Cherokee Choppers Merges Harleys and Helis

There's a place on Highway 92 where two men have managed to bring hard-core Harley bikers and self-professed remote-control helicopter "geeks" under one roof. Scott Queen, a master of Harley Davidson customization and 10-year owner of , has invited heli-enthusiast Rob Dix to join his team.

Queen, who grew up in a family who loved to build things, has always sought new and innovative ways to improve his business. As for his work on motorcycles, he's gained a reputation around town for being a being a sort of "magican" with metal, turning the simplest of designs into works of art.

"I don't know that there's anything Scott can't do," said Queen's business partner Dix. "Scott is a great mechanic, but he's also an artist. He sees things in a certain way, and he just takes it like metal origami and turns it into something amazing. He's truly a man of vision."

Many locals seem to share this vision, as on many days, you'll likely find the shop to be "standing room only" with both regulars and newcomers.

"From what I understand, since Scott's dad had it, it's always had that kind of  lounge, 'Cheers' feel to it," Dix said.  "Everybody knows each other and says hello. I think that's one of the things that makes this place really special."

There's also alot of  interesting camaraderie and networking that goes on at the business within its circle of regulars. 

Dix explained, "There's always somebody in your crew that says, 'Oh, you need a roof on your house? I know a guy who does that' or, 'Oh, you need hard wood floors put in?' I've got a guy who does that.' It really helps in the economy nowadays because everybody's trying to look out for each other."

It was precisely this kind of "looking out" that spurred Queen to invite Dix into the "brotherhood" of Cherokee Choppers.

Dix had just spent the last two and a half years recovering from an ameteur Motocross accident that left him on crutches and had almost taken his leg.

"My nurse took me under her wing and decided to go a little bit above and beyond," Dix said.  "She made sure I didn't lose my leg, and I'm forever grateful to her."

Still, Dix's convalescence often wore down his patience and challenged him to re-evaluate his priorities. 

"When you can't carry your coffee upstairs, or can't get trash out of your room by yourself, it really humbles you."

He often found solace in help of his friends, who would stop by to cheer him up. As it turned out, it was one of these good-samaritan friends who would accidently set Dix on a new career path.

"After two and half years, I'd lost my job in automotive and had to come back into the work force during the worst of the economy," Dix said. "I was sitting there, stuck looking at the ceiling for about a year, and I was done."

His friend Evan took him to the flying fields to get Dix out of the house and take his mind off things.  It was during these outings that his interest in remote control helicopters flourished and also where he first met Queen.

"He [Queen] was looking for someone to help with his  remote control helicopter, and he asked me for help to build his machine," Dix said.  "When he approved of my work, he asked, 'Hey old boy, have you ever thought of doing this full time?' And we ended up partnering up. So we've incorporated the remote control helicopters into the custom Harley Davidson market."

Dix now helps his heli customers with complete builds, repairs and set-ups.

"If you're trying to learn to fly remote control helicopters, set-up is critical," Dix explained. "Eventually, most people who don't seek help end up leaving the hobby because they think they're doing something wrong, and they're never going to get it."

By far the most rewarding thing about the business for both Dix and Queen is the absolute elation that their customers experience when they can finally possess that which they've pined over.

"You get the kids that come in, and I'll set them up with a new helicopter and their faces will just light up" Dix said. "And you can do the same thing with an adult. You can watch a grown man turn into a child before you-a happy child-because new helicopter or radio came in. It just makes you smile the rest of the day."