Photo by Jim Tate Tim and Lacey Kesteloot, and their dog Nova, are shown next to the chopper that Tim built and which will be shown at the Shades of the Past weekend events. The burned-out shell of a chopper he had started in 2008 is shown in the background at the entrance to 59 Design Cycles. It was destroyed in a fire in the old shop back in January 2009, so Kesteloot had to start over on the project.

Tim Kesteloot had always had it in the back of his mind to start his own business.

He worked 15 years as a mechanic on heavy construction equipment for what is now Titan Machinery, “and always had it in my head to try it. In reality, I had to do it before too long.”

Thus was launched 59 Design Cycles in 2019, located on an acreage 5 miles north of Marshall on Highway 59. His work for Titan allowed him to wear many hats — officially and unofficially — and he gained a lot of business experience in the process.

“Foreman stuff, some manager duties, a lot of everything. I did hands-on field service for a number of years,” he said.

He’s accountable to one person now — himself. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I wanted the feeling that if I screwed up, it was on me,” he said.

Kesteloot and his wife Lacey worked hard to get the business up and running. Originally, more services were offered, “but now I’ve narrowed it down, there were just too many things,” he explained. “The priority is bikes.”

He fixes, enhances, maintains and builds bikes, and is proud of the chopper that he built that will be a part of the upcoming Shades of the Past festivities. His business is a Shades weekend sponsor, and his chopper, along with a Mustang and a Chevelle, are pictured together on the sponsor plaques that will be given to each registered entry and sponsors.

Kesteloot combines a mechanic’s can-do attitude with an artist’s creative eye and vision to offer one of the most unique motorcycle shops anywhere. His knowledge allows him to custom-make parts, panels, just about anything. He also does leather work. And word about his talent is spreading fast.

“We don’t do that much advertising,” he said. “It’s a niche market.” 59 Design Cycles has a Facebook page and Instagram account, is a member of the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce, and hands out T-shirts to customers. Much of their business is repeat customers, who pass the word on about the business to their friends.

During the warm-weather riding months, he mostly repairs, maintains and problem-solves for bike owners.

“In the winter is when we mostly build bikes,” he said.

He has a paint booth for his custom paint work. He formerly had a portable, inflatable booth, but that was something of an inconvenience, “jumping in and out, tearing it down.” He purchased his permanent paint booth from a retired shop owner in Lakeville, and its air-flow capabilities allow him to meet his own exacting standards.

“The air flow is just so much better,” he said.

He’s partnered with some vendors since opening, including Soundz, a custom sound system maker. “A lot of guys want an upgraded sound system,” he explained. “They were looking for a dealer, and the timing was good.”

Another is TRASK, which manufactures “high-end turbo kits,” among other things, he said. “It boosts the power without a full re-build.”

The chopper he custom made was started in 2009 and finished in 2016. “Much of the work was done at nights and on the weekends,” he said.

He went down to Saratoga, Fla., to pick up the frame and check out the business where it was purchased. Unfortunately, it went out of business shortly after and, when the frame was was back in Marshall and in the former shop on the acreage — a converted barn — a tragic fire in the barn/shop in January 2009 destroyed the bike and the work that had already gone into it, forcing him to start over. The scorched frame sits at the entrance to the new shop, a reminder of the challenges 59 Design Cycles has overcome on its way to its current success.

His father, Gary, was a bike enthusiast when he was growing up, gave it up for years, and is now back riding a Polaris Slingshot 3-wheel design. “He got back on a bike in his 60s,” said Kesteloot in amazement.

Kesteloot and Lacey enjoy participating in local rides, and longer ones, such as Sturgis and the North Shore. Lacey is the HR manager at Schwan’s Company and is very comfortable as a passenger.

“I don’t drive, I’m not interested in that,” she said. “I like watching the scenery.”

Kesteloot and Lacey (DeMuth) were sweethearts at Marshall High School who started dating the summer after their sophomore year. They are the parents of two children, Joleigh, 12, and Kiptyn, 10. Lacey is quick to include the canine member of the family, Nova, a yellow lab who most days wears a bandana around the shop.

Lacey is a co-owner of the business; Tim handles the daily daily operations.

The two have been together for years, and even went to prom in a ’59 converted school bus that Tim and his brother bought for $600. His interest in tinkering has developed into a highly specialized and successful business.