Story Tools

Email this story | Print this story

Indexes

Today's Stories

Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• Hazel — the metal beast

• Local man proves bananas can grow in Lodi, too

• I heard it through the grapevine

• Public Meetings

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• Regional Roundup

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Group investigates reports of haunting

October 31st, 2009

• Area schools have no plans of closing due to H1N1 virus

• Tokay High evacuation

• Gated communities in Lodi

• Finishing touches on Hill House replica

• Regional Roundup

• In remembrance of Kyle Coumas

• Lodi-area Halloween events

• City of Lodi settles case of mistaken identity

• Lodi a reflection of Halloween's retail emergence

• Izzy Laviola and Seth Siddle-Mitchell crowned Tokay homecoming queen and king

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (72)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (32)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (22)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (22)

ADVERTISEMENT

Hazel — the metal beast

Lodi custom bike builder wins trophy at Sturgis Rally

Ten months, 85 horses, 35 custom bolt covers and 300 pounds all went into one pretty little package named Hazel.

Bryan Schimke, of TPJ Customs in Lodi, poured his creative blood and sweat into the one-of-a-kind motorcycle, and then roared off to the Sturgis Bike Rally in South Dakota, where Hazel placed 10th in the Freestyle Design class.

For eight years, Schimke has been building custom motorcycles. At first it started as a side job, creating a sleek metal beast for different clients, while he worked full-time as a diesel mechanic. Then, just two years ago, opportunity didn't knock, it rumbled. Schimke was able to open his shop due to an overwhelming amount of custom work, starting with his first full-custom client, Joey Baca.

Baca's bike was eventually featured in "Street Chopper" magazine when it was completed.

From there, clients worked with Schimke on their ideas to create a bike that was just right for each of them. Schimke would throw his own style in here and there, giving the design just a little extra "oomph." Everything is created in-house, except for the obvious, like tires and engines.

Finally, the day came when Schimke was inspired to create a bike that was 100 percent his own design. His friend and custom builder Satya Kraus, owner of Kraus Motor Co. in Cazadero, had won 12th place in the Freestyle Design at Sturgis in 2007. Schimke was revved up to do the same, if not better, than his friend.

The board racing bikes of the 1920s were another part of Schimke's inspiration. These were bikes that raced on oval tracks built out of planks of wood. The racing bikes would compete at speeds topping 100 mph, with no brakes. Add oil from the bikes to the surface of the wood, and you'd have a disaster waiting to happen. A real man's sport.

Schimke wanted a racer, a bike that looked fast, he said. The board racers definitely had the look, but he wanted today's technology to power the bike.

A stock Harley-Davidson engine would be the heart of Hazel, and an innovative braking and throttle system designed by Kraus (only two bikes in the world incorporate it) allows the bike to be controlled without the cables being visible.

The bike was finished off with a paint job by Kirk Taylor, of Custom Design Studios in Novato, who does all of Schimke's paint work, and a gas cap with a South Dakota commemorative quarter (he admits he had to do something that screamed the state's name in honor of Sturgis).

The judges at Sturgis are custom builders themselves. One of Schimke's idols, Roger Goldammer, earned first place for his Harley-Davidson V-twinbased 965cc single cylinder motorcycle, named Goldmember.

At first, when Schimke took 10th, he was a bit disappointed. However, when he learned that he was one of Goldammer's top three picks, and when he learned that one of his clients from Georgia (who was also attending Sturgis) was bragging about being Schimke's customer, Schimke became quite proud of his achievement.

In fact, Schimke is quite proud of all his work. He says that clients and admirers alike know that when he builds a bike, it's built to last and is going to stand up, no matter how far or fast he and his biker buddies ride.

"When we ride, we ride hard," Schimke said.

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.