Russell Mitchell is an anomaly in our industry, but he has a solid code. He doesn’t float in whatever direction is custom-popular this year. He has a formula and sticks with it, which has major customer benefits.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Russell said. “If you do, you’ll run into fitment issues, parts problems, and stuff that breaks, when you didn’t expect it.”
For almost 30 years he’s developed his style and formula for reliability, fitment and functionality. “I’ve built a solid relationship with JIMS machine, both personally and with their products. I use JIMS 6-Speeds in every bike I build.” He likes to keep his bikes’ RPMs at a reasonable level for the vibration factor with a specific gearing formula. “I’m sure there are other good transmissions, but when a product works consistently for you, don’t change it.”
He has also worked with Tom Pirone of TP Engineering forever. “I generally use the Evo-based TP-121 engine, unless a customer wants a 124 for bragging rights,” said Russell. The 121 gives him solid reliability, a warranty and more power than most folks will ever use and the proper vibration level for solid-mount rigids and Softail chassis configurations.
“I don’t go for chrome elements on my engines,” Russell said. “When a customer orders a bike, I order the engine and immediately send Tom a set of polished aluminum pushrod covers.”
Over the years Tom switched up some engine components, including his cone cover. “I didn’t like it,” Russell said. “I wanted the old one.” Then they switched out the rocker boxes with a product with a hole in the center for heat dissipation. “Not for me, but Tom worked with me.”
“I always use S&S Super G carbs,” Russell added.
When I asked about transitioning from one custom platform to another he explained it easily. “I like pickup trucks and sure, I like baggers, but I love Choppers.” He’s stubborn and narrow-minded about his styling and construction cues, but it means his bikes have stayed solid and pure for almost 30 years.
His formula survived the glitter, bling and extreme eras. His styling started to seriously fit in after the economic downturn, when riders shunned metal flake and chrome for blacked out bikes and rust. “Stylin’ cues have shifted in our direction,” Russell said. He’s never built left side drive or ridiculously wide-tire bikes. Russell might be a serious guiding light to young builders, who want to know what really works for a reliable custom build.
“I like stripped-down scooters,” Russell added, “with a purity of form. I’m too old to sell out now.” He sticks with Evo-based, Softail and rigid platforms.
Here is a list of some of the other products he’s stuck with for almost three decades: “We always use our own brakes (Sprocket Brake rear, 4-piston caliper w 11.5-inch rotor front). Same with foot controls. Hand controls (when we use them) are Jay Brake classics, but often twist-clutch or foot-clutch, and frequently integrated brakes (foot-pedal operates front and rear). Wheels are usually our “Monster” 40-spoke wheels, although we do also offer solids and 5-spoke designs. Our Sani-Tree triple trees in conjunction with H-D FLT fork sliders are usual on our short bikes. We used SJP for all our raked billet front ends, but now they are no more, and we have moved to HHI.”
He is trying to design more Exile parts to be broad-spectrum components, like his internal throttle system, which will fit on any custom build. Check Russell’s history below and his annual charity event at the movie set, Paramount Ranch.
The Russell Story
Russell Mitchell is the founder, president and design force behind Exile Cycles. He was born in a small farming village in England, where he fully expected to live out his life. However, when Russell graduated from the local university as a veterinary surgeon he was persuaded to take a job in London and life in the big city really opened his eyes.
Within months he was fully immersed in the glam-punk scene. A chance meeting at a charity event launched a side career in modeling, and soon after Russell became the TVvet on the morning news. When a top Los Angeles model agency offered him a contract, he figured that he’d come to the States for a month or two, but (like every other Englishman) he never went back.
Russell worked in L.A. for several years as a model and struggling actor before launching Exile Cycles in the gritty San Fernando Valley way back in 1995. These days Russell lives in the idyllic Santa Monica Mountains with his gorgeous wife Rachel and their three beautiful kids.
Motorcycles have always played a huge part in Russell’s life. His first few custom builds were based around, of all things, Lambretta scooters! In the early ‘80s he was a major figure in the thriving English, scooter scene, although he describes himself as one of the “scooter scum.”
In 1983, after a couple of other custom scooters, 20-year-old Russell built the very first Exile – a Lambretta chopper to beat all others. It had a coffin tank, twisted forks and a foot-shift.
Around this time Russell took his first 100-mph ride on a big bike and he was immediately done with scooters. At the very next Scooter Rally he sold raffle tickets for 50 pence (about one dollar) each and on Saturday night he got on stage, drew a number, and gave “Exile 1” to its new owner.
A smorgasbord of custom motorcycles followed Russell’s ride, depending on his state of poverty at the time. In 1991 Russell came to the US with $9,000, and the next day spent $8,650 on a ’87 Softail. In 1994, after appearing in a particularly lucrative Marlboro commercial, Russell decided to build a couple of identical customs. He really went to town with the parts design, learning the required welding and machining skills along the way.
A year later, on the first bike’s inaugural voyage, he ran into Keith “Bandit” Ball, the editor of Easyriders magazine, who asked if he could run a feature on the bike. The ensuing interest in his unique parts persuaded Russell to make motorcycles his career.
Exile Cycles was perfectly positioned to take advantage of both the chopper craze and the economic boom occurring around the turn of the century. And with such a brightly colored, instantly recognizable front man it was no surprise that the production companies came knocking.
Russell and his crew starred in more of the Discovery Channel’s “Great Biker Build Off” shows than any other builder, as well as the “World Bike Build Off,” “Motorcycle Mania IV” and a couple of seasons of Russell’s own show, called “Build or Bust.” All this exposure positioned Russell among the most well-known bike builders in the world, and as such, he and Rachel have travelled the globe as guests-of-honor at various bike events.
Always outspoken, Russell sums up Exile Cycles rather nicely in his mission statement in the current Exile catalog:
Editor’s Note: I was back in the mix in 2004 when I took over Hot Bike and Street Chopper. I put Russell with a girl on a Exile trike, on the cover of my first issue of Hot Bike.
Hell, these days half the models in the H-D line-up look like they were designed by Exile. “We now offer a very extensive range of parts (including bolt-on parts to transform your Harley), plus complete bike kits and built-to-order custom cycles,” said Russell, “and we ship to every corner of the globe.”
“We have not compromised our design ethic one bit,” said Russell. “The bikes we build now, the bikes we built then, and the bikes we have yet to build, all scream Exile Cycles. These machines are timeless classics, not the flavor of the month. Hardcore, minimal and tough.”
“If you want a brightly colored, over-chromed bike, call someone else. If you want one that looks like the batmobile or some other childish theme-machine, call a therapist – what the fuck is wrong with you?”
For the last three years Russell dove into the custom cycle event realm with:
Featuring CALENDAR BIKE BUILDING CHAMPIONSHIP
To Benefit DONATE TO LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOC
Max Hazan’s Supercharged Husqvarna Replica Board Track Racer
Took Best of Show last year.
The 3rd event this October will include Calendar Show’s Calendar Bike Building Championship joining the Rider RoundUp at the Ranch produced by celebrity Calendar Bike builder Russell Mitchell and wife Rachel / Exile Cycles at the Paramount Western Movie Ranch in Agoura, CA, just down the road from the legendary Southern California biker hangout The Rock Store on Mulholland Highway.
It will be an exciting day of beautiful custom motorcycles, activities, great tasting food truck, BBQ and craft beer, vendors, manufacturers and live music.
And again it’s a benefit to raise money to Fight Leukemia by auctioning off products and services, together with money donated by the vendors and sponsors, last year raising $7000 for the Cause.
The famous Paramount Ranch movie location is a fun place to hold a bike show, with spectators being able to ride their bikes and park in the streets of the old western town.
For movie and TV buffs, Paramount Ranch was first owned and built by Paramount Movie Studios as a western town movie set back in the 1923 for the then popular western movies. In the 1960s a paved sports car road-racing track was built on the land and held races for a few years.
More recently the location was the set for the popular ‘90s TV series, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. A train station was built in the western town for Dr. Quinn, including the laying of real train tracks and the installation of a live running steam locomotive with cars, which operated back and forth across the set.
When the Dr. Quinn TV series ended the entire Paramount Ranch including the western town movie set, was given to the U.S. Park System for public use, with the condition it could still be used for filming and special events. Most recently the western set was used it the HBO TV series West World.
The Train Station Platform will be the location for this year’s Calendar Bike Building Championship, the custom motorcycle contest franchise feature of the LA Calendar Motorcycle Show produced by FastDates.com Calendar photographer Jim Gianatsis.
Assisting Jim in producing this year’s bike contest was Calendar Kitten Corle, who ran the morning’s contest registration, posed for the bike owners and spectators for photos, and assisted Russell Mitchell and Jim with the authentic Mikuni Carburetor Trophies at the end of the day in the shaded concert and dining area.
Don’t miss it.
–Russell Mitchell
President
Exile Cycles
818 706 1230
