Unedited

Jeff Wright interview
By Wes Drelleshak

Who got you into motorcycles?
I have three kids. My first son who is 9 likes motorcycles just because I do, my second is a beautiful 6 year old girl that changes outfits every hour and could give a shit about bikes. My third is a 2 year old boy named Hank. I took him to the shop when he around one, its was a fast pit stop to pick something up or drop something off, I don't remember that. However I do remember the look on his face when he saw all the motorcycles. Wide eyed, mouth open, completely engrossed. At that time it really hit me, I didn't get it from anywhere or anyone, its in my blood just like Hank.
I never wanted to ride skateboards. I never wanted to ride bicycles. All I ever wanted and still want to do is ride motorcycles. When I was eight I stole 75 dollars from my Peruvian soccer player step dad, went down the street and bought a used XR75. I kept that bike at the neighbors house for about a week before the cops busted me riding on the street. I don't think the word motorcycle was in any of my families vocabulary, let alone influencing me….Its in my blood.

What kind of motorcycles do you like? I heard rumors that you’re not just a Harley guy or not just a triumph guy.
 I have raced both street bikes and dirt bikes. Harleys to Ducatis, and Ossas to KTMs. I am not brand or cylinder loyal. I would not ride a long board in a pool nor would I bring a knife to a gunfight. You're bike should fit how and where you ride.
If Im out barhopping with my friends, a chopper is my choice. If Im riding to Cali, I want a race bike. I was riding out in the Black Hill's with some dudes, one of them threw a belt. We were along side the road fixing the problem, when one of them looked up at me and said "This is whats its all about bro." I was floored. No fucking way was I buying that shit. I never want to see the ground not moving.  Regardless of brand, I like well running tight machines.

Do you have any bikes your working on? What are they?
I building a Moto Guzzi Street fighter, an 80's GS1100, a Sportster, a Shovel chopper, and a 1976 FLH for the Brooklyn Invitational.
About an hour ago I put new bars on the Honda XR and changed its oil.
There will and as always, be something on the bench at Church of Choppers.


 Period correct or non-period correct bikes bikes? Or who cares?
As long as it has two wheels…Seriously, I don't give a shit about any of that.
I just picked up a 1986 GSXR 750 that Im going to make into period correct endurance race bike for the street.
A true period correct bike just means your a good shopper with money.

Who influences you outside the motorcycle world?
Loretta Lynn, Bansky, Glen Barr, Dave Park, Japanese, Europe, John Wayne, and I-Carley. I watch it with my daughter all the time. The colors on that show rule.

Chopper Dave speaks highly of you, so who are your influences in the motorcycle world? (Remember we will do an interview with one of the people you pick)
Tom Fugle, Roland Sands, Shinya Kimura, Brandon of Brawny Built, Joey Dunlop, The Bench Mark guys, Gary Inman, Vise, Ken's Factory, Hot Docks, Japanese, Chopper Dave, etc….These are people I look up to and respect their work.
My true influences come from race bikes.

With all the long bikes with wide tires gone, what direction do you think the motorcycle industry is heading in?
Ha Ha, where I live, I still see them everyday.
Its moving more open to anything. I see Harley guys riding rice, vice versa. It seems like everyones more friendly to diversity then before. To me, thats a good thing.
But I also see change for the worst. Guys out there pick up an old 'Barn Choppers' clean them up, add a few things then take them to shows like they built it…and winning a trophy…Thats seriously fucked.
I see a core of riders that push riding…I love that.
I think the more people ride the more they realize that its not about what Joe thinks, cause Joe aint with them on the ride. Its you and the bike. Thats it…After that sinks in, those dude knods for the melted sidewalls mean a lot more then any paint job can do.
Choppers will never die, they are just too fucking cool.

What do you do for fun?
Ride, smoke, take photos, drink, travel, yell,  fuck, work on bikes, and most of all being a husband and father.

What made you start Church of Choppers? 
I  broke my hand in a race and was stuck at home with my hand elevated, so I picked up a pen and started making a stipple drawing of some famous biker dude. I sent that drawing to Iron Horse Magazine. A couple of months later I was doing a drawing a month for them. I started signing the Fed Ex packages with Church of Choppers…It stuck. I have been using that name since.

Don’t you own a bar? What is that like?
I own two bars. They are both biker bars. One is a neighborhood joint with all brands hanging ( GT ), I have had that bar for 17 years. The other is more of a Harley biker bar ( Kung Fu Tap & Taco ). I opened my first bar when I was 20 years old, I wouldn't let anyone work there unless they rode a motorcycle. In 1991 I opened Hairy Marys Punk Rock Tavern and operated that until around five years ago. We did live music, Firehose, Fugazi, Bio Hazard, DRI, Mudhoney, Melvins, the list is very long…Thousands of bands. It was fun. Drugs, chicks, booze, houseboats, racing, I can say it was punk rock Miami Vice shit. I was up to five bars at one time…That was a headache. I also own a pizza joint, I have had that for 20 years. Baked not Fried.
While in art school I had two part time jobs, one was illustrating sprint cars for a t-shirt shop, and the other was bar tending. I did the math and decided to make money first, then do my art. So here I am.

If you could ask yourself any question what would it be? (Please answer your own question.)
Who does all your art for FTW Company and Church of Choppers?
I do.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?
Nelson Kanno, has backed me up on more then one occasion, ChopperDave, my family of Sinners, My wife Allie and the kids, and you for taking the time to interview a dork like me.

Who would you like us to interview in the Next Street Chopper?
Tom Fugle.

What kind of music do you listen to? Who are your favorite bands?
Lefty Frizzell, Kyuss, Ray Price, Alice Donut, Jon Spencer, Etc…When I build a bike I tend to listen to one genre of music during that build. Streaming music from Pandora is whats up lately. My Ipod took a shit about the same time I lost thousands of I-Tunes.
Its the old bluegrass/country thats tripping my trigger at the moment.