SPEED Channel to Launch 'Mostly True' Texas Hardtails in June; Motorcycle Giant Rick Fairless Recreates Crazy Stories from Famed Biker Shop and Bar

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2005--SPEED Channel will debut Texas Hardtails, a comedic look at the world of custom motorcycle giant Rick Fairless and his Dallas businesses, June 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET & PT.

Fairless will lead a colorful cast of characters, including his wife, mother, children and employees from the famed Texas hot spot, Strokers Dallas -- a multi-million-dollar, 35,000-square-foot motorcycle wonderland that includes Fairless' popular fab shop, a retail bike and apparel shop, and a restaurant and bar known as Strokers Ice House.

“We began experimenting with more original automotive and motorcycle lifestyle programming in 2003, with four major launches this year alone. But Texas Hardtails is in a category all by itself and we expect our viewers to have a lot of fun with it.”

"There will be limited scripting," said Robert Ecker, SPEED Channel VP of Programming. "Texas Hardtails will be a weekly look at real people in a real setting, recreating colorful stories from the quintessential biker hangout."

"This is new ground for SPEED Channel," Ecker added. "We began experimenting with more original automotive and motorcycle lifestyle programming in 2003, with four major launches this year alone. But Texas Hardtails is in a category all by itself and we expect our viewers to have a lot of fun with it."

Fairless, who has been creating signature bikes for nearly 20 years, feels there is no shortage of material.

"If you've always wondered what the real motorcycle thing is all about, then you better tune in," Fairless said. "You'll see it all -- plenty of bikes, babes and beer -- but most of all, you'll see all of us that work behind the scenes at Strokers everyday helping to make other people's dreams come true. We may act a little crazy, but we always have fun along the way -- you're in for an entertaining ride."

Fairless is one of the motorcycle industry's longtime custom bike builders whose custom rides have won major industry awards and have been featured in leading consumer magazines. He started Rick Fairless' Strokers Dallas (formerly Easyriders of Dallas) in 1996 as one of the first custom bike dealerships to land in the 'Big D.' The dealership, which is joined by a fabrication shop on-site along with a bar/restaurant called Strokers Ice House, has become the area's largest destination for custom bikes and a popular biker haven. In 2004, Strokers was voted the best all-around motorcycle hang-out in Texas by readers of RIDE TEXAS(R) Magazine. Visit Rick Fairless' Strokers online at www.strokersdallas.com.

SPEED Channel is the nation's first and foremost cable network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED Channel delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 68 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country.