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There is not such a thing as a typical Custom Builder profile. And if you want another proof of it, just read about Rick Fairless’ background and how it led him to create a Texas Biker Lifestyle Empire (bikes, booze and tattoos). Calling himself a “Lucky Chump from Texas”, Rick is both a colorful character (as colorful as his well known custom built bikes and trademark tie-dye tee-shirts) and a very serious businessman, probably one of the hardest working men in the custom motorcycle industry.

It’s in Irving, a suburb north of Dallas, that Rick was born, raised and got its first taste of riding motorcycles with his high school friends. At the age of 19 his first job was for his uncle who owned a chain of paint stores called Roach Paint Co. He worked his way up the company ladder from stock boy to order puller to truck driver to manager of the Irvine store which became, under his management,  the number one store in the company. Then he was transferred into outside sales to score being the number 1 salesman in the company. Then, when giant Glidden bought out Roach Paint Co. Rick remained, kept his title of best salesman but got tired of the big company corporate life.

A biker since his teenage years, Rick always fantasized about owning his own motorcycle shop, applied without any real hope to become an Easyriders Motorcycles franchisee, and after hitting many roadblocks, got approved to open Easyriders Dallas.  It was year 1996 and right away Rick displayed his unique personality by doing exactly the opposite of what all other shops were doing. Opening his store in an old 30’s building, decorating it with goofy stuff, installing life size dinosaurs on the roof, and yes attracting a lot of bikers who came in drove to check out this unusual place and what its colorful owner had to offer. Right away, Rick got the idea to keep them as long as possible around him by opening a bar next door (pool tables and shuffleboard included), then later a tattoo parlor. Continue reading ‘The Secret Life Of Rick Fairless’

I don’t know for sure how the 1995-2005 decade will be remembered in motorcycle history books. Among many positive developments in the custom motorcycle industry, abundance of creativity and emergence of new talents. But also some less flattering components like the arrival of too many business people and companies with no motorcycle background, just jumping in because these new ventures seemed as a cool way to make fast money, no motorcycle love necessary. Do You remember how many Harley cloning manufacturing companies were created? Most gone as fast as they appeared, and this before our economic recession. A few others giving up when our economy started to hiccup.

Contrary to the already defunct companies, those few custom motorcycle manufacturing companies still active today are animated by men who were loving motorcycles well before they became shrewd business people able to manage a motorcycle company. Among these companies still with us and deserving it, Desperado Motorcycles manufacturing seven different custom motorcycle models for a total never exceeding, by choice, 300 bikes every year, a safe and smart marketing approach. To answer the requests of those wishing a pure one-off, Jeff also created Jeff Nicklus Customs building one-of-a-kind American V-Twin High Performance Motorcycles. Jeff began building bikes at age 15 in Dallas, Texas. That passion has grown later into a lucrative business with Jeff relying not only on motorcycle dealers to sell his production customs but also spending months on the road meeting directly with his potential clients. Continue reading ‘The Secret Life Of Jeff Nicklus’