Regardless of how it looks from the outside, this is not an easy business. You need a combination of a tireless work ethic, business smarts, some talent, skill, and a heavy dose of luck. If you can manage to keep it all together for a decade or so you might be lucky enough to be "the next big thing," an "up-and-comer," or whatever label is in vogue at the moment. Then you'll get your bikes in the magazines, be featured on TV shows, and headline at big bike events. Sounds great, right? The reality is that most events turn out to be an expensive way to meet and greet the public, spend a few days with some friends in the industry, and blow off a little steam. They are not a bike builder's vacation, but rather a costly extension of our job when you factor in lost productivity and the actual costs to attend even if you are a featured guest. It has become inevitable with all that accompanies many of these events that there can be some pretty strange energy in the room. The endless hours that turn into endless days and weeks and so on can make a guy a little jaded. In addition, the industry has been heading in a strange direction lately, which adds to the stress. It's no mystery that we are experiencing a leveling-out in the motorcycle business. This seems inevitable for any industry that experiences such a meteoric rise in popularity in such an abbreviated time. It's been driven by its own popularity and in turn spawned a lot of new businesses, from shops to builders to parts and motorcycle manufacturers. The 15 minutes of fame have been great for the industry, but now reality is setting in, and the fact is that there's an incredible amount of redundancy-and that gets boring after awhile. I wonder if we're in our last few minutes because the public is so fickle. Anyone who wants to survive will need to be smarter and more innovative. I believe if you can manage to weather this storm you will come out stronger, and the industry as a whole will be better off. By the way, I don't automatically imply that I will be one of those who weathers that storm. All I can do is batten down the hatches and do what I believe is right-and the storm will tell the rest of the story.
But getting back to the ROT Rally: From the legendary Mondo of Denver's Choppers, who was in attendance to host "The Big Texas Chop Off," to Hugh the "Chopper King," there for another Discovery Great Biker Build Off finale, to my compadres on the "Seminole Hard Rock Road House Tour"-Aaron Greene, Paul Cox, Keino and Eric Gorges-to Russell Mitchell and the Exile crew, the Martin Brothers, Jerry Covington, Alan Lee, and the list goes on-all agreed that this was one hell of a good time and a reminder of what events can be.
The point is, it only takes one event (no pun intended) to remind you how fortunate you are. I have been reminded and am grateful to be part of this industry for as long as it lets me.