• Famed American motorcycle builder and designer Arlen Ness has passed away.

• He was often referred to as the King of Custom Motorcycles.

• He also designed the Victory and Indian motorcycles.

Famed American motorcycle builder and designer Arlen Ness has passed away. This sad news was confirmed by Ultimate Motorcycling.

Ness became a giant in the custom motorcycle business and was often referred to as The King of Custom Motorcycles. He built a number of award-winning bikes in his lifetime, earning him the Builder of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards. He was also inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in America.

But he didn’t just build them, he also pioneered selling his custom parts and accessories through mail order. Just look around and see almost every Harley-Davidson has an Arlen Ness accessory.

Additionally, he was tapped by Polaris to design Victory and Indian motorcycles. The most well-known model was the Victory Vision Tour.

His empire also expanded to include riding gear in association Berik.

Ness’s son Cory and grandson Zack will succeed him in the business. They are notable custom builders themselves.

The motorcycle world has truly lost a patriarch.