Sometimes to see into the future you need to look to the past and that is exactly what The Gasoline team have kept in mind with this custom Mercury Build - The Retro.
Sydney Motorcycle Show
Did you know that The Sydney Motorcycle Show is coming up this weekend?
Well, you do now and just to note: attendance is more or less compulsory for anyone reading this. As a general, non compliance to show up will be accepted based upon a very specific and short list of excuses. With all this cleared; on behalf of the entire Gasoline team we look forward to seeing you all there and hope you have a fantastic day checking out all the sights and sounds of the show.
P.s - We've supplied an amazing bike to NSW Transport's #RideToLive campaign, so make sure you check them out and put your safe rider knowledge to the test.
Om nom nom
In order to facilitate the expansion into some cheeky food and beverage shenanigans, Gasoline Motor co has been undergoing some minor remodelling of our Alexandria compound. One downfall of this being that the site has been left with a temporary corrugated iron facade that was looking a little slum’ish.
So, to rectify our predicament, the task was outsourced to the very capable hands of local artist Hules - who managed to work his magic and utilise the uneven surface to his advantage, resulting in some super rad retro tattoo flash inspired street art.
Feel free to come down to 88 Bourke Road Alexandria and enjoy this dope-swagger art work as the background for your next Snapchat selfie - and whilst you're at it, check out our impressive range of bikes and scooters or why not book in a service if you feel content with your existing two wheels.
Hungry?
In accordance with Gasoline's rate of growth - a speed which is comparable only to the expansion of the observable universe. We are proud to announce our intentions to become Sydney's latest but foremost greatest purveyors of food and beverages.
Stay tuned to gas blog for further updates or simply subscribe to get all the info you need delivered directly to your inbox.
R nineT squared
Regular readers of Gas Blog may recall an update from early September pertaining to not just one but two R nineT’s that are currently being simultaneously customised here at Gasoline
These two bikes were brought to Gasoline by two very different people and as a result, the direction that each build is destined diverges to say the least. With one owner opting for a vintage cafe racer feel and the other a more contemporary approach with a street roadster inspired build. Despite the different paths each bike is taking - they do share one modification which is an obvious requirement for any R nineT, the forks;
Beyond all logic and reason as to why anyone would want gold anodised forks is without explanation yet alone the fact that someone at BMW thought that it would be a selling feature. Therefor, the logical solution to right the wrongs of BMW’s design team is to remove and paint the factory inverted gold forks to match the colour scheme.
Be sure to stay tuned to gas blog for further updates on all Gasoline custom creations or if you would care to embark on a similar project with Gasoline, don't hesitate to give our showroom a call on 02 9698 4433 - alternatively email through some details to info@gasoline.com.au and we'll endeavour to get back to you faster than a cheetah on heat.
The Street-500
Released late last year, the Street-500 is Australia’s first learner legal market place contender by Harley-Davidson since the Sprint-350 was in production during the mid seventies.
This particular example came to Gasoline with some relatively simple requests, to make it stand out and to let it be heard. In an attempt to complete Harley-Davidson’s self described Street-500’ Café Racer aesthetic qualities, some of the largest Firestone Deluxe Champion tires that the Gasoline team had ever handled were procured before coming to the sudden realisation that the new tires in question wouldn’t be a simple swap onto the original rims. After brainstorming a couple of potential solutions to the problem at hand - a decision was made to enlist the help of some friends from across The Pacific in the fabrication, machining, lacing and painting of an entirely custom set of Harley wheels capable of accommodating the Firestone’s girth. Once fitted, some minor detailing to the likes of the battery box was required “another oversight” to help acclimatize the wheel set to its new Australian home.
Following the successful beginnings of this Street-500’s transformation, a one of a kind stainless steel, slash cut, high temperature heat wrapped four inch exhaust was pieced together and further complemented by a Screamin' Eagle air filter, this Harley undoubtedly acquired its signature rumble to which most of its bigger brothers are known.
Other finishing touches “not however stating that any form of modification is ever complete” include some new handlebars which at seven eighths of an inch come in a little smaller than most other Harley-Davidson dimensional specifics, a rear end tidy up, some new blinkers and an assortment of minor pieces and trim painted black in assimilation to the bikes scheme. The Street-500 is an awesome machine for both learners and the experienced alike, furthermore, we here at Gasoline loved working on this project and hope to see many more Street-500's in the future. If you have any questions or would like to embark on a similar project with Gasoline, don't hesitate to give our showroom a call on 02 9698 4433 or send through some details to info@gasoline.com.au
Falke Custom Braaap Mercury
"Falke" Custom Mercury.
Tank resprayed Gun Metal Grey, Custom upholstered seat, rear end tail tidy including guard removed, bullet indicators, round retro tail light with neat number plate mount. Top triple tree clamps removed then sprayed and handle bars replaced with lower cafe style clip on bars. A smaller blacked out headlight was sourced as well as smokey lens black indicators as well as a small speedo installed and tachometer removed. The Air box has been removed and a fabricated box made to house a smaller battery relocated up under the seat leaving that bare stripped back hole between the engine and the rear tyre. Lastly the header exhaust pipe was wrapped and a new shorty slash cut muffler put on. Come in to Gasoline to chat about what you can do with your new Braaap Mercury.
Heritage Softail Harley cruise
Last night a couple of the guys at Gasoline jumped on the Heritage Softail Harleys for a Night ride to La Perouse then back along the east coast to Bondi for a feed at our favourite burger joint Bondi Tony's. It didn't start to plan with a massive storm sweeping over as we were about to leave. Luckily after the decision to wait 30min the rain cleared and we were ready to ride minus a few riders deterred by the rain. It was relatively smoothed sailing from there, getting a clear run all the way to La Perouse and back to Bondi whilst enjoying a pretty wild display of lightning on the horizon. The wet roads were no match for the oversized Hog's that griped with ease and we arrived at Bondi Tony's with Hungry stomaches and a thirst for a cold beer. The next ride is already in sights leaving from Gasoline. Stay tuned on the Facebook for details. Photos: Nich Zalmpy.
Lucille – Rod’s BMW R80
Looks can be deceiving, and that certainly is the case with this bike. Sure, it looks great from afar, but once you take a closer look and learn a bit about it… you’ll love this bike even more.
Rod got his bike licence the day he was old enough, but an all too familiar tune sang from his mother as she declared a bike was “never allowed under my roof!” so as all good sons would do, he secretly purchased an old 250cc and kept it at a mate’s place.
Inspiration for a bike build can come from any source. Rod’s inspiration for his 1978 BMW R80/7 came after reading his grandfather’s war diary. Flying a Lancaster bomber over Germany during WWII, his grandfather’s aircraft was named ‘Lucille’ and flew 24 missions. “The diary was so graphic as to what these young guys went through, on both sides I’m sure. I wanted it to represent each side of the war; the German BMW with the vintage English styling, just to pay my respects.”
“My grandfather’s war diary was just so overpowering to read, all of what they went through. As soon as I found out his bomber was called ‘Lucille’ I just had to pay tribute, and to think of doing 24 missions and to not be shot down in such horrific enemy fire was a miracle.
The diary even had what looked to be dried bloodstains on a page, which just boggles the mind. My Grandfather was shot through the leg at one point after a round went through the fuselage of the plane when under enemy fire. It was just surreal to read.”
The homages on this bike don’t end at Rod’s grandfather however, as he includes inspiration from the lady in his life to the detailing. “My girlfriend is Japanese and I wanted to include her, so Neo Dutch did the Japanese tattoo artwork on the gas cap, top triple and BMW badges. The brass ring on the tank strap was hand beaten by an old Japanese swordsmith we met on a trip to Japan in old Kyoto. He saw photos of the bike and loved it so much he donated the ring; and he even signed it for me.”
By now you’re getting why the more you look at this bike and learn about the work done to it, the more you’ll love it. The fusion of different styles and inspirations on this bike do not clutter or clash at all, but sit in perfect harmony to create an aesthetically beautiful and unique bike. A young girl named Renee Matthews from Luddenham in Sydney did the seat and leatherwork. Saddlery is a dying art, but Renee carries this tradition on with amazing style and talent. Another key feature of this bike is the unique copper plating which was done by Astor Metal Finishes, and is an immediate talking point about this bike.
The connection to this bike isn’t just emotional and historical; it’s also very physical. “I have always just loved the freedom of two wheels. You feel more connected to the machine you are with; and ‘Lucille’ is definitely not an easy bike to ride. She has personality and you need to get to know her and her quirks. I love that feeling of connection. You just don’t get that with an off the shelf mass-produced clone. Sure, they go faster and brake harder, but there’s no soul to connect with in my book.”
“The trickiest part for me about this bike was definitely shimming the gearbox. I did it myself and had to redo it more times than I care to mention, but we eventually worked out our differences and she ended up co-operating after much discussion!”
The hard work and multitude of people that both contributed in making this bike was it is and inspired it’s nature it something that truly makes it a special build. A special thanks to Jason at Gasoline Motor Co who played a big part in getting this bike running and on the road. “I love just looking at her and seeing all the different aspects of my life come together in such a beautiful single form”
A very special thanks to Matt at The Grifter Brewing Co for letting us use their space, and for making such tasty beer!
The Custom BMW R nine T movement
Gasoline has just taken delivery of two BMW R Nine T's and commissioned to build the next most talked about cafe racers in the Australian Custom bike builders scene.
Gasoline is going to attempt to simultaneously custom build two R nine T BMW motorcycles at the same time for two separate customers from two different worlds.
There has been talk around the workshop that this will be two of their most technology induced custom builds taking BMW road bikes to the next level.
The look and feel for one machine is very much a typical cafe race style with a modern edge, whilst the other inspiration will be incorporating a sleek road racer feel... without giving away too much.
Both of these machine will be naked but wearing Gasoline.
Keep an eye on our Blog for updates and the custom builds page: http://www.gasoline.com.au/custom-build
