Art in progress
This very well known Dutch Master of Customizing has waved his magic wand over this bike and turned it into a pure piece of art. BikeBrewers were offered the opportunity to tame this wild stallion and after seeing pictures of it online, we did not have to think twice before accepting the invitation.
Amsterdam Classic Riders
As this is a classic bike in the true sense of the word, I invited some friends from the ‘Amsterdam Classic Riders’ community (part of the worldwide New York Classic Riders) to come along for the day.
The four of us met in Arjan’s extremely cool workshop where he showed us his work in progress and shed some light on his future plans. Amazing how quickly his international star just keeps rising. He has clients from all over the world sending in their orders for bikes to be built. His order book runs well into 2019!
Ironwood Workout
Before setting out for a full day of riding, Arjan warned me the bike was sort of ‘Spartan’. “you are going to feel very tired when you get back” he said. I just laughed at him and explained that being the ‘21st Century Peter Pan’ my physical condition is way better than that of many 30-year-olds and t and I had already been to the gym at 07.30 that morning to prove that.
Well, he was right.
The set up is very rigid and the riding position is perfect for taking cool pictures. But man, after an hour of riding your buttocks and back are fighting for your attention! This is a bike for real men indeed.
The design is phenomenal, but riding this beast takes special skills. Fortunately, I grew up in the early seventies and rode bikes as of a very early age. So I was kind of used to riding the Spartan way. But that was many modern suspensions ago.
Keeping is cool on a hot an sunny day
Don’t get me wrong, riding the Honda is pure bliss and the minor physical issues have grinned away. If you are looking for attention, this bike is also to be recommended. Its loud & shiny appearance are definite head turners.
In spite of it being 35 years old, the Honda runs smoothly. The clutch was not the best part, unfortunately, but Ironwood will already have replaced this by the time this piece is published.
Very cool is the ‘Motogadget’ display. This hi-tech piece of work goes very well with the classic caféracer look of the bike. It has a touch of seventies space-age feeling to it, perhaps that’s what does the trick.
The Kehin carbs look the part. I particularly like the sticker which reads: ‘motorcycle race-use only’. Yeah!
The stainless steel exhaust system not only looks great, but the duo of two-in-one pipes are the music of sound. The typical hoarse Honda F4 sound with a little bit of extra amplification. Nice!
Words versus pictures
You can try to catch the joy of riding this bike in words, but it is hard to describe. Some bikes you just have to experience and this is one of them.
Would I ride it to work every day? Hell no! Would I park it in my living room in spite of my wife’s reaction and ride it on special occasions? Hell yes!
Ironwood has again managed to produce a fine piece of art. If you are not already following this rugged looking builder you should reconsider. He is one of the dominating factors in the international custom scene.
Did we have fun? Absolutely! Just take a look at the pictures, they say more than a 1.000 words.
Pictures by Sjoerd Schenk & Jonathan Rattray Clark
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About the Author: Ron Betist
Thanks Ron, and what a fun day out it was and a real treat meeting Arjan in his natural habitat the smell of oil and fuel the bikes in various stages of birthing ready to become the fully fledged beasts Arjan builds. Add into the mix some of the best company a bloke could find anywhere in the world and we sure where set up for a fun day out. No bike trip would be complete without a little roadside events, it’s the little things that make getting around on bikes so much fun. Until we ride again gentlemen like our wheel lets keep on rolling.