Sport Chrome - Shop Talk With John Reed

Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Jonathan Reed, owner of Sport Chrome.

How long have you owned Sport Chrome and what services do you offer?
I started Sport Chrome in 2002, and we provide high-end finishes on motorcycles for high-end clients.

How long do you think the custom-sportbike craze will last?
Custom sportbikes have been popular for decades; there will always be a large number of people who require something better than what the manufacturers roll out every year. It's the same for cars, and in comparison with the auto-customization market our industry has just scratched the surface.

Have they reached their peak?
We're just starting up the mountain.

What do you think the next step in custom bikes is going to be?
I have no idea, but I'll chrome it.

Run us through a typical day at work.
I'm at work around 8 a.m., check my voice mails and answer e-mails. Then I balance the rest of the day between annoying my employees and talking with customers. I'm fortunate to have an amazing staff that puts up with me.

What is your best trick ever performed in a rental car?
I'm 26, so I just now can rent them, and I think I lost the desire to ruin a car when I became of eligible age. Good move, rental car companies.

What is the best $40 you've ever spent?
High-speed Internet.

What's the fastest you've been on two wheels, and what bike was it on?
I roll slow and let them count my spokes.

What are you riding presently?
A 2006 GSX-R1000 and a 2004 Hayabusa-both chromed with 240 tire kits, Performance Machine wheels and brakes.

Stock/240/300/360-what's your favorite size and why?
For sure, 240. Form, function and affordability. We have been selling 240 kits since the day they hit the market. They have proven to be a very impressive way to customize your bike that still allows it to perform as it was originally intended.

What would you do with the last gallon of gas on Earth?
Sling it...big bucks!

Person you most admire?
My mother. Now that I'm a father, I can see the sacrifices she made for me and my brother.

What's the achievement you're most proud of?
Starting a business out of nothing and making it through the tough battles that I wish on no one, but think everyone needs to experience. Now I have a successful operation that helps put food on the plates of many families and provides a valuable service to a great industry.

What would have been your alternate career?
I have been working with bikes since I was 18. When my friends went to college, I went to work and got my education working with motorcycles. I can't see myself doing anything different.

Have you ever skinned a rabbit for food?
Not for food.You've got the choice of three magic powers: fly like a bird, read peoples' minds or invisibility.

What would you choose and why?
Invisibility-I already have the other two.

Who's your favorite racer?
Nicky Hayden. I went to my first MotoGP race last year at Laguna Seca. Watching Nicky hold it down for the USA was amazing. After meeting the Hayden family and seeing how down to earth they are made me a fan for life.

Hard liquor, beer or wine?
If that's all they got to offer, I'm going to a different party.

Shop Detailswww.sportchrome.com

Pimp PoseBig John has completed the first step in chroming his own dome.