I got the first E-mail from Marty Eden fairly recently. He wanted to show me his bike designs, and maybe be the subject of one of our interviews. He was hoping for a telephone interview, as he's not too big on that computer thang. When I explained why we don't do those (zero microserfs for redacting from recordings ) he took it in good spirit, and just started hammering away at the keyboard, in a sort of stream-of- consciousness way. So, what we have here isn't an interview, it's more of a monologue, or maybe a rant.  He's a fascinating and enthusiastic guy, and I think you'll enjoy it. As usual, the views and opinions expressed by our contributors are their own, and not necessarily shared by the publisher, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Enjoy the ride!  Jim Wilson

Dear Jim, Marty Eden from Maui here, I'm a big fan of the site, oh god, Jim, thank you so damn much for doing this. There is so much I'd like to talk to you about but first would you please go check out my site www.edenchoppers.com? Jim, I would really appreciate your help in any way- pictures, interview, pray for me, etc. God knows I'll need it! I am very fortunate to actually know and have worked for both Gary Turner and Mike Devitt, of GT Bikes, SE Racing back in 1984.  So, when I started developing my thing this past year I contacted them and even spent a week at their new digs in Perris, CA . Now they have agreed to start making frames when people start ordering, so you can imagine how bad I need your help, I would be so grateful to see my bikes in BikeRod&Kustom

I'm 42 now and owned a Schwinn Orange Krate around 1970- loved it and hated it, and I would cry like a baby if I ever see it again. I Started working in a bike shop in 79', and was in BMX Action magazine in '80, I was also a factory sponsored freestyle rider once, and I even designed a freestyle bike and number plate for a BMX company out of Chicago, Oh Zeronine. I never made a dime, never got a bike or plate.

It's all Jesse' fault- I'm watchin' Monster Garage one night, and he's riding wheelies on a Stingray! Not just a light bulb, but I'm talking lightning bolt, that flash took me back to 1970 and the dreams and aspirations of this kid desiring to ride and posses the coolest bike ever made- the Schwinn Orange Krate. All the time I spent dreaming about it, all the time I spent working and saving to get it, and all the time I spent restoring it, and the immense feeling of accomplishment and pride. At that age, I know I felt the same way Jesse feels, every time he throws a leg over. So I had to have another!  Ironically, just a couple of days before that episode aired, my next door neighbor brings home the most rusty, crusty, lowrider bike that he had pulled out of the city dump. So I fix all his kids' bikes and it's mine. I rake it, I lengthen it, and then it's kind of funny: the little woman goes to the beach one day,

I think, without a doubt, they will sell millions of the new Stingray Chopper, Jim. I still haven't seen the TV commercial yet, but Lester, my 14-year-old next-door neighbor and web-page builder, was so excited to tell me what he had seen! I don't have any kids, so I borrow the ten at the end of my street. They love what I'm doing; and I'm meeting more and more of their friends and fathers. I hooked up with Paul de Valera and the Choppercabras- hey there's a guy you can't help but like! So now, the boys are making an impact at school. It's hard to miss a Choppercabras T-shirt, or one of mine. In fact, I'd bet you'd look good in one too! So, it's

No rides with the kids yet, cause Gary's got most my rides. I was welding tonight to finish bikes for an upcoming drag race, a Memorial Day deal, and cut and lengthened a BMX fork for a new Choppercabras member yesterday. But so fa,r there are just six of us.  I should have some pictures of the Coke bike soon. This was a raw frame that I took with me to Perris and finished it there. The gas tank I coverd in CocaCola material. Yah, I'm dreamin' endorsment..Rrright!  We took pictures on the last day, only to find out there was no film left. I made custom wheels for this bike so its kinda interesting   Wait!  It's kinda cool!  Mike swore he'd take care of this, and assured me Gary is still considering my bikes for production .And Gary did mention royalties again yesterday when I confronted him on his new line of back-stabber bikes, I just don't know , I am very glad though, they used nothing of my design. Oh, and another

For a long time I've wanted to make a fake motor to put in the middle; you know kinda like the Eagle Bike, that was a poster spray-glued to sheet plastic. Hey what do you think?   Oh, and one more thing, Jim, there are just not a lot of people I can relate to on the subject of bicycles. They just don't have the background. Your opinion means more to me than anyone I may ever meet   Thanks again. This drag thing has got my creative juices flowing!  For years I've been building and racing drag cars, the Vega in the garage has an 18 inch wide tire on the back, hence the term back-halfing! I took that car apart in September, then lost interest due to the chopper effort. Man I've got some cool drag inspired designs, however they are still choppers. I don't know if I could sway the track to do this. Jim I hate to say this but Hawaiians are very prejudiced people , if a proposal like this came from me it would probably never happen!

For a living, I'm a ceramic tile contractor, so like every day I'm creating art , yes I'm full of it! I hand-braze my bikes without a jig, man I just kinda hold things in place and go for it!   Let's just say, I have a really good eye!  For years I've been setting ceramic tile without spacers, I'll go into a multi-million-dollar home, snap one line, and go!  As for the finish on the bikes, it comes right out of a can and when you braze things together, there's a lot of grinding and Bondo involved. Does anyone like grinding for hours?    Ahhh- the aroma!  And never enough boogers.  So lately, I've been using the Rustoleum brand hammer-tone paints; they're so thick they cover a lot of, you know, laziness!   I live on an island; everything here is very expensive, gas is around $2.40 a gallon right now, and for me to buy the correct tubing and make proper, guarantee-able bikes has never been considered.  All my bikes are made from either Ace Hardware or Home Depot conduit tubing, and I bend most of  it over my knee or a conduit bender I bought for the big stuff at Home Depot, it was about fifty bucks.  I'll be honest with ya, I kinda like the stuff, if you don't like something you just bent, ahhh, just bend it back. One last thing for your readers: if you would really like to try and make the stuff dreams are made of, you need to start drawing, and draw a lot, then draw some more; then finally

build something. At that point, you will realize everything you have just been drawing for weeks is worthless. This isn't easy. I keep seeing more and more companies missing the boat on, not just style, but practicality. Not everyone's got a garage, big dummy, and not everyone is an adult.

My bikes, up close, don't look as good as they should, because I really am more focused on the design aspect for what I'm doing, more than, lets say, the show part of it.  I have really kinda been underground for most of my effort.  I have been extremely patient with Alliant this past year, I was very confident of my designing capabilities and kept it between us. The last six bikes I've made, I considered individual prototypes.  I feel I figured the head-tube angle and wheel base issues out fast. A bike one cannot take both hands off of is a liability issue, why make It worse, although choppers do need a certain amount of rake to look right. At this point, I draw only what I can make with the round tube I can get; and it's extremely gratifying to see my drawings come to life!   And I'd be glad to prove it to anyone willing to send me a plane ticket!  Jim, I really appreciate all your help! This right here is the stuff dreams are made of! If an  Eden Chopper bicycle is ever sold you'll probably have something to do with it.  -Marty Eden

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looking for sea shells and brings home somebody's spare tire out of their trunk .I swear it was in the ocean once. I had to drill a hole in it to get all the water out. Another lightning bolt. So, I back-half my first bike. I may not be the first to do this but I'm definitely one of 'em. Thus Eden Chopper Bicycles was born. I'm focused on appealing style, simplicity, practicality, as well as trying to be absolutely unique!

becoming much easier for me to sell what I'm doing. After seeing the new Stingray for the first time, I was the most excited guy in the world, I called everyone I knew. This is the best thing that could happen to help our movement!

thing, I used to live near Hollywood. My bikes are like movie cars- look good on camera, look like crap up close; you know what I mean? I'm truly sorry about that. What I need is everything, getting there is all the fun! It's slowly gaining popularity. For me, just talking to people doesn't help, but when they see it- oh man, the stories start flying- sometimes even annoying. The crew comes by everyday, we work on something, and BS a lot. Kenneth,13, brought some lowrider pictures home from school today and it was very impressive, I will never knock those guys; they rule the custom world now, and I dream of stuff like this happening to the chopper world.  It's only a matter of time.  Jim I got to tell ya, if the Discovery Channel ever contacts you, I would sure like to be included. This intrigues me the most.  I've got so many ideas that can apply. Take, for instance, the Flame Bike, imagine two pieces of sheet aluminum cut to shape with routed edges, and then bolted together. I call them profile bikes and I'm hoping you've never seen this before, mine was made of masonite. The first time out, I broke one of the tips off, two  more tips later, it found itself at the city dump- definitely different.

I feel the Choppercabra thang is limiting too, if there was'nt an " American Chopper "  show ,kids around here just would'nt care, thank God for them,literally,if it were'nt for them I don't think any of this would have happen.  Yes Jesse lit my fire but Paul fueled the flame. If you do submit an articale on me, you should inclued a picture of me when I was in BMX Action magazine . Bob Osborn was very impresed, and gave me my whole page. Oh, I just realized I might have inspired you !