I’ve been interviewing feature builders and owners for 40 years. You can imagine, I’ve conversed with every personality under the stars, including a prick or two. Sometimes we start to talk and suddenly it’s like shooting the shit with a brother of 20 years. And often this one conversation will lead to a decades-long relationship.
After speaking with Chris, I knew we would be in contact for years to come. He was like talking to an old pal in front of the local bike night, about his latest build. We discussed this bike, his shop, and economic survival, Sturgis, Bonneville, and show circuits. So, where the hell should I start?
Just after I hung up the phone, I looked at the chart and saw the shop title, Mayhem Cycles. What the hell does mayhem have to do with Chris and his wife Lisa successfully running a shop for a decade? As soon as Chris could drive he hauled ass to the local Chopper shop in South Brunswick and started to hang out. Before long he had a job and learned the ropes.
Then he took up collision repair to augment his income and he still retains a significant position at a local body shop for over 20 years including the benefits to assist in supporting his family of four kids, and Lisa, his wife. She handles the front office, the parts counter, the phones, and bookkeeping at Mayhem.
Before the economy tanked Mayhem was known for wild choppers and show bikes, but with the downturn the chopper craze faded away and the staff turned to more bread and butter service work, then low-buck bobbers, and remodeling stock bikes. “We once built some crazy stuff,” Chris said.
Now, it’s all about survival and building rideable bikes. Still perplexed about the shop name I reached out to the Mayhem staff for an answer and Lisa articulated the history and direction:
Well our lives did turn into Mayhem but that’s not where the name came from—ha,ha,ha.
When Chris started this 10 years ago he had two partners who opened the company with him. I was a stay-at-home mom with the four kids. We invested the most money in the startup (Chris’s whole pension), so when the other two Left, I had no choice but to jump on board and keep the business going for Chris or we would have lost everything.
The name was one of the other partner’s ideas. I thought it was the worst name and still do!!
My idea for a name included using their three first initials Chris, John, Michael and take the name Central Jersey Motorcycles. But not being a named partner I had no say and one of the other partners wanted Mayhem, so here we are 11 years later…………..Chris in the back with a long time bud, John Vagi, and me up front.
We used to do the show circuit. One fall I did the whole East Coast myself driving the trailer loaded with the bikes and working the shows. Chris stayed behind and kept working. From September thru November I was on the road for three months except for 18 days home. That was a rough fall on the kids, and me but by the end of the show season people knew who I was and knew our bikes.
It was pretty wild but tough on a family. Then the economy tanked and we have been trying to keep afloat waiting for the market to bounce back. This year was the first time in probably five years we did a lot of customizing again, so people around our area are finally starting to spend money.
We would love to get back to shows, and having bikes featured, etc. It’s a true passion of Chris’s to build his “rolling art” as I call it, and I told him I would help him anyway I could. If we ever hit the lottery though, I’m staying home to cook, which is my passion.
I hope someday to be invited to dinner. This bike reminded me of my first ’48 Panhead. It also reminded me of a bike Mil Blair built for me which was Evo powered but just this style of class retro. At first glance to a semi-novice rider, it’s a restored 1950 Panhead, but then the original aspects fall apart. The frame is a Santee re-pop. The front end is an ’09 glide from a Heritage Softail. The brakes are upgraded to discs, the electrics include a 12-volt system and electronic ignition.
The seat was altered and remounted with a comfortable seat shock. “The bike looks retro but is very rideable,” Chris said. I posted a couple of stock 1950 Panhead shots from the Bob T. collection, so you can compare the two.
A few years ago during the toughest of times, Chris was able to move the business out of a grungy industrial park onto the main highway. With the support of stand–up customers like Tony Pinizzotto, who owns this Panhead, and a helpful landlord, Chris and Lisa continue to do what they love and keep their business growing.
They obviously follow the code of the west. Their oldest daughter, Krystyna, is a senior in college, and the youngest, Carson, is 12. There maybe Mayhem at home once in a while, but this family operation is strong and supportive. May there be another wild chopper in Chris’s future…
–Bandit
Regular Stuff
Owner: Anthony Pinizzotto
Bike Name: Marilyn
Builder: MAYHEM CYCLES
City/state: Monmouth Junction, NJ
Company Info:
Address: 3945 US 1 South, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852
Phone: 732-297-7818
Web site: www.mayhemcycles.com AND
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayhem-Cycles/294585923887856?ref=hl
E-mail: Lfreda4@verizon.net
Engine
Year: 1950
Make: Harley-Davidson
Model: Panhead
Displacement: 74 ci
Builder or Rebuilder: Mayhem Cycles
Cases: H-D
Case finish: Natural
Barrels: H-D
Bore: stock
Pistons: stock
Barrel finish: Black
Lower end: stock
Stroke: stock
Rods: stock
Heads: stock
Head finish: Natural
Valves and springs: stock
Pushrods: stock
Cams: stock
Lifters: stock
Carburetion: S&S E
Air cleaner: Paughco Teardrop
Exhaust: stock head pipe
Mufflers: fishtail
Transmission
Year: 1950
Make: H-D
Gear configuration: 4-speed
Primary: 1 ½-inch BDL Belt Drive
Clutch: BDL
Final drive: Chain
Kicker: Yes, stock
Frame
Year: 1950
Builder: Santee
Style or Model: Retro Mod
Stretch: stock
Rake: stock
Front End
Make: H-D
Model: Heritage
Year: 2009
Sheet metal
Tanks: Fat Bobs
Fenders: Front-H-D Heritage / Rear-Stock 1950 style
Oil tank: stock H-D
Paint
Base coat: Cream semi-gloss
Pinstriping: K&M Signs
Powdercoat: Coast2Coast
Wheels
Front
Make: H-D
Size: 16
Brake calipers: 6-piston Performance Machine
Brake rotor(s): 13-inch Performance Machine
Tire: Dunlop MT90B16
Rear
Make: H-D
Size: 16-inch
Brake calipers: H-D stock
Brake rotor: H-D stock
Tire: Dunlop MT90B16
Controls
Foot controls: Stock Floorboards
Master cylinder: stock
Clutch Cable: Mousetrap
Electrical
Ignition: Mallory Distributor
Ignition switch: stock
Coils: Revtech High Performance
Charging: 12V Generator
Starter: Kickstart
Headlight: stock Heritage
Taillight: Tombstone
What’s Left
Seat: Jeffrey Phipps
Saddlebag: Jeffrey Phipps
Gas caps: stock
Handlebars: beach bars
Grips: stock
