RUSSELL MITCHELL

  Born in Frampton on Severn, England, Russell got his first motorcycle at the age of 16. At 22 he graduated from the University of Bristol as a Veterinary Surgeon and began practicing in London. Not long after moving there, with a chance meeting at a charity auction, he quickly began a side-career in modelling, and was later offered a contract by a top modelling agency in Los Angeles. He accepted, thinking it was something that would last a couple of months, and now it's 15 years later!

  It was in L.A. that Russell met Nancy, and after 3 years of dating, they were married. Their son Lucas was born 2 years later. While Russell and Nancy are longer together, they do remain close and Lucas spends time between each of their homes.

  Getting back to the things that really made him a household name: Russell's first few customs were actually based around... wait... scooters? Yup, Lambretta scooters. It was the 80's and Russell was becoming a big name in the thriving English scooter scene. Doing everything he could to annoy the mainstream scooter enthusiasts, it was in 1983, at age 20, that Russell built Exile 1. It cleaned up at every show he entered it in, and is still regarded by many as the most significant scooter build ever.

  It was a Hell's Angel's run show, the Kent Custom Bike Show, that would change everything for him. After they warned him that his scooter may not be safe at an HA event, he decided to leave it at home and borrowed a friend's 650 so he could check it out anyway... well his first 100mph ride really left an impression on him because he raffled off Exile 1 at the next scooter rally, using that cash to buy a red (yes, red) Kawasaki KZ650 which became Exile 3, and was featured in Back Street Heroes. It was the last coloured bike that he would ever build.

  Today, living in North Hollywood, Russell is President of Exile Cycles: a company which has grown into a multi-million dollar corporation over the last 10 years through the production of motorcycle parts and custom bikes. Their minimalist styling, something that has been popular in Europe for so long now, is now catching on like wildfire across North America, and Russell is happy to lead the charge.

Russell's TV Appearances: - Host of Build or Bust - Biker Build Off (numerous appearances) - World Bike Build Off

For more info on Russell and Exile Cycles: ExileCycles.com