New Tattoo

One of the reasons for tattooing's popularity is its permanence. What we have tattooed on our bodies is a constant symbol of who we are, what makes us tick, children, obsessions, the loves of our lives. Here's is my latest: Leah on top and iron head below sum it all up.

-Rick

K-Mart Fog Lights

Rick Fichter; In the quest to dot all the i’s and cross the t’s, finding period correct cool headlights is always a challenge. I should say, finding the originals is easy; finding cool ones is hard. So, at the swap meet me and the Mrs., and my boy big ray went on a quest, a vision quest of sorts. Digging through boxes of automotive lights that won’t work, finding some great 6 volt ones that, without redoing the electrical config would be a royal pain in the ass, I was deep down looking for a good set of fog lights.

The bike gods had my back. Not only did I find these vintage K Mart fog lamps with this rad amber lens, (totally illegal, what they hay), but I was sweatin’ ‘em from the minute I saw them. “Uhh, how much for the tractor lights,” wanting to seem like I knew what I’d found. My number, 50 bucks tops. “How ‘bout twelve,” he says. I’m a pretty cool cuke on the outside. “Hmmm; take ten?”

“Sure Boss,” he says. Holy shit, a double-finsky. I pick up a few other parts for the dyna, 16 inch apes, don’t need them but 30 bucks brand new, a vintage hatchet 1800s blacksmith; count this day a success! Fuck yeah. 

And Leah Score Too! Got the Perfect Spot For It.

What's New on the Bike Scene

Couples Who Pick Together, Stick Together

As 168 seeks to grow its brand, we'd like to take our friends and readers along with us for the journey. We started this site a few weeks back in media res - the fancy way to say "in the middle" - but now we'd like to backtrack a bit. A lot has changed over the years: the small tattoo shop has evolved into a two-artist studio - and growing - we've added the bike shop, offset printing, silk screening, and expanded our vintage goods. It's a 24/7 life. 

168 is the lifelong journey of Rick and Leah Fichter and it's their constant creative energy that drives the business along. "A chopper builder's wife isn't always happy," Rick says, "but Leah is the heart and soul of what we do. Leah is Ride or Die. She gets pissed at times and has to bring me down off the ledge: 'You don't need it; you're not trading that; no way; forget it; case closed," but if it wasn't for that we'd have no business and wallow in an endless vintage sea. If it wasn't for Leah, I'd be out of control; she knows me better than I do. At times the problem is, she starts thinking like me; that's what happens after awhile, but then the realities set in and Leah's the one who takes it all on. She turns problems in challenges."

It's been nonstop the past year or so with the shop's expansion and now the bike shop is settling into its new digs. Here are some before and afters, yeah, we're getting there:

Check back with us everyday for updates, vintage goods, bike news and bullshit - it's what we do.