Anybody that's ever turned a wrench knows that eventually, their knuckles are gonna bleed from a nick, cut or scrape -- but it's worth it because they probably learned something in the process. The guys working in our garage, end up with a wealth of knowledge and perspective that can help us. So, instead of asking builders 20 questions about themselves, we've decided to give them an opportunity to speak their minds about the industry they love and the trials they face on a daily basis, with a few tips from the shop for us regular guys.
Let me start by saying that I am a hell of a lot better at welding than I am at writing. My name is Johnny Vasko, but most people call me Johnny Chop. I've been building bikes for about eight years, and in that time I've seen a lot of shops come and go. It seems that these days with the TV coverage, our industry is growing at an insane rate. Every time you open a magazine, there are 10 new shops building "choppers." Some good, some bad, but most are using iron crosses in their logos. It used to be that the iron cross was used to piss off the man, but if you don't have one on your shirt these days, you just aren't cool anymore. I was doing some shopping at some fancy high-end clothing store with a girlfriend of mine, and I noticed that the store had handbags with diamond iron crosses on them, and they were really damn expensive. I just thought to myself, "Are you fucking kidding me?" The same woman that would buy that handbag would be scared shitless by any kind of biker.
I just got back from Sturgis just like everybody else, and I noticed something about the new trend in shirts. You know what I am talking about: button up, sleeveless denim with the pre-frayed edges like the kind you would cut the sleeves off at a Pearl Jam concert 10 years ago. Who decided that this was cool? Plus, they have very profound quotes on the back like, "Choppers 'Till You Die," or "If You Can Read This, The Bitch Fell Off." For me, building bikes is a way of life, a way to stay out of a suit and behind a desk like everybody else. I thought being a biker was about individuality, not about wearing the same stupid sleeveless shirt as everybody else on Main Street.
After Sturgis, our crew headed down to Florida for another bike show. On one particularly warm afternoon I was standing in line at one of the beer vendors, waiting for a cold one, while I thumbed through a local used bike magazine. I ran across an ad for a "Chopper Shop." The ad said that this guy could build you any style bike from old-school to high-tech, but that wasn't the part that bothered me. What pissed me off was that he used pictures of bikes in his ad that he didn't even build! In the center of the ad was a picture of Hank Young's Discovery Build Off bike. How could this guy use someone else's work to promote his shop - what the fuck?
I digress. I know I sound like I hate everything, but that's only because I do. But seriously, with the explosion of the motorcycle aftermarket, we are seeing some of the finest craftsmanship and highest quality ever. There is a whole new crop of young, talented builders creating fresh ideas. The fathers of the custom bikes are finally being recognized for creating this business in the first place: Arlen Ness, Dave Perewitz, Indian Larry, and Mondo, just to name a few. I, for one, am excited and proud to be a part of this industry - just imagine what things will be like in the next 10 years!
As I sat in my garage writing this, I received a call from Big Chris in NYC. He gave me the news about Indian Larry. To Paul, Keino, Bobby, Elisa, Bambi, and the whole crew over there: my deepest condolences. The world lost a hero.