Where is my mind?

This sometimes happen, after a project. You get doubts about it and are not sure how to present it. For the learning, I ran into that it is very hard to select the right photos. For the Wrenchmonkees part, I have many many photos to select from and I have to find out how to tell the story the best way possible. So I have a lot of darlings to kill. For Hanne and Dennis, it is more straight forward, but also a little bit to choose from. 

Wrote a email to Hanne and Dennis, just to get the raw facts, so I can fill out the photo stories.

Today, I will work after my guidlines wich can be seen here and have something ready to show Bertel tomorrow.

Let's do it!

Nicholas and Per working on a Harley motor

Nicholas

Per going over things with a customer

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The big challenge of this project, and the backbone of it was done today. I drove from Randers yesterday on my bike and took the ferry from Arhus, since the bike has a bad back tire and is very badly tuned, but that is another story!

So I came to Copenhagen yesterday evening and spent a night with my aunt, so I could be fresh the morning after. I was supposed to meet the Wrenchmonkees the day after. The stress was settling in! I did not sleep much this night, you know, you are your worst enemy sometimes, building up stress and overthink everyhing in your head. I woke up early and took a shower. Then I drove over to their's workshop and met Nicholas Bech, one of the Wrenchmonkees. He was very nice, and told me just to relax and enjoy my time over there, so I just did that.

To be able and visit and just chime in was a wonderful opportunity for me. The Wrenchmonkees are one of the biggest name in the vintage motorcykle of the world. They take bikes for customers and make them in their's own way. They dont snob in any bike kind, they can mostly all be done in they way they want. And they are good at it! They also buy bikes them selves and customise them, and then sell them and they work like a new one. There is a lot of passion for this kind of work going on there. 

As they put it them selves at thei'r website:

"Our company today is a result of passion, not a business plan. We work alongside with good friends and likeminded souls who all love the freedom of creating something out of the ordinary."

And this is the feeling when you walk in there, it is more like a society or a life style culture, not a business or a regular workshop. All day there was people, friends of them or likeminded visiting.

And as Per says him self, they have long workdays and he told me that some weeks, they work 70-90 hours. But it is all fun and you could feel that they have the best jobs in the world, they really love what they do. I totally agree with them!

The Wrencmonkees have existed for 7 years now and they have build up a very special brand of motorcyckles. They also sell many accesories for motorcyckles and clothing. They have teir's own brand of clothing wich is designed for the lifestyle of this kind of motorcycklist. Strong and made to last. Also very cool ;)

Now off to work on the 160 photos that I have choose from the 500 that I shot!

PS: Here is a great interview with Nicholas Bech, wich decribe their's thinking very well.

This was a great experience! Thanks Per and Nicholas!

And I like to end it withmy favorite quote:

“You don’t have to be worried about scratching your bike. You don’t have to be worried about it if gets, you know, dirty. Actually ride it, that’s what it’s made for. We love to make it look differently, but you should also be able to ride it. That’s what it’s all about in the end.”

Dennis on his 81' Moto Guzzi café racer

When I went to meet Hanne, I also met Dennis. He is called Duke Dennis because he ahd a Ducati. But not any more, now he has 2 Moto Guzzi's. But he kept his name, Duke Dennis.

Dennis is the go-to guy at the club Broombasserne. He is able to help with the bikes, he is clever around them and he is Hanne's mechanic. You could easily see that he has a lot of trust amongst his clubmates and they told me that he is always at the clubhouse wrenching in bikes, his, or someone elses!

Dennis is into the vintage café racer scene and he has a beautiful machine that he made him self. A lot of parts has changed on this bike and it is a real beauty.

Me and Dennis went for a ride and made some photos of his café racer. I also shot some photos of him fixing the bike.

Hanne riding her Bonneville

As I mentioned in the last post, Hanne invited me to go for a ride to Silkeborg with her friends, Skalle og Polle, those are nicknames :)

So this morning I drove to their´s club house, wich happens to be very close where I live. There I also met Dennis, and he got 2 Moto Guzzi´s, and one of them he had turned into a Café racer. Very interesting bike and me and Dennis agreed that he would do a part of my project, and we would meet the day after.

This day we went for a spectacular 140km ride around Denmarks countryside and ended up in Silkeborg. On the way back I photographed Hanne a bit and we also photographed at the clubhouse area.

This was a nice way to get to know Broombasserne, wich is the name of the club. They invited me to come around on wednesdays and fridays. Wednesdays for fixing my bike and friday for a beer or a coffie!

Hanne´s Bonneville

SInce I decided to to a motorcycle stories I needed a place to start. It is hard being a foregner and find the people with the right bikes that you want to photograph and tell storie about.

So I contacted my fellow student Mark and he told me about this club that his wife was in once and the would have an open day on saturday. It is that kind of a day that everyone could bring their´s bike or car and race the quarter mile. A lot of noise and of course, great bikes and cars! Get things tested after the winter brake.

So me and Mark drove up there on our bikes. Mark knew few people around there and we went for a beer and a chat and there I met Hanne, who owned a 65 model of Triumph Bonneville.

I asked her if she would be a part of my project and she said "No problem" and laughted. She is a very happy 52 year old woman and I could see that she fitted very well for the project, and it is fun to have a lady in it too. So we decided to meet up on monday and she sended me SMS and asked if I would take a ride with her and her club to Silkeborg. I did.

I was in, and the project had been started.