Do you have an idea of what it will look like before you start the job?
The process is gradual. First, we decide on the concept and the style of the motorcycle we’re building, this is usually done in tandem with the client, we make our bikes individually for individuals. I always analyse the condition of the donor motorcycle too, and then we assess whether the desired concept is compatible with the base. If everything matches, then we start on the fabrication. I usually start with the tyres, rims, front shocks, and swingarm. While that’s all happening or we’re waiting on parts to arrive, we move on to the body, the handmade items such as the fuel tank, the seat, side covers, front, and rear fenders, and finally, the electrical components. That’s my least favourite work, takes a huge amount of time and no one really notices it, unless it goes wrong.
What’s something people don’t know about you that would come as a surprise?
As a child, I was quite rebellious and hard to control. In fact, the only school that would accept me was one in the field of mechanics. It makes me laugh now when I think back to those school days. But who would’ve thought that this path would lead me to discover the passion I still pursue today? In 2009, I competed in a contest organised by a major oil brand in Indonesia, the Castrol Bike Point Mechanic Contest. I took second place in Bali, then advanced to Bogor where I won, and the prize, a trip to Bangkok to compete, where I secured third place. Honestly, I believed I could’ve won first, but due to the language barrier, I only managed third place. After the competition in Bangkok, I had the chance to visit the MotoGP paddock of the San Carlo Honda Gresini team. That was one of the best moments, and it truly deepened my love for the world of motorcycles.
It’s fair to say that motorcycles are a big part of the Indonesian lifestyle. Has this influenced the custom world, and has it affected your own work?
Yeah, it’s massive. Whenever someone in Indonesia gets a new bike, even if it’s a new scooter, within a week they’ll have changed the exhaust, the lights and the wheels, until the bike is very different from its original form. This need to individualise our bikes absolutely affects my work. It might be in my DNA! I have to also point out that there are a huge number of local builders in Indonesia who I think have produced some of the most unique and authentic creations you will find anywhere and of course, their work rubs off on me.
