Mel's Cafe Racer
Enlarge 0 Comment

Mel’s ‘Mulato’ Café Racer (pt2/3) by Steve Kelly Photography

My god, where do I start to tell you about French Melanie?  She is the sort of girl that makes you think, what the hell have I been doing with my life?  When she starts to tell you about all the places that she has lived, and all of the things that she has done.  Straight off the top of my head, I can tell you that she has lived in four of the liveliest cities in the world: Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles.  She has always been heavily into the biker/Rocker world.  She started riding motorcycles in the UK before she even learnt to drive, I guess at the age of about nineteen.  Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Steve Kelly
Mel's Cafe Racer
Enlarge 0 Comment

Mel’s ‘Mulato’ Café Racer (pt1/3) by Steve Kelly Photography

My god, where do I start to tell you about French Melanie?  She is the sort of girl that makes you think, what the hell have I been doing with my life?  When she starts to tell you about all the places that she has lived, and all of the things that she has done.  Straight off the top of my head, I can tell you that she has lived in four of the liveliest cities in the world: Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles.  She has always been heavily into the biker/Rocker world.  She started riding motorcycles in the UK before she even learnt to drive, I guess at the age of about nineteen.  Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Steve Kelly
Warren Lane's 43
Enlarge 0 Comment

Warren Lane’s 43FTP (part2) by Steve Kelly Photography

Part 2…

Now for the story of how 43 FTP came about, in Warren’s own worlds.  Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Steve Kelly
Warren Lane's 43
Enlarge 1 Comment

Warren Lane’s 43FTP (part1) by Steve Kelly Photography

Warren Lane’s latest chopper is, unsurprisingly, a real stunner. FTP, stands for Fuck The Police, or so I thought, but after checking with Warren just to make sure, typically, I can now neither confirm nor deny this definitively.  Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Steve Kelly
SNB_1568_loosigan.fxr
Enlarge 1 Comment

Loosigan’s 2010 FXR by Stephen Berner

First glance at Peter Loosigan’s machine, with it’s one year paint scheme reminiscent of a 1971 Sportster (called Sparkling America), you know that your looking at a machine that is a little different. Meeting up with Peter in the parking lot of Loon Mountain in Lincoln New Hampshire on an early Saturday morning during Laconia BikeWeek, I learned about how this unusual machine built buy this hardcore enthusiast, came to be. Peter relates: Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Stephen Berner
SNB_8427
Enlarge 4 Comment

Knucklehead Steve’s Knucklehead

After a few e-mails SteveB convinced me to get some photos done of my knuckle .We got together on Friday. It was a cool crisp fall day with perfect light .The day before I drove around looking for a location. Steve wanted an open green space. Continue Reading →

45dgree Staff, North American Bikes
Blood Stains
Enlarge 2 Comment

Blood Stains, Speed Kills by Steve Kelly Photography

Ken Conte took time out from his busy schedule during the 70th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to allow me to shoot his recently finished custom bike that is known as Blood Stains, Speed Kills.  Ken runs a PR company in Denver Colorado called Rise Above Consulting; in fact, it is through his business that we became acquainted, as he promotes many motorcycle companies, parts manufacturers and motorcycle events.  Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Steve Kelly
DC Choppers at the 69th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (2009)
Enlarge 1 Comment

Knucklehead Dan’s Smoked Bacon by Steve Kelly Photography

Knucklehead Dan’s Smoked Bacon

Dan has thought about pretty much nothing else other than motorcycles since getting his first motorcycle age six.  Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Steve Kelly
SNB_9483
Enlarge 30 Comment

OCC’s Big Red Trike

Bill Johnson knew what he wanted and during Thanksgiving 2009 he got it, in spades, and he got it delivered to his door. After three left knee replacements and two left hip replacements, it was damn near impossible for Bill, a confirmed bike nut to ride his two-wheelers, forget about hauling a passenger. Continue Reading →

North American Bikes
SNB_7689
Enlarge 51 Comment

Cycle Fab: Big Bagger by Stephen Berner

Although big bikes are all the rage, many lack a true hand crafted persona, being complied from the multitude of catalogs circulating reading rooms throughout the land. Nothing wrong with building a big custom from available parts, but we strive to bring something new to the table in terms of bike features. Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Stephen Berner
El Pitts004_
Enlarge 5 Comment

187 by El Pitts, Vegas City Choppers by Steve Kelly Photography

Cool comes when you dance to a different tune

Former casino security guard, El Pitts of Vegas City Choppers is possibly the most laid back person I have ever met.  From the shade of his booth at Sturgis he casually cast his sleepy eyes over me as I introduced myself, and when he answered my questions about VCC’s bikes he responded in a slow drawn-out drawl.  I asked if it would be possible to shoot the bike known simply as 187 first thing the following morning, El responded, ‘sure, I’ll see you at noon’.  I guess he dances to a different tune to most folk. Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Steve Kelly
_DSC0728_paavo
Enlarge 0 Comment

BigTwin presents: Paavos red, but Golden Lion

Until a few years ago Paavo had a Pan Head -56. He sighs wistfully when he mentions it. It had been his for ten years and he really had no plans to sell it. But it was pretty worn down and there were not a trip without a brake-down of some sort. Continue Reading →

International bikes
Spike E-tuna 09 143
Enlarge 1 Comment

BigTwin presents: Johans Long Spike

A couple of years ago Johan Carlsson decided that it was time to build a bike to his own taste. On the wish list was a Harley with and a long front end and a Pan Head engine – the best looking engine, according to Johan. Continue Reading →

BigTwin Magazine, International bikes
Jaanas Flower power 013
Enlarge 0 Comment

BigTwin presents: Jaana’s Flower Power Shovel

It’s 2010 and the days of flower power are long gone, but Jaana Karjalainen’s beautiful bike, called Hipperi, makes the imagination leap back in time. Kari “Kakku” Karjalainen, Jaana’s husband and the builder behind this bike, calls this an “early chopper”. Continue Reading →

BigTwin Magazine, International bikes
SNB_6924
Enlarge 0 Comment

A sweet, sleeper Softail from Plymouth Cycle and Speed

It’s not too we see a bike that is built with mainly stock parts, that stands out in the crowd. Some of us work hard to make our bikes unique and spend thousands to beef up our motors, put them in aftermarket frames, change all the tins, lights and controls, in an attempt to differentiate our machine from the one parked next to it at the local watering hole. This 1988 Softail that belongs to Randy Fettis proves that you can accomplish that goal without redoing your entire bike – because – it’s the small details that really count. Continue Reading →

45dgree Staff, North American Bikes
SNB_6560
Enlarge 34 Comment

James Simonelli’s ROADRUNNER BIKE

By way of a setup, the fine machine you see here has been designed, built and assembled by one of the nicest, most generous, patient and talented guys you are likely to meet  in the VTwin industry and someone I am proud to consider a friend – James Simonelli. Chances are if you’ve recently stopped by the BAKER Display at Daytona, Sturgis or points in between, you’ve met James. Not wanting to get between the story and you, we asked James in his own words to clue us in regarding this new bike he’s taken the wrapper off of. Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Stephen Berner
steveb.Andys.bike 22
Enlarge 34 Comment

Andy’s Bike

Andy has had a few bikes over the years, from an over the top Ironhead to this sweet, subdued Softail. Continue Reading →

North American Bikes, Stephen Berner
SNB_3451_Danny.DMX
Enlarge 2 Comment

DMX from Hard Nine Choppers

During Sturgis Bike Week I didn’t get to eat much, or regularly. Moments of quiet respite were far and few between and I relished the moments of peace. So here I was standing off in a corner of the A.M.D. show tent during the media and industry party minding my own business, chilling out a bit, finally getting down to eating some food with a camera, beer and food in hand, all being juggled simultaneously. Friend Kirk Taylor comes over and says: “hey – did you see that?”, pointing across the big tent. “What?” I responded, spilling my beer and dropping half of my food, WHAT!  Well, the “what” that Kirk was pointing to was the bike you see here, a sharp little bike , with it’s bright white wheels that was jumping off the Astroturf carpeting. Continue Reading →

International bikes, Stephen Berner