Lynn Ashcroft - Ashcroft Motorcycles
Ashcroft Motorcycles opened its doors in Salem, Oregon back in 1995.
The shop is owned by Lynn Ashcroft who builds full custom “hot rod” oriented motorcycles and custom automobiles. Joe Miller manages the shop on a day to day basis with a staff that varies between 4 and 6 individuals.
Mr. Ashcroft is also known as the honorable Judge Lynn E. Ashcroft. However, he resigned his position this week on the Marion County bench in a one-sentence letter to the governor and Supreme Court chief justice under allegations of official misconduct.
Mr. Ashcroft has a colorful background and a lot more information is available on the Oregon State Bar web site. According to the Statesman Journal, Ashcroft left the bench for personal reasons and to avoid a public battle to defend himself. All of this surrounds a 2008 case, where Ashcroft made an unsympathetic remark to a defendant, Heather Parks, after he denied her court-appointed counsel.
Besides being a ‘hot rodder’ and custom motorcycle builder, Mr. Ashcroft is a former Brigadier General and served both on active duty in the United States Army and in the National Guard as an Armor Cavalry Officer, Infantry unit commander and a Judge Advocate General officer. He was the senior partner in a law firm (Ashcroft & Wiles LLP) with offices in Salem and Portland, Oregon. The bikes mix traditional motorcycle and “rodding” designs and components incorporating modern technology and ideas. Ashcroft began customizing motorcycles after purchasing his first Harley-Davidson in 1992 and modifying it to fit his own style. He began coming up with his own designs and taught himself how to weld, machine, and build them. The custom-designed motorcycles have drawn national attention — having been featured in magazines such as The Robb Report, MotorCycling, Stuff and Easy Rider.
A Pendleton native, Ashcroft has an affinity for designing cool motorcycles and is well respected for his customization work. The motorcycle community is better served with him working full-time on bike building. If he needs another thrill ride, maybe he’ll decide to become an activist and help take on some of the motorcycle legal battles such as biker profiling?
Photo courtesy of Ashcroft Motorcycles and Statesman Journal
You think he really cares about motorcycle issues? Really? I don’t see that he is a member of ABATE, I don’t see that he is a member of BikePAC, I don’t see that he is a member of MRF. If I’m mistaken cool and I’d love to see him take on some of these issues for us.
But, 1995 was in the middle of the I gotta have a cool bike phase that America went through. Seems more to me someone with the capitol to start a business saw a way to make money off something he likes to do and make even more money than he has coming in now.
I’m thinking, If this guy gave two hoots about “bikers” and those that buy his motorcycles, I’d have heard his name long before this.
Another cut and run artist in front of the hard questions it seems to me. Rather than defend myself I’m just going to quit.
This is the guy I want standing up for “my” rights?