Detroit Bros. Custom Cycles catches a ride on new reality show

Nathan Hurst / The Detroit News

Detroit-- Brothers James and Dave Kaye started Detroit Bros. Custom Cycles in 2002 and quickly established a name by creating some of the wildest creations on two wheels.

But with the economic downturn seriously dragging down their bottom line, they're hoping a touch of Hollywood will boost their business.

The Kaye brothers are the stars of a new Discovery Channel reality show, "Motor City Motors," which shows the metal-crafted handiwork of the Detroit Bros. staff. The creations that viewers will see on the 13-episode first season -- set to debut early next year -- are a combination of classic Motor City muscle and a dose of testosterone-driven whimsy.

There's the "Motown Mullet" (business in the front and a party in the back, the Kaye brothers say), which has a back end that converts to a bar when the car is parked. And the "Festevil" is a chopped up 1991 Ford Fiesta set in two 10-foot steel wheels.

Another creation dubbed "The Gasser" combined an original Model T with a souped-up engine. Perched atop the mean-looking motor is an old home delivery box of a certain local newspaper modified to say "BAD NEWS."

Each hourlong episode of "Motor City Motors" follows the five-day process to create the memorable vehicles.

Thom Beers, the show's producer, said Detroit provided an ideal backdrop for the reality show.

While Detroit Bros. maintains its showroom on Woodward in Ferndale, Beers decided to film the show in a rusty warehouse with a leaky roof tucked along a side street in Southwest Detroit.

"I'm really happy with how everything is turning out," said Beers, who's produced other "tough-guy" reality shows such as "Deadliest Catch," which tracks the high-seas adventures of king crab fishermen off the coast of Alaska.

"If I was shooting this in Hollywood, this warehouse would've been new and I'd have to spend $2 million to make it look old ... so, Detroit, thanks for the rust."

The Hollywood types may like Detroit's rusty aesthetic, but the Kaye brothers hope the limelight will help drum up business while showing the world a little taste of their hometown.

"It's really great that these guys are willing to show how hard our guys work to make these cars and bikes," said James Kaye, who studied metal sculpting at the College for Creative Studies. "Detroit's got a lot to be proud of."

nhurst@detnews.com (313) 222-2293