Retro Moto

[gk45011]

Simply amazing work. How much for a frame clamp for stabilizer?

GK

[Junior Burrell]

Thanks for all the good words guys. gk45011 pm me and we'll talk about it.

[neckyzips]

Oh, great, now you will be so swamped I'll never get my tank and tail!   
We haven't gotten to the finished design yet but his customer service is
Tops!

Want to do an under seat pipe for me too?

[Roc City Cafe]

I'd be careful about trying to do it full time, once your passion and hobby become a profession, it can get a lot less enjoyable

[Kanticoy]

I can attest a few things to this thread.  Talent aside (he definitely has it), there is a lot more to be said about the guy than that.  What I will go into as far as this goes is the character of the man.  I had never met Junior until barbers this year.  He PMed me shortly before the event and asked if it would be alright if he came and stayed with the crew.  From the time that he got here until the time that he left he was nothing but a stand up guy.  He was always right there helping wherever it was needed and had a huge smile on his face while he did it.  He is just a real dude.  It is one thing to have the talent, but quite another to have a heart of gold to go along with it.  I admire him and appreciate him for that.  Guys like him and Sean keep my faith in our little world when we are seemingly swamped with trends and images.  I love the dude to death.

[LtGeorge]

hey can anyone shoot me close up of that rusted out two into one exhaust out the back?

[Junior Burrell]

Roc City, it quit being a hobby for me long ago,but I know exactly what you are talking about and appreciate the advice.I've been in construction for over 12 years and would rather stress over cycle parts anyday than guys not showing up,equipment going down,and contractors crying they want their job done yesterday.Kanticoy ,thanks for those wonderful words and I could say the exact same about you Brother. The love is mutual and I wouldn't of had the amazing experience i had at Barber if it wasn't for you.Thanks again for that. Ltgeorge,sorry but there isn't a rusty 2in1 exhaust i posted. But there is a dual exhaust that is Xed in the middle coming out of both sides of the tail built out of brand new tubing. All from straight tubing that was all piecut. Sorry to dissapoint you.

[cyclefreak]

I can attest a few things to this thread.  Talent aside (he definitely has it), there is a lot more to be said about the guy than that.  What I will go into as far as this goes is the character of the man.  I had never met Junior until barbers this year.  He PMed me shortly before the event and asked if it would be alright if he came and stayed with the crew.  From the time that he got here until the time that he left he was nothing but a stand up guy.  He was always right there helping wherever it was needed and had a huge smile on his face while he did it.  He is just a real dude.  It is one thing to have the talent, but quite another to have a heart of gold to go along with it.  I admire him and appreciate him for that.  Guys like him and Sean keep my faith in our little world when we are seemingly swamped with trends and images.  I love the dude to death.

I completely agree with every word. It was a pleasure to meet you at Barbers this year Junior. Everyone was impressed with your skills, but the "all around great guy" that you are is what myself and I believe everyone else noticed most.

[LtGeorge]

Roc City, it quit being a hobby for me long ago,but I know exactly what you are talking about and appreciate the advice.I've been in construction for over 12 years and would rather stress over cycle parts anyday than guys not showing up,equipment going down,and contractors crying they want their job done yesterday.Kanticoy ,thanks for those wonderful words and I could say the exact same about you Brother. The love is mutual and I wouldn't of had the amazing experience i had at Barber if it wasn't for you.Thanks again for that. Ltgeorge,sorry but there isn't a rusty 2in1 exhaust i posted. But there is a dual exhaust that is Xed in the middle coming out of both sides of the tail built out of brand new tubing. All from straight tubing that was all piecut. Sorry to dissapoint you.

no no sorry i should have specified didnt mean for that to come out sounding assholeish... i was using the patina of fresh slightly rusted tank and seat to specify which bike was talking about, if you wouldnt mind could you shoot me some more close ups where it comes out of the engine, and how you mounted under the seat?  how is the heat for the ride once its shielded?
Thanks

[jsharpphoto]

As for someone who took their hobby (photography) and took it from just that, to a full-time, self-employed career, I will say it can be a bumpy road.  I absolutely love my job.  I didn't make a dime for the first few years, everything got reinvested into gear and computers and insurance. 

It seems like you already have the equipment. 

Now for some overly personal questions, bare with me.

How is your debt? Do you carry a balance on credit cards or do you have a car payment or mortgage or anything like that?  The closest you can get to "debt-free" the better.  It will be easier for you to qualify for a small business loan if you need to, and it will reduce a lot of stress during a "slow month".  There will be lots of "slow months".   

How much do you have in the bank? We have 6 months living expenses set aside for emergencies.  Not everyone is as anal about as we are, but it's a safety net.  Are you married? do you have someone else contributing to your household income?  That can make things easier if you're not the sole provider.

How is your math/accounting skills? You'd be surprised by how little of your day would actually spent making parts.  I only spend about 10% of my time making images, but photography is a full time job.  Until you can pay someone to do the accounting/billing stuff for you, you'll be doing it yourself.  The better you are at it, the less time it will take.

What about distribution? You may specialize in making one-off custom parts, but you should try and come up with something that is reasonably universal, that you could partner with an established shop like Dime City Cycles for distribution.  Kind of like they do with those loaded gun rear sets, or the fibreglass tanks.  Something that has your name on it, that everyone can use.  That's called Brand Awareness and it will help drive people to your website to contact you about building one off stuff. 

You don't need to answer these questions on the forum, obviously, but you should spend some time and think about it.  Personally, starting my first cafe build and living in north texas, I am thrilled to have such a craftsman like you in the neighborhood. 

If you have any questions about things like sales tax, or need a good accountant in Ft. Worth, let me know.

[Junior Burrell]

ltgeorge sorry i took it wrong and no worries man,i think i have some. The heat under the seat is not bad at all the exhaust stays surprisingly cool that far back.jsharpphoto thanks for the great advice,glad to know people care and want to help.Cyclefreak,thanks brother it was a pleasure to meet you also. As a matter of fact everyone at Kiley's welcomed me as if they had known me forever,that meant more to me than you guys will ever know. I was just trying to show appreciation for all the hospitality that was shown and wish I would of had time to do more. Thank you all,you guys totally changed my perspective of what DTT is all about.

[The Giant Robot Co.]

I'll jump on the Junior Support wagon here as well. Simply put, Just one heck of a guy. I never once saw him sitting idle at the garage, he was helping everyone when he wasn't working on the "green monster' and his work/work ethic is simply top notch. Junior is one of the few "real people" still around.

[Junior Burrell]

Thanks Logan,you're too kind. The 400 has a new name now,"The Green Monster". My 81 cm400t(slightly modified)with a cb450 engine. i've been told that its a kinda loud and kinda fast.  I hope this helps Ltgeorge,also if you send me your email I'll take some really close for ya. if you look under the seat you can see the small pieces of stainless roundbar i used.

[jsharpphoto]

One other thing to consider, is a name change. 

1. RetroMoto Illustrated is a magazine
2. RetroMoto is a "motorcycle inspired" clothing line
3. RetroMoto.com is already taken

bummer.

[Toast]

+1 for the clamp on steering damper, thats awesome. How much?