SAMSON RELOCATES TO STURGIS, SD

 

 

A. On one hand relocating my business to the Black Hills of South Dakota was the toughest decision I have had to make so far while in business, but on the other hand it was an easy one. The idea of living and working in the Black Hills was very appealing. The summers are a dream come true for motorcycle riders. The winters are usually semi mild in nature most of the time. Cold but tolerable. Riding in January is common when a blustery warm 60 degree day brings out tons of motorcycles out early from winter hibernation. There are a lot of riders living in the Black Hills. Most of them are transplants from a different area just like myself. The biggest problem we have here so far is getting settled in. You don’t realize the amount of junk you accumulate until it gets packed up and moved to a new place where you have to unpack it all and find a place for it. I found stuff that had been packed up from a move back in the 90’s. We wondered whatever happened to this or that until all of a sudden there it is packed nicely in a box you remember setting aside for safe keeping. In some cases safe-keeping was a little too safe. It’s a little like receiving a present. For the most part I would say that moving to the Black Hills was somewhat of a present in itself.

Q. On a cold winter nights do you miss California?

 A. Ahhh, the cold winter nights. As long as you don’t spend a lot of time outdoors cold winter nights are easy. As I write this in November in California we are experiencing summer like conditions with the temperature in the 80’s at the beach. Do I miss this weather? Yes. It’s weather like this what makes so many people want to come to California in the first place. Riding at night without a jacket is unbelievable with the night air hitting your face. It’s like heaven to me. But riding in the Black Hills is also heaven for me so if I was to choose which place has the best riding quality it is the Black hills. For the quantity of riding it’s California.

Q. Is South Dakota/Sturgis  helpful to new businesses wanting to relocate?

A. South Dakota has no state income tax! To me that is a big deal. This is a great help when it comes to your bottom line. South Dakota is also giving some great incentives to move your business. They are very helpful and anxious to help in many ways. The economic development department in Sturgis is also very helpful. Anyone who has a good business and wants to relocate to the Sturgis Industrial Park (Yes, we have an Industrial Park) may be given land on which to build. This is huge cost reduction or us that are looking for a reduced cost of relocating. There are many other incentives available for those who want to move here.

Q. Do you need staff, tell us about any positions you need to fill?

A. When we moved we expected some of our employees to come with us. Some did which is a big help. They helped train others to do what we do best and are very valuable personnel. The knowledge they have to share is very appreciated. One of the things I considered before moving here was the availability of qualified employees. The general status of work ethic in the area is very good. People just want to do a good job if you let them. The willingness to learn a new skill and to share the skills they have make it wonderful environment.

Q. What changes did you make to Samson during the new set-up?

A. Changes made for the new facility were well planned out ahead of time. Implementing cell manufacturing techniques help the flow of product through the manufacturing process very smooth. Our building is a “purpose built” facility we planned from day one to be just that, a manufacturing facility. The manufacturing floor is laid out for product to flow in the same direction constantly allowing ease of manufacturing. All product flows toward the back door for shipping purposes. This is something we didn’t have at the previous facility.

A. Although my daughter, Rachel, was apprehensive of the move, which would uproot her from her comfort zone, she has been invaluable in the course of the move. There are some things that are much more valuable than money that’s for sure.

Sturgis is a town centrally located in the U.S. so shipping our product to either shore makes our product readily available to everyone no matter where you live. Sturgis, the “City of Riders” is a Mecca of motorcycle enthusiasts where new product can be developed with a lot of input from the motorcycle community. Shipping is easy with UPS just a half block away and freight services in nearby Rapid City.

Q. So what’s exciting for 2014 from Samson?

 A. 2014 will be the year of another breakout for Samson. Look for us to set some exciting new trends.

Q. So you went to Harvard business school, studied Feng Shui in California, and now you read the stars over the Black Hills. Tell us, oh wise one, what’s up for custom motorcycles for 2014?

 A. Who would have ever thought I would be a graduate of Harvard Business School? Much less even being able to attend such a prestigious school in the first place. It’s the luck of the draw I suppose. I’m not so sure about the Fung Shui thing at all since I still leave the toilet seat up most of the time. What I see from the moon and stars of the Black Hills for the motorcycle industry in 2014 is a great year for everyone. New cutting edge products, more disposable income for everyone, and a warmer climate to ride farther, smoother, longer, and uncut.

 

 

Dave wanted to build the best bike that he could so he used all of Bad Dad’s top-of-the-line body panels.  He set off the front end with a custom 23″ wheel and complemented it with one of Bad Dad’s 23″ FL Fenders to maintain the Touring bike’s traditional, classic look. The right-side brake caliper was shaved off the bike, the front braking system upgraded to a single 6-piston caliper, and the front end was then chromed to show off the bike’s huge front wheel.

Since Dave had already chosen a very elaborate paint scheme, he needed more real estate for his custom artwork so the bike’s gas tank was stretched with Bad Dad’s Stretched Tank Shroud and the dash replaced with Bad Dad’s Low Profile dash.  The bike’s gas tank now flows smoothly into the Stretched Side Covers which provide even more room for Dave’s custom paint.
 
The Road Glide was cleaned up even further with a set of Bad Dad’s Shaved Bags which feature Bad Dad’s patented hinge assembly for sliding open the custom lids.  The rear end of Dave’s bike was finished with one of Bad Dad’s custom rear fenders where all of the bike’s taillights were flush mounted for a completely smooth look.  Dave did not want the license plate to break the clean lines of the bike’s back end so Bad Dad’s Automatic Hide-a-Plate was used to tuck the bike’s plate inside the rear fender when the bike is turned off.

Dave also upgraded all of the accessories on his bike, including a set of Bad Dad’s Long Cut Floorboards, Brake Pedal, and Shifter Pegs.  The custom floorboards were marbleized to match the bike’s paint scheme, and then the ridges of the boards were sanded smooth to provide the billet contrast. Dave also used a set of Bad Dad’s Long Strokes Exhaust Pipes to finish off the back end of the bike.  These custom slip-on pipes extend just beyond the back edge of the Stretched Bags to show just the right amount of chrome out the rear of the bike.

Once all of the right pieces were in place, Dave’s Road Glide was rolled into Bad Dad’s spray booth where the entire bike was covered in House of Kolor’s Kandy Tangerine over an Orion Silver base. While the orange was used to really set off the bike, Dave wanted more detail shown in the paint so a marbleizing technique was used to add more character to the bike’s custom paint. A set of custom tribal graphics was then laid out from stem-to-stern.

Dave’s project was started with one purpose in mind: create an award winning bike that can be ridden anywhere. While his bike has only been finished for a few months, Dave’s Road Glide has already been awarded Best Paint at the 2011 Muskegon Bike Time and received a handful of other great awards. It looks like Dave’s bike has already achieved its purpose.

 

Spec Sheet

This is an interesting one. It’s like a test. Last week, a full moon rocked the earth, like an evil spell. Girlfriends ran off, businesses folded, evil transactions unfolded, and there was general mayhem on the planet for a few days. That’s when Angie Dixon reached out to me.

“Are you going to feature our bike?” she asked. “It won the Bikernet Editor’s Choice award at the Las Vegas Bike Fest in September.”

I remembered the bike, the wild stretched monster. It spoke of choppers from the past, long sleek sexy beasts. I didn’t recognize aspects of this bike until I spoke to Tim Dixon and he started to tell me about his past and how he started a chop shop 18 years ago on the family’s dairy farm, purchased in 1944.

I’ll tell you a code about full moons and evil spirits. It could save your life. If you’re smart and you see signs of pure evil, or even disjointed actions, don’t over-react. Take a step back, drink a glass of Jack, or smoke a joint and listen to some heartfelt tunes for a couple of days. More often than not, things will sort themselves out. It’s like road rage. You could kill the sonuvabitch who cut you off and go to jail for the rest of your life, or pull into Betty’s apartment complex and let her take your mind far, far away. The next day, you’ll be able to go for a ride, see a fantastic sunset, and drink with your riding partners. No problem.

With that mantra in mind, I checked my notes from my conversation with Tim, who I suspect is a very solid builder, and started to write his story. It’s a good one, full of romance and intrigue.

Tim and his older brother, Mike, grew up on the family dairy farm. Their dad passed when Tim was in second grade and they were forced to step up and learn the ropes. While in his teens, a friend and drag racing enthusiast contacted Tim and they built a 650 Class 1971 Vega in 1988.

“I discovered I enjoyed building more than the racing side,” Tim said.

Tim learned welding in high school and followed it in trade school.

“My brother did the same and attended Vocational College,” Tim said. “I took metal shaping classes in Charlotte.”

At one point, Tim made the trek to California to watch some television builders and learn. It was the time of the build-offs and he followed the TV action.

Tim’s home shop takes on car restoration projects, racecars, rat rods, and bikes “when they are hot,” Tim said. He and his brother, his mom and uncle live outside of Ten Mile, Tennessee.

Tim had the bug for action, hot cars, bikes, and flash. He watched the shows and followed the blogs. One day while checking some chopper shots on a Facebook page, he perused through the comments and one intrigued him. Clicking on a link, it took him to another blog belonging to a Canadian girl from Vancouver Island, who was a financial services manager and wore high heels and business suits daily.

“I’m not a computer guy,” Tim said. “I don’t know how I got there, but I had to know more about this girl.”

He cajoled computer savvy friend to follow and reach out to Angie, and they started to correspond after weeks of deleted messages.

“They wrote in yawls,” Angie said. “I didn’t know what to make of them for a while.”

A year of e-mails and four-hour long phone conversations led to a one-week trip for Angie to fly to Nashville and meet Tim.

“I wasn’t afraid when I stepped off the plane,” Angie said. “I knew him.”

Over the next year she returned several time, and once for six months, during which time Tim proposed.

“Vancouver Island is made up of polite and soft people,” Angie said. “Tennessee is big boobs, blondes, and in your face. Besides, it’s hot as hell.”

“She won the Canadian Lottery,” Tim said, “and I was the prize.” They were married September 8th, 2012 in Rock-a-Billy style.

“Everyday is still new to me,” Angie said.

The two brothers have a day job off site, rebuilding hydraulic cylinders for bulldozers, backhoes, compactors, any heavy equipment, plus manufacturing cylinder sleeves and hydraulic pistons. Their facility is 10 minutes away from home in Athens, Tennessee, and it houses seven CNC lathes and five CNC mills. They manufacture every piece themselves. Of course, these capabilities go along way to help with custom builds.

Tim’s home shop may not be quite as well equipped, but they can always shoot over to the day job facility for some detailed machining. All his talents came into play with this parody on a television build, the Gold Digger Bike. He wanted his version of it to be bigger, badder, and better. He took the time to venture to the Wheels Through Time museum, so he could study an old Harmon girder. He made the girder work better than stock with bronze-filled Teflon bushings. They machined their own trees and built the frame.

He did it all, and the stretch and handling of the 10-foot, 9-inch axle-to-axle sex machine fits his 5-foot, 10-inch frame perfectly. Tim built all the major components and many accessories, including the bars, the pipes, air cleaner, kicker, and seat pan. Angie handled the leather upholstery.

He recently won second place in the Charlotte Ultimate Builder Bike Show, and showed at the Easyriders Nashville show, and won the Bikernet Editor’s Choice Award at the Vegas Artistry in Iron. “I’m going to build a whole new show-stopper for the Artistry in Iron competition next year in Vegas,” Tim said.

I can’t wait to meet this couple in person. Tim is determined to build the best of the best, and Angie is determined to build his business. They turned down an opportunity to compete in the new Biker Build-off show, but watch for Tim’s work to be featured in his own TV Series.

Regular Stuff

Owner: Tim and Angie Dixon
Bike Name: Suga Daddy
City/State: Ten Mile, Tennessee
Builder: Gas Axe Chop Shop
City/state: Ten Mile, Tennessee

Company Info: Build custom cars and bikes, metal fabrication, machining, and welding
Address: 203 Upper Concord Road, Ten Mile, Tennessee 37880
Phone: 423-507-2693
Web site: www.facebook.com/gasaxechopshop
E-mail: info@gasaxechopshop.com or mrsangiedixon@gmail.com
Fabrication: Gas Axe Chop Shop
Welding: all types
Machining: cnc milling, lathes and also manual lathe and mill

Engine

Year: 2012
Make: S&S
Model: Shovelhead
Displacement: 93 c.i.
Builder or Rebuilder: S&S
Cases: S&S
Case: S&S
finish: polished
Barrels: S&S
Pistons: S&S Forged
Barrel finish: black
Heads: S&S
Head finish: polished
Cams: S&S 585
Carburetion: S&S super E
Air cleaner: old school
Exhaust: Gas Axe custom
Mufflers: None

Transmission

Year: 2012
Make: Baker
Gear configuration: 4 speed
Primary: chain drive
Kicker: old school, custom Gas Axe offset kicker arm mount

Frame

Year: 2012
Builder: Gas Axe Chop Shop
Style or Model: Custom
Modifications: Got more curves than Marilyn Monroe

FrontEnd

Make: Gas Axe custom
Model: Harman style internally sprung girder
Year: 2012
Length: 26 inches over stock

Sheet metal

Tanks: modified Mustang
Fenders: Gas Axe modified blank
Oil tank: Gas Axe custom

Paint

Graphics or art: Flamin’ Freddy Smith
Special effects: Flames everywhere
Pinstriping: Flamin’ Freddy Smith

Wheels

Front

Make: SMT
Size: 26″ x 3.75″
Brake calipers: Hurst Airheart
Brake rotor(s): Gas Axe custom
Tire: Avon

Rear

Make: SMT
Size: 20″ x 10″
Brake calipers: KC International
Brake rotor: KC International
Tire: Avon

Controls

Foot controls: Steve Dameron
Finish: Polished
Master cylinder: Jaybrake
Brake lines: Gas Axe
Handlebar controls: Jaybrake
Finish: Polished

Electrical

Ignition: Morris Mag
Headlight: Old school painted
Taillight: old school cool

What¹s Left

Seat: Gax Axe custom pan, upholstery by Angie Dixon
Gas caps: Moon Eyes
Handlebars: Gas Axe custom
Pegs: Steve Dameron

Credits: Atlantic Coast Plating (chrome) Flamin’ Freddy Smith (paint) Gas Axe Chop Shop crew (fabrication) Angie Dixon (seat)

We peeled out to Saddlemen’s family-operated dream factory recently to see what was new, and maybe test a new bag on a 250 ATK cruiser. We worked with Saddlemen’s team on several occasions, building a totally custom seat for the Mudflap Girl FXR, creating seats for Bonneville Racers, you name it.

The Saddlemen group is constantly on the hunt for new, more comfortable seat technology, and gear to make any ride more user-friendly. Kyle the official Bikernet electrician just came across his first new motorcycle, a 250 cc ATK V-twin cruiser, and he’s taken to it. But he was looking for some way to peel to small jobs and carry the necessary tools.

 

Here’s the company info on the line:

It’s the latest group of motorcycle luggage from Saddlemen – The FTB line features a bold, sporty look with an array of vital features bundled with suburb construction and class-leading value pricing. No other line of bags look as sharp on your motorcycle, so be prepared to acknowledge complements about them at each gas stop.

The Sport Sissybar & Combo Bags (FTB2500 and FTB3600) are the large siblings in the FTB clan. They have the same, knife-sharp styling and organizing features as the smaller bags but with more capacity. Mid-size side compartments easily hold extra cargo and double up as beverage holders. Each bag also includes a specialized top storage bag that clips on and off in seconds. Equipped with the same highly-functional gull-wing style access flaps as our Sport Trunk & Rack Bag, these top bags expand your cargo capacity by a huge margin. Need to get at rain gear fast, but keep it away from your other stuff? These auxiliary storage bags fit the bill.

FTB3600Sport Sissybar & Combo Bag DRAG #3515-0142 $169.95

First, Buster introduced us to a nifty saddle capable of slipping under any seat and allowing almost any bag to be strapped securely to almost any passenger seat. That puppy was amazing.

Then we tried on a couple of new FTB bags, and came up with one capable of doing any job for Kyle. The bag industry is amazing and capable of almost anything, with pockets, slots, fixtures, lids, map windows, you name it.

Saddlemen also has the most popular product on the planet for riders. It’s a tank bag for your cell phone or GPS. This puppy is amazing. There’s that word again. The magnet won’t mar your paint, and won’t leave at any speed.

Buster took care of Kyle, introduced us to several FTB products, and made the kid’s day. No matter what bike you have, custom or stock, Saddlemen has just what you need, and if not, they are designing one right now.

With the saddle in place this system comes with fully adjustable clip-on straps. After they are thoroughly tested, they can be cut and heated to prevent unraveling.

They also come with rain protective covers for on the road or while parked in the elements.

 Plus, the super logo on the back is reflective at night.

We will keep you posted of any new Saddlemen developments.