What hasn’t already been said about Arlen Ness? A great guy, a genius of custom bike building, a legend in the industry and the patriarch of a wonderful family. But given his recent passing, I thought it worthwhile to share a few of our stories …
Chris Beattie, HEAVY DUTY founder, and I first called in to visit Arlen back in 2000 when he was still at the old San Leandro premises. A narrow shop-front, entirely unprepossessing and with every inch crammed with stuff, piled upon stuff – it was not what we expected of a legend.
However, both Arlen and Cory made us very welcome and in a crammed office found us seats and proffered coffee, which was very kindly accepted. At that time they were in negotiations with Victory Motorcycles, discussing concepts that would turn one of the world’s ugliest motorcycles into something stylish and space age. Because that first Victory, the V92C, sure as hell needed re-drawing. And they sure did re-imagine many models between then and the company’s demise in 2017.
Now many of Arlen’s creations exhibited a stunning degree of imagination and an extremely high level of engineering skill.
Way back in 1977 he built Two Bad, a Digger with two Shovelhead engines and an incredible front wheel steering and suspension set up.
Other visual stand-outs to me include his ’57 Chevystyled Nesstalgia, his twin-engine and twin-supercharged Ferrari-bike, the space-age Mach-Ness and the Bugattiinspired Smooth-Ness which we ran on the cover of issue #36 after bringing it over from the US for a two-month tour.
He built Digger-styled bikes, twin-engine bikes, long bikes, short bikes, narrow bikes, wide bikes – you name it Arlen did it all. Superbly.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May/June 2019 من HEAVY DUTY Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May/June 2019 من HEAVY DUTY Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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Writing a road test about a bike that is due to disappear from dealers’ floors any minute is a bit weird. Should this be more of a eulogy?
Now It's Time To Head Down Track
What happens when I’m ready to race at an IHRA-sanctioned dragstrip?
RAUCOUS ROCKY
With our own area called the Motorcycle Precinct, bikers were well catered for at this year’s RockyNats
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With a Softail Deluxe already dripping in chrome, of course Paul was easily swayed by the offer of a shiny, new S&S SuperStreet two-into-one.
SPORTS STILL ROARING
Blues skies greeted the National Roaring Sporties racers for Round Two at the challenging Morgan Park Raceway near Warwick, Qld.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Even some of the locals are over the yodelling and pedal steel guitars. HOG member and history nerd, Roderick Eime explores another side of Tamworth and the surrounding region.
HAPPY HOGGIES
The drought was well and truly broken with HOG members from all over Australia making it to Rockhampton.
