Irish motorbike and scooter show Every other year, bikers find Nirvana at the Irish Motorbike & Scooter Show in Dublin, Ireland. Everything that has anything to do with bikes can be found under one roof, with plenty of non-stop outdoor action and entertainment — from Speedway racing demos, madcap antics of Isle of Man riders, the Purple Helmets, Ireland’s top stunter Mattie Griffin (5th in the World Freestyle Stunt Championship), to an extreme stunt display by International Trials rider Steve ‘Showtime’ Colley, who incredibly manages to strut his stuff whilst giving the audience a ‘wired for sound’ running commentary at the same time! Why was I there? Ace Cafe London sponsored awards for a loosely based Mods n’ Rockers competition, and Mark Wilsmore (my other half) was invited to help judge the custom bike section of the show of machines especially built for the Irish qualifier of the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building, to be held at the annual Sturgis rally in August. The AMD winner was Don Cronin for ‘Medaza 500’ (Medaza being Cork slang for something really cool), but you’ll have to go to Sturgis to see it! As the show was so well-attended, and overwhelmed by people jostling for space, it was impossible to gain ‘pole position’ to photograph everything mentioned above, so I concentrated on the ‘Ace’ element, the winners, who will be guests at the cafe for this year’s Ace Cafe Reunion in September, including accommodation and meals. John Kerr of Sun Custom Leathers won for his customised Triumph Bonneville, and recalled buying the bike 15 years ago from a collector, saying that in those days one’s only chance of finding a rarer bike was to continuously read the Belfast Telegraph as soon as it hit the streets. John related, “She was complete but pretty clapped out, quirky and different from the usual USA tank/high bar Bonnies that some of my friends owned. I don’t think the bike had received any new parts since it had left the factory 16K miles ago, only some very basic DIY repairs. I loved the wide flat tracker bars, the low round tank and twin drum brakes. It was lanky and shoddy, but I could see its potential.” “Being a single man at the time, I began to strip it down inside the house and restored her to be a practical all-weather bike with stainless pipes, bullet silencers, rims, spokes and fasteners. The engine was stripped and rebuilt by Alistair Henry, builder of many of the Triumph classic road racers, the ones that always raced last at the Irish road races so that Joey Dunlop and the ‘fast boys’ wouldn’t have to worry about oil on the road.” “I fitted an electric ignition and a set of Mikuni carbs with belmouths, a belt drive and rear Fournales gas shocks, which I have since rebuilt after 100,000 miles and a few hard winters wear and tear. She lasted through four winters, managing the icy and snowy roads as well as any light and torquey bike could, and we both became a familiar sight locally since there were so few Triumph Bonnevilles in daily use, but eventually the frame got tatty and the engine was showing its stretch and strain.” “By chance I came across an advert for a complete ‘basket case’ cafe racer with a set of brand new Nourish 8-valve head, one-piece crank, 850cc barrels & pistons and low-down lift road cams. Knowing that if I managed to sell a rolling chassis and parts, the Nourish parts would be fairly good value for me, and I bought it.” “I took the Bonnie off the road, and whilst the unit engine was being rebuilt as an 8-valve 850cc, the frame, tank, guard and side panels were taken for painting to Maxport Painting. The bike was originally ‘Tiger Gold,’ and I was delighted to find the brilliance of ‘Candy Gold’ in their range. We discussed the way I wanted the black striping and I left them to it. They put down a few nice coats of Candy Gold and Candy Black and many layers of lacquer, and I was thrilled with the result.” “Timing the new cams proved tricky, as the crankcases had to be widened to allow the new barrels to fit. The standard back brake switch was always a weakness on rear-drum brake Triumphs, so a more robust one was sourced and an alloy plate was profiled on to it. A stronger, longer and wider reaching brake lever bar and robust rod holder and rod were all made special in stainless. Spacers were made to align the rear wheel in the custom made swingarm and a 3.50 alloy rear rim was fitted with a 130.70 Michelin tyre. The timing case was adapted for a pressure feed remote oil filter. The oil pipe work coming from the timing case, go to a stainless steel micronic oil filter underneath the battery.” “I never liked the single bar kick on the Triumph, so a bicycle pedal style one was fitted instead and the rubbers replaced by turned brass bars. The broader pedal is easier to swing with my leg. I think my right leg is twice the size, thanks to years of the old-fashioned kick-start!” “The seat was handmade by myself, using top grain cowhide, with the two tan stripes shaped to flow along the same lines as the black/gold on the tank. I also realised, that to get the best from riding with such a powerful motor, I’d need something more sufficient than the original drum brake and skinny forks of the 1971 T120, so I hunted down some modern looking USDs. The gold Ohlins that were readily available matched perfectly. By chance, I also found a nearly complete front end from a modern Aprilia RSV. The yokes were skimmed and fitted with a steering stem to fit the Bonnie. The yokes and bottom of the forks were sprayed black and to complete the street-tracker look, I made a front number plate from leather, choosing the No.7 as a tribute to my first hero, Barry Sheene.” “Although I’ve relaxed somewhat to a big cruiser for long distance travel purposes, British roadster bikes were always my scene, and I grew up being inspired by the Rocker forbearers and the real beginning of customised machines.” With the ‘Ace’ stand ably ‘manned’ by members of both the Vespa Club of Ireland and the Lambretta Club of Ireland, the prize for the ‘Best Scooter’ went to Marie Walsh for ‘Nurse Barbie.’ Keith Daniels, General Secretary of LCI said, “The club was formed in 1952, but that early formation came to an end in 1976 and lay idle until 1992, when some of the previous committee worked hard to get it up and running again.” Marie, a 33-year old ward sister at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin’s win was doubly well received, as the Ace Cafe Reunion weekend also happens to be her birthday, and she was still recovering from a recent stroke. Marie first got into Vespas about 10 years ago. She was doing a post-graduate course and needed transport, but she got a lot more than she bargained for! Marie said, “I got an auto Vespa and it was through this bike that I met my boyfriend Lee, who was running a scooter shop at the time. Basically, I took a wrong turn, saw this shop and thought I’d try it as I needed to get some work done on the scooter…I got a lot more than a service!” “Lee had long been customising Vespas and showed me that anything was possible. I really wanted an ‘old style’ scooter, the round shape of the panels is what really attracts me to 60s styling, so I went on a mission to locate an old one to restore. A friend found one for me on a farm in Italy. I was imagining a box of parts, but it actually looked like a scooter, the only thing was that when we turned it upside-down, a load of bones fell out! We could only think that an animal had crawled into the engine for shelter and had died there. Because of this the floor had rotted through, but apart from that most of the basic bits were there. I also found an old tax disc dated 1960-1969, so there’s a possibility that it had been off the road since then.” “Now came the restoration bit. My job was internet shopping for all the bits, which was a bit hit and miss with what arrived. Getting the floor replaced was a big challenge, the metal was so fragile than no welder wanted to touch it in case they damaged it, so eventually my brother who works in a chocolate factory discovered that one of his colleagues who is originally from the Philippines worked on old scooters, so ‘Nurse Barbie’ and the chocolate factory (sounds like a great name for a movie!) became well acquainted! The Nurse Barbie theme was obvious once I had chosen the Bubblegum Pink colour. I also did some research and discovered that in 1969 there was a nurse Barbie. The restoration took a year to complete, but as with all jobs like this, you just have to take as long as it takes.” “Whilst it’s not really the thing to love inanimate objects, I do love this little scooter. The first summer that it came together, we headed off to a rally in Holland. Everyone was apprehensive about me taking Barbie, but out of all the scooters that went, I experienced no problems, and the achievement I felt at getting there was amazing.” “The scooter is a Sportique 150cc, it starts first kick 99% of the time and has a top speed of 70 mph, and will keep up that speed all day. The eight-inch wheels leave it so close to the ground that I totally realise that it looks like a toy when heading on the motorway, but it’s one of those things that make people smile – whether they are laughing at me or with me, I don’t mind. The real Barbie is 50 this year, but Nurse Barbie will be 50 next year, so I hope to ride her to Italy so that she can get home one more time.”

Written by: Linda Wilsmore Date: Jun.25.2009

Interview with a Dirtbag Wot, no bike? Poll Brown: The original concept of the Dirtbag Challenge is to build a functional, road-going, rideable chopper for under a $1000 in under a month. It’s a simple concept. Conventional wisdom dictates that, to build a custom motorcycle, a person will spend a butt-load of money, take several months or years to build, or have someone else build it for him or her. Dirtbag wisdom suggests that you can build a custom motorcycle relatively cheaply and in a matter of weeks. I think it is still quite a challenge, and it will certainly test your ability, creativity and perseverance, but it is not impossible. Do you think you have what it takes to be a Dirtbag? PB: It’s not the Ivory Tower that you can’t reach. It’s at fuckin’ ground level, where anybody and everybody can attain it if they just want to put some time and energy into it. You don’t need money. You don’t need special tools. You don’t need a crazy amazing set of skills. People look at us and say, “I can do that, too.” And that’s exactly the point. The Dirtbag Challenge, in many ways, is not just about building a bike, but is about eschewing the elitist attitudes of our times. We live in a world where too many people believe that wealth somehow makes you a better person than everyone else; where people go into debt to keep up with the Joneses; where people idolize the rich for being rich. Even motorcycles have become status symbols, where the make of your bike and how much chrome you have determines your worth (or self-worth), and where motorcycle clothing and accessories are considered to be designer fashion. I like chrome or a witty slogan on a t-shirt as much as the next guy, but too many things in this industry have become out of reach for too many of us. Dirtbag is about bringing choppers back to the regular guy. PB: People look at bikes on TV, in magazines, and wot they see are $50,000-$100,000 motorcycles. They look at that and think to themselves, “I wish I could have that, but I can never attain that.” Choppers should be accessible. It’s a working class thing. It’s not about the [wealthy] riding around on fuckin’ chrome-plated jukeboxes. There is a place for that, and I encourage those people to keep doing that. But, [I believe], riding choppers is not about rich people, riding choppers is about working people. The Dirtbag Challenge is not about being an anti-establishment anarchist, nor is it about being an asshole, bourgeois elitist; nor is it about being a Berkeley tree-sittin’, vegan socialist. You might argue that the Dirtbag is elitist, too; but, by definition, it cannot be elitist, since it is about the common, working guys or gals. And while some events need a loose affiliation with altruistic causes like stopping global warming, or finding cures for cancer to attract people, Dirtbag doesn’t claim to be anything other than what it is. Dirtbaggers may not give group hugs and talk about their feelings, but they are not violence-mongering, extremist punks, either. Dirtbag is about people who are passionate about motorcycles, and who want something true and down to earth. Dirtbag is about being real. Not everyone can afford a custom bike these days, but that shouldn’t stop you from having one, if you want it. Dirtbag proposes that it is OK to build it yourselves. And they even offer an event to display your accomplishments and for you to possibly win a highly coveted trophy. Winning an award is great, but it is second to the satisfaction you get when you complete the bike and ride it for the first time. I have two bikes - one that I bought, and one that I built - the one I built gives me a prideful grin every time I ride it while the other just doesn’t. There are many people out there who are already building choppers, but there are twice as many who probably want one but didn’t know that they could do it themselves. PB: Because, you know wot, my whole life, since I was eight years old, all I ever wanted was a badass motorcycle to ride down the street, that’s all. I wanted girls to look at me as I ride past the bus stop or coffee shop. If we’re really honest with ourselves, what we really want is a fuckin’ badass bike that will make girls look at us. [Therefore], I built my own. In 2003, 40 friends assembled in Oakland to witness the first exhibition of a couple of Dirtbag bikes accompanied by tunes from a ghetto blaster and a couple cases of beer. In 2008, over 1500 people flocked to Revere Street in San Francisco to attend one of the year’s most exciting motorcycle events anywhere. They came for different reasons, but whatever the reason, most people left knowing that they were a part of something that was not contrived or spurious. This event is not exclusive to anyone or any group, the attendees hail from all walks of life, prominent Bay Area motorcycle clubs were present en masse and the parking area had no dominant motorcycle make or type. And contrary to popular belief, this event doesn’t require tattoos for attendance. You might want to bring some earplugs and a fire extinguisher, though. It’s hard to believe that the well-attended Dirtbag Challenge advertises only via word of mouth. It is a grass roots event where people just show up as if they were making some mystical pilgrimage to Graceland. Interestingly, the actual date of the event changes each year and the secret date is only disclosed a month prior — to keep the participating builders honest. PB: The event has pretty much grown on its own…I think that’s what the appeal is. People just showed up and did it. We’re just doing something that hasn’t been done for years. Maybe, we’re doing something that hasn’t been done in so long, that people have forgotten. The tagline on the website (www.dirtbagchallenge.com) for this year’s event is a clever alliteration, which sums up it up best: “Bikes Broads Burgers Beer”. What more could you want! The event is free; the burgers and beer are basically free (for a $1 or $2 donation); the bands are free; and the bikes and broads are free to look at, as well. The three bands that played were as eclectic as the crowd: a rockin’ surf band opened the event to the sounds of the Ventures and Dick Dale, then an all-girl AC/DC cover band pumped up the crowd with 80’s power metal, and finally a three-piece punk band kept the energy high until dusk. Sure the event had some obligatory vintage sidecar acrobatics in the parking lot, a few obligatory bikes on fire and the obligatory cheering to the sound of popped tires from the aftermath of the obligatory burnouts, but the main event was definitely the Dirtbag bikes, themselves. People huddled around each bike as if they were judges at the Kennel Club and they were taking photos as if they were the paparazzi. Whether they were edifying the bikes or criticizing them, I don’t know, but these bikes definitely raised eyebrows and electrified the senses. These one-of-a-kind choppers were named appropriately and uniquely: Overkill, The Bomber, Brown Rice, Slo Burn, Basher (see side bar). There has been some controversy because most of the builders use Japanese bikes as the basis for their creations. Some people were actually appalled when they got a closer look and realized these were originally Japanese manufactured engines. They assumed the sounds from the oft-homemade open pipes had to be from a Harley. They couldn’t fathom that a cool looking, hard-tail chopper could be anything else, but a Harley. Impossible! Well, sorry to break it to you, Laddy: Possible! Poll: After World War II, blue-collar guys would take regular motorcycles and strip them down and customize them to their own taste. They happen to ride Harley-Davidsons. People didn’t ride Harley-Davidsons in the 60s because [the bikes] were American or because they were tough, nor was that particular individual being patriotic. People bought Harleys back then because they were fuckin’ cheap and they could afford them. [Today], the situation is reversed. Harley-Davidsons are now the most expensive retail motorcycle you can pretty much buy. Myself and most of the people who build Dirtbag bikes, use Japanese bikes because we can afford them. It’s the only reason we choose Japanese. This year, the Dirtbag Challenge added a new element: each entry had to complete a full 130-mile ride to Alice’s to be considered in the challenge. The ride consisted of some freeway, some city streets, some unpaved roads, some twisties and some switchbacks to test the ride-ability and quality of the builds. In past years, builders only needed to ride their creations around the block to prove that the bikes ran. This year, almost a third of bike entries didn’t make it back and several bikes didn’t get two miles from Revere. Builders brought their tools and were making repairs and tweaks to their bikes minutes before the ride, and they were whipping out their tool bags at each gas station or stop. The assembly of bikes in the courtyard looked more like a Moto GP pit area than a motorcycle rally and fortunately, chase trucks were standing by and ready to pick up the failed machinery on the ride. PB: It was becoming a spectator event. People were showing just to do burn outs and other people were showing just to watch. And that’s not wot it’s about. People were building, not quite art bikes, but burn out machines. Bikes that just show up, make a bunch of noise and mess...and are not, particularly, functioning motorcycles. The eternal debate of art versus science (or functionality) is ever present in the Dirtbag Challenge. Since a chopper embodies both the ability to look good (or not) and the ability to get you to where you want to go (or not), a split in philosophies was emerging. As illustrated by the formation of the new rule this year, the future of the Dirtbag Challenge seems to be heading into a direction which might alienate many builders expecting to build an art machine to set on fire, but it might also peak the interest of many other enthusiasts out there who are looking for just this type of challenge. PB: In the custom motorcycle scene, there has been a confluence of cultures and therefore there is now a divergence of cultures. There is still a scene where people build show bikes, $50-$75-$100,000 motorcycles, that are rideable, yes, but not in practical terms. Then, there is another culture- and this much younger, newer culture within the custom motorcycle scene, [which] says your bike should be rideable. And to prove it, these cats literally ride across the American continent on custom motorcycles [to prove] that custom bikes can be cool, can be attractive to look at, but can- not just be ridden- but ridden hard. What we have tried to do and will continue to do is to make Dirtbag more of a riding event. It will hopefully be an event where you not only build a bike, but you’re going to ride it somewhere. I recently ran into Poll Brown at Munroe Motors. Poll immediately asked where my bike was. I told him that it was a bit chilly in the morning, so I had driven my car. He patted my shoulder, looked me in the eye, and smiling, called me a big pussy. As he turned, I read the back of his jacket, “Wot, No Bike?” PB: What we’ve done, hopefully, is to revitalize the original ethos of custom motorcycles. Choppers to the people!

Written by: Luis Baptista Photos: Walks With The Wind Date: Jun.25.2009

The Daytona Experience South Florida in March is usually very warm. Not so, this year. When I arrived in Daytona the beginning of the month, it dropped to the high thirties at night, and we were lucky if we saw sixty-five degrees during the day. On the plus side, it was incredibly clear and dry, like it usually is during a cold front, with nice cold dense air for the motor and incredible visibility. But, as I rode around Daytona Beach on my bike at night, the icy wind cut through the gaps in my jacket and gloves like a frosted meat cleaver, making the riding experience a little taxing. It also made for a lackluster showing of the usually scantily clad “Biker Babes,” though those hearty and daring enough to wear the obligatory net tops and bikinis, were sporting nipples that looked like they could cut glass! The police estimated that there were approximately 500,000 bikes in Daytona this year, and it is billed as the world’s largest motorcycle event. Of course most of those in attendance were the Harley riders, but it’s nice to see the growing segment of sport bike riders and the companies catering to them. I still have a difficult time taking the whole “Harley Scene” seriously, at least as far as “motorcyclists” and “motorcycling” go. These guys are riding around on some pretty pathetic vehicles, with high over their heads “ape hangers” that always remind me of infants, waving their arms in the air, trying to get attention. Then they have their feet up on the “highway pegs” mounted to their crash bars. I’m sure they think that they look very tough and cool, with their dew rags and cigarettes hanging out of their mouths, but to me they look like they’re ready for a Proctology or OB GYN exam! I’ve been going to Bike Week since the early 70s and in those days, you were hard pressed to find any sport bikes outside of the track, but today there are even quite a few vendors of aftermarket parts catering to the sport scene and tents for almost every make and model of bike in existence. So, I guess it’s like Jason Britton said to me last year; this is just “a celebration of everything two wheeled,” and as such, it’s still an interesting good time!

Written by: Chris Capp Date: Jun.25.2009

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