tabtype0=text&tabtext0=BILLY LANE

TV Appearances Include: Biker Build-Offs: Billy Lane vs. Roger Bourget, Billy Lane vs. Dave Perewitz, Billy Lane vs. Indian Larry and Billy Lane vs. Mike Brown and BIG!: Motorcycle 1 and 2

Shop: Choppers Inc., Melbourne, Fla.

URL: www.choppersinc.com

Employees: six or seven

Customs Built per Year six to eight

Age: 30s

Hails From: Miami, Fla.& & &tabtype1=text&tabtext1=SORRY!

We don't have video of Billy Lane (yet), but in June 2004, he participated in a chat here at Discovery.com. Now, see his answers to your questions below.

Q: Which of the bikes you've built is your favorite?

Billy Lane: The favorite bike I've built is the camel bike or money shot, and that's the second bike I built, right after the Psycho Billy Cadillac. We're currently filming a build-off now. So there will definitely be more projects!

Q: What do you think of American Chopper? Would you do a show like theirs?

Billy Lane: We're considering doing a series. American Chopper is all about the interaction between Paul and Mike, and they just build theme bikes against a time clock. I wouldn't want to do that, but we're considering me teaching the apprentices how to really fabricate, and not just assemble bikes, using machine-shop equipment and welding, and hand-forming metal. We don't want to duplicate the American Chopper show -- it would be boring! We've been discussing it for a while, but I really don't have any idea when it might air. There are a lot of motorcycle shows being considered by the networks right now. It all depends on what people want to see.

Q: Have you ever built anyone else a bike with the hubless rear wheel? That bike is so cool.

Billy Lane: I haven't built a hubless bike for anyone else. I've been asked, but haven't done it. It's very expensive -- the wheel alone cost over $30,000 for me to build! The bikes are cost-prohibitive because they're about $100,000. So I haven't done it yet, but I might for the right person.

Q: What is the angle of the front fork on Ms. Behavin, and what frame did you use?

Billy Lane: The rake angle is 39 degrees, and it's one of my frames.

Q: What do you think of other builders on Discovery, like Paul Jr.? Are his designs worth all the hype?

Billy Lane: I met him and his dad when they were first starting out, and they're very nice, gracious people. I haven't talked to them since then, and that was probably four years ago. They've come to see me at events or Bike Week, but it's so busy. As far as their work goes, it's overhyped and a little overdone. I think I speak for pretty much the entirety of the custom motorcycle industry when I say that. It's almost like a gimmick. But they have a lot of fans, and I think it's the entertainment value of the show, not the bikes. The relationship between Paul and his son is the fabric of the show, and the motorcycles are the thread that holds it together. As far as people, last time I spoke to them, they were real genuine and nice.

Q: As good as the exposure from the Build-Offs may be, is there any fear of overexposure to the point it's hard to concentrate on the bikes?

Billy Lane: The fear of overexposure is always there, but it's not so much concentrating on the bikes, but what people do when they see you getting that kind of publicity. They equate it with success, so a lot of people want to knock you around just because you're on TV. They think all of a sudden that you've sold out. There's a lot of jealousy and envy. Everybody thinks they deserve to be there, and I know there are people that aren't there who deserved to be there before I was. But you let the cards fall as they may.

Q: Which was your favorite bike from the recent Biker Build-Offs?

Billy Lane: I haven't seen all of them. I saw the Arlen Ness and Cory Ness. I saw Matt Hodge and Joe Martin, and I saw the Eddie Trotta and Russell Mitchell more recently. Out of all those, I think I liked Joe Martin's the best. Out of all the guys, Matt Hodge's work is my favorite, but I think of the bikes, it would be Joe Martin's. And I've seen them all in person.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Billy Lane: I get my inspiration from a lot of the older builders that are out there. I've been doing this for 16 years. I got into it before the chopper phase went nuts, so I've always done choppers. I take my influences and inspirations from the people who were doing it long before me. Also, I travel every weekend. I'll be out of town every weekend this year, and people will come up to me and say the nicest things. That's really inspiring. I never thought I'd be doing this for a living.

Q: So, Billy, how do you feel now that it seems everyone knows who you are from being on the Discovery Channel?

Billy Lane: It's weird! I don't know. I never thought that it would be like that. It's a huge adjustment. It's extremely nice to be appreciated, and a lot of people do appreciate what I do. It's one of the things that drives me. But you have to basically resign yourself to the fact that you don't have any more personal time. Anyone considering taking a step like that should really think about it. I didn't.

Q: What school did you attend? How did you get started in bikes?

Billy Lane: I went to Florida State University, and I studied in mechanical engineering. I finished my degree in Miami and got my B.Sc. in mechanical engineering. I got hooked on bikes by my brother when I was 18. I didn't have any money, so I bought a basket-case bike and learned how to put it together by reading the manual. Then I got into custom fabricating because I couldn't really afford to buy any of the parts I wanted, so I'd borrow friends' tools and learn to make what I needed through trial and error. And that turned into this crazy life that I lead.

Q: Now that you and your shop have been featured several times on TV, are you finding you have to change the way you operate due to fans showing up while you're working?

Billy Lane: We've had to a little bit, yes. Our shop is very open, so when you walk in, we're building bikes right in front of you. My time has become so limited that sometimes I have to work in private to be able to meet my deadlines. We've already scheduled 60 events for this year. We're trying to take what we do to the people, rather than the people come to us. Both things are happening -- we're going out, and people are coming in. And there's a LOT of people. So I've reduced the number of bike builds I do, just to make time for everything I need to do.

Q: How do you feel being compared to Jesse James and other such builders/fabricators?

Billy Lane: Well, I used to be told every day that I'm the "next Jesse James." We do have our similarities. He's definitely talented and has made an impression in the custom motorcycle world, so I'd take it as a compliment. I personally know all the big custom builders out there, so being compared to any of them is really nice. A lot of us do the same events around the country all year, so we're almost like a traveling family. I see some of the people in the industry more than I see my own friends!

Q: Do you have a lot of fans showing up at your shop, and if so, is it getting a little old?

Billy Lane: We have a lot of fans showing up. It doesn't get old. It's nice to be appreciated. And even when I'm tired and overwhelmed, I realize that if I put myself out there on TV, I have to expect that people are going to want to come out and see us. I just spent nine hours straight at a bike show, signing autographs. I didn't get to see one bike! But I won't just walk away when there are people there who want to see me. I enjoy the benefits of that kind of publicity and admiration, so I need to pay the price.

Q: How is your brother?

Billy Lane: My brother's doing well. He got me into the bikes, and he worked with me for a while. He still plays with them, but he sees where I am, and he doesn't want to be there. He's older and smarter than I am!

Q: Do you think the success of the show American Chopper has been good for business, in general?

Billy Lane: Yes, it definitely has made people interested in motorcycles. It kind of stretches reality, because people think you can build a bike in three days or six days or whatever. People don't understand. They expect a bike to look like that, but my bikes are totally different. The fact that there's a show about motorcycles on TV is good, though.

Q: Out of the bike builders that most people know like Jesse James, the Teutuls and people like that, who is your favorite bike builder?

Billy Lane: I would probably say Matt Hodge. I like his style the best. He's a great person, but I'd choose him on the style of his bikes alone. I've known Jesse since his hair was longer than mine! I've known Arlen Ness. Name anyone, and I've met them.

Q: If you were to have one person build you a bike, who would it be and why?

Billy Lane: I would probably want ... Can I pick the bike? Jesse did a bike for the Camel Road House a few years ago. It was green and chrome, and it was unreal. If I could have any bike, that would be the one I would want. I was blown away when I saw it.

Q: Who would you like to go up against in a biker build-off?

Billy Lane: That's a tough question. I don't really care about winning or losing when I do it. It's just about being in it for me. I feel like I've already won. So I don't think I could choose an answer on that. But if I had to, I guess probably Arlen Ness. He's done some of the best stuff I've ever seen. And he likes to drink like I do!

Q: How do you think the local community in Melbourne perceives you?

Billy Lane: I've had a lot of positive response. We have the Kennedy Space Center here, and that's really put Melbourne on the map. But everyone's happy to have me here. I'm always well-received wherever I go. It's a great community, and I love living here. So I hope they're happy to have me. I'm loud!

Q: Out of all the bikes you have built, what is your personal favorite?

Billy Lane: The Money Shot, my second bike.

Q: Will your hubless wheel go into production?

Billy Lane: It would take a huge company with a lot of money to be able to produce it correctly and safely. We're doing a Biker Build-Off now with a guy from Tennessee who tried to copy my design. I don't know if it's been successful. Mine's fully functional, but if it's not done correctly and the bearings failed, it would be catastrophic. It would kill you instantly because there's so much energy in the wheel. You need the kind of investment that companies like GM or Chrysler could put into it to really make it a reality. Everybody asks me about a front hubless wheel, and that's actually easier to do than the rear wheel. But I won't do one now, because the guy in Tennessee has kind of tried to upstage me by doing that, and I don't like to do that, which is what it would look like if I tried to do it now.

Q: Why did you get a mechanical engineering degree? How has this helped you?

Billy Lane: I got the degree because that's what I signed up for when I went to college, and I promised my parents I'd finish. I found out once I was in school that I didn't like it that much. I'm not a quitter, so I stuck it out. It's helped in the sense that the engineering program really teaches you how to learn, more than anything else. So I'm glad I got it, because that's how I've learned to do what I do -- how to break a problem down into its components and organize them to find a solution.

Q: What do you think about the fact that a lot of people are jumping in on the bandwagon and making it seem like choppers, motorcycles, etc., are this year's fad?

Billy Lane: That's always been a thorn in my side. When you see a company called Whatever Cycles become Whatever Choppers overnight, it's kind of sickening. I'm not happy about it, but there's nothing I can do about it. We're trying to keep our stuff pure and show people how it's really done. That helps. Not like the way all the newcomers are doing it.

Q: How many choppers do you make in a year?

Billy Lane: Now, because of our busy schedule, we're doing about six. But we hand-make everything, from the gas tank to the fenders to the foot controls to the oil tanks. We make so much of the bike, which is why my stuff looks different. It's all handmade and one-of-a-kind. I build bikes for people, not for their money.

Q: How old are you?

Billy Lane: I'm 34. But I feel like I'm 24!

Q: Do you still have the first bike you built?

Billy Lane: No. The first bike I built now belongs to one of the guys who works here. He won't sell it back to me.

Q: Do you have any hobbies or interests other than bikes?

Billy Lane: Yes. I like to surf and work out. That's pretty much it. I don't have time for much else. I travel, but that's mostly for business now. So what used to be a hobby is now part of my business.

Q: Is it true that NASA offered you a job before your bike gig?

Billy Lane: It was actually for a subcontractor that works for NASA, but yes. I didn't want to work in the engineering field, so I decided to try to make my living with motorcycles. I'm still not sure if I made the right choice!

Q: Are you a car guy as well?

Billy Lane: Yes. I used to restore Corvettes, and I've always been into hot rods. I go to car shows all the time. I just don't fool with them much anymore, because my time is so limited that I try to stay focused on the motorcycle thing. I use a lot of old car parts in my bikes.

Q: How do we purchase a bike from you?

Billy Lane: Send money! We only build a limited number, so the idea is to either buy one that we have, or buy one from someone who has one, or commission me to make one. But I'm pretty picky about who I build for, since I only do a few a year. I don't want someone to ask me to build a copy of one of Jesse's bikes, or anyone else's. With a limited time to build, I want to do stuff that represents me.

Q: Do you buy other custom bikes from other builders, or do you prefer to build and ride your own?

Billy Lane: I build and ride my own.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Billy Lane: I want to keep creating new products for people who want to do their own thing. That's how we really make our money -- from products we make and sell. So I want to keep creating and driving the style. I'm not going to quit doing this!&& &tabtype2=&Enter Leadin text& &tabtype3=&Enter Leadin text& &tabtype4=&Enter Leadin text& &tabtype5=&Enter Leadin text& &tabtype6=&Enter Leadin text& &tabtype7=&Enter Leadin text&