Meet Ryan Gore | Bike Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Gore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was forced into it. I left building custom motorcycles as a profession in 2009 and just did it as a hobby while I worked as a Robotics Mechanic in the oilfield. In 2016 I started building bikes full time again but got lured back to the oilfield in 2020 just in time to be laid off due to the pandemic. After that I decided this is what I’m going to do. No matter what.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Motorcycles have been my passion since childhood. After finishing my degree in Technical Writing it was evident I wasn’t cut out to spend my days behind a keyboard in an office. That passion led me to graduate from The American Motorcycle Institute in Daytona Beach in 2004 and I immediately immersed myself into the custom motorcycle industry.

After cutting my teeth in shops on both coasts, as well as contract work in the Middle East and Europe, I started Paper Street Customs. Focusing on handcrafted, one of a kind, custom bikes, small production run parts, and unique one off accessories. Everything is handmade in house using domestic materials. The goal has always been small quantity…high quality.

Over the last decade my work has been displayed in shows across the globe, featured in multiple magazines worldwide, and has been ripping up the highways everywhere in between. As a cast member of Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper” I spent season 12 building bikes for Orange County Choppers.

Whether it’s a simple valve stem cap or a complete full blown build my aim is put out the best possible product with unique designs that are unmistakable at first glance. I want you to know that bike was built by Paper Street Customs without having to ask. And then I want your jaw to hit the fucking floor.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had friends in town we’d definitely hit some of my favorite breakfast spots…Doug’s Diner, The Urban Egg…maybe take a rip up to the Rocky Mountain National Park but more than likely we’d wind up at my house. I’m a homebody. We love to have friends over, throw a few slabs of meat on the smoker, drink some good cocktails, and sit out on the patio catching up.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Even though I’m a one man operation there’s always a lot of support behind me. First and foremost is my girlfriend Erika. She’s supportive of everything I do but she also pushes me to be better. My brother Marc is another one. He’s the first one I call to bounce ideas off of or ask questions.
I started doing this before social media was even a thing. I worked in shops on both coasts cutting my teeth and learning the trade. There’s a long list of people I worked with in those shops that were kind enough to pass along the knowledge they had acquired through years in this business. Mike Gleason, Kevin Alsop, Chris Kiely, Josh Allison, Paul Teutel Sr just to name a few.

Website: www.paperstreetcustoms.com

Instagram: @paper_street_customs

Facebook: Paper Street Customs

Image Credits
Dan Rioz Enrique Parrilla Michael Lichter