Granted, for the past few days we’ve been “stricken” by the flu bug and currently in Washington DC, just jones’n to get back to SoCal for a much needed rest. While mindlessly surfin’ we ran across this beauty. Well, suffice it to say, we could not resist an opportunity to get our hands on a real “period” piece bike that harkens back to the early days of custom choppers. This sweet 1966 Honda 450 is currently in the hands of (not for long as we’ve wired him a deposit!!!) of Grant Peterson of SoCal and was supposedly built around 1970 and painted by Raja, Roger Castano. The hardtailed frame is fully molded and paneled to match the peanut tank. There is a Randy’s springer on it that is 48 inches from the axle to neck and when we get it in our sweaty palms we’ll have to figure out the rake. And check out those Roadrunner rockers on the springer! Bike has 19″ spool front wheel, 16 in the back laced to the Honda drum. King and Queen seat, sissy bar, and if we say so, a heck of a lot of potential for a sweeeeet ride. Randy has several boxes of Honda stuff that comes with this so we can’t wait to get back to SoCal to pick it up. Randy says’ it’s been sitting since 1980, but we can guarantee it won’t be long before it’s seen cruisin’ the roads of Orange, CA. The motor is a later (non 4 speed)early ’70s 450. So, if you have any paint ideas, we’ll be taking any suggestions and will even probably be giving some free swag for the best ideas.  We’ll update you as we proceed.

Hey, thanks for coming back! Great to see there are a few of you out there that have taste and style! Seriously, thanks for visiting. If you know of stories you think people would be interested in, shoot us a line C'ya!

The senseless loss of life! The unexplained carnage experienced by shop owners can only be described and understood by those walking beside them down this path of life. Granted everyone has had a loss in their life.  Whether it be a family member, a dog/cat/horse, friend, co-worker or acquaintance.  However the loss of a key player at a shop is not only a tragedy, but a stake to the heart of anyone that has picked up a welder, cut flatstock, hammered a sheet of metal or owned a small shop. Thus with a heavy heart we share this video with those we know will support us during this time of sorrow.

It is so graphic and traumatizing that we’re not even posting it visually here but rather asking that you click HERE for the full story! Oh, the carnage! Please be advised this video is not suitable for all audiences and thus parental discretion is advised strongly. Tissues are optional.

Ok, some people say even a pig can root up a couple of truffles now and again. Well, this must have happened to Guilty Customs, as two builds done by the “Guilty Gang” (thanks Jimmy and Mike!), have ended up in two separate publications of that esteemed magazine, EasyRiders. (Also, you may remember the magazine also featured the “Errant” bike in it’s December 08′ issue. See HERE). The newest bike, Dais’d, is the featured center fold in the upcoming November 2009 issue.  Plus, to top that off, hot off the press from Easyriders is the 2010 Easyriders Swimsuit Calendar, with our sweetie model Sandy gracing the cover and the “Errant” bike being featured for January 2010.

What a way to start the year off!  Anyway, just wanted to give credit where credit was due to the guys as well as everyone else that helped get us some needed publicity for us here at Guilty Customs.  Don Rogers, your a super photographer. Jimmy and Mike, you guys are super and i could not do the work i do without you. Thanks for helping us build some killer bikes.

So, now what do we do to follow this type publicity up?  Well, just wait as we’re currently in discussions with MTV on something exciting too. Later!

Yeah, yeah, we know, the heading is misleading, (especially if you were expecting to see some collection of half nude women draped over some cool bikes), buy hey how are we going to get your attention?! Anyway, what we’re really talking about here is a collection of fascinating images and stories about the lifestyle of women motorcyclists from author (and rider!) Christina Shook. This talented photojournalist and writer captured the young, the old, the beautiful and the ugly, the tough and the delicate, the wild the sensible, brave and gentle, the factory worker and the corporate leader – united in the spirit of motorcycling.  Sounds pretty interesting so far? In these pages (the author notes) you’ll find insight into how these women face risk and how they thrill to speed. They find beauty amidst grease and wind. They form sisterhoods of like-minded women from outlaw style clubs to christian riders. Here you’ll hear tales of adventure and journey. You’re invited for an up close stare at the amazing women who ride. They are both ordinary and extraordinary. The author of Chicks on Bikes, tells a bit about her book in her own words:

There’s a biker saying Ride to Live, Live to Ride. I personally could say Ride to Shoot, Shoot to Ride. Chicks on Bikes has given me the opportunity to ride around on my motorcycles (I have 3) and meet amazing women. A lot of the book is shot here in the San Francisco bay area because that where I live. I’m absolutely in love with San Francisco and I’m going to say it’s the motorcycling capital of America where we ride all year on the most spectacular roads. I run a portrait photography business and sometimes show up for sessions on a motorcycle to the shock of my clients. My two little girls think motorcycles are really cool, but they haven’t been any further than the end of our quiet street.

Well if ya ask us…we just think women riders are cool (and hot)!

We’ve been big fans of the S&S company for years and since using them on almost all our custom builds here at Guilty Customs, we’ve learned first hand their products definitely deliver.  And when we saw this release the other day it brought a smile to our ugly mug simply because these guys do things right.  Nothing is done have cocked or sloppy. And we’re happy to see some of our friends included in this book too! So here is the story.

In 1958, George Smith started a small company called S & S Cycle. His mission: “To make all bikes go faster.” Fifty years later, S & S Cycle is everything Smith envisioned. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the world’s premiere builder of aftermarket V-Twin motorcycle engines and components commissioned custom motorcycles from 50 top builders.

The competition that grew out of this challenge unfolds in the pages of S & S Presents Today’s Top Custom Bike Builders, which showcases the splendid bikes built for S & S’s 50th anniversary show. The book, beginning with a brief history of S & S Cycle, features four-page spreads on each motorcycle, along with profiles of the builders–including Chica, Cory Ness, Paul Cox, Jerry Covington, Jesse Rooke, Redneck Engineering, Arlen Ness, Kim Suter, Brian Klock, Kendall Johnson, Roger Bourget, Rick Fairless, Fred Kodlin, Mike Tomas and many others.  With illustrations by master custom-bike photographer Michael Lichter, this is as much a celebration of the custom builder’s art as it is a tribute to S & S Cycle’s accomplishment.
About the Author and Photographer
Howard Kelly, former communications manager for S&S Cycle, has been editor at Hot Bike magazine and at Street Chopper magazine and a staff member at Hot Rod Harleys and Motorcyclist magazines. He lives in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Michael Lichter’s motorcycle photography has been featured in Easyridersmagazine for over a quarter of a century. His photos have also appeared in numerous Motorbooks titles, including Indian Larry, Choppers: Heavy Metal Art, Top Chops, Arlen Ness: Godfather of Choppers, Billy Lane Chop Fiction, Harley-Davidson Century, and Sturgis. He lives in Boulder, Colorado. You can see more of his work at www.lichterphoto.com.

If you ride motorcycles (and regardless of what type you ride!) your more than familiar with the “perceived” and misdirected media generated hype surrounding bikers and their lifestyles. Granted outlaw biker shows like  “Sons of Anarchy” doesn’t help to quiet the misconception either, but we won’t get into that topic right now.  Fortunately with help from an unlikely source, National Geographic, and their newest reality series called “Rescue Ink Unleashed”, people are able to see a completely different side to bikers.  Finally! “In 2007,” a gravelly voiced announcer says, “eight New York tough guys realized they had something in common other than tattoos and motorcycles: They all hated animal abuse.” You can check out one of their episodes HERE. Now this is something i can sink my teeth into.