bosshoss country

Transcription

bosshoss country

bosshoss
country
w i n t e r
2 0 1 1
volume 16, number 1
Official Publication of the Boss Hoss Riders Association
www.bosshosscountry.com
1
bosshoss
country
Official Publication of the Boss Hoss Riders Association
Publication Information
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Accept this magazine and the information herein with the understanding
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Hoss Country Magazine nor the publisher can guarantee the accuracy or
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are the opinions of the author of the individual article and do not necessarily
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Publisher’s Information
Boss Hoss Country is published quarterly by Boss Hoss
Rider’s Association, a Tennessee Corporation at:
790 South Main Street, Dyersburg, TN 38204
[email protected]
Fax: 731-286-2453
Editor in Chief: Seth Chandler,
[email protected]
Executive Editor: Judy Otto,
[email protected]
Art Director: Seth Chandler,
[email protected]
Contributing Photographers:
Seth Chandler,
DCA/DCPR,
[email protected]
dca-dcpr.com
Ad Sales: Contact any of us!
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Boss Hoss Country Magazine and the publisher reserve the right to reject any
advertising deemed to be objectionable. Nor is Boss Hoss Country Magazine
responsible for the accuracy or completeness of advertising. Advertisements
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ommissions or errors resulting from such duplication. Advertising is accepted
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not endorse any services or products advertised herein.
Safety:
Boss Hoss Country Magazine and Boss Hoss Rider’s Association urge you to
to ride responsibly and to take advantage of courses of instruction offered by
the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Always ride within the limits of your personal
ability, your motorcycle’s capacity, and road, traffic and weather conditions.
Always wear a DOT/Snell approved helmet and dress appropriately. Keep your
motorcycle in good working condition.
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Boss Hoss Country Magazine - Winter 2011
Contents of Boss
Hoss Country
Magazine are
copyrighted and may
not be reproduced in
any manner without
written permission of
the publisher.
Warning... images
are larger than they
appear... much larger.
Don’t be scared.
3
in this issue
6
Power tour
8 Honoring Joshua Fraizer, a Fallen Soldier
14 Paris & The National Rally
22 Rider Profile - The Youngest BH Owner... ever
30 Dealer Profile - Boss Hoss sweden
36 Saluting a Pioneer - Paul Wagner, BH Kit #1
46 Shots from BH New Zealand
50 Boss Hoss Has Gone To The Dogs
7. EuropEan Boss Hoss rally 2011
01.07. - 03.07.2011
w w w . b o s s h o s s c y c l e s . d e
Boss Hoss Cycles GmbH
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Grubenstraße 4 • 50354 Hürth-Knapsack • Tel: +49 (0) 2233 / 71 41 88
Fax: +49 (0) 2233 / 71 41 89 • email: [email protected] • web: www.bosshosscycles.de
5
Boss
Hoss
take a ride at the next
r
e
w
o
p
BOSS HOSS NATIONAL RALLY
:: AT PARIS LANDING STATE PARK
NEAR PARIS, TN
9/16/2010 - 9/18/2010
BIKES BLUES & BBQ
:: IN FAYETTEVILLE, AR
9/29/2010 - 10/2/2010
BIKETOBERFEST
:: DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY,
DAYTONA BEACH, FL
10/14/2010 - 10/17/2010
6
Tour
www.bosshoss.com
BOSS HOSS CLUB
Boss Hoss Denmark www.bosshosscycles.dk
+
Birger Hansen
+
[email protected]
+
Torvet 4
+
6100 Haderslev
+
Tel +45 40 13 80 22
+
Fax +45 74 53 14 08
honoring a hero
8
At age 24, USMC Sgt. Josh
Frazier was killed by hostile fire
at Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on February
6, 2007—victim of a sniper
he, his gunnery sergeant and
captain were hunting. He had
previously been awarded a
Bronze Star Medal with bronze
“V” device for Valor, for laying
down suppressing fire and
pulling two men to safety during
Operation Vigilant Resolve--the
first battle of Fallujah.
Four months later, friends
participated in a memorial
ride for Josh Frazier and Nick
Mason, another young man
lost from the Fredericksburg,
Virginia, area. While preparing
for the ride, Frazier’s father,
Rick, paused to reflect on the
transitory nature of memories,
commenting to his friend
Steve Robinson, “I appreciate
the ride, and everybody’s
efforts—but it’s sad to think
that in a couple of weeks, after
this ride, everybody is going to
forget Josh, as so many Vietnam
soldiers have been forgotten.”
Frazier’s remark touched
Robinson deeply. That same
Saturday evening, although he
was in the process of organizing
a surprise retirement birthday
party for his wife, Elaine,
Robinson got together with
friends and came up with a plan
to repaint Rick Frazier’s bike as
a rolling memorial to his son, so
the memory would be kept alive.
The bike would be presented
to him during Elaine’s party the
following Saturday.
“After the memorial ride, my
friend Kent Zech and I and my
wife went to dinner with some
other friends, and on a napkin
we drew sketches of how we
wanted Rick’s bike—a 1996
Harley Fat Boy—to look. We
designed it as a tribute to
Josh—not only with his medals
and rank and duty information,
but with the things he loved—
like Spiderman.”
The paint job and graphics,
beginning with a Marine
camouflage green and
gray executed by Kenny
Deane at Razor Graphics in
Deane had already sanded down
Robinson’s tins—that due to a
design change, his 2000 model
tins wouldn’t fit Frazier’s 1996
bike.
Robinson scrambled to find
another set—and another friend
with a small shop, Keith Cox,
was able to quickly pull out a
complete set of the appropriate
tins from his storage closet.
Robinson delivered them within
45 minutes of discovering the
problem.
Honoring a Hero:
Boss Hoss “Tank”Is a
Powerful Memorial
Fredericksburg, was completed
in less than a week, but along
the way the project was fraught
with nerve-wracking glitches that
seemed to miraculously resolve
themselves.
“Just at the moment we had a
problem or a need, someone
would step forward to offer and
deliver exactly what we were
missing,” Robinson marvels.
For example, Robinson provided
a spare set of tins (tank and
fenders) from his own custompainted Fat Boy, planning to
swap them out with the tins on
Frazier’s bike at the last minute,
on the morning of the party and
presentation. He didn’t discover
until Tuesday afternoon—after
During the last moments of final
reassembly, the petcock to the
gas tank broke off in Robinson’s
hand. “Less than a minute after
it broke, the same guy walked
in who had given me the right
tins to have painted. When Keith
saw the problem, he walked
right back out, down to his shop
and returned promptly with a
replacement.”
Clearly Robinson’s guardian
angel was working overtime on
this project!
“They essentially worked around
the clock to get that bike done.”
Robinson remembers. “We were
still trying to keep my wife’s
party a secret from her—at the
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same time we were trying to
make sure Rick would be at the
party so we could present him
with the bike.”
Everything came together
beautifully. Robinson picked
up the finished tins on Friday
afternoon, and Saturday
makeover as a labor of
love.
“He’s very proud of it
and rides it everywhere.
He loves it,” said
Robinson.
But the story doesn’t
end there…
Inspired by the work
he had helped to
perform on Frazier’s
bike, Robinson’s friend
Kent Zech decided to
repaint his own bike. At
the same time, Robinson, who
had recently acquired his own
1999 Boss Hoss, was trying to
decide on a theme for his own
repainting scheme.
“One day,” Robinson recalls, “I
was riding down the road on
the Boss Hoss and I looked
down and thought, ‘This thing is
huge—like a tank!”
morning, while Frazier was out
of town, Robinson raided his
garage at 5 a.m, picking up
Frazier’s bike and moving it to
his own garage, where it was
stripped down and the new tins
put on it. Shortly before Frazier
arrived, the bike was placed on
display on Robinson’s deck.
“We presented the bike to Rick,
and for the longest time, he just
walked around the bike, looking
at it, and finally asked, ‘Why did
Steve do this to his bike?’”
It took some convincing before
Frazier accepted that it was not
Robinson’s bike, but his own,
that had been given a special
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It all just fell
into place from
that point, as
Robinson and
Kenny Deane
evolved the
design—with
its desert
camouflage,
its M1A1 HA
Abrams Tank
designation,
with bolts,
fuel reserve,
even an M-4
machine gun
mounted
up front, with ammo stashed
along the crash bar, and hand
grenade foot pegs. Instead of
a ditty bag, Robinson’s bike
carries an ammo box, and to
brake the rear end, he stomps
on a 50 caliber bullet. The seat
cover is custom-crafted using
two military-issue Gore-tex®
Marine jackets to match the
camo paint pattern.
And on the side panel is his
own tribute to Josh Frazier—a
reminder of the life sacrificed
for his country, and for the
family and friends he fought to
protect. On the other side panel
is a salute to the POW/MIA’s
from the Vietnam era, who are
also often forgotten.
Robinson’s “Tank” Boss Hoss
took home the top two-wheel
trophy from the National
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Rally—and it’s easy to see why.
But the bike is more than just a
showstopper—it touches hearts
and has an amazing effect on
those who see it.
“The first time I took the bike
to Myrtle Beach, in 2008, the
response was unbelievable. Not
only would everybody would
come up and look at that bike,
they would leave things on
the seat while we were away
from the bike—notes, military
medals—” Robinson pauses to
clear his throat. “People seem
to have a strong emotional
response—including me.”
He described a meeting with
a woman in her 70’s, who
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had been waiting in a car
with her friends for him to
come out of the restaurant
and approach the bike. She
got out of the car and came
over to confront Robinson,
announcing belligerently, “I hate
motorcycles.”
She pointed to the tank bike,
with all its warlike regalia, and
the memorial messages on its
sides, and added, “But I LOVE
that bike. Can I hug it?”
Robinson participates with his
friends in the Rolling Thunder
ride to the Wall in D.C. every
year. His friend Kent, who
ultimately chose a matching
patriotic theme for his own
2003 Harley soft tail Deuce ,
shares a special parking place
with Robinson’s ‘Tank’ bike,
and Frazier’s original memorial
bike. Zech’s bike achieves the
effect of a camouflage paint job
that is blowing off the bike to
reveal an American flag beneath
it. When the three bikes are
grouped together, the effect is
breathtaking.
“People look at these bikes and
their message—they’re deeply
affected; it moves them to
tears,” says Robinson.
The bike’s admirers continue
to be touched by the selfless
sacrifice of a young man willing
and proud to offer his life in his
country’s service not just once,
but many times—serving tours
of duty in Guam, Afghanistan,
and Iraq before requesting a
fourth tour that took him back
to Iraq.
So much is a mystery—why
that Iraqi sniper, sighting
through a 6” hole in the wall,
chose Sgt. Josh Frazier as
his target, instead of the two
officers standing beside him.
One thing is clear, however,
from the near-reverence with
which Robinson’s Boss Hoss
is regarded by multitudes of
strangers. Josh’s sacrifice is
appreciated and his memory
honored by many who never
knew him.
“We go to a lot of bike shows
together,” says Frazier, “and we
tell the story. People really enjoy
looking at the bikes and hearing
the story. I know now that Josh
will be remembered as the
years go past. And that makes
me happy.”
13
the
road
to
PARIS
photos by Toni Dycus & Seth Chandler
A Recap of the National Rally
14
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The night life alone most certainly
worth the trip. But when you factor
in the incredible riding, the beautiful
scenery and the excellent roads, the
National Rally is a must do event for
the BH faithful.
And you can mark your calendars
for the 2011 Boss Hoss National
Rally. The ink has just dried on the
contracts for next year. We’ll be
back in Paris September 22-24,
2011.
mark your
calendars
2011 Boss Hoss National Rally - Paris, TN
September
22-24,2011
The entertainment was rediculously amazing. Besides motorcycles, Tennessee is
known for its bar-b-que and music. The rally didn’t dissapoint on either account.
If you missed the 2010 Boss
Hoss National Rally, you missed
one of the finest bands you’ve
never heard of... Johnny Mac and
the Heart Attacks blew the roof
off the courtyard with their talent
and showmanship. Tennessee is
known for two things (other than
motorcycles, of course)... barb-que and music. The rally didn’t
dissapoint on either account. The
distance from the ribs and bar-bque buffet to the stage was about
60 feet... And regardless of the
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amount of free adult beverages
you consumed, you could follow
your ears to the very appealing
sounds or your eyes to the very
nice looking crowd that danced into
the night.
This year the BH faithful came to
the resuc of one of our own when
an older gentleman who became
very impatient decided to make
room for his car in the middle of a
group of our parade participants.
It’s times like those when you really
come to appreciate the value of the
BH nation. And while we hope that
never happens again, you can’t help
sticking your chest out a little when
you witness the acts of kindness
and compassion our group regularly
displays. She’s fine, by the way...
and her attitude is just remarkable.
Of couse, we knew it would be.
Before the dust could settle, a group
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of BH owners had her trike back
at their rv in the trailer. She was
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almost as good as new at the party
that night. What a trooper!
So, if these photos haven’t
convinced you, talk to the smartest
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Everything is bigger in Texas.
New & Used Units In Stock
and ready for delivery.
Parts and Service.
Financing Available.
2125 W. Pioneer Pkwy. B-1 Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Phone: 972-660-8717 • Fax: 972-660-8878
www.texasbosshoss.com • [email protected]
Boss Hoss owner you know. They’ll convince you to join us in
2011 for a continuation of the great riding, entertainment, food
and (most important) fellowship.
Did we mention that around $5000 in cold hard BH checks were
given away at the rally. Winners are listed on page 26.
And, that’s where we give away the Shriner’s trike every year.
Wouldn’t it be great if you won it next year... and were there to
drive it home! See you in Paris.
20
conquest graphics ad
21
Shayne
Fischer:
Profile
of a
Rider
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They Tried
to tell him he was too young.
it didn’t
work.
Problem: The rules say you’re too
young to qualify for a Boss Hoss
demo ride.
Solution: You buy your own Boss
Hoss—and ride it anywhere you
want!
You’ve gotta admit—it takes true
grit.
Imagine it: You love the rich, throaty
rumble; you love the look and feel
of power that flows through every
intimidating inch of the mechanical
behemoth; you’re itching to undergo
the transcendental experience
that riding it offers. But—would
you actually sign on the dotted
line without taking that final crucial
mind-blowing, deal-clinching step of
actually forking a Hoss to be SURE
it was everything you hoped and
expected?
Shane Fischer did—because that
was his only option. Boss Hoss
Cycles regulations didn’t allow him
to take a test ride until he reached
the ripe old age of 30; he didn’t
have any Boss Hoss rider friends
who’d let him borrow their beast for
a quick spin around the block, and
he wasn’t about to wait seven more
years for the chance.
It was a pretty drastic way to get his
hands on the key, but Fischer knew
what he wanted, and took the plunge
into ownership without ever riding a
Boss Hoss!
He hadn’t always been that
committed: “I heard about the Boss
Hoss as far back as 2000, but I was
buying a Harley about that time, and
going through school for Chevrolet
mechanics. A couple of guys in my
class had been going to the drag
strip and seeing the Boss Hoss
there, and they kept telling me I
ought to be getting that kind of bike,
not a Harley. I said maybe I’d have
one someday, but I figured it would
be 10 or 20 years.
“A couple of years later I was at
work, and a guy came in wearing
a Boss Hoss T-shirt. I had been
talking about them to one of the
dealership service writers, and when
the service writer saw the T-shirt he
said, ‘Hey, you need to go talk to
Shane—he wants one of those!’”
From the Boss Hoss rider, Fischer
learned about the Ms. Deane Cycles
dealership in Clinton, Missouri—50
miles away from Fischer’s home
town, Peculiar. But it wasn’t till
nearly a year later, after sitting on a
Boss Hoss owned by a Kansas City
dealer and revving up its engine,
that he walked into Ms. Deane’s in
January 2003 and ordered his Boss
Hoss.
It arrived about two months
later, and Fischer, then aged 23,
discovered that it was everything he
hoped it would be.
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--and as a guy who is pretty darned
handy with his tools, and definitely
knows his way around a Chevy
engine, he should know!
He has worked at
GM dealerships
since 1998, when
he participated
in the two-year
GM Automotive
Service
Educational
Program (ASEP),
which teaches
advanced
automotive
technical training, electronics, and
analytic and technical skills through
an internship program that results in
an Associate Degree. He is currently
employed at Max Motors in Nevada,
Mo.
rake kit on it, I’ve replaced the heads
and the fuel injection system—I was
one of the first guys to have port fuel
injection on a Boss Hoss, although I
suspect there
are a few
others around
who made the
conversion.
“Now that the
factory has the
LS bikes, they
are all more
advanced than
what we’ve
got, but at the time I did it, it was the
most advanced thing available.
“And when the clearcoat came off
my original paint job, I couldn’t find
anybody else to do it that I trusted,
so I took it apart and painted it
“I decided in high school what I
wanted to do, and just stuck with
it. Went to vo tech while I was in
school, and then I signed up to go
through the GM program as soon
as I graduated from high school. I
decided that was the deal.”
Perhaps it’s that blend of unusual
commitment, decisiveness, and
maturity that has built the special
comradeship between Fischer and
the older Boss Hoss riders he meets
with whenever possible.
The closest Boss Hoss riders he
shares rides with are from Iowa,
southeast Missouri and west
Tennessee. Drawn by their shared
interest in the Boss Hoss and their
mutual respect, the widespread
group does occasionally gather
to share special rides. (See BHC
When he attended his second Boss
Hoss National Rally, at Osage Beach,
Mo., in 2004, he met Bill Van Zant,
Alan Wilks, Bill and Mary Dietrich, and
several others, and struck up the
friendship that has lasted and grown
ever since.
He makes it a point to attend every
Boss Hoss Rally, and also makes
time for the Lacrosse and East Meets
West Rallies each year.
Naturally, he enjoys tinkering with the
bike.
“I’ve done quite a bit to it,” says
Fischer. “I’ve had just about the
whole bike apart except the bottom
part of the motor. I’ve installed a
24
myself—blue House of Kolors paint
with Chevy bow ties on the tank and
back fender. I’ve heard it referred to
as the Chevy bike.”
Fischer has always been a man who
knows his own mind.
January 2008 for the tale of their
Assault on a Dragon.)
Because he lives on a gravel road,
he rarely rides the Boss Hoss to
work, and lately, his riding pattern
has changed: “Normally I would ride it
every weekend, but this year, unless
I’m riding it 300 miles or more, I don’t
get it out of the garage.”
“I always look forward to seeing
them at rallies, too,” says Fischer.
“We’re good friends; they’re the best
friends I’ve got.”
Although his family have never been
interested in motorcycles, Fischer’s
experience with his Boss Hoss
recently inspired his father to take
the plunge and buy a Gold Wing trike,
which his parents have been riding
and enjoying “every chance they
get,” reports Fischer. “They’ve put
at least 12,000 miles on it just last
year, traveling to Colorado, Iowa, and
frequently to Arkansas. They take off
every chance they get now. They’re
really glad they did it!”
--so perhaps there might someday
be a Boss Hoss in their future, as
well.
His co-workers and community
are used to seeing the Boss Hoss
by now, and take it in stride, says
Fischer, although he fields the usual
number of “the average responses
that everybody gets. One person
has never seen a Boss Hoss before;
another person knows all about it,
but really doesn’t have a clue what
they’re talking about…”
a test drive or demo ride—even
though he is now “legal” to do so.
But hey—why would he need to, now
that he has his own bike to “demo”
whenever he likes?
Even after logging more than 49,000
miles on his Boss Hoss, Fischer still
takes some ribbing about that demo
ride he never took.
Shane, now that you’re a creaking
relic at age 31, maybe you should
indulge the old guys and go through
this essential Rite of Passage at long
last—just to give them something
new to joke about!
To this day Fischer, who turned 30 in
December 2009, has still never taken
25
2010 Boss Hoss National Rally Bike Show Winners
People Choice Award Winner
Bill Stokes
Two-Wheeled Bikes
2nd-Jeffrey Robetaille
Two-Wheeled Bikes
3rd-Jim Mercer
Three-Wheeled Trikes
Two-Wheeled Bikes
1st -Steve Robinson
1st-Bill Stokes
2nd-Jim Morris
3rd-Tim Baker
Winner of the 2010 Shriner’s Trike:
Robert Alexander of De Soto, MO
Other Winners:
McDonald’s Scavenger Hunt
1st-Robert Chenoweth
2nd-Janice Chenoweth
3rd-Danny Guinn
Bike Show sponsored by
Comp Cams/T.C.I.
26
Dice Run sponsored by
Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Consolidated
1st-Steve Miller
2nd-Harry Watkins
3rd-Debra Davison
Poker Run sponsored by
Paris Landing
Tourism League
1st-Janice Chenoweth
2nd-Terry Sanford
3rd-Tony Reed
27
28
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HOSS TRADERS:
Boss Hoss – Sweden
Hugo Pettersson grew up on the
‘country side’ of Sweden, next to
Lake Vättern, with great memories
of his childhood—a lot of free
space, Sweden’s nicest beach
(Hargebaden) 200 meters away, and
a great archipelago just beyond that.
Like most boys, he recalls, he was
interested in motors in general and
bikes in particular.
“Back in the ’70’s, Harge was a
party hotspot, so we got all kind of
individuals coming our way and the
biker crowd was the one I related
most to. It is strange how you
can remember details from your
childhood, and one crisp memory
was this long-haired biker coming
through the sand with his Harley
Chopper and the wind in his hair and
the sun flashing in the chrome and
me thinking ‘Hey – that’s the way to
do it!’ I got hooked for life, although
it took me some years until I got a
Harley and got both feet in it.”
30
His first Boss
Hoss sighting
was at a
Harley rally in
2001 and he
immediately
decided he had
to have one
someday—the
sooner, the
better. “There have
been some privately
imported ’97 and
’98s around here,
and I followed the
bikes remotely on
the Internet and saw
them on trips to
the United States,
but it seemed to be
a hassle to get a
bike home and get
it approved by the
guys at the Swedish
DOT.”
initially on marketing, since the
bikes were known only to a small
circle of bikers, and see how sales
developed as word spread.
He kicked off the business at the
2006 Boss Hoss International Rally
in Pullman City, where he met with
Müller, who helped him get the
dealership up and running.
“Coming down to Pullman City,
taking rides with different bikes
Dealer Profile
In spring of 2006, however, he took
the plunge and decided to give it a
try—and after conversations with
Rad (Hunsley) and Andy (Müller) in
Germany, his focus shifted from
buying just a single bike of his
own, to becoming a dealer. He
developed a five-year business plan
to establish his new dealership
in Sweden—planning to focus
and trikes, meeting the people and
having fun every day—it really made
me confident that this was the way
to go. I love people and having fun
and I always found the biker crowd
relaxed, fun-loving and open minded;
and the Boss Hoss crowd felt like
a distillate of that—even more of
everything!
2011
Boss
Hoss
trikes
On the road somewhere near Fayetville, AR
“ That is important for me—in life as
well as in business: I know that if you
don’t love what you do, and if you
aren’t proud of what you are selling,
the business will be as bad as your
life.”
and trade shows,
and met up with
people to let them
take test rides,”
says Pettersson.
“The first trade
shows were
hilarious! In 2007
I had a 32 square
meter stand at a
bike show where
Harley had a
stunning 3500
square meter hall with rock bands
and more. But we stole the show
and people were actually crawling
over each other to get in and see the
Boss Hoss! We were front page news
in the papers and people came back
again and again to see the bike.
We got invited onto the stage to let
people hear when the V8 revved
up, which cannot be described by
anything other than, ‘Hell, yeah!’
(Excuse my French.)”
The enthusiastic level of response
was almost overwhelming, and
convinced Pettersson that the
Boss Hoss was likely to prosper in
The Shop
Following Müller’s and Hunsley’s
advice, he started small and
continued his initial long-term
strategy, taking his marketing
seriously.
“I have advertised, been featured in
news articles, participated in rallies
31
Sweden. He continues to offer test
rides as one of his most successful
sales tools:
“As we all know, once you have
taken your first Boss Hoss ride,
there is only one bike for you.
People are fascinated by the bike,
and hearing a V8 pump gas sends
big smiles to us all. When riders
experience how nicely the bike
handles, they are hooked.”
Although he continues to advertise
in the biker press and gets frequent
coverage in newspapers, he is
convinced it is more effective to go
to shows and rallies that expose
more people to close-up encounters
with the bike.
“When people can see and hear
the bike, climb it, start it up, rev
the engine and go for a test ride,
from early morning into the night.”
Overall, how is the Boss Hoss
regarded in Sweden?
“I believe that the initial popular
perception of the Boss Hoss has
turned from a crazy intimidating
show bike to the prime bike that
it is,” says Pettersson. “The sales
have been limited so far and the
recession hitting us was bad timing,
but in 2010 we sold four new bikes
The Swedish importer of Corona goes for a test ride.
the interest is huge. For example,
at ‘MC Dagarna’ 2010, the engine
on one demo bike in our stand got
started continuously for four days –
consuming a full tank (25+ litres/7+
gallons) of gas! The smiles, shouts,
laughs and photo shooting continued
32
and traded some used
ones and the future looks very
good.”
Although Pettersson founded the
company on his own, he is quick
to share credit for the success of
Boss Hoss-Sweden with two old
The showroom at BH Sweden
friends: Tony Fridholm, a skilled bike
mechanic and all-round tech guy,
and Larsåke Ulfgren, an experienced
biker who loves to supervise test
rides for curious bikers.
Largely due to their combined
efforts, the business has already
outgrown its quarters twice:
“My first sale was finalized in my
living room after my first customer,
Tore Olsson and his 12 year old son
Daniel, had taken a ‘death-wish’ test
ride between the icy spots on our
winter roads. (All went well; and after
some summers on the small block
he originally purchased, he and his
wife Ywonne have now upgraded to
an LS3.)”
In early 2007, he moved the
business into a 180 square meter
garage and workshop where it
operated successfully until May
2010, when it moved to its current
location, with 300+ square meters
of space, including a workshop and
a showroom that does justice to the
bikes and the business.
Pettersson plans to grow the
business to match the public
demand, and he is confident that
business will increase as more and
more Boss Hoss bikes are seen on
the roads, and “as the ‘Boss Hoss
virus’ we have planted in a lot of
minds has time to take effect.
“You never know how long it will take,
but you can see it in the smiles and
hungry eyes when someone returns
from a test ride. One customer,
Joakim Tönnies, holds the record,”
says Pettersson. “He bought a
bike directly after meeting me at
the gas station. He saw the bike
for the first time, took it for a ride,
and then, upon returning, he signed
the contract for a brand new small
block.”
Sweden’s Boss Hoss riders are still
limited to a small crowd, but they are
scattered across the country—which
stretches for 1,000 miles—so it is a
challenge to meet often, Pettersson
admits.
“We arrange parties, meet at rallies,
and last year we even went on a
winter cruise together with the
Finnish BHRA. Some of the riders
live in northern Sweden and go long
distances with their bikes, which is
impressive since the weather is not
always too warm up at 65 degrees
north latitude! Leif Jonsson, for
example, goes to more bike rallies
in my part of the country than I do,
even though he has some 1000 km
to ride. Lennart Malmgren stops
by to change oil and get a coffee
before he continues another 1000
km home.”
The urge to make their Boss Hoss
unique is a desire all riders share, he
agrees. “Although we as a company
have not yet started to brand our
bikes like some of the larger dealers
have, some of the owners have done
Hugo with the Hoss Fly
some nice work on their machines.
The most notable is Klaus Dejler,
who, immediately after getting
the bike delivered, completely
disassembled it and customized the
bike heavily. After getting the bike
on the road, Klaus has put some
serious distances (this year 11,000
km) on that bike—his first bike ever!
And perfectionist Bertil Bokstrand,
who bought my first demo, seems
to have some interesting ideas in
mind…”
Fortunately, those modifications
that must be made to the U.S.manufactured Boss Hosses before
they can be sold in Europe are
handled by Müller at Boss HossGermany, along with the appropriate
European paperwork, “which is good,
since the bikes can be traded over
Europe with no hassle. We cooperate
a lot in general, since Andy has a
full scale business and his staff in
Cologne provide us with training as
well as sharing a lot of knowhow
that can only be acquired through
experience. This arrangement
enables us to provide better service
to our customers here.”
Although Pettersson also operates
another business, he switches hats
seasonally.
“In the cold and snowy winter, I
work as an IT solutions sales rep
for Sigma, focusing on corporate
clients—which may seem dull,
but is actually really challenging,
social and fun work. But each April,
the business suit comes off and
Boss Hoss becomes my primary
business—which is obviously even
more fun and social!”
Pettersson loves to ride and enjoys
every excuse to jump on the bike—
for local trips, or to international
rallies.
“The neat thing about being a Boss
Hoss dealer in a limited market is
that I ‘need’ to go and visit interested
people to let them go for a demo
ride, as well as going to rallies with
other bikers in general and Boss
Hoss riders in particular. This year
we have visited more than a dozen
rallies in different parts of the
country, and we have given hundreds
of test rides. I am a bit worried that
as the business grows, I may have to
spend more time in the shop instead
of enjoying the fun work of visiting
people. I love to go out on the road
myself. The feeling of getting out in
the sun, giving it full throttle, feeling
the explosive acceleration and
hearing the roar from the open pipes
still gives me a great feeling down to
the bones that cannot be described.”
Excepting 2010, Pettersson has
been to every European Rally since
2006, and plans to return. “Riders
from all over Europe rally into
Wolfgang’s Western town, Pullman
City. The setting, in a very beautiful
part of Germany, together with
friends who meet once a year, is
priceless. It seems to me that the
33
(16) and Sofie (14) in Örebro, a
large city known as “The Heart of
Sweden,” since it is conveniently
located in the middle of Sweden and
relatively easy to access.
“If you like meeting people and doing
business, this is good,” Pettersson
observes, “since Sweden is larger
than California; but we are only 9
million Swedes living here – most of
them a couple of hours apart.”
In conclusion, Petterson shares
the news that the Boss Hoss is
doing well in Europe—especially in
Germany and Denmark, where the
bikes have been around for a long
time.
“ Sweden, Norway and Finland are
catching up and the interest is huge,
despite the short riding season,
high taxes, rules and regulations.
I am proud to represent Boss
people coming over from America
have a particular fun time—I guess
the idea of going to a western town
in the heart of Germany, combined
with great rides and fun, make a
good combination for all of us.
I enjoyed reading Ernie Beadle’s
humorous description of the rally
in the fall 2009 issue of Boss Hoss
Country-- which I think describes this
rally very well.”
Pettersson also went to the National
rally in 2008, beginning with a visit
to the Boss Hoss factory before
going up to Paris Landing.
“As usual, the hospitality of
Americans was amazing and the
factory guys let me ride a demo
bike whenever possible. There
were four international dealers: me,
Ernie from British Columbia, Travis
34
Andy Mueller delivers the first demo bike to Hugo
Hoss here in Sweden and think
that this is the most fun kind
of business I have ever been into.
The friends I meet are all great, I
have nice memories, and I think
that the relatively small community
of Boss Hoss enthusiasts makes a
good setting for warm friendship
and future fun moments. Looking
forward to meeting you on the road!”
That goes both ways, Hugo!
from Australia, and Brian from Hugo at his first trade show
the factory guys but also with other
New Zealand, and we were
dealers and owners. It is a great
able to go for really nice rides in
thing to climb up on a bike in March,
the clear September air in northern
wearing only T-shirt, jeans, and
Tennessee. It was great meeting the
sunglasses, and take the bike down
American Boss Hoss bikers—some
to Main Street and have a beer and
new faces but also many whom I
have met on the internet forums and some laughs. The biker experience
in Sweden at that time of year is not
in Pullman City.
like that. Ever tried to maneuver a
Boss Hoss on ice and snow with its
“It’s funny how you notice details
wide rear tire and semiautomatic
when you are abroad; when I
drive without a clutch? As they used
came to the hotel there was a sign
to say in the TV shows, ‘Don’t try
prohibiting alcohol and firearms – in
this at home!’
Sweden they don’t qualify in the
same range of dangerousness!”
“If you do, resist your instinct to
Pettersson has also been to Daytona brake,” he advises. “Just sit up,
keep your balance and let the bike
Bike Week a couple of times, to
assist with the factory demo rides at take you wherever it wants to go;
then shift into neutral.”
the International Speedway.
Currently, Pettersson lives with his
“These have been great weeks,
wife Birgitta and daughters Jessica
allowing me to not only meet with
35
Paul Wagner
& Boss Hoss Kit #1
The Boss Hoss motorcycle and its
loyal family of riders celebrated
its 20th birthday last year, in
2010, but the motorcycle we see
in showrooms today has come a
long way from its humble roots as
a “do-it-yourself” kit. We talked
with 66-year-old Paul Wagner, the
fearless trailblazer who dared to
buy the very first V-8 motorcycle
kit inventor Monte Warne offered
for sale in 1991—and we heard
a tale of adventure well worth
sharing!
Saluting a Pioneer
36
Boss Hoss Country: How did it
come about that you purchased
the first Boss Hoss kit offered for
sale? Were you just lucky enough
to be in the right place at the
right time?
Paul Wagner: Well, it really goes
back to the issue of Rod and
Custom magazine in 1962, when
it had a feature on E. J. Potter,
the Michigan Madman, who had
put a Chevrolet V-8 in a Harley
frame for drag racing, exhibition
style. After seeing that, it kind
of lit a fire in me, and I had the
desire to have something a little
bigger than everybody else. Since
I was always above average size, I
figured my motorcycle ought to also
be above average size.
I then saw an article about a guy
out of Michigan, Tom Womac, who
was building a frame assembly to
do the same thing—put a Chevrolet
engine on two wheels. He called his
operation the American Motorcycle
Company. I bought a set of his plans
for $15, had all the material cut up,
ready to build. Then in 1991, I went
to Daytona and some of my buddies
who knew about my plan, told me
about somebody who had already
done it! They had a V-8 engine on
a motorcycle, and they had seen
it downtown on Main Street, with
displays in two other places.
After going to all three places and
not finding him, I decided to just
wait for him to stop by—and he did.
We talked about the bike and what
it took to put one together, and he
explained that they had basic kits
and four complete bikes to sell. The
kit was $3,995, and I figured that
was a good way to start.
Three weeks later, after discussing
it with my good buddy Frank Elliott,
whose efforts in assembling this
bike proved to be essential, we
decided to buy the kit. When it
arrived in March, I bought a 1978
Malibu for $200—that gave me the
Chevrolet V-8 engine. In addition
to being a former GM dealership
service manager, Frank was a
teacher at North Carolina Industrial
Vocational School. He and the
students pulled the engine
out and rebuilt it, using a kit I
bought.
We brought the engine home
on a Friday, and Saturday, two
weeks later, in June 1991, I
took my first ride on the bike.
BHC: Any problems during the
assembly?
Wagner: Between the time I
bought the kit in March, and
the engine being done, I was
accumulating parts, based
on Monte’s list of parts he
recommended for the bike.
There were part numbers for
parts you could get from Drag
Specialties or Custom Chrome
or Napa. It went very well. I found
a wide glide front end, I bought
the rear wheel and tire that he
suggested, but when we started
putting all those together, we did run
into some problems due to mistakes
in that early kit.
37
apart, and the clutch bearing put
back into the right place. It was an
interesting first ride.
make a left turn, because I didn’t
want to go toward town. To make
the left turn, I would have to keep
my left foot up on the foot peg with
the clutch, and I didn’t want to do
that, so they pushed me out onto
the road.
The rear caliper, which was for a
1982 Dodge Colt, was mounted
directly to the swing arm. There
were two tabs—two pieces of _”
x 1” steel that came up that had
two holes in it—and that’s where
this caliper mounted. There was
supposed to be a long one and
a short one, but mine ended up
getting two short ones. And that
meant the caliper would not fit down
over the rotor. The rotor itself was
actually a sprocket that had the teeth
turned off of it. I took the rotor back
to a machine shop that I had once
worked in, and they let me turn it
down enough so the caliper would fit
the rotor.
That was one of the interesting
things that had to be fixed before
38
it could be assembled. It came
in handy that Frank had a small
machine shop in his garage.
Some of the other things I did to
the bike—mine was the first to have
Wilwood brakes; I was the first to
replace the stock Harley Davidson
shocks with Aldan Eagle shocks.
And in later years, when Steve Barr
converted his 502 bike to a trike, I
bought his leftover parts to use on
my 2000 Boss Hoss, including a
300x18 rear wheel, swing arm, and
fender.
BHC: Tell us about that historymaking first ride.
Wagner: When I took the first ride
on it, I had an ’82 Pontiac Firebird
radiator bungee-corded to the front
I let the clutch out, went down the
road, made a turn, got to a stop
sign—and when I pushed the clutch
in, the clutch fork pushed the throwout bearing off the input shaft, which
disengaged the clutch. The bike had
to be towed back to the shop, taken
BHC: A small price to pay for the
thrill of being a pioneer in the field!
Wagner: We had the bike
separated—front half from back
half—at least five times. Several of
those were for engine swaps. I went
from the relatively stock 350 engine
to an aluminum block 406 and
eventually ended up with a 434 cu
in engine, with aluminum block and
Brodix heads.
Each year since 1991, I have taken
the bike to Sturgis and let Monte
take a ride on it.
In 1991, we had come up with a
clutch cable where you could hold
the clutch in and let it out, but you
couldn’t pull it and use the foot
pedal to activate and disengage the
of the bike because the guy who was
making the radiators at the time,
hadn’t gotten around to sending me
mine, yet.
It was about 95 degrees that day,
and although I seldom wear a jacket,
that day I put on a leather jacket, full
coverage helmet and gloves. Frank’s
wife Joan looked at me like I had lost
my senses. I was trying to protect
myself because I didn’t know what
to expect. For the first time, I was
riding a Chevrolet V-8 on two wheels
with a foot clutch only. Who knew
what was likely to happen?
BHC: Clearly you lived to tell the
tale.
Wagner: Yes, but I had to navigate
Frank’s gravel driveway, and had to
39
clutch. Monte liked it, but he came
up with something better with the
vacuum booster—which worked out
great for the clutch bikes.
Each year he would ride my bike,
and each year I was always making
improvements to it, as a lot of the
early owners did. He rode it as a 406
and said, “It’s getting a little quicker,
isn’t it?” And when I put the 434 in
it, I again looked him up at Sturgis,
offered him my keys and said, “Want
to take a ride on it?”
He said, “Well, have you done any
more to it?”
I said, “Yeah, just a little bit.”
He took it outside of town and
cruised up to 90 mph; then he
opened the throttle wide open and it
broke the back tire loose. He came
back, handed me the keys, and said,
“I never want to ride it again!”
Back in the day, it was one of the
fastest Boss Hosses around. Of
course, since then, people with a
whole lot more money than me have
built faster bikes—plus the factory
came out with the 502. But it was
interesting early-on experience.
40
BHC: What was the last improvement
you made to the bike?
Wagner: There was the initial fouryear span where we changed
engines a couple of times, riding it
in between, upgrading it. The last
modification that Frank and I made
to the bike was when we upgraded
it to a single-speed automatic about
seven years ago. I told Frank that
was the second-best thing we ever
did to it—the first was putting in that
434 engine.
When it was
originally built,
the kit bike
was built for
a total of less
than $8,000.
That’s
documented
by Monte in
an issue of
Motorcyclist
magazine.
At the time,
I think
complete bikes were selling for
$24,000 to $26,000.
The reason they did away with
the basic kit I started with, is that
people were trying to use other
parts on it instead of what Monte
recommended, and then wondered
why the Honda front end didn’t work.
BHC: Such substitutions
were potentially very
dangerous.
Wagner: For a time,
Monte did come
out with a rolling
chassis that gave
you everything but
the engine. They sold
for $10,500 and
$12,000. The fun part
was explaining that to
the people we met at
Sturgis or Daytona. I
always hung out at the
display, trying to help
sell the bikes, and folks
would say, “Does this
come with it?”
I’d say, “Everything comes with it but
the engine.”
They’d say, “Well, what about the
carburetor?”
And I’d say, “No, that comes with the
engine.”
the kit, that’s not a part of the
engine!”
Finally, the factory eliminated the kits
altogether, and you could only buy
a complete bike. That’s the process
they use today, selling complete
bikes to the dealers.
Then they’d ask, “How about the
clutch?”
And I’d say, “Yes, that comes with
BHC: S0, what happened to that first
kit bike—do you still have it?
Wagner: No, I am getting older; so
four years ago I decided I wanted
the new and improved Boss Hoss
with a two-speed semi-automatic with
reverse, so I bought a 2000 model
small block from Marv at Chopper
City; and while I was down in Florida
picking it up, I told some guys I was
interested in selling my old bike. Jack
Phillips said he was interested, and
he now has the bike in Florida.
Three years ago he was at the
Dyersburg rally with it, and Monte
recognized it and identified it as the
first kit he had ever sold.
BHC: You must have a lot of great
memories from that period when
you were one of just a handful of
people who knew that the Boss Hoss
existed.
Wagner: They were good times.
During those first two years, Monte
was working out of his home and
garage. The number that is now
the company number was originally
his home number, and I was on the
phone to him quite a bit, talking to
him about how this went, how that
went, and why, when, and where—all
that.
There was also an assembly tape
that Monte probably made during the
second or third year. It’s funny—he
was working and videotaping in his
garage, which he said was pretty
cold. He’d have to step out to turn
on the camera, then step back
in, and because he had a head
cold, too, there was a lot of throat
clearing. It was rough, but it got the
job done, and was very helpful to
those who hadn’t already put a kit
together, as I had.
BHC: In spite of those early trial-andwww.bosshosscountry.com
41
error challenges, it must have been
pretty exciting and satisfying to find
and share new and better ways to
make things work for everyone.
Wagner: It was. I would very much
like to give credit to the other
early owners of the Boss Hog and
Boss Hoss, too, who came up with
design ideas that were eventually
incorporated by the factory.
I give special credit to Frank Elliott,
for doing as much or more on the
assembly of Kit #1 than I did. He
did the assembly on all three of the
engines that were in the bike. It was
his ideas and specifications that
allowed that bike to run like it did.
(You couldn’t over-cam it because
then the vacuum booster wouldn’t
work.) He’s just a great friend and
mentor and my own personal genie
as far as the engineering and ideas
that went into our building of the
Boss Hoss.
Other folks who contributed ideas
and improvements included Wolfgang
Sommers, who designed the water
manifold for the front of the engine
and used it on his early kit bike. He
also made the first wide Harley-
42
style back fender for the bike, and
replaced the square-back frame with
a round configuration which is still
seen.
George Buckley made some neat
side-mounted license plates; and a
West Virginia dealer came up with
the first side panels. A gentleman
named Kirby, from French Lick,
Indiana, came up with a great tank
design
Paul Wilgus, of Running True Machine
Shop, made the first purpose-built
front end for the Boss Hoss and sold
it to the factory.
My own personal claim to fame is
the method for mounting the rear
fender—which used an Arlen Nessstyle fender rail that comes
off the frame, and the fender
mounts up in between the
two. Today’s SS Boss Hoss
has a similar fender mount.
Hats off to all those who
cared enough to make a
difference in the development
of the Boss Hoss we know
and love today.
In the words of Boss Hoss
COO Rad Hunsley, “Like most
successful manufacturers,
Boss Hoss owes a large
portion of its continued
success to the creativity
and innovative spirit of many
enthusiastic dealers and customers
(like Paul). Their passion for the
Boss Hoss has helped and continues
to guide the factory in providing
features customers are looking for.”
43
www.bosshoss.com
44
very, very fast.
8.5 gallons.
445 horse power, yours times about 4.
because it makes my butt look smaller.
yes, it’s a car engine.
are you sure you’re not a cop?
zero to wet your pants...
approximately 1.5 seconds.
If you’re already an owner, you know the
questions to which these answers apply.
If you’re not yet an owner, here are the answers
to the questions you’ll be asked regularly.
Feel free to make copies of this and hand them
out wherever you go.
It’ll save you at least 15 minutes
at every pit stop.
45
At the end of the day, many bikers
left with the seed planted wondering
how they could deal themselves into
one of these machines... telling each
other how they would custom paint
them.
Then there were the collectable beer
handles (stainless steel labeled and
engraved) which, if you bought one,
would get filled with beer free all day.
The wives and girl friends of my staff
did a great job in the shop. The rest
of our staff set up outside under an
awning where other vendors joined
us. This year we had a metal spinner
showing his skills with old school
spun parts for hot rods and bikes.
We also had a ta too artist who was
busy all day. Demo riders took turns
at the awesome Boss Hoss with the
common myths dispelled as to how
these behemoth beasts must handle.
We had a very familiar group of
bikers arrive this year... buy a handle
and then walk around watching the
event take place. They enjoyed the
aforementioned demo rides, the
shop, our fuel pump cabinets, the
trikes, bikes and hot rods...
New
Zealand
New Zealand
shots from
Boss Hoss
Written by Brian Ford, owner
New Zeland Boss Hoss
We just finished the 3rd annual barn
bash that falls each year on the
1st Saturday in December. That’s
effectively when our summer kicks
off, so the weather is starting to
improve. Months of good riding
weather are ahead.
transfers for restorers, levers, switch
gears, re-production tail lights, etc).
“The Barn” attracts enthusiasts
of all types. From the building of
homemade v8 bikes and trikes to
bike restoration enthusiasts to guys
that are building mopeds (like our
Indian board track racers)... all sorts
of bike enthusiasts walk through our
doors.
At “The Barn” we sell Boss hoss
bikes and trikes and parts for
vintage and classic bikes (such as
The barn bash started with weeks of
preparation. Invites were posted off
to customers, suppliers and friends.
46
Then there were the catering and
drinks to arrange...tents awnings...
bar tables...barmen, etc.
Before the big day, Aussie Rob and
Trevor McGregor arrived in New
Zealand. They, along with the some
North Island customers, took the 2
day trip down to be with us. Poor
Ole Sue (my wife) ended up with
a house full of people. We put on
a BBQ Friday night. Saturday we
stepped up the radio advertising that
had been playing all week.
47
Everybody had a great day. We
had a sausage sizzle running with
bread and sauce to fill the gap (all
complimentary of coarse and put on
by the great team at Boss Hoss NZ).
After the open day was over and the
last of the public left, our private
function started. We had a full
bar, great food, (Texan BBQ NZ
style much healthier than American
version) truckloads of fun, music and
laughter...
Because of the 7.1 Canterbury earth
48
quake, our hot rod club (garden
city rodders) lost there club rooms.
We invited them to join us for a
combined Christmas party for them
and our barn bash. Our numbers
swelled in excess of 140 people... all
petrol heads and all there for a good
time.
North Island customers traveled 4
days to celebrate with us. Join us
3rd December, 2011 for the next
barn bash. Everyone is welcome.
It was a great event (and not to be
missed next year). A special thanks
to all my staff,there wives/girl friends
for there help on the day. I’d also
like to thank Rob, Trevor and Rene
for there international trip over. Our
49
Has
Boss
Hoss
Gone To the Dogs?
There’s something fishy going on here.
Every rally I attend, every BH trip I
take... every time I turn around, there
are several Boss Hoss owners with
their dogs. Let’s get this straight from
the beginning, I love dogs. We have
three dogs in our office every single
50
day. So I’m for it. I just never thought
it would happen on a motorcyle. But
since it is happening, we’ve decided
to cover it! If you’ve got an interesting
photo of your dog and your Boss Hoss,
please send it in. Here’s the first in
what could be a series...
It’s a emergency--! The Boss Hoss
Firetrike is racing to the rescue,
sirens wailing—and perched behind,
guiding her chauffeur every mile of
the way from her customized private
carrier with its exclusive monogram,
rides 19 pounds of unstoppable
attitude named “Cookie”!
True, it’s usually Dalmatians who
accompany firemen to the scene,
but when you’ve got courage like
Cookie’s, who needs polka dots and
poundage?
Gaylon Childers and his wife Joey,
proud owners of the award-winning
Firetrike and humble servants of
Cookie, make up an inseparable
trio.
The fearless little Boston Terrier
was purchased by Gaylon when
she was 8 weeks old, and goes
everywhere with him.
“She was riding in my pickup with
me from the first; she’s been with
me every day. Anything I’m on,
she’s on—whether it’s a golf cart or
whatever.”
There’s no reason man’s best friend
and faithful companion, celebrated in
legend for loyalty, shouldn’t tag along
on whatever mode of transport his
human partner chooses; if it happens
to be a Boss Hoss, well, that just
demonstrates good taste on the part
of the human! “Initially, when I got the Boss Hoss, I
just had a custom-made dog carrier
designed in--and she really enjoys
it—we can put our helmets on in
the morning and she’s ready to go,
eager to get on the bike with us.”
Cookie’s travels include daily trips to
Childers’ office in Canyon, Texas, just
south of Amarillo, where the five-yearold terrier reigns as queen. “She’s
got everybody trained,” Childers
chuckles. “She loves attention and
she gets a lot of it! She knows about
ten tricks—she plays dead, shakes
hands, you name it.”
Cookie is a big hit with the family,
too—especially the Childers’ 3-yearold granddaughter, Alli.
where he raises bucking bulls—she’s
accompanying Gaylon and Joey on
excursions into Palo Duro Canyon
State Park, the second largest
canyon in Texas, which adjoins the
Childers’ ranch.
“We do a lot of riding down in the
canyon, and we take short trips
around the area and do some
parades,” says Childers.
Cookie provides an added attraction,
but Firetruck Engine No. 2, created
by Bruce Vetti at Stamford Boss
Hoss, certainly turns heads in its own
right. (Read more about the Firetrike
in the Summer 2004 issue of BHC.)
Childers acquired the trike several
years ago at Daytona Bike Week,
acting on an irresistible impulse. “I
saw it from the street, pulled in and
said, ‘Hey, I’d like to buy that thing!’”
he recalls.
“She and Cookie are big buds. They
play together, climbing into a big
refrigerator box-sized playhouse.
Whatever Alli can get Cookie to do,
she is happy to do it.”
The two ‘little girls’ clearly have a
special place in Childers’ heart.
“Yeah,” he admits. They both have
me wrapped around their fingers—or
paws!”
When Cookie isn’t busy helping him
run his three businesses—foundation
stabilizing and soil stabilizing
businesses, plus an 800-acre ranch
Childers has ridden motorcycles
all his life—from dirt bikes to Gold
Wings—but the Firetrike captured
his interest like nothing before.
The trike is a tribute to the 343
firefighters who lost their lives on
9-11, and includes a 9-11 graphic
that incorporates the twin towers as
the two 1’s, firehose handlebars, an
impressive abundance of goldleaf,
sirens, flashing lights, and much
more.
When the trike makes an appearance
at rallies, now, it also pulls a snazzy
little trailer designed to match it.
Be sure to watch for the Childers
family at Bike Week—the Fire Trike’s
siren is unmistakeable—or just listen
for Cookie’s happy barks!
51
Boss Hoss Dealer Listing
of dealers who advertised in this issue
US Dealers (Alphabetical order):
Arizona
Arizona Boss Hoss
9550 North 90th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Ph: 480-222-0094
arizonabosshoss.com
[email protected]
Arkansas
Rick Taylor, Inc.
P.O. Box 808
2809 S. Knoxville
Russelville, AR 72801
Ph: 479-890-2662
bosshossofarkansas.com
[email protected]
California
California Boss Hoss
1414 W. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Harbor City, CA 90710
Ph: 800-912-2488
calbh.com
[email protected]
Connecticut
Stamford Boss Hoss
792 Pacific St.
Stamford, CT 06902
Ph: 203-359-1556
bosshossct.com
[email protected]
Georgia
Atlanta Boss Hoss
2183 Hwy 78 west
Monroe, GA 30655
Ph: 770-207-4589
Fx: 770-207-4667
atlantabosshoss.com
[email protected]
Illinois
Boss Hoss by Siron
2415 Bunn Street
Bloomington, IL 61704
Ph. (309) 827-7611
[email protected]
www.boss-hoss.com
Maryland
Boss Hoss of Frederick
100 D Buchiemer Road
Frederick, MD 21701
Ph: 301-662-9447
bosshosscyclesfdkmd.com
[email protected]
52
International Dealers
(Alphabetical order):
Minnesota
Chopper City Sports
7191 Highway 65 n e
Fridley, MN 55432
Ph: 763-572-2100
choppercity.com
[email protected]
Ohio
Lima Auto Mall
2100 N. Cable Rd.
Lima, OH 45805
Ph: 800-541-5015
limabosshoss.com
[email protected]
Oklahoma
Trinity Trikes
200 S.E. 19th St.
Moore, OK 73160
Ph: 405-794-3935
Fx: 405-794-3916
trinitytrikes.com
[email protected]
Australia
Pacific Boss Hoss
Melborne, Australia
Ph: 61 3 9737 0717
bosshoss.com.au
[email protected]
Canada/British Columbia
BC Boss Hoss
1320 Watson Larsen Rd.
Kamloops, British Columbia
Canada V2C 6Y1
Ph: 250-377-1221
Fx: 250-571-1222
bcbosshoss.com
[email protected]
Denmark
Boss Hoss Cycles of Denmark
Torvet 4
DK-6100 Haderslev, Denmark
Ph: 45 74 52 10 22
Oregon
Wildrose Boss Hoss
56723 Country Villa Ln.
Warren , OR 97053
Ph: 503-366-1200
Cell: 971-235-1635
wildrosebosshoss.com
[email protected]
Pennsylvania
Mountain Boss Hoss Cycles, Inc.
1338 North Center Ave.
Somerset, PA 15501
Ph: 814-445-8297
mountainbosshoss.com
[email protected]
Texas
Texas Boss Hoss Cycles, Inc.
2125 W. Pioneer Pkwy., B-1
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Ph: 972-660-8717
texasbosshoss.com
[email protected]
arizona bh ad, full page
Germany
Boss Hoss Cycles Germany
Grubenstrabe 4
Huerth, Germany 50354
Ph: 0049 2233 714188
Fx: 0049 2233 714189
bosshosscycles.de
[email protected]
Japan
Boss Hoss Cycle Japan
Ph: 001 81 284 64 0214
Fx: 001 81 284 64 0228
bosshoss.co.jp
[email protected]
New Zealand
Brian Ford Engineering LTD.
Christchurch 91-93 Rutherford St.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Ph: 011 64 3 384 2828
bosshoss.co.nz
[email protected]
Sweden
Boss Hoss Cycles Sweden
Gulltofsavagen 14
Orebro, Sweden 70217
Ph: 46 (0) 703 93 63 93
boss-hoss.se
[email protected]
for a complete listing of dealers, visit bosshoss.com
53
Siron
Boss Hoss Cycles
The name you can trust...Providing the greater midwest
with new and used Boss Hoss bikes and trikes, apparel,
accessories, service and support since 1998.
by
you ride the genuine article. Boss Hoss Cycles by Siron
2415 Bunn Street
Bloomington, IL 61704
Ph. (309) 827-7611
www.boss-hoss.com
wear it as well.
mens embossed leather
jackets on sale now:
$150 (size med-XL)
ladies embossed leather
jackets on sale now:
$130 (size med-2XL)
genuine boss hoss apparel available at www.bosshoss.com
54
55

bosshoss country

Transcription

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