BILT

Profile

IN ASS BILT Motorcycle Company - New Zealand
in association with

BILT PROFILE
The BILT Motorcycle Company is managed and operated by me, Russell "Shagger" Gilmer, on behalf of the Millennium Trust. I also chair the Trust - refer to www.kickstart.org.nz for details. Our postal address is PO Box 6069, New Plymouth, 4344, Taranaki, New Zealand.
You can contact me by faxing 64 (0)6 758 6697 or voice/txt to 64 (0)27 201 2969.

My custom bike building days began circa 1974 with the customising of a stock 1962 BSA 650cc Goldflash that I had bought while still at high school. Working at my first job in Waitara, Taranaki, assembling the "Made in Taranaki" Mountain Goat and Farmbyke farm motorcycles, enabled access to technical expertise, mig welders, presses, folders and other fabrication equipment. This hands on experience taught me early design and construction techniques for the custom parts for my first 'real' chopper build.
Gaining inspiration from mags such as Easyriders and Street Chopper, and always favouring the USA "Bay Area" look of custom motorcycles in the USA, the 'Flash featured strut rear end, short guard, 16" rim and Avon tyre (ex-UK), custom-made oiltank, battery box, seat, bars and girder front end, peanut gas tank, 5" headlight and as much chrome as I could afford. All parts except the 16" rim, spokes and tyre were manufactured or sourced in New Zealand.

As an 'at the time' staunch BSA owner, over the ensuing years I also owned and rode a '61 500cc Shooting Star (rebuilt stock with custom paint), a '72 650cc Lightning (stock with heaps of chrome) and a 750cc Rocket III that I built from the ground up circa 1979, and subsequently rebuilt for sale in '84. The rebuild featured 850cc kit, 30mm head, 5-speed trans, box section swingarm, 2-1-2 exhaust, disc front end, 16" rear wheel and chrome, chrome, chrome.
During the early 80's I rounded up all my BSA twin spares and built the 650cc chopper shown below. The bike featured a hardtail frame, springer front end, sporty tank, custom-made oiltank, battery box and solo sprung seat.
This BSA chop was my last foray into British bike customising - in 1984 I bought and rebuilt my first Harley - a 1974 1200cc ('74 74") Superglide which was semi-chopped when I got it.

In 1986 I revamped and sold the Superglide and bought a brand new '85 Softail which I still own. It wasn't long before the custom bug bit and the Softail appeared at the '87 National Motorcycle Expo in all it's yellow glory, or gory, depending on your taste.
It made an appearance in Ozbike magazine that year. Over the years it has taken on many guises and minor custom applications. Now that BILT has come along, the '85, which has served me so well for 20+ years, will be totally restored during 2009/10.

Brand new '85 at the National Motorcycle Expo '85

I owned and operated Centennial Motorcycle Spares in New Plymouth from 1988 to 1992 concentrating mainly on spares and complete motorcycle sales. But I did find time for a couple more customs as shown below.
The blue swing-arm custom featured a brand new 80" H-D engine, rebuilt 4-speed trans, custom frame/swing-arm/oiltank (to my specs), tank, seat, exhaust, rear guard and alloy struts.
The mid-glide twin disc front end ran 05 Brembos and 19" wheel - the rear is 16" with a Lockheed caliper. This custom featured in Live To Ride mag.
The white rigid featured in the '91 Expo with a frame built to my drag-style specs, 4-caliper (05 Brembos again) modified FL wideglide with 19" wheel, Sporty tank, custom built solid 15" rear wheel, rear guard, alloy struts, seat and exhaust. The powerplant used was from my '85 Softail and this was later transferred back and the project sold as a rolling chassis.

And now, in association with Gilmer Custom Motorcycle Design, there is BILT Motorcycles - my own brand and passion.

driven by Kickstart - A Millennium Trust Initiative