An inside look at the latest builds from Workhorse Speed Shop.
Brice Hennebert, owner of Workhorse Speed Shop, in Belgium, has been busy during lockdown. After creating Appaloosa V1.0 in 2019 for the Sultans of Sprint then re-working the Indian Scout build into Appaloosa V2.0 for the Baikal Mile Ice Festival, Brice has focussed his attention on building two special dream bikes based on the Indian FTR 1200.
The first build, Black Swan, is a 90’s sports bike concept utilizing the latest parts and materials to make it extremely sporty. The build extensively uses carbon fibre to minimize weight, Ohlins suspension, Beringer brakes, and modern additions such as a quickshifter. The second build, FTR AMA, is based on the 80s era AMA SBK race bikes and Rally cars, inspiring an angular design and will be finished in the classic Martini Racing livery.
Adjustable Öhlins suspension and Beringer brakes are some of the premium parts making up the builds.
Black Swan and FTR AMA Build – Q&A with Brice Hennebert
We caught up with Brice to get an insight into his latest projects, both of which are shaping up to be remarkably interesting, but quite different builds – just as we have come to expect from Workhorse.
It’s been a long time since you came back from Russia after taking Appaloosa V2.0 to the Baikal Mile Ice Speed Festival – that must feel like a dream now, are the memories still strong?
Yes, the memories are really strong. With the lockdown, it was some time after coming back from Russia that I saw many of my friends. Every time I reconnect with a friend they always ask about the trip. So, I get to relive the memories regularly and so they are still strongly alive.
And when Appaloosa finally got back to Belgium after the Russian borders reopened, unpacking the bike and reassembling it meant I got to relive the memories all over again.
Obviously, lockdown has changed the way we all work, but you have still been busy with brand-new builds based on the FTR. What are the concepts behind each project?
The concept for the first build, Black Swan, came a few years ago when I was racing at Wheels & Waves against the Miracle Mike Scout built by The Young Guns. During that time, I had the vision to build a sports bike for road use. But, really sporty, built like a GP bike. It’s deeply inspired by 90’s sports bikes, all made from carbon fibre. That’s what happens when I have total freedom from the commissioners of a project. And I’m even thinking about doing a small series of this bike for sale. It’s pretty unique!
Black Swan Build: building out the clay model.
The second FTR project is based on the 80s era AMA SBK race bikes and Rally cars. Black Swan and the FTR AMA project are for two brothers. The brother that commissioned Black Swan asked me to design a second build for his brother. Something colourful but sharp like a war tank. The only restriction was that it should have a Martini Racing livery.
After a little research and brainstorming, the main influence became the Lancia Delta HF. I’ve mixed this with a bit of the early Bol d’Or race bikes and some muscle bike flavour keeping an upright riding position, close to the original FTR which works so well.
With the Appaloosa v1.0 and v2.0 builds, you had some great partners providing advice, components, fabrication, and tuning skills. Who has stepped up for these FTR builds?
All of them and even more. I went to the Akrapovič factory a few days after the Baikal Mile to work on the Black Swan exhaust. I crossed the border to go home for a few hours and they decided to close the border. That was tight.
Öhlins have shipped me a full set of custom components for Black Swan, quite impressive I have to say. Beringer Brakes is also in the game on both bikes with their new 4+ system. Super light, super nice.
I’m also working with Vinco Racing in Holland, Tim is taking care of all the CNC parts around both bikes. And there’s many of them.
My buddy Robert Colyns from 13.8 Composite is taking care of the carbon fibre fabrication.
On Black Swan, we will be fitting Rotobox carbon fibre wheels, they really are pieces of art! Liteblox Germany have made a bespoke carbon fibre battery for the bike, Cerakote Nl did all the black ceramic treatment. Jeroen from Silver Machine the seat works. Christophe from Forame design did all the 3D modelling from the Clay scan.
Black Swan Build: Clay model ready for CAD scan.
The FTR AMA wheel set is a total eye catcher. I collaborated with Fabio from JoNich Wheels in Italy. The design is based on his Rush wheels but without carbon flanges. They are machined from billet aluminium. And the design made me think about the turbo fans wheels used on the racing Lancia, so that was a perfect choice. They are completed by a Dunlop GP tyre set with this mad 200 section rear tyre.
So, as you can see, I’m not alone on this bike.
We can’t reveal too much at this stage, but from the pictures from the builds so far, designing the bodywork seems to be a fairly intensive process. Can you walk us through the steps, from visualisation and sketches through to a finished piece of the bodywork?
Yes, it’s quite a long journey, here’s roughly the stages for Black Swan:
First, preliminary sketches and a compilation of reference pictures for the details. At this stage I’m drawing the main lines of the bike, the mood.
Then I sent everything to Benny at Axesent in Japan to make proper renders in several versions, with realistic lighting and some livery ideas.
When I was happy at this point, I started 3D modelling. I modelled the bike at full scale in clay directly on the FTR, but only on one side of the bike. This step took about 6 weeks, between the clay structure and perfecting the final shape.
Then I scanned the bike in 3D to start the CAD modelling stage. The scan was used as a starting point to be sure of the proportions, but there was always freedom for new ideas. In the meantime, I worked on the symmetry, details, articulated parts, and assembly systems between the different elements. All told, another 2 months of work.
The next step went to 13.8 Composites. Firstly, they 3D printed all the bodywork from the CAD models. These prints were used as a master for moulding and creating the die that the carbon fibre was laid into.
Once done, adjustments were made between all the parts to be sure that it all fit together and looked perfect.
With the FTR AMA build, rather than start with the clay, here I used direct CAD design based on a 3D scan of the FTR chassis. Then all the body parts were 3D printed and reinforced with carbon fibre.
FTR AMA Build: Modified tail to accommodate twin shocks.
Is this a process that you have used before? You seem really keen, on every project, to try something new and expand your skill set.
This was something totally new to me, at least at this scale. I have done clay shaping before, but not on something so complex.
FTR AMA Build: “The wheel set is a total eye catcher.”
The bodywork is bound to be the main focal point when people first see the bikes, but what else can you reveal about the builds at this stage?
The body of Black Swan is just 1.8 kg for the entire bike. I’ve also decided to fit a few accessories such as a quick shifter and Power Commander. The idea is to initially test the bike with the standard performance in the racing configuration (position, bodywork etc.) 123 hp is enough for road use today in Europe. And if the owner of the bike needs more power then we will go into the engine.
On the FTR AMA, there are two aluminum fuel cells to reach a total capacity of 3.7 gallons with one of the tanks under the seat. Plus, the intake has been redesigned and 3D printed to work with DNA performance air filters. On the chassis side, the tail section has been modified to fit a twin shocks system powered by Öhlins.
Plans are progressing on when and how the bikes will be revealed, but they will certainly make an impact.
Yes, with the events calendar being difficult to predict over the last few months, we’ve had to come up with several plans. I really can’t wait to see the response to these two bikes.
This stunning custom based on a classic air-cooled BMW has us wondering whether BMW will produce more retro models to complement their popular R nineT family.
It was produced by British custom motorcycle shop Sinroja Motorcycles and they call it the R17 which is interesting since BMW recently returned to cruisers with their R 18.
The R 18 was actually born after BMW gave the R 18 engine to a couple of custom houses to see what they could do with it.
In fact, the R nineT was also born after famed LA designer Roland Sands built a modern custom project to honour the venerable R 90.
So it’s not improbable that BMW would look at this classic as a potential for a more retro model in its line-up.
While the R nineT family is popular, I always thought Roland Sands’ version was better and BMW made the r nineT just a little bit too modern looking.
Birju Sinroja started Sinroja Motorcycles in Leicestershire, England, five years ago and has been working on the R17 for two years ago.
Here is their account of the rebuild:
The bike started as a BMW R80 TIC (police specification) that was a true barn find.
The first step was to strip the whole bike, taking it back to bare metal by sand blasting the frame and then cleaning up any unnecessary tabs and bracketry. From there a new subframe was fabricated to create a clean line. We also fabricated and repositioned the footrest for rider and passenger to fit their ergonomic needs. The handmade mudguards are finished with simple braces, holding them up to nicely balance the lines of the bike and provide some protection from dirt on the road.
All classic customs that leave Sinroja workshop get a full crank-up engine rebuild and the R17 was no exception. We stripped the almost 40-year-old powertrain all the way to crank, replacing all key components like big end bearings, chains, guides, pushrod tubes etc, and rebuilding it to better than factory standards. This engine received our 1000cc (originally 800cc) conversion with machined and ported heads and high compression pistons to up the power. All the cases are vapour blasted and painted black with fins polished for great looks. The gearbox and bevel drive got a full rebuild with all fresh bearings, seals, gaskets etc and some unique Sinroja upgrades. Carburettors were also fully rebuilt with bigger jets to help with upgraded engine. The exhausts were fabricated in-house and then finished by Motone’s one-off end cans.
Handling is vastly improved with a complete custom suspension set-up. Yamaha R6 forks have been reworked with Nitron Suspension racing range cartridges and fully adjustable Nitron rear shocks. The forks retain the R6 calipers for improved braking performance to further increase rideability. Fastec Racing created the billet machined yokes. The custom 18- inch wire wheels were built by Hagon using custom-made rims and stainless spokes.
A brand-new wiring loom from TowzaTronics replaces all of the original wiring. At the heart of all of the electronics is a Motogadget M-Unit Blue. It controls all aspects of the electronic system and also allows Bluetooth phone connection with a diagnostic support function. The M-unit also allows keyless ignition system via the owner’s phone. The R17 is fitted with Motogadget switches, bar end indicators and grips along with 7-inch halo headlight. Rear indicators are from Rizoma and double up as brake and running lights. The final element is a beautiful dash hosting the Motogadget speedo.
The stunning black/Corris Grey livery draws inspiration from the client’s love of Land Rovers and Range Rovers. The stitching on the seat mirrors that of the car and even the saddle leather came from a Land Rover. The aesthetics are finished with a machined Sinroja emblem that sits proudly on the tank.
This bike came with a perfect brief in my opinion. We had pretty much a free reign on what to do. It’s great to be in a place where customers just let you do what you want and have that trust and faith in skills we have. The end result is something we are super proud of indeed. A timeless design and giving rebirth to an old airhead that had been neglected for years in a barn is just a great feeling.
After today showcasing Roland Sands’ new BMW R 18 based drag custom on MCNews.com.au (Link), we thought it might be a good time to revisit this chat we had with Roland a couple of years ago in his surprisingly quite compact L.A. workshop that also pulls double duty as the Roland Sands Design sales office.
Roland Sands and his latest creation, a drag custom based on BMW’s new R 18
Despite being clearly pushed for time, the 43-year-old (now 45), was very forthcoming with his views on various subjects. He also allowed us unfettered access to his office and workshop to shoot photos which helped us to illustrate this insight into Roland Sands, and the firm he heads that bears his name.
Roland Sands in his California office – September, 2017
What do you think of the current Harley-Davidson range and the dropping of the Dyna platform?
“For anything like that, especially a bike, it’s a departure, people have to get a feel for it, have to get their hands on it and have to ride the bike. In time they’ll find it’s a better bike.
Roland Sands road raced for nearly a decade and won the 1998 AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship
“And when it comes to the custom market, as the custom market always does, it deconstructs that thing, and builds it back up. It makes something new to the market, to inspire Harley to potentially bring models to the market, maybe more in the vein of what people were hoping they would bring.
Roland Sands – Lots of 70s custom cues here
“But man what a strong offer, it was crazy to see that many motorcycles, I was blown away. That one thing was so polarising, that it almost took attention away from what I thought was one of the cooler bikes, the Road Glide, one of the most beautiful bikes Harley has ever introduced.
2018 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide
“I’ve ridden the Fat Boy and the Fat Bob, the front end was something else. The width of the whole thing to me is a little out of proportion, but the bike works really good. I enjoyed riding it. It’s quick. We’re going to work on a Fat Boy shortly.”
2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Where do you find your main business is from?
“I’ve been selling motorcycle parts since I was 16, but we started Roland Sands Designs in 2005, and have just been grinding away at it. It comes from events, motorcycle builds, parts, a little bit of everything. It’s been finding projects which would help grow the brand, and help to bring people to motorcycling.
Roland Sands Apparel
“That’s what I’ve been focusing on this year, how do we get more people on motorcycles, how do we introduce new people to motorcycles, how do we take the racing to people, instead of getting people to the races.
Roland Sands – An Indian made purposeful
“October 14th we’re going to throw a race in Bolsa Chica on the beach. There’s a really cool beach culture, there’s a parking lot and a concert venue right there, we build a flat track in the parking lot, a race course and a drag strip.
Roland Sands – Sporty Harley
“It’ll be a small event, with only 7,000 people and it’s a first year event, but we’ve got some great sponsors, it should be fun. It’s going to be more grass roots, it needs to be bright and fun, riding motorcycles, with people just coming out to ride bikes and race all weekend.”
Roland Sands – Lots of interesting pieces adorn both the workshops and offices of RSD
What about your two-stroke GP background, the class you were most successful in, winning the AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship in 1998. Do you get out on track on a machine like that these days?
“I haven’t ridden a bike like that since 2002, my last National, I’ve still got the bike, just as how it came off the track in 2002.
Roland Sands – The racey and the retro
“Flat track is a totally different deal, I went from two-stroke GP bikes, to Harley-Davidson customs. I mean I’d still love to go back, and I still have a few flat trackers. I ride motocross and a bit of everything now. I like to do it all, with motorcycling you don’t have to do one thing, you can do a lot of different things.”
Roland Sands road raced for nearly a decade and won the 1998 AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship
With designing do you prefer sketching and scribbling or do you put some metal together and check what it looks like? Or is it mostly computer based.
Roland Sands – BMW Concept Ninety
“It’s a little of everything, if I’m selling a bike or have an idea, I’ll have it all rendered out so we know where we’re going. Most of the time I’m down there working with my guys working out how to put everything together.
Roland Sands – Digital Designer Screen
“We’ll mock stuff up, we’ll put pieces together and work to get the silhouette right. Trying different parts like a front fork, or a tail section or a fender eliminator, or wheel sizes. Custom bikes are all about getting the bones of the bike correct, and then putting everything on, all the pretty stuff, after that.
Roland Sands – An array of different custom tanks
“If the bones aren’t correct then you won’t have a good bike.”
Roland Sands – TZ Yamaha frame is beautiful in its purposeful simplicity
What about electric bikes, do those serve your passion?
“Yeah for sure, I had a blast when I rode the Harley LiveWire, and I had a chance to ride the Alta, that thing is mad. They built a flat tracker out of that thing, and a super moto out of it. I rode it on the street and it’s hard to keep the front wheel on the ground.
Roland Sands Workshop
“Anything that gets the blood going, and the throttle hand twitchy. The fastest bike at Pikes Peak was an electric bike, that says something.
Roland Sands Office
“I think aesthetically you have a whole new set of parameters to work with on an electronic bike. It may not at its core be as beautiful as a fuel motor, but you’ll be able to come up with something completely new.”
Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire
Are there any new metal finishing techniques or any processes, 3D printing, or anything you find yourself using more these days?
“We’re using a lot of different techniques to get our products to where they need to be quicker. 3D printing is a huge part of that. There’s also new stuff and finishes we’re working on, but I don’t want to talk about until we’ve got it on the market. But we’re always exploring new ideas. Customers are always evolving, in what they like, and the style that they like.
Roland Sands Workshop
“We came out with our Black Ops finish (Link), so whether we have different colours like that, it’s a matter of giving people unique things. Then when they build a motorcycle they can do something unique no one else has done. You just don’t want your bike to be the same as the guy next to you. You don’t want to be on the exact same bike and looking at each other.
Roland Sands Ducati XDiavel – Sturgis 2016
“So it’s cool to be in the position where we can give people those options.”
Roland Sands – Digital Design
Where’s the inspiration come from, for the new designs?
“Sometimes it’s just as simple as sitting down with the new bike, like the new Harley, and we’ll sit down and we’ll look at that motorcycle, and see what we want to do to it, and what we can modify.
Roland Sands – An interesting mix of old and new in this custom chopper
“We’ll pull parts off it, we’ll start deconstructing it, and then we’ll say, what can we do to make it a better motorcycle, more fun, aesthetically better. Harley have always done a great job of providing a platform for customisation.
Roland Sands Workshop
“I think this one will provide a better platform than most, it has this really simple architecture, once people get over the swingarm, it’s a single shock swingarm bike, it’s going to work. Once people get over that and figure out how to construct some things to go on one… that’s what we do.
2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
“I’ll strip the bike, look at the architecture of the frame, look at how the motor sits in the frame, look how the swingarm lines up with the top of the frame, the shock placement, the geometry of the frame.”
2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Talking about the engine and styling for an electric bike, how do you approach that?
“I thought the LiveWire was a pretty cool execution of it, but I like how they did use some cues to motorise it, I mean if I was going to design one from scratch I would try and make the electric motor part of the design rather than just covering it all up. But it’s all getting started.
Roland Sands Office – Family photos amongst the motorcycling bits and pieces – Roland’s dad is a well known manufacturer of custom wheels since the 1970s
“People just want to ride motorcycles and do big miles. You get on a motorcycle and the last thing you want to worry about is if you’re going to get stuck out somewhere because you don’t have a battery charger. Until they can figure that out, it’s going to be difficult for anybody to make an electric bike.
Roland Sands Office
“I don’t really want to sit around for two hours and wait for my motorcycle to charge, and on a motorcycle it’s a bigger deal as you have a smaller battery. You don’t want to be saying I don’t want to ride hard or how will I get back.
Roland Sands Office
“So I mean it’s still a bit of a toy, for city bikes it’s perfect, get to work plug it in, get home plug it in, but if you guys did it, it wouldn’t make sense . At least until they have a huge breakthrough with batteries, which they haven’t had in a long time. I really hope they do…”
Did you have any formal design training.?
“No, I just grew up in a bike shop and around motorcycles, I worked in a machine shop for a very long time, so I understood how to make things. I watched my Dad build drag bikes, and sand drag bikes, and you guys know who Bob Correll is? He built a jet bike, and then a kite bike, and he could jump the bike with the kite, in the coliseum back in the day.
Roland Sands Office
“But I watched some really crazy stuff when I was younger, so I always had this bigger view of what was possible.”
Roland Sands Workshop
Which of your custom bikes, which you don’t have any more would you most like to have back in your possession?
“Probably my first bike, a sportster flat tracker, I have no idea who has it, but it was clean frame, it actually had clip-ons on it, like a little road racer, 17 inch wheels, road race forks, carbon body work, I built it when I was 18. I’ll find it someday, it’s sitting in someone’s garage.”
Roland Sands – Flat Tracker
Working on any projects for any companies?
“We’ve got a few projects going on with BMW at the moment, definitely Indian projects going on, and there’s a lot of customer builds.”
Roland Sands – An array of interesting custom machines
Any famous people? I see Brad Pitt’s bike downstairs.
“Yeah, but I can’t possibly talk about them, some of my customers just don’t want that.”
Brad Pitt has been riding this Roland Sands machine for the last couple of years, but the bike is in for a freshen up with less chrome and more blacked out treatments
Do you still have the pressure time wise as far as builds go?
“Every fucking day! Yeah we’re throwing this event and its turning into kind of a beast, so I’m dividing the days I have for meetings.
Roland Sands – Modern Yamaha MT with some custom treatment and a Kenny Roberts theme
“I have customer deadlines and you need to finish bikes to make money, and you have to put the nail into the coffin. If you have a bunch of half finished products, you have no money.”
Roland Sands Office
How many staff do you have on the tools?
“We have two designers, and everyone works on everything. I have a project designer who races as well. Two in the shop, one chief fabricator and a mechanic. It’s not a massive stack to be building the bikes. My design staff are constantly working on Indian or truck projects, and a bit of off road stuff too.”
Roland Sands Workshop
Are you a designer or a mechanic at heart?
“My heart is a motorcyclist, I’d rather ride a motorcycle than work on it any day, but I get a lot of satisfaction from bikes. I’m on the phone, on the emails, doing everything I can to keep everything coming in. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else, I’m a pretty lucky guy. I have a lot of fun and meet a lot of cool people.”
Roland Sands Ducati XDiavel – Sturgis 2016
Your thoughts on a design point of view for the MotoGP bikes. When you saw the new Ducati fairings, what were your first thoughts?
“You know it’s hard, because to see something in photos and not in person, I don’t like to comment. But seeing them on the race track and watching them win, they must work… I think it’s pretty wild, and I don’t mind building out of the box.
Ducati debuted a radical new front fairing design recently
“Before they had these wings hanging off them, I wouldn’t want to get impaled on one of those, so the fact that they kinda connected it now, makes it safer.
The wings seen on MotoGP machines in 2016
“Things are polarised now, and new things polarise people. BMW came out with this hood, and the hood and back of the car had this weird shape to it. People freaked out. Because people want to keep shit the same.
Roland Sands
“A few years on, everyone’s looking at it and saying how much they liked it when it came out… Because by then people are used to it.
Roland Sands
“I try and reserve a real partial judgement and let things marinate first, and let them become part of the culture or the scene. That Ducati is different, it’s wild, it may not be something you at first think is beautiful, but then you see it in action… I don’t hate it.”
Ducati debuted a radical new front fairing design recently
Your work always seems to have a heritage, a constant reference to the past, is that how you see your own work?
BMW Motorrad R 5 Hommage
“Yeah, I think the past is really important and I’m not one to duplicate the past, I try and take what I know from history and put it into our work.
A customer BMW project underway in the workshop
“I always want to take it into account, what’s been done before, and a lot of people will say they are the first to do this or that, but everyone’s done everything.
Roland Sands – The famous Honda Mini Trail
“Some people do it better, some are creative and combine the right things. You take a café racer and a factory racer and smash them together and what do you get? What do they look like in your head? We make those thoughts a reality.”
Roland Sands – Everywhere you look there is something to see
The BMW R nineT that you did, the R5, were you hoping that they might take that into production, or is it something you’d like them to, as that’s a big hole for them.
BMW Motorrad R 5 Hommage
“It’s a huge hole for them, I’ve discussed that with them, but they’ve taken some different routes with their projects, with their bikes, but that bike as a cruiser, as a bobber, I think that’s a missing hole for them.”
A customer BMW project underway in the workshop
What was it like working with Ola? He’s a custom bike person going way back… but BMW is so corporatised… Does it hurt the bike has been so corporatised for the mass market?
Roland Sands – BMW Concept Ninety
“It was awesome, but if you work with the OEMs that’s just what you have to deal with. We work with more of them than anybody. We do our best to bring a flavor to each of the projects.
BMW Motorrad R 5 Hommage
“A lot of people say how do you work with so many of the OEMs, at the same time. I try and separate the projects, compartmentalised, for different consumers and different customers.
BMW Motorrad “Concept 101” – The Spirit of the Open Road.
“I don’t know, it’s really fun, as we get to work with designers. I speak that language, and it’s one of the most interesting things you do, to come together and see a vision. It’s hard for them to do internally, to do what we do for them.
BMW Motorrad R 5 Hommage
“For the speed – we can build a complete concept bike in two months, if we get models and assistance.
Roland Sands – BMW Concept Ninety
“But they can’t do that internally, and they know that internally they wouldn’t be able to build the bike we come up with.
Roland Sands – BMW Concept Ninety
“Lots of the concept bikes never ran, but the concept R nineT was the first concept bike that actually ran . I said that’s the only way we’ll do the project, if the bike runs.
Roland Sands – BMW Concept Ninety
“We’ve only built one project that didn’t run, and that was for Ducati. That was the original Diavel, a full concept for them. We didn’t even get close to the satisfaction we got prior to that. I guess it rolls, but it doesn’t work…”
Roland Sands Ducati XDiavel – Sturgis 2016
Have you been approached by Harley to do anything for them?
“We have been approached in the past, but recently, nothing. Crickets over there.”
Roland Sands – Every nook and cranny hides something interesting
What do you listen to?
“Recently a lot of Pandora… *laughs* I’d like to say I’m here DJing all day and drinking whiskey on the floor but I’m not…”
This week Harley-Davidson wrapped up its first-ever weeklong motorcycle show hosted virtually on the brand’s Instagram page. Cleverly named “The No Show,” it featured builders invited by H-D and the postponed Mama Tried, Congregation Vintage Bike & Car, and Born-Free Motorcycles shows. More than 60 contestants from around the world participated, posting images and videos of their custom builds that varied radically in style– with three standout builds grabbing titles.
When the dust settled and the votes were cast, three winners rose to the top in three distinct categories:
Media Choice Award: chosen and presented by a journalist panel from industry-leading motorcycle publications.
H-D Styling & Design Award: chosen and presented by Brad Richards, vice president of styling & design at Harley-Davidson and long-time garage builder.
Harley-Davidson Museum Award: chosen by museum staff and presented by Bill Davidson, vice president of the Harley-Davidson Museum and great-grandson of Harley-Davidson’s Co-Founder William A. Davidson.
The winner of the “Media Choice Award” is Ben Zales of Burbank, California for his custom 1963 Harley-Davidson Panhead motorcycle. Journalists approved of the bike’s unique take and its ‘60’s era influence. Zales fabricated the bike in his home garage, building the tank, pipes, seat and controls from scratch. The interesting tear-dropped oil tank is designed to match the fuel tank, kicker-pedal and seat, visually tying it all together. Zales is no stranger to the custom bike scene, as he is a Born-Free 10 and 11 invited builder, as well as carrying the esteemed title of being a Mooneyes Hot Rod Custom Show 2019 invited guest. Check out a full walkaround of Zales’ build on Instagram.
Ben Zales’ custom 1963 Harley-Davidson Panhead motorcycle. Photo credit: Ben Zales.
Picking up the “H-D Styling & Design Award” is Michael Lange of Waukesha, Wisconsin for his customized 1921 Harley-Davidson Banjo Two-cam Board Track Racer. Lange cleverly converted a single-cam Harley-Davidson into a twin-cam and also fabricated the cam chest, cover and gear rack – not to mention the camshafts, gears and oil pump. Notable features include H-D factory racing cylinder casting from a board track racer, and the gas tank is hand fabricated. Brad Richards of Harley-Davidson’s styling and design team said, “The custom build stood out for its beauty, but also as a pure racing machine with a re-engineered motor that keeps the bike performing.” Lange has been an invited builder to the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show since its inception. Click here to see a walkaround of the build.
Michael Lange’s custom 1921 Harley-Davidson Banjo Two-cam Board Track Racer.
Taking home the “Harley-Davidson Museum Award” is Christian Newman of Buffalo, New York for his svelte, all stainless-steel custom 1940 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead motorcycle that he designed and fabricated. H-D Museum staff chose Newman due to the thoughtfulness of attention to detail that his build showcases. Particularly interesting elements of the build include narrowing the transmission 2 inches, running the oil through the frame, feed, return and vent. The bike also boasts a sprocket and brake rotor mounted on the exterior of the frame, girder fork, open rockers, and vintage glass lenses in handmade housings. The handlebar, grips and controls are handmade as well. Newman is a Born-Free 12 invited builder and to check out his latest creation, click this link.
Christian Newman’s custom 1940 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead. Photo credit: Brandon Fischer.
To check out all the entries into the The No Show, visit Harley-Davidson’s official Instagram page and scroll through the dizzying array of bikes on display, accompanied by a personal video of each builder, describing their custom motorcycles in detail. Limited edition merchandise from The No Show is available for purchase, with all proceeds benefitting the invited builders directly.
Those who missed the show can visit Harley-Davidson’s Instagram page to scroll through the array of bikes and tap into their favorites where they’ll see a personal video of each builder walking them through his or her masterpiece. A virtual “stage” to listen to acoustic sets is also still available as well as a “merch booth” featuring ultra-limited-edition The No Show t-shirts that can be purchased while supplies last, with 100 percent of T-shirt sales going directly to benefit invited builders.
On Saturday morning, March 23, motorcycle industry professionals, riders, and custom bike enthusiasts around the world learned of the passing of industry luminary Arlen Ness, who died peacefully in his home the night before surrounded by family and loved ones. First and foremost, Ness was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, but to motorcyclists around the globe he was a visionary, leader, and considered by many to be the godfather of the modern custom motorcycle.
Arlen Ness’ motorcycle empire started with a single bike, a 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead that he purchased with the winnings from his semi-professional bowling league. By the late 1960s, choppers had taken over the streets of California, and although Ness was primarily into four-wheeled hot rods, he couldn’t escape the bug. The ’47 Knuck was given what would now be referred to as the “Ness treatment” in the family garage in San Leandro, California. It didn’t take long for his first custom to catch the eyes of magazine photographers and the public fell in love with Ness’ fresh take on the American chopper. The paintwork on the Knuck alone led to his taking custom painting work and eventually opening a storefront and painting motorcycles full time.
With a family to support and a burgeoning business to grow, there was no money for new motorcycles to show every year. Ness continuously built and rebuilt his original ’47 every year in order to stay competitive at local shows and keep his work in the public eye. In doing so, he made the discovery that there wasn’t much variety in terms of parts available to customizers.
Ness took it upon himself to provide that necessary variety to the custom motorcycle market by selling chromed rims and handlebars of his own design. His shelf stock continued to grow, with painting still the primary business, and the local biker community supported both of Ness’ ventures. Before long, word of his custom parts had spread outside of the local area and calls came in from all over from customers looking to add that unique Ness touch to their bikes. To support his long-distance customers, his wife (now of 57 years) Beverly typed up the company’s first “catalog,” which was a simple list of parts and prices.
The business grew, and although it remained in his ownership, the ’47 Knuck, named “Untouchable,” retired from show duty and now he could afford to purchase more bikes and take customizing even further. Choppers may have ruled the road in the late ’60s, but long, low, and lean diggers were on the horizon and were championed by none other than Arlen Ness himself. This general style would go on to be one of the hallmarks of a Ness build through to present times.
For decades, every Arlen Ness build somehow managed to outdo the previous one with Untouchable being one-upped by “Two Bad,” a dual-engine Sportster that used a car-style hub front wheel. Later bikes capitalized on the Ness reputation like the classically styled “Ness-Tique,” the Chevy Bel Air-inspired “Ness-Stalgia,” the modern hypercar-inspired “Smooth-Ness,” and one of his most popular builds, “Mach-Ness,” which used a jet helicopter engine rather than the usual V-twin.
The custom motorcycle world grew bigger and bigger, and Arlen Ness became one of the first parts manufacturers to use CNC machining to produce high-quality, show-ready components that individuals could easily bolt onto their Harleys or customs. The nearly unlimited manufacturing potential allowed Ness to develop a thick catalog of parts, which today stretches across several hundred pages and a website. Along the way, every custom bike Arlen built was saved, and today the museum at the company’s 70,000-square-foot Dublin, California, headquarters is home to dozens of his builds.
In nearly all of his tributes, the word “legacy” is used at least once, and rare it is that a legacy like Arlen Ness’ is seen in this world. He not only left a mark on the custom bike industry, but is in large part responsible for what it is today. His mail-order business with a real-world build background set the standard for dozens of custom parts manufacturers today. He also leaves behind a strong legacy in the Ness name, with son Cory having been a major part of his dad’s company for more than 30 years, and grandson Zach, who started building custom bikes in high school and has become one of the industry’s top builders in his own right. Undoubtedly, Arlen Ness, the brand, has a strong future of pushing boundaries and setting standards in the custom world under their leadership.
A celebration of life for Arlen Ness will be held Saturday, April 27, at 10:30 a.m. at CrossWinds Church in Livermore, California, which will be followed by a group ride to the Arlen Ness dealership in Dublin.
The Handbuilt Show has become a must-attend event every year in Austin, Texas, during the MotoGP race weekend. It now rivals the One Motorcycle Show in terms of the quality and quantity of exhibitors as well as for the events that surround the show itself. This year there was a Superhooligan race the day after a raucous kickoff party, and on Sunday a documentary screening of Oil in the Blood by Gareth Roberts.
Although the hoopla surrounding the show has expanded, the bikes still remain the focal point. And as we did with this year’s One Show, at Handbuilt we also managed to select some favorites. See what really stood out among the crowd below.
Arlen Ness, the legendary custom motorcycle builder, has passed away at the age of 79. A post to the Arlen Ness Motorcycles Facebook page indicates that Ness passed comfortably alongside loved ones in his home.
Ness was born in 1939 and acquired his first motorcycle, a 1949 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead in the ’60s, which he set out to customize. He continued the work out of his garage in California until 1970, when he opened his first business. That first bike, however, had many of the elements that would define the Ness look for decades to come, especially the stretched tank and custom paint.
His paintwork was particularly striking, and was what afforded him some early notoriety. Soon after opening the shop, he also started to make custom parts and that, ultimately, is where he was able to make a living.
Alongside his wife Beverly (the two remained married to his death, 59 years), Ness built a business that encompassed all aspects of custom building, V-twin culture, and, most importantly, family. His son Cory worked with Ness for decades and now Cory’s son Zach is a significant part of the equation as well.
Arlen made an impact on people throughout the world, and a quote ascribed to Ness in the company’s Facebook post announcing his passing summarizes the way he looked at life:
“Motorcycling has been a great ride…my whole life since I’ve been motorcycling has been wonderful. I’ve met so many nice people. Friends all over the world…. We can go almost anyplace and stay with friends. It’s been great.”
We offer our condolences to the Ness family and friends at this time.
