If you’ve ever wondered where the name P-51 Bike Company came from, here’s the story. It starts with a fighter plane, a garage, and a group of friends who wanted to build a better bike.
Recently, our buddy Nick put together a last-minute opportunity for our team to check out a real P-51 Mustang. Naturally, we brought our bikes along.
Getting to see the plane that inspired our name with our own P-51 e-bikes parked beside it? Pretty damn cool.
The P-51 Mustang Connection
Our name is a nod to the North American P-51 Mustang, the World War II fighter plane.
We’ve always been into this era of aviation. The history, the designs, the attitude—and the ingenuity behind it all. The Mustang earned its reputation through performance, helping turn the tide of the air war with the range to escort bombers deep into Europe.
That drive to build something better has always resonated with us. Have an idea. Build it. Keep making it better.
It’s a mindset that helped shape P-51 Bike Company from the beginning.
From AJ’s Garage to the First Bullet E-Bike
Before there was a lineup of P-51 electric bikes, there was AJ’s garage.
That’s where we were welding steel frames ourselves for what would become our first bike: the P-51 Bullet.
We were riders first. We knew what we liked, what we wanted to change, and what we felt was missing from the bikes out there. So we got to work.
The goal was straightforward: a simple design, a sturdy frame, and a bike we were excited to get on and ride.
Those early days took plenty of hands-on work and figuring things out as we went. We kept building, riding, and making changes. “Built by Riders for Riders” came from exactly that experience.
The Inspiration Was There Before the Name
Even before P-51 officially became a bike company, the aviation influence was already showing up.
Every Sur-Ron we customized got a sticker featuring a vintage-inspired pin-up riding a bullet—a little nod to the artwork and personality of that era.
So you could say this was brewing for a while.
By the time we were building our own bikes, the P-51 name felt right. It brought together an era we’d always been drawn to and a spirit we wanted to carry into what we were making.
A Family Connection to North American Aviation
For AJ, the connection goes a little deeper.
His great-grandfather on his mom’s side moved to the West Coast to help get North American Aviation, the company that designed and built the P-51 Mustang, off the ground.
That family history makes the name even more meaningful. And getting to stand beside a real Mustang with our bikes felt like a pretty cool full-circle moment.
Bringing Our P-51s Out to Meet the Original
Back when we were welding frames in the garage, we probably wouldn’t have pictured a day like this.
But there we were: the bikes we built sitting beside the plane that inspired us.
Seeing the Mustang up close gave us a chance to appreciate the details, take in the history, and reflect on our own beginnings. It’s easy to stay focused on whatever comes next. Every once in a while, a day like this makes you stop and enjoy how far things have come.
Huge thanks to our buddy Nick for making it happen at the last minute.
And if you watch the video, [CLICK HERE], stick around for the outtake. We can only keep it together for so long. At the end of the day, we’re still a bunch of friends building bikes and having fun along the way.
Built by Riders for Riders.
Explore the P-51 Bullet, Ace, and Ranger to find your next ride.