THE VINTAGE BIKE BUILDER
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  • Restorations
    • 1969 BMW R60
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    • 1968 Harley Rapido
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    • 1974 Suzuki RL250
    • 1976 Yamaha DT250
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    • 1975 G5 Kawasaki
    • 1975 Honda MR50
    • 1986 Husqvarna TE510
    • Stella Scooter with Side Car
    • 1972 BMW R75/5
    • 1984 BMWR100RT
    • 1964 Cushman Truckster
    • 1995 Suzuki Savage
    • 1977 YAMAHA IT250
  • TECH HELP
    • MOTO-SAFETY
    • MOTO-MAINTENANCE
    • CARBURETION >
      • Mikuni Tuning and Jetting Guide
      • Setting Mikuni Float Levels
      • Choosing Aftermarket Carbs
      • DR350 - MIKUNI CARB CONVERSION
      • TT-R125 MIKUNI CARB CARB CONVESION
      • CB450 MIKUNI CARB CONVERSION
      • VM38SS-VM38-9 COMPARISON
      • CB350-400F Carb Rebuild Demonstration
      • CB550K Carb Rebuild Demonstration
    • BUILDING CABLES
    • JENNINGS TWO STROKE HANDBOOK
    • ABOUT MAGNETOS
    • RESTORATION DISASSEMBLY
    • WHEEL TUNING
    • PREPPING AND PAINT
    • ELECTRICAL
  • BRITISH BIKES
    • SEARCHABLE VINTAGE PARTS CATALOG
    • Triumph Alpha-Numeric Parts Decoder
    • Diagrams and tips for Installing a vintage Triumph crankcase breather
    • Bonneville Fuel Line Routing
    • Vintage Nourish 8-Valve Head
    • 650cc Wiring Diagrams 1963-70
  • WET BLASTING SERVICE
  • MOTO-ART
  • PRODUCT REVIEWS
    • Viking AXE Magnetic Tank Bag Review
    • Traileralarm.com
  • Contact
  • Turchan Super Shark
  • 1960 Rambler American Custom

Moto-Art

During the past 45 years, when I wasn't working on motorcycles, I was either working as a pilot or running a media production company (film, video, photography, web/graphic design). My creative side is a lot more fun than the technical side of me, so I like to spend time nurturing that part of my mind.  I love to create images on film or video, manipulate those images in Photoshop, draw  and write. Now that I'm back where I started (in the motorcycle industry - which is my fifth or sixth career) I occasionally get to design some advertising for our website.  Some of the images are included below. 

I'll also be posting work I've done for fun and work from others that I like. So, this part of the website will constantly be receiving new elements. I invite you to check back frequently! Also, please remember that I own copyrights to this artwork. If you'd like to share, please contact m
e and ask permission.

Picture
PictureMcQueen racing at Sebring in 1970.
This is a GIF animation I created to honor one of my favorite motorcycle-related celebrities, Steve McQueen. He was a celebrity who hated the spotlight, but loved motorcycles and motorsports in general.  That's one of the things that made him so cool. He had a rough life early on (some of it due to his own mistakes), but turned himself around and found his niche. He was known to help young kids in need and was a man of principal. Before he ever acted, he earned a decent income as a talented motorcycle racer. In movies like Bullitt and the Great Escape, McQueen built a reputation a talented actor who wasn't afraid to do his own stunt driving. Later on,  McQueen used his acting leverage to gain access to the automotive racing world. He was known as a fiercely competitive race car driver. When I was a teenager, he raced at Sebring in Florida not far from my home. He came within seconds of winning, placing second in a 908 Porsche against legend Mario Andretti and his well-funded team in a Ferrari.

Picture
Picture
One of my favorite, all time, movie chase scenes was in the 1968 thriller "Bullitt" featuring McQueen as the lead. McQueen's legend as a driver was cemented in the movie's wild chase scenes as he raced around the streets of San Fransisco in a 1968, GT390 Mustang. This is my father's GT390. I painted the car shortly after Dad's death. I know he wanted to keep it the original color or I would have painted it black to match McQueen's mustang form the movie.
McQueen loved all thing mechanical and was a pilot who owned several vintage aircraft.  He also amassed a wonderful collection of vintage cars and motorcycles. In the photo above right, he's blasting through the desert on CR 400 Husqvarna.  In the animation above, he is pictured on an early 1964 Triumph TR6C Desert Sled. Heavy and slow by today's standards, McQueen and riders like him wrestled these bikes through desert courses, enduros and dirt tracks around the county.  I created this GIF combing several photo images. 
Above are some banners I designed for my employer MAP Cycle.  I enjoyed creating these composite images using Photoshop. Each image has dozens of layers and many subtle touches. I started drawing motorcycles and cars when I was second or third grade.  I've always been fascinated by automotive art.  The art coming out of Detroit during the 1940s and 50s inspired me, though I know I could never work at the level of those great artists.

Picture
Over the years, I've created a lot of graphic art - everything from billboards and book covers to logos. Of course, I had to create my own logo for Vintage Bike Builder website.  This logo was structured around a graphic representation of the front wheel of my father's 1915 Indian, my love of flying and my pilot's wings. What do airplanes have to do with motorcycles? Freedom and speed!  The type on the logo is similar to that used on some motorcycle brands of the early 1900s.  

  • HOME
    • About
  • Restorations
    • 1969 BMW R60
    • 1976 Honda CB400F
    • 1968 Harley Rapido
    • 1963 Triumph Bonneville
    • 1970 Honda CB450 Cafe
    • 1971 Montesa Cota
    • 1968 Triumph TR6 Tiger
    • 1974 Suzuki RL250
    • 1976 Yamaha DT250
    • 1972 BMW R75/5
    • 1975 G5 Kawasaki
    • 1975 Honda MR50
    • 1986 Husqvarna TE510
    • Stella Scooter with Side Car
    • 1972 BMW R75/5
    • 1984 BMWR100RT
    • 1964 Cushman Truckster
    • 1995 Suzuki Savage
    • 1977 YAMAHA IT250
  • TECH HELP
    • MOTO-SAFETY
    • MOTO-MAINTENANCE
    • CARBURETION >
      • Mikuni Tuning and Jetting Guide
      • Setting Mikuni Float Levels
      • Choosing Aftermarket Carbs
      • DR350 - MIKUNI CARB CONVERSION
      • TT-R125 MIKUNI CARB CARB CONVESION
      • CB450 MIKUNI CARB CONVERSION
      • VM38SS-VM38-9 COMPARISON
      • CB350-400F Carb Rebuild Demonstration
      • CB550K Carb Rebuild Demonstration
    • BUILDING CABLES
    • JENNINGS TWO STROKE HANDBOOK
    • ABOUT MAGNETOS
    • RESTORATION DISASSEMBLY
    • WHEEL TUNING
    • PREPPING AND PAINT
    • ELECTRICAL
  • BRITISH BIKES
    • SEARCHABLE VINTAGE PARTS CATALOG
    • Triumph Alpha-Numeric Parts Decoder
    • Diagrams and tips for Installing a vintage Triumph crankcase breather
    • Bonneville Fuel Line Routing
    • Vintage Nourish 8-Valve Head
    • 650cc Wiring Diagrams 1963-70
  • WET BLASTING SERVICE
  • MOTO-ART
  • PRODUCT REVIEWS
    • Viking AXE Magnetic Tank Bag Review
    • Traileralarm.com
  • Contact
  • Turchan Super Shark
  • 1960 Rambler American Custom