Biker Build off Poll

[flamethrower]

I gotta say that they all build some really cool stuff. But for me, two stand out as the very best.

First, Arlen Ness, because he was customizing and building bikes before many on this board knew how to ride (P.S. Have you seen "SmoothNess"?)

Second, even though he's changed alot and now doesn't hand make everything (He's way too big for his britches now), Jesse James is the only one who ever did completely start from scratch and build a custom. And I mean from scratch. If you have never been up close to one of his hand hammered seats or tanks, you should really try to see one. They are flawless. My .02 worth.

FT

 

[seedeucer]

I'll agree with you here Rex. Hotch is kind of underrated. I love Scully and Red Delicious.

 

[Bornhard]

I agree with you Rex about Hot Match and I like how he got his companies name from his name. His bikes are real clean!

 

[kxmotox247]

Redneck Engineering out of Liberty South Carolina. They make some of the cleanest hardtails out there. Nice big tubing too! I have a frame on order right now.

 

[rex]

Redneck does make some nice frames,if they build it it's pretty much the same'ol same'ol but I wouldn't have a prob starting with their frame.If I build a hotrod it'll definately be a Gambler rubbermont with a softail upper,but for a rigid I'd definately consider their frame(maybe a Santee if they built it to my specs) if I didn't go Amen,Paucho has gone down hill over the years to me.

 

[Mongo]

When it comes to custom bikes I learned one lesson the hard way. There's a big difference between lookin' sharp and lookin' sharp while being functional.

I bought a bike that was built by a shop in Lafayette, La on an Atlas Bigfoot frame. It's a rubbermount softail with a stealth swingarm. Great looking bike but the previous owner had problems cause the bike didn't track straight and sheared fender strut bolts on every ride. Needless to say I bought the bike cheap. At that point I was convinced that the frame was weak and needed to be built up so I didn't bother calling Atlas. (A mistake I learned later)

I didn't know which way to go trouble shooting the fender strut problem so I called Daytec frames who tried to sell me a new frame. So I called Excile Cycles who convinced me that I had a good frame and that something else was going on. And I would just have to figure it out. And he told me the best information yet. When you own a "one off" custom bike then ever widget and washer is unique to that bike where as production bikes have tried and tested parts. As he put it, "When I sell a bike then there's are no one off parts. If your bike has a bushing on it from Excile then there's a 1000 other bikes running that same bushing so they know it works." So that's why he said that when you go one off be prepared to do some tweaking.

After many miles and lots of work I fixed all the problems and then tore her apart again for paint. I'm almost finished with my first flame job so life is good again.

 

[moore]

When I was in AZ. going to UTI I checked out Yaffe's shop/store ( what ever it is) and yes his ego is bigger than his tool box, as far as the best builders go I would have to say right now it Billy Lane,for the most part its becuase he's the under dog in the comps, and he comes out on top (most of the time) I mean his shop is like the size of my living room. No fancy tank stamping dies, no multi million doller machines just good old hard work. But I'm sure they all started that way, just some of them forgot how they got where they are.

 

[txxxkjn]

Re: Biker Build off Poll/ paul LAUGHY

live in phx az and have been to Yaffe's shop plenty o' times and he's a prick every time. i figure let him keep treating everyone like that and see how long he lasts. and i've seen plenty bikes better so i dont know who the hell he thinks he is.

PAUL LAUGHY (that's more like it) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[Road_Guy]

Bourget builds some beautiful rides /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bigokay.gif, but I think sometimes the more extravagent(read: innovative) you get, the less functional it really is ! Right now I would have to say Billy Lane, and if it was 10 years ago, Jesse James. Am going to the Easyriders show next weekend in Columbus, Oh . Lane, Yaffe, Kim Sutter, Eddie Trotta, Kendall Johnson and Tom Langton will all be exhibiting so maybe my opinion will change. Met Yaffe a few years ago, a legend in his own mind.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/foreheadslap.gif