Badlands History
The Badlands team would like to thank their customers, bike
shops and distributors for allowing them to make a living by doing what
they enjoy the most. Dan Lewis, Rick Eckhardt, and Bob Pearce have been
riding motorcycles since before they were teenagers, and have been riding
Harleys for more than 40 years combined. They started out like most guys,
changing handlebars, looking for the smallest turn signals they could
find, adding a pair of loud pipes, and of course a custom paint job goes
without saying.
In 1990, Rick and Bob
started it all when they opened a bike shop, Reno Custom Cycles. Over the
next three years they installed a wide variety of custom parts. Even
though most of the custom parts were cool, some fit, some they made fit,
and some did not work at all as the maker claimed. This experience would
go with them when they became Badlands.
Although the guys often don’t wear
helmets in free states and believe the adult rider should have the right
to choose, the bike shop customers wanted the novelty style helmets the
guys brought back with them from Sturgis. They started buying these
novelty helmets from a source back East, but after not being able to
receive their orders for 4-7 weeks, Bob and Rick (and another partner at
the time, Dave) started playing with fiberglass, foam and material, and
thus became Badlands Bonnet Company.
Over the next year the guys had a few
ideas that they felt were lacking in the custom motorcycle market. They
submitted the “Load Equalizer” with five or six other products to Drag
Specialties, Arlen Ness and Custom Chrome. The company name changed to
Badlands Motorcycle Products, and from then until now it has been their
goal to build quality products that fit like they are supposed to, work
like they say they do, and that the guys can feel proud to stand behind
100%.
Then in January of 2006, it was time
for a bit of a change. While the businesses were doing well, it was
increasingly difficult to manage the bike shop along with the Products
business. Along came Dan… Dan has a technical and managerial background in engineering and manufacturing, and has ridden motorcycles
his entire life. Dan was immediately drawn to the nature of the Badlands
Motorcycle Products business and agreed to purchase it effective February
1, 2006, but only on the condition that Rick stay on as General Manager
and that Linda stay on as Office Manager. Dan is no dummy, and he knew
immediately that keeping Rick and Linda on board was key to the continued
success of the business. Rick and Bob agreed to split off the bike shop as
a separate business, which Bob now runs as Badlands Custom Cycle. Since
that time, Dan, Rick and Linda have strived to improve upon the Badlands
tradition of unique products and outstanding service.
Wow!! Only ten months after the
reorganization and Dan’s entry into the business, another unique
opportunity developed. After a long and fruitful association with Bob Lake
and Maximum Products, Badlands was given the opportunity to purchase all
the products, assets and intellectual property of Maximum and bring them
all under one roof. This was a big deal! Dan and Rick had to think long
and hard about this… Approximately thirty seconds later, Dan was working
diligently to come to an agreement with Bob Lake. On December 15, 2006,
the deal was finalized, and the Maximum Products portfolio came to its new
home in Sparks, NV. We don’t know what the future holds, but if this year
is any indication, it’s sure to be exciting!
The Badlands team would also like to
stress that all of our products always have been, and STILL ARE, made in
America, by Americans. We hope you will continue to support us, as well as
other quality manufacturers that produce their products in the United
States. After all… You ride American made iron, it deserves quality
American made parts! (And if you ride an “off shore” brand, well that’s
cool too… Many of our parts are multi-lingual and will get along just fine
with your metric machine!)
Our Best Wishes,
Dan, Rick, Linda, Ted,
the Crew and Bob too!
