Myself and a friend (fellow motorcycle enthusiast) started a club called the Grease Coqs approximately six years ago (COQS, French for Roosters). We built our own bikes, then rented a warehouse space where we continued to work on them. We then took on a couple of customers. After being ripped off for thousands of dollars by a dodgy client we went back to working on our own bikes (and cars, old pick up trucks). These are a few of the bikes, some design pieces based on the 'club' & hand drawn typography I created along the way. I still love motorcycles!
My pride and joy; 1979 Yamaha XS750 that has been heavily modified. Dual front disc brakes, braided brake lines, custom fiber-glass seat, 3into2 custom exhaust, black and gold paint job, clip on bars, new gauges, new tyres... and a lot more little touches.
Dad life... moving from a Ducati 1098S beast to the old Yamaha XS750.
The might panthère that I built and raced around Broadford Raceway.
hand stitching a leather seat cover, shaping the foam, getting the sizing right and attaching brackets to the frame were a new, but enjoyable challenge.
Current project: converting a 1989 kawasaki ninja zx10 tomcat into a naked street fighter. a long way to go with this one. new seat on its way. new gauges and front disc brakes are sitting in the garage. definitely don't have as much time for projects as i used to!
Early days of riding motorcycles:
My first bike was a Kawasaki 60cc dirt bike my dad bought me when I was 8. He was a keen motorcyclist so we would go to the local dirt track and to a family friends farm and spend afternoons riding around in the paddocks.
My first bike was a Kawasaki 60cc dirt bike my dad bought me when I was 8. He was a keen motorcyclist so we would go to the local dirt track and to a family friends farm and spend afternoons riding around in the paddocks.
when i moved to Melbourne I bought my first road bike to get to and from university & around Melbourne. It was a Kawasaki ZZR 250. Being on a full driver's license I could move onto a bigger bike after 6 months.
i moved onto a 2008 model Triumph Daytona 600cc, a great bike with lots of torque in low to mid range & good top end speed. didn't need a lot to get the front wheel up :)
i moved onto a 2008 model Triumph Daytona 600cc, a great bike with lots of torque in low to mid range & good top end speed. didn't need a lot to get the front wheel up :)
The first bike I bought off the showroom floor was a 2012 model Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R special edition. I loved it! It was a bike that wanted to sit on higher revs, a bike that was more of a pure sports bike. I enjoyed doing day trips up to kangaroo ground and finding fun winding roads on warm days. I had it for several years until unfortunately it was stolen. I learnt the hard way that motorbikes are easily stolen and full comprehensive insurance including cover for theft was necessary. Being in my early twenties $1,200.00 a year was more than I could afford.
it wasn't longbefore I was fortunate enough to be in a position to move onto my first super sports bike, a 2012 model Ducati 1098s. The jump from 600cc to 1100cc took a bit of getting used to. a bike with 150bhp that weighs 180 kgs is a lot of power to have between your legs! I quickly got used to it and had a great time!! It had a carbon fibre termignoni exhaust system and was a bike that was really suited to track days. It was a handful around the city, but amazing on the open roads.
When my wife got pregnant with our first child I toned it down and moved into the world of modified vintage motorcycles. A lot less risk on bikes that are happier to sit at lower revs, lower speed, & a nice way to meet people through the several clubs I became involved with.
Fun hanging with mates, going for a spin, stopping for food and talking everything motorcycles.
PS. Wear your protective gear GUYS! Its not a matter of if you'll come off a , but when you'll come off a motorcycle. In my case I have been taken off my bikes twice. In both cases it was the fault of drivers who took no notice of what they were doing. on both occasions (as always) I had full protective armoured gear on and was able to walk away. ride defensively as if every driver is out to get you and you'll be fine.
Happy riding everyone!
