CALIFORNIA - Big Bear Choppers Finished

Whether it’s a weak economy, bad management or uncooperative lenders is yet to be determined. The only thing for certain now is that the California custom manufacturer Big Bear Choppers, is filing bankruptcy and customers who have paid deposits or paid in full for bikes are demanding answers, according to a report in the Big Bear Grizzly.

From $18 Million a year in revenue to bankruptcy, Big Bear Choppers ends its ride

Disgruntled customers are lining up to demand the owners of BBC come clean. Pavel Meshcheryakov from Russia ordered two bike kits in June 2011, making full payment for $56,000. In November, Michael Forbes, marketing stopped responding to Meshcheryakov’s emails and letters.
A note on the front door at Big Bear Choppers says the company will re-open Nov. 28th after Thanksgiving, but that did not happen.
The owners, Mona and Kevin Alsop have said they will file for bankruptcy.
The Alsops have also declined to make any further statements to the press, saying their lawyer has advised them to remain silent.
Recently BBC appeared on the television show Bloomberg The Mentor saying it needed a half million dollar investment to keep it afloat.
BBC will default on a $147,000 loan (3.5% interest) from Big Bear Lake’s Improvement Agency and the First Mountain Bank’s loan of $147,000.
The company began it’s death spiral in 2009 when a bad weld on a frame caused a front fender assembly to fail, resulting in injury to an owner whose leg was amputated, and later sued the company.
At it’s zenith, Big Bear Choppers raked in $18 million dollars a year in revenue from manufacture of custom choppers, parts and accessories.
The actual number of customers who have paid for or made deposits on bikes has not been revealed at this time.