For the past couple of years, at bike shows from Sturgis to Laughlin, people have gathered to see the latest creations from Gard Hollinger and his crew (including Jay and John Brown) from L.A. County Choprods (LACC). Gard's bikes grace the events and rally pages of magazines across the globe. It seems as if everywhere the guys from LACC go, editors and journalists are struck by their great style-especially among the sea of outstanding bikes present at today's motorcycle shows.
Scott Gillen, a director and producer of award-winning commercials and music videos, is currently producing a television series for the Speed Channel titled Build or Bust. Created by Gillen, the show gives viewers a chance to build a custom motorcycle. Each episode, a motorcycle enthusiast, nicknamed "the Wrench," is given the chance to build a custom bike from scratch. Working alongside a well-known custom motorcycle builder, the Wrench is supplied with everything needed to build a custom motorcycle. The catch is that he or she is given just 30 days to complete the task. If the bike is finished, the Wrench gets to keep the bike; if not, the participant goes home with nothing. To add to the excitement of the show and demonstrate for viewers how a custom bike is built from scratch, the professional builder must also complete a bike within the allotted timeframe. That's where Gard and the LACC guys come into play.
In the case of Funculo (this boardtrack-inspired, Shovel-powered bike), Gard had his work cut out for him. The entire build, from concept to completion, took all of two weeks. You'd think that, given such a short time frame, corners would be cut, and easily accessible, off-the-shelf parts would be used. One look at the details of this hardtail proves that notion to be false.
Gard had the idea for this bike floating around in his head. Inspiration was channeled from his own racing past as well as the great motorcycles of yesteryear. No computer renderings or even hand drawings were utilized. As with any other great artist, he just knew what he wanted and how this bike would come together.