 Liza Miller, her shop-doggie Bosley and her '79 XS750 Street Tracker  12 badass women riders from around the world, riding Pakistani-made Honda CB150F's. We are so totally stoked and proud to be interviewing a towering pillar of the motorcycle community today, Liza Miller! Between founding and operating the co-op wrenching and riding community facility Re-Cycle Garage out of Santa Cruz, (read more about that in this blog post) and both producing and hosting the Motorcycles and Misfits podcast, Liza has helped to attract and develop new riders and wrenchers to the scene for years. But wait, there's more! What you may not be aware of are Liza's ongoing outreach rides in Pakistan, that she refers to as Chickistan trips. These women-oriented rides allow her and her crews of badass lady riders to connect with the women of Pakistan on a personal level and to introduce them to an aspect of life that they might not get to experience otherwise. Women on two wheels!  Norman Reedus and the Re-Cycle gang I highly, highly recommend tuning into the Motorcycles and Misfits podcast and rummaging around in their archives. It's an absolute treasure trove of information and joy for anyone interested in motorcycling. They get some pretty cool guests too... Just ask Norman Reedus, who spent some time with them during the first episode of his recent Ride with Norman Reedus tv series. * Editor's note: Insert shameless plug and link to my interview with Motorcycles and Misfits here. Our portion begins at the 1:09:25 mark.  Liza, Bex, Naked Jim and myself after my interview on Motorcycles and Misfits We first met Liza and a couple of her cohorts, (the lovely Bex and Naked Jim) at The One Moto Show in Portland Oregon back in February, when Liza invited me to be a guest on the Motorcycles and Misfits podcast. Now, not only was the interview itself a blast, but Little did we know what an amazing person Liza would turn out to be and just how thrilled we'd be to have met her. Every once in a while, you run into someone that has a big ol' heart and just shines light out into the world. Liza Miller is one of those people. It's our honour and privilege to be able to bring a bit of her personal story to you here today. So let's get to it, here's Liza!
 Liza Miller, (centre) WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SUPERHERO NAME? LIZA WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO? PASSION FOR MOTORCYCLES AND HELPING PEOPLE. Okay, so here's the big one. Can you give some background and details on your Pakistan women's ride program? What led you to do it in the first place and how you made it happen, why do you keep doing them? In 2014, some friends of ours had just come back from this crazy moto adventure to Pakistan. I invited them on our podcast to talk about the trip and explain why in hell they would choose to go there. I, like many people, was under the assumption that Pakistan was a flat desert country, full of dangers for Americans. After interviewing them, and then later that year meeting the organizer of the trip, Moin Khan, I decided that I would be going there for myself. the following year. About the 3rd day in, I realized that no one was going to kidnap me. The people there were extremely nice, and very curious about us. And the country. Wow, just wow. Pakistan is a country of mountains, valleys, rivers, deserts, glaciers and forests. The roads were sometimes challenging, (in a fun way) and sometimes like a perfect racetrack. I knew I had to go back. But the next trip was going to be different. I decided I wanted to create an all-women's tour for a few reasons. The first was to get access to the women of Pakistan. Traveling with Moin and the other men, we didn't get much exposure to the Pakistani women. I knew taking a group of women would give us this access, to interact with the women and learn more about their lives, and I was right. As we arrived in a village and started walking around, the women would first peer out windows and doors, but then realizing we were women, would emerge into the streets. First just staring at us from a safe distance, but then one woman would usually break free and approach us with an outstretched hand and a smile. The others would soon follow, often times surrounding us on all sides. It was awesome.  Liza Miller, (top row centre) on Babusar! The other reason was to be an example and show that women can ride motorcycles. Although it's not illegal, as many people assume, it's just not socially acceptable for Muslim women to ride. But this is changing, and there's a growing number of women breaking free of societies expectations and throwing a leg over two wheels. I've really fallen in love with Pakistan. The people, the terrain, the food and the roads. I'm already planning a Chickistan trip in 2019 that's going to be even more awesome than the last one. And if anyone is interested in going on an adventure to Pakistan, go to www.ridethekkh.com for more info. *Editor's note: I love everything about this. I was going to use the information as background, but I decided that what Liza had written was so awesome that it needed to be included in the main interview itself. Thank you Liza!  Liza's tasty '72 CB750 What was the best thing to happen to you due to poor life choices? Again, I can't think of a poor life choice I've made because I put the energy into making that the right choice. What’s in your shop right now that you’re thinking about? 06 Kawasaki Concours project. I'm thinking of cutting off everything I've fabricated and going in a different direction.  Where does she get those wonderful toys?.. Anything hanging in your shop or office that gives you joy to look at and what’s it’s story? I've got about 1000 toy motorcycles I've collected over the years that are on display in my garage and podcast studio. They give me joy to look at. What was your most annoying fuck up or brain fart? Nothing. My policy is to not put time or energy into making a decision. Instead, I put all my energy into making my decision work. What was the last thing you did that made you swear later? cant think of anything. I'm pretty well planned out and easy going, so I don't find myself in that situation often.  Everyone should have an Evel Knievel suit like Liza! What has been your favorite client moment so far? I love it when someone that I initially taught how to ride and wrench has now surpassed me in both. Makes me proud. Got any heroes or role models? can't think of anyone. Evel Knievel maybe? But I can't say he's a good role model. What would you like to see more of in the custom world? I love seeing builds using challenging and uncommon bikes. We've got some local guys doing really rad stuff with 90's Honda Shadows for example. * Yeah, those 90's Shadows are surprisingly adaptable platforms for custom builds. Check out our offering to the Gods of Speed in this blog post here! What would you do with one million dollars? Buy a house with a garage mahal.  Norman Reedus feeling some Re-Cycle love! What was your favorite glory moment? So many. Getting on tv (Ride With Norman Reedus), putting together an all women's moto adventure through Pakistan that created bonding friendships. What’s your next adventure? Cross country trip this summer, and then back to Pakistan again next year. Tell us anything else you want us to share for you. I think we (motorcyclists) have a responsibility to help new riders and wrenchers out. I wish there were more people doing what I do to help build a community through motorcycles by teaching and sharing. * Amen to that Sister, testify!  Liza chewing up some road And there we have it true believers. As you can plainly see, not only does Liza truly have her poop in a group with a healthy dose of humility, but she's one of those unsung heroes that just keeps on sharing the joy and kicking ass! One of the most rewarding parts of what I do is to be able to introduce amazing peoples like Liza Miller to a new audience. Tales like hers are out there just waiting to be shared, The kind of stuff that the major publications tend to pass over. Individual and alternative aspects to the world we all ride through and love. We live to bring you those stories. Liza, her friends and people like them make this world a better place every day. Keep on being awesome Liza and don't be a stranger, we all can't wait to see what you get up to next. Thanks for sharing your story with us today! 
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 Jay Donovan of BareSteel Design; Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows  Manta Cafe Racer, BareSteel Design; Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows To all the older guys fretting that the passion for custom builds and vintage platforms will die out with them, I present to you today, the answer to your prayers. Jay Donovan, of BareSteel Design, out of Victoria, BC, Canada! Jay has been earning himself a lot of success and exposure lately, largely due to his gorgeous Manta Cafe Racer, featured at the Buffalo Chips show in Sturgis last year, curated by photographer Michael Lichter, and invited to the Motor Bike Expo in Verona Italy in 2018. It's always a treat to be able to showcase some local talent and Jay qualifies in that area in a huge way. Getting his start in collision repair, before moving into the world of custom motorcycles full time, Jay has displayed a mastery of metal rare in such a young professional and just keeps on raising the bar.  A meeting of the minds; Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows We missed connecting with Jay at The One Moto Show in Portland Oregon a couple of months ago, but we've been watching his work for a while, so it's our absolute pleasure to have him with us as a guest today. Another recent guest of ours, "Hoarder" Joe Allan, requested that we interview Jay and had a question for him as well. You'll find it in the Q&A down below. We're going to tell you all right now, this man Jay Donovan is a thinker. During final edits this time around our spellchecker lit up, with repeated suggestions to use more concise language. Yeah, stuff that. Let the man talk. So without further ado, bring it on Jay!  Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows Who are you and where are you from? Jay Donovan from Victoria BC Canada (shop name is BareSteel Design) What’s awesome about you and your life? Anything awesome about me comes from the wonderful life and family I was born into. My amazing parents, siblings, and friends have made me an incredibly lucky individual and given me the amazing opportunity to take my life in any direction I should choose. * I'm gonna interject right here and point out how awesome it is that Jay recognizes and proudly acknowledges the help and advantages he's derived from his friends and family. Nothing wrong with having support in what you do, we should all be so lucky, and it's pretty rare to find such genuine gratitude these days. Good on ya Jay, way to display your positive character and bring the class!  All I wanna do is zoom zoom! Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows What do you think you do? I like to believe I am making pieces of kinetic art. Sculptures that can be admired purely through their static form and then ridden and interacted with on a personal level. Blending art and engineering into something worth more than the sum of its parts. I hope to fulfill my own artistic ambitions by building completely one of a kind motorcycles, from as close to scratch possible, as well as enjoying the creative challenges in customizing existing platforms of many different styles and budgets. What was the best thing to happen to you due to poor life choices? Yet to be fulfilled, even though the beautiful irony is seen. Will keep you posted  Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows Why do you do what you do? I began developing my metalworking skills to pursue a higher level of quality and craftsmanship, knowing that those skill sets would allow me the creative freedom to make anything I could think up. My love for Automotive Coachbuilding and the history of the men who would build a vehicle from scratch and then drive to Le mans, or any such race, to push themselves and the car to their limit, created the seemingly perfect process for attaining the highest satisfaction in creation. While the practicality for myself to be building one of a kind vehicles is quite low, Motorcycles returned to my life as a brilliant, more interactive, and even more artistically challenging, platform where chassis, Components, Body and rider must all interact in such a visible manner . How did you wind up where you are? Wonderful circumstances of life. Beyond those, the programs and instructors at Victoria HIgh School created significant opportunities that led me to my Auto Body Repair Red Seal ticket, which led me to Metal shaping and fabrication. Bringing me full circle to using those skill sets to connect with people, through creative passions, that I can only assume are there through wonderful circumstances of life.  Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows What was your favorite glory moment? I have had a few good ones so far. Being selected have my bike shown in Italy, during Michael Lichter's show, was certainly one of the highest, but it seems no matter how great those moments feel, the memories of the process and struggle are a stronger reinforcement to my best moments than the moments themselves. * Jay was a featured builder at the Old Iron - Young blood exhibit, Curated by Michael Lichter, at the Buffalo Chip Event Center in Sturgis in 2017. This led directly to his being invited to display his Manta Cafe Racer at the 2018 Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy. What was your most annoying fuck up or brain fart? Too many to count. I seem to be very drawn to things seemingly out of reach, making for a constant state of discomfort with what I am trying to complete and a standard that will hopefully always remain higher than my capabilities, i.e. large scrap bin. What was the last thing you did that made you swear later? Nothing specific comes to mind, but deciding to try and make a living building customs motorcycle pretty well covers it. :) * Editor's note: Gonna go out on a limb here and just say that I think Jay's gonna do okay on that score...  "Hoarder" Joe on his first bike * We ask each guest who they'd like us to interview in the future and what they'd like us to ask them. This next question for Jay was courtesy of "Hoarder" Joe Allan, from Joe's interview with Killman Customs. "Ask him if he has considered doing a small engined custom bike, maybe based on the popular Honda C70 or C90 or even a small two stroke like a Yamaha Twin Jet 100." Yeah of course! I have actually had some vague plans to do a small cc bike for a while now. Its an engine that I absolutely love the look of, but not quite as small as a 70 or 90. As for what that engine is, I will have to make you wait and see until I actually have one in hand! * See Hoarder Joe's interview with Killman Customs by clicking here !! What’s in your shop right now that you’re thinking about?  Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows I recently picked up a sport bike that had been laid down last season, luckily leaving the rider unharmed, but allowing for a good deal on the bike. I have been discussing the idea of collaborating with a brilliant designer Tamas Jakus, of Jakusa design out of Hungary, for a concept of his I fell in love with after seeing it on Instagram. That is something I will be sharing more of soon on the socials, as well as an entirely scratch built design of my own creation, that I have been working on for some time now, which will also start taking form in the near future.  The pic of Jay's uncle making do! Anything hanging in your shop or office that gives you joy to look at and what’s it’s story? The projects themselves are always nice to look at, but I must admit I don't form too much sentiment for the bikes themselves once completed. There are two things I keep close in the office and impactful reminders. One being a comical birthday card from my Sister which reminds me that some of the negative associations I have connected to money overlook all the good that can be done with it and what true positive value it can have. The other is a Photo of my late Uncle with his old Suzuki completely torn apart in my moms living room. Much like the origins of many great automotive companies today it reminds me of how much can be done with minimal resources.  What has been your favorite client moment so far? Prior to motorcycles I completed the body and paint work on a chopped and channeled 1930 model A, owned by a local gentleman. I spent two years of evenings and weekends to get it done. My natural curiosity and hope to make an impact led me to investing all the knowledge and skill I had to offer, making the car he had thought up and put so much work into, the best it could be. Seeing the level of satisfaction from the owner as the car came to life, and enjoyment he has gotten from it and will continue to get for a long time yet, is something that is still with me today. More than likely reinforcing my own desires for building custom, individual tailored machines.
What would you like to see more of in the custom world? The custom motorcycle world is an industry not based in necessity but rather a usually expensive means to create diversity. During the 14 and 1500's the infrastructure in Florence, Italy created a healthy and booming middle class giving rise to many of the most historically treasured artists we cherish today. I would just like to see more of the custom industry in general. To see more people able to afford the money or time to diversify themselves through creativity.  Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows What would you do with one million dollars? I would help my family, so that they all have as much help possible to pursue their passions and goals. I would like to create a platform where I could fulfill my own growth as an artist and custom builder, while helping to contribute and grow the community of people who share values as well as a love or simply an interest in motorcycles, creativity, or the social company of one another. To provide knowledge and shop resources to curious people looking to grow or learn new skills, while still having the opportunity for my own outlet would be my ideal set up. * Editor's note: Smart answer, you're still in the will. Also, where do I sign up? And somebody give this man a million dollars already!  What’s your next adventure? Enjoying taking part in the events and community that go along with this craft. Next on the list Is taking my bike to Austin Texas for the "Handbuilt Motorcycle Show" this April. If anyone knows a good shipper or is heading down from the northwest with some trailer room, let me know! * If you get caught short Jay, we have a trailer hitch and are easily swayed... Tell us anything else you want us to share for you. Stay Curious!  And there you have it folks. Another Killman Customs interview with a talented and promising builder. Jay's perspective on custom motorcycles as functioning pieces of art is one that is near and dear to a lot of the very best. It's absolutely a point of view that will serve him well in his future endeavours. If there's more like Jay on the way up, the future of custom building is in safe hands indeed and we look forward to meeting them all and watching the magic happen!  Photo by Jason Shultz @shifting_shadows On a side note, I made it a point to watch the movie Jay recommended earlier, "About Time". Not necessarily what I was expecting from a metal magician, but well worth a watch. Just don't let your hairier-knuckled compadres catch you and be sure to stock up on tissues first. Thank you Jay Donovan for sharing your thoughts with us today. It's been great getting to know you better and I think we can all agree that we look forward to watching what should be the long and rewarding career ahead of you!
 Joe at 16 with his new 1970 Yamaha DS6 250 Today is going to be a real treat y'all, we're coming at you with Joe Allan, veteran racer and bike builder out of Lake Cowichan, on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada! Welcome back everyone and thanks for tuning in to another Killman Customs interview, where we not only take a more intimate approach to the giants of the vintage and custom scene, but we shine a little light on the unsung heroes too. *You can click on any of the pics to make 'em bigger and don't forget to check out the photo gallery of bonus shots at the end of the article !
 Joe, wife Shelley, Daughters Fawn & Masika and son Kurt In addition to Frankensteining up a long, long line of wonderful two wheeled toys, Joe and his lovely wife Shelley have found themselves the time to raise a beautiful family. Joe's son Kurt is now 29 and a Red Seal Motorcycle Tech and Millwright in his own right. With his two daughters Fawn and Masika and three grandkids to boot, Joe's got a lot to be proud of! He's One of those old school talents that doesn't see a lot of mainstream fanfare nowadays, but he keeps putting out solid machines year after year.  Dang, but do they ever grow up fast! When the daddy bulls like Joe start talking the smart money listens with their ears, not their mouths. He's probably been wrenching on bikes longer than many of us have been alive, and has probably forgotten more about them than a lot of folks ever knew. So sit back, relax and soak in the fun! So let's get to it and hear from the man of the hour himself, Joe Allan! * For the easily confused, (looking at you Scooby-snax): when the Q&A starts between Joe and I, text in orange are questions and italicised black text are answers from Joe. Orange Text following a * would be me flapping my gums to bring you all a little background and color commentary, in case folks need some context to the conversation. Who are you and where are you from? Joe Allan, born and raised in Northern Ontario, moved to BC in 1968. Got any nicknames and how’d you get ‘em? "The 750 Guy" as the result of a strange phone call late one night, years ago. It started with "Are you the 750 Guy? I got a 750 Honda I need to get rid of and I gotta be outta town by tomorrow!"  Hoarder Joe's business card... The result was me and my seven year old son picking up a basket case 750 Chopper at a run down 4-plex that night, as the caller made sure no one saw us arrive. The Bike was completely apart, all over the kitchen, mixed in with dishes etc. It was pay the man, grab all the parts, and leave. No more than 15 minutes total... but it came with papers! Lately my family has been insisting that I am "Hoarder Joe", due to my accumulation of bike related stuff. That's what my business cards say now... I take it as a compliment.
Took it home and tore the bike apart. Traded the Druin for a Suzuki Water Buffalo 4LS front wheel. Still got the motor.
Winning a seat in a local gov't election, held it for 22 years. * Now that is not an answer I get everyday. Good on ya for serving your community Joe! What do you think you do and where do you do it? I think I'm a mechanical guy and I've managed to do mechanical stuff as a career as well as a hobby. Why do you do what you do? I really enjoy it, I like building and fabricating motorcycles. Almost as much as I like riding them. * We also asked Joe about a few of his other fave machines and he brought us the love in spades!  The little Honda 50 I built for grandkids. It has an electric start C70 motor in it, an extended swingarm, rear tire off a rototiller and a SuperTrapp pipe. The trailing link front end I built using a batch of scooter parts, mixed with stock Honda stuff.  The CB350 I built for my son when he was 11 yrs old, the frame is a piece of exhaust pipe bent 60deg. The frame is also the gas tank and the motor hung from it. The swingarm uses one Suzuki 750 front fork as a shock and the front end is a CR80. The motor was bored to accept Kawasaki 440 Pistons, head was planed to the valve seats. Colt Cams in Vancouver made the custom cam. It runs H2 Kawasaki carbs and is fired by a belt driven 90,000 volt magneto, from a Mercury outboard motor. The compression is 14 or 15 to one and it runs on 80% Alcohol and 20% Nitro. My son was really light and it went very well. * Editor's note: I'll just bet it did!  Current project: CB750 Plunger frame Brass Chopper What was the last thing you did that made you swear later? Waited a month to get 4' of custom cloth covered spark plug wire, rushed out to the shop and cut it into four equal pieces... Problem is the two coils took different sizes. Swear and go back and order another 4'. * Yup, brain farts can totally suck. What’s in your shop right now that you’re thinking about? Finishing the CB750 Brass Chopper, (when I get the plug wires), the 1966 HD Aermacchi 250, 1972 CL350 and a 1967 CL77 305 Honda. Got some small Honda S90's to find parts for, more long term.
Favorite motorcycle-related story? Kenny Roberts flat track win and Mike Hailwood's return to the Isle of Man. Who do you want us to interview next and what do you want us to ask them? Jay Donovan of BareSteel Design. Ask him if he has considered doing a small engined custom bike, maybe based on the popular Honda C70 or C90. Or even a small two stroke, like a Yamaha Twin Jet 100. * Jay Donovan's interview with us, and his answer to Joe's question, will be coming your way real soon! What’s your next adventure? Going to The Isle of Man TT Races 2018, got a place to stay near the track :-) Thanks for sharing your story with us Joe, it's good to know there's guys like you in the mix and we're looking forward to hearing all about your adventures at The Isle of Man TT! Over the years we've actually had the pleasure of dealing with Joe quite a bit. More than a few of the bits on one of our upcoming projects came from his private parts stash. In addition to being a hella nice guy, he's an amazing source of vintage bike lore and manages to turn up with the most frustratingly awesome finds. Hell, we even scored an old Goldwing from him recently. He's a straight shooter and if something's not right he doesn't fart around, just gets the job done, with no excuses. What we're trying to get across here is that Joe Allan is one of those solid dudes that the motorcycle world is built on and we're happy to have brought him your way. Check back in regularly here, and on our Patreon page, for more in depth interviews. You really don't want to miss this next one!  Bonus round, A few more of Joe's builds from the wayback files!
 Josh Allison on his build, the legendary Dead Pan. Seriously, just LOOK at this fucking thing!
In case you're unfamiliar with the gallivantings and bona fides of one Mr. Josh Allison, we have a little list of some of the awards he's brought home. This boy is SOLID!
 The Dead Pan - built by Josh Allison You may have heard of some of these awards. You may also need a fortifying beverage to finish the list, without having to seriously rethink some life decisions. I recommend Booker's. One for each hand. For those of you seeing the man and his work for the first time, you're in for a real treat today. Josh really brought the love in this interview and then he followed it up with an avalanche of amazing images. So without further ado, let's hear from the man himself, Josh Allison!  Who are you and where are you from? My name is Josh Allison. I’m a custom builder from Greeley Colorado. My shop is Cry Baby Cycles. I specialize in metal shaping, restorations, full builds, fabrication and design work. What's the story behind the name Cry Baby Cycles?
 No lie, I wanna have the Dead Pan's babies Got any nicknames and how’d you get 'em? My wife used to call me Chatty Cathy because I talk too much!! Lol!! What’s awesome about you and your life? Well, I think it’s pretty awesome that I get to build vintage bikes and cars for a living! I’m also very lucky to have a badass wife and son that support me and have been my biggest fans. I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I do and be a part of this industry!
 How did you wind up where you are? I got my first dirt bike when I was 7 years old. I stuck with it, then got into racing and eventually FMX. In my early twenties, I started to custom paint my helmets and that led to a small custom paint shop. One of my customers gave me a 1980 Honda CB750. I started to build my first café racer out of it and it was my first riding experience on the street. My building skills were very limited at the time, but I was in love with the whole thing and wanted to grow my abilities. That led me to WyoTech, a trade school in Laramie Wyoming.  Black Gypsy - built by Josh Allison I took Street Rod, Advanced Street Rod, ASM, Collision and Refinishing. I learned how to TIG weld and some basic fab skills - I fell in love and knew I wanted to be a custom builder! After graduating, I worked at several hot rod shops over the years and was building bikes on my own time after hours. That led to me opening up my own shop nearly ten years later. And here we are!  What was your most annoying fuck up or brain fart? On my 1969 BSA build, the oil tank tabs I made broke at Sturgis during a ride with Roland Sands and crew. I realized on our first stop and was able to hold it on. As soon as I got back to camp it fell off! LOL! No one knew but my buddy. It would have been super embarrassing. I didn’t fully weld the tabs and had no rubber washers or anything. It was a big mess up, needless to say I learned an important lesson.
 Black Gypsy - photo by Michael Lichter What was your favorite glory moment? Boy there have been a few. I would have to say David Uhl painting the 51 Panhead I built, “The Dead Pan”. I couldn’t believe it when he called! Also, getting the call to be a Born Free Invited Builder. The TV show build off Wrench Against the Machine. That was a crazy experience! And finally, Michael Lichter shooting the Black Gypsy.  Winning build - WATM S01E04 * Anyone that's seen Wrench Against the Machine episode 4, (and if you haven't drop what you're doing and go find it) knows how fortunate it was that Justin Webster, of J. Webster Designs out of Gainesville Florida, brought Josh to the party. The concept behind the show was three days to build a bike with a budget of $3000. The winning teams would take home the trophy and the other team's bike. In episode 4 the surprise goal was to turn a 1977 Suzuki GS550 into an Easy Rider inspired chopper and while Justin has a ton of experience and finesse with vintage Japanese metal, making this machine into a chopper was not in his wheelhouse. Enter Josh Allison. The man literally has old school biker in his blood. Hell, even odds that's actually 50W pumping through his veins. The rest is history, but suffice it to say, there aren't a lot of people around that could hope to take a bike from a master like Craig Rodsmith. They totally did it though.  "The Diva" by David Uhl Anything hanging in your shop or office that gives you joy to look at and what’s it’s story? I have an award I won a long time ago for a bike that now I look back on and think how bad it sucks! LOL. But, it reminds me to remain driven and is a reminder of how far I’ve come. Also, the David Uhl painting hung in my living room is unreal! What has been your favorite client moment so far? You know, they’re all different and awesome in their own ways! I love seeing clients excited for their builds, it makes we want to keep pushing and trying harder!  Favorite motorcycle-related story? Man, there are a lot! Every show and ride has one! But my ride to Denver with a buddy for a chopper show sticks out. It was getting late and you could see some gnarly clouds moving in. We took off and my headlight on my bike went out because my over flow regulator on my BSA was broke. So, we decided no big deal I will just follow him home. It started pouring rain and then his taillight burned out! At that point in the ride we were committed. So, I rode home in a down poor in the dark with no head light and couldn’t see crap! We thought the storm will pass….it didn’t. We got back to the shop that night laughing! It was just a good friend memory and a crazy riding experience.  Who do you want us to interview next and what do you want us to ask them? Interview Cristian Sosa and ask him how the hell is he so good!!! Damnit! Lol Who, or who’s work, do you have a crush on right now? Man, there are so many good builders! Cristian Sosa, Maxwell Hazan, Toshiyuki “Cheetah” Osawa, Vintage Technologies, Justin Walls. The list goes on and on!  Got any heroes or role models? My Grandfather was an insanely talented artist and teacher. He showed me a lot and inspired me. Travis Pastrana for showing the world that anything is possible on two wheels and to dream big! Evil Knievel for just being bad ass! Any sources of inspiration you want to share? I think that inspiration comes from everywhere. From other builders, people, buildings, books, art. It’s all around us.
 Thank you to you too, Josh. You've been a class act all the way. It's truly been a pleasure to get to know you a little better and an honor to have you aboard as the first guest in our series of interviews featuring the Born Free 10 Invited Builders. It brings a lot of light into my day to be able to introduce a hard working family man and true artist like yourself to our followers. I'm sure they've enjoyed the experience as much as I have.  Good luck with the '46 Knuckle and the judging. One thing we all know for sure, your machine is going to be something special. my Born Free 10 Grass Pass is on the way from Loser Machine Company as we speak and I'm looking forward to hoisting one with you in June. First round's on me! But wait, there's more! Josh sent us so many amazeballs pics that they overflowed the article, so be sure to scroll down and feast your hungry eyeballs on more bikes, more metal and more awesome!  We'll be sharing the rest of the Born Free 10 Invited Builders interviews between now and the event and we'll also be bringing you the inside scoop on other builders, event runners, artists and schwacks of just generally cool mofo's. So Don't forget to check out our online general store for merch and to stay tuned to our Patreon page, so you can keep up on the newest interviews and behind the scenes content as we roll it all out! Keep the shiny side up y'all and we'll see you back here real soon, peace!
Born Free 10 Invited Builder Josh Allison - Photo GalleryYou might wanna grab some lotion and a kleenex before you start clickin' away, just sayin'... |
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