motorcycles tomorrow. new orleans tonight.

super sunday!

Visit Pinstripe Chris and tell him BikernetMetric sent you.

For you vintage guys, an artist's rendering of a Brough Superior S100.

And a shot from the movie 1984, starring some very rare Vincent Black Knights. Here is a clean studio shot of one:

Dig that. It was created by Nick at Metal Head Cycles. His website needs a little help, but there is a contact page and a link to his blog where you can see a few other things.

Speaking of other things....

Let the good times roll, motherfuckers!

friday's post of cool stuff postponed: too many serious things like THE BIKERNET "FREEDOM OR DEATH" METRIC BOBBER PROJECT

Drank beer with Matt of Working Man's Customs yesterday afternoon. Very cool guy. He's going to help with the XS650 bobber build I'm trying to complete by June 10 for the ROT rally here in Austin. He'll be doing the leather work and we'll be using parts from folks who have been profiled here such as Rock's Chops, Kilby Deuce and others. BikernetMetric is going to document the build and let everybody know about the cool machine shops, mechanics and more throughout the US, and especially the Austin area, that are doing great things with metrics.

Jeff from Saint Motorbikes wants to do something "a bit different" for this, because he wants it to stand out. We know it will! Even though we're going to go with a general Zero-style long and low look like his "Lightning" and "Saving Grace," I know it will be unlike any XS650 bobber you've ever seen, dudes. I can't wait to see what he puts together!

Right now Jeff is looking for the donor bike so if you know of a decent XS650 near in Maryland, shoot me an email at trent at bikernetmetric dot freaking com. Once he has the bike, he'll do the frame-tank-fender-wheels thing and then ship it to Austin for some local guys and me to tweak mechanically. We'll also add some nice touches from machining to paint, and we'll stand around Matt's garage drinking beer.

Lastly, we're going to throw a little party during the ROT rally to "unveil" the finished bike. We'll also document the evening's debauchery right here on BikernetMetric.

Keep your eyes open for it, metric men. It's going to be badass.

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The image below is from After Hours Choppers. This guy is a crazy dude but I like him. Look for more from After Hours here on BikernetMetric soon.

BIKERNET INSURANCE:

Bikernet has a serious gig going on with motorcycle insurance, guys. Marc from Bikernet Insurance wrote after Bandit asked if I'd put up their logo and a blurb for them here. I wanted to know what if somebody builds a custom using the VIN numbers from the donor bike and the custom is worth much more than the original bike? Is Bikernet Insurance able to properly valuate and insure that kind of bike, and repair it if it's damaged?

Marc from Bikernet Insurance responded. "Check out our article on special construction bikes here." He wrote that special construction bikes are their specialty.

Are you building a hot little metric bobber? Did you cut and weld the VIN from the old frame? How many hours did it take to build? Do you have receipts for your parts? Call Marc toll free at 888.467.8703 and tell him BikernetMetric sent you. Get your custom insured for what it's worth. Bikernet Insurance is run by bikers for bikers.

I'll have cool stuff today. Maybe. Mardi Gras already started in my home. For the Super Bowl, the woman who inexplicably loves me is preparing seafood gumbo, red beans and rice, mud bugs boiled with corn and new potatoes, and king cake. And beer. Turbodog beer. Find it and drink it and be glad.

I'd like to give thanks to Chop Cult, Chris at bikeEXIF, some other site I forgot because of the beer, and the New Orleans Saints. God bless you guys. It's been a great year to be your fan. Now win the Super Bowl and give us all a reason to let the past go.

some dude makes

and you should check him out >>

busy with world domination minutiae

"A little rebellion now and then is a good thing." - Thomas Jefferson in a letter to James Madison; January 30, 1787

interview with jeff of saint motorbikes

You know how it goes. You're drinking a beer and surfing the 'net. It's winter and gray everywhere and you can't make yourself drink fast enough to catch a buzz. Then KA-BLAMMO!™ You find something that makes you stop caring about a buzz because you suddenly have one. For me, it was when I found a Zero-looking Triumph bob the gentleman we are about to meet created and called "Saving Grace."

T: Thanks for doing this Jeff, what is the meaning behind naming your company "Saint Motorbikes?"

J: My Father was a special man, a minister in the church, an educator, a person who accomplished great things benefiting many people. He did it all while preserving humility and he never lost focus. When I see an image of a cross, or an angel or something, I always have a thought of Dad. I've had a hard hard time the last few years and the bikes have given me a way to be artsy like I used to be. I think they have kept me sane. Bikes & Dad. Saints to me. Saviors of me, I guess. Therefore, Saint Motorbikes. It's about being straight-up with people. I like older imagery and style. Saint Motorbikes fits somehow.

T: Wow, dude. I've seen too many bike builders with thunder this and venom that in the names of their businesses and their bikes. It's cliché. Nice to see that your bikes mean so much and are more than just a dick extension of what you think makes you badass. Speaking of what makes you badass, your bike, "Saving Grace" is a tribute to a bike from the movies. When I first found images of that bike, I laughed. It was the coolest Trump bob I'd ever seen. What bike inspired you to do a low, gooseneck Triumph?

J: I called it Grace because it reminded me of Grace, the bike in Ghost Rider, when I got it and mine was in serious need of saving.

Saving Grace, in a nutshell. If I had never seen a bike built by Shinya Kimura, I never would have made Grace. When I first saw his bikes I sat there for hours. First, the look in general; then looking at the weird and lovely details. I fell off the "this is how a bike/bobber/chopper is supposed to look" wagon. His earlier bikes had a very low stance, a gooseneck frame and were done attractively.

With Grace I wanted to go low and long with an exaggerated large frame tube, exhaust, tires and a petite center area. I wanted the look of go-anywhere-over-anything-in-the-way. The pipes are 2-inch .120 wall, as is the front frame section. The tires are car tires, 29 inches high.

T: I can't say too much about how I like that bike. As for the Original Grace, I never liked the look of bottom tubes when they aren't perfectly parallel to the ground. The frame you built for her is an attractive one, man. Have you any plans to manufacture frames, exhausts, tanks or fenders? What could a dude with some skill get from you besides an entire bike?

J: With Saint being more of a night and weekend thing, I do not seeing mass-producing anything. I have had a lot of people want me to make them a Grace frame, or a ribbed tank like Lightning, but for now complete bikes will be it. I started to line up something with a local builder that had all the neat digital benders and could tig perfectly, but he closed shop. Until I find somebody else with manufacturing capabilities that I trust, I'm not going to sweat it. It may come later.

T: I'm sure it will. What are you working on now?

J: I just did a super quickie revamp on a 750 Bonneville using the stock frame and swing arm. I kinda wanted to play with a cafe style for once. I liked it. It made me want to do another one and go off the deep end with it. I will soon.

I am presently finishing up a cool BSA chop/bob with history that I know. It will have an overall dark and black look like Lightning did in the body areas, but the motor and exhaust will stand out in raw metal. This one I did on high-mounted cocktail shakers, which I love, plus a girder front end. I ran the tank high, which I've never done, trying to be a bit different with this one. Most bikes I want to go as low as I can on the top frame tube.

I hope to be done with the BSA, "Redemption," before end the of February and have it for sale.

Next in line is a 1966 Triumph 650. It will be in stance, a more traditional deal. Stock rake, short fork, slimline Triumph tank. A good, classy bobber. It has a fresh motor, minimalist style, and will be a good go-anywhere-anytime bike, with class.

T: I like the black elements on the Lightning motor. Cafe racers are very cool. I've wanted a 1974 Ducati 750SS for many, many years. There is a huge CB750 cafe thing going on, as well as cafe builds for smaller inline twins and even thumpers. Do you plan to build a metric bike? Maybe a Yamaha or Honda inline twin?

J: Or maybe a 1978 four-cylinder Suzuki GS-1000 (laughs). Like I said, when I did the 750 Bonneville, I totally had fun with that style. After riding it, I was hooked. I must learn to build sexy swing arm bikes. This leads me to look at vintage cafe bikes, as well as street trackers, flat trackers, speedway-style bikes. I don't want to simply build a cafe bike, they are a single-purpose build and that purpose is to race. Instead, I want to do a cafe-influenced bike with a bit of a comic book style thrown in. One of my favorite cafe-flavored bikes is the Monkee Wrench CB750. The GS won't look like that, though. I'm thinking, "comic book racer meets Sin City." It'll be neat.

T: Yes, the Monkee's 750 is slick but I think they're overpriced. They want 30k for that bike. Must be nice to be that cool. I don't believe BikernetMetric readers can afford to be that cool, which leads me to another question: How much does it cost to get on a Saint?

J: Each bike is different. Donor bikes make a difference in price. I like to try to find bikes that have had engine rebuilds and I know the history of. Knowing this greatly reduces the cost of a build. The bikes I've done so far have been in the $7800 to $9900 range. I imagine for a wasted motor and transmission that needs a re-build it'll end up being a few thousand higher. Short answer is they are all different. Some are sold before I build them, some I build and put on eBay and throw the dice. I want to build bikes, not have them sit.

T: Ten grand for Saving Grace? You know what we say about 100% custom, badass, affordable stuff around here: FUCK YEAH!

J: Grace was actually less then that. It was not a complete build as far as some parts. The rims weren't redone and other little details. But yeah, it came out kinda not wanting to be polished & perfect. The wear looked good on some of the parts.

T: To your Zero influence of the bike; in Japan they call that Wabi-Sabi; the beauty of imperfection. I totally dig that, man. It's another thing that makes your bikes so real. You see many histories just staring at the parts that make them and the way they come together. "Saving Grace" especially seems to have many stories to tell. Anyway, before I get off on a tangent, how much did "Lightning" weigh?

J: I'm guessing about 380-ish. British bobber-type builds are light bikes. I mean, when you ride them, they can be thrown around like dirt bikes. Dirt, curbs, medium strips, whatever. These are light and fun bikes. The 45-degree raked ones obviously take a little more finesse, but they are still fun, light bikes.

T: Excellent. Do you know what kind of mileage your old Brit bikes get?

J: I'll take a stab in the dark and say 30 if you're nice to it.

T: Really? My freaking 1800cc v-twin gets more than thirty, and I'm rarely nice to it. You really do have to build an XS, man. Speaking of excess, you have another business. What is it?

J: I am a partner in Hot Rod Refinishers in Rockville, MD. We started a few years ago leaning towards old cars; muscle and exotic cars. Lately we've gone to more collision repair while we work on one or two project cars at a time. The shop is in a high rent area, high traffic, etc. It's hard to do old cars only and not go broke fast. I've done cars my whole life, 20-some years as a production collision painter, always having a night time thing of some sort to keep me varied. For years I had Bozi Boards, a longboard skate company. I'd love to start that again too, but its probably a ways off.

T: Longboards, eh? I know a few of our readers will be into that. Shoot me some pix of your best and I'll throw them up here.

T: Who are your Influences?

J: First; Shinya Kimura. He's a true artist. Humble, clean, good people. He will take weeks on a single detail and hand-makes about everything. He makes some of the coolest things I've ever seen. I like the rougher look, unfinished to a point, even when they are finished.

Second is Clay Rathburn of Atom Bomb Customs. His bikes are at first glance very minimal and functional and petite. Then you look closer and realize this silly bastard has made or remade every single part. He makes everything beyond perfect and still you can ride the wheels off of it, as it should be. He likes dirt bike front ends and those design clues. He's blended them perfectly to Brit bikes and this style is starting to show up more and more because of Clay. He is a stand-up, hard working, comedic guy; nothing short of the best.

Third is the internet and the Jockey Journal. I used the net endlessly to research how-to's on mechanical issues. It saves my butt in the middle of the night when I need a diagram, it makes me friends in other countries, it's wonderful. Jockey Journal is a wealth of information on bobber, chopper, and vintage building. It is a site for builders and tinkerers. It has the mother of all Brit bike picture threads. It's Brit and American bikes, maybe some Euro bikes. but no Jap bikes.

Also, Chop Cult has recently popped up and seems to have a good base of people. It's a bit more socially welcoming and open to Jap bikes as well as the normal.

T: Normal? Dude, you trippin'. If we was normal, we wouldn't be here.

J: Yeah. The net lead me to see the bikes that influenced me. It's lead me to meet and become friends with many people. It is an invaluable tool and it keeps you honest. The internet is a very small world for somebody that screws somebody.

T: In this industry, it sure is. I've been into the Zero style for about seven years. That's what first attracted me to your Saving Grace and Lightning. It's easy to see the influence there. Clay at Atom Bomb is a friend of ours as well. His stuff is so freaking clean, as you say. I'm also a big fan of the Jockey Journal. I cruise by there every once in a while to see who is building what. Some great tips and builds in those parts. Chop Cult is very nice. You're right, they aren't only about American-made v-twins or only Brit bikes there, like some places. They're definitely friendly.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

J: I want to have a piece of land in the desert. CA, NM, AZ, maybe FL. Someplace warm with an Airstream trailer and a big shop building next to it that houses an art studio and metal work spaces and a living room. My kids lean toward the arts with photography and such. I lean towards mobile metal. If they come, I'll guess there'd be more trailers.

I am worn out on high mortgage, high shop rent and insane insurance rates. In 10 years I want to be disconnected from a mortgage or renting a shop. I want to minimalize. I want to not have to make a lot of money just to have none left. I want to only need to do things I enjoy and if I make a few dollars and some happy people, that's great.

T: I'd stick to Arizona or New Mexico, man. Them hurricanes suck. My brother and his wife left FL for that reason and moved to a 'burb south of Phoenix. You know my Katrina deal. I'd be back in New Orleans if I knew the levees were done right, but they're not. Regardless, BikernetMetric is going to do its best to see your dreams come true, Jeff. Thank you so much for taking to time to let us all know a little more about you and your amazing motorbikes.

Now, about this XS650 I just landed...

J: XS650's are the bomb. I want to build one bad. It'll come.

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Visit Jeff's website at saintmotorbikes.com and tell him you found him on BikernetMetric!

i have friends!

Yay for me! And you!

Cochise County Choppers. Dudes. Build an XS!

Working Mans Customs. Killer leather work. Matt and I are drinking beer later this week at my bar, Casino el Camino. We'll see who can drink more. Okay. We all know it's me....

All right guys, I've got a nice post coming with Jeff from Saint Motorbikes later tonight and then I may be off for a few days. I need to focus on the blog redesign for bikernetmetric.com and I've been putting it off because I like writing and talking to all of you more. But I gotta. Even though I've got another interview coming up, this one from Jon and Nate at Ardcore Choppers that I've got to fit in. I'll just have to man up and get shit done.

Damn. No way anything is happening on Sunday or Monday, due to the Saints kicking some Indiana redneck ass in the Super Bowl and the huge bender I'm going to go on... wait. Isn't Ardcore from Indianapolis? Isn't Peyton Manning from New Orleans? A conundrum! This will be fun!

So come back and flip through the old pages. Everything that is the underground metric bobber revolution got going on November 16 at BikernetMetric. Come and rule the world with us!

I know, there's a post about a sportbike back then and some crap about some overblown Yamaha chopper painted in a million tribal colors but you see the first cool XS bobber ever on this site that same day because I know what is really happening.

Bandit's warned me, "don't fuck with the majors." But the majors were minors once and that's us now, motherfuckers. Until we're rich, fat and old, I'm going to be the metric mofo! See if you can kill me! Mua ha ha ha ha!

REVOLUTION!

The poll is over and I want to thank everybody who voiced their opinion. It was the best turnout ever and by far. I will promise you all this: No crotchbike bullshit, no five-thousand dollar paintjobs on 300mm tire "choppers," no chrome stuff that you glue on, and no hippy fucking alternative fuel crap. When we run out of gasoline in 20 years, we'll stab yuppies in the face and steal what's left in their SUV, making their women our sex slaves. They'll love it. Bow chicka wow-wow.

Besides, mortal enemies are fun. They keep you on your toes.

FREEDOM OR DEATH

You bastards also like classic stuff, so I'm going to post this cool pic from ZZ Chop and tell you to go there for a ton of great vintage things.

Peace off!

saint motorbikes and working mans customs

I really love you guys. No, I'm not saying that because I'm drunk. Okay, maybe I am but give me a break because I'm meeting some great builders and parts makers and because I can see the future, I can see that it's yours for the taking. It's the underground metric revolution, motherfuckers. It's cheap, simple, beautiful and honest.

(wipes tear)

How many miles per gallon does a hotrod XS650 get? Forty? Fifty? Depends on your wrenching capabilities but man, our state governments ought to give dudes riding these bikes a tax exemption for being efficient.

One douche in a four-wheeler yapping on his cell phone: 10 to 25 mpg.
You on a badass bobber in the wind, flipping him off: 40 to 50 mpg, maybe over 60.

And some say bikers aren't environmentally conscious.

All right. Poetry corner closed. I am going to do everything I can to see that you all make a happy living doing what you love. All I ask is that I get to do the grafix for your TV shows, 'cause you know that's where this is going. Then everybody will get rich and fat and stupid and the fad will wear off and we'll sit around the garage drinking beer reminiscing about that time when...

...and that girl who...

Poetry corner out-takes. Sorry about the technical difficulties.

Until we give birth to what we hate, I offer love. First is:

Saint Motorbikes.

Those pipes kill me by the way they flow with the frame. The simplicity of taking a line and following it multiple times. What excellent motorcycle design.

We're working on a great article for BikernetMetric with Jeff of Saint. I love all you guys, but I think his bike, "Saving Grace" is the best Triumph bobber ever. Check it:

Stupid beer. Now give me a hug. Awwww.........

Today we got a new member. FUCK YEAH. Matt is in Austin and is a pretty wicked manipulator of leather. His company, WorkingMansCustoms, has created custom, hand-tooled saddles, grips, bitch seats and more for award-winning bikes. Dig it:

These guys are the best at what they do. We're proud to profile them here on BikernetMetric. They are part of our plan for world domination!

vote in the poll!

Your opinion only matters until Sunday at midnight.