Custom Production Motorcycles - What are they?

For the past five years a quiet revolution has been taking place in the heavy cruiser motorcycle market. When Indian Motorcycle Company went dark in 1953 the only American manufacturer around to fill the void was Harley-Davidson. And you probably know their story of success, near failure, and meteoric rise to the top.

The British craze of the 60's and 70's produced some good bikes. The Japanese took over in the 70's and 80's. And then the market starting maturing. Little boys who 35 years ago watched wide-eyed as the big man in the neighborhood kick started his Harley grew up, never forgetting the sound and image of a V-twin engine.

Today, those little boys are big boys and they want cruisers. Not four cylinder, high revving cycles. They want horsepower, rumble, wide tires, low cruising machines that make a statement. And, they're buying them.

Harley still dominates the market for these machines due to the company's longevity and momentum. They haven't stopped making motorcycles since the company was founded in 1903. But, when they had trouble keeping up with demand in the early 1990's entrepreneurs who had been building custom bikes started filling the void.

A Harley off the showroom floor is pretty basic. Not a lot of chrome. Not much pizzazz. Not very powerful, relatively speaking. So, over the years after-market companies began producing custom performance parts and accessories for Harleys including engine components, brake systems, ignitions, seats, handlebars, exhaust, carburetors, wheels, frames, tires, wiring, headlights, etc.

Eventually, you didn't have to buy a motorcycle from a dealer! You could assemble your own from all the available parts. And that's what some folks did. Initially, these "one-up" builders completed a few a year and sold the custom bikes for twice or three times the cost of a showroom Harley. Every component was hand picked to match the buyer's personality, tastes, riding style and budget.

As demand grew for American made custom motorcycles with V-Twin engines, the Japanese jumped on board with their versions of V-Twins. But, pretty soon new American companies were being formed to meet the demand. Names like California Motorcycle Company (CMC), Ultra Cycles, American Eagle, American Iron Horse, Big Dog, Quantum, Victory, Bourget, Wild West and now, Indian (yes, they're back), started making noise. They're calling themselves "custom production" or "premium American" cruisers. What are these bikes made of? Let's dissect one.

First, the engine. The power plants on these cruisers are made predominantly by S&S. This engine manufacturer began about 40 years ago making high performance and replacement parts for Harley-Davidson's motors. There are several other good engine builders beginning to emerge, including Total Performance Engineering (TP), but S&S engines power virtually all the custom production motorcycles on the market. Engines come in various sizes including 88, 96, 107,113 and 131 cubic inch displacement. They're big, loud, powerful, and all are V-Twins.

Once the engine is selected the rest of the cruiser is assembled from components that engineers and designers use for practical, cosmetic, safety and budgetary reasons. Some of the parts are proprietary to the manufacturer. Some are found on the all the bikes.

In any event, a custom production motorcycle is just that. A customized bike due to its paint job and styling. A production bike due to its construction in a factory where many units are assembled the same way, using the same parts. You get the best of both worlds, assembly-line cost savings with custom looks.

For instance, you can buy a custom production bike off a showroom in Richmond, Virginia that will be the only one like in the Mid-Atlantic. 25 may have been painted and assembled exactly alike in the factory, but one is in Kansas City, another in Ventura, in Chicago, etc. You can also order special paint jobs and set-ups from the manufacturer through your local dealer, or over the internet with your local dealer serving as liaison.

Another interesting trend is the warranty that these custom production scoots are providing. Three and four year unlimited mileage warranties are commonplace.

So, where once you only had three choices for a dependable motorcycle; American, Japanese or German (no offense Brits, please) you now have endless ways to tickle your fancy. All of the manufacturers listed above have web sites. Log on and check out their offerings. It's astounding what you can buy in the price range of $18-33,000 these days! And the bikes are quite competitive in cost. When you factor in the value of billet (solid and tooled) aluminum wheels and other parts, chromed everything, high performance electrical and power systems, etc., the costs are reasonable. After all, if you were to customize a standard showroom bike with all the goodies you usually find on a custom production cycle you would spend weeks shopping catalogs, thousands of dollars buying the parts, and months waiting for shipments and installation.

The bottom line is this. What statement do you want to make.how fast do you want to go.how do you ride.and what dream do you want to fulfill? Motorcycle manufacturers know that their products are luxury items and, as such, emotional purchases. They're doing everything they can to keep the packages shiny, sexy and dependable. At least the good ones are. And there are lots of choices. Ride safely.

Author:

Ed Tillett - A motorcycle enthusiast who grew up riding Hondas, a Sportster to woo his wife 23 years ago, and now a Big Dog Vintage Classic. Ed's company produces TV shows (Outdoor Virginia on the Outdoor Life Network), marketing films, web sites, CD ROMs and videos. His company handles advertising, promotion and marketing for Norfleet Motorsports and Indian Motorcycle Richmond. He recently attended the 32nd Annual Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis to view the offerings of virtually every manufacturer and distributor associated with the motorcycling industry. E-mail him edtillett@home.com.

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