Matter of fact, I think the late and lamented print edition of Barnett’s Magazine was the first to ever publish a Bling’s Cycles bike, a rompin’ stompin’ dirt-bike inspired bobber called Asbury Dirt. Maybe that’s where Jack’s Bling’s Cycles fascination began, But, that’s still not enough for Mr. Cofano as he constantly prods us to write more about Bill and then repeatedly pokes at us some more without letting on why he’s so adamant. It never stops. I figure the calls should start coming again about three or four days after this article goes up online. So, I’m declaring Jack Cofano the ultimate Bling’s fanboy and this article is for him as much as Bling’s Cycles. 

 

   A little background check on Bill covers his many years as shop foreman at West Coast Choppers before breaking out and moving to Asbury Park, New Jersey, to set up his own shop and build his own bikes. After a successful stint in New Jersey where Bill made his presence known in the bike building community as someone who had their finger on the pulse of what was going to happen, he seemed to set up shop in every state east of the Mississippi (my exaggeration, sorry, but it seemed that way) until he found his real bike-building home in Daytona Beach. From his location on North Beach Street, he’s back at it with even more vigor building dirt bike-inspired bobbers and more that you know are a Bling’s bike from a block away.

 

  Now let me clarify that last statement a bit about a Bling’s Cycles bike being recognizable from a block away. That in no way refers to Bill’s bike as some sort of cookie-cutter bikes that he distinguishes by something goofy to make it stand out from the last one ─ far from it. Each and every bike has their own look and individuality, but there is a very basic continuity and feel that makes a Bling’s Cycles bike a Bling’s Cycles bike. Much the same way you can instantly tell an Indian Larry or an Exile Cycles or a Ron Finch build when you see one –they’ve got their own unmistakable look. Maybe that’s why Jack insists on every Bling’s bike being featured ─ he just wants to see every look before he fires his money gun or maybe he’s just a serial stalker. I’m going for the latter.

 

   The essence of a Bill Dodge bike is simplicity, purity of line, and the ability to tear yourself a new one whenever and wherever you feel like it. They are dirt bike inspired, note the cross-braced MX bars and the obvious knobby up front, but no, they are not dirt bikes. Although, I gotta add that somebody forgot to inform Bill that as he’s not afraid to wail on them in the dirt (or the street) followed by gales of laughter at the absurdity of the whole thing. I’d venture a guess that if Bill dropped one of his bikes hard off road and banged it up a bit, he’d just ride it as is if it was mechanically okay. You know ─ the badge of honor thing that every dirt biker acknowledges as being a conversation starter, “Oh that dent? I got it at the Jack Pine.” Actually, now that I think of it, Bill laughs at the whole absurdity of pristine custom bikes that never turn a wheel in anger and every bike he builds gets the crap ridden out of it by him or its owner.

 

   There’s nothing on a Bling’s bike that doesn’t have to be there and if it does, he tries to make it interesting like the engraved clutch master cover on this bike called Jersey Dirt. It’s probably the closest thing to actual bling on this Bling’s bike and exists unto itself ─ there’s no engraving theme going on. Same goes for chrome, it’s used where it’s smart to for durability (or it came that way) like the S&S teardrop air cleaner or the rocker boxes, but he’s not the type to be sending a huge batch of parts off to chrome.

 

   The simplicity of his bikes is what makes them special and by that I mean you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to keep one going. Everything’s right there and nothing’s made of unobtanium. What’s important is how Bill looks at parts and pieces with an artistically intuitive way of reusing or rethinking them until they look just right. Well, at least to Bill, Jack and me anyway. Take the old stock Harley rear mag wheel for instance. I’ve never been a big fan of this wheel design in general, but sitting between the frame tubes on this one, it couldn’t have been a better choice. Same goes for using an Evo-style engine ─ gee, where can you find parts for that?   

 

    Yeah, there are some Bling’s style-points that are a pretty nice take on what others have done. Things like the forward-mounted, tip-of-the-hat-to-Indian Larry oil filter or the Cherry Bomb -influenced Bling’s Cycles exhaust or the dirt-bike aluminum gas cap. All nice repurposing of parts or ideas that existed, but now with the Bill Dodge touch. There’s nothing here you would be afraid to use for fear of getting a scratch and ruining it.

 

  One area that definitely gives this bike its look is the patina paintjob. Somehow when I’ve seen this used on other customs it looks like it’s trying too hard to look old, but on this bike it looks like Bill found it that way. Credit for this has to go to Santino Moneau whom you probably know more famously as “Sonny Boy” of Sonny Boy Paint in Los Angeles. I’m not a fan of rust or especially brown paint, but I’d take rust over brown paint anytime except in this one particular case. I’ve finally found an exception to my highly-opinionated, ironclad rule of “brown does not belong on any vehicle ever.” For reasons totally unknown to me, I absolutely love this Sonny Boy “brown” paintjob. It looks right and fits this build to a tee without trying to look like years of forced patina. Nice job all around on this one. 

 

   So Jack, I hope you’re temporarily happy we’ve finally got this bike up before the paint became real patina. By the way, you don’t have to always wear only Bling’s Cycles clothing to make your point of the world’s premier Bling’s Cycles fanboy. The constant phone calls cover it nicely.

 

   As was stated and copied and pasted from the last Bling’s article featured on Barnett’s Magazine Online, “For more information about Bling’s Cycles, click on http://blingscycles.com/. Unfortunately Bill’s site is a bit out of date (to say the least) so check out his Facebook page for the latest and greatest.”