived because they created a good product. Some production helicopter companies have fallen by the wayside. But the most important thing to me is that motorcycling in general has finally become mainstream. Despite a reeling economy and HD in financial trouble, more people are riding motorcycles now than ever. And that means more people will customize them too.
It’s rare to see a motorcycle that hasn’t been customized in one way or another and I confidently predict that after this economy recovers, the custom bike industry and custom parts industries will flourish. How do I know all this? Because despite the lag in sales and the passing of fashion, motorcycle websites are more crowded than ever. People may not be spending money right now, but they are doing something almost as important. They’re making their bike parts wish lists and, in some cases, determining who they’re going to get to build their custom dream bike when things change. That they will.
Cheer up, my friends, the customs industry isn’t dead, it’s just taking a much-needed nap.
