Getting dirty again!

It will soon be two months that I have been in Tokyo.  Not having a shop where I can make just anything that pops into my head has been the most difficult part of my transition to life here.  Lucky for me I met Kurosu-san from Cherry's Company here in Tokyo.  I have always admired his design and fabrication skills and to be able to chat and hang out with him is just great.

Yesterday I was able to get my hands dirty helping Kurosu-san on a new build for the upcoming Mooneyes show in December.  It felt so good to be making something again and the excitement and challenge to do it in a totally new shop added that much more. 

 I have to admit I was a little disoriented working on a lathe that was all in metric increments, this was totally new to me and took some getting use to.  Between all the newness and millimeters my dyslexia got the better of me and I ended up making one of the stainless rear axle spacers wrong.  It was a humbling experience to be tested again and forced to think.  You can get so comfortable in your particular ways of making things and for me it has been seven years since I used a different fab shop...  I had definitely become comfortable where I was ;)

The one on the left was my goof up, the one on the right was what I was suppose to make the first time.

Beautiful textured steel drop outs with stainless slider plates.

Awesome design!

From the way back machine...

Cool Breaker 2012

Some snippets from our time at Cool Breaker today....

Details...

Beezerker throttle, all stainless steel with lost wax investment cast 316 stainless grips.

Speed Shop XS

An early Speed Shop creation from back in 1999...  Wow time flies!

Mr. Pink by Speed Shop Design

Tokyo with Cherry's on top

Today I wandered over to Cherry's Company to meet Kurosu-san and check out the beautiful motorcycle he is building for the Mooneyes show.  This is the first time I have met Kurosu-san or seen any of his creations in person and wow was I impressed.  He is is a great designer and craftsman as well as a hell of a nice guy.  The details on his new creation are freaking amazing!

While I was there Kurosu-san's painter Endo-san from Nomad Concept, was designing the paint for the new bike with him.  All I can say is it's going to be sexy as hell!

The shop was very well outfitted with all the right tools packed into your typical Tokyo style work shop.  Small yet well organized, clean, and not an inch to spare...  what more could you want!?

Kurosu-sans apprentice / employee Yuki-san is a very lucky lady.  Not only does she get to work and learn with Kurosu-sensei but she also is getting a bike specially designed and built by him on which she is honing her craft.  Just look at the beautiful fabricated gusset at the top of the seat stays...  WOW!

I have always been impressed by the work of Cherry's Company and now that I have seen it up close and met Mr. Cherry himself I am more impressed than ever.

I have some spare time on my hands these days so I hope I will be able to give them a hand or two to prepare for the Mooneyes Yokohama show.