Welcome To Chopper Friends Throwdown
escalating a friendly competition into a throwdown.
The Chopper Friends Throwdown is “Round 2” comeback event to the FXR Friends Throwdown from Arizona Bike Week 2022. What started out as a fun competition between Jason Mook (Deadwood Custom Cycles) and Paul Yaffe (Paul Yaffe’s Bagger Nation) escalated into the FXR Friends Throwdown which included (in addition to Jason and Paul) Brian Klock of Klock Werks, Jeff Zielinski of Namz Custom Cycle Products, Curtis Hofmann of Hofmann Designs, and Nick Trask of Trask Performance.
About the chopper friends throwdown
its all about friendship, building and the ride.
The FXR Friends Throwdown attracted a couple “party crashers”. Flash from Bikers Against Bullies, James Patience of Ground Zero Customs, Steve Reed of Steve’s Garage, Rick Bray from RKB Kustom Speed, Chris Callen of Cycle Source Magazine, and Xavier Mural of Providence Cycle Werks all brought bikes and joined the Throwdown on the ride from Winslow, Arizona to Arizona Bike Week. The ride together was what it was all about, and mission accomplished! After all, it wasn’t about competition, it was about comradery. It was about riding cool custom bikes, brotherhood, and the amazing FXR platform.
All the participants and “crashers” had so much fun, the decision was unanimous to do another Throwdown. But what platform do we build on after FXRs? The choice was simple. Instead of following what was in style or most popular right now, the builders decided to throw it back a little bit and build Choppers. And the CHOPPER FRIENDS THROWDOWN was born.
The Chopper Friends Throwdown has already attracted more crashers. Confirmed crashers to date are Tom Keefer (Franklin Church Choppers), Justin Umbs (Stellar Cycles) and Ryan Gore (Paper Street Customs), and we are hoping for more!
As of now, we have 15 custom choppers assembling in Winslow, Arizona for an epic ride into Arizona Bike Week 2023. The choppers will be displayed in the Chopper Friends Throwdown Coral in the event. As we get closer to AZ Bike Week, more details and events will be released. Choppers For Life!
Watch the video
the original 6
THE BUILDERS
Paul yaffe
Paul Yaffe’s BAGGER NATION
Paul Yaffe has been designing and building custom motorcycles and motorcycle parts and accessories for over 25 years. In that time, he has won many awards, contests and honors, including three “World’s Most Beautiful Motorcycle” awards at the famous Oakland Roadster Show and two “Builder of the Year” and three “Trendsetter of the Year” honors from Easyriders Magazine.
Jason Mook
Deadwood Custom Cycles
https://deadwoodcustomcycles.com
Jason truly loves and lives the American V-Twin lifestyle. To him, it will always be about RIDING the motorcycles. Making the bikes perform better, go faster, and look cool is his primary focus. Jason moved to the Black Hills in 2014 from Charleston, South Carolina, where he owned Jason’s Garage Inc. He owns a ’79 FLH, ’01 Fatboy (Devo’s Bike), ’16 Road Glide, a ’93 FXLR, and a couple custom Shovelheads. Jason was the tech editor for American Bagger and Urban Bagger Magazines for over three years. He is a proud member of Hamsters USA.
Jeff Zielinski
NAMZ Custom Cycle Products
Born in ‘71, right in the middle of the chopper era, it didn’t take long for Jeff to fall in love with 2 wheeled machines. It started in grade school with picking up old bicycles on trash day and rebuilding them. One day, a family friend came over to visit his dad on a Panhead chopper, that classic sound had Jeff hooked. At 19, Jeff bought his first street bike and his first new Harley-Davidson was a ‘97 Softail Custom that he totally customized. Always trying to focus on the details, Jeff turned his attention to customizing wiring harnesses in 1998, never thinking it would get the attention of the motorcycle industry. Over the last 24-years, his company, NAMZ Custom Cycle Products continues to grow while producing wiring harness, electronic modules, LED lighting and hard parts for riders all over the world. Staying true to his roots, he continues to get his hands dirty, turning wrenches and building custom bikes of all era’s in his Pennsylvania workshop. Jeff is also a proud member of the Hamsters USA motorcycle group since 2004.
Brian Klock
Klock Werks
@klockwerks
Brian Klock hails from a class of 14 kids and grew up in Emery, SD population 380. He set up shop in 1997 in a small single car garage in Mitchell, SD. His first build was an FXR, so it was only natural he jump in when Paul Yaffe and Jason Mook were verbally jousting on Instagram. Most famous for the original Flare Windshield and his work with baggers at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats, his love for all things motorcycles runs deep. He started the annual Palace City PreSturgis party which is held the Thursday in Mitchell, just prior to the Black Hills rally. Brian and his wife Vanessa are the duo behind the team that runs this global brand known as Klock Werks. He has been a member of the Hamsters USA for 24 years now and has also been inducted into the Sturgis Hall of Fame.
Nick Trask
Trask Performance
Curtis Hofmann
Hofmann Designs
2021 CRASHERS
Xavier Muriel
Providence Cycle Worx
http://providencecycleworx.com/
Xavier is best known for being a musician in the band Buckcherry – but he has come into his own in the motorcycle industry at his Texas-based Providence Cycle Worx. He’s built a few notable bikes, among them a Pan/Shovel called “Grace” that was recognized as the Easyriders 2019 Bike of the Year, and he has twice been invited to the prestigious Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s Motorcycles As Art Exhibition curated by Michael Lichter.
Rick Bray
RKB Kustom Speed
@rkbkustomspeed
Rick started hitting the custom bike show circuit, and his creations started to gather respect from other builders, and motorcycle industry folks alike. Rick’s bike also began to appear in motorcycle magazines. A few highlights include his win at Artistry in Iron in 2013 for a Shovelhead chopper called “Pala Duro,” then another win at the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Show in 2014 for a magnificent rigid chopper he called “Solomon’s Special.” That bike also helped him claim the title of Builder of the Year from our friends at Cycle Source Magazine. He followed that up with the Cycle Source Builders in Motion completion, and then went on to create a wild green Shovel called “One Piece at a Time” for the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-off series, bringing the whole story full circle.
James Patience
Ground Zero Customs
https://shopgroundzero.com
As owner and founder of Ground Zero Customs, established in 2010, James Patience is a one-man operation completing all work required for his custom builds in-house. With over 60 motorcycle and custom car builds to his credit, Patience has developed a unique signature technique and style over his 30 years of experience.
Fred “Flash” Van de Perre
Bikers Against Bullies USA
Flash! is a “hobby bike-guy”, with just two lifts at home. Most of his spare time is spent managing a charity he founded with his daughter, Wink, called Bikers Against Bullies, a true passion.
“I don’t belong in this group of great builders, but its fun to compete and celebrate the fellowship of these true talents and friends!”
Chris Callen
Cycle Source Magazine
www.cyclesource.com
FACEBOOK: Cycle Source Magazine
IG: @cyclesourcemagazine
YOUTUBE: @CycleSourceMagazine
Chris Callen is the Publisher/Editor of Cycle Source Magazine and is at the helm of Source Media Group. He is also an artist, musician, bike builder, and lover of all things two-wheeled. Despite having built motorcycles that span almost all engine models and styles, Callen is most known for his retro 70’s choppers.
Steve Reed
Steve’s Garage
@stevesgaragewilder
Steve grew up in northern Indiana spending evenings in his dad’s shop building race cars and weekends at the track. Steve started racing motocross and snowmobiles at age 14. He built his first bike at the age of 16, a 1949 panhead chopper and became hooked on custom builds. After retiring from P&G in 2014 he opened Steves Garage in Wilder, KY. Steve is deeply involved in the industry and enjoys supporting various charities. He was part of the inaugural FXR friends throwdown last year taking home Best Classic. He is honored to be among this group of amazing guys for this year’s Chopper Friends Throwdown.
2022 Crashers
Ryan Gore
Paper Street Customs
https://paperstreetcustoms.com
With a unique specialty of engineering handcrafted, one-of-a-kind custom parts and machines, Ryan Gore of Paper Street Customs makes everything in-house using domestically-sourced materials.
With builds showcased across the globe and in magazines worldwide, Gore was selected as a recurring cast member on Discovery Channel’s twelfth season of American Chopper building bikes for the acclaimed team at Orange County Choppers.
Gore’s style comes with a unique touch for minute details and elegant craftsmanship that makes his work recognizable throughout the industry.
Tom Keefer
Franklin Church Choppers Inc.
Tom Keefer, owner of Franklin Church Choppers, has been in business for over 20 years with a small custom motorcycle service and repair business. He has built well over 100 custom motorcycles and handles all aspects of general service and repair. FCC has had its custom motorcycles featured in dozens of magazines and has won custom motorcycle shows in Sturgis, Daytona, Pennsylvania and several other states and rallies.
Justin Umbs
Stellar Cycles
Superstition Harley-Davidson
https://www.superstitionhd.com/
Facebook: Justin Umbs – Stellar Cycles
Justin has been building bikes for over 2 decades. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a business and is now a hobby again. Justin closed Stellar Cycles to the public in 2016 when he partnered into his Harley-Davidson dealership in Arizona named Superstition Harley-Davidson. Justin’s look at any custom bike is that it has to be clean, simple and look as if it’s in-motion even if it’s parked.
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