Choppers Inc. - Billy Lane's Choppers Inc.

Born and raised in Miami, custom-bike builder Billy Lane holds an Associate of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Florida International University. His father got him interested in cars and hot rods early on, so Billy had quite a bit of mechanical knowledge before going to  engineering school. Then, in 1989, he bought his first bike while in college. The bike was basically in pieces so he had to  learn how to put it together. But with the help of some old-timers,  he learned a lot — and fast. After college, Billy got a job with his brother working on bikes, and then went out on his own. He started making custom parts as gifts for his friends when he was "poor." Eventually, a demand built  up for these six-gun parts outside of his peer group, which led to  the 1995 formation of Choppers Inc. in Melbourne, Florida.