Topic: 100% wood 1941 Indian motorcycle

[Ecosse]

i posted this in the artists thread but it so so amazing i had to double post. sorry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG8mNxY_U_I&feature=related

[Terry in Australia]

That's a nice chunk of wood Bill, reminds me of a story my grandfather told me about a Panther sloper he bought back in the 1930's, it ran ok, but had a bit of piston slap when cold, so he pulled the head and cylinder off it, to find out that it had a redgum piston with a tin cap!

Seems that during the great depression, the PO carved his own piston out of a chunk of hardwood. My grandfather fitted a new piston, but kept the old timber one as a keepsake. Sadly, when he died, it was thrown out with a lot of his stuff by a well meaning relative who didn't understand it's significance, or I'd have it here as testiment to what you can achieve when you think outside the box. Cheers, Terry.

[azuredesign]

I am blown away by that thing. I wonder if it sold, what it sold for. I tried to answer the question myself, but ended up feeling like the guy who leaves his accordion in the back seat of his car only to find on his return that the rear window has been smashed and that there are now two accordions there.

[Ecosse]

I am blown away by that thing. I wonder if it sold, what it sold for. I tried to answer the question myself, but ended up feeling like the guy who leaves his accordion in the back seat of his car only to find on his return that the rear window has been smashed and that there are now two accordions there.

 

well, the video is couple of years old i think so it's likely sold. not being a woodworker, but having a smidgen of an idea of what an artist can get, i estimated that if he got $50 an hour and the bike took him about 2100 hours to do (according to the vid), we're already looking at $105k. that doesn't include materials and exclusiveness of the creation.

even at $30 that's $63,000. but i think that's low balling this guy's skill.

[Terry in Australia]

Of course, as beautiful as it is, it's still only a statue of a bike, the real thing in "as it rolled off the factory floor" would still cost less, and I know which I'd prefer............ 

[mcpuffett]

There's a Manx Norton over here in the UK made out of wood, saw it a couple of times @ www.squires-cafe.co.uk   cheers Mick.