Daily Slideshow: Spending Time with the King of Customs Arlen Ness

Who is Arlen Ness?

Most people who have been around the custom motorcycle industry for a while know of Arlen Ness but, for those who don't, here's the low down. Ness has been the poster boy of the custom scene for almost 60 years, having started designing bikes in 1960, and it all started with the purchase of a $300 Panhead. Speaking about Ness, Mark Blackwell, AMA Hall of Famer and former Victory vice president, said, "Despite all his accomplishments and a huge following, Aren is one of the most humble people I have worked with.". These sentiments are echoed throughout the motorcycle community, where Ness is a renowned figure.  

A Special Build

There are a lot of ongoing projects in Ness Enterprise's headquarters but there's one special project Ness is planning. The project will be based on a shattered Victory Vision which belonged to his younger brother, Kevin, who was tragically killed in a traffic accident while riding it. Speaking about the project Ness said, "We are going to rebuild it like he did it up and add it to the museum... It's going to be a tribute to Kevin.". What a wonderful way to pay his respects to his late brother.  

>>Join the conversation about  Arlen Ness and his creations right here in HDForums.

Runs in the Family

There are currently three generations of Ness working in the business. Arlen's son Cory now runs the day-to-day business operations. Commenting on this, Arlen said, "Cory worked in the garage at night with me, painting gas tanks and molding frames... He learned the business by doing business... We get along great, we've never had an argument.". By the age of 19, Cory had already won a Chicago custom contest. Cory's son Zach, the first to be awarded a college degree, had already built high-end custom motorcycles before finishing high school and joined the team in 2007. 

>>Join the conversation about  Arlen Ness and his creations right here in HDForums.

A Real Trendsetter

You don't become, arguably, the most well-recognized custom motorcycle shop in the business by following trends, you become it by setting trends. Arlen's son, Cory, was the first designer to make bag extensions and, in a way, played a big part in creating the custom bagger class. On this, Arlen Ness said, "Now there're 50 guys out there making those bags, but we were the first guys. I'm always going to try and do something else... I just see in my head and start building." 

>>Join the conversation about  Arlen Ness and his creations right here in HDForums.

Health Scares

Ness is a superhuman bike builder but still faces the same problems we all do, including illnesses. Ness has been battling cancer for the past few years and has been very ill at some points. Speaking about his most recent health scare, Ness said, "It came back on me about two months ago. They hit me with 12 rounds of radiation, and it f--ks you up. I feel pretty good now. We'll see.". But Ness does his best to stay busy and optimistic, saying "As long as I can keep busy... You still don't know what's going to happen... They change the medicine... blood tests every week, and they watch all that stuff, so...". This writer wishes Ness the very best recovery possible. While Arlen Ness's life hasn't always been easy, he has been hard-working, honest and respectful throughout and is a truly inspiring figure in the motorcycle industry. 

>>Join the conversation about  Arlen Ness and his creations right here in HDForums.

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