11 Facts About Arlen Ness

Arlen Darryl Ness was an American motorcycle designer and entrepreneur best known for his custom motorcycles.

Arlen Ness was born in Moorhead, Minnesota, on July 12,1939, to Elaine and Ervin Arlen Ness, and moved to San Lorenzo, California, when he was in the sixth grade.

Arlen Ness competed in semi-professional bowling leagues, the earnings of which he used to buy his first motorcycle, a 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead that he later customized.

Arlen Ness was married to his wife Beverly for 59 years until his death.

Arlen Ness's first customized bikes were made in the garage of his home in San Leandro, California, but by the early 1970s he had moved to a storefront on East 14th Street.

Arlen Ness was recognized for his painting style and for developing a line of custom motorcycle parts.

Arlen Ness's popularity grew as he built new custom bikes and then had those displayed on the bike show circuit and featured in motorcycle magazines.

Arlen Ness is an authorized dealership for Victory Motorcycles and for Indian Motorcycles.

The Mach Arlen Ness is a motorcycle that Arlen Ness built in 2005, inspired by Jay Leno's turbine-powered bike, that uses a jet-powered helicopter engine as its power plant.

Arlen Ness received recognition and awards including Builder of the Year, induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Arlen Ness received a patent for the Big Shot, a method of altering the motorcycle's fuel injection system, and thereby enhancing its performance.