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 ou hear a lot these days about people going back to their roots, rediscovering what it was that made them what they are today. And while that usually involves going home, wherever home is, Rikki Battistini put his own spin on it–he left home in England and rediscovered his customizing roots in America. “I was born in England and my company, Battistini Custom Cycles, was originally set up there in the late 1980s,” says Rikki Battistini. Along with his older brother Dean, they operated an automotive workshop specializing in classic and performance cars. Then the bike bug bit, and the brothers decided to carve out some space to work on motorcycles. “The initial excitement for us was the West Coast low-rider style that was going on in the U.S. in the late ‘80s early ‘90s,” he says. “The only bikes we ever thought were really cool were Harleys. We came over to the USA and bought some Harleys and saw what was going on over here. When we went back to the UK, rather than sell the stock Harleys we decided to put some parts on them, dress them up, and we just got involved in it. Before long we were building West Coast-style bikes in Britain, and our target market became the whole of Europe, where we became known as the Versace of the motorcycle industry.” At the same time the Battistinis brought Arlen Ness and Performance Machine products to Europe. “We became their largest distributor in the early 1990s,” Rikki says. “In doing so we saw some holes in their product lines, so we started designing and manufacturing some product ourselves in the UK. One was aluminum gas tanks, which we became famous for. We used to ship those back to Arlen Ness and PM.” The idea for a set of custom grips brought Battistinis close to the Ness family. “With the relationship I had with Cory and Arlen I was able to have them manufacture the grips as per my design and sell them under a Ness/Battistini banner.” Then, in 2000, that relationship got even closer. “There was talk that the Nesses were going to move into a new building in 2002-2003. It was going to be a big move for them, and Cory had some openings in the company to fill. I took the opportunity.” So Rikki moved to America, specifically the San Francisco Bay area, to work for Arlen Ness. “The opportunity was a great one for me and my family. Initially my role was sales manager. It changed over the years, and I became their COO, dealing with all their operational stuff and helping put some infrastructure in place.” Rikki Battistini and Cory Ness also discussed Battistini’s line of grips and footpegs and about how the line could grow. “I’d learned a lot about product manufacture and design,” says Rikki, “and I went on with Cory to design a complete range of floorboards and saddlebag latch covers and several new items to grow the Ness/Battistini line, including wheel styles.” Eventually Rikki realized it was time to move on. “I felt I’d done as much as I could for the Nesses in the growth of their business. I decided to go back to my roots. I wanted to get back into product design and back to doing stuff for my own company. It was really time for me to get back to Battistinis. So I went back out on my own.” Today, Battistini’s primary focus is on bolt-on parts and accessories. “The industry cycle we’re in at the moment is the new breed of Harley riders buying these new reliable Harley-Davidsons off the showroom floor. They’ve got powerful motors in them, they have six-speed transmissions, they’re fuel injected. The riders want to dress those bikes up. They’re going to start off with just the simple things, like floorboards, brake arms, grips, pegs, and mirrors, and slowly add wheels and pulleys and rotors. I want to get these guys at ground level.” Rikki is keeping one eye on what’s happening now, and the other on the future. “I want to be ahead of the curve,” he says. “We’re staying focused on the core business, bolt-on products for Harley-Davidsons. A lot of people have drifted off and focused on what seems to be popular at the time, and then eventually they realize they’ve lost their roots. I don’t want to do that.” As for his relationship with Drag Specialties, Rikki says, “They’re an asset to any product range. You need to look at Drag as a partner to help make your business grow. I firmly believe these are the people I want to be aligned with, and I’m proud to do so.” Check the FatBook for the complete line of Battistini’s parts, including grips, floorboards, forward controls, brake arms, handlebars, dashes, shifter arms and rods, saddlebag latches, and wheels. They’ll help you get back to the roots of running a motorcycle shop–making a profit.   |
