The OG's And The Newbies Of SmokeOut

With all of the invitational bike shows today, we wanted what we decided to do with SmokeOut to be a little more substantial or have a little more meaning as it pertained to SmokeOut. You see, by now, you know that this was the place that launched the garage builder culture and was in a big way part of the Biker Build Off from the beginning. The SmokeOut Legacy Invitational Is what we came up with as a way to institutionalize the builders who blazed the trail through SmokeOut history while providing them with a platform to invite the next generation in. As SmokeOut originals, the veteran builders will have bikes on display throughout the weekend, some of which may be the very bikes that they broke ground with at this very location. Our initial class of 2022 is laid out here for you to consider. While we may have missed a few, we have, for the most part, captured the known associates of SmokeOut back in the day. Each of these builders will be responsible for selecting a legacy builder of their choosing that they believe will carry the torch.

1. OG: JEFF COCHRAN - LEGACY: CLINTON WALLACE

Jeff Cochran was one of the pillars of SmokeOut through the years and it is an honor that he has agreed to help kick off this new chapter. He will be displaying a SpeedKing Machine in the Legends Gallery at SmokeOut along side his Legacy Invitation; Clinton Wallace. Clinton is no slouch either with two Cycle Source covers under his belt and an appearance in the Motorcycles As Art Show at the Buffalo Chip.

2. OG: BILLY LANE - LEGACY: XAVIER MURIEL

Who will ever forget Billy Lane rolling Choppers Inc. builds into the gates of the SmokeOut or the Biker Build-off Shows surrounding it all? Well, if you missed it all the first time around, you will have a chance to relive those epic moments this year in Salisbury as Mr. Lane will be featured in the Legends Gallery at SmokeOut along side his Legacy Invitation; Xavier Muriel. Muriel has been blazing a trail through the custom bike world for the past five years after leaving his tenured position as drummer for the international recording artists Buckcherry.

3. OG: DONNY LOOS - LEGACY: RICK BRAY

Donny Loos was half of the original Sucker Punch Sally Dynamic Duo and really shot off like a rocket through the Smokeout Years, Undoubtedly a pillar of SmokeOut and a blast that he will be returning to the scene of the crime to help us kick off a new era of SmokeOut. He will be displaying a Don’s Garage Custom in the Legends Gallery along side his Legacy Invitation; Rick Bray. While Rick is far from being a newbie to bike building, with any national magazine covers to his credit, he is new to SmokeOut and makes him an excellent pick for The Legacy Invitational.

4. OG: ROADSIDE MARTY - LEGACY: DAN STARKEY

Who could say SmokeOut without thinking about Roadside Marty, his epic motorcycles and his undeniable contributions to the two decades of this show. Roadside is part of the Flat Broke Chops and Rods are and hails from beautiful sunny Pensacola Florida. His legacy is on the fast track in his own rights as well. Dan Starkey out of Indiana is an incredible human being and just happens to have a perfect eye for the old school beauty of a chopper mixed with his own flair.

5. OG: BILL DODGE - LEGACY: JOHNNY HUMPHREY

Bill Dodge is an icon in the custom motorcycle industry not only because he has stood the test of time, survived both the physical and monetary ups and downs of life with the motorcycle but largely for his ability to make sure everyone comes along for the ride. In his own BC Moto Bill has taken the invitational from a place of ego to a place of honor, helping the younger builders find their groove. Johnny is one of my favorite builders in the country. He has been doing this for long enough that I can’t remember a time he wasn’t part of the scene but he has done it all as a sleeper, without tons of fan fare, building exquisite machines, one after another!

6. OG: STEVE GARN - LEGACY: EVAN FAVARO

Steve “Brew Dude” Garn to date has over 100 tech articles published in national magazines; of course, those include the Horse and Cycle Source. Steve also holds 5 AMA Bonneville Records and 4 FIM land speed records in ECTA and has two number one AMA plates for record runs at Bonneville. He is a fantastic addition to this lineup! Steve’s pick Evan started young. At 12, he was scratch-building two-stroke race motors. He was welding by age 14 and, by 15, had built his first mini chopper. Evan has attended classes under Fay Butler, appeared on national television shows and in magazines. He is regarded as one of the most talented metal fabricators in our industry.

7. OG: STEVE BROYLES - LEGACY: DAN TOCE

Steve has been responsible, both behind the scenes and in front of it for a large part of the Custom Motorcycle Culture and industry for the past three decades. Notable accomplishments like split rocker boxes, reversed heads, exotic intake systems have consistently made his builds a step above. While the name Toce Performance is wildly regarded as one of the elite companies in the sport bike world, he has been making waves in the V-Twin custom industry all the way back to 2004. Today Dan has the distinct honor of being the leader in performance exhaust systems and many other manufacturers are constantly looking to him for the new direction in R&D.

8. OG: PAT PATTERSON - LEGACY: MIKE SCHRICKEL

No one will ever forget the original havoc of the Led Sled Trailer at SmokeOut in Salisbury. So of course we had to have Pat Patterson on the list of OGs for this first year back. Pat started Led Sled with one goal in mind: To make the Sportster cool again and all these years later I’ll be damned if he hasn’t. Another Ohio custom bike builder will be Pat’s Legacy Invitation; Mike from Chop Machine. Even though Mike only opened his doors to Chop Machine back in 2013, he has over 35 years experience as a Harley-Davidson mechanic and bike builder. He kills that 70s style with all of his builds no matter if it is a long or a short bike and isn’t afraid to put them to the test once they’re complete.

9. OG: PAUL COX - LEGACY: TBA

You may have noticed that Paul was the inspiration behind this years SmokeOut Character from the event poster. That shot was an iconic moment from Salisbury where Paul came outta the bottoms on Berserker. Needless to say, this list couldn’t be complete without his name in the mix. Paul’s skills as a builder are legendary in themselves and we can’t wait to see who he decides to select as his legacy for this first year back at SmokeOut ?