The Chop-In Block: A look at Raw Iron Choppers

Twenty-two-year-old Jesse Srpan has been building and modifying bikes since the age of 13, but he’s been exposed to the lifestyle for as long as he can remember. From watching his dad work on bikes to racing motocross, Jesse has always had a passion for welding and fabricating. His work ranges from small projects to designing some of the most respected and unique motorcycles in the nation.
During most of his young life, Jesse was employed in the summers by his father at their family-owned construction company. Jesse had saved enough money so that by the time he was 13, he presented the fact that he wanted to purchase a welder. So he did just that, and off he went! He then decided to take an old, rusted mini-bike from the 70’s out of the garage and rebuild it. From there with his rebuilt West Coast Choppers mini lookalike, he continued on to create another custom mini chopper which would start up his career in the motorcycle industry and lead to the start of his business, Raw Iron Choppers.

It’s taken Jesse years to build his business and perfect the skills it takes to operate it successfully. With those skills come the time, patience, and knowledge to be considered at a “professional level”. With that said, here are a few of Jesse’s accomplishments and certifications: 15th out of 50th place at 2010 Skills USA “National” welding competition, AWS/ASME certified welder in (GTAW-tig)“stainless, steel, aluminum, and chromoly” (GMAW-mig) “3G & 4G” (FCAW-fluxcore) “3G” (SMAW-stick) “3G & 4G” processes and (ASME boiler & pressure vessel code) “2G”, and was featured in the April 2007 issue of American Iron magazine at the age of 16.

Jesse can be found welding, fabricating, or even teaching someone how to weld in his shop, Raw Iron Choppers LLC which is located in Chardon, Ohio. He now designs and fabricates full-sized, one-of-a-kind custom motorcycles and parts. Even with a full time business and busy schedule, Jesse has maintained being a full time student at Lakeland Community college and is finishing up his associate degree in mechanical engineering and industrial welding.

Jesse has a quote that he fully lives by and by which he sets his company standards: "It’s about being creative, different, and doing what you love."