The 2011 Projects Bikes No.7 & 8

When I set up 7Ages, the aim was to try and do about 1.5 bikes a year - on the basis that each bike takes about a year to materialise and getting 2 out a year was just too much effort for what is a part-time project.
So 2008/9 produced Macbeth and Hamlet, 2010 has produced Othello and later on in August Bike No. VI  Caesar Racer will appear.
I now have the projects ready for 2011 and its good to know that there is something to plan ahead and look forwards to:

• Bike No.7 - I have already posted about this on the blog and its provisionally called Romeo's Beemer - a 1982 BMW R80 I bought on Ebay earlier this year.  I have just made the first investment in this bike by commissioning a set of wheels for it, from Taylormade Wheels in Wales - they will be matching 23" diametre wheels like on the last three bikes, but this time I am having them made from Billet Aluminium with the same spoke pattern as the original wheels.  In addition I have had to have the old BMW shaft drive and drum brake hub incorporated in the rear wheel - not an easy job.  Once the wheels are here I can then think about how the frame is going to work and how I am going to style it.

• Bike No.8 - I have agreed to buy the remains of the Blower Bike (see earlier post), and I am going to restore it to its former glory - only without the twin superchargers - by putting a brand new 93" S&S Shovelhead engine in which is totally appropriate for the 1971 vintage of the original bike.  When it was created as the Blower in 1995 all the styling cues were very much of Arlen Ness  - the undisputed King of custom bikes, such as the masses of billet aluminium and the huge extended fenders.  I really want to retain this feel, as I believe its due a resurgence in the custom field, after a period of back to basics bobbers.  The bike will be a beach cruiser with wide bars and a summery Californian paint job - I also want it to appeal to women riders after I watched huge crowds admiring a friends' female designed Sportser in St Tropez - and of course this bike has a very low seat height and ride position.