Arlen Ness Motorcycles

Arlen Ness was an American custom motorcycle builder born July 12, 1939, in Moorhead, Minnesota, whose family moved to San Lorenzo, California, in 1947. He bought his first motorcycle, a 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, with winnings from semi-professional bowling, and began customizing bikes in his garage in 1970 while working a day job installing aluminum doors and windows. He opened his own shop in Dublin, California a few years later, building a reputation on skinny-tube, 5/8-inch chromoly custom frames that were distinctive for the era, along with custom paint and parts work. Widely known as "The King of Custom Motorcycles," Ness was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and received multiple Builder of the Year and Lifetime Achievement honors. He died in March 2019, and the business continues under his son Cory and grandson Zach Ness.