Today, the popularity of custom motorcycle designers and builders has recently achieved a status once afforded only to rock stars. With all the media attention that many in the business have received, there is one man in Winston-Salem , North Carolina , who is still happy to do things just the way he has always done them. Meet Kendall Johnson, and since the early 1980s he has been creating high-horsepower, custom one-off bikes that have been setting the custom industry on fire. Recently, Brian Jackson traveled to South Carolina to have a talk with Kendall about his career in custom bike design and building and what is going on with his business today.

Kendall told Brian that the reason he went into the business was to be different, and his bikes are certainly that. When asked about his designs, Kendall is adamant that he doesn't build the same bike twice and as far as formal design goes, he says that his ideas are basically "freelance," and generally come while he is in the process of building the bike. In fact, Kendall remarked that, "screw-ups are often the best one-off pieces." But, even these "screw-ups" as Kendall calls them, have to be the very best in performance and appearance because he believes that customer satisfaction is the most important thing about the business. In addition, you'll never find what Kendall refers to as "cheap stuff" on his bikes-quality definitely counts!

Today, old-school bike building and modern high-tech has forged a path in Kendall 's shop and his son Zack handles the computer work that is necessary for today's markets. Believe us, Zack has a lot to do because everything at Kendall 's shop is done in-house including a top-of-the-line high performance engine shop that produces 300-400 engines per year! Zack tells us that working with his father is enjoyable and now you can add this tandem to the other successful father and son design and building teams in the industry.

There is no doubt that Kendall Johnson is a hard worker and a perfectionist, and in this profession, not only are those are positive qualities, they are necessities. Kendall told Brian that he is getting ready to take his first vacation in years, and for the longest time, the only day he ever took off from work was Christmas. While we've talked about the exceptional quality that each bike possesses, we also want to talk about another strong appeal of Kendall Johnson Customs: rideability! According to Kendall , these bikes are built to be ridden and enjoyed, and as we watched him mount up for a ride, the passion that he has for his product and for the industry is clearly evident.

So, while magazine covers, television, and nation-wide fame could have the power to change some people, we get the feeling that it won't change Kendall Johnson one little bit. He is a man who does what he loves and produces the best product he can build. That's a lesson that everyone should learn. If you would like to learn more about Kendall Johnson Customs, give them a visit on the web at www.kendalljohnsoncustoms.com .

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