Charles McNeese uses a grinder to make a repair in his shop.
Winning awards
One of his customers, Shane Bell of Olpe, attributes that to McNeese’s growing reputation as a top custom-bike builder. “He went to Sturgis and he was rated one of the top builders in the country,” Bell said. “He’s a pretty talented kid. He can build anything anybody wants.” Bell said McNeese’s products are equal to those built on TV’s Orange County Choppers show. “He would be just the same as Jesse James or any of those other kinds of builders,” Bell said. “He knows how to do stuff like that. If he was in California or Texas or Florida, he would be just as famous as the stuff you see on TV. He can build anything anybody wants. If you can tell him about it he can build it. … We’re just fortunate he lives here.” McNeese, however, plans to stay in Emporia, where he was born and reared. McNeese’s family still lives here and his wife, the former Kim Redeker, has family living at Olpe. They want the same family-centered environment for their son, Jax Ryder McNeese, who was born in August 2011. Family plays a large role in McNeese Customs. Kim McNeese came in to help do inventory during her Christmas break from teaching at the Flint Hills Technical College, and his parents, Bob and Karen McNeese, and brother Chance all help out regularly. “It’s still like when I was building out of the
“I never build the exact same bike twice.” Charles McNeese
Barnard’s vision of an “outlaw Powercat” was brought to life by Jeff Hisey of Air Attitude in Topeka. Emporia Living | 33