With dealerships in Canada, Australia and South Korea, Hellbound Steel is making its way in the world of custom bike manufacturing. Here the company principals talk to AMD about how they have achieved their success.

Hellbound Steel (HBS) is a motorcycle manufacturer with a difference. Unlike other manufacturers HBS only builds bikes when dealers order them. Company President, Mike Molloy explains the idea: “We always try to let the dealers pick the motorcycles for their market because they know it best. We’ve never built specced bikes and then forced them on dealers.”

Mike Salyer, Executive Vice President elaborates: “We don’t build a motorcycle until a dealer orders one. A dealer can order a bike that will sell best on his showroom floor. He knows what will work best. We’re unique in that respect.”
This is just one aspect in which Hellbound Steel differs from other manufacturers. Another is the confidence they have in their product, reflected in the two-year warranty they offer on each bike. This includes the motorcycles fitted with 124ci motors, something other manufacturers are reluctant to do. The reason for this is the care that goes into each bike build.

The engines used are supplied by S&S but each one is checked over at the Hellbound facility before being fitted into a bike. The working relationship Hellbound enjoys with S&S is a very close one. Previously, the company used to receive its engines from S&S and then strip them down in order to polish them to the show finish it required. Now, however, after working closely with S&S, the engines arrive ready polished to a level equal to that which Hellbound was previously doing itself.

The change to the engine supply deal is an example of how HBS is changing its production policy as it grows. Formerly all manufacturing and production was done in-house. Now it has its frames produced by Daytec. As Mike Molloy says: “It doesn’t make sense to do the frames in-house when you can go to someone who builds frames day in day out, all day long.”

The same out-sourcing policy is now also used for the wheels, with these coming from Forge-Tec. The choice of wheel supplier was easy says Mike Salyer: “Forge-Tec is the biggest driving force in supplying complete wheel packages to the custom bike industry. It made complete sense to work with them.”

Hellbound Steel began out-sourcing work when it needed a rear brake bracket to mount the calliper inboard of the pulley and approached QTM Brembo. Such was the quality of the work that HBS later worked with Brembo to create a range of forward controls, pegs and grips, creating a bike which Mike Salyer describes as: “Being designed as a whole rather than a collection of bolt-on parts.”

Many of the changes in the supply and assembly program have been made in reaction to dealer feedback and will be seen on the 2007 model range.

The design and build of the bikes were not the only changes made at Hellbound Steel during 2006. The company also dramatically restructured its dealer base. Mike Molloy explains what happened: “We were able to pick up multiple dealers when we started in 2003, we were a new maker and everybody was interested in us. However, it’s been a steep learning curve and we realized some of those dealers simply didn’t have the facilities to support the brand – they couldn’t service the bikes. The industry and consumers are changing and we needed to change in response to this too.“

Hellbound Steel now has dealers in seven states in the US and is actively seeking new, larger scale, multi-line dealerships. However, the company is being very selective and will only consider dealerships which are willing to make a commitment to the brand and are prepared to make the effort to send their technicians to HBS for training on the company’s bikes. In return for this, Hellbound will list dealers in its print advertising and even go so far as tailoring dealer specific adverts for the local print media near each dealership.

In addition to its US dealers, Hellbound Steel is also operating in the international market and has distributors in Canada, Australia and South Korea. In order to reach the Australian market the company spent 2-1/2 years working to make its bikes Australian Design Rules compliant. In order to do this it ship complete bikes to the country. The only other US motorcycle manufacturer whose bikes carry an Australian compliance plate is Harley-Davidson. In a further move to support its Australian dealer base the company has a fully stocked warehouse there in order to deal with any warranty issues in a timely manner, rather than having to ship parts out as and when they are needed.

Mike Salyer says of the Korean outlet: “It was a great compliment to be chosen to go into South Korea. They could have chosen anyone in the industry and they chose us.”

With the new line of 2007 bikes now shipping, Hellbound Steel has its sights set on further increasing its dealer base and has packages available to help those outlets who want to become dealers. The entire line of bikes is Kelley Blue Book listed, CARB-approved, NADA and Geico insurable. HS can also arrange flooring and consumer financing through GE. All of which means there’s never been a better time to look at Hellbound Steel’s model range. Bikes such as the Wicked. A low and long Chopper built with ideal rake and trail designed to deliver superior handling.

As Mike Salyer says of Hellbound Steel bike: “There’s nothing left to upgrade on our motorcycles, we’re at level 10.”

top

back to written word