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39 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, November 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 28, 2004 Mark Daley�s custom-built bike, Paranoid, took best-in-show at the �Showdown in the West� in Portland recently. The Medford man estimates he spent 400 to 500 hours on the purple- and-chrome creation. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Riding in high style Custom motorcycles earn Medford man regional recognition for wheels with the ‘cool factor’ By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Mark Daley makes art on wheels. The Medford man’s custom motorcycles have earned him coverage in national magazines and first-place awards at bike shows across the West. Last week he came home from a show in Portland with an armload of trophies for two of his latest creations. Daley bested 17 other custom-bike builders from Oregon, Washington and California at "Showdown in the West," a two-day show that brought hundreds of custom cars and bikes to the Portland Expo Center. He took the best-in-show award for a wild purple-and-chrome machine he christened "Paranoid" and best-in-class for a red-and-black bike he calls "Grudge." "Just to be invited there we were stoked," said Daley, 39. He works in the style of custom car builders — guys who bend, twist and transform the components of a machine to make something that nobody else has ever seen. His motorcycles have all the requisite parts — engine, wheels, frame, gas tank, brakes, lights — but the finished product bears little resemblance to anything you’d find in a Honda shop, or even a Harley- Davidson dealership. Advertisement Paranoid, his latest work, is a good example. Daley said one man who saw it at the Portland show described it as "the ’32 roadster of motorcycles," a compliment that only true enthusiasts could appreciate. For years custom-car builders have used the 1932 Ford roadster as the raw material for some of their wildest creations. "It’s the street rod version of a motorcycle," he said. Every part of Paranoid is custom made. Daley designed the wheels, which feature a diamond motif. Welds that join the frame are invisible, creating a sense of seamless smoothness. The gas tank, seat and rear fender merge in one sinuous curve that flows from the handlebars all the way to the rear wheels. "I like to make them look like you could pour water on the front of them and it would flow all the way to the back," he said. Daley estimated that he spent 400 to 500 hours over the space of 18 months to build Paranoid, a bike with features that transcend the ordinary custom project. The bike’s throttle and brake cables have been routed inside the handlebars and frame to make them invisible. The seat is upholstered with stingray hide. The exhaust pipes are made from several pieces of metal that have been welded, polished and chromed to make them appear to be one piece of fabulously bent metal. Every part also fits the chrome and purple color scheme that flows from the tip of the front fender to the tail of the rear fender. Daley’s one-off bikes sell for $30,000 to $80,000, depending on the customer’s taste and checkbook. Some bring him with a specific idea; others give his imagination free rein. His typical client is a man between the ages of 45 and 55. "They may have had a chopper sometime in their life," he said. "Maybe they sold it to buy a house and raise a family. Now they can afford to buy a bike that costs more than their first house. "The cool factor is what it’s all about," he said. "They want to have something that nobody else has." Reach reporter Bill Kettlerat 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities