looks exactly like the ones that Rowe Machine did for OCC
I noticed that, too. I think you're right---
http://www.businessnewhaven.com/article_page.lasso?id=38597excerpt:
In 1992, Chuck Wendt bought a new Harley-Davidson. It arrived from the factory with the standard cast aluminum wheels. Wendt didn't find these particularly attractive, so like many motorcycle and automotive enthusiasts, he took matters into his own hands - literally.
Wendt was familiar with the tools of the metal trade. His father Charles had a bustling Connecticut machine shop doing parts work for Connecticut aerospace manufacturers. At one time Wallingford's [highlight]Rowe Machine Co[/highlight]. employed more than 20 workers turning out thousands of production parts a year.
So Wendt put some of the shop's equipment to work, carving out his own design in place of the standard-issue cast aluminum wheel. He brought his wheels around to bike shows and gained a small but growing following. Eventually aluminum billet wheels came on the market and Wendt began using them as stock to carve out his custom wheels.
"I pioneered the one-off design of custom billet wheels," says Wendt.
[highlight]Wendt's brother Ron contacted OCC, before the company's Discovery Channel career began, at a bike show and offered to provide custom wheels for OCC bikes[/highlight]. Thus Rowe was chosen for the "Black Widow Bike" featured on the first American Chopper episode in 2002.
The carved-out web-design wheels were a major design feature on the motorcycle, which was hotly received.
"OCC really got the business growing," recalls Wendt. "We were up almost 70 percent overnight. We sell throughout the U.S.; more than 95 percent of our business is outside of Connecticut.
The wheels are carved using a computer-assisted computer numeric control (CNC) machine from forged aluminum wheel billets, allowing for totally new and intricate wheel designs with a more polished finish than possible otherwise.
"A typical set will sell for $3,500 to $4,000" Wendt explains. "More custom design with color inlay will go up from there."
It's the company's color inlaid designs that Wendt says sets it apart from all other wheel manufacturers.
[highlight]The inlaid wheels made their first splash on an OCC bike created to honor New York firefighters following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Carved into the wheel were the FDNY letters, a ladder and fire hydrant with black-and-gold inlay.[/highlight]
"We're the only ones that can do this [color inlay]," says Wendt. Backed by an agreement with the patent-holder, it's another innovation that will keep the now four-employee company accelerating smoothly down the highway of commerce.
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Topic: For Firedood (Read 2630 times)