BBC’s latest model, the Athena chopper, comes directly from Kevin’s Biker Build-Off winning design, which was named after the late daughter of his best friend, Mike “The Greek” Aspiotes. This one-off design for the TV show was built with more than just winning the Build-Off, but ultimately being a production bike from the get-go. “We built the Athena for a reason, which was to...

  David called this bike Epitome because it was the culmination of all his knowledge and skill at that time. “One of my best customers, Ken Kelly, wanted to see what I was capable of,” David explains. “He didn’t want me to limit myself and told me not to worry about any of the costs. I didn’t have to compromise on any materials and was able to hand-fabricate and modify almost every...

  Located in Lake Villa, Illinois, north of Chicago and just south of the border of Wisconsin, DD Custom Cycles wasn’t far from Jay’s house. When he made the trip to the shop to check out what his friends said about Dave, Jay was thrilled with what he found. “I was impressed with the detail Dave put into each bike. Over the years his style has evolved into low and long, with a wide...

  So how do you decide what to build after taking over three decades off? “It’s the bike I always wanted to build. It was always in my head,” said Russ. “It’s a combination of 60s, 70s, and rolls clear on up to the present.” The basis for this bike was Russ’s love of the custom Edward Bohlin silver saddles he saw his western movie idols riding in the Rose Parade when he was a kid....

  Rudy has restyled Vieja more than a few times, for both good and bad reasons. The bike received its current makeover because of an accident. “It was a rainy night, and that version of the bike was lacking a front brake. I was trying to slow down for a left hand turn and locked up the rear brake. The bike slipped out from under me, I laid her down, and I busted up her whole left...

  Bossen dutifully dragged the un-colored custom off into his powdercoat pit of pain and conjured up a menacing menagerie of skulls, skeletons, and rustic chains against a blood red base coat. As Jesse strolled into the painter’s workshop, eager to see his freshly tattooed creation, he found himself stopped dead in his tracks. As the coup de grace, Brian had airbrushed a tombstone...

  What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Las Vegas?” No, it’s not colossal buffets with shrimp piled up to the ceiling or brainless dancing fountains of water, it’s gambling. Gambling is what makes the lights stay on and the casino hotels grow in size beyond all comprehension. It’s the lifeblood of the community whether anyone wants to accept it or not. Gambling...

SPECIFICATIONS Owner: Hector Berumen Jr. Year/Make: 2008 FLHX Fabrication: John Shope, Sinister Industries Build time: 7 months Engine: 96 in. Pipes: Rush Air Cleaner: Screamin’ Eagle heavy breather Transmission: six-speed Frame: Modified stock Rake: 46 Stretch: 2″ Forks: stock Front Wheel: 23” x 3.5 Rear Wheel: 18” x 4.25 Front...

Click here for more photos… This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #54, March-April 2007. SPECIFICATIONS: Owner: Jason Nieman Year / Make: 2006 Whiplash Fabrication/ Assembly: Speed and Custom Cycles Build time: 10-weeks Engine: 131″ Panhead/ SCC Cases: STD Development Flywheels: Truett...

Click here to see more photos Todd Van Emburgh’s “Cops and Robbers” Built by Joe Palermo of World Class Customs Story by Mark Barnett, Photos by Todd Van Emburgh Working out of a one-and-one-half car garage in the Daytona Beach area, custom bike builder Joe Palermo builds one-offs which have won some of the biggest shows in the world like the Rat’s...