Wichita ? Big Dog is getting bigger.

The custom-built motorcycle manufacturer that Sheldon Coleman opened in 1994 has moved three times since startup. Now it’s stretching out by completing construction of a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and adding a second assembly line.

Nick Messer is president of Big Dog motorcycles. The Wichita manufacturer of custom-made cycles is seeing its popularity rise among bikers.

“We’ve been a little surprised that there hasn’t been a drop in demand with the softening of the economy,” said Nick Messer, president of the company.

“We did see a lull after Sept. 11 last year,” he said. “But it only lasted until the first week of October. Then it was like a switch was turned on and people were saying, ‘Life is short; I’m going to enjoy it.’ And orders went up again.”

From its manufacturing plant in Wichita, Big Dog supplies 70 dealerships across the United States with high-performance bikes known for their flash.

With custom paint jobs, lots of chrome, aluminum wheels, wide rear tires and lots of horsepower, the bikes are at the top of the price scale, running $23,000 to $29,000.

Big Dog’s sales will top $40 million this year, Messer said. That compares with about $31 million last year. The company is also slowly adding employees as the business grows. It has about 200 right now.

Big Dog, which hopes to push the number of cycles it builds each month from about 200 to about 250 by January, has a backlog of about 1,000 units.

“Right now we aren’t taking orders from our dealers because we have to manage our backlog and delivery time,” Messer said.

The company is also thinking about adding a second warehouse.

“I like to think that we’re a positive force in the Wichita economy,” Messer said. “We give a lot of work to the small-machine shops around. Some exist just to build parts for Big Dog. Others rely on us for work when aircraft hits a slump. And all the construction we’ve done recently has helped the economy, as well.”

He said he got far more applications for jobs than he had spaces to fill. And he continuously receives applications from people who want to open dealerships.

“We turn down about 90 percent of those. We are very selective about our dealerships.”

The strength of the demand for a luxury item has surprised Messer.

The typical Big Dog customer is a “move-up” buyer who has ridden motorcycles for some time. Most have owned, or still own, a Harley-Davidson. Most buy the bikes for recreational riding, although some use their Big Dog to go to work, he said.

Big Dogs have emotional appeal to motorcycle lovers, Messer said.

Big Dog employee Jana Cranmer, shown in a mirror, adjusts the electrical wiring for one of the custom-built motorcycles.

“Motorcycling overall is kind of emotional,” he said. “It’s the look, the feel, the sound that appeals to people.”

The opportunity to watch a Big Dog being built draws about 10 people a day to the Wichita factory. Some are bike owners who want to see where their machine was born. Some are simply bike enthusiasts. And others are customers who come to watch the bike they’ve ordered being built.

Messer anticipates that orders will come pouring in when Big Dog tells dealers they can order again. The second assembly line should be running by the first of the year.

Messer said he expected Big Dog to stay in its current location for years to come.

“We have a lot of room to grow here,” he said.