Acker puts creativity to use making custom motorcycles

Anthony Acker opened A Bomb Cycles, Cornell, in the fall of 2021. The business focuses on custom motorcycle projects, ranging from mild builds to full-blown custom pieces. Acker is currently working on a completely handmade show bike for himself, to show customers what types of work he can do. Photo by Julia Wolf

Photo by Julia Wolf

Anthony Acker grew up watching motorcycle shows on the Discovery Channel in the early 2000s, where the TV personalities took a pile of steel and made a work of art out of it.

“It all actually stemmed from that,” said Acker.

After honing his skills in other industries, Acker opened his own motorcycle shop in the fall of 2021. A Bomb Cycles is located on the corner of South Street and State Hwy. 27 in Cornell, next to Cornell Express.

“We basically do anything from mild builds, all the way up to full-blown customs,” said Acker.

He says he would like to stick to custom work, over more mechanical projects.

“This is where I want to be,” said Acker. He is starting by building a few motorcycles for himself, to show people what he can do.

Right now, he is working on building a completely handmade motorcycle, built around a new, 100-horse power engine. He is building the one-off piece to serve as his show bike to take to events, like the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show.

“I built every piece of this motorcycle from scratch,” said Acker.

Acker enjoys the handcrafted element of his work, especially in a time when so many things are automated.

He says one of his goals is to do things no one else has ever done. Acker says he doesn’t have a solid blueprint, but is making the cycle in the style of a 1920s board track racer, with a modern twist.

Acker did wire-feed welding for years, and in the last five years, learned TIG welding, which he says allows for pinpoint accuracy.

“There’s so many little, intricate details that I had to learn,” said Acker.

Acker learned a number of skills through his previous career path, including welding for the past 10-15 years, and running plasma tables and CNC machines.

“Every job I went to, I’m like, I’m going to learn something here,” said Acker.

He’s currently learning blacksmithing, which he plans to use to make certain parts.

“Everything I do, has a purpose down the road,” said Acker.

Eventually, Acker says he would like to get CNC machines in the shop, but is working with local machine shops in the meantime. He would also like to expand to do custom paint jobs, in the future, but currently doesn’t have the space.

It is taking some time to get everything up and running, but Acker says a parts shop is in the works.

He says it was challenging to find a building that had space for a shop and a retail area, and looked for over two years, before the current location came up for rent.

Acker is also into World War II era things, and military stuff in general, which he decided to use as a theme for his business. He created a replica of the “Little Boy” bomb, currently displayed in the lobby of A Bomb Cycles, which he plans to fashion into a coffee table, to go with his other plans for decor.

“We just tried to go with a cool vibe and do stuff that people aren’t used to,” said Acker. “I want people to come in here and actually be excited.”

Acker also says he wants the environment to be family-friendly, which is important to him, because his kids are often at the business.

He says his favorite part of the process is seeing people’s reactions to his creations, especially when the piece is something people have never seen before.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling, making people’s day,” said Acker. “And in the end, that is really what it is.”

Acker says plans for an open house is in the works, but a date has not been set yet. A Bomb Cycles is open by appointment, which can be made by calling 715-714-4499, or by emailing abombcycles@gmail.com.

[caption id="attachment_280995" align="alignnone" width="300"] A Bomb Cycles is located on the corner of South Street and State Hwy. 27. The motorcycle shop pulls its name from owner Anthony Acker’s interest in military history and features a replica of the “Little Boy” bomb (below) Acker created in the lobby area of the business, which he hopes to turn into a coffee table. Photos by Julia Wolf[/caption]