by Kurt Woock, Writer for and on behalf of the City of Glendale
It’s hard to say when Roy Martin sleeps.
He spends 40 hours each week building custom motorcycles at his shop, Roy’s Toys Customs.The only thing that comes between him and the work he loves is Lieutenant Martin’s full-time job as a division commander at the Glendale Police Department.
In 1994, Martin and seven friends walked into a Harley-Davidson dealership and put their names on the waiting list. Ayear later, Martin had his first motorcycle, a Heritage Softail Special. It didn’t last long. Martin disassembled his new bike into its component pieces. His first complete rebuild was underway.
Martin, who grew up in Denver, wasn’t naive when he removed the first screw from his Harley. He was about four years into his career as a machinist. “Working at a machinist shop gives you the ability to manufacture parts out of different materials,” he said. “I can visualize what a part is going to look like before Imake it.”
Throw in his creative drive, and Martin’s project would make sense to his police colleagues: He possessed he means, the motivet, and the opportunity. About a year after he built his custom, Martin went to Laughlin River Run, a motorcycle rally that takes place every year in Laughlin, Nevada. There he met a man who was impressed with the craftsmanship he saw in Martin’s bike. After talking with Martin, he ordered one for himself. Martin hadn’t yet envisioned turning this hobby into a full-fledged, full-time business. “That threw me off guard,” he said. “I was not expecting it to take off that fast.” But he
couldn’t sideline the opportunity to keep creating. The orders kept coming in, and he kept learning with each bike he built.
Complete the article about Roy’s Custom Veteran Bike.
