Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/776310
10 nFebruary 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Ken Conte CABAZON, CALIF., DEC. 16— Even a casual observer of the motor- cycle industry will most likely notice an ebb and fl ow to the ranks of custom shops and builders. A few open, a few close, and then there are the people or brands that have been around, stayed around and seen it all. Paul Yaffe is one of those. He started building bikes over 25 years ago, setting trends and always evolving along the way. In December, as part of a birthday-and- career-retrospective celebration, he gave away a custom Sailor Jerry bike he'd been commissioned to build by the Morongo Casino Spa and Resort in Cabazon, California. Morongo put no limits on his creativity for the build. When he was later asked by famed motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter to contribute a bike to Lichter's annual Motorcycles as Art exhibition in Sturgis, South Dakota, the ideas immediately melded. He would build the bike for Morongo and debut it at the Motorcycles as Art exhibition held during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The basis for the build was one of a tandem of frames Paul had built. The fi rst turned into the bike created during the episode of the Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off against Dave Perewitz. The other had been waiting as the starting point for a project. Paul knew he could incorporate his father's origi- nal Sailor Jerry tattoo into the build— it would jibe with Michael's tattoo theme and also serve as a fi tting tribute to his father, who had collected Sailor Jerry tattoos on himself over the years. When Paul asked the Morongo Casino when they wanted to hold the give- away, they had mentioned mid-Decem- ber. He jokingly said, "Let's give it away on my birthday, and we can make it a real event." They loved the idea. And they were enthusiastic about including a retrospective exhibit repre- senting the breadth of Paul's work. It was decided that 13 of Paul's custom motorcycles would be included. From choppers to baggers to pro streets, the bikes would serve as a visual portrayal of Paul's evolution as a builder. They also arranged photo montages on the walls, documenting Paul's life. The Morongo Casino Spa and Resort is conveniently located on Interstate 10, roughly midway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs and only four hours by bike from Paul's home base in Phoenix. The Morongo made every effort to make all the bikers feel welcome and promoted the bike giveaway on local radio, as well as throughout the casino. Anyone could register to win the Sailor Jerry Chopper, and the more you played at the casino, the more entries you got. Everyone who registered got 53 entries each time they played—to correlate with Paul's birthday—and participants had to be present to win. The night started at 6:00 p.m. with people waiting to get their free goodie bag, which included a Yaffe's Birthday Bash T-shirt. All were encouraged to take a turn in the fully stocked costume photo booth. They then had the opportunity to grab a drink and funnel into the ballroom for a visual journey through the history of Paul's bike-building career. Both Biker Build- Off bikes were on display, as well as several builds he'd ridden to Sturgis. Also displayed were The Coyotes bike slated for charity auction in late January, the bucking Cowboy Junkie and Whitey, the motorcycle on which he gave his bride her fi rst ride. Every bike has a story, and when I asked him about it, he said, "When I look at these bikes, it is like time traveling. I remember building each and every part for them, the time, the place and what was going on in my life then." They all represent something personal to Paul, and this sampling of bikes is but a small fraction of the total he's built over the years. After everyone had reveled in the bikes, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Paul and a woman jumped out of a Sailor Jerry tattoo-adorned cake in an explosion of confetti and rousing applause. There were people from all over the country there to wish Paul a happy birthday and put their name in the hat for the Sailor Jerry bike, which has an estimated worth of over $65,000. The time came for the drawing, and because you had to be present to win, the room was packed with friends, fans, motorcycle enthusiasts and casino patrons alike. A feeling of anticipatory hope was palpable. In the end, a gentleman named Lawrence Dean won the bike. He was brought to tears by winning such a beautiful prize, and, even though he has never ridden a motorcycle in his life, he vowed to keep the bike and learn to ride. Overall, the evening was a great success, featuring a fl eet of custom bikes never before seen together, images that walked us through time with a very happy birthday boy. 4 PAUL YAFFE'S BIRTHDAY BASH AND BIKE EXPO Celebrating in style Celebrating in style Casino captures 25 years of custom builds The Sailor Jerry Chopper raffl ed off at the Morongo Casino Spa and Resort The Sailor Jerry promo girls were on hand to help Paul Yaffe (r) and the winner of the Sailor Jerry Chopper Lawrence Dean (c)