Business Of The Week: Xtreme Cyclez

Frank Sindermann considers himself to be living the American dream, his way. The owner of Xtreme Cyclez decided to open the motorcycle custom and repair shop after years of working as a mechanic at Mach 1 Motorsports and California Power Sports, located in Vallejo.

“I didn’t want to work with dealerships anymore,” said Sindermann.

Sindermann was born in Germany into a family already generations rich in motorcycle maintenance since the 1930’s. He decided to follow suit at the age of 16 after finding he, too, had a passion for motorcycles and obtained a degree in the field. At the age of 29, after working for years as a mechanic in Germany, he moved to the United States.

 Since working in both countries, he admits he notices an interesting difference in the motorcycle shops here and there.

“The ones in Germany are cleaner,” he said. “People think (my shop) is super clean. I think its super dirty.”

His knack for being meticulous has helped him to create award-winning customized bikes since he opened Xtreme Cyclez in 2004. His creations have taken first place for best sports bike in such events as the Dub Show Tours and Hot Import Night Show. The walls of his shop are covered with photographs of past work he has done for professional motorsport racers.

Sindermann said there were other motorcycle shops that were in the area previously, but have since shut down. He equates his ability to survive even in a tough economy with offering quality work for reasonable prices.  A typical customization will cost anywhere between $2000 and $7000, but there is something special, he says, in each customized job.

 “There’s not another one that’s like one that’s personalized,” he said. “It’s going to be one of a kind, there’s not another in the world that exists like it. You can duplicate it somewhat but it’s never going to be the same, there’s only one kind if it exists. That’s what makes it special.”

Between Sindermann and his other mechanics, his shop can service just about any make of motorcycle, including Ducati, Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Kawasaki and Suzuki. He can also do just about any design, from a replica of famous motorsport bikes ridden by the pros, to Hello Kitty.

 “(I do) repairs or customize your bike to your own needs,” said Sindermann. “Whatever you’re into, I like to interview you and figure out what you want and then create a bike like you want. Whatever your hobbies are we can put that into a customized motorcycle.”