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Bikes Beer & Burnouts - an exclusive backstage report
With Thunderbike and Sascha alias »Hoss Power« in Berlin - Custombike Magazin title story may 2014
If handing over a motorcycle to the customer becomes a unique affair, then there is a special story behind it – for example, that a well-known customizer built a Harley-Davidson Shovelhead for a well-known musician. When handing over a motorcycle to the customer unique story behind it – there is a special story behind it – for example, that a well-known customizer built a Harley-Davidson Shovelhead for a well-known musician.
The first kicking, the first sonorous drums of the V2, the first tubes from the raised exhaust system, take the first place on the plush bench, the sissybar in the back, the first grip on the angular handlebar – a grin moves over Sascha Vollmer’s face. At this moment he is an unknown part of the band “The Boss Hoss”, at this moment he is the guy who will ride his bike for the first time. We all know the feeling he just has to have. And it’s obvious to him that what he invented during a video shoot in California – a Ratbike top category – hits the bull’s eye. It was a good move to award the contract to build the rat at Thunderbike in Hamminkeln. Not only because the guys around Andreas Bergerforth had ever built a bike for Sascha, but also because there is hardly any other company that would tackle the project so imaginatively and innovatively. Because what looks rattig and rancid, is in truth a masterpiece of manual work and technology. And it’s only right that the Thunderbike crew travel to Berlin to hand over the bike and that the tests drive ultimately becomes a tour of the capital.
The fascination begins when you know that under Sascha works an engine that has moved overhauled into the bike. Disassembled to the last screw and outdated only with original parts, Sascha drives in the best condition through the streets, however, looks like the pulled out of the barrel. Like all metal parts down to the smallest screw, the motor housing is also subjected to an artificial aging process. For a long time, the TB crew fiddled with stone baths, salt water and vinegar baths, sandpaper and hard oil to create an authentic vintage look. The tappets are made of brass, then bathed in salt water and flamed. In conjunction with the external springs they look really old. The Hoss letters are burned from steel plates and welded to holding clips. Cam cover and air filter are engraved elaborately by engraver Klaus Witte, as well as numerous other metal parts in the later final spurt. The two original single manifolds are put together to assemble the in-house custom exhaust. The heat shield is produced in the look of an old machine gun. The rocker boxes are milled out of standard parts and provided with milled contours, giving the heads a very special look. The boys mounted the kicker also afterwards. For emergencies, the old electric starter is located on a small switch above the primary box. Nice side effect – on the handlebar are only two elementary functions: gas and brake.
Also the elaborate sheet metal work on swingarm, brake anchor, Sporty tank, struts, fenders, lamp and battery holder and oil tank are worth a special look. Everything was first doubled, then perforated and finally provided with narrow edges, pure handwork. Frame and fork remain technically standard, a concession to drivability and authority, but also here all parts are aged by a rapid process. The wheels in 19 and 23 inches come from an Enduro. Since the front wheel delivers only a small Honda drum, Andreas and his team decide to build an extra-thick disc brake with a fat caliper in the rear wheel. The saddle has the Thunderbike logo engraved on it. In the stop-and-go through Berlin, by the way, Sascha is hardly satisfied with the decent braking performance of his oldschooler. And it quickly becomes clear that the night in the city will be long because Sascha firstly has no desire not to drive and secondly has offered to enter the best locations with the TB crew.
“It’s kind of like a friendship. Sascha was with us in Hamminkeln during the construction to get a picture of himself and to sit on the raw Harley sample, “says Thunderbike mastermind Andreas. “And having him as a tour guide here in Berlin is priceless anyway. He knows the city exactly and does not go stupid in any one-way street, that’s great,” he smiles. In between, fueled, through the tank lid of an old Samson the fuel flows into the container. And into the night the tail light of a NSU Quickly shines. “It’s fascinating that parts of my bike were built from 1930 to 2014,” says Sascha, who drives a passionate motorcycle, “because it’s so suitable for the music.” After the refueling break, he can hardly wait to get back on the saddle to take a seat equipped with seat leather used to serve in his past life as a safety apron in a steel hut. “More than suitable for use on a fire chair,” laughs Andreas. Painter Ingo Kruse completed the paint and “rust” work on Sascha’s bike. A racy masterpiece, like the whole motorcycle, which is ready for its owner after five months of construction.
Until late into the darkness, the five bikes that have joined forces for this day, are traveling through Berlin’s streets. Interrupted by refueling, eating, short flying visits to well-known scene places. Five guys who go out together and have a good time together. It may be what Sascha Vollmer imagined at the video shoot in California and what each of us wants. His Shovel fits perfectly.
CONCLUSION: Anyone who survives a night in Berlin unscathed, is prepared for everything. This applies to man and machine, especially since this has despite rancid look on everyday use technology. So Sascha should have a lot of fun with his Shovel.
The Thunderbike Crew & Sascha Vollmer aka “THE BOSS HOSS” Backstage for the Custombike magazine.
Thunderbike provides unique insights behind the scenes when delivering the “HOSS” bike. The ultimate trip through Berlin. A movie for Rockers with gasoline in his blood.
The Making Of
Authentic and old school - with its own charm
The idea for his advice bike came Sascha aka “Hoss Power” at the video shoot for the current album “Flames Of Flame” in the desert of California. It was not long before the idea became the “Power Ride” project. The dismantling and reconstruction were documented in pictures and videos.
For Saschas bike a painstaking detail of unique items and parts of 1930 – 2014 were installed. There is still a lot to tell about the parts … come and see the next Step !
Step 1
Engine and transmission were disassembled to the last screw and thoroughly overhauled. There were two fundamentally different recipes: Inside the engine, we worked exclusively with original parts; the entire exterior was subjected to an extreme old school cure.
Step 2
We have milled contours in the original Shovel rocker boxes, which gives the heads a very special character. The elaborate sheet metal work on swingarm, brake caliper, tank, struts, fenders, lamp holder, battery holder, oil tank and the pull-starter sheet metal housing, and others …were first doubled, then perforated and then finally provided with narrow edges.
Then we went to the surfaces, with the aim to make everything look “authentically old”. First of all, all parts were slip-grounded. In vibratory finishing, all corners and edges are rounded evenly and slightly, so parts then look like they are made from one piece. With salt water and carbon dioxide, the surfaces was then aged by rapid process. Some parts were also “tattooed” – which fits perfectly with the style of this particular bike.
Step 3
The tappets were made of brass, then bathed in salt and then flamed.
In conjunction with the external springs, the tappets now look really old school.
The HOSS letters were burned with the help of steel plates and welded to the retaining clips. The next parts were back from tattooing: cam top and air cleaner now fit perfectly to the rest.
Incidentally, the Nippon Enduro was given to the 23″ front wheel.Because of the drum brake at the front we opted for a big brake disc with a fat caliper, so that the “Power Bike” neatly anchored. The original caliper is still at the tattoo artist he should later wear our logo.
Step 4
After a 5-month conversion period, a completely new work of art was created, for which all components had to undergo a complete aging process. What looks like a huge construction site at first sight is a lot of manual labor.
The “HOSS” letters on the tubes are replicas of Sascha’s finger rings and the swingarm is modeled on a “guitar neck”. The exhaust has the look of an old machine gun and the caliper now has the tattooed Thunderbike logo. A map pocket from military times has space for a reserve canister. The fuel cap comes from an elderly Simson and the taillight is from a NSU Quickly. Another unique item is the CNC milled kicker pedal.
In the final sprint, Klaus Witte made the right engravings for many metal parts and Ingo Kruse completed the paint, in this case, rust work on the surfaces. The Sissybar and the raised Sportster Peanut tank complete the 70th look of this Shovel. The seat leather previously served as a safety apron in a steel hut and is more than suitable for use on Sascha’s new fire chair …
- Model Harley-Davidson Shovelhead 1979
- Owner Sascha Vollmer
- Engine V-Twin Four-Stroke, oho-two valves 1338ccm (Drilling/Hub 88,8×108 mm)</
- Power 70 PS with 5900/min
- RPM 107 Nm with 4400/min
- Maximum Speed 180 km/h
- Gear Four Speed with Kicker and E-Starter
- Secondary Chain
- Air Cleaner H-D Horn Cover (modified)
- Exhaust Thunderbike Machine Gun
- Landing Gear Double cradle steel frame
- Front End H-D Sportster XL
- Swingarm Thunderbike Guitar Neck
- Front Wheel Honda 2.5×23 with 2.75-23
- Rear Wheel Thunderbike 3.5×19 with 4.10-19
- Front Brake Honda Drum Brake
- Rear Brake H-D Disc
- Fuel Tank H-D Sportster XL
- Seat Warmsbach
- Handlebar Thunderbike (modified)
- Taillight NSU Quickly
- Fender Thunderbike
- Footpegs Thunderbike
- Painting Kruse Design
- Engravings Klaus Witte
- Weight 240 kg
- Wheelbase 1530 mm
You can find Thunderbike Parts and original Harley-Davidson Parts in our online shop.