1. Your mom had told my wife when she placed a order for Joyrides that your dad and uncles were into motorcycles. I'm assuming they were a big influence on you and is that how you got into motorcycles?
- My dad has always been my biggest influence. I remember rides in the car as a kid and having Harleys go ripping past us and my dad always saying, "that's the sound of music kids". He and my mom took their honeymoon on his Sporty back in 1971. He got a Superglide the next year, chopped it, and he and my mom would take off on a regular basis traveling around, meeting random gypsy bikers along the way. I grew up looking at pictures from their younger days out on the road. I was hooked from a very early age. Also, when I was young my uncle Perry had a crotch-rocket and got into road-racing, which drew a lot of attention to me as a kid.
2. Where were you born and raised?
- Stevens Point, Wisconsin
3. What's the motorcycle culture like where you grew up?
- All states have a flower, flag, animal, etc. I like to think that Wisconsin has it's own State Motorcycle, Harley Davidson(heard a rumor that WI state legislature was actually trying to pass this?). The roads and scenery in Wisconsin are great 6 months out of the year. Windy and hilly roads and really dense, green forests that'll hypnotize you in the fall. There isn't much traffic, there are great back-roads all over the place, and camping in the North-woods is something I miss the most about Wisconsin.. On the other hand, the weather can get severe and there are a lot of deer. In all, it's a good place to learn how to ride.
4. Why did you chose to move to Denver?
- My big brother, Benny, moved out to Denver 8 months before me. I was working shitty temp jobs back home after college, living with my folks. Benny had an extra room out in Colorado and over Thanksgiving break in '05, he persuaded me to move out West. It didn't take much...
5. How did you hook up with Irish Rich?
- It's a long complicated story before I had even considered moving out West, but after talking with my brother about moving, I planned a trip out West with a bunch of friends to ski/snowboard and party in January of '06. Being familiar and admiring Irish Rich for some time before that, I emailed him ahead of time asking to, at the very least, meet him while I was out in Denver visiting. I didn't hear back from him for over 2 weeks, so, like all of the other builders I had contacted for work prior to this, I accepted rejection pretty easily. Until about 2 weeks before heading out, he got back to me and said to get ahold of him when I got to Colorado. I called him and went over to his shop and we hit it off. After talking, he said I could start working with him as soon as I moved out West. I moved out to Denver less than a month and a half later. I could never repay him for all he's done for me.
6. How long have you work with him? How much have you learned from?
- It'll be five years this spring. I've only been part time due to other jobs I've had, but, now I'm only slinging drinks at night - leaving days to get in the shop more than before. I can't really put into words most of the knowledge he's passed onto me. My dad presented bikes to me, Rich is perfecting them to me. I've had much more of a respect for the history of motorcycles(not just choppers) after working with him. I've also become more patient, in doing things right and being meticulous in the tiny details that make a large difference between a well built motorcycle and a motorcycle that's more of a toilet than a mode of transportation. But really, Rich is an encyclopedia of motorcycle knowledge. I brought a bike manual over to his place when I first started working with him and he responded, "I'm your fucking manual". If, before I die I can understand half of what he has in his head, I'll feel more than satisfied.
7. What made you want to build the 08 Custom Bike?
- My childhood. I've always dreamt of having a chop and living the biker lifestyle. It was only a matter of time. Rich helped accelerate the process.
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