Scott Avery's first custom build is wowing audiences on the East Coast and putting North Jersey Customs on the map.

Opening Gambit

Scott Avery is a realist. He knew launching a custom bike building enterprise in a crowded field was risky. It seemed to him that too many builders were chasing too few customers, and many of them were headed south business wise.

He's also smart, however. He figured the only way his North Jersey Customs would garner attention in the marketplace was by creating a truly unique new custom. With a background that included years of fabrication and automotive repair experience, it wasn't as though he was a naive neophyte with the TV remote on American Chopper. Bikes were going to be a new venue for him, alright, but he was banking on his abilities to create something that would really generate a genuine buzz. Buzz? If the crowds gathered around his new bike at last fall's Chopper XPO were any indication, the buzz is more like a swarm. Spend a few minutes up close with Stricken, and it is easy to understand why. Everything on this bike is top shelf, from Scott's meticulous sheetmetal fabrication to the ultra custom components and one-off paint scheme.

No Compromises

"The best of the best is what I wanted. It didn't matter what the cost was. I was showcasing my capabilities and didn't want to build another me-too style bike as my first custom," explains Scott. "It had to be an eye-catcher with superior fabrication. Expensive parts weren't going to be interspersed with cheap ones. My objective was to generate real interest and excitement with this new bike," he adds. With the creation of Stricken, it appears the man has achieved his objective.

All in the Flow

Scott wasn't sure which direction he was going to go when the project was in its formative stages. He knew he wanted a hardtail that would be sleek, long and sexy, with high end components and pavement thumping torque. "The snake theme just sort of evolved," says Scott. People were stopping by the shop and checking out the sheetmetal work. Everybody, including myself, thought the tank I designed and fabricated, looked like a cobra head. I took it from there and decided to extend the cobra influence throughout the bike."

The fabrication of Stricken was an evolving process as Scott continually evaluated and adjusted the shape and lines of the metal. "As far as I was concerned, the bike had to flow perfectly from the neck all the way down to the seat area. This flow dictated the whole look of the bike. It was critical to get that just right," Scott points out. Again, mission accomplished. The word flow is an overused term used by a lot of builders to describe bikes that too often go absolutely nowhere from a design standpoint. In Stricken's case, it's an apt description.

Make no mistake; this ride is a sheetmetal masterpiece. Save for the fender blanks, virtually all of its fabrication was painstakingly done by Scott in his shop. "We did everything in house without having $500,000 worth of equipment. I think it turned out well," is his understated assessment. Outside of the almost daily fine-tuning of the body work, the most difficult aspect of the entire build was trying to find a gas tank to match the rest of the bike. Initially Scott obtained one from another source, but in the end, built his own and that was that. Another short-lived roadblock was the engine. The first one he settled on didn't work out because the quality just didn't measure up to the rest of the bike, so he upgraded to a veritable piece of bike jewelry in the form of a CNC-machined H & L Performance motor.

Stricken weighs in at a respectable 650 lbs. despite the impressive 18-gauge sheetmetal and beefy .120" frame wall tubing. The downtube is two inches thick, with 1-3/4" on the backbone.

Snake Eyes

The amazing color scheme that does justice to the great tins is a blend of tangerine and Spanish gold. Scott did the base coat, candy and metal flake himself. The piece d'resistance, of course, is the gorgeous airbrush artistry applied by Jonothan Pantaleon. The concept was to match different parts of Stricken to the corresponding areas of an actual Cobra snake. For example, the bike's underside replicates the snake's belly. Indeed, everywhere on the bike the Cobra theme strikes your eyes. The coloring of the custom python seat goes with the rest of the bike's tone. Another nice design element is the oil bag built into the frame. This enabled the seat to be positioned very low and adds to the sexy look of the bike.

Weather permitting, Scott takes a spin on Stricken occasionally but admits that, as the showpiece for his shop, it is treated with kid gloves. "This bike handles nicely with power that is amazing. I probably would downsize the motor if it was going to be used for every day use. But if someone wants the big motor, they can dam well have it," he adds. In case you're wondering, Stricken isn't for sale, but you can get a similar roller from the shop right now.

The Future is Now

Now that Stricken has grabbed some notoriety by winning Best in Class at both the Chopper XPO and Fast Lane Bike Show, Scott is taking the next step to make North Jersey Customs a viable business. He just opened a 1500 square foot showroom, with a shop emphasis on high end parts and accessories. "We want to build on the level of quality we achieved with Stricken in future projects, as well as the parts we carry. His latest project is a wild new softail. No low end stuff will come out of here," Scott emphasizes. "I'm just not willing to compromise."

Stricken is proof positive of that. Truth be told, Scott admits snakes scare the hell out of him, even if the reptile made for a winning custom theme. We can't wait to see an encore from North Jersey Customs. Scott Avery is, indeed, a man with a plan.

A New Jersey native, Scott lives in Succasunna with his wife, Lori, and daughters, Jennifer and Julie. To learn more about his capabilities, go to www.northjerseycustoms.com, or phone 973-627-2239.

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