By the early '90s, the industry was on fire. Hotop bikes populated the covers of many of the major pubs, Don's phone was ringing off the wall, and the pressure was mounting. The burden became just too much, and, recoiling from the chaos he had created, Don packed up and dropped out of the scene. He soon found himself reunited with Arlin Fatland and living on the outskirts of Denver, riding the Rockies. Happy to ply his craft and challenged by the majesty of the local mountains, Don settled into the unique Colorado lifestyle. The mountain air and break from the onslaught of deadlines had done exactly what Don had hoped for, and he was back to riding and building at a comfortable tempo. However, while Denver had served as the cure for his ills, Don couldn't shake the nagging feeling that the big city was not his home
A clear head and an enduring love of the countryside that raised him would eventually bring Don back to his roots in Fort Madison. Picking up where he left off, he began creating the foundation for what is now the modern-day Don's Speed & Custom. Still vowing to fly under the radar and create at his own pace, he's never again published an ad and has largely shunned self-promotion. A stint on the Discovery Channel's Monster Garage is one of the very few appearances he's made in the last 15 years, and that came about only after a persuasive call from the show's producer and Jesse James himself. "I've known Jesse since he was pounding steel for Boyd Coddington, and when he explained we would be building a real bike with a group of guys I respected, instead of some sort of Buick-based Blender, I knew I was in."
The one place you can always find Don is Sturgis, which he still attends every year (the last 20 staying in the same hotel room). When pressed about his loyalty to that particular event, he explains, "Sturgis is certainly my favorite; Daytona doesn't have anyplace to go motorcycle riding." It's a simple yet telling reply that not only embodies his love for building bikes but for actually riding them as well. Yet building is what pays the rent, and Hotop still puts out some of the nicest bikes in the country. In addition to customs, Don has also managed to create a few sought-after accessories. His original product, the Pro-Street-style air dam created in the mid-'80s, was featured on a good percentage of customs for the decade that followed, and the ideas have continued to flow ever since. By the late '90s, Don had expanded his line of accessories and caught the attention of Drag Specialties. The infamous Fat Book now contains a complete line of Hotop accessories, including some of the company's more popular dresser items. Tom Motzko of Drag Specialties describes Don as a consummate perfectionist and goes on to explain, "If Don builds you a bike, you can rest assured you'll be able to ride it right out of his shop and across the country without an issue." The Drag people obviously took quite a liking to ol' Don and began using him as a testbed for other manufacturers' products as well