The portion of South Florida going from Jupiter Island to Palm Beach to South Beach Miami has the east coast highest concentration of Bling. It includes mansions and vehicles of all styles, from the sublime to the tacky, from the outrageous to the ridiculous. Being low key is not the norm and too many motorcycles don’t escape the consequence of an obsession with being noticed and remembered…for your appearance. I know, I live and work in the middle of it (Boca Raton)
When 2 years ago German custom builder Eric Vault from House Of Thunder moved his shop to Miami to race power boats during the weekend and build bikes during the week, it didn’t take him a long time to figure out the South Florida custom scene. No way he would duplicate what he saw there. Instead, he went the other route, offering some relatively cheap Harley and Royal Enfield conversions with (an over the top) utilitarian approach. A way to establish himself as a very different local builder, and for his clients…to be noticed at a much lower cost.
The 2 Trailbreakers (1 word) featured here may remind some of you the infamous late 1950’s Rokon Trail-breaker motorcycles created by a California inventor named Charles Fehn set out to build the ultimate off-road vehicle. It had to go anywhere and be a rugged workhorse. With this in mind a two-wheel drive vehicle with hollow wheels was designed. It was produced in limited quantity for the 1st time in 1966. Some called it a motorcycle but the name Mototractor more closely identified it. The Rokon became legendary with the military, much less in the civilian, but you can still order accessories and parts factory direct and through a worldwide network of dealers and distributors.
Except the use of a pair of 6 x 16 military Jeep-size tires and a Mad Max attitude in a survival dress up, these 2 House Of Thunder USA Trailbreakers are not as weird as it may seem at first glance. There are quick and not expensive Harley conversions, respectively a 1996 Harley Heritage and of a 1999 Fat Boy. And guess what? Both bikes are spectacular in Ultra-Bling country. How do they ride? Of course, don’t expect quick and precise turns. Be prepared for some unusual rolling noise. But surprisingly they still spin fine and relatively fast on interstate 95 and will impress most tourists and celebrities when cruising South Beach Ocean Drive or Palm Beach Worth Avenue. Orders already received show real interest from both hipsters and rich urban bikers.
And if a military type motorcycle is attractive to you, what about this bobbed Royal Enfield already ordered twice with one already shipped to Europe. In South Florida, will camouflage may become the new Bling? House Of Thunder USA. (photography @ H.Roesler for Cyril Huze)
Boca Raton? Home of Conquest Customs…love those guys!
These are cool, part of a trend that has been brewing for a couple of years. Lets see you put em through the paces!. If you Instagram, check out @sodakbigjoe and @benderwerks you’ll see we’ve got it covered. Mud slinging, off roading, busting trail through snow and ice racing.
Bring your “Trailbreakers” up north and we’ll see what you got!
All in fun, no hating going on here.
Joe
Almost forgot, totally dig the Trailbreakers! Nice to see something a little different.
Follow the trend, follow the trail.
Cyril. Another good discovery seen nowhere else.
Breaking the usual mold. Original & cool.
Nice to see a builder with a sense of humor. More articles like this. We all need to lighten up. ..Z
I love it! Now if I was 20 years younger…………
Unique bikes, get real tired of Big Wheeled Ass dragging Baggers
I bet they handle poorly.
Awesome! I wish I had the black softail.
Too cool! Shades of Fury Road.
” and will impress most tourists and celebrities when cruising South Beach Ocean Drive or Palm Beach Worth Avenue” well , thats what its all about isn’t it ?
I wish it was 1972 again …………………………………………………………………..
WTF, haha trail “breaker.” a little ironic. These aren’t original either, maybe for all the vomit coming out of Florida–but all of this has been at Mooneyes Yokohama. Jeep tires check, indian dirtbike tank check, DNA springer–snap.
Sure it’ll get you noticed, but tourists would also notice Snooki’s ass hanging out.
Cool Bikes but those tires would be lethal in the wet.
Guess the people that ride such bikes would not ride hard and fast in the wet.
Bling is on the way back, look at the cartoonish baggers out there screaming look at me look at me.
I like my Motorcycles like my Woman with no extras bits hanging off you don’t need !!
That may appear sexist, but in fact it is just promoting healthy living with a good diet and exercise.
First off who wants to impress tourists, enough of snow birds here already, and as far as impressive , very far from impressive if you want my opinion, and hipsters and Rich urban bikers, I mean how expensive can they possibly be ? looks like all that’s done to any of them is a tire change, a cheap DNA front end, some cheap handle bars, a few little mods to the rear fender what are we talking for a used bike here $ 4 K and I would love to see these bikes off road, better yet the drivers after their done, just another fad that will vanish as quick as they came in. Sorry but just my opinion..
Not less rideable than most of the bikes in Rat’s Hole, Boardwalk & Willies bike shows.
Guy in the phx area had the same bike for sale a year ago.
mad max meets the motor company
Wot? no comments on the Enfield? That looks a nice little, dare I say, bobber? in the original sense of the style – the mudguard ‘bobbed’ etc and looks like rear shocks shortened….
Must admit to looking for a cheap Enfield now that the winters here in England are getting colder and snowier…
Great area great bling and great bikes! Love all your diversified posts Cyril keep it up!!
Savage
Scott and Conquest Customs along with Bobby and American V-Twin in Boca Raton a great place to visit…..
Haven’t been around for a couple of weeks. I had to Chuckle Cyril. Most Bling, best if the best, # 1 in the Country And Here Is humble Cyril…..”I ought to know I LIVE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT IN BOCA RATON” I love it and yes you do Cyril and you deserve all of the Bling, you worked for all of it.
That is so cool.
Proves the old adage”there’s an ass for every seat,” no more lame than the big wheel garbage wagons, he will sell some! Boat racing and Thunder in the name, gee sounds a little familiar in the Florida bike building world, hmmmm.