BUILDS - MANON HACHE & HER HONDA CB125 CHOPPER

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

Over the coming weeks we'll be  featuring some bikes & builds we love from all over the world & the women who ride, design & build them. First up is absolute mega babe Manon Hache & her incredible Honda 125cc custom chopper. 

Ever since she popped up on our instagram feed (thanks to the ever amazing Dice Magazine who's next issue she'll be gracing the pages of next month with her chop) we've been pretty obsessed with the awesome bike she built with her dad & brother at home in Belgium. With another build already on the go for this winter  (this time a 79' Harley Ironhead) we had a chat to her all about her first bike build & her ideas behind it, chopper shit &  her dream road trip.

Enjoy! x

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

GEMMA: So where are you from?

MANON : I'm a 24 years old girl from Mons, Belgium, EU. My dad is Belgian and my mom is Italian from Sardinia. 

G: How did you first get into bikes? 

M: My dad and my brother run a garage. They work on cars and bikes, mostly on Harleys and choppers. That's where my love for choppers comes from. 

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 "I spent my all days with him learning and helping him in the garage. That's the best part of building a bike- the memories and hours spent in the garage together"

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My Honda is my first bike. I decided to start with a 125 to be comfortable on the road beforebuying a Harley. When I bought it, I knew I wanted to build a chopper:  A Tall sissy bar, ape bars, super tall fishtail pipes and colour would be orange. Those are the first things I was sure about. My brother @mauro__hache always has good advice - he decided about the line of the bike, also the seat was his idea, fender too, and he also did the all paint. He's the master of paint of this house! My dad did everything else, by hand: The sissy bar, pipes & the electrics.  The ape bars are from a good friend of ours @alexdew. Apart from that everything was made with old parts we had at home. My dad disassembled and rebuild everything. I spent my all days with him learning and helping him in the garage. That's the best part of building a bike- the memories and hours spent in the garage togheter. I'll say it's really the result of our 3 minds. Dad, Mauro and I made my dream lil bike come true. Now I've got an original 1979 Iron head which we're staring to build this winter. Fun time again! 

G: How long did it take to build from start to finish? 

M: We just did it when dad had a bit of free time in the garage so we didn't work on it everyday. We started like 6 months ago.

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 " That's the funny thing. Your bike ends up looking like you and your personality. The end of 60s - 70s is my favourite era for just about  everything i'd say."

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G: So what made you go for this model of bike & what made you go for a chopper style rebuild?

M: Choppers are my favorite style of bike. My first influences about choppers was definitely from my brother and my Dad. I start to get into it a few years ago then really wanted to start my own project. I'm always searching for vintage pictures of choppers. I'll say I had my idea of my dream bike in my head before to start the project, but when it came to real life, it's even better than what originally I had in my mind. I was the happiest girl in the world when the bike was finished, and I am still.

To me if you own a chopper, you can make your bike very personal. That's the funny thing. Your bike ends up looking like you and your personality. The end of 60s - 70s is my favourite era for just about  everything i'd say. Choppers, music, fashion, furniture, style, womens liberation. I was born too late! 

G: Whats your dream bike?

M: I've got a little preference for Panheads. But I'm pretty sure i'll own a knuckle too one day. 

G: If you could go on any dream motorcycle trip where would it be?

M: I'd like to travel America on a bike. I will one day. I'd love to be lost in the mountains in the middle of nowhere and thinking: damn, i'm at the other side of the world and I'm so happy and free. We did a lot of EU bikes shows this year so it was an amazing summer. I love meeting new people who have the same interest. I can't wait for next summer!

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

G: Favourite thing to wear when you ride? 

M: My everyday to go outfit: flares with a band or printed t-shirts from small businesses . Also my vegan leather jacket customised by pins and patches from small business too. My favorites brands for the coolest t-shirts or the best vintage custom are places like @Shopbadrevival  @Shopthecreatures  @Shophellbound  @Backbite_    @Velvetcaveclothing  @Bornabadseed and so many others....Go girls! 

G: Favourite helmet? 

M: My Biltwell Gringo full face. Ride safe!

G: Tell us about your business - Le rendez-vous vintage!

M: Le rendezvous vintage is my vintage shop that I opened 2 years ago. It's my dream job! I need freedom in my life. I could never wake up every day & do something I'm not happy with. I wake up with a smile everyday thinking how lucky I am to be an indenpendant women who loves her life and work. 

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

IMAGE BY DYLAN MURA - @muradylan

Go follow Manon on instagram HERE & checkout her vintage store Le Rendez- vous Vintage on facebook HERE 

A big thanks to Manon & Dylan Mura! Go see more from Dyan on insta HERE

MY FIRST SUMMER ON A MOTORCYCLE - GEORGIA SHERLOCK

Loving all the people that you can see taking their first steps to 2 wheeled adventures lately! Your first summer riding is something that stays with you for sure... Whether it’s full of roadside breakdowns, stalling and running out of petrol or friendships, road trips and ride outs it’s something you don't forget in a hurry.

Our good friend the lovely Georgia Sherlock just started riding this summer, so we asked her to write all about her tips, road trips, CBT stuff and her first summer on 2 wheels.

Thanks G!
x

GEORGIA: 

This summer I made the massively excited but mildly apprehensive step into the world of motorcycles. At first glance it seemed like an exclusive world, dangerous and arguably aggressive but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only have I learnt a new skill, but Ive also managed to meet some amazing people, all of us connected by an engine and two wheels. 

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"Whether it’s to clear your head, meet some mates, or just a way to spend your time, the experience is incomparable".

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So what made me want to start riding? When I was little my dad had a bike (he still does) and I always kinda thought he looked quite badass. He also used to race cars so anything with an engine makes sense to me (sort of). By no means am I a mechanic but it isn't a totally alien world in some ways. I must have been about 10 when I had my first memory of being on a bike was clinging onto my dad and his very ugly Triumph Tiger.

So, with a wobbly start and a couple of very helpful spins around a car park with the lovely Gemma of VC London, I got my act together and managed to pass my CBT in torrential rain with a bunch of aspiring Deliveroo drivers. The prospect of getting on a motorised, two- wheeled machine with minimal practise was a pretty nerve wracking thought but for anyone interested in the idea please don’t be deterred - you can all do it with yer eyes closed! My main advice would be to take it on a scooter, these are automatic and only 50cc. Get legal and then get your ass on a geared bike, there’s no rush with these things but the most important thing is that you can legally cruise the roads!

For my first bike I chose a Yamaha SR 125. I wanted something older and of more vintage style so I trawled through millions of eBay listings and stumbled across the bike I now own. Luckily the woman selling wasn’t quite aware of the market and the bike was an absolute steal. The appeal of something older was the idea of customising it and the vision of a little cafe racer, however, that’s yet to happen (but in the pipeline). After getting my bike I just rode and rode and rode, everywhere, anywhere, nowhere. It didn’t matter the occasion, or why, the liberating feeling of being sat on a motorcycle trumps any other. Whether it’s to clear your head, meet some mates, or just a way to spend your time, the experience is incomparable. 

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Despite what people might think you can do some serious mileage on a 125 as I did this summer. From Kent to London - Wales and all through the Brecon Beacons, I’ve made some pretty amazing memories in my first summer on two wheels.

A ride out to Kent with a motley crew - It was a Sunday, the sun was shining. Rachel Billings  and I fancied a BBQ and a river to swim in so a group of about 10 of us rode on down. We cruised along some picturesque A-roads and tried to delay the inevitable Sunday blues as much as humanly possible. We all managed to avoid swallowing rat shit from the dodgy looking river, however we did not manage to avoid partial nudity from some of the guys…

"Asides from the ride itself taking a healthy 10 hours for many of us it was our first time out on the country roads"

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Babes Ride Out UK, Wales - Friday 5th August, a group of brave and perhaps slightly mad motorcyclists met at The Bike Shed in Shoreditch. The sun was shining and coffee and croissants were being consumed as we prepared to embark on our ride to Wales for Babes Ride Out UK. Asides from the ride itself taking a healthy 10 hours, for many of us it was our first time out on the country roads; hearing your bike, smelling the fresh air and absorbing the scenery was a blessing and the freedom we felt was like no other. When we eventually arrived we were greeted by a group of some of the most awesome women I’ve ever met. Asides from the cold beer and relief of climbing off our bikes, my overwhelming sense of respect for these ladies was very real. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to organise such an amazing event, the girls behind VC London are carving the way for women in a traditionally male world and bringing Babes Ride Out to the UK is just the beginning of a very long legacy.

IMAGE BY THE COSTA SISTERS

IMAGE BY THE COSTA SISTERS

"We arrived in the pissing rain but our spirits weren't dampened."

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The Trip Out, Bedfordshire - Summer was coming to a close but there was time for one final hoorah as a bunch of us descended upon a farm in Bedfordshire. The ride up there was quick and easy… proves what a little practise and experience can do to your riding (confidence had grown since the 10 hour adventure to Wales). We arrived in the pissing rain but our spirits were not dampened. Cracking a beer, ditching the bike and watching the sun go down surrounded by a spectacular array of choppers was certainly a pleasant experience. With a well stocked bar, live music and awesome people there was very little to complain about. Differently to other events this was less about riding and more about displaying. The variety of motorcycles encountered in one weekend was an entire experience in itself and as a newbie to the scene it was quite a spectacle…

TRIP OUT IMAGES FROM SUBSCULPTURES BY JONNY WILSON

So, at the end of my first summer riding my best advice to anyone wanting to get on two wheels would be to just do it. If you’re interested and the idea of a bike gets the heart racing then book a CBT and get legal. It would be a lie to say the CBT wasn’t nerve-wracking but take it easy and take your time, anyone can do it and once the certificate is in your hands jump on a bike asap. A big car park, industrial estate or quiet country road, as long as you have space and someone with experience and patience to guide you through the gears and getting your balance you’ll be cruising about in no time.

Anyway enough from me but all I’ll finish on is the totally positive outcome of my fairly impulsive choice to hop on a motorbike. It’s a decision I’ll never regret and if you love it the rest comes naturally. 

G x

IMAGE: HEIDI ZUMBRUN

IMAGE: HEIDI ZUMBRUN