Five Ball Racing: The Backstory
5 Ball is a family-owned brand with deep roots in the custom motorcycle industry. Three generations of motorcycle enthusiasts that ride, build, live, and sleep motorcycles. The Balls, Born and raised in beautiful Southern California share a vision for riding apparel. Their designs are made for riders, built with their generational experience, and informed by their friends, including OGs and young guns making moves on the streets. They're a small company keeping classic styles available for serious riders. Our founder Keith 'Bandit' Ball is a name known to most in the motorcycle world, with more than a few notches under his belt. You can read below to hear about a few of our founder's accomplishments in the motorcycle industry.
American veteran, motorcycle rights advocate, magazine publisher, world land speed record holder, author, internet pioneer, Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame inductee, and editor in chief of Easyriders Magazine back in its heyday, Keith “Bandit” Ball’s scope of work and influence has inarguably shaped our love of freedom, speed, and building and riding choppers. Bandit's the real deal. “Over the years I built choppers for friends and myself, maybe 30 of them. Most of my bikes have been featured in Easyriders, Cycle Source, American Rider, Heavy Duty Magazine, 100% Biker, and others. I never considered myself a pro-builder, just an enthusiast who loves to create something new."
The name 5-Ball Racing came from a long line of thugs and mugs. We started the name in 2006 when we went to Bonneville for the first time in 16 years. Keith “Bandit” Ball was a member of the Easyriders Streamliner team that set the world land speed record at Bonneville at 321 mph. That record stuck for 16 years.
He built the Salt Shaker and took it to Bonneville to see what it would do in 2006. At the same time Sam Wheeler, Dennis Manning, and the Ack Attack crew sought to break the motorcycle world land speed record and I believe Dennis Manning pulled it off. The 5-Ball racing’s first sportbike 120-inch sportbike Panhead did 152 mph with Valerie Thompson at the bars. The V-Bike was designed by John Reed of Custom Chrome, and we felt very fortunate to be able to build one with a twist. It was a magical year, and the 5-Ball Racing team was born.
The 5-Ball Racing Team set another record the next year with the Assault Weapon, another Barry Wardlaw, Accurate engineering 120-inch Panhead at a top speed of over 160 mph. Those were Valerie Thompson’s first two Land Speed Records and she’s been setting records ever since.
Instead of hi-tech features and liners the designs incorporated features like sunglass loop holders, multi-purpose pockets, hidden storage compartments, and Kevlar-lined gun pockets. Lighter more flexible high-Quality materials were also designated over the heavy bulky materials of the time.
The 5 Ball leather line continues today with the same values and features this 16-year-old line has been known for, Quality Biker leathers made by Bikers for Bikers.
We have worked with other apparel experts and Deb at Bartels’ Harley-Davidson to develop new products. We’ve worked with local riders and even designed a line of vests for a specific club. It’s all good, all fun, all class and always changing with the times and styles. What could be better than choppers and 5-Ball Leathers?
American veteran, motorcycle rights advocate, magazine publisher, world land speed record holder, author, internet pioneer, Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame inductee, and editor in chief of Easyriders Magazine back in its heyday, Keith “Bandit” Ball’s scope of work and influence has inarguably shaped our love of freedom, speed, and building and riding choppers. Bandit's the real deal. “Over the years I built choppers for friends and myself, maybe 30 of them. Most of my bikes have been featured in Easyriders, Cycle Source, American Rider, Heavy Duty Magazine, 100% Biker, and others. I never considered myself a pro-builder, just an enthusiast who loves to create something new."
The name 5-Ball Racing came from a long line of thugs and mugs. We started the name in 2006 when we went to Bonneville for the first time in 16 years. Keith “Bandit” Ball was a member of the Easyriders Streamliner team that set the world land speed record at Bonneville at 321 mph. That record stuck for 16 years.
He built the Salt Shaker and took it to Bonneville to see what it would do in 2006. At the same time Sam Wheeler, Dennis Manning, and the Ack Attack crew sought to break the motorcycle world land speed record and I believe Dennis Manning pulled it off. The 5-Ball racing’s first sportbike 120-inch sportbike Panhead did 152 mph with Valerie Thompson at the bars. The V-Bike was designed by John Reed of Custom Chrome, and we felt very fortunate to be able to build one with a twist. It was a magical year, and the 5-Ball Racing team was born.
The 5-Ball Racing Team set another record the next year with the Assault Weapon, another Barry Wardlaw, Accurate engineering 120-inch Panhead at a top speed of over 160 mph. Those were Valerie Thompson’s first two Land Speed Records and she’s been setting records ever since.
Instead of hi-tech features and liners the designs incorporated features like sunglass loop holders, multi-purpose pockets, hidden storage compartments, and Kevlar-lined gun pockets. Lighter more flexible high-Quality materials were also designated over the heavy bulky materials of the time.
The 5 Ball leather line continues today with the same values and features this 16-year-old line has been known for, Quality Biker leathers made by Bikers for Bikers.
We have worked with other apparel experts and Deb at Bartels’ Harley-Davidson to develop new products. We’ve worked with local riders and even designed a line of vests for a specific club. It’s all good, all fun, all class and always changing with the times and styles. What could be better than choppers and 5-Ball Leathers?
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