TONIGHT WE'RE ON THE ROAD IN SOUTHERN VERMONT,
BRATTLEBORO-BASED VINTAGE STEEL WAS BORN, IN OWNER JOSH STEELE'S
GARAGE, A TESTAMENT TO HIS LOVE FOR RIDING ON OLD MOTORCYCLES.
OUR EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND DAVE FRASER STOPPED BY NOT LONG AGO
TO SEE HOW ONE MAN'S PASSION FOR VINTAGE BIKES BECAME A
BURGEONING BUSINESS IN THIS MAKING IT HERE REPORT.
>> THERE IS A LOT OF ATTRACTION ON MOTORCYCLES.
FOR ME IT'S NOT BEING TRAPPED IN A CAR.
I DON'T LIKE DRIVING CARS OR OPERATING CARS OR BEING STUCK IN
THEM OR GOING ON LIKE LONG CARS.
I WOULD RATHER BE ON A MOTORCYCLE.
>> IT HAS A DIFFERENT FEEL WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD AT
65, THIS WHOLE THING, THAN YOU DO WITH THE WINDOWS UP.
>> SEVEN YEARS AGO I BOUGHT A HOUSE WITH MY PARTNER, SARAH,
AND WE HAD A DETACHED GARAGE, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT FOR
ME TO LIKE WRENCH ON MY PERSONAL BIKE AND MAYBE BUY ONE HERE AND
THERE AND FIX IT UP.
MOVING INTO THAT HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, BUYING TOOLS AND
MOTORCYCLES IS WHEN I MET CHRIS.
>> I HEARD HE HAD A BIKE SO I WENT TO CHECK IT OUT, AND IT WAS
AWESOME.
I WANTED TO MAKE IT MINE BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
>> WE DID A LABOR TRADE, HE SCRAIPTD AND PAINTED THE GARAGE
SKI GAVE HIM A MOTORCYCLE IN TRADE.
>> HE WAS LIKE I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO FIX IT, AND I NEVER
LEFT, SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE RELATIONSHIP FLOURISHED AND
WE BECAME VINTAGE STEEL.
OUR SPECIALTY IS OLDER MACHINES, CASH BLATED MACHINES.
WHAT WE GET EXCITED ABOUT IS ANYTHING ABOUT THE 1980s, BUT
WE DO WORK ON EVERYTHING.
WE WORK ON MODERN MACHINES, ALSO.
BUT WE'RE HERE TO SERVE PEOPLE'S MOTORCYCLE NEEDS.
WE FIX, REPAIR CUSTOMER'S MOTORCYCLES ALL SUMMER.
WE'RE REALLY, REALLY BUSY WITH THAT SORT OF WORK THROUGHOUT THE
SUMMER, AND IN THE WINTERTIME WE BUILD MOTORCYCLES, CUSTOM BUILD
THEM ONE AT A TIME TO FIT PEOPLE'S NEEDS.
THEY COME IN AND WE COME UP WITH A PLAN AND WE HAD PEOPLE THAT
COME IN AND DRAW UP A PICTURE OF WHAT THEY WANT.
>> WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE OPEN AND FREE WITH THE EXPRESSION OF
HOW THE CUSTOMER, THE CLIENT WANTS THEIR BIKE TO LOOK.
>> WE POUR OUR HEART AND SOUL INTO THESE BIKES.
AS WE GO THROUGH THEM AND MODIFY THEM AND TAKE OVER THE PROJECT
FOR THE PERSON WHO HAD THE ORIGINAL VISION AND LOOK, THE
LOOK ON THEIR FACE WHEN THEY CHECK IT OUT AND THEY GET TO SEE
IT, THERE IS NOTHING BETTER.
>> BUT $500.
>> THE TOUGH GUY MOTORCYCLE STIGMA IS GONE.
THAT'S A THING OF THE PAST.
NOW THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST FROM PEOPLE WANTING TO LEARN TO
RIDE.
>> PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT TO RIDE BIKES.
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TOWN OFFICIALS.
>> WE GET A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WOMEN, CUSTOMERS AND PEOPLE WHO
ARE MAYBE GETTING THEIR FIRST BIKE OR JUST LEARNING TO RIDE.
>> PEOPLE YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY,
REALLY FUN, INTERESTING, A WAIT AND SEE WHO IS GOING TO COME IN
NEXT.
>> THE MAJORITY OF OUR BIKES GO BEYOND WAY OUTSIDE OF
BRATTLEBORO, YOU KNOW.
WE HAVE SOLD, YOU KNOW, NORTH CAROLINA, TEXAS, THE U.K., AND
WE'RE BUILDING OUR FIRST BIKE FOR SOMEONE THAT LIVES IN
BRATTLEBORO.
AND IT'S EXCITING FOR US BECAUSE THAT BIKE IS GOING TO BE AROUND
TOWN, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE RIDING IT, SO WE ARE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO SEE IT.
WE LOVE BEING IN VERMONT.
WE LOVE BEING IN BRATTLEBORO BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF IN THE
CENTER OF EVERYTHING.
>> SOUTHERN VERMONT IS AN INTERESTING SORT OF MIXING BOWL,
AND THERE IS A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS, AND IT'S
GREAT TO HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS THAT CAN THRIVE IN A PLACE LIKE
THIS.
>> RUNNING A BUSINESS IN VERMONT IS DEFINITELY DIFFICULT.
IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF MY LIFE.
STARTING A BUSINESS FROM THE GROUND UP.
>> BUT WE'RE FIGURING IT OUT, YOU KNOW.
LIKE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AND EVERY ROADBLOCK OR HURDLE THAT
WE RUN INTO WE HAVE MADE IT OVER IT, AND WE'RE DOING IT.
IT'S LIKE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS WORK.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
>> SO EVERY DAY I AM UP SUPER EARLY IN THE MORNING, YOU KNOW,
I DRINK COFFEE.
I GET READY, AND I COME IN HERE AND I GET TO WORK, BECAUSE I
WANT TO BE HERE AND I WANT TO BE DOING THIS, AND BECAUSE IT'S
MINE, IT'S MY THING.
>> IT'S NEVER BORING, EVERY DAY I COME IN I LEARN SOMETHING NEW
AND IT'S EXCITING AND MAKES ME FEEL GOOD, AND THERE IS NOTHING
ELSE THAT'S EVER MADE ME FEEL LIKE THAT.
>> WHEN IT'S YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR BABY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT
YOU HAVE BUILT, YOU KNOW, THE INVESTMENT IS THERE TO WHERE THE
PASSION IS THERE.