BIKES: Roaring Toyz…10 Years Past

Motorcycling Lifestyles

BIKES: Roaring Toyz…10 Years Past

Scott Odell takes a look back at the past ten years at Roaring Toyz...

Scott “Nigel” Odell | http://roaringtoyz.com | Posted January 28, 2010 Charlotte, NC

Robert’s platform turned out to be a Suzuki GSXR 1000 and he went to the drawing board immediately. (Photo: Roaring Toyz)

After editing through some images from a recent photo shoot at Roaring Toyz in Sarasota, FL, I became focused on one particular image. SpeedTV.com’s own Neale Bayly did a couple of shots sitting on the newest creation from Robert Fisher, owner of Roaring Toyz.
Yes…it is a pink Yamaha FZ6R, and it was at that moment I realized that “Pink” is what brought Neale, Robert and myself together 10 years ago. It’s not what you think, so I better explain. (You still look macho Neale.)

I had become friends with Neale at a chance encounter, (but that is a whole story by itself.)and started photographing for him when he was running the now defunct Motorcyclejournal.net, a great outlet for motorcycle journalism. One thing led to another in the motorcycle world and we ended up covering an AMA racing team called…you guessed it…The Big Pink Machine. Robert Fisher happened to be one of the riders that was riding a totally pink bike and we all ended up at the Daytona 200, my first time photographing with a team…in the pits.

This story is not about me, but I did get a little excited rubbing shoulders with all the big names and it got the best of me. During the race, one of the Harley Davidson VR1000 came in for fuel and stupidity took over my thoughts. I needed a better angle for the shot and I jumped over the wall while the race was running. Needless to say, I felt hands on my neck, shoulders and arm yanking me back over the wall and a lot of shouting about “Did I want my credentials revoked?” Lesson learned, I got my shot.

Robert Fisher was having a great race, up to 12th place at one time. It was down to the final lap and we waited..and waited for Bobby to cross the finish line. Word came across the radio that he had crashed on the last lap. Enough said, not a good memory for Robert, but it was the beginning of our relationship with him and Roaring Toyz.

Robert Fisher was running a motorcycle salvage shop in Sarasota, FL and doing a little customizing of motorcycles also. Remember, 10 years ago there was not a market for custom sport bike parts. Actually, there were no custom parts for sport bikes…you had to make them yourself. Robert would chrome a swing arm, do a new paint job, maybe some new grips, but that was the extent of CUSTOM. Some where down the line the demand for parts started to grow and manufactures took notice. Stretched swing arms started showing up, tires size went up to a whopping 240 on the rear, billet parts were showing up more and more. Roaring Toyz was building more custom creations than selling salvage parts. It was time for Robert to make a change in the business.

Roaring Toyz Photos

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