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“That’s not the kind of programming that I really wanna do. I don’t want to give up that creative control and turn it into just another real- ity show. So, we want to fund the show with private investors or may- be one major sponsor would like to come onboard, and then make the show that we wanna make that represents the restoration business, vintage motocross, and the people involved in the proper light.”
What’s one of the more challenging things that you’ve encountered while restoring a bike?
Nothing really sticks out, every bike is a challenge and they all have something unique about them, but I can’t really say one bike or one part that really sticks out. The Honda Elsinores in 1974 with their aluminium tanks that have
a gloss finish on them but no paint with the exception of a stripe on top -- those are challenging, but fortunately I taught myself a long time ago how to repair those tanks and it’s a big part of my business now.
Talk a little bit about the vision and what you guys have put together with American Motorcycle Restoration show?
The vision of the show is to make it more of a docu-reality show where we get particular bikes for each episode (it’s a thirteen episode season), and not only talk to the customer about the bike and why it’s special to him -- but we’ll go back and speak to factory riders, mechanics, or people who were involved with research and development at that time to show more about the history of the bike. It will be a combination of the history of the bike, the people that made it famous, and me giving some tips and things on how to come up with a quality restoration.
When you were younger and growing up as a motocross fan, did you ever think that you’d be skeet shoot- ing with Brad Lackey?
No, you can’t even imagine how surreal it does seem at times. I remember going to Unadilla in 1974 (one of the first professional races I had gone to as a spectator), and you’re pressed up against the fence to try and get as close as you can to the bikes or guys like Marty Smith and Brad Lackey, and you fast forward forty years and you’re friends with these guys. I’ve been truly blessed to be able to relive that part of my life. A lot of people have hobbies or go back and do what they did when they were kids, but they get caught up in the past and don’t really live in the mo- ment. I’ve been blessed in that sense where my passion for motocross, racing, and things that happened in 1974 came such full circle that I can actually speak to my teenage sports heroes, have something to eat, go down to the gun club, or do things like that. It’s been a dream come true in many ways.
The intro to the show has a fantastic throwback vibe. How did that concept come together?
The entire opening of the show was my idea; I did all the scripting for it and everything. As I like to say, like that Ringo Starr song “I get by with a little help from my friends.” Well, I called my friends Tommy Croft, Marty Smith, Brad Lackey, Chuck Sun, Rodney Smith, and every guy I could get together that was available at that time. My vi- sion was to make it like a dream sequence -- in other words, see myself as a kid ride down to that motorcycle shop, but it was a dream so nothing really has to be in correct time. I don’t know if I made that come through clearly in the opening itself, but it was like a dream sequence and I came up with all of that on my own. When I was approached to do the show and they asked me what I wanted it to look like -- when people turn on the television to watch a show, very seldom is the opening important to them. Certain ones are, no one wanted to miss the opening of Miami Vice because it showed great cars, had great music, shows Miami, had all these cool boats -- if that’s going on at 9:00pm, at 8:59 you were in front of your television because you didn’t want to miss the opening. I felt the same way for our show. I wanted it to be so that people tuned in two minutes ahead of time because they didn’t want to miss this every week. No matter what shows or topics we have that week, the most important thing is getting them to turn their television on at that time to watch.
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