The garage is where many of us spend our free time. It’s important to have a space that allows us to be creative and try new things. The thought of working with motorcycles day and night might seem exhausting to some, but for gearheads, the chase of speed and precision is all part of the fun. This idea resonates with our contributing writer, Ryan Zapko. As a pilot and someone who has been flying since age seventeen, it only makes sense that wrenching on motorcycles would be the perfect thrill outside of the cockpit.

Spending your entire life around cars and motorcycles isn’t a bad way to live, especially when you pick up the intricate craft of custom painting. We talked with Phil Williams of Roll On Cycle about his technique and path to becoming a full-time painter. His operation goes by the name of Bridge City Paint and is now housed within the same shop that his family has run for decades.

The last time we checked in with Ryan and Nathan Cipoletti they had put together their first chopper from the frame up, a slick black 1975 Harley-Davidson FX. Since then, they’ve been quite busy collecting more pieces and building or modifying numerous choppers in their spare time.

If you’re from Pittsburgh or Cleveland, you’ve probably seen this Sportster before. It’s been all over the internet and has bounced around to different owners before making a home with Erin Fitzgerald in the Steel City. In a lot of ways, Erin and Lucerne are a great fit together.

Although chromophobia, the abnormal aversion and fear of color, perfectly characterizes this chopper masterpiece, its builder could not be further from the theme. Born in Eighty-Four, Pennsylvania, to a father already established as a creator of 1960s and 70s choppers, Tyler Elliott has been wrenching, fabricating, and customizing since his earliest memories.

Over time, as more restorations and custom builds start popping up, certain classic bikes seem to gain an appreciation. The popularity of the Honda CB line has remained solid throughout the years, cementing them in history as some of the most stylish, reliable bikes ever produced. The first CB models were born over sixty years ago, and when Honda moved forward with the CB350 in 1972, the four-cylinder, 347cc four-stroke was the smallest multi-cylinder motorcycles ever put into full-scale production.

Deep inside of us, there’s a joy that comes from doing something the hard way. For most folks, choppers aren’t typically the first choice of motorcycle for road trips. For others, the challenge of taking such an impractical machine the distance is the rush we need to feel alive.

Brian Petronchak of Revelry Custom Cycles is no stranger to the pages of Pittsburgh Moto. His white 1966 Triumph TR6 was featured in our second issue, and both of his recent builds were displayed at this past year’s Glory Daze Motorcycle Show.

For the past few years, Triumph Motorcycles has organized a tour around the country to promote their new lineup. Pittsburgh has been one of the stops, and this year we were lucky enough to swing by the party at Ace Hotel in East Liberty on November 20 to check things out.

Those who love the thrill of drag racing and the style of old choppers probably have a thing for diggers. If you’re unfamiliar with digger choppers, just think prism or geometric tanks, powerful engines, and often very wild paint jobs. These stretched and narrow bikes exploded onto the scene and filled the pages of many custom motorcycle magazines throughout the 1970s thanks to a name that needs no introduction: Arlen Ness.

If you happen to have a copy of issue Number 004, you might connect the dots. Josh Howells had a feature in that issue of his shovelhead chopper that has since been given a facelift. He’s also started a shop on Forbes Avenue with friend Andy Mak called Uptahn Metalworks, where the two have been turning out custom fabrication work, choppers, and more. I asked Josh some questions about the shop, their projects, and the local community.

When you think of a scrambler motorcycle, the last thing that probably comes to mind is a Harley-Davidson. With Triumph and Ducati both using the term as the name of two popular current models, it can be a little confusing these days what “scrambler” actually means. Although, a quick search through internetland proves that the label has always been somewhat complicated. Let’s jump into the background of this unique style and the reason I went in this direction after acquiring a totaled 2015 Sportster XL1200.