It seems like everyone wants to build a bike these days. Some people build a bolt-together bike, and think they should open a shop. Sucker Punch Sally's is NOT one of those shops. The owners, Donny Loos and Jeff Cochran, have been building motorcycles for the last twenty years. Jeff is a third generation bike builder. Donny grew up around motorcycles and hot rods and was a mechanic for the Candies and Hughes drag racing team. They both had a vision of owning a shop that could provide people with an affordable bike with that old-school style. A few years back Jeff and Donny decided to form Sucker Punch Sally's (SPS), and as they say, the rest is history.
SPS has found a niche. "We build bikes and rollers for guys that work for their paycheck. We try to give them the best deal that we can, because we know that everyone doesn't want the shiny chrome barges that you see that are slapped together by some fly-by-night "custom" shop. This is in our blood. Both Donny and I have been building bikes for over twenty years and stand behind our products," says Cochran.
When most factory shops won't touch anything pre-Evo, Jeff and Donny love Shovels, Pans, and Knuckles but aren't afraid of technology. It's really about being true to their roots and what they cut their teeth on. You will rarely see them on a hand-clutch bike because hand jamming is what they know and what feels right to them. They are slaves to what they believe looks right, and although some of their ideas sound crazy, they have a unique style. Donny loves to put a weathered look on his bikes with lots of layers that looks like it was put on with a brush. Doesn't sound too cool, huh? Check out the gray Panhead with the H-Bomb oil tank.
You get the sense that SPS is a real mom-and-pop shop. Located on 50 acres just northwest of Cincinnati, the shop has a strong nostalgic feel with kids riding through the fields on their four-wheelers and dogs playing in back (there's always at least a few dogs around the shop). Both Jeff and Donny work hard - they often spend more time at the shop than any other place.
Sucker Punch recently launched into the motorcycle manufacturing realm so that they could provide the industry with a much-needed cool bike that is affordable, and when I say affordable I mean $15,995, or you can get a "working man's" kit with almost everything you need to build a bike for just under $10K. They also offer a reasonably priced roller at $2,850. Why mention prices? Because everyone claims to have great prices, but SPS backs it up with the fact that they can get you into a great looking manufactured bike for a lot less then most other companies.
"We are hands-on involved with every single build that we do; that way we can ensure that they are up to our standards. We don't produce thousands of bikes a year; we build our bikes by hand and take pride in the craftsmanship and precision that you can only get from someone who has built hundreds of bikes," says Cochran.
SPS doesn't have a retail shop, but still offers bikes, rollers, complete kits, and SPS parts for sale. SPS just launched two new parts: the H-Bomb Oil Bag and the Hot Rod Fender Struts, which are featured in the new Jammer handbook. The look of SPS's bikes is distinct, no frills old school - if you take off anything they won't run.
"I have been doing this for years and build what I like: unique bikes with an old-school flare. They have to be cool and different. It seems like there are a bunch of companies who try to copy our style, but they can never duplicate what we do. Every bike we build has Jeff's and my combined experience and style," says Loos.
Sucker Punch Sally's is the place to go if you want a totally custom, old-school chopper or if you are looking for a roller to start your own project at home. SPS can deliver on that bike you're looking for at a reasonable price. You can contact SPS at www.suckerpunchsallys.com or (513) 353-2803.