Dayton Daily News

The winner of the Internet voting on DaytonDailyNews.com/PrideRide — Brian Murphy's 1997 Custom Harley-Davidson — is no stranger to the winners' circle. A shelf of trophies and awards in its garage attests to the impression the bike makes on judges. It has also been featured in magazines.

Murphy, who has had the bike since 1997, said the current version of the Harley is its third teardown and rebuild. "We tore it all the way down to the frame," the Centerville resident said. "A friend of mine owns a company called Chopper Works in Cincinnati and I drew up the basic design. He hand-made the fenders and tanks." Murphy then drew up the paint scheme and sent it out for painting.

"I don't have the equipment to make the tanks and things and I used to paint but haven't been in a home for a while to be able to do it." He said he does all the normal maintenance and general repairs on his two bikes himself.

Motorcycles have long been a fixation for him. "When I was 10 years old, in 1969, and this Easy Rider craze came into being. There was a shop called California Choppers Unlimited that was just down the street. I had older parents and they told me to stay away from there.

"So, of course, I went down there and I hung out and watched the guys work on the bikes and make choppers. It was just one of those things that got into my blood."