Bike-Works Invades West Coast ChoppersRecently we had the opportunity to do something that very few magazines get the opportunity to do: Wander around the West Coast Choppers compound, camera in-hand, completely unsupervised. Most of the employees knew us already, but the ones who didn't sure gave us the third degree about the camera, how we got past security, and what we were doing there.
That's because the folks who work at West Coast have gotten used to the place being as big a tourist attraction as the Hollywood sign. There are days during the summer when the line just to get into the apparel store (that's actually inside the showroom) goes out through the showroom, out the front door, and down past the shipping and receiving door. And having that many people lurking about trying to catch a glimpse of the inner workings of any company is bound to make an employee a little jumpy, especially when inside the walls bikes for movies like Grindhouse and for celebrities like Shane McMahon, Kid Rock, and Keanu Reeves are being designed and built. But the actual bike construction is a very small part of what they do at West Coast Choppers.
A bigger part of the operation is the parts manufacturing side of the shop. Jesse has crews of people who just build frames, fenders, foot controls, belt guards, fuel tanks, oil tanks, wheels, air cleaners, seats, exhaust systems, kickstands, handlebars, and small parts like his trick new motor mount/ignition switch housing. And their goal is to release 52 new products for 2007-that is one a week, for those keeping score at home.
Some of the exciting products we got to see being developed included the new Bear Trap running boards for touring applications, a sheetmetal kit for the 2007 Softails, and the list goes on...We would have shot photos of more of the top secret stuff they were doing there at West Coast Choppers, but we were already pushing our luck showing you guys this stuff.
The crew at West Coast isn't happy resting on their laurels; they are always working on new products like this sheetmetal kit for an '07 Softail. As you can see, they have added a front fender, rear fender and struts, seat pan, license plate bracket, and wheels. It isn't finished yet, but you get the picture.
If you're looking for their complete selection of new products, check out their website at www.westcoastchoppers.com, or stop by the shop-the address is listed below.
SourcesWest Coast Choppers718 West Anaheim St.Long Beach, CA 90813P 562.983.6666www.westcoastchoppers.com