Casino Bike rides on full house

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005 | 11:06 a.m.

He dismantled toys and bicycles - almost anything he could get his hands on. And years of tinkering later, his latest project is garnering national attention.

Clay's custom-built Harley-Davidson Casino Bike has been featured in several national magazines and calendars. And now, Harley-Davidson representatives are considering the design for future use.

"Time will tell if they use some of the designs," said Clay, who is co-owner of St. Joseph Harley-Davidson. "But it's been the big hype wherever it goes."

The McCreary brothers' Casino Bike began with a Harley-Davidson stock frame, motor and transmission, with almost everything else built custom for the project. With dice on the foot pedal and playing cards featured in the paint job, the casino theme is prominent on almost every inch of the motorcycle.

Clay and his brother, Mick, who also co-owns the business, have worked on numerous bikes before. And when this project began, a unique characteristic on the frame guided the creative flow.

"We were trying to find something to run with," Mick said of the first steps of the project. "When we stripped (the stock frame) down, we noticed three sevens on the end of the (vehicle identification number)."

With a pair of fours before the three of a kind, the bike's fate was set.

"I thought that was pretty cool - we had a full house," Clay said.

So with the theme in hand, the brothers began the project that took months to finalize. And now, the fruit of their labor is something the St. Joseph natives can see wherever the bike is shown.

"We'll pull in somewhere and people come like a magnet," Clay said. "It really makes you feel good."

Clay believes the success of the bike can be linked to the brothers' determination to create something unique whenever they begin a project.

"We're more into finesse and detail ... less is more," Clay said. "I'm not a big follower when it comes to bike building. I'm an artist, I guess, or at least that's what they tell me."

The Casino Bike's success hasn't gone to the brothers' heads. Their previous custom bikes have been featured in "Easy Rider" magazine, and have won several awards and motorcycle design competitions across the country. And Clay is currently in the process of designing a new bike, which he said will be a throw back to the "old school Choppers" and 1950-style muscle cars.

"(Clay) has always had a talent for making things look nice and for drawing," said Susie McCreary, the brothers' mother. "(The Casino Bike) is a one of a kind - they don't like to follow people."

Clay revels in the role of a trendsetter.

"The stock bikes are just boring to me," Clay said. "I want to build something different and set new trends. I never could just leave something alone."

The Casino Bike is currently on display at St. Joseph Harley-Davidson.