WHAT IS THE LIMPNICKIE LOT?!

THE STORY BEHIND THE LOT
The Limpnickie Lot is a collaboration of custom bike builders, fabricators, enthusiasts, and American Parts manufacturers from the next generation of the American V-Twin industry. Comprised of small shops and individuals it is their mission to ban together to promote their unique blend of culture and style derived from many younger influences including Motocross, skateboarding, heavy music, BMX, and other aspects of the next generation. By making appearances at several national and regional rallies throughout the year the group intends to bring as much attention to both this movement and their products as is possible. Also at the top of their goals is to take the whole motorcycle culture a step back to a more basic time. With a large amount of respect for the history that it has, they hope that by focusing on the riding and adventure, self expression and freedoms that have always been inseparable from the culture that they may influence the direction of where it goes next.

In 2008 the first ever Limpnickie Lot took place during Daytona Bike Week but unlike the trend of moving from Main Street up to the new location near Rossmyer’s Destination Daytona, a small parking lot in front of Stone Edge Skate Park just south of Main Street on Ridgewood would be the location. This effort would be the collaboration of small American parts manufacturers and custom bike builders from the next generation. Eleven shops from all over the United States would participate in that first event featuring some very different attractions from other rally experiences. Just like the next generation they decided to integrate what elements they enjoy in the rest of their lives to what they do in motorcycling. Skateboarding, punk rock and metal music, paint ball tournaments, and a style in the bikes and parts that stand out from the rest of the custom bike crowd. By separating themselves entirely from the rest of the events in Daytona they ensured that the people that came to the lot would be there for what they had to offer. It worked so well that most major news media within the industry covered this new entity.

The Limpnickie Lot packs a punch. The group agreed that there was a powerful brand identity and in that marketability as a whole. By pooling their resources it would be possible to take the show on the road and that’s exactly what they did appearing at both the Sturgis Bike Week and Biketoberfest to finish off the 2008 season. Both appearances were well received and were used to refine the brand identity of the builders as a group. Limpnickie was starting to be a recognizable moniker for the next generation builders but everyone was still asking what it all meant as far as business for them as a group.

In February 2009 the answer to that question came in thundering resound. During the Cincinnati v-twin expo the Limpnickie Lot builders released the first ever “Builder Manual” to the American V-Twin industry. This 64 page mini catalogue contained thousands of parts from the Limpnickie Lot Builders that were for the most part offered from small manufacturers and builders that until that point had been on their own as far as marketing their goods. Again, most media picked up the story since not only this form of collaborative catalogue would be a first in the industry but the way the 60,000 copies would be presented was just as unique.

Right in the center of the American V-Twin expo, that is typically a very high class business environment, sat a 30×30 booth with barbed wire fencing, parts and bikes from the lot and dead in the center a skate board half pipe with national celebrity Benji Galloway was featured throughout the weekend. As crowds gathered to ask questions Benji worked the ramp and videos from the lot with heavy metal music played against a screen behind him. The catalogues went like mad and gained the builders a lot of attention, including the lead spot on the New American Thunder program that featured interviews with four of the builders, and cited the display as a much needed shot of adrenaline that is desperately needed in the American V-Twin industry.

From its humble beginnings the Limpnicke Lot has slated a pretty full schedule for the 2009 season including most of the big national events plus the first New Orleans Bike Week and their first “Big Mountain Run” an event put on by the builders in the mountains of Tennessee. To better promote and also to deal with the logistics of traveling with what has now become 22 shops and builders, they have purchased a 44 foot trailer that is being wrapped with their branding to represent them at these shows. This trailer will carry many of the bikes and products of the lot members.

As more builders are selectively screened and added to the roster, the Limpnickie Lot is becoming a very strong personality on its own and is constantly bringing new opportunities to the group. Having done tons of interviews both on television and print, radio shows and magazine features, the builders are frequently called upon in an advisory capacity for people looking to reach this new demographic. What the future may hold is anyones guess but for the builders of the Limpnickie Lot, they will continue to do what they do, ride, fix, customize and builder some of the coolest bikes and parts that the industry has ever seen.