"Big" Rick Hoffman at Ohio Bike Week
Luuezz
Most people come home after a hard days work plop their butts down on the
recliner, out stretch their legs pop open a fresh cold one, and sigh...grab the
remote for the TV only to find it's not on the table and start to yell to the ol
lady....where is the remote to turn on the television? After all the bitchin
they turn on the TV & scroll through the channels for something interesting to
watch and stop dead when there is a chopper building show on TV to hold them for
the next hour or so as they unwind from the stress of life. I on the other hand
have a 54 inch black TV that sits in my living room collecting dust and holds my
DVD Surround Sound Stereo System on top of it. I had the Cable & the Satellite
TV dish shut off many yrs ago, due to the fact that my life revolves around my
daily job of work, my photography, my passion for riding my roadking every
chance of my life as I can fit it all in and the internet where I do alll my
other work. I have many rods in many fires, so that leaves me no time to relax
in the front of the boob tube. Why pay a hefty cable bill monthly, when the TV
never gets turned on for that month and many months? I can use that money for
gas or my piggy bank for my next journey as I see it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandusky Ohio Bike Week June 14th As Mark and I walked through Roeder Harley
Davidson's parking lot waiting for the thunder storms to pass on through as the
skies were getting ready to dance on us, I decided to waste some time holding up
here for cover. It was early in the morning and vendors weren't set up yet hell
some where just getting there as I seen trucks rolling in to the lots and
vendors unpacking boxes of clothes. As I was talking pictures along the way I
stumbled across the Geico Semi Truck and some cute gals and a dude were giving
away free merchandise by signing a card and rolling the ball down a shoot too
see what prize you won....I wasn't much interested in the roll of the ball as I
was to get over to that semi boxed trailer to poke my head inside the door
opening to see what was inside, like a kid at a candy store. It was then my
mouth dropped open and up went the Canon to my eye! Just as I'm starting to
shoot pictures of these TOTALLY UNIQUE Motorcycles this large biker comes over
to me and starts up conservation. As we are talking face to face my mind starts
to wander off in thought....As I come back to the conversation he says I can
take them bikes out of the trailer and put them out here for you to get some
better pictures of. We both said it was going to rain very soon, but I did want
to see the teal turquoise one, too much trouble to pull them all out even though
I was missing some really kool ones in
the
trailer that day as the clouds were threatening us.... As I stood looking at the
total uniqueness of the engineering of this motorcycle the clean design and the
vivid totally unique look, I was in love with this builder! I seen an
individuality of art in this guy and his signature of fashion on each one of his
steel pony motorcycles. The winds brought me back from my thoughts, I took a few
photos and then went to ask this guy if I could interview him tomorrow. I had
told Mark that I had an interview with this bike builder in the morning before
my events for the day was scheduled. I was going on at the mouth about this
choppers and how it takes allot to impress me through all the 30 yrs that I have
seen custom bikes and this guy brings precision, and impeccable detail and
design in the creation of these one of a kind choppers. He said to me, Do you
know who he is? No...I don't know who he is...... but I do know he can build a screaming hot motorcycle
did you by chance look at them? You serious Luuezz...? You don't know who he
is.....No I said again, I told you I don't personally know him but I'm going to
interview him in the morning though. Mark said to me, Haven't you seen him on
TV? TV...... I said, What's that??? I don't watch TV. Well then that answers
the question. That's "BIG" Rick Hoffman he is a professional Bike Builder and he
has been seen on the Discovery Channel and other TV shows. And I said " Your
$#@!$ shitin' me right?! As I busted out laughing... It was then I said to Mark
when my mind was wondering as he was talking to me earlier we were face to face
leaning into that boxed trailer, I was thinking he looked familiar....... I
never forget a face. As you can see I truly came to "BIG" Rick Hoffman to
interview him not because of his status of the Industry but because of his
Artistic Vision to Engineer and Fabricate Strong Detail and Design on a
Motorcycle. Through his motorcycles I seen a whole new perspective to custom
choppers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.
How did you get started in building Motorcycles?
A. From the very beginning riding
has not only been a passion but a lifestyle for me. I started to ride dirt bikes
as a kid and that continued on in my childhood as I was growing up. I later
bought a 1953 Panhead HD motorcycle which I still own. I have seen Sturgis in 4
different lives. Years ago I had one of many garage shacks where people would
come and party as I wrenched, soon people started to ask me to build them bikes
and I started to build them for them. Back in 92-93 I started to build my own
bikes. The shop was pretty kool it had heat, the floors were carpet, it had a TV
& a Fridg to hold the beer, ceiling fans , it was decked out to the T. Quite
elaborate in it's day.
Q. Hum...why the carpet as your wrenching, instead of concrete
floors?
A. Because if my wife threw me out...I had a roof over my head and a nice
place to live.
Q. How did you get hooked up with Gieco?
A. Right place at the right
time.
Q. How many bikes have you built?
A. Several Hundred.
Q. And how many do you plan on
building this year?
A. The economy is not good these days allot of people are
hurting because of it. I was building 50 a year. This year I will be building 15
- 20 motorcycles.
Q. Have you built any custom motorcycles for the professional woman
enthusiasts rider and woman who are small built to be able to touch the ground
with sure footing?
A. Yes The Turquoise Sportster was built for a woman. I also
built a his and hers motorcycle right here on display. My wife also rides one
that I built for her.
Q. Do you have children?
A. Yes I do I have a son named Brandon
who by the way is also bike builder.
Q. What events do you plan on attending this
year?
A. Homeless Veterans Run In Tarentum, PA Gatto Harley Davidson June 22, 2008. Hog Rally Fredericksburg, VA June 19 -21st 2008. Thunder In The Valley Johnston, PA June
26 - 29th 2008. Carlisle, PA July 25 - 27th 2008. Sturgis August 4 - 10th 2008.
Thunder In The Mountains Tionesta, PA August 24 - 27th 2008. Myrtle Beach, SC Oct 1
- 5th 2008. October Fest, Florida Oct 16 -19th 2008 Lone Star Rally Galveston,
Texas Oct 30 - Nov 2nd 2008.
Q. Which is your Favorite Motorcycle that you have built?
A. My 53 Panhead I have built it a bunch of times!
Q. What drives you to create
your unique style of motorcycles?
Q. I like a clean, smooth look when looking at a
bike. All the wires are neatly designed to not be visible to distract from the
clean smooth look. I aim for that. The bike performs at high speeds & low speeds
and handles with ease.
Q. Do you fabricate your own tins?
Q. Yes I do my own tins along
with a custom line end.
Q. Who inspires you and why?
A. Donny Smith, Arlen Ness, Dave Perewitz. They are the Godfathers of Custom Motorcycles. They have inspired
everyone to building Sportsters. They kept the Harley name in magazines when
Harley wasn't doing good. These guys did things to bikes in the 60's that people
think are new and unique today.
Q. What did you do before you started to built
bikes?
A. I had my own Trucking Company. I was a Truck Driver. I still drive the
semi's if I'm short a driver.
Q. How do you see the future of Custom Built Motorcycles?
A. We are going through a low point which is good because it will weed
out lots of bad bike builders who build poor quality and high price.
Q. Do you
airbrush your own bikes or if not, who paints them?
A. 80% of all design work and
fabricating is done by myself. We paint everything in house.
Check out "BIG" Rick
Hoffman's Web Site at: www.logicmotors.com 10359 W. South Range RoadSalem, Ohio
44460330.332.2323 corporate.
