This is another Bikernet first, a full bike feature on a running but unpainted chop. Could it be that the owner is hoping for a feature shot at the Horse or Cycle Source? He didn't want to blow his first bike feature opportunity just on Bikernet.

"That's not it at all," said owner/builder Michael Boen. "I just can't afford a three grand paint job."

The more I got to talk to 47-year-old, Michael, the more I recognized a true Michigan biker. He's been riding since he was a kid in Alabama, scooting around farmlands and through cornfields on his 1970 350 Honda.

"Harley didn't have a strong reputation back then," Mike said. "I still wanted one, but I couldn't justify the expense. Jap bikes were cheap and Harleys unreliable."

He did the family bit, got married, raised two sons, and found a daughter through marriage, while working for a major property management company. His job calls for maintenance, including electrical, roofing, plumbing, air conditioning, vault repairs, ATMs and security mends.

"We manage some 25 banks, and I've learned to repair almost anything," said Mike.

Once his girls were educated and off to jobs out of state, Mike sat back with his wife Jackie and pondered their future.

"I would like a career in custom motorcycles,” Mike continued, “so I took two years off and attended the MMI Harley course in Orlando. I loved it, but it focuses predominately on dealership jobs. I wanted more."

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