Is the custom motorcycle industry dead?

When Jesse James and his West Coast Choppers first appeared on the Discovery Channel, the world got a little taste of custom motorcycles. The economy was doing well and many men began to dream of owning their own custom motorcycle. Of course, many of them, upper-middle-class football dads, thought the biker lifestyle, as portrayed by the great Jesse, was too scary for them.

Then the Teutels arrived. American Chopper struck a chord with the men that Jesse couldn’t. He made them spend money. Suddenly every American man over the age of thirty wanted a custom motorcycle. And those who had money bought them in droves. Custom bike shops sprang up in almost every small town in the country and many custom bike builders thought they had hit the nail on the head.

Even people who weren’t really planning on buying one ended up buying a bike because we got caught up in the phenomenon that was American Chopper. Five bikes later and two custom models under my belt, I can honestly say that if custom bikes hadn’t been all over TV, I probably wouldn’t have a garage full of them now. The country went crazy with custom motorcycles.

Doctors and lawyers gladly shelled out $30,000 bikes to join the custom bike craze. Along the way, some custom motorcycle production companies entered the business and made their fortunes in no time. If you had the money and wanted a great bike without the worries of getting parts and such, the production chopper fit the bill. Many of these hip bikers actually became real bikers, myself included, but that’s where the trouble started.

If you’ve ever ridden a chopper or bobber, you’ll know all too well that these things are great for bar-hopping and parading at your local bike night, but as full-time rides they just don’t cut it. Believe me I know; after a 400-mile ride to Niagara Falls, I quickly realized that having a long, low custom bike was not what I wanted for long rides. And many other new riders learned the same lesson. As sales of touring models soared, the custom motorcycle industry began to hear the death knell that was just around the corner. Then the tragedy hit the motorcycle industry in general.

As the US economy fell, the demand for custom bikes also fell. Many newcomers to the bike building business who had struck out on a full-time career for a hobby soon discovered that when only real riders wanted to build custom bikes, only established custom motorcycle shops were in business. Even the well-known OCC felt the pinch when its once-coveted theme bikes became a low priority for corporations now on a budget.

Viewers of the show watched as Paul Teutel Sr had to lay off a bunch of workers and fans could only wonder if his new building wasn’t at the right time. The craze for custom motorcycles was over.

So what does all this mean for the custom motorcycle business in general? Is dead? Hardly. It is much bigger than before the fad started. Many startups have managed to survive because they created a good product. Some production helicopter companies have fallen by the wayside. But the biggest thing for me is that motorcycling in general has finally become mainstream. Despite the downturn in the economy and HD in financial trouble, more people now ride motorcycles than ever before. And that means more people will customize them too.

It is rare to see a motorcycle that has not been customized in one way or another and I confidently predict that after this economy picks up, the custom motorcycle industry and custom parts industries will flourish. How do I know all this? Because despite the lag in sales and the passing of fashion, motorcycle websites are busier than ever. People may not be spending money right now, but they’re doing something almost as important. They’re making their wish lists for bike parts and, in some cases, determining who they’re going to get to build the custom bike of their dreams when things change. What will they do?

Take heart folks, the custom industry isn’t dead, just taking a much-needed nap.