BAKER — By day, Mace Livingston stays busy with Mace Tech Industries, his metal fabrication business. By night, he turns to his motorcycle-building hobby.
Photos of him lighting a cigarette with a blow torch and hanging out in his workshop impress Facebook fans. But the 2006 Crestview High School graduate's recent appearance on "Cafe Racer," which airs on the Discovery Channel's Velocity network, drew divided response.
Livingston and his ex-wife, Ashlie, rebuilt a KTM LC 640 Adventure motorcycle on the program, giving it a "sleeker" and "steam-punk" look.
"Of course my friends and family loved it," he said.
But the cafe racer, "in some (social) rings … is considered a classic," Livingston said. The cafe racer, originated in Europe, is a vintage motorcycle typically modified to enhance handling and speed.
Rebuilding such a revered vehicle was polarizing to some fans.
"It was up and down … lots of hate mail and lots of fan mail," he said.
But Livingston's appearance also brought more business for Mace Tech.
"I got a lot of calls (from the show) and a lot of potential projects," he said.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Response divided for man's reality TV appearance