The Airhead

I woke up the morning after Handbuilt 2016 suffering from a severe flare-up of imposter syndrome. But I started sketching anyway; it was impossible to be in that amazing community without dreaming of the next build. 

A few months after the show, I bought a 1973 R75/5 submerged in hurricane Katrina from Wicked Brothers' John Franco for $100. I got version 1.0 built with the help of two amazing interns, Liam Grace-Flood and Nadav Hedel, who took a month off from studying art and engineering in college to get some real-world build experience.

The airhead had been on the lift where Liam and Nadav parked for almost a year when I got a random direct message on Instagram from a Denver painter named Detour, aka Thomas Evans. He was planning an interactive art show for late 2019 based on the story of a fictional rock band from 100 years in the future. His show would be a group effort by many different artists mixing music, sculpture, painting and electronics. Part of the story holding it all together was of one of the band members traveling the country on a vintage electric motorcycle. After a few conversations, I had my first commission. Riffing on what a vintage bike might look like in 2117, Detour and I agreed on the airhead chassis as a great canvas, and I got to work on version 2.0 of the ‘73.

I completed the bike in time for Handbuilt 2019 this year, and a few weeks later shipped it to Denver. Thomas started weaving the bike into the show visuals and back story with a color-matched tank, touring bag, cable and grip wrapping and some hastily attached pegs (for riding around the Five Points neighborhood off-hours). 

Almost a year after that Instagram exchange, on November 8, 2019, and with the full-throated backing of RedBull, Detour's show opened to rave reviews in Denver's Redline Contemporary Arts Center. Right in the middle of the exhibit was the Night Shift Bikes Electric R75/5. In 2021, the bike will join the rest of the exhibit in a permanent installation at the soon the renovated Rossonian Hotel. Here's a review or two of the show.