Body and Machine

From “Deep Space Blue” to “Vortex Green”, the trippy metal flake colors live again! In a sweet surprise, Mustang Motorcycle Products LLC is introducing metal flake vinyl options to their custom seat program. These six new colors match the retro color schemes found on the Harley-Davidson® Hard Candy Custom™ collection.

“Of course, I am much too young to remember when metal flake was first popular,” joked Mustang’s Marketing Director, Marilyn Simmons. “However, Mustang is old school… we have been manufacturing the world’s most comfortable motorcycle seats in our historic New England factory since 1980.” In addition to the extensive custom seat program rolled out last fall, customer demand for metal flake has added even more options when it comes to creating your own seat. “We are now offering custom seats with a selection of different stitch patterns, thread colors and now metal flake vinyl inserts to choose from,” she explains.

The customers’ first step in Mustang’s automated online seat design process is to pick a stitch pattern: plain, Tuck and Roll or Diamond stitch options are available. Next, it’s time to pick the vinyl color – choose from a variety of colors including Mustang’s new metal flake options. As you’re designing your unique seat, you can see exactly how it will look. There is even a magnifier tool that lets you get a close-up look at the flakes and stitch colors.

Seeing is believing, but these out-of-this-world colors have to be seen in the light of day rather than on a computer screen to really do them justice.

“Featuring countless combinations of stitch options, 12 contrasting thread colors, and 18 vinyl colors including six new metal flake choices, our custom seat program is available for our most popular models,” says Simmons. Mustang’s Tripper™ Solo, Tripper Fastback™ and DayTripper™ are three seat styles currently available in the custom seat/retro metal flake program, but more seats and colors are coming. You can check them out at
mustangseats.com/custom

Today is the day, after months of collecting submissions and pouring through tons of entries, we finally have our winner!
We are happy to announce Chris Gibbany as the 2014 Ultimate Biker Makeover Winner.
Thank you to our awesome sponsors for hooking Chris up with all her amazing prizes. Please check out her story, and see why we chose Chris as the Winner of the 2014 Garage-Girls Ultimate Biker Makeover.
Chris’s Entry

“My brother and I were given the option of a candy bar a day or the equivalent in money, I ALWAYS took the money, he took the candy.  I took care of all of my clothes and toys and then resold them at yard sales to recoup some of my money.  I picked up aluminum cans and scrap metal while growing up to have more cash.  I never got my ears pierced as I knew it would make me buy “unnecessary things”.   I graduated high school with honors and my graduation gift was a $10 denim purse.  I went to college on full scholarships and I worked two jobs.

While everyone else was eating out everyday, I was the only person in college who brought lunch in a reusable sack.  I continued to learn that if I wanted things, it was possible but I had to have my priorities straight and be confident enough to take “ribbing” from other people due to my different choices and not “going along with the crowd”.

My first year in college I bought a super nice black 1978 Camaro, that I owned 15 years.  My second year I bought a 1978 Z-28 Camaro, a car I owned 22 years and just sold three weeks ago!  I went to buy a third Camaro while in college but instead fell in love with MOTORCYCLES!  I had these things while making minimum wage.  While married to my first husband, I was forced to sell my motorcycle to buy him an expensive birthday gift.  I  got another motorcycle and one day while still at work, he sold it.  Needless to say that after a few events like this, I filed for divorce, typed up my own papers and got divorced for only $50.  Another lesson in frugality!  He was also trying to force me to have kids and I instead went and got my tubes tied, also free of charge!

I decided that I was not going to live a life that didn’t suit me and my love of the machine.

I now am married to my soulmate, a man who doesn’t limit the amount of cars or motorcycles I can have. A man who lets me design and helps me build my dream bikes. The only thing lacking is MONEY! I give 110% of my life to my passions, which are obviously motorcycles and cars. With that being said, and probably because of the way I grew up, I live a VERY frugal life. We choose to live without television (one of the best decisions we have ever made), telephone, microwave, clothesdryer, dishwasher, etc. I go shopping for food once a month (just like my parents did) for what I don’t kill, catch or raise in the gardens. I only shop in thrift stores and I only own one pair of boots, which I got by trading JcPenney’s gift cards (that I got for free) for a gift card to a local boot store. With that being said, even though I ride all the time, I don’t even own a riding jacket or a pair of gloves! Just this year I broke down and bought a helmet, and because I am so cheap, it is already cracked!

I live my life to the fullest, always promoting women, motorcycles and related events. If I win, I will not only be a GREAT ambassador to Garage Girls and women in general, but for any prizes I cannot use, I would like to donate to a runner-up. But I really need a set of Avon tires!”

What future Garage-Girl wouldn’t go crazy for this?

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Since 2005, David has created a special piece for Sturgis every year.  He continues that tradition this year with “Bikini Bike Wash”.

This latest masterpiece is a few years in the making and features bike builder Matt Olsen and his wife Brittney.  Matt is astride his ’39 Knucklehead bobber “Dottie” (now owned by Pat Simmons and Cris Sommer-Simmons).  Bikini Bike Washes are a fixture at rally time, and the unmistakeable Black Hills backdrop stamps this as a true Sturgis scene from days gone by.

Stop by David’s full gallery at the Gold Dust Casino in Deadwood again this year during the rally (from July 31st-August 10th). David is excited to announce Kristy Swanson, David’s model for “The Huntress”, she will be joining him at the Gold Dust on Sunday August 3 and again on Monday August 4.  visit David’s site  for more info