Viper Motorcycle Company Announces a Joint Venture with Donnie Smith, a Hall of Fame Master Builder, to Design a Signature Series of Factory Custom Choppers.

Automotive Writers

NEW HOPE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2004

Viper Motorcycle Company Signs an Agreement with Patrick Racing Inc.

to Supply Proprietary 128 Cubic Inch V-Twin Engines

for the Viper Diablo 

Viper Motorcycle Company announced today that it has signed a joint venture agreement with Donnie Smith to design a signature line of OEM Choppers.

"This is a very exciting time for Viper and we are looking forward to this opportunity with Donnie Smith," commented Terry Nesbitt, Viper vice president of sales and marketing. "Donnie is a well known, well respected Hall of Fame Master Builder that has many years of experience in designing and building a Chopper style motorcycle. This relationship will allow us to enter this key segment on a very timely basis and offer a Donnie Smith Signature Series of functional Choppers in the fall of 2004 at competitive prices."

"Based on the Diablo Power Cruiser platform, I am convinced we can manufacturer a functional Chopper that is unique and distinctive to Viper like no other before it. This is an exciting opportunity to become involved with an OEM and design a factory custom Chopper that can be built in volume," added Donnie Smith.

Nesbitt continued, "The Chopper segment is strong and continues to show great promise for the future. It has been our intention from the beginning to be a full-line manufacturer of high-end custom motorcycles. The Diablo Power Cruiser and the Donnie Smith Signature Series Chopper will give us a great start toward that goal. The Diablo and the initial Chopper models will be Patrick powered."

"We recently signed a long term agreement with Patrick Racing Inc. to provide us with V-Twin engines," stated Nesbitt. "Patrick Racing is the leader in high performance products and services for motorcycles. We needed to find a quality engine manufacturer that would work with an OEM. I had known of Nigel Patrick for many years and believed he was one of, if not the most, respected engine builders in the industry."

"I was reluctant at first to get involved with an OEM, but after seeing their business plan, I decided that the guys at Viper had their feet on the ground, their egos in check and a business model that can succeed," said Nigel Patrick, owner of Patrick Racing. "The billet 128 cubic inch V-Twin engine will be proprietary to Viper and carry the Viper logo."

"As an OEM with 3 distinctive models -- the power cruiser, standard cruiser and signature chopper -- the Company is in a position to offer a product line that adds value, profit and potential to our dealers, as well as provide an unequalled innovative selection to the consumer," Nesbitt continued. "We are a manufacturer of high-end high performance factory custom motorcycles. With the addition of Patrick Racing and Donnie Smith to the Viper team, we are positioned to be the only OEM to offer a product line that is unique, proprietary and truly functional. As we move forward, our product line will continue to incorporate proprietary features and benefits distinctive to the Viper name."

Viper Motorcycle Company designs and manufactures high-end factory custom motorcycle, parts and accessories in New Hope, Minnesota. Visit the new Viper website at www.vipermotorcycle.com.