Canadian-built motorcycle production to be based out of Heisler
Sven Bernard has a dream of bringing production of Canada’s first Canadian-built motorcycles to Heisler, and it is getting closer to fruition.
Bernard says that the next production model was built in Red Deer, and numbers two or three are being built by hand in Heisler. He’s hoping that up to four bikes can be built at a time when production hits full swing.
Once the Irv Special 100 is in production, a new model prototype will be in mock-up, and the process will start again.
Bernard says the company’s goal in the next three to four years is to develop eight to 10 models.
“We know the first six already,” he says.
The Irv Special is named for Irv Williams, who served as Bernard’s boss and mentor when he worked for Williams at William’s Chrysler in Fort McMurray, for 14 years. When Williams sold the business five years ago, Sven and his wife Irene moved to Heisler.
“We were looking at moving anywhere in Canada, from Vancouver Island to Cape Breton,” Bernard says, “and this pesky listing from Heisler kept popping up. I finally said, ‘Let’s put in a ridiculous offer.’”
As it happens, the offer was accepted, and the couple began their lives in Heisler.
Bernard is no stranger to motorcycles. Not only has he been riding for decades, but he also, again in partnership with Williams, sold motorcycles, working with Johnny Pag. But when the manufacturer declared bankruptcy and cancelled the bike’s warranties, Bernard wanted nothing more to do with that company, and started looking at Brammo electric motorcycles, getting serious about importing and distribution, when the company was sold, “and every Brammo dealer in the world pulled the plug.”
It was then that Bernard got the idea, “Let’s stop dealing with these other companies and make our own bikes.”
Bernard had a plan, and made an agreement with a motorcycle builder to help build the first bike, “But it turned out he didn’t have the experience to build what we were looking for.”
Bernard then turned to Jan Harkema, another well-known motorcycle builder, “and he asked us to come aboard.
“He knows, we’re about to make Canadian history. We will be the first production motorcycle builder in Canada.”
At present, the company is using Harkema’s shop in Red Deer for their pre-production builds.
“We are the only Canadian bike manufacturing company, and we’re in Heisler.” ~Sven Bernard
“Jan will be closely involved in building our first product.”
As the first bike rolls off the production line, so too will the bike’s manual, which Bernard says will be put together as the bike is assembled, right down to the nuts and bolts. Those will be the final specifications that will travel to the Heisler shop, where future models will be built from those.
Why Heisler? Bernard says that building anywhere else would drive the cost up, and price the new motorcycles right out of business. “The cost of doing business here is much less than in Edmonton, or Red Deer. Labour costs less, too. I don’t know why everyone isn’t doing business in rural Alberta.”
The Red Deer shop, as well as a Fort Road shop that Bernard owns, will act as the first dealers for Williams Custom Motorcycles.
The Irv Special 100 has a real 70s style, Bernard says. “There are lots of old-school motorcycles being built that emulate the 40s styling with modern mechanicals, but that’s just not my style.
“I really love the 70s style, that’s when I started riding.”
Williams explains, “In the 70s, you bought a bike, then you individualized it, and we get that, we have all customizable parts, windshields and bags that are built for this bike.”
The bike has a 1600cc motor, and Bernard says the equivalent Harley Davidson model starts at $26,000. “Ours is $18,000. That gives you a bike you can buy, and add to as you can afford.”
Ease of maintenance is a big thing for the company. Bernard says that unlike other custom bikes, these are specifically built for easy, hands-on maintenance. “Everything is made for ease, you can do an oil change in 10 minutes on this bike.”
Bernard is extremely proud that Williams is 100 per cent a Canadian company, and says that everyone who works for the company in Canada has a motorcycle licence, and rides.
Bernard himself developed the company logo back in July, and he says his main job is to come up with the business plan, as he has a Masters degree in Business.
“I’m not healthy, I have a terminal illness, and I don’t want people to think if I die, the company is done. My wife, Irene, runs the sales and marketing, and I’m just the idea man at the moment, and quality control.” Bernard is suffering from Wegener’s disease.
He says the unveiling went phenomenally well. “I was nervous right up to the last second, but the crowd went from 10 people, to 200 people, to packed. By 9, it took me an hour just to walk across the room. There were people there from Saskatchewan, BC, Fort Mac, and Medicine Hat, from all over.”
Bernard says the bike got extremely good feedback, and within seven days, he saw 19,000 hits on the company’s Facebook page. “We got some, very few, bad reviews, from people who claim the bike is just a bunch of manufactured parts that anyone could order and assemble.” But that’s not actually the case, as the frame is custom designed, and the company is hoping soon that they will also be producing their own engine. “There’s plenty of customization.”
He says the bike is Transport Canada approved, where the testing alone cost the company around $25,000. “Ironically, the testing had to be done in the US, because no one does it in Canada.
“There’s been a huge amount of work to get to this point,” Bernard says. “Each model gets a full Transport Canada certification. We have some small leeway on minor modifications, but always need to use TC certified parts, on every reflector, every lamp, all of it.”
The Irv Special is in every way a show bike, Bernard says, with a real 1970 flare. The paint job is black, with flake, and he says, “This bike looks as much like the Easy Rider bike as we could make it.” It even has a kick start, although it also has an electric start.
Promotion of the bike will start roaring out in January, with three main shows, in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, and Bernard is expecting great results.
He’s also got potential dealers in Vancouver, Calgary, Kelowna, and Victoria, who are just waiting to see the bike. “We know these dealers, and they know us, and know we will stand behind our product.” Bernard says he’s even heard from an Australian dealer and importer who has already ordered two container-loads of the bike. There’s also some interest from Europe.
“I don’t think we can be stopped at this point,” he says. “It proves how well liked Canada is in the world. Even Swiss people want our bikes. There, the Harley Davidson has somewhat of a ‘yuppie’ reputation, and we’ve had Swiss importers interested in our product.”
Looking ahead, there are more bikes coming out in the Williams lines, including a chopper, a 70s style trike, and a custom built specially for shorter-legged people.
Bernard says that the mandate for design, for all the models, is rideability. “We don’t want to build bikes for show, we want them to be rideable. And look good. Another mandate is price, our MSRP is $18,000. That’s the hard part, so we can produce them at that price, and make money selling them. Finally, it has to look like a 70s-style custom bike.”
The final designs came out of many meetings with the designer. “Once he had something on paper, we would sit down and work on what works and what doesn’t. It was all done within five months.”
Bernard has such huge admiration for Williams, he wanted to name the bike after him.
He says he isn’t worried about his illness, “I knew going in that I was ill. I don’t want people to think that if anything happens to either me, or Irv, that the company will be done. I’ve set it up to run without me.”
Bernard says another goal going forward is to really put Heisler on the map. “It’s not about making money, for me, I want to leave a legacy. I started Williams Custom Motorcycles, in a very unofficial way, and it’s now beyond the point where it needs me.”
Bernard says he has plans with Kelly and John, owners of the Heisler Hotel, to start some weekly bike nights this summer.
“I would also like to create a bike weekend. I’ve been running power paraglider weekends in the area, with great success. I’d like to do that with motorcycles.
“I’m pushing hard to make Heisler the motorcycle capital. We are the only Canadian bike manufacturing company, and we’re in Heisler.”
As published in the January 3 edition of The Community Press. Never miss an issue! Become an E-Subscriber or Regular Mail Subscriber! CLICK HERE to learn how.
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor
