Covington Customs — At BigMack’s Request!
October 31, 2006
As you know, we aim to please here at TheBeachCruiser. Although we want to save some treasures for The Family Jewels, we also want to make sure our family knows we’ll continue to provide the same high quality complimentary content that we’ve always done. So, with that in mind, here are a few shots of a really sweet blue and gold model by Jerry. Hope you enjoy!!!
All of the above thumbnails are clickable for greater detail. As Mack said, it really is impressive!
Matt Hotch-Hank Young-Interviews
October 31, 2006
Hey,
The dates are set. We will be interviewing Hank Young, at his shop next Monday, November 6th. We will be interviewing Matt Hotch the follwing day Tuesday, Nov 7th. Both of these interviews will be available in THE FAMILY JEWELS. This is a new section of The Beachcruiser. We will be asking questions and gathering information unlike any before. This is a part of what I have been talking about. We’re starting to take The Beachcruiser to a new and higher level.
Stay Tuned
Ride ‘n Rock — Memorial Day Weekend 2007 — Atlanta Motor Speedway
October 31, 2006
(Click on the banner to be taken directly to the event site.)
Our friends at Soup Events would like for us to announce The First Annual Ride ‘n Rock, coming in May. Here are the details. We’ll keep you up to date as we get more information. Also, please be sure to check out their web site Soup Events.
Soup Event Management, LLC is proud to announce Ride ‘N Rock - Atlanta, GA’s first major motorcycle and music rally. The event is scheduled to take place over the 2007 Memorial Day weekend (May 25, 26, 27) at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
From Harley’s to Vespas, from amateur customs to mind-blowing creations, from the weird to the wild you’ll be able to see it all at Ride ‘N Rock.
Ride ‘N Rock will feature many attractions throughout the three day rally. In addition, Ride ‘N Rock will be raising money for charity. Here’s a quick run down on what you can expect from Atlanta’s first major motorcycle and music rally.
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BIKES, BIKES AND BIKES
Only motorcycles will be allowed to enter the infield where the rally and music festival will be taking place. All other vehicles will be allowed to park outside and attendees may enter through the tunnel entrance.
USED BIKE SALES EVENT: At Ride ‘N Rock there will be a used bike sales lot. For only a $50.00 fee you can advertise your bike for sale to thousands of rally attendees. In the used bike sales lot you will be able to post a sales information sign with your bike, sales and contact information. This is for used bikes only! Dealers wishing to sell used bikes may do so but no signage or banners will be permitted. Only a small sign containing information about the bike for sale will be permitted. Put your used bike in the sales lot at Ride ‘N Rock and generate traffic! You can sign up at rally headquarters.
CUSTOM BIKE CONTEST
The three day rally will feature the first annual Ride ‘N Rock custom bike contest. The contest is divided into three classes: Consumer, Professional & Bobber/Old School. Each class will be judged on ingenuity, uniqueness and thought.
CONSUMER CLASS: Entrants in this class must have a stock frame, fork and swingarm. Any other modifications and/or alterations to the motorcycle are permitted. No custom builders or specialty-bike manufacturers are permitted in this class.
PROFESSIONAL / UNLIMITED: This class is divided into two categories: CHOPPER (extended front ends) and CUSTOM. This class is open to any and all bikes, including custom builders and specialty-bike manufacturers. Anything goes, from weird to wild.
BOBBER / OLD SCHOOL: This class is to showcase bikes that have an appearance which has been shortened by cutting down the size of the bikes fenders. The rest of the bike is generally stripped, and often times will utilize on older style seat or a springer front end.
Those bikers who choose to enter the competition will receive reserved parking for their custom sled inside the speedway in the custom bike showroom. Bikers wishing to register early can save $20.00 off the price of the contest entry fee. Simply download the Ride ‘N Rock Custom Bike Rules & Application form and send it in with your $40.00 fee. Registration at the rally will be $60.00. You will be notified upon receipt of your application. Please be sure to mail the original and keep a copy for your records.
>> Download Custom Bike Contest Rules & Application
BIKE BUILD-OFF COMPETITION & AUCTION
The rally will also feature a custom bike build-off for charity. The bike build-off is open to any individual, group or custom bike shop wishing to participate in this charity event. All bike build-off competitors must register in advance and adhere to the guidelines, rules and regulations for the competition. The bike build-off will take place at the rally between 10 AM and 10 PM on Friday and Saturday. Bike build-off competitors will receive VIP status and a tremendous amount of exposure through promotions and advertising leading up to and throughout the event. The bike build-off is sure to be an audience favorite at the rally. The winning bike will be chosen through rally attendance raffle voting. All raffle money raised will benefit charity. Additionally, we would like you to consider auctioning off your bike for charity. This is strictly voluntary and all money raised above your cost for building the bike will be given to charity. Please note on the application if you would like to have your bike auctioned off for charity at Ride ‘N Rock. This event is FREE to enter. This event is limited to the first 10 complete applications. Please be sure to mail the original and keep a copy for your records.
Awesome Saturday at Biketoberfest!
October 31, 2006
Hello everyone, it’s time for “Bone’s” next installment of reporting from Biketoberfest 2006. Ok, don’t get worried as of yet, I promise I haven’t reached a level where referring to myself in the third person will be commonplace. Excluding the accident I reported earlier in my coverage, Saturday was a “Chamber of Commerce” type of day and quite eventful for “TheBeachCruiser”. Brit, “my partner in crime” was still hanging tough, so we decided to hit what has recently become a bigger and more significant part of Biketoberfest, that is of course Daytona International Speedway. Given the knowledge obtained at the official press conference, this year was different at the speedway. One of the most notable changes was the “free” access to the infield, yes I said free. With limited success in years past, track officials have charged fees of $18.00, and $12.00 respectively to access the infield portion of the track. As promised, this year was definitely different and this is a feature that I’ve been told is already planned to be larger next year. The infield display featured world renowned builders Matt Hotch, Eddie Trotta, Indian Larry Legacy, and a relative newcomer, Gregs Custom Cycles from Clearwater, Florida, as well as other assorted vendors. Although not everyone was open and ready for the crowds, being early proved to be productive to say the least. I was fortunate enough to meet Eddie Trotta, so I passed along a business card and he was very receptive to the idea of a future interview. So stay tuned, in the future we’ll set things up and bring you the inside scoop from the owner of Thunder Cycles and BBO fame.
Our second stop was a quick glance at two machines on display from Indian Larry Legacy. Although we didn’t find any company representatives on hand, we did take advantage of the beautiful morning and snapped a couple of shots of the bikes themselves. I know that “Beach” and others here are big Indian Larry fans, so I couldn’t help but think of him while looking at these two machines.
Next stop was the display by Matt Hotch and Crime, Inc. While waiting for last minute adjustments prior to opening, I couldn’t help but notice the semi, a.k.a. “tractor” that pulls Matt’s and Crime, Inc’s gear. It’s a classic “shaved” black Peterbuilt that appears to be “slammed” to the ground, with chrome stacks that must be 8 to 10″ in diameter. They’re huge! That truck is super clean and in my opinion is one of the coolest rigs we saw the entire weekend. Simply put, it’s an 18 wheeled “Hot Rod”. I made my approach to the enclosed section and spotted Matt before most fans realized he was there. After introducing myself and “beachcruiser” and spending a few minutes with the man, Matt lived up to his reputation. He appeared to be a truly humble and approachable guy, who is no doubt one of the best artists in the industry. Sorry everyone, I didn’t force any photo opportunities, but word has it “Beach” will be conducting an in depth interview with Matt later this week, so please “stay tuned”. I’m confident you’ll see some different questions than the norm and possibly a side of Mr. Hotch unlike most feature stories from the past. Last but not least, while inside the enormous track, we ventured over to Greg’s Custom Cycle Works. Greg had an interesting display of bikes and one that couldn’t be ignored. After speaking with both he and his wife, I inquired about the radical custom in front of his booth. All I can say for now is, it’s black, raked and stretched out, maybe pushing 10 feet long and screaming “testosterone”. Myself sometimes being guilty of “being a typical guy”, I assumed the bike was Greg’s. That was my first incorrect assumption, because while overhearing his wife refer to the bike as “hers”, I had to ask for clarification. Yep, this machine was built for ” Dawn” over a four to five year period and she had earlier ridden this “beast” around the famous track at Daytona. What a woman, scratch that; that’s just cool regardless. Although for obvious reasons, I didn’t inquire or break out a bathroom scale, she looked to be about 110 pounds and sure drew alot of attention once she mounted her ride. It was a pleasure meeting this husband and wife team and I plan to visit their shop sometime in the near future.
That wrapped up the visit inside the speedway and for those who have never seen the tunnels below the massive track, check out the photo below as we exited the infield.
Next stop was the huge vendor area outside the speedway. This area has also continued to grow over the last few years and not only features “demo rides” from most major players in the motorcycle industry, but a wide variety of custom and production / custom builders is also featured. Although I didn’t access any attendance statistics, one can see from the number of motorcycles in just one of several parking areas outside the speedway, that throughout the day several thousand bikes and riders are continually at this popular venue.
Being a veteran of Biketoberfest, I certainly hoped to find well respected builder and new beachcruiser family member, Jerry Covington of Covington Customs. Sure enough, Jerry was there and had about a dozen eye catching machines on display. As with other builders, I introduced myself and was happy to learn that Jerry and his wife Kathleen had visited beachcruiser and had he some positive comments pertaining to what we are doing here. If you haven’t met Jerry, he’s a gentleman. Although busy with setting up photo shoots and dealing with customers, etc. he too took the time to speak with us and has since been gracious enough to provide some great images of past / current creations. As with “Beach”, I’ve admired the work done by Covington’s for a few years now and I can honestly say, his projects should be seen in person to appreciate the detail and almost unmatched level of finish work on his bikes. Again, things are happening here at a fever pitch right now, but Jerry is on our list of builders to interview, so keep an eye out for the upcoming feature. Below, Jerry is shown below with yours truly, “shooting the breeze”.
My next stop was Redneck Engineering out of Liberty, S.C. Over the last few years “Redneck” has found a niche in manufacturing frames and components for the custom industry and this stop did not disappoint. After doing a double take that caused that “burning sensation shooting down the side of my neck” (I must be getting old), I was surprised to see a wild machine that has one of the most cherished powerplants of the 50’s,… an engine from a “Vincent” Black Shadow! You heard right. M & M from Redneck said it took years to come to fruition, but the following photos prove it to be true. A Vincent custom and a damn cool one at that. I’m hoping to elaborate more on this bike more in the future, so I promise I’ll keep you posted. Till then, enjoy! I also have included a couple shots of a sweet “Sporty” project just completed by Redneck, soon to be picked up by the customer.
You name it, it’s probably here at the Daytona International Speedway. I even found an example of some work by the Detroit Brothers, “Green Demon” as well as a couple of friendly representatives that gave me explicit directions. I won’t tell you where they told me to go,… but it started out something like this. Hey you dirty old man, you can take your camera and shove,… just kidding, but that does sound more interesting than simply saying I shot a photo of a couple models for your viewing pleasure.
Hot, hot, hot, the temperature that is. Our morning at the speedway was done, I needed a break and it was off to The Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show. Till next time, Bone
Beachcruiser-A little Pumpkin Pie-A Little Humble pie-a great BBO
October 30, 2006
Hey,
I hate making a faux pas and I really try hard not to but I gave you just a smidgen of mis-information. I told you that Matt and Roger would be racing against each other at Bonneville when, in fact, they were racing against the world record in two separate classes. The winner was judged on the performance of his motorcycle but, there was also a judging by a few “experts” as to who built the better motorcycle. This particular build-off was arguably the most amazing one ever. Both men built incredible, unique, one of a kind, custom motorcycles. These bikes were built mainly with only one purpose in mind. That purpose was to set a land speed record in each particular class. They both accomplished what they set out to do only Roger did it by smashing the record for his class which was modified frame. The old record stood at 109.2 m.p.h. Roger bested that by almost 20 m.p.h. It was just an extraordinary example of true genius. The guy just blows my mind. He wasn’t thinking about looks, he was only thinking about the task at hand. He built his motorcyle with only one thing in mind. That thing was how to go the fastest he could without being foiled by the racing conditions. When you ride at Bonneville, you have to think SALT. How to keep from wrecking your machine while performing to the max. That’s an incredibly difficult thing to do.
Matt went out and as usual he pushed his comfort zone. Matt is a perfectionist as is Roger. Matt decided to go with a Vincent. He called it the Black Shadow because Vincent had originally named that model the “Black Shadow”. He used an engine built by Steve Hamill. Steve is known as the very best at building this type of engine. The engine alone had a price tag of $85,000. That’a a lot of beef jerkey to most of us but Matt is known for using only the very best everything when he builds a motorcycle. The Vincent was no exception. He said the engine “was worth every penny”. Matt uses a guy named Andy Palmer to build all of his tanks. When you see Andy work you can see why. The guy is an artist at what he does. He is a pretty muscular man and after seeing the process he goes through to shape a tank you understand why. It takes a long time and a lot of pushing and pulling to fabricate one of his tanks. It turned out that Matt thought 10 inches wide would be the right size for the tank. When Andy finished, Matt felt it was too narrow and that 12 inches was what was needed. So, Andy went back to work and 12 inches turned out just right. Matt used a 1950’s Vincent rolling chasis front end. He built a rigid one off rear end. He topped the tank off with a solid brass gas cap. The motorcycle was black with a few graphics but, that was about it. It had great wheels and was built for speed. The paint job on Matt’s bike was done by Air-Trix paint shop in Santa Barbara California. He did use Verigated gold leaf and a Vincent logo. The painter mentioned that Verigated gold leaf was one of Johnny Chop’ s (r.i.p.) favorite touches. When complete, the motorcycle was one kick ass bike and ready for the salt.
Now Roger, as I said, really blew my mind. His shop is up in British Columbia. He took a stock Honda dirt bike and used it as the basis for his build. He did as far as I could tell almost all the fabrication himself. The guy is an absolute perfectionist. He made the gas tank as the frame dictates. It turned out really funky looking but, as Roger said “it’s gotta feel right”. He fabricated his own aluminum fender designed to protect the bike from the sand and made it out of aluminum to keep things light. Light=speed. He used carbon fibre wheels for the same reason. Carbon fiber is very strong and very light.
Roger made the trip over to see his painter on an amazing speed boat. It seems that besides having the same first name, he and Roger Bourget have at least one similar interest. They both love fast boats. Roger’s painter is Jerry Ashley. Roger wanted a very natural paint job with the name Experimental on it. The name speaks for itself. There was a bare aluminum curved radiator Roger used for his machine. Jerry decided that the motorcycle needed a skull painted on it. He did that and when Roger saw it, he politely told him it had to go. It was refreshing to see someone actually want his motorcycle to be as natural as possible with less instead of more. Minimalist if you will. Jerry removed the skull. Roger said ” the art must match the curves”. He wanted bare aluminum because he felt it would slip through the wind. The build was for speed so, kind of makes sense.
Roger did run into a problem. This motorcycle was so different he needed another motorcycle to get the engine going. You’ll never guess who showed up to run the other bike. It was hugh King “the chopper king”. He even had the x-bike which Arlen and the boys built for him in “combined genius” Hugh got his “face time” and more importantly got to rub elbows with Roger Goldammer. Well, even with Hugh’s help they couldn’t get “experimental” to turn over. Roger had to call in some help as the motorcycle needed a new ignition coil. They got it to run inside the time limit so next stop was Bonneville.
The bikes were inspected at Bonneville to make sure they met specifications and were safe. Both bikes passed muster. The deal was to run two 3 mile races with the third mile being clocked for the official speed. As I said, Roger broke the clock. I mean beating the exisiting record for his class by 20 m.p.h. is tantamount to hitting a 650 foot home run. Truly amazing. Matt’s bike passed muster as well. He was in the unique position of being guranteed a world record because he was the first person to ride in his class. In other words Matt fabricated his own class. That’s pretty amazing if you think about it. The man built a motorcycle in a class that had never been tested for speed before. The class was another Matt Hotch original.
Well Matt took off and was doing about 100 m.p.h. in third gear when his motorcycle developed a pretty serious front end wobble. Matt did exactly the right thing and called it a day. In his own inimitable low key way he said “that’s what racing is for”. You find out about problems and fix them.
The performance of the motorcycles and the “experts’” opinions resulted in Roger Goldammer winning the BBO and Matt Hotch coming in second. It was the first time Matt didn’t win a BBO. As fate would have it Roger’s bike was his entry in the Artistry in Iron show in Las Vegas just a short time later. Roger was the two time defending champion and this time he didn’t win. To sum it all up, these two are about the best our industry has to offer for sheer talent, artistry, imagination, execution, and the way they represent themselves and the industry we love.
Bravo — I loved it — Beach
Matt Hotch vs. Roger Goldammer
October 30, 2006
Absolutely AMAZING! Bonneville Salt Flats… TWO World Records! More to come… Stay tuned.
Beachcruiser Presents- The Family Jewels
October 30, 2006
Hey,
I have been telling you about something new coming to the Beachcruiser.
GET READY FOR THE FAMILY JEWELS-ONLY AT THE BEACHCRUISER.
STAY TUNED
BEACH
A1 Cycles Sweeps Two Biketoberfest Custom Shows
October 30, 2006
Michael Beland For Immediate Release
561.784.2992
www.a1cycles.net
A1 CYCLES SWEEPS TWO BIKETOBERFEST CUSTOM SHOWS
Local motorcycle shop’s big victory
Biketoberfest was a busy weekend for the A1 Cycles crew, entering and winning the two hottest bike shows in Daytona. Friday’s Boardwalk Show and Saturday’s Rats Hole Custom Bike Show were both a success. Friday the A1 Cycles team entered three motorcycles and came away with two firsts and a second. Saturday’s show also went well with the first showing of the twin-engined bike named “All In”. It was the crowd favorite and the judges named it best overall in class. “We already have our next outrageous bike planned” said owner Mike Beland after accepting the prestigious Rat’s Hole trophy. “I cannot say enough about the people who helped on this insane project. Accutronix, Renegade Wheels, T.P. Engineering, Fantastic Finishes of Palm Beach, Chuck Llewellyn Pinstriping, Pro Tube Frameworks, Pingle Enterprises, Vee Rubber, Independent Cycle, Inc., Drag Specialties, Chewey’s Exotic Skins, Mike Goldrick, Miguel Torres, Alexia Cotter and the crew for assembling this bike in 8 days time. I couldn’t have done it without any of these people. Thank you all.” More of the company’s work can be seen at www.a1cycles.net.
Rats Hole Winner Two Headed Monster
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If you would like more information on A1 Cycles or to schedule an interview with Michael Beland, call 561.784.2992 or visit www.a1cycles.net
More Tommy Graves Pics
October 30, 2006
Tommy is so generous he sent us some pics of “Smackdown”, his MetricTV bike. We’re looking forward to more great stuff from Tommy so keep checking us out!
Tommy Graves Customs
October 30, 2006
We know there are a number of family members with an interest in metrics. So, we’ll be doing a short series featuring some up and coming metric builders. Some of these builders will be featured on the Metric Revolution TV series.
The first builder we are taking a look at is Tommy Graves. We met Tommy briefly while we were out in Vegas and he’s a great guy. We don’t have a whole lot of pics but here are a few to get you started.
Check out Tommy’s website at Tommy Graves Customs for more info.
