DC RIDERS

Luck or fate?

Accident yesterday north of Deer Lodge on I-90. The driver was appx 22 year old guy heading east to College. He had left central Washington early in the morning. He fell asleep at the wheel and drifted off the shoulder hitting the end of the section of guard rail.
The guard rail came through the right headlight, engine compartment, firewall, glove box, passenger seat, rear seat and exited out the driver’s side of the rear window. That is 120 LF of guard rail that threaded through the suburban.
The passengers, and the driver were not injured. I don't believe in luck. It just wasn't their time yet.

Baby Kermit...out on the town!

John and Brandon get the Chopper taking shape!

Detroit Brothers "Bail Money"

Still one of my favorite bikes...the Detroit Brothers keep making a splash in the building world.

Precious Metal Customs: Hundred Grand

Russ Austin of Precious Metal Customs in Atlanta, Georgia, uses steel to create true mechanical jewels.

Design inspiration often comes from an unexpected source. “When I conceptualize a new design, I don’t look to the world of motorcycles,” says Russ. “I look for inspiration in other fields like architecture, art, or in this case, movies. I wanted the aspect of this design to be similar to the creature from Alien. If you look closely at the fuel tank, you see it has the shape of the creature’s head.”

This Bike and more incredible customs can be found at: Barnettsmagazineonline.com

Rusty Vintage Sportster Not So Vintage

Everybody likes a bike with a story to tell. The owner of this bike, Craig Gacom, owner of Motorsports Auto Group in Phoenix, Arizona, likes to tell people who ask, "This is a 1928 board track racer. We found it in a barn and it started right up." But he doesn't stop there. "You can go on and on with stories that people believe," he said, laughing. "I told one guy, 'Yeah, we pulled it out of the bottom of a lake, drained the oil, put fresh gas in it and it ran!' and he believed me."

The bike really started out as a '96 Harley-Davidson Sportster. The frame was sectioned underneath the gas tank and a hardtail section was grafted in. Nearly everything on the bike is custom. "It's a factory Sportster motor, but everything else is handmade," Craig said. "All the gas tank, sheetmetal — some of it is actual rust and a lot of it has been antiqued to make it look like it's old." The build took about four months.

Click image to make bigger

Ricky Esparza’s Sun Burst Orange Buell Chopper

This cool Buell chopper belongs to Ricky Esparza, the Parts Manager at our Barnett Harley-Davidson dealership in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was featured in Barnett's Magazine this year!

'71 750 Honda Chopper

This old school chopper made me think of John and Phil. It is one sweet ride and has been best of show on many occasions. The custom stuff includes: those rockers for that old twisted springer, the exhaust system, gas tank, suicide shift and more.
Click to enlarge...note the skull tail light!