GRAVESEND CYCLES is the shop of master builder Copper Mike Cole, a lifelong motorcycle rider and craftsman originally from Gravesend, Brooklyn.  Copper Mike founded Gravesend Cycles in order to follow his dream—creating authentic, handmade bikes using high-performance components and flawless detailing.  Combining the best of vintage and contemporary elements, Copper Mike builds each bike from the ground up.  His creative process is open-ended, always evolving, yet uncompromising in terms of quality.

Gravesend Cycles’ inaugural build was a bobber with an eye-popping skin. Known as Precious Metal, this one-of-a-kind motorcycle was designed with a variety of precious metal finishes: Platinum leaf, 14-karat-gold accents, and of course Cole’s trademark copper.  Determined to ride in the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in mid-August, Copper Mike worked continuously from spring through summer, straight through the 110-degree heat in the shop, to complete Precious Metal in all its glorious detail.  The result was an extremely refined build that spoke for itself—and launched Gravesend Cycles into the public spotlight. 

Motorcycles have always been a way of life for Copper Mike. Having ridden in the dirt as a young teenager, he wasted no time in hitting the street at age 18, and rapidly gained experience in many different aspects of the bike world. By working in various shops as well as for himself, he learned how to restore and rebuild classic vintage bikes as well as customize new builds. After buying in as a partner in an existing shop for several years, he eventually felt the need to go fully independent. Gravesend Cycles was born.

One of Mike's early bikes, a ’39 Knuckle with hand-beaten copper tins called the Coppa Choppa, gave him his industry name of "Copper Mike." The hand sculpted, hammered, and brazed copper is perfectly proportioned on the rigid frame, with contrasting contemporary rims establishing him as a true craftsman with a vision all his own. Another of his signature bikes, Heavy Metal, is a cool and inexpensive example of a raw metal bobber stripped to its bare necessities to illustrate and highlight its mechanical perfection. This bike was built seemingly on sheer sweat and ingenuity—no frills, no paint, no budget—using found parts collected through swap meets and take-off parts.

Copper Mike delivered another strong punch with Gravesend, a 1972 Harley shovelhead modified to accept 1940s cylinders and cylinder heads. Named in honor of Copper Mike's hometown -- Gravesend, Brooklyn -- this bike was not only a statement in its own right, but it fiercely crystallized and defined his inimitable style of bike building: Vintage, Contemporary, Handmade. Matching the burnished tones of the copper-plated frame, signature paint work comes in matching metal flake with graphics on both sides of the oil tank depicting the Brooklyn Bridge and the "Gravesend" legend across the face of the fuel tank.

In addition to being a creative, perfectionist builder, Copper Mike has the innate ability and talent to see a client's vision and bring it to reality. The bike he calls Lucky 13 was born as a blend of another biker's dream combined with Mike's bobber style, talent and vision of red translucent metal flake and a Harley EVO motor.

Copper Mike has stayed true to his roots, but his work has also earned him a worldwide reputation. His bikes have been featured in exhibitions in France and Monte Carlo, and he has built custom bikes for several European and Russian clients. These clients commissioned the custom Gravesend bobbers in signature copper finish, with vintage Harley motors, after viewing the bikes on exhibition in St. Tropez and Monte Carlo in 2008.

In 2009, Gravesend Cycles was included in the grand opening of a new motorcycle showroom in St. Tropez, France; and was featured in various summer exhibitions in Europe. Gravesend Cycles also participated in the Daytona 2009 Limpnickie Lot, a showcase of the most innovative choppers and bobbers.