By Shaun Kelly
Merging styles and influences can be a great way to add a bit more style and uniqueness to a build. Many of us come from very diverse backgrounds. Motorcycles, cars, airplanes, music, industry, art, etc. We all have varying interests. Combining some elements of these other interests can bring out a distinct look and style.
Now, I'm not talking going for a full on OCC theme project. Please, PLEASE! Stray far, FAR from this urge. I'm talking a bit subtler. For instance, the next closest descendent to motorcycles, Cars. Yeah, yeah, too many wheels, seats, Doors, a roof. But they do use similar parts. Wheels for example can be modified to work on a bike. Exhaust parts can be fairly easily incorporated. But instead of just slapping on a muffler tip, check out some styles of exhaust.
Old hot rods had some cool stuff going on. Side pipes, Zoomies, duals. But they don't just have to hang off the side. Think WWII fighter jets. Short pipes sticking out the side of the fuselage. A good play off this would take 4 tips sticking through the belly pan. Or maybe the tips pointing up out of the side of the tail. While we're talking aero parts. If you are lucky enough to live near a plane junkyard. Raid that place. Old airplane gauges and gas caps are very detailed and interesting looking. Even just small airplane parts can be cool finds and add that extra touch.
Industrial design is a neat look. Rivets, exposed bolts, hard lines and plumbing. Take a walk around your local power station or water treatment facility. Just watch for the rent a cop. But aside from hard parts. Take a look at finishes. Nickel coatings, hard anodizing. Art also plays a role in this, along with music. These are 2 subjects that go hand in hand. Album covers along with T-shirt designs. When you're dreaming up your next paint scheme these are cool places to look for inspiration. Even the custom car and bike world has offered up many excellent themes as far as paint and body mods. From the infamous flat black of traditional rods to Candy and flake of Lowriders. And let's not forget the ever-wild abstract art of the mini truck. Racecars offer up the most timeless of designs. How many of us know our favorite drivers car better then their face? Molding parts is a part of this idea too. Frenched lights, gauges, molded body parts and frames. Pick up some of those old hat rod and chopper mags. And I mean old. Look at the 60's and 70's. Really good old school tech in some of these that still holds true today.
Now since I started on about old tech and we are now on about the Café build off. This is where all the jumbled ramblings come together. We are all Fighter builders. We don't exactly conform to a strict style or genre. The café build shouldn't be any different. Think of the café era as your guideline. Keep that style in mind, but there's always ways to interpret and enhance. The bikes were all about light, fast, well handling machines. But they were also bright and intricately detailed. Every part was well finished and polished. So before you dive into you project, think of a few different influences and see if you can make small parts of them work together. Good luck to everyone competing and happy building.
Merging styles and influences can be a great way to add a bit more style and uniqueness to a build. Many of us come from very diverse backgrounds. Motorcycles, cars, airplanes, music, industry, art, etc. We all have varying interests. Combining some elements of these other interests can bring out a distinct look and style.
Now, I'm not talking going for a full on OCC theme project. Please, PLEASE! Stray far, FAR from this urge. I'm talking a bit subtler. For instance, the next closest descendent to motorcycles, Cars. Yeah, yeah, too many wheels, seats, Doors, a roof. But they do use similar parts. Wheels for example can be modified to work on a bike. Exhaust parts can be fairly easily incorporated. But instead of just slapping on a muffler tip, check out some styles of exhaust.
Old hot rods had some cool stuff going on. Side pipes, Zoomies, duals. But they don't just have to hang off the side. Think WWII fighter jets. Short pipes sticking out the side of the fuselage. A good play off this would take 4 tips sticking through the belly pan. Or maybe the tips pointing up out of the side of the tail. While we're talking aero parts. If you are lucky enough to live near a plane junkyard. Raid that place. Old airplane gauges and gas caps are very detailed and interesting looking. Even just small airplane parts can be cool finds and add that extra touch.
Industrial design is a neat look. Rivets, exposed bolts, hard lines and plumbing. Take a walk around your local power station or water treatment facility. Just watch for the rent a cop. But aside from hard parts. Take a look at finishes. Nickel coatings, hard anodizing. Art also plays a role in this, along with music. These are 2 subjects that go hand in hand. Album covers along with T-shirt designs. When you're dreaming up your next paint scheme these are cool places to look for inspiration. Even the custom car and bike world has offered up many excellent themes as far as paint and body mods. From the infamous flat black of traditional rods to Candy and flake of Lowriders. And let's not forget the ever-wild abstract art of the mini truck. Racecars offer up the most timeless of designs. How many of us know our favorite drivers car better then their face? Molding parts is a part of this idea too. Frenched lights, gauges, molded body parts and frames. Pick up some of those old hat rod and chopper mags. And I mean old. Look at the 60's and 70's. Really good old school tech in some of these that still holds true today.
Now since I started on about old tech and we are now on about the Café build off. This is where all the jumbled ramblings come together. We are all Fighter builders. We don't exactly conform to a strict style or genre. The café build shouldn't be any different. Think of the café era as your guideline. Keep that style in mind, but there's always ways to interpret and enhance. The bikes were all about light, fast, well handling machines. But they were also bright and intricately detailed. Every part was well finished and polished. So before you dive into you project, think of a few different influences and see if you can make small parts of them work together. Good luck to everyone competing and happy building.
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