Cruising the Las Vegas strip and the surrounding countryside, a creature of the night rides in the darkness. "The Count," as he is also known, rides his custom chopper, aka the "Coffin." While his minions follow him on their mission to spread the word about Count's Kustoms, one of the hottest custom bike shops in the west. Danny Koker is 'The Count," a nickname he got when he hosted a late-night horror show on local cable. Recently we had the opportunity to visit with this local legend who has since gone on to bigger things.

Danny told us that he had always loved and collected cars and motorcycles. One day, he asked his friend (now his chief builder), Shannon Aikau, to build him a really long bike that he had designed. After the bike was completed, people began to ask, "Who built that?" Danny replied, "We did it." The business took off from there!

Danny said that the company's specialty is "long bikes," a combination of old-school choppers and modern technology in the drivetrain. In other words, Count's Kustoms are the perfect combination of function and form. Danny said that most people don't think long bikes will handle well. However, Danny refutes that notion by saying you can ride an eleven-foot chopper all day long "if the geometry is right." Concerning current trends in custom bikes, Danny is not a fan of fat tires. He runs a 200-series on his "Coffin" bike, a ride that is stretched six inches at the down tubes, three inches in the backbone, and 50º at the neck. This bike is between 10 ½ and 11 feet long, and he has ridden it for years. Speaking of riding, that is one thing he loves about the Las Vegas area. Danny showed us some beautiful places to ride just outside the city, such as Lake Mead, Mount Charleston , and Red Rock Canyon . Danny also noted that it is always fun for him and his buddies to cruise the Las Vegas Strip around midnight to turn some heads and have folks admire and comment on their works. He believes riding is the best therapy that anyone can have when daily pressures build. Regarding his own business, Danny says that being an owner represents freedom in many ways, but there are also all the daily concerns that must be attended to. When those things become a bit overwhelming, it is then time for The Count to get his knees in the breeze.

Obviously, inspiration is a tremendous ingredient in being a custom bike designer and builder. Danny told Brian that he doesn't sketch his bikes, but rather talks out the designs with his crew. He added that everyone has ideas and input, and they are a great group of guys to work with. "Seeing a design come to life is awesome," Danny added. It is also bittersweet, because when we sell a bike that we have designed and built, it breaks our hearts to let it go. One such bike that has provided some "healing" for Danny and the crew is the restoration of LS1. The first bike of the "Lane Splitter" line of bikes produced by the company has finally come home. Danny told us the story of how it happened. One of the company's first bikes was "Lane Splitter 1," a "narrow" bike reminiscent of the choppers of the 1970s. To make a long story short, a man had found the bike in Florida, recognized what it was (despite some unusual modifications), purchased it, and brought it back to Count's Kustoms to be restored to its original condition. You could tell by the look on Danny's face that it was going to be a satisfying experience to have the chance to restore this early bike to its past glory.

In a final statement, Danny said that he wants to make sure his customers are comfortable and have confidence in his bikes. After what we have seen and heard, there is no doubt that anyone who deals with The Count will be under his spell! If you would like to learn more about the bikes and accessories from Count's Kustoms, give them a visit on the web at www.countskustoms.com , or you can give call 702-733-6216. That's it from Las Vegas , Nevada . So until our next ride, "Keep the shiny side up and Ride On!"

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