Pinstriper extraordinaire, Damien Kurth got in touch to let us know that he and his brother were working on something for the competition. Looking forward to seeing those pics.
Now if we can get Rattlecan Ren to enter his soon to be rigid W650, Draculina with his purple flaked SR400, and Jody to build something cool that would be excellent.
Grease Monkey Grinderfest
Amateur Biker Build Off
Sunday, February 27, 2011
New Rules. New Class
Due to public demand and everyone telling me they couldn't possibly put a running bike together in 6 months .........
We now have 2 classes.
Class 1 - Home built or modified by hand; able to start and tick over. These bikes don't have to be road legal. Nice if they were but don't sweat it. We're trying to get people interested in building custom bikes, not in getting a law degree in low volume certification.
Class 2 - Work in progress. This class at least has to be something more than a set of apes and a sportster tank. Cut me a bit of slack.......
These don't have to run or even be nearly finished as long as they show some decent design and/or fabrication skills. Come on, show us something interesting!
Clearer now? Ok. Start telling everyone (like they say in the bank ad, apart from gym grunters of course) and get back into the shed and start waving those spanners about. And make sure you get some photos and an explanation of your world domination plan in to me at irishjon@greasemonkeys.co.nz
Oh yeah; if you can think of a name for each of the classes it would give us something to put on the t-shirts.
Cheers
We now have 2 classes.
Class 1 - Home built or modified by hand; able to start and tick over. These bikes don't have to be road legal. Nice if they were but don't sweat it. We're trying to get people interested in building custom bikes, not in getting a law degree in low volume certification.
Class 2 - Work in progress. This class at least has to be something more than a set of apes and a sportster tank. Cut me a bit of slack.......
These don't have to run or even be nearly finished as long as they show some decent design and/or fabrication skills. Come on, show us something interesting!
Clearer now? Ok. Start telling everyone (like they say in the bank ad, apart from gym grunters of course) and get back into the shed and start waving those spanners about. And make sure you get some photos and an explanation of your world domination plan in to me at irishjon@greasemonkeys.co.nz
Oh yeah; if you can think of a name for each of the classes it would give us something to put on the t-shirts.
Cheers
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Gavin's 750 Yam
Gavin sent in these pics of his XV750 build. We'll update you with its story shortly.
Home built seat, floor boards and sissy bar. Not a store bought part in site. Excellent.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Irishjon - Zero Style
So this is my entry for Grinderfest. This one has been on the go for a lot longer than 6 months. I started reading about the 60's and 70's style Harleys coming out of Japan since I was living in Sydney in 2000. Then I started to read about Shinya Kimura and his Zero Engineering style and desparately wanted to own a bike like that. Of course I couldn't afford to buy one so I decided to build my own. I have been trying ever since but never got close to Shinya's standard. The man is a icon.
Anyway, I have an S&S Evo motor that I started building 15 years ago. As I had no money I decided to build it part by part. I started off with a brand new Delcron crank case and began the long process of collecting parts while I moved round the world for work. The motor was eventually finished about 3 years ago but is yet to be started.
When I was back in England in 2004 for work I picked up a V-Twin 48 replica frame that was going to be the start of the Zero Bike. When I came back to NZ I found a rebuilt Shovelhead motor on Trademe and the Evo motor (still in a pile of parts) got sidelined again. A short time later I bought a cheap frame from the States via the internet. Turned out to be a grat frame with perfect welds so the project started again.
To get a rolling chassis I threw on the original wide glide front end from my old softail. That is going to be replaced by another old Harley springer I bought from Pete (Milkbar Cowboy). I am building a 16 inch wheel to go with that from parts I have lying round the shed.
While I was commuting back and forwards to Melbourne last year I picked up a ribbed rear fender from a little Brit Bikeshop in Elizanbeth Street. It was built for an 18 inch wheel so I had to reshape it with blocks of wod and a big hammer. After a couple of attempts I have got it fairly straight and made a rough fender strut and number plate bracket. I had a couple of beaten old indicators from my Panhead. I replaced the orange glass with red and they will serve as individual brake and tail lights.
More pictures in the next update. Loads of work to do and more pictures in thye next update.
Irish
Anyway, I have an S&S Evo motor that I started building 15 years ago. As I had no money I decided to build it part by part. I started off with a brand new Delcron crank case and began the long process of collecting parts while I moved round the world for work. The motor was eventually finished about 3 years ago but is yet to be started.
While I was commuting back and forwards to Melbourne last year I picked up a ribbed rear fender from a little Brit Bikeshop in Elizanbeth Street. It was built for an 18 inch wheel so I had to reshape it with blocks of wod and a big hammer. After a couple of attempts I have got it fairly straight and made a rough fender strut and number plate bracket. I had a couple of beaten old indicators from my Panhead. I replaced the orange glass with red and they will serve as individual brake and tail lights.
Irish
Friday, February 4, 2011
Coming Soon to a Shed Near You - Grease Monkey Grinderfest 2011
For the first time in New Zealand we are organising an event to promote garage built custom motorcycles.
This contest is an amateur biker build off that is open to everyone; every make of motorcycle; every size; and every style.
Rules are simple. It isn't a chance to wheel in your stock bike with a few bits bolt on catalog chrome. This is a chance for you to show how you would design and build a bike. That can be something built from scratch with a welder and a hacksaw or modifying a standard bike with a collection of secondhand or home built parts (with maybe a few new bits). The idea is to change that original design to make it different and unique. To make it yours. Get the idea?
The finished bike doesn't have to be registered or even legal but it does have to start and tick over.
Competition starts officially on 1st March 2011 and the judging and bike show will be held in Auckland on Saturday 3rd September 2011. That gives you a whole 6 months to make something magnificent.
Registration
Register by sending me a short description of your project and a picture of what it started life as, to irishjon@greasemonkeys.co.nz.
I will post the pictures and description on this Blog. From then on we will expect updated pictures and progress as we move through the build period.
The competition is open for individuals and teams from across New Zealand. We will have a separate class for people who are unable to get their finished bike to Auckland for the day of the show.
All the pictures and writeups from this blog will be used to create a book at the end of the competition so everyone will be famous!! I will be working on getting some sponsors to provide some prizes for all our hard work.
Remember
Keep checking in to the Blog for progress and to register for Grinderfest. Let's show New Zealand and the World that Kiwis can build customs with the best of them.
Cheers
Irish
This contest is an amateur biker build off that is open to everyone; every make of motorcycle; every size; and every style.
Rules are simple. It isn't a chance to wheel in your stock bike with a few bits bolt on catalog chrome. This is a chance for you to show how you would design and build a bike. That can be something built from scratch with a welder and a hacksaw or modifying a standard bike with a collection of secondhand or home built parts (with maybe a few new bits). The idea is to change that original design to make it different and unique. To make it yours. Get the idea?
The finished bike doesn't have to be registered or even legal but it does have to start and tick over.
Competition starts officially on 1st March 2011 and the judging and bike show will be held in Auckland on Saturday 3rd September 2011. That gives you a whole 6 months to make something magnificent.
Registration
Register by sending me a short description of your project and a picture of what it started life as, to irishjon@greasemonkeys.co.nz.
I will post the pictures and description on this Blog. From then on we will expect updated pictures and progress as we move through the build period.
The competition is open for individuals and teams from across New Zealand. We will have a separate class for people who are unable to get their finished bike to Auckland for the day of the show.
All the pictures and writeups from this blog will be used to create a book at the end of the competition so everyone will be famous!! I will be working on getting some sponsors to provide some prizes for all our hard work.
Remember
THIS COMPETITION IS FOR PEOPLE WITH IMAGINATION AND SPANNERS, NOT CHECKBOOKS AND CATALOGS.
Keep checking in to the Blog for progress and to register for Grinderfest. Let's show New Zealand and the World that Kiwis can build customs with the best of them.
Cheers
Irish
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