Cory Ness

Last updated
Cory Ness
CoryCruisingDaytona.jpg
Cory in Daytona 2014
Born (1963-08-11) August 11, 1963 (age 56)
San Leandro, California
Occupation Motorcycle designer, entrepreneur
Years active1980–present
Known for Custom motorcycles
Relatives Arlen Ness, Zach Ness
Website www.arlenness.com

Cory Ness is a second-generation American motorcycle designer and entrepreneur. He is the son of motorcycle customizer Arlen Ness, and father of Zach Ness.

Motorcycle design can be described as activities that define the appearance, function and engineering of motorcycles.

Custom motorcycle

A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle with stylistic and/or structural changes to the 'standard' mass-produced machine offered by major manufacturers. Custom motorcycles might be unique, or built in limited quantities. While individual motorcyclists have altered the appearance of their machines since the very first days of motorcycling, the first individualized motorcycles specifically labeled 'Custom' appeared in the late 1950s, around the same time as the term was applied to custom cars. In the 1960s, custom artisans like Arlen Ness and Ben Hardy created new styles of custom bikes, the chopper. In the 1990s and early 2000s, very expensive customs such as those built by Orange County Choppers, Jesse James's West Coast Choppers, Roger Goldammer became fashionable status symbols. There are also companies that are bringing back pin striping, such as Kenny Howard and Dean Jeffries from the 1950s, with a continued effort to keep pin striping alive. The choppers of the 1960s and 1970s fit into this category.

Arlen Ness American entrepreneur and motorcyclist

Arlen Darryl Ness was an American motorcycle designer and entrepreneur best known for his custom motorcycles. Ness received acclaim for his designs, most of which are noted for their unique body style and paintwork.

Ness, following in his father's footsteps as a motorcycle enthusiast, became well known from his appearances on the Discovery Channel show Biker Build-Off in 2004 when he went head-to-head against his father and won. Ness appeared for a second time on the show in 2005, defeating Eric Gorges.

Discovery Channel is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by Discovery, Inc., a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. As of June 2012, Discovery Channel is the third most widely distributed subscription channel in the United States, behind TBS and The Weather Channel; it is available in 409 million households worldwide, through its U.S. flagship channel and its various owned or licensed television channels internationally.

<i>Biker Build-Off</i> reality television series

Biker Build-Off is a reality television series for the Discovery Channel. Created and narrated by Thom Beers, the series was originally conceived as a single special called The Great Biker Build-Off. The show proved so popular that more episodes were produced in succeeding years, to the point that it was turned into a regular series in 2005.

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W engine reciprocating engine with three banks of cylinders

A W engine is a type of reciprocating engine arranged with its cylinders in a configuration in which the cylinder banks resemble the letter W, in the same way those of a V engine resemble the letter V.

Chopper (motorcycle) type of motorcycle

A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in California in the late 1950s. The chopper is perhaps the most extreme of all custom styles, often using radically modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance. They can be built from an original motorcycle which is modified ("chopped") or built from scratch. Some of the characteristic features of choppers are long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle, hardtail frames, very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars, lengthened or stretched frames, and larger than stock front wheels. The "sissy bar", a set of tubes that connect the rear fender with the frame, and which are often extended several feet high, is a signature feature on many choppers.

Indian Larry American stunt performer

Indian Larry was a noted motorcycle builder and artist, stunt rider, and biker. He first became known as Indian Larry in the 1980s when he was riding the streets of New York City on a chopped Indian motorcycle. Respected as an old school chopper builder, Larry sought greater acceptance of choppers being looked upon as an art form. He became interested in hot rods and motorcycles at an early age and was a fan of Von Dutch and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, whom he would later meet in California.

Dennis Poore British racing driver

Roger Dennistoun "Dennis" Poore was a British entrepreneur, financier and sometime racing driver. He became chairman of NVT during the dying days of the old British motorcycle industry.

Victory Motorcycles

Victory Motorcycles was an American motorcycle manufacturer with its final assembly facility in Spirit Lake, Dickinson County, northwestern Iowa, United States. It began production of its vehicles in 1998, and began winding down operations in January 2017.

<i>Biker Boyz</i> 2003 film by Reggie Rock Bythewood

Biker Boyz is a 2003 film about a group of underground motorcycle drag racers. It features an ensemble cast including Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Meagan Good, Djimon Hounsou, Brendan Fehr, Larenz Tate, Orlando Jones, Salli Richardson, and Kid Rock and is written and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood. It also features Lisa Bonet, and Vanessa Bell Calloway.

Touring motorcycle

A touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle designed for touring. Although almost any motorcycle can be used for this purpose, manufacturers have developed specific models designed to address the particular needs of these riders. Touring motorcycles commonly have large displacement fairings and windshields that offer a high degree of weather and wind protection, large-capacity fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-ups, engines with a great deal of low-end horsepower, and a more relaxed, upright seating position than sport bikes.

Roland Sands is an American motorcycle racer and designer of custom high-performance motorcycles. In his career as a professional motorcycle racer has won the 1998 AMA 250GP National Champion road racer championship. Sands is an award-winning designer of custom performance motorcycles, and owner and founder of Roland Sands Design.

Orange County Choppers bikes are motorcycles featured on the television series American Chopper built by Orange County Choppers (OCC) for a specific corporate or celebrity customer. Theme bikes are motorcycles in which the theme of the motorcycle takes priority over everything else, influencing the frame dimensions, paint scheme, and overall 'feel' of the motorcycle. The function of motorcycle usually takes a backseat to the presentation of the theme, and these motorcycles attract attention solely on the premise of the theme itself. Customer bikes are built for and generally to the specifications of a particular customer. Although the customers typically give OCC creative freedom to do what they will, some clients have a specific idea in mind and expect OCC to reproduce their mental picture literally.

Jerry Covington motorcycle and chopper builder

Jerry Covington is a custom motorcycle builder and owner of Covingtons Customs.

Roger Goldammer is a Canadian motorcycle builder most known for winning the World championship of bike building three times.

Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club

Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club (GGMC) is a one-percenter and motorcycle club that began around a motorcycle racing team and friends based out of Los Angeles, California in the United States in 1942. The group was informal and not chartered until 1946. Soon after, the organization spread out from southern California, establishing chapters in Illinois, Missouri, Montana, Indiana, Wyoming, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.

Paul Jr. Designs American motorcycle customizer and clothing company in Montgomery, NY

Paul Jr. Designs (PJD) is a lifestyle brand motorcycle customizer and clothing vendor, based in Montgomery, New York, USA. Paul Teutul Jr. founded the design firm in 2009 after waiting out a one-year non-compete clause with his former company, Orange County Choppers (OCC).

Ron Simms American motorcycle builder

Ron Simms is an American custom motorcycle builder, operating his business, Simms Custom Cycles, in Hayward, California. Simms has been building custom motorcycles for over 30 years. He has been featured in Easyriders magazine, and the photo essay book Art of the Chopper, where his work was compared to Arlen Ness as epitomizing the East Bay Style.

East Bay Dragons MC

The East Bay Dragons MC is an all black, all male, all Harley Davidson riding motorcycle club founded in Oakland, California in 1959 by founder and current president, Tobie Gene Levingston.

Zach Ness American motorcycle builder

Zach Ness is a third-generation American motorcycle designer and entrepreneur. He is the grandson of motorcycle customizer Arlen Ness, and son of Cory Ness. In 2013 Zach teamed up with National Geographic Channel for the television series Let It Ride. The series followed Zach as he and the Ness crew built custom bikes for clients.