Interview on Design Assembly

Here is an interview I just did for the folk at Design Assembly... in which I spill some beans about the whole Head Full of Snakes business...

designassembly.org.nz

(Photo: Self portrait of Stuart and me at the Ilam Press at about 2am in the morning while printing issue #3)

New Norton Seat

Here – finally!!! – is the new seat for my Norton. This has been a long time coming. About 5 years ago now I bought another Commando seat off TradeMe with the intention of using the pan the make a slimmer version. Earlier this year I gave that seat pan to Marty Winders (who made the T150 breadbox tank fit my Thruxton) and he cut it down for me, welded new sides on, made up new brackets, and painted it. He did an amazing job and got it sitting just perfectly I reckon. I then shaped the foam using the old original stuff and passed it onto my secret upholsterer. I'd been thinking about using leather for this (still dunno if that's a good idea?) and he had some lying around so I went for it. I spec'd up the diamond pattern for him and within a week I had it back.

I was gonna take this bike to the Smash Palace Bike Show but a couple of things prevented that happening, and in the end I think it's good I didn't cause it's nowhere near 'done'. If you've been following this at all you'll know that this seat is actually supposed to go with the Hi-Rider tank I got out of India last year (which I mentioned here). I've been super busy lately and also Marty went to Philip Island Moto GP so the tank didn't get done in time for the show. I'm not at all worried though, cause I'm keen for it all to get done right. And the seat I can surely say I am fucking happy with! I'm really liking the rear end of the Norton now, especially when you sit on it – I love how low, tight, and skinny it all is, without being/looking overly customized. I had been worried that that long rear loop in the frame should have been cut off, but I'm actually strangely happy with the way it all looks now with the new tail light and seat.

2nd Annual Smash Palace Motorcycle Show

So yeah the show was yesterday and it was pretty damn good. This video here about covers it... it's by Jonathan Mackie. I took some footage actually, on my new Go Pro, but turns out there's more to them than point and shoot and my footage sucks. It's all shaky for a start, and then with the wide angle lens my bloody fingers are always in the shot!? Anyway thankfully someone else was on it.

You'll see a very brief moment in this of us (well actually it was Malcolm and Bad) running our Head Full of Snakes stall. It was pretty great, we sat there in the shade, drank beers, and sold shit! Sold a bunch of mags, sold left over t shirts from the Melbourne launch (these sold out before we even had our signs up!), and then sold heaps of the official t shirts for the show which Smash Palace had printed just this week. They came out real good and can still be purchased at the bar if you're keen.

Great day in the sun!