The motorcycles were as diverse as the visitors during the opening ceremony September 9, 2006, at Miami University Art Museum’s new exhibit, Chopped! Art of The Custom Motorcycle.
The exhibition was put together by guest curator, Natalie R. Marsh, Director of Exhibitions at Columbus College of Art & Design, with help from Ed Youngblood, traveling curator of the Guggenheim Museum’s The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition, and Bruce Mullins, bike builder and founder of Skunkworx Motorcycles in Columbus, OH.
Showcasing motorcycle builders from our local region, the museum has brought together a nice range of unique motorcycles from five states. From Led Sled’s basic “Whiskey Bent” to Steele Kustoms high tech “The Grand Master”, you’ll find each builder has their own style and definition of what a custom motorcycle is.
Builder vs Sculpter
One of the goals of the museum was to show the correlation between custom motorcycle building and the processes that a “tradtional” artist go through to get to their finished piece. Many times an artist will start with an image they see in their head and end up with something totally different in the end.
Bike builders may start with a certain frame style and just start adding and removing parts until it looks “just right”. Some may draw a design on paper to start and others go as far as using computers to aid in the design process. Some purchase all the parts and just put them together, while others feel they must fabricate everything from the fender to the kickstand.
Fabrication is the beginning and longest aspect of the build but the beginning of the end comes with the paint job. The paint is such an important aspect of the overall build that most, but not all, builders will have someone else paint the bike. Long hours and nasty attitudes are long forgotten when the parts are sent out for paint.
Form Follows Function
Years ago many bike builders would create an awesome
looking motorcycle, win many awards and throphys, but the darn things weren’t ridable.
To gain more respect from the biker community, today’s custom bike builder has taken a lesson from architectural designer, Frank Lloyd Wright who said, “Form follows function - that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”
A bike builder must have at least a small amount of knowledge in many different technical areas to be assured that once assembled, the motorcycle can go safely down the road.
Anyone could easly design a far out looking motorcycle, but lacks the skills required to make it actually work. And that’s the key to today’s custom motorcycle as a piece of art, it’s gotta look cool but rideability is an absolute must.
The History of Styles of Custom Motorcycles
Mr. Youngblood gave his view of the history of custom motorcycle styles with a speech and slideshow to an auditorium filled with museum members, bike builders and local bikers. (What a diverse mix that was!)
From yesterday’s bobbers to today’s street fighters, expierenced rider or not, you would have learned a few things about the many different styles that bikers have created since those first early day’s the Davidson’s created their own version of a motorcycle.
I have to admit, even though Mr. Youngbloods speech was educational, my favorite part was the question and answer session at the end. The builders answered questions from the geniunely curious museum members, some who had never even sat on a motorcycle, and local bikers like me, who didn’t want the day to end. I feel like I was a part of history, with so many creative and famous bike builders all in one room, all at the same time.
The artist side of me asked the builders if they had a hard time letting go of their babies after spending so much time building them. Bruce Mullins (Skunkworxs Custom Cycle) replied that it is very hard sometimes even if the time spent is short. Bruce said that he “threw a bike together” for a competition and sold it very quickly afterwards. He said he regrets selling it so fast.
I was also very curious about where the builders thought the future of custom motorcycles was heading. Pat Patterson (Led Sled Customs) said that he sees bikes going back to functionality. With Bobbers being so hot right now, sounds like Pat is on the right path.
One of the museum members asked what the cost of a custom motorcycle would cost. I could feel the builders squirming in their seats both from not really wanting to say what they charge, to just plain ole, you can’t really answer that question without knowing what the rider wants.
Go See The Motorcycles
The exhibition will run through December 2, 2006. The museum is really easy to find, just turn left onto S. Patterson Ave (where St Rt 73 dead ends when you get into Oxford) and it’s just down the road a bit.
Make sure you make the trip soon so that you don’t miss Chris Sullivan’s Yellow Jacket. It will be gone from the exhibition for a short time to appear in another competition.
The Builders and Their Bikes
Whiskey Bent - Led Sled Customs - Pat Patterson, Dayton, OH
The Panhandler - Skunkworx Custom Cycle - Bruce Mullins, Columbus, OH
Hard Body - Tuff Cycles - Tank Ewsichek, OH
F.A.B. - Hill’s Performance - Jeff Hill, OH
Yellow Jacket - Sullivan’s Custom Cycle - Chris Sullivan, Richmond, IN
The Grand Master - Steele Kustoms - Bill Steele, PA
Balzout - Revelation Choppers - Jason Barnhouse, WV
Aorta - Finch’s Custom Cycles - Ron Finch, MI
Mikes Killer XL - Amiot’s Chopper Works - Jim Amiot, OH
Related Links
Ed Youngblood’s Motohistory - Ed has a commentary about the opening on his news page. There are presently no exhibitions of the Guggenheim Museum’s The Art of The Motorcycle.
Miami University Art Museum - The Miami University Art Museum is located at 801 South Patterson Ave. in Oxford. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon–5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free, donations are accepted. For more information, call (513) 529-2232.