Sonny White has a lot to be proud of. First off, there’s his family: wife Esther, and kids Miller, 20, and Mandolyn, 16. There are his friends, a group of Harley aficionados known as the Black Widows. Then there are his bikes, the ones he’s constructed from the ground up and those he’s customized for friends and customers over the years. When asked how many bikes he’s built, Sonny said, “I’ve lost count.”

As owner of River City Cycle Works, Inc. in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Sonny’s bikes get raves from his clients. As Grant Pierson, a friend, fan, and River City Cycles bike owner said, “No one builds ‘em like Sonny.”

A current source of pride for Sonny is pictured here, an all-American themed, built-from-the-ground-up chopper called The Bel Air. According to Sonny, he builds his cycles to sell, so he’s tried not to put too many miles on this one. “They come and go,” he said philosophically. Still, he’s partial to The Bel Air, and it’s easy to see why. His overall idea was to build a bike that would turn and handle well, something that most choppers aren’t noted for. “By doing the research, and doing the right thing, it handles great. Even for as long as it is. The turning radius is great, the rake and trail’s correct, there’s no flop in the front end. If you’re a good rider, you can turn right around in the middle of the street if you keep your feet up,” Sonny said. Not bad for a 9-foot, 4-inch piece of gleaming, monster machinery.

The transmission plate was extended to connect the frame and rear fender, and the oil tank was molded in. The result is a sleek, clean-looking, smooth-riding chopper. All of the electrical system is hidden in the frame. Sonny added a cushy, red and white Sting Ray seat for comfortable riding.

Sonny’s pride in his country is reflected in the paint design. The red, white, and blue flames were rendered by Rod Stufflebeam of Rod’s Speed Shop, and that swell airplane with the LED lights beneath the wings started life as a hood ornament from a 1950’s era Chevy Bel Air sedan. Both the rear fender and the drive belt incorporate the Bel Air logo.

When he’s not building bikes, Sonny races them. He’s got a 117ci gas drag bike that he’ll be competing with in the Harley Mid-West Nitro Nationals in Tulsa on April 16 and 17. Cheering him on from the stands will be some of his friends and cohorts from the Black Widows, who describe themselves as “a social organization with anti-social tendencies,” and whose common interest is Harleys. As their website states, “This is about motorcycles and friends who don’t suck.” Sonny White and his friends (some of whose bikes will be featured here in the next few weeks) definitely do not suck. In fact, they’ve got a lot to be proud of.

You can see more of Sonny’s bikes, and read more about the Black Widows on their website here.