The Harley Davidson company may regret making Tony Cenzi wait. The Chili native was anxiously hoping to buy a Harley in 1996. He was told that there was a two-year waiting list. Cenzi, who grew up working on mini bikes with his father, Vince, and had his first motorcycle at 18 years old, wasn't about to wait two years. While the long-time carpet installer had no formal mechanical training, he had worked on many bikes before. And he studies some of the great motorcycle designers such as Eddie Trotta and Jim Nasi. "I got tired of waiting, so I built one myself," said Cenzi. He crafted a cycle that looked similar to a Harley Fatboy decked out in purple, yellow and orange with white graphics. People began to ask Cenzi where he got his new ride, and were surprised when they found out. Word spread and interest grew. He started building bikes for friends at their request. Years later, a nervous Cenzi made the leap to open his own store, CC Cycle Shop, at 42 Nichols Street in the village of Spencerport. The business, which began roaring in April, is now undergoing a name change to The Cenzi Motorcycle Company. Looking at Cenzi's bikes lined up in the shop is like walking through a museum of modern art. The finished product definitely goes beyond ordinary vehicle design. Each bike is custom made and painted. The mark of a Cenzi bike is the fluidity of its design and the meticulous nature with which every wire is hidden from sight. From beginning to end it takes between 14 and 16 weeks to produce a finished cycle. After each cycle leaves the shop, the pressure is placed onto Tony and his crew to go one step further with the next machine. And like most respected artists, while many are admirers not just anyone can be a collector. Cenzi's motorcycles retail between $40,000 to $50,000. "We have seen some pretty wealthy customers fly in to order a bike," Cenzi said. His work didn't always command such a high price tag. Cenzi said he sold about 20 bikes before he was able to charge what he now does. "It was a real relief finally being able to sell a bike for what I do now," said Cenzi. "I felt like it was about time I got what they were worth." While the bikes are glitzy and the price tags are impressive, there is a lot of grunt behind the glamour. Cenzi said he feels the pressure to keep improving with every bike, and that drive can require a real time commitment. He is no stranger to 80-hour work weeks. "I have always said I took a great hobby and ruined it," he joked. Work involves a lot of travel as well. Shows in other states provide some of the best marketing for his bikes. A contact he made at a recent show will place Cenzi on television. Cenzi and the crew will appear on the Discovery Channel's "Motorcycle Craze," a reality show where garages display their design talents as they square off. Cenzi is hoping that the publicity he will receive from being on television and through word of mouth added to the public attention from all of the shows he travels to, will combine to bring in more business. He would like to double his current workload from about 25 to 50 bikes per year. "I don't want to do more than that, because I don't want this to become an assembly line," Cenzi said. He wants to be able to continue to focus on what he loves - designing new cycles. His son, Mark, is helping him to accomplish this. Proving that the business must be in the blood, Mark recently has stepped up to run the shop. By having his son take over most of the administrative duties, Cenzi has the time to create. That doesn't mean that Mark isn't a talented designer as well. In fact, Cenzi's current ride of choice is his son's newest creation - the Pit Boss Chopper. Check out some of Tony's latest creations at www.cenzimotorcycles.com |
