lloy Art was founded in 2001. Although Alloy Art itself is relatively young, it is comprised of three generations of manufacturers and designers with over 60-plus combined years of manufacturing experience from die-casting, mold making and aerospace, to production CNC job shop. Their patented Gooden-Tite Bushings, flush softail passenger pegs, stem mounted mini gauge kits, counter-bored risers, telescopic arm sidemounts, and strut lights are all made in America. In fact, all Alloy Art products are made out of their own facilities in Southern California.
Drag Specialties Magazine had a chance to sit down with Robbie Lane, head honcho and creative genius behind Alloy Art. He has a lot to say about patents, the industry and the future of motorcycling.

DS: Tell us about Alloy Art, how the company got started and has grown to its present level?
Robbie Lane: “We incorporated in 2001. Before that I was mainly in the surf, snow and skate industry, designing, developing, and producing hard goods. From that I learned a great deal about mold making, plastic injection, and all about different materials for all sorts of different applications. My first patent experience went bad because I went with the cheapest attorney I could get, and then watched every big company in that industry walk all over it. I learned the hard way that a patent wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. So I walked away from that industry and didn’t want to go back.”
“I had done some sportbike stuff and some Harley stuff in the mid ‘90s. By the end of the ‘90s I was designing and producing a lot of parts for some established Harley aftermarket companies. During this time I came up with a lot of the Alloy Art product you see today. I know a little about a lot, definitely a master of none, and rolled it all into one. With the encouragement of close friends and family I borrowed what I could from the local bar owners, family, friends etc…and started my own brand name with my designs.”

DS: You make some great products. What is your best selling item and why?
RL: “The softail rear flush pegs are up there, the strut lights and marker lights which we made our own lens mold for, do really well. Our smoothie sidemount is a really strong seller. The new pan lights are starting to take off. But the best of them all is the Gooden-Tite triple tree bushings. I ride ape hangers, and one day I snapped my riser bolts trying to stop at a stoplight because the stock bushings let the bars flex front and back so bad. I asked my friend Brad what was available to fix that flex, he told me there wasn’t anything that really worked well other then going to solid inserts. I found some bushings that used some imported polyurethane, but with the same old design. We changed the design up, made our own injection mold, and sourced high-grade name brand domestic polyurethane. Worked so well we patented it, and this time I spent the money with the right patent firm.”
“The same product we sell as the Gooden-Tite bushings is the same product we sell to Harley-Davidson Motor Company as their HandleBar Isolator bushings in their packaging with our patent number on every label. The bushings are definitely not the flashiest most expensive product we make but it is definitely our bread and butter.”

DS: What is the Alloy Art philosophy?
RL: “Highest quality manufactured parts pushed by ahead of the curve design. Quality, simplicity, fit, and function.”

DS: What is the process to develop and market a new product?
RL: “Whatever we feel that is new and fresh or we feel we can improve on or contribute…and sell to make a profit.”

DS: Is the motorcycle industry different from the rest of American business?
RL: “I’m not sure maybe, in our industry there definitely tends to be more brand loyalty, and an over-all general loyalty to American made products.”

DS: What do you like about being part of Drag Specialties?
RL: “As a company the structure, the professionalism. It’s made us a better company. I think if there is any company in the aftermarket industry to learn how to be successful and how to sell a lot of product from its Drag. Mr. Fox is obviously a very, very smart businessman to put it mildly, I really admire the quality of people he has in his organization from top to bottom. Many of them I consider close friends.”

DS: What do you see for the future of the industry?
RL: “I think the industry is in for a little shake down so to speak. I think the fly by night, cash in on the media hype, import part vendor, t-shirt sellers/used car salesmen type dealers are going to go away. So it’s going to slow down and consolidate some. Then it’s going to be good because the entire crap fly by nights will be weeded out. So you’re going to have to offer something more then hype and cheap import crap to stick around, because the customers are getting smarter about what they spend their money on.”
“As far as trends go I like where its going, functional with style. From the beginning our parts were designed to go on factory Harleys, so I think we are in a great position right now. I think people are sick of the headaches that can be associated with the customs legalities, registration, emissions, insurability, reliability, resale value etc…Harley is putting out some pretty nice bikes, but still leaving plenty of room for style, performance, and function.”

DS: What do you see for the future of Alloy Art and how your company fits into your vision of the industry?
RL: “I think the overall quality of product in the industry is going to get better and better and I’m excited to be part of that. Alloy Art is a relatively young company, but was set up from the beginning to be around for the long haul. With the baggers and other factory bikes growing in popularity, along with the functional performance based bikes in demand I think we will be in good shape.”
“New product! I am extremely excited about two new products. One, we’re calling it the TXR which stands for Touring XR. It’s a bolt up assembly that triangulates the Bagger frames to stabilize them and eliminate the porpoise effect or death wobble associated with the bagger frames. It will make your Bagger handle like an FXR. Second, also for baggers, a self-leveling air ride system featuring a Firestone Air Bag banded to a Bilstein shock absorber banded to Alloy Art’s mounting design. So you get the performance of a true proven shock absorber with the adjustability of an air bag. It doesn’t stop there; the kit also includes the Firestone Intelliride load-leveling switch. Whether you’re riding solo or with big Mama on the back, the sensor will automatically adjust the air to the proper mechanical ride height. We are extremely excited about this product and the companies we are working with to make it happen.”

Be sure to check with your Drag Specialties rep for more information on all the great products available from Alloy Art.