Custom bike

This article describes the motorcycle. For the fair of the same name see Custombike (fair) .

Custom bike from TGS at IMOT 2009

Custom bike from Fred Kodlin

Custombike ( kʌstəm baɪk , engl. Custom : tailored bike : Abbreviation for motorcycle.) Is the generic term for a purpose-built to the wishes of the owner or converted motorcycle . Terms such as “Custom Motorcycle” are also used in English .

Term description

One speaks of a custom bike when a motorcycle deviates from the production model due to significant changes / modifications. This usually includes larger metal work (tank extensions, individual frames , swing arm conversions for wide tires , ...) and your own paintwork , which is often created using airbrush .

Smaller changes such as changing the handlebars, exhausts or mirrors are usually not referred to as a custom bike.

In addition to the chopper -um- and new buildings also are Street Fighter , Cafe Racer or Ratbikes designated depending on the extent of the changes as a custom bikes. Completely new constructions from specially assembled components can usually be found in the area of ​​classic choppers, bobbers, board trackers and similar styles.

Manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson refer to some models as "Custom" if they already have certain changes to the series ex works and are sold in limited numbers.

history

Around 1948, the first choppers appeared in California , which were series motorcycles (mostly from the Harley-Davidson brand), which the owners relieved of all superfluous parts. Special paintwork often followed to make the motorcycles even more individual. With the film Easy Rider from 1969 these modifications became world famous.

Initially, these early custom bikes were built in private garages, but as their popularity grew, there were more and more companies that specialized in building these motorcycles. With the increasing spread of choppers, which were now also built by Japanese manufacturers, the interest in custom bikes grew from year to year.

With new technologies, today's manufacturers often develop their accessories using CAD programs on the computer and mill aluminum parts using the CNC process. Mudguards and cladding parts that were made from sheet metal in the past are now often made of plastic reinforced with glass or carbon fibers.

Themed bikes

A theme bike is a custom bike that is artistically based on a special theme. So z. B. Fire-brigade-themed bikes that are decorated with checker plate and optically modeled on a fire-fighting vehicle . Often big companies or celebrities from the film , sports or music business are clients of themed bikes.

List of some themed bikes from Orange County Choppers :

• 

  Sun bike

• 

  Mountain Creek Bike

• 

  NY Jets Bike

• 

  NY Giants Bike

• 

  Yankee bike

• 

  NY Chiefs Bike

• 

  Black Widow Bike

• 

  Miami Heat Bike

• 

  Jet bike

• 

  Fire bike

• 

  Series bike

• 

  US Army bike

Manufacturer

The successful TV series American Chopper by the manufacturer Orange County Choppers ensured that custom bikes have become increasingly popular in Germany in recent years. German custom bikes have been widely recognized abroad for a number of years, as evidenced by the “Thunderbike” vice world championship in 2006 , among other things .

The internationally best known German manufacturers are:

• Thunderbike
• TGS Motorcycles
• Habermann performance
• Fred Kodlin Motorcycles
• Hollister's MotorCycles
• Henryk Willms Cycles

Legal provisions

Numerous conversion parts are sold with ABEs or parts certificates if no ECE homologation is available. Thus, accessories for the custom bike can be used relatively easily. In Germany, however, various changes to vehicles must be approved by the TÜV . This test ensures, for example, that a handlebar assembly also includes the appropriate cables and lines, which can otherwise lead to a safety risk. For this reason, some larger developers of custom bikes are officially registered vehicle manufacturers and combine either standard engines or accessory brands such as S&S or RevTech with self-made vehicle frames in accordance with the current emissions standard.

There are now so-called kit bikes that can be put together and built up from a catalog. Most of these have a homologation certificate and can therefore be approved for use on public roads with relative ease. However, complete custom bikes are usually sold ready for registration.

Events

• Every year in the US Sturgis the World Championship of Custom Bike Building held at which the manufacturer can qualify from around the world.
• In Germany, the CUSTOMBIKE trade fair in Bad Salzuflen is the largest scene event.
• Custom bike championships are also held at numerous (general) motorcycle events and trade fairs (e.g. Intermot in Cologne).

Trade magazines in Germany

In the German-speaking area there are numerous specialized magazines that deal with custom bikes. These include:

• Custom bike
• Easyriders (focus on international custom bikes)
• Bikers News (focus on club scene / MCs)
• Dream Machines (focus on Harley)

Web links

• Website of the trade magazine Custombike

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.amdchampionship.com/content.php?page=2006world
2. ↑ [1]  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.