Gidday from New Zealand

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Gidday to you all,

Well I have been looking at this site a bit over the past week and decided to join today (Sunday the 2nd of December 2012). Boy, there are some very talented builders here... very envious of the skills :mrgreen:

Anyway, I thought I'd jump straight in and introduce myself. My name is Glen and I currently live in a place called Kerikeri at the top of the North Island of New Zealand. I moved here in March 2011 from my home city of Christchurch. My friend/flatmate was planning to move up here and I had decided to go too, so when the big Earthquake of February 2011 hit, the plans moved forward and we were here just a few weeks later.

So onto bikes... having been a member of hot rod clubs in the 1980's and 90's, hot rods and customs have always been an interest. I think you all will know that once the bug has bitten, it's bitten for good. So even though I could not afford to build a hot rod (car) these days, I decided sometime in 2009 that it need not be a car, so I thought I would do a motorbike. I have always been keen on bobbers and choppers, but the style I like most is a cross between the two, what I call a bopper. However, I still could not afford it, so I thought of going smaller and ditching the motor... a bicycle.

With my limited skills... which currently does not include welding... I gathered parts and put together a few bikes up until the decision to move, at which time I began selling them off. At the time of the quake, I only had one left and it came with me to Kerikeri. I sold that one about 9 or 10 months ago and have been bikeless since, having just now suddenly got that itch back...

The other day I went to the Warehouse (NZ's version of Walmart?) and grabbed a "bike in a box" that was on special for $80 and put it together. Coincidentally, it is a very similar colour as that last cool bike I sold (green). However this one is not that cool at the moment. I will alter a couple of easy things like seat post and handlebars to change it a bit. Parts are much harder to find up here compared to Christchurch.

Anyway, that's enough for now. I will put up some photos directly into posts when I find the best places and/or when required, but in the meantime, you can see them all here... http://www.glentimms.com/Bikes

Cheers,

Glen.
 
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Welcome to the forum Glen. I really like your "Sun King" and "Goose", I've always liked grey and yellow together 8) . I understand exactly what you're saying about bikes, it's easier and cheaper to work on them. Plus if you're like me, you can still build a collection even if you live in a 2 bedroom flat :lol: . I grew up around vintage and mildly customised motorcycles because of my Dad, his mates rode some beautiful AJS and Vincent machines. Dad was always a BSA man back then though, he still has a '60 Golden Flash. I never got a bike license anyway so cannot ride which is why I started a custom bicycle build :D

Will
 
Thanks Will,

That build you are doing...

http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=63328

...is so cool. I had an old BSA bike a few years ago. Don't know what year it was, possibly from the 1950's. It was a bit of a "barn find" but rode really well. I sold it to a big black American dude... it was so funny watching him ride it away... but he loved it.

Cheers,

Glen.

Edit to add... forgot to mention that Goose was originally going to be called People Eater and be painted purple with yellow. But I liked the grey primer and just left it and changed the name to Goose. Glad you like it... I hope it is getting a lot of use from it's new owner.
 
Welcome! Cool bikes! I don't think I could part with any them :lol:
Some innovative handle bar ideas, and the wheels really make the bikes pop
 
Welcome to RRB.
When you were on the South Island, did you ever make it up to the Oamaru Cycle Works? My wife and I drove all over your wonderful country back in 2010.
Here are some photos that I took from Oamaru.
:arrow: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50922&hilit=+zealand
Nice work on your bikes!!! Look forward to your first RRB Build.
How about send me some Crunchies!!!!
 
kingfish254 said:
Welcome to RRB.
When you were on the South Island, did you ever make it up to the Oamaru Cycle Works? My wife and I drove all over your wonderful country back in 2010.
Here are some photos that I took from Oamaru.
:arrow: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50922&hilit=+zealand
Nice work on your bikes!!! Look forward to your first RRB Build.
How about send me some Crunchies!!!!

Ha ha... got the taste for hokey pokey did you?

No I haven't been to that shop in Oamaru... Great photos. It has become the "steampunk capital" down there I have heard. It's a couple of hours drive south of Christchurch. I saw in the thread you linked to that Dman is in Christchurch. He is right when he says it's pretty stuffed there. I went back down to visit my brothers in October (NZ Labour day holiday weekend) and was amazed at how lost I was with all the landmark buildings gone.

When I built the bikes I had no idea that other people were doing them too. I just wanted something different and cool and could not afford a hot rod or bobber so a bike it was. I never even thought to search online for hot rod bicycles. Actually I was on dial up internet back then so didn't do much serious interneting at all.

I wonder if Dman has seen my old bikes around the (messed up) Christchurch streets.

Cheers kingfish,

Glen.
 
MplsCoaster said:
Welcome! Cool bikes! I don't think I could part with any them :lol:
Some innovative handle bar ideas, and the wheels really make the bikes pop

Thanks... yeah, I think handlebars and wheels are real important on a bike.

Cheers,

Glen.
 
LukeTheJoker said:
Hello from across "the ditch"! (Aussie/New Zealand joke for those not in the know.)

Love your builds, in particular the Mantis... Green, stretched, what is not to like?

Luke.

Thanks Luke,

Yeah, Mantis was actually surprisingly nice to ride. Not bad too considering it was pretty much bolted together... I only needed to get a wee bit of welding done on the BB area.

There is sooo much to see on this site it is quite mind boggling. I expect I'll see your bikes on here somewhere eventually :?

Cheers,

Glen.
 
Glen said:
Thanks Luke,

Yeah, Mantis was actually surprisingly nice to ride. Not bad too considering it was pretty much bolted together... I only needed to get a wee bit of welding done on the BB area.

There is sooo much to see on this site it is quite mind boggling. I expect I'll see your bikes on here somewhere eventually :?

Cheers,

Glen.

I think you might like my current build Glen... Check it out at :arrow: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=65514&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
 
LukeTheJoker said:
Glen said:
Thanks Luke,

Yeah, Mantis was actually surprisingly nice to ride. Not bad too considering it was pretty much bolted together... I only needed to get a wee bit of welding done on the BB area.

There is sooo much to see on this site it is quite mind boggling. I expect I'll see your bikes on here somewhere eventually :?

Cheers,

Glen.

I think you might like my current build Glen... Check it out at :arrow: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=65514&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Like it!!! I love it!!!

I was thinking of doing one a couple of years ago using one of those space saver type car wheels... I reckon the shape of those tyres are quite cool for a bike.

Your build is awesome...
 
Glen said:
Like it!!! I love it!!!

I was thinking of doing one a couple of years ago using one of those space saver type car wheels... I reckon the shape of those tyres are quite cool for a bike.

Your build is awesome...

Yeah, been thinking about them space savers myself, they are readily available these days and fairly cheap, nice curve to the tire in most cases too!

Luke.
 
Dman said:
Hey Glen! I have indeed seen some of your creations around the town - in fact, my good friend Mike bought your Sun King! Awesome machine!

Wow... that's really cool. Does he ride it much? I really miss Sun King and Goose the most. Next time I am down in Christchurch to visit my brothers (which might be ages away due to lack of money), perhaps we can meet up?
 

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