What can you learn about America from the seat of a motorcycle?
After riding across the country for America 250: Two Wheels, One Nation, Chris and Heather Callen returned to ShopTalk with stories about the people, places and unexpected moments that made the journey matter.
They were joined by longtime friend and custom motorcycle builder Aaron Greene for a conversation covering the upcoming NorCal Chopper Show, performance choppers, nostalgia drag racing and the builders who helped shape modern custom motorcycle culture.
Watch the complete episode below.
America 250 Found Connection on the Open Road
Chris and Heather began the America 250 ride with a simple question: Is the country really as divided as the news and social media often make it appear?
After crossing the country, their experience told a much different story.
The road brought difficult weather, long days, historic landmarks and plenty of unexpected detours. More importantly, it brought conversations with strangers who were willing to stop, share their stories and connect without first asking about politics or personal beliefs.
The route included Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, Washington, D.C., the Gateway Arch, the beginning of Route 66, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Hollywood Sign and the Santa Monica Pier.
Some of the most memorable moments, however, happened far away from the planned landmarks.
In Buffalo, Wyoming, Chris and Heather met 11-year-old Emily and her family. Emily is battling leukemia and preparing for a bone marrow transplant, yet she has continued finding ways to help other children and families receiving treatment.
At Snake River Canyon, they met a 72-year-old woman preparing to BASE jump from the bridge in celebration of her birthday.
Those encounters became reminders that the most important parts of a motorcycle journey are not always marked on the route.
The complete America 250 project will eventually become a longer documentary featuring the landmarks, interviews and stories collected along the way. Until then, viewers can follow the journey through Chris and Heather’s daily video updates on the Cycle Source YouTube channel.
Aaron Greene and the NorCal Chopper Show
Aaron Green joined the show to discuss the NorCal Chopper Show, an event built around the different machines and people that make custom culture special.
The gathering brings together choppers, hot rods, vintage race machines, music, camping and the builders who still believe in making things with their own hands.
The show is held at Aaron’s unique Northern California facility, a former wine and brandy production building constructed in 1945. Its massive concrete walls, industrial tanks and original boiler-room spaces give the event a setting with as much character as the machines displayed inside it.
Aaron also talked about the importance of creating a Northern California event where motorcycle builders, racers, artists and enthusiasts can spend time together without losing the grassroots spirit of the culture.
Building Performance Choppers Before It Had a Name
Long before “performance chopper” became a popular phrase, Aaron was building motorcycles designed to be ridden hard.
His PCX motorcycles combined custom fabrication with serious horsepower, cornering ability and enough ground clearance to handle aggressive riding. Aaron wanted motorcycles that could pull wheelies out of corners and perform beyond the limitations of a typical long-and-low show bike.
His work also proves that performance and craftsmanship can exist in the same build.
One recent motorcycle featured a handmade stainless-steel exhaust with bronze inlays, hand-filed transitions and hundreds of hours of detailed fabrication. Even the exhaust mounts and buckles were designed as finished pieces rather than simple hardware.
Aaron’s mechanical education started in his grandfather’s shop with a discarded Honda Trail 90. That small motorcycle led to dirt bikes, racing, automotive work and eventually a career building custom motorcycles through Paramount Customs.
Choppers, Drag Racing and the People Who Built the Culture
Aaron’s interests extend beyond motorcycles.
He currently works with a front-engine nostalgia dragster competing in the NHRA Heritage Hot Rod Series. The car runs the quarter-mile in approximately seven seconds at nearly 200 mph using an old-school format that relies heavily on mechanical knowledge, driver ability and crew experience.
The conversation also remembered builders and personalities including Kendall Johnson and the people involved in the Blood, Sweat & Gears era.
Those builders worked under pressure, created motorcycles in front of live crowds and helped define an important period in custom motorcycle history. The episode offers an honest look back at the friendships, creativity and losses that came with that time.
A Garage-Built 1962 Panhead
This episode’s GarageBuild segment features Carmine DeRosa and his custom motorcycle powered by a 1962 Panhead engine.
Carmine built much of the motorcycle himself, including the exhaust, handlebars, gas tank and rear fender. He learned through experience, mistakes and the willingness to solve each problem as it appeared.
The finished Panhead was displayed at Born-Free 17, proving that an impressive custom motorcycle does not have to begin inside a professional fabrication shop.
Cycle Source Celebrates 20 Years in Sturgis
The episode also includes updates on the 20th annual Cycle Source Custom Bike Show in Sturgis.
Turn 14 Distribution has stepped up as a major sponsor for the anniversary celebration, and Best of Show will receive $5,000 in cash.
Entrants will also receive a special 20th-anniversary collector’s patch and event T-shirt created exclusively for bike show participants.
Watch the Full ShopTalk Episode
This episode moves from the open road to the fabrication shop, but the message remains the same.
Motorcycle culture has always been about connection. Sometimes it begins with a handmade chopper. Sometimes it starts in a motel parking lot. Sometimes it is as simple as a stranger asking where you rode that day.
Watch the complete episode of ShopTalk for more from Aaron Green, the NorCal Chopper Show, America 250, nostalgia drag racing, Carmine D. Roza’s Panhead and the upcoming Cycle Source Sturgis events.
Watch now on the Cycle Source YouTube channel and subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode.