Kevin Baas - Baas Metal Craft – Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN:

Growing up in a family of bikers, I’ve learned to appreciate metal fabrication and all that comes with it – you could say it’s in my blood. I’m a high school tech ed. teacher by trade but have a passion for working with metal and have put my skills to the test by creating personalized signs, fabricated parts, and even a book! My wife and I have 3 boys… all share an early appreciation for bikes and I can’t wait for the day we can all ride together. www.baasmetalcraft.com

Sugar Bear – Sugar Bear Choppers – Gardena, CA:

From his first introduction to the movement in the 1960s to opening his own “chop shop” in Los Angeles in 1971, Sugar Bear is a chopper culture icon and historian. Sugar Bear learned alongside mentor Benny Hardy, who built pop culture’s two most famous choppers: the “Captain America” and “Billy Bike” from the movie Easy Rider.

“Sugar Bear has been building choppers longer than I’ve been alive,” said Jesse James, founder of West Coast Choppers. Sugar Bear is a legend within the custom bike industry and is known for fabricating the finest and best handling springer front end. By word of mouth and 38 years of dedication, he has a following of builders and riders who are mainly plugged into the vibe of “old school bikes” and the chopper scene. In 2003 -- Sugar Bear made a rare public appearance at-- The Art of the Chopper exhibit at Sturgis—in which many had a chance to meet him for the first time. These days Sugar Bear is still in his shop building bikes and making springers and does what he loves most – ride. www.sugarbearchoppers.com

Roger Bourget – Bourget’s Bike Works – Phoenix, AZ:

Bourget’s Bike Works, Inc. was founded in June, 1993 in Phoenix, AZ by Roger and Brigitte Bourget. Roger’s childhood infatuation with motorcycles turned into a full blown passion for him in his adult years. By the late 1980’s Roger had done everything “custom” possible to a 1984 softail and was still unsatisfied. His background in engineering for Sea Ray boats along with his natural born talents for design inspired him to start from “scratch” and build his own custom motorcycle.

Bourget’s Bike Works, Inc. consists of Roger Bourget, Brigitte Bourget and a team of the best fabricators, machinists, and assemblers Phoenix, AZ has to offer. Bourget’s Bike Works, Inc. has grown and prospered in the last fifteen years and has earned a reputation for building high quality, performance oriented, uniquely styled motorcycles and unheard of customer service for the industry. Each Bourget bike is built to customer specifications and no other manufacturer offers the high performance options, signature Bourget style, and second to none quality found in a Bourget motorcycle. Roger and Brigitte Bourget and the Bourget’s Bike Works team are well respected in the industry and are recognized as one of the leaders in after market American Made Motorcycles. For more information on Bourget’s Bike Works and Roger Bourget call (623) 879-9642 or log on to www.bourgets.com.

Jeff Clark – The Cycle Xchange – Matthews, NC:

Reining burnout king, Jeff Clark of the Cycle Exchange is proud to be one of the participating master builders joining an all-star lineup of celebrities and motorcycle industry icons for the first annual Legends Ride. Hailing from Southeast, North Carolina in the heart of Nascar country, Jeff started out with weekend positions as the jack man for Robert Yates Racing and over the next 18 years became known as an engine specialist amongst the NASCAR community by working for drivers like Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In 2004, his life-long passion for motorcycles got the best of him. He recruited his family, Sue and Dale (mom and dad) to assist with the administrative responsibilities and his brother, Brian; to oversee Operations and The Cycle Xchange (TCX CUSTOMS) was born. Jeff wanted to have a top shelf shop and build beautiful, powerful bikes. He also wanted to compete in national bike shows.

The Cycle Xchange is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch Budweiser Beer, S & S Cycle, Baker Drivetrain & Mechanix Wear. They perform at national bike rallies with The Budweiser Burnout Bike. TCX has combined the world of racing with the motorcycle world. They burn rubber NASCAR style and perform pit stops with a custom motorcycle that has a NASCAR rear tire. With the same enthusiasm and hard work that guided him through 18 years in NASCAR, Jeff is determined to establish TCX Customs as a leader in Custom Motorcycle Industry. For more information on Jeff and his team you can check them out at: www.tcxcustoms.com

Christian Clayton - Sucker Punch Sallys – Scottsdale, AZ:

Founded in 2002, Sucker Punch Sally’s continues to stay true to their traditional biker values by providing the best stripped-down bobbers and choppers at the most reasonable prices. The old school no-nonsense style of bikes that started Sucker Punch Sally’s are the bikes they still build today, only now with the convenience of modern manufacturing practices. The Traditional and the 66 Bobber both received industry awards for 2007 and are the two models that the company was founded on. They have the capacity to build 100 bikes a month at their manufacturing facility in Scottsdale, AZ, including the widely anticipated Swinger. Their model line has been built up to six different models, with the additions of the stealthy Slim and the retro-styled Hot Rod. Sucker Punch Sally’s continuously growing dealer network throughout the U.S. showcases the wide variety of bikes they have available, all of which exude SPS style. For more information on Christian Clayton and Sucker Punch Sallys, log on to www.suckerpunchsallys.com.

Bryan Fuller – Fuller HotRods – Atlanta, GA:

Bryan Fuller grew up in a small town outside of Dallas, TX where bicycles were the main mode of transportation up until high school.

From a very young age, Bryan took them apart, painted, changed wheels, ect. almost weekly much to the dismay of his parents. He bought his first chopper at the age of about 8 and had built his own halfpipe in the backyard by middle school. Any good BMXer in town rode over for the usual Saturday freestyle session. Bicycles were his life.

High School came along and Bryan's dad decided to buy a hot rod, a
'65 Mustang. The cycles were put aside and horsepower took over.

Apprenticing with some of the best in the business, Bryan furthered his skills before being hired by GMT.

Bryan created Fuller Hot Rods in 2002 and was hired by Chip Foose to help him build some of his show winning creations. Bryan was an integral part of the Foose Design Team. In 2003 and 2005 the Foose Team won the Riddler Award for Best Car in Show at the Detroit Autorama. He also was a leading builder on the popular TLC show "Overhaulin". Bryan helped build the impossible; a completely overhauled car in less than 7 days.

In 2005, after completing the Riddler winning Impression, Fuller struck out on his own in downtown Atlanta, GA. Ben Logue's "Texas T" was the first motorcycle out of the shop and it received a very impressive 4th at the World Championship of Bike Building!

2006 we were invited to be in the prestigious "Artistry in Iron."
Twenty builders are chosen to compete for $20K!! This year Fuller will have his 3rd opportunity to be inducted into this select club. FHR has also competed in the World Championship of Bike Building in Sturgis most every year against the world's best.

The "Biker Build-Off" that aired on TLC and Discovery featured an episode featuring Fuller Hot Rods and Greg Westbury. 10 Days to build a bike, then ride it for 500 miles! www.fullerhotrods.com

CJ Hannon – Guilty Customs – Orlando, FL:

Some of the people that know Cj Hanlon could say he has changed over the years. That he went to the ”other side”. That he is some kind of rebel without a cause, concerned only with custom choppers, hot-rods, close “buzz hair cuts” and an ever-growing collection of tattoos, glasses and his trademark fedoras. But looks can be deceiving. To Carl (Cj) Hanlon — former bank executive turned Guilty Customs (www.GuiltyCustoms.com) owner — he’s just being himself. “I wanted to go back to what I loved.” Hanlon said. And what he loved was to ride and build motorcycles. Carl isn’t picky about what kind of motorcycle the shop builds either, just as long as they are cool and functional. So, whether they are Harleys, Triumphs, BSA or other metric’s, he just enjoys the process of building bikes from scratch. “What we really get excited about is custom ground up builds” he said. When Cj refers to “we” he means the guys who make up the “Guilty Gang” that he depends on to make his vision become reality. Jimmy Womach fabricator. Brian Bordeaux and Steve O’Brien painters.

In the five years since he started Guilty Customs, Cj has created numerous works of art from the ground up. From award winning “Lucille” which resides with Daryn Colledge of the Green Bay Packers to his latest creation “Errant 2” for special ops solider Ash Spurlin, one thing remains the same….the passions for giving people a custom motorcycle that is uniquely theirs, affordable and dependable. Guilty bikes have been featured in magazines such as Easy Rider, Cycle Source, Barnett’s, Iron Works, Biker Spot, Hot Bike and many other local and international rags. But don’t hold that against them, ok? They’re just looking to make cool bikes!

Dar Holdsworth – Brass Balls Bobbers and Choppers – Oklahoma, OK:

Over the past several years, the Brass Balls Bobbers & Choppers have been featured in many National Magazines, and on TV. They have earned the respect of their peers, placing 3rd and 5th in the World Championships of bike building (production class). They have won bike build offs and have been selected by IronWorks magazine for 2 consecutive annual features to give-away 2 promotional bikes. Brass Balls Bobbers & Choppers have been selected as a Top 10 production manufacturer in 2008 and Awarded "Production Bobber of the Year" for 2009 by Easyriders and V-Twin Magazine. The guy behind it all is Dar Holdsworth.

Dar is a guy who’s life did not expose him to bike building early on. Dar spent his adolescent years in an orphanage. He was adopted during his teen years and joined the Air Force after high school. Shortly after returning from Desert Storm, Dar’s time in the military had expired and he was moving on to a career in printing and manufacturing displays for the retail industry.

Prior to Darwin Motorcycles, Dar started and operated a successful Visual/Design business, providing signage, displays and fixtures to the retail industry.

Dar was a customer of Racing Innovations, collaborating on and helping build a few bikes. While building a bike for his dad (who adopted him at age 16), Dar drew up a business plan and started Darwin Motorcycles, “To offer the above average bike to the average Joe”.

“We partner with the best companies and use the highest quality components to build the Brass Balls Bobbers & Choppers. We support the American workforce and salute the American soldier. We are a Federally Licensed Manufacturer, listed with both the NADA guide and Kelley Blue Book.”

Darwin Motorcycles, LLC. builds the World renowned, Brass Balls Bobbers and Choppers. “The above average bike for the average Joe”. www.brassballsbobbers.com

Brian and Laura Klock – Klock Werks Kustom Cycles – Mitchell, SD:

Klock Werks Kustom Cycles has gotten a lot of publicity for building the WFB (World’s Fastest Bagger), but the company has a rich and diverse history stretching back to 1997. Brian Klock first operated from a tiny single-car garage with no sign. This taught him a lot about pacing himself, customer service and of course bikes – everything from Sportsters to Baggers. Klock says, “being located in the proverbial “middle of nowhere”, running a Kustom bike shop can be daunting, so you work on whatever comes through the door; including all your dad’s friends bikes. In 1996, John “Quigley” Patton stepped into Brian’s life to help finish a turbo-charged bagger for Roger, Brian’s dad. Patton quickly took Brian under his wing and taught him how to deal with Baggers in general.

When Klock Werk’s first employee, Dan Cheeseman, signed on, Brian and Dan chased their passion for bikes and with Quigley prodding them along, Klock Werks began to grow. In 2004, Klock Werks moved into the current location with a sign above the door and added Joe Mielke and the woman Brian eventually made his wife in 2007, Laura, to the staff. While Brian’s designs have been winning awards and magazine features since the very first bike he built, in 2006, Klock Werks won the Discovery Channel Biker Build-off with a bagger. Three months later, Laura piloted the WFB to a new AMA Land Speed record at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats and it became the World’s Fastest Bagger. The Bonneville Salt Flats is also where the concept of the FLARE Windshield was born. One of Klock Werks hottest selling parts, the FLARE Windshield was named 2009 V-Twin Accessory of the Year at the V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati.

Klock Werks prides itself in excellent customer service and quality parts. Parts that fit right out of the box, look great, and perform. Currently, Klock Werks offers over 300 part numbers with many more new and innovative designs coming out weekly.

Jim Nasi – Jim Nasi Customs – Phoenix, AZ:

A man of few words, consummate craftsman Jim Nasi lets his bikes do the talking. Although quite, Jim Nasi has amassed one of the most decorated résumés of any custom bike shop in the nation. Jim’s lean, mean, exotic machines have graced the covers of countless magazines, books and inclusion along industry icons Jesse James, Eddie Trotta and Kendal Johnson on the Camel Roudhouse Tour. Presently, Jim Nasi Customs is a great outlet for the do-it-yourselfer offering a full line of high-quality, innovative parts from sheet metal, to frames to his own award-wining line of production motorcycles called the Afterlife. As the motorcycle industry continues to evolve and change, Jim continues to do what he loves for a living and makes lifelong friendships with customers and industry associates at every turn. For more on Jim Nasi and Jim Nasi Customs log on to jimnasicustoms.com.

Michael Prugh – Michael Prugh Designs – Rapid City, SD:

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Prugh…

1.) He’s shorter than you think
2.) Preferred brand of shoes – Chuck Taylor’s
3.) Doesn’t talk much, but he is always listening
4.) Drink of choice – Crown and Water
5.) Extremely picky eater – makes a killer breakfast burrito
6.) Was a basketball star in High School – still a mystery
7.) College Education – yes
8.) Sings in the shower
9.) Honest with impeccable manners – knows how to treat his lady
10.) Has been known to design a few things

Athena Ransom - Vagabond Chopper Company – Oakland Park, FL:

Born in Illinois, lived in California and moved to South Florida at an early age of seven. Athena has been riding since the age of fifteen and started working on choppers at the sweet age of sixteen. Athena had to learn mechanical applications from her boyfriend at the time and after hours while working in the parts department of a few motorcycle shops over the years. The Chickie is a “Daddy’s Girl”- her dad Chicago Phil, is the reason for the family “Biker” status. Chicago Phil and his brothers have been riding choppers since the 60's.

Guys always gave Athena a hard time about being a chick who rides and wrenches on bikes. She never let that stop her. Athena always worked in the motorcycle industry, just not as a mechanic or builder because to the guys, having a chick in the shop was taboo. Athena says, “I like to build choppers, because when you’re done you can see and feel the birth of ideas that evolves in your brain.”

“My Dad always encouraged me to do what I wanted, he and I are very close and I help to care for him with anything he needs as he is disabled after falling twenty-two stories from the Sears Tower in 1989. He was caught by the safety rope and the jolt from the fall pretty much snapped his back, he was expected to never walk again- he does and he rides his motorcycle. My parents were divorced when I was twelve, and I am now twenty twice (40) hehehe...”

Athena’s work has been featured in national magazines such as V-Twin, Outlaw Biker, American Iron, Crossroads and many others. Athena & Vagabond Chopper Company have also been featured on Speed TV shows “Corbin’s Ride On” and “American Thunder” also The Learning Channel show “Miami Ink.”

Athena was a competitor for The AMD World Championship in Sturgis 2006 where she placed 54th out a 100 in the Freestyle Division and continues to participate annually. www.vagabondchoppers.com

Blake Sabers – Sabers Specialties – Mitchell, SD:

What began in the corner of this body shop with 1 bike lift, an airbrushed sign with a logo, a shelf with a few parts, a fax machine in a closet, and my cell phone as the shop phone number, I started Sabers Specialties. Pretty crude in the beginning, but now going on 4 years, and a much bigger shop in Mitchell, SD, we are doing quite well. We are a full service motorcycle shop that does everything from oil changes to full blown, award wining customs. We were chosen to build the 2007 and 2008 Official Sturgis Rally Raffle motorcycles, competed as one of the 50 top builders to compete in the S&S 50th anniversary Biker-Build-off in 2008, and also was nominated to compete in the 2008 Artistry in Iron bike competition in Las Vegas in October 2008. In 2009 we plan to have a full line of our own parts. www.sabersspecialties.com

Kyle Shorey – Shadetree Fabrications – Dallas, TX:

Born in a small town in Oregon where opening day of huntin' season was considered a holiday and if your shop wasn't bigger than your house you just were livin' right! Dirt bikes were the first machines he got his hands on and spent every weekend with his buddies tearin’ through the hills behind his house. The year he turned 21 he got his first Ironhead and it was all over after that!

A few bike's later Kyle opened Shadetree Fabrications! He planned to just build tanks and bars and some parts but the demand for old style bikes and his passion for them snowballed into what is now one of the premier custom bike shops in the Dallas area. "Old Iron is where my heart lies."

Little did he know when he walked into "Fast Eddies Dixonville Cycle and laid eyes on his 47' Bobber that he would one day be building bikes that even Fast Eddie would be amazed at! www.shadetreefabrications.com

Eddie Trotta – Thunder Cycle Design – Ft. Lauderdale, FL:

Steven Tyler – Dirico Motorcycles USA – Boston, MA:

“First of all,” starts Steven Tyler, “I am that big lipped guy from Aerosmith. Been around forever, but whatever time of year, whatever time of day, it almost feels like yesterday that we were at Max’s Kansas City playing our first show in New York City.”

Might seem like yesterday, but it’s almost been a lifetime since Steven and his four compatriots in Aerosmith rocked the house at Max’s. The band’s meteoric rise (and fall and rise) has been well chronicled and Tyler has created some of the most memorable songs in the rock music lexicon.

Yet, Steven Tyler is more than the lead singer and songwriter of Aerosmith. He’s a personality, artist, designer and bon vivant. He’s passionate, driven and has an eye for fine detail that escapes many.

He brings all of those qualities, along with a love of riding, to DIRICO Motorcycles USA. Steven has been riding for over 40 years, using the rush of the open road early on as an adrenaline rush to spark his creativity and energy.

More recently, he hops on one of his motorcycles to escape the pressures of his rock ‘n roll lifestyle. In fact, it was on one of these rides and while working on his Fat Boy that Steven started to think about how he’d want his dream motorcycle to look and feel. Thus, DIRICO Motorcycles USA were born.

Nowadays, in between Aerosmith tours and albums, Steven can be found out and about, turning up the volume knob on life.

Craig Whitford, CC Trikes and Custom Bikes/Hostile Cycles:

Craig Whitford is the owner of Hostile Cycles, a division of CC Trikes and Custom Bikes in Terrell, Texas. He’s known for his unique builds, each fabricated from the ground-up and finished with creative paint designs. His passion for bike-building is evident in his exploration of the boundaries of his craft.

Craig gained celebrity status with his appearances on Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off, where he received as much praise for being a Southern gentleman as he did for his incredible trike, and CMT’s Chopper Challenge. His artistic vision and pure talent continue to earn the respect of enthusiasts as well as his contemporaries.

Craig got his start at his father’s auto body shop in Terrell, Texas. Beginning with bicycles, he soon moved on to cars and motorcycles. By age 15, one of his paint jobs was featured in a local magazine. Enamored with the lifestyle, Craig also joined an NHRA top-fuel funny car race team and toured the U.S.

He built his first custom bike in the 90s, when his brother passed away. Inspired by his older sibling’s hardcore biker ways, Craig built a one-of-a-kind machine in his memory, featuring an all-aluminum frame, wide Corvette tires, and nitrous. His later aluminum bikes include the Alluminator, Slingblade and Switchblade. Craig is without a doubt a major contender in the motorcycle industry today. His innovative, high-performance designs set the bar and possess all the characteristics that the term “master builder” suggests.

Taking his show on the road throughout the year, Craig exhibits his exquisite two- and three-wheeled creations, including his Biker Build-Off trike, at shows and rallies. They’re always a crowd pleaser, as is Craig. He’s congenial and subdued by nature, but his experience as a pro wrestler in the 80s, competing against Von Erich, Bruiser Brodie, and the like, means he knows how to entertain and ham it up for the camera. Craig continues to add show and rally appearances to his calendar, and he looks forward to meeting current fans and making new ones. www.hostilecycles.com

Jim & Shaun Wubben – P.B. Choppers – Moravia, IA:

Since opening P.B. Choppers in Moravia, Iowa, Jim & Shaun Wubben Have built motorcycles in their own style. Always looking beyond what they’ve done in the past to test their own limitations and grow from the experience. The Wubbens have been willing to impart their own philosophy and that has paid dividends with an impressive list of exceptional award-winning motorcycles that have come to age over the years.

When you visit P.B. Choppers and observe the wealth of creativity displayed on a daily basis, it’s obvious that Jim & Shaun have surrounded themselves with exceptional talented individuals. Don’t let their kicked-back demeanor fool you. The P.B. Choppers team is right at home creating motorcycles with purpose, character, and no limitations. As it turns out, no matter the challenge or the vintage, P.B. Choppers knows how to improve on any aspect of a motorcycle.

In keeping their laid-back nature, Jim & Shaun are quick to credit everyone else involved in P.B. Choppers success. To achieve such stunning results every aspect of the motorcycle tells of the alliance between the design and the technology. This coupled with capability that brought all these elements together to create motorcycles that stand so truly unique and absolutely amazing on every level. And to sum it all up, building the 2005 Biker Build-Off winner. Thus, P.B. Choppers will stand the test of time. For more information visit www.pbchoppers.com.