Local Lovelies // Co Bappe

I've been entertaining the idea of doing this sort of feature for quite some time. This video that my friend Braden made about my friend Co was just the inspiration I needed. Co worked on this bike for a while. It's awesome to see his passion and dedication come to completion. I remember him working on it piece by piece when he lived in the same part of town as I do, bending the pipes and working endlessly. As a creator, motorcycles are out of my league, but I can definitely appreciate all of the details and work put into this masterpiece. Enjoy this video and this sweet write up by Shaky Shrines:

"Co Bappe is a creator: At his day job, Co is a graphic artist who makes screen-printed apparel for major retailers, and in his free time, Co taught himself how to build board-track racing motorcycles inspired by those of the 1910s and 20s. After countless hours spent watching instructional Youtube videos and studying friends who were certified welders, Co began to draw 1-to-1 scale mockups of motorcycles on butcher paper. Instead of downloading and copying schematics for older bikes verbatim, Co's designs are all original. Co combines an Art Deco aesthetic with his childhood recollections of the Rocketeer on his latest build while staying true to form by utilizing parts (like a Briggs and Stratton tractor engine) that model the technical aspects of his turn-of-the-century predecessors. When he sells a motorcycle, it is only for enough money to buy the parts and raw materials that he will need for his next build. Simply put, Co Bappe is a creator. He is someone whose purest joy and love of life can be seen through the small window in his welding mask. Co Bappe's motorcycles are true works of art, made to be marveled for their beauty and grace as much as their power and function.

Check out Co's work at these websites:
tumblr. big cartel.