2021 Tiny Custom Strider Bikes
ONE-OF-A-KIND CUSTOM STRIDER BIKES UP FOR GRABS!
Now is your chance to own one of these custom Strider Bikes! Each of these bikes was custom built by industry-renowned builders from across the United States. The builders added their own flair giving each bike its unique personality. There will never be another bike like these which makes them truly one-of-a-kind. Be sure to get your tickets or to register on the Mecum Auction website so when these stunning bikes roll across the auction block and steal the show – you are ready to bid!
Diva Amy Skaling
Diva Amy lives by her mantra, “Anything worth doing … is worth OVER doing.” It especially applies to her beloved Custom Diva Glides she embellished with Swarovski Crystals one by one. She is a “long road lover,” preferring to ride the long distances, waking up in a different place every morning, exploring our great U.S. and Canada.
She comes from a world of sales, design, and merchandising…starting with the snow ski apparel business and moved forward entering the motorcycle world. She applied her mantra creating her own company, TEAM DIVA, creating custom designs in apparel and accessories, vending at motorcycle events from Daytona Beach to Hollister, CA., and points in between. Her embellished headwear is now sold on her ETSY store.
Paying her dues in the vending trenches led her to fundraise for many causes in the motorcycle world. Diva Amy has been working on the Biker Belles Charity Ride Team for many years, creating the Comfort Zone, working on the silent auction, and the retail area. She is the Biker Belles Ambassador and the Ride Captain of the event in 2021. “I am very proud to be a part of the Buffalo Chip Family Team,” she said.
Read more about the Diva Amy Tiny Strider Custom HERE.
Kiwi Mike Tomas
Mike Tomas, aka Kiwi Mike, started his Indian Motorcycle journey in New Zealand performing repairs and fabricating parts for equipment on his father’s farm.
He got his first Indian at age 17. What sparked his interest in the Indian brand was when a man passed by him on a ‘41. Mike instantly fell in love with the lines and chased down the rider to learn more about his new dream machine. That interest led Mike to cross the pond in the early 1980’s as he headed to American to seek his dream.
In the 1990’s, Mike showed up at the Davenport Swap in Iowa with the industry’s first illustrated catalog for Indian Motorcycle parts. He’s now manufacturing some 1500 different part numbers and building replica Indian engines made 100% with Kiwi Indian Motorcycle’s parts.
In the vintage motorcycle market, everyone knows that Kiwi Mike is the go-to guy for vintage Indian bikes, parts and – more importantly – knowledge. Kiwi Indian Motorcycles is located in Riverside, CA.
Read more about the Kiwi Mike Tiny Strider Custom HERE.
Carl Pusser
Builder Carl Pusser of Walkin’ Tall Cycles in East Peoria, IL, has been building and riding custom bikes for close to 40 years. He feels fortunate to have had Arlen Ness, Ron Finch, and other impactful customizers as inspiration over his career. Carl has won multiple awards and shows and has been featured on magazine coverage worldwide.
“It has been a privilege and honor to have and been recognized as a top builder and a mentor to the up and coming guys,” he said. “I’m even more humbled by doing the little Strider. Custom along with my granddaughter Jocelyn. This has taught her patience and humble beginnings. Not everyone is as fortunate. It was done from the heart.”
Read more about the Carl Pusser Tiny Strider Custom HERE.
John Shope
John Shope started in the 1980s as an artist and sculptor prior to entering the custom bike business. Like others before him, he purchased a bike and began creating new parts and cutting up the stock ones. Unlike others, John became known as “The Risk Taker,” unafraid to take chances in an effort to find the next great thing.
John Shope is the owner of Dirty Bird Concepts located in Pheonix, AZ. He’s the four-time winner of the Hot Bike Power Tour, has been featured in over 100 magazines, and was one of 4 featured builders in the History Channel’s reality television series “Biker Battleground Phoenix.”
Customizing this little bike presented John with a great opportunity to work with his two younger sons, Cash and Cooper, in the shop. Between the three of them they designed, cut, welded and twisted metal to result in the gem you see here. “They knew it was for charity and had fun being in the shop with me and learning,” said John.
The boys learned a thing or two and the dad enjoyed quality time with his sons. Not much better than that!
Read more about the John Shope Tiny Strider Custom HERE.
Team Paughco
Everyone has heard of a Paughco Springer. And at Paughco, Inc. they make a lot of them; over 90 variations including stock and custom applications. For over 50 years, owner Ron Paugh and his team have manufactured custom, chopper-style, OEM, and obsolete Harley components. The American manufacturer is located near Carson City, Nevada.
For their Tiny Custom, Ron’s recent induction into the Sturgis Hall of Fame suggested a mini version of Paughco’s 50th Anniversary Chopster custom. And why not? Steve Massicotte, who headed up the Strider build, has been in motorcycling since 1980 and is Paughco’s head of product development R&D and marketing.
Steve chose Rufino Romero, head man in the Springer department, to partner up with him to bring Ron’s idea for the Tiny Custom to life. Rufino has been with Paughco since 1993 making every Springer that Paughco has sold for over 25 years. Literally thousands of Springers.
Together Ron, Steve and Rufino decided to make a whole new Strider from the ground up. The Paughco custom showcases dozens of handmade parts, all of them developed from Paughco tooling right there in Carson City, NV, USA.
Read more about the Team Paughco Tiny Strider Custom HERE.
Kirk Taylor
Kirk Taylor’s L’il Cha Cha was among the very first class of Tiny Strider Customs. Like the other builders that year, Kirk took the leap of faith to invest his time and talents in an untested program. In business as Custom Design Studios Kirk drew inspiration for his Strider custom from the “First Lady of Drag Racing” Shirley Muldowney, nicknamed Cha Cha. And now, L’il Cha Cha is back in the fold for an encore performance.
Taylor opened Custom Design Studios in 1988 but he’s been around bikes since helping out in his dad’s machine shop as a kid. Blending his creative aesthetic with mechanical know-how has resulted in world-class customs shown around the globe, many with chopper and bobber styling cues. He’s done Cha Cha proud!
Taylor is pleased to see his tiny custom roll back for a repeat performance – and add support to new ridership. So welcome back, L’il Cha Cha – at least until the Mecum Auction in January 2022. And thank you Halvorsons for your generosity.
Read more about Kirk Taylor’s Tiny Custom Strider HERE.
About Flying Piston Benefit: The Flying Piston Benefit is produced by Marilyn Stemp of Iron Trader News and Jeff Najar from Horsepower Marketing, a marketing and promotions company, to raise awareness and funds for non-profits and individuals in the biker community. The Flying Piston Benefit is an organization that produces charitable events to assist in raising awareness and funds for nonprofits. The Flying Piston Benefit works with sponsors to increase their brand awareness and integrate their participation with cause marketing. The Strider Custom Bike Program is one such example.
Contact: Marilyn Stemp, 828-205-8482, marilynstemp@gmail.com or www.flyingpistonbenefit.com for details.
About All Kids Bike: All Kids Bike® is a national movement led by the Strider Education Foundation to place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Programs into public schools for free, using donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. 100% of the proceeds will support All Kids Bike and its mission to get Kindergarten Learn-To-Ride PE Programs into schools across the United States.
For more information visit www.allkidsbike.org.