Custom Bike Show / Buildoff Contest

I was talking to BFR this morning running through a few ideas. Its got to be a balance of enough time to let people start and finish a new build if the want, or modify something they already have. I'd also expect a pretty high drop out rate so we'd need to get a lot of people interested at the start and that means getting some publicity.
So far I'm thinking of an official start in April with a show/judging on the first Saturday in September. That will be subject to the feedback I get from this forum and other places.
Selectedgrub
You should post some pics of your Shovel so people get what I mean about home/handmade parts.

[quote="Slaytanica"]"For monkeys with a wrench and ideas, not a wallet and a catalog"[quote]

I have a wrench AND ideas AND a wallet AND a catalog. I also know how to weld & I will realize it soon
To those who build their bikes totally from scratch with no parts made by other humans, I salute you, your skills & sweat are worthy of the utmost respect.
Personally, I just like to use whatever looks good to me at the time, whether I made it, or someone else did.
I don't really see the point of making some stuff that it's easier just to buy, & the bought article may look better & save you a lotta time & work. It's really the end result that I always think about...to get that result:
do I need to make something, or get it it made, or just buy it? The end justifies the means.
I do also understand that if you have the skills to make something yourself that you can certainly save some $ that way, plus you have the reward of knowing you did it yourself.
Interestingly, I just recently talked on the phone to a pipe welder who is thinking of using a pre made hardtail instead of making it himself; says it suits him better than having to sort it all himself. So each to his own I guess.
When I was boatbuilding I used to do all the plumbing in the 40ft launches we built; I just paid a plumber to do my bathroom plumbing.
It doesn't really matter in the end aye? Just do what u wanna do & be happy.
I certainly agree with the prerequisites of this comp tho; it should bring out some great & interesting bikes.
I'm gonna keep my wallet as part of the equation as I'm rather attached to my wallet: me ol Mum who passed recently bought it for me when we were visiting Warrs HD in London so it's got a bit of the ol sentimental value.

Hey Brett i think you have read it wrong, the wallet and catalogue refers to the people that walk in the HD dealer buy their brand new softail, get the custom chrome catalogue out and point to everything with an eagle and the words "live to ride" on it, then get the dealer to fit the extra tonne and a half of chrome to the bike, then tell everyone they ride a custom harley.

I also have a wallet and an ebay account cause im not stupid enough to pay trade me prices for parts that i can get landed at my door for half the price or less. for exapmle my Biltwell DOT helmet. I paid less than what you would pay for a NON DOT one on trade me.

Dont get me wrong if i have to make it or get it made i will, but if i can buy it cheap enough and it saves me time then i will buy it. I was planning to make a belt cover for my primary which wont be hard but i found one on ebay for $15 and $20 to ship it. needless to say I brought it.

Slaytanica wrote:

Hey Brett i think you have read it wrong, the wallet and catalogue refers to the people that walk in the HD dealer buy their brand new softail, get the custom chrome catalogue out and point to everything with an eagle and the words "live to ride" on it, then get the dealer to fit the extra tonne and a half of chrome to the bike, then tell everyone they ride a custom harley.

I also have a wallet and an ebay account cause im not stupid enough to pay trade me prices for parts that i can get landed at my door for half the price or less. for exapmle my Biltwell DOT helmet. I paid less than what you would pay for a NON DOT one on trade me.

Dont get me wrong if i have to make it or get it made i will, but if i can buy it cheap enough and it saves me time then i will buy it. I was planning to make a belt cover for my primary which wont be hard but i found one on ebay for $15 and $20 to ship it. needless to say I brought it.

Hey were do I get one of those catalogs Shaun????? I want to collect all those work to ride ride to work badges

Woody wrote:

work to ride ride to work badges

yeah where do ya get those?

Okay. So I haven't mentioned this one for a while. I have been talking to a lot of people and I still think its a go-er. Doug at Shed 5 will let us have the show at his place (ex-Deus) and will print up some shirts and maybe sort out some prizes. Categories and stuff are still open for debate as the official start date is next week. Rules so far are as follows:

Welcome to Grease Monkey Grinderfest
For the first time on New Zealand we are organising an event to promote garage built custom motorcycles.
This contest is an amateur bike build-offthat is open for every make of motorcycle; every size and every style.
This is a chance to design and build your own bike. Something scratch built with a welder and hack saw or by redsesigning what was a standard bike with a collection of hand-made and secondhand parts.
The idea is to change that original design to make it different and unique. Make iy yours. Get the idea?
The finished bike doesn't have to be legal but it has to start and tick over.
Competition starts officially on 1st March 2011 and the judging and bike show will be on Saturday 3rd September 2011. That gives you 6 months to create something brilliant.
Register by sending a short description of your project and a picture of what it started life as to irishjon@greasemopnkeys.co.nz. The pictures will be posted on thyis blog and we will expect regular updates throughout the build.
Remember
THE COMPETITION IS FOR PEOPLE WITH SPANNERS AND IMAGINATION, NOT A CATALOG AND CHECKBOOK.
Cheers
Irish

We have already got one competitor (apart from me). Gavin sent me some pics of his XV750 build and I have posted them on the Grinderfest Blog site here.
http://irishjon-greasemonkeygrinderfest.blogspot.com/

You can also get to that from my Blog site and I'll sort something from my old Greasemonkeys web site as well.

Start getting the word out and dust off those spanners. We have to get people interested in this scene somehow.

So you have to start and make a ride in 6months?.
What about peoples rides that are finished?
Why does it have to be a competition like this will seriously cut the amount of bikes available to show.
IE Is this a bike show or an amateur bike building contest?.
I'm out I cannot guarantee my ride will start by then unfortunately and I don't want a clock ticking.
Man it is your gig but if those are the rules to enter I pick you'll have fuck all entries sorry.
I'm just trying to clarify the criteria.
Thanks

It doesn't have to be built from scratch in 6 months. I've just given it that time so people who are already working on something can get a chance to finish it. If they already have a completed build, that's ok too, as long as they post some pics of the build.
I'd still like to keep the rule that it has to at least start and tick over. I've a shed full of half built things that don't start and I wouldn't expect anyone to be interested in them.
If it looks like no-one is interested we still have the option of a custom bike show where anything can enter. I'm just trying to keep out a load of stock V-Rods with ape hangers. Thats not my idea of a custom bike.
Like I said. Its still open to input and any help I can get to make the conditions clearer are greatly appreciated.

Yeah, Not my idea of a custom bike too man.
All good thanks for the reply.
So if it has to start it is kinda a deadline and I don't like working to anyones clock, do that on my day job.
I can fully understand the rule you don't want a custom bike finished with no pistons or crank shaft and no blood in the lines or rubber spikes still fresh on the tyres. IE Trailered everywhere.
Good luck man, when things are in concrete I will plug your gig.
Cheers

Thanks for that. If anyone else has any ideas on how we can get this going I'd like the help. I'd rather this be a cooperative thing than just me. Cheers

That's great that Deus are on board, a big plus, will be interesting to see what builds come outta the woodwork.
Looking at the rules it's outside what I normally do (scratchbuilt using handmade & 2nd hand parts) but I will watch with interest; it sounds like something interesting for the average member of the public too.
I've had a couple of people tell me lately that 'Deus is really boring now' since they stopped having the Aussie bobbers etc, some people dont seem to relate to the emphasis on trackers & bratstyle, I think because trackers maybe haven't assimilated 100% into biker culture here yet? anyway just some random unrelated thoughts there...
...point is that it certainly would be of some interest to people if some cool builds come outta the woodwork
another approach also, would be to contact the guys with bikes on trademe that are of that ilk, to let 'em know, like this guy http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-349925540.htm

I need to work on my communication skills. Its meant to be scratch built OR modified stock with at least something handmade or modified. If it was built from scratch we'd only get one or two people involved. I'd definitely have counted your Enfield as a contender.

Hey what about a part of the show that is for bikes still in the build but not finished to comp regulations?

so basicly we can have the comp and its bikes in one area, finished customs that were built outside the comp in another area and bikes not quite ready for this years comp in another area.


???????

All good Jon, apart form one minor detail. JUDGING IS ON THE SAME DAY AS THE COLD KIWI!!!!! All the real bikers will be down there! On Sunday you even said you were thinking about going to the KIWI. I know you are getting old but seriously bro. Any chance of having it the following weekend , or is that set in stone?

Paeroa was good alright. Weekend of it next year.

Nothing is set in stone. May not even happen unless I start to get som e more interest. It needs to get people on here involved cause it'll be a lot harder to get anyone from outside.
Shaun
I think that given how many bikes are in teh long term build stage its probably a good idea to have a category for in-progress bikes. Probably a lot more of them than finished ones. Maybe a better idea just to have it like an exhibition with a band and beer rasther than a bike show/competition?

Irishjon wrote:

I need to work on my communication skills. Its meant to be scratch built OR modified stock with at laest something handmade or modified. If it was built from scratch we'd only get one or two people involved. I's definitely have counted your Enfield as a contender.

Yeah all good Jon thanx

sweet. Lets have a beer and discuss what we need to do

Sounds like a plan. I'm not around this weekend so we'll catch up next week.

HEY MILK BAR THE REAL COLD KIWI WAS ON THE DESERT RD AT THE THREE CROSS ARMY CAMP ,FREAKING SNOW I HEAR IT A BIT TAME THESE DAYS LOL,OH YEA HAD A LOOK AROUND THE GARAGE MIGHT HAVE TO GET THE TRIUMPH TOGETHER FOR THIS SHOW.

milk bar cowboy wrote:

JUDGING IS ON THE SAME DAY AS THE COLD KIWI!!!!! All the real bikers will be down there!

HEY MILKY BAR ALSO JUST WONDERING IF ALL THE REAL BIKERS WILL BE AT COLD KIWI, LIKE 100%, OR WILL THERE STILL BE SOME REAL BIKERS IN AUCKLAND, LIKE MAYBE 3% OR SO, OR WILL NOT EVEN 3% BE LEFT IN AUCKLAND. WHAT IF SOME SLEEP IN OR ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO BECAUSE THEIR MUMMIES TOLD THEM THEY HAVE TO TIDY THEIR ROOM MY CAPS LOCK SEEMS TO BE STUCK ON LIKE DOUGS

Due to popular demand I have now decided to run two categories: One for bikes that run (but don't need to be legal), and the other for works in prgress, so we can at least give people the idea of what is being built in sheds all over NZ.

Oh good that means if I don't finish I can just chuck it on the back of my ute and bring it up.

Did I mention that Damien and his brother are putting something together for Grinderfest?