
Covingtons Tangerine Dream
Years: 2012 – 2012
Covingtons Customs, led by Jerry Covington, became a benchmark of American high-end custom fabrication during the 1990s and 2000s. The shop’s reputation rests on taste as much as technique: frames with just-right proportions, metal shaping that flows without fuss, and paint that complements rather than competes with the silhouette. While many builders chased shock value, Covingtons tended to land on designs that felt inevitable—stance sorted, controls intuitive, and mechanicals displayed like jewelry. The bikes often start with big-twin drivetrains, but the headline is execution: hand-made tanks that sit perfectly on the backbone, hidden wiring that keeps the cockpit clean, and machined details that reward close inspection. Television features and show circuit wins broadened the audience, yet the shop stayed grounded in craftsmanship rather than theatrics. Owners valued not just the finished motorcycle, but the process—consultations, mockups, and the collaborative joy of seeing a vision become metal. The 2008 downturn reduced demand for six-figure customs, but Covingtons’ work remains sought after, and the shop’s parts and fab services keep the aesthetic alive on riders’ ongoing projects. Historically, Covingtons exemplifies the best of the American custom movement: respect for rideability, an eye for line, and a belief that excellence is the most enduring form of flash. In an age of rapid prototyping, the brand still proves that the human hand—steady, experienced, and opinionated—can make a motorcycle feel timeless.