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In a non-descript industrial park about a mile north of Lewisville’s “Old Town” area, you will find Mike DuSold of DuSold DeSigns, one of the premiere paint artisans working on motorcycles and cars in the region. His reputation precedes him which can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Long before I ever met Mike in person, I had heard wonderful things about his work; however, I also heard equally impressive stories about wait times and amounts invested for a DuSold original. Mike is tall, slender and can still easily be carded – if he drank that is. But he does not drink alcohol nor coffee and certainly not any energy drinks. His entire business is based upon a steady hand, sharp imagination and attention to detail. Mike is well-spoken and lacks the pompous attitude that is so prevalent today in the industry. As you stand in the midst of his shop surrounded by true works of art, it’s refreshing that he’s so down to earth. On the day we met with Mike, he was casually talking with others while pin-striping a tank at a work bench by his front door with art work from his daughters hanging above. Contrary to rumors, a graphics job can be handled within a few days at his 5,000 square foot shop. In fact, he averages 3-to-4 bike graphics jobs per week. Cars and bikes with more elaborate designs naturally take longer to produce. When asked if he prefers to be given a concept or a blank canvas he replied, “I prefer to get to know the person. By doing that, I get a feel for what they are really like and what will work best for them. I can also be in a better position to let them know if their idea might not be the best fit for them.” Currently, the hottest trend is his “fire” paint jobs as he is producing 3-to-1 more “fire” jobs over graphical flames. Mike feels he has a very good handle on producing quality “fire” whereas many other painters haven’t quite mastered it yet. When asked about the grapevine comments about his high pricing he replied, “I think those rumors hurt my business a little. I know I’m not the cheapest painter in town. I guess people want to impress their buddies by saying a $2,200 paint job really cost $4,000. But there’s enough work for all the painters in town so I try not to take it seriously.” He keeps an open shop and it is a good environment for current and potential customers to stop by and hang out for a while. Mike and his crew enjoy the camaraderie and are open to suggestions from visitors. His father handles the business side of things and Mike hopes that soon his wife will be able to quit her job and join the family business. Mike and his father keep everything very “old school” as there are no machines automating any of the processes – in fact, they don’t even have a computer in the office yet. Mike laughs at this and says times are changing and soon he’ll be able to check his email at the office and not have to drive home for it. Mike grew up amidst his father’s metal shop in Illinois. Around the age of 13, he started working with old gear that had been lying around the shop. Now, 15 years later, he can hardly fathom the idea of getting, what he calls, a “real job” again and is fortunate to have a group of talented artists working with him. When asked where he would like to be in 20 years he initially replies that he hadn’t really thought about it. But after a few moments he replies, “I would like to be a bigger name in the industry and have builders from around the country working with me on their projects.” Mike has recently segued into custom bike building. His first creation, Voodoo, is the bike that is quickly becoming legendary for winning so many shows for a first time builder, first at the Houston Easyriders show and then the Atlanta Invitational. Initially, Voodoo was going to be a kit bike with a killer paint job. The more Mike began thinking about it, the more he realized now was a good time to move to the next level and pulled a team together to build this bike. The inspiration for the design is a result of the tribal masks that Mike and his wife collect. In fact, his favorite feature is the face at the front of the frame which he first “saw” as he was in the midst of air-brushing the bike. On the day we were at his warehouse, Voodoo was being cleaned and prepped for the next show entry. The bike was first shown to the public at Daytona and he was approached with a serious financial offer within 2 days which he declined. Though Mike will eventually sell Voodoo, for now there are still more shows to enter so potential buyers will need to be patient a while longer. His next bike is still made up of fragmented ideas in his imagination that have yet to come together. This is not the type of man to plan a bike’s design in detail in advance as he is more comfortable jumping in and letting inspiration take over as the bike evolves. He is working with Jerry Covington for the frame and, at this time, the new bike will be based on the turbo-charged engine. Mike wants a streamlined and artistic bike as he feels so many turbo-charged bikes have a clunky feel to them. He would like to have the new bike ready for Daytona but it will probably be at the Dallas Easyriders show when it is finally unveiled to the public. We look forward to seeing Mike DuSold’s newest creation and will be providing Thunder Roads readers with all the details and photos as they become available. Contact Information: DuSold DeSigns 1491 N. Kealy, Suite 29 Lewisville, TX 75057 P: 972-221-1455 www.dusolddesigns.com |
