Von Dutch Kustom Cycles, “a New breed paying tribute to the Old Skool“Written by: Raphael Srabian
Now Listen Up, there’s a new Kompany in town and “they ain’t what ya’ thank. This Kompany is Von Dutch Kustom Cycles; And let me tell you something; They’re the Real Deal!
A lot of you Nu-Skoolers might think that Von Dutch is a hip clothing line for celebrities…well sort of, but I’ll get back to that in a minute. But some of you OG’s that have been in the game for a bit, know that Kenneth “Von Dutch” Howard meant something to the “Kustom Kulture” of cars and bikes, post World War II. Ken Howard was the originator of the free hand pin-stripe. Striping was his way of personalizing each bike or car that he touched. Eclectic, Un-social, Obsessive, Rude and sometimes Genius, Ken Howard lead nothing less then an interesting life, but his legacy is best remembered by his scrupulous attention to detail and design.( I HOPE I DIDN’T LOSE YOU AT SCRUPULOUS. KEEP READING!)
Fast Forward to Today, a new Bike builder has emerged and his ability to design would make Ken Howard roll over twice in his grave. Alex Mardikian is Chief Designer and President of Von Dutch Kustom Cycles. Mardikian has an insatiable appetite to create and like Ken Howard, Alex loves to personalize every bike that rolls off his assembly line. Conventional designs? I don’t think so. The Von Dutch bikes are all unique in their own way and the attention to detail will blow your mind. “I only know one way of building: It’s custom, and it’s high end. I don’t compromise my quality for quantity,” says Mardikian. You want to talk quality? Each Von Dutch Kustom is equipped with a Patrick Racing Billet motor, Primo-Vera 6spd tranny, Brembo Quad-Piston calipers and floating roaters. The frames are Diamond Chassis and the custom exhaust and primary drive is Arlen Ness. The Von Dutch Bikes are all retro-inspired but the mechanisms SCREAM modern ingenuity: literally SCREAM! For the personal touch each bike is outfitted with a custom hand carved leather seat from Pasquel and an ultra unique paint scheme done by award winning shop, Deano’s of Arizona.
Mardikian’s designs speak for themselves, but the only way to bring them before the public’s eye is to have a solid business plan; In walks Ron Starrantino, VP of sales and marketing for Von Dutch Kustom Cycles. I had the pleasure of meeting Ron and at first glance he looks like a Bar room Bouncer that spends a lot of time at the gym, well that’s half true. Ron is an avid weightlifter, but a meat head he’s not. Ron is extremely business savvy and personable. He cut his teeth in the boiler rooms of Wall Street. He understands how important client relationships are and best of all he loves to ride bikes. In the 6 months that Ron has been with the company he’s helped raise the public awareness of the custom cycle division 10 fold. Ron is a huge advocate of giving back to the community and he plans on participating in at least 6 charity events per year. This year Von Dutch Kustom Cycles was commissioned by the City of Sturgis to build the official 2006 Black Hills Sturgis Rally bike. The bike is being raffled off to raise money for the Children of Sturgis and that was a no-brainer proposition that Mardikian and Starrantino didn’t think twice about. I asked Ron what the game plan was to take Von Dutch Kustoms to the next level, “our goal is to build high end bikes but at the same time keep the price points attractive for the consumers who want quality without having to take out a second mortgage on their homes.” Ron’s plans must be working, because every bike built has been pre-sold months in advance.
Finally, in conclusion to my previous thought: For you Nu-Skoolers who still think that Von Dutch is a hip clothing line for celebrities; That is true, celebrities do wear the clothes as well as a hundred million other people. The Point: Celebrities also ride custom bikes and so do we; out of love for the “Kustom Kulture.” THE MESSAGE: Don’t Hate; shut your mouth and check out the bikes, www.vondutchkustomcycles.com. You might fall in love like I did, Peace!
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