History
Bourget’s Then and Now
Since the beginning of Bourget’s in 1993 a lot has changed but a lot has stayed the same. The attention to detail, the quality that is built in from the very beginning stages of construction of the bikes and the huge emphasis on customer satisfaction are still the mainstay of our daily operations. The style of each Bourget motorcycle while similar in design from the earliest days have evolved and expanded and become even greater in fit, form, functionality and individuality. Many of the custom theme bikes we build now have taken on an identity and personality of their own and are known nationwide with their own identity – the “Baseball Bike”, the “Addiction” Bikes, the “King” bike and most well known and sought after at shows across the country the “Catco” bike. We take pride in every bike we build and the same level of integrity and attention to detail is built in from the ground up whether it's a Signature Series production model or an 18 month intimate one-on-one complete one-of-a-kind build.
How It All Started
Bourget's Bike Works, Inc. was founded in June, 1993 in Phoenix, AZ by Brigitte Bee.
The Bourget brand from the beginning was very different and quite a bit more radical than what people were used to seeing when it came to motorcycles. Things like huge tires like the 180-17's only seen on Jap bikes and the 335-17 series car tires Bourget's used were way out of the norm in the motorcycle world at that time. What had originally started in late 1992 in a three car garage quickly became an icon in the motorcycle industry. The ups and downs of the industry and the economy have dictated moves, expansions and down scaling over the years but the end result and commitment to quality have never wavered. While we may not reside in a 55,000 sq ft facility anymore we still design and manufacture every proprietary Bourget component in state of the art machine and fabrication shops in Phoenix, AZ. The experienced and skilled craftsmen responsible for these components have been with Bourget's since the beginning and remain committed to producing rolling art of the highest quality. There is nothing we can't dream, design, build and incorporate into a custom Bourget motorcycle. Regardless of whether it's a daily rider, weekend getaway transportation, or a corporate themed piece of artwork that generates excitement and revenue for your business or charitable organization, nobody does bikes like Bourget's.
BBW's creativity and design genius have produced many different styles of frames, parts and unbelievable motorcycles over the years including the company's signature design, BBW's oil-in frame/drop seat style chassis which marked a revolutionary change in the style of custom motorcycles being offered to the general public. The design is so unique that Bourget's obtained a U.S. Patent (No. 5,975,230) in November of 1999. In addition to the drop-seat/oil-in frame chassis patent, Bourget's also hold U.S. Patent No. 6,575,260 for it's jackshaft design which enables the drive train to be centered in all of Bourget's wide tire chassis holding anywhere from 250, 280, 300, and Bourget's own designed 330 rear tires.
In 2004, BBW struck a deal with Avon Tyres, US division to manufacture an exclusive designed tire for Bourget's chassis. BBW wanted the biggest motorcycle tire that could be made in existing tire mold machines and believed in their dream enough for the company fork out $50,000 for the tooling and R&D. With BBW's input and help, the 330-17 tire which you can see on Bourget's motorcycles was born.
BBW takes great pride in sharing our talents and ideas with major companies across the United States in shared branding projects and motorcycles for charity. In the last few years we've had the honor and privilege to build one off custom designs for such high profile customers as Joaquin Bacardi -5th generation Bacardi - personal motorcycle, The Miami Dolphins Foundation- Perfect Chopper -for the Miami Dolphins Foundation charities, Luminox Watch Co., -for corporate branding, New Era Hat Co.- for corporate branding commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the 59/50 hat in 2004, and again in 2011 BBW was commissioned to build the New Era MLB Stars and Stripes “Baseball” bike which toured the US visiting many Major League Ball fields and stadiums and was ultimately sold at auction for $100,000 all of which benefitted the Welcome Back Veterans.0rg charity, Kid Rock – personal bike, 3 Doors Down – personal bikes for the band members and as of November 2012, wrapping up 9 bikes built for the band’s charitable organization “The Better Life Foundation” and also in conjunction with the Mississippi Army National Guard and The Dixie Thunder Run “Soldiers helping Soldiers”, Celebrity Fight Night – 3 bikes sold at charity auction for the Muhammed Ali foundations, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi, MS- for corporate branding and the MCSO Memorial Fund Endeavor bagger built to raffle off for the charity which supports Fallen Officers and their families across the entire state of Arizona and encompasses all bodies of law enforcement. These are just a few of the many corporate and charitable themed projects we have been involved with in recent years.
Bourget's Bike Works has grown and prospered in the last twenty three years and we look forward to celebrating our 24th Anniversary in 2017! BBW has earned a reputation for building high quality, performance oriented, uniquely styled motorcycles and unheard of customer service for the industry. Each Bourget bike is built to customer specifications and each component is built to exact standards and specifications. No other manufacturer or custom builder offers the high performance options, signature Bourget style, and second to none quality found in every Bourget motorcycle, frame, and individual components. Brigitte Bee and her team are well respected in the industry and are recognized as one of the leaders in aftermarket American Made Motorcycles.
In 2016 we are moving forward and getting back to our roots. For the first time since the 1990's Bourget's is offering a full line of custom Frames, Wheels, Front Ends, Brakes, Accessories and components along with Rolling Chassis Builder's Kits for sale to builders and the public. In addition to normal wear and tear items and replacement parts, Bourget's now has a complete build it yourself selection of parts available for the garage builder. Please take a minute to check out the "Candy Store" Parts section of this site and see all that we have to offer. Whether you are rebuilding an existing bike and want to convert it to a Bourget, starting from scratch or upgrading your current Bourget you can now do it yourself with everything from a frame, a gas tank, a wheel, a brake caliper or a head bolt cover - to a complete Builder's kit. The options are endless and we look forward to working with you on your next project.
Brigitte Bee and her hand picked team of engineers, designers, fabricators and machinists are dedicated to providing our customers with the absolute best product money can buy and we look forward to working with you whatever your current and future motorcycle needs may be.
