How your journey through life goes is entirely dependent on your outlook, calculating risk, sticking your neck out, taking chances and working with the right people is a big factor in what comes next.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with a group of guys from Deus, it really opened my eyes up to a few things, previous to this experience I hadn’t met a group of people who put so much time, passion and energy into their job. I was honored to not only work with Deus but also BMW motorcycles, my good friend Dean came along for the ride and he shot some photos for Tank Moto magazine while I wrote a review on the bike, I guess you could say it was my very first Freelance Journalist role and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
On top of this I also wrote for the Deus Customs blog, a job I didn’t take lightly, below is that write up from our adventure, a huge thank you to Thomas Walk for the photos along the way, also thanks to Sam and Jimmy for creating the experience, it was a heap of fun to be a part of.
This is the write up and photos from the Deus Customs Blog.
“Early last year I loaded up my van and headed north for the Deus BBO 2015, the event was a screaming success apart from the relentless rain that dampened the spirits of owners and onlookers to the creative masterpieces that were being judged at the Bondi Pavilion on the day. I vowed I would be back, this time in a different capacity, a judge!
After a few emails, calls and loosely laid plans the road to Deus BBO 2016 gathered pace. Somehow Dean Walters and I ended up with two brand new BMW motorcycles with a map set for the most scenic countryside we could imagine.
I strapped on my helmet, packed my backpack and threw a leg over one brand new BMW Scrambler, yes thats right, the very first BMW Scrambler in all of Australia!
When a motorcycle has the title ‘Scrambler” you start to imagine what its intended for, I had a plan to test out its capabilities and the put the bike through its paces.
From Geelong Victoria we climbed to the higher altitude of Bright Victoria, a small town set in the Alpine region where the seasons change the landscape and spring was in the air.
Flash flood warnings were in place and we awoke to torrential rain, the map was set and I wasn’t going to be changing course because of it.
The tarmac broke into gravel, the gravel broke into mud, the mud turned into puddles and those puddles turned into rivers, the scrambler was in the midst of a true test!
Just a few hundred kms old the bike looked like it had been to war, surprisingly capable and ready to take on whatever lay ahead of us, with the heated grips set to HOT we climbed higher and higher, passing the signs that kept telling us to fit snow chains, with just three days left in the snow season we decided to motor on and reach the summit.
Rain, gravel, mud and snow, in just a few days we had this scrambler truly tested.
The weather report wouldn’t clear until we reached the Sydney city limits, with the Bondi pavilion in sight and job that needed to be done I started to set my mind on the job at hand, Judging the Bike Build Off!
I reluctantly took on this role, but what sold it for me was the simple pleasure of being involved, I wouldn’t call this a competition, its more a celebration of passion and persistence, every single builder is different, every single bike will have a different story and its that story that I want to hear and witness.
Before I even set on eyes on the bikes I already have my winner picked….. Its every single one of the 51 entrants, because just filling out the form is the easy bit, its the entire journey of turning that vision into reality, standing next to that bike and believing in yourself that wins on the day!
That’s the true spirit of the Deus BBO, see you there! “
Part Two from the Deus Customs Blog
After wrestling all the elements described in Part one of our journey to the BBO Dean and I arrived in Sydney in need of a hot shower and a home cooked meal, Dean has family in Sydney and they were kind enough to take us in, throw us a towel, cook us a meal and put us up for the night.
With a day to kill we visited the Deus Camperdown store, we took a tour around the offices, picked up a few coffees from the cafe then headed into the workshop to see what masterpieces Jeremy Tagand was working on.
Jeremy had enough of work for the day so we took the BMW’s for a run through the city, the Scrambler looked as though it had been to war, as we rolled through the city streets the new kid on the block had a story to tell and the mud caked components spoke louder than words.
With the sun shining and a full tank of fuel Dean and I headed north again for a few hours, Sydney is a stunning City, it stretches for hours and the roads north of the hustle and bustle open up and wind through all the different suburbs and bays.
As the sun dipped below the west of the city Dean and I headed back to Leichhardt to get some sleep before the big day, Deus BBO 2016.
You couldn’t miss it, the normal Bondi hustle of gym pants and yoga classes were split by a sea of custom motorcycles all converging for a taste of success at the hands of myself and 4 other judges.
Just looking around I knew my job was going to be difficult, for the next 3 hours we sampled each motorcycle and listened to the story’s of its respective owners. It made all the difference for me, a custom motorcycle doesn’t build itself, it doesn’t present the builder with a clear path or intention, its up to that builder to make it be what his vision is.
Creating that vision is a journey, its that journey that is embraced throughout the Deus BBO, each person is different, each bike is different, each goal is remarkably the same but each outcome and finished piece is a reflection on that owner.
We conversed and came up with the winners, it wasn’t as difficult as I first thought, to tell you the truth the brief and criteria really made the event, change the criteria and brief and the outcome will change, why does the event attract this type of bike? these types of builders? Because that’s the way its intended, make the most with the least, keep it fun, keep it fresh and stay positive.
The road to Deus BBO 2017 starts now, get your thinking caps on, find a donor bike and enjoy the ride!
Thanks to the Deus crew for this opportunity, been a blast working with you!