I may not know art...

[Shaun G]

After seeing this.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HONDA-XL175-HUSQVARNA-DEUS-STYLE-VMX-/250872696478?_trksid=e17002.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D6%26pmod%3D250866007147%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2067246125631484094&_qi=RTM773815

I found my way to this

http://www.deus.com.au/gallery/deus-bbo-2010-entrants/

Scroll through the pics to see some vmx type creations.

Is this art? Or a waste of time, effort and valuable parts?

Cheers
Shaun

[lukeb1961]

Is this art? Or a waste of time, effort and valuable parts?

After carefully examing them all and feeling 'nothing'. I have to say "waste of time, effort and valuable parts" appears correct.

[firko]

Is this art? Or a waste of time, effort and valuable parts?

I don't see too many valuable parts in that group of bikes . A Harley here, a Triumph there....most of it is  old dirtbike common fodder. As far as them being art? I like the concept they're trying to push here, to build something that is different, the fact that one bike might not appeal to Shaun, Luke or me is irrelevent to these blokes. Some of the bikes are just plain ugly but I think some of them are cool little bikes showing that you don't have to have an Arlen Ness squillionaire bike to have something a little different.


I reckon the above pair have got the asthetics spot on but the below two miss out completely and fit the waste of time category in my opinion.

[oldfart]

seat to tank is too scary for me

[Shaun G]

Just putting it out there Firko. I actually like a couple of these creations.

This Z50 for instance is one seriously cool pit bike



But this is just a waste of time and effort (and bloody ugly) in my book.



As you say to each his own and being different is something we should definately aspire to I reckon 

Cheers
Shaun

[Nathan S]

Eh.
Black Z50 has some aesthetic appeal, but its still about styling/image over any sort of function.

Of the others, the XL/PE hybrid is probably the least offensive to my sensibilities - it is as ugly as a hatful of Bultaco rider's arseholes, but at least it appears to have been built as a true rat bike (using only parts the builder has available to them).
In contrast, the two notionally "rat bikes" have fallen into the same trap that 90% of rat rods do - they try far too hard and end up ridiculous.

[EML]

The top pic of the 'ugly' pair' seems to have an Emu donk or something similar. That is seriously 'out there' in my opinion. Who woulda thunk that shit up? Someone sittin' in a shed too close to some lawn clippings I gather.

[firko]

In contrast, the two notionally "rat bikes" have fallen into the same trap that 90% of rat rods do - they try far too hard and end up ridiculous.

I couldn't agree more Nathan. I love the rat concept but a good percentage of rat bikes and rods are way overboard. I'm a regular at Deus ex Machina (best coffee in Annandale) and I kinda like what they're trying to achieve with their bikes..but...some of them, especially those stupid "hill climber" looking things are ridiculous. Some of the street trackers are sweet, especially the Kawasaki twin based bikes...the bike they built for Billy Joel is exactly to my tastes. The Deus open day shows are well worth attending. The last one had some of the coolest low riders and custom cars on show along with some of the best street trackers and cafe racers you'll ever see. I'm hoping to have my Benelli street tracker ready for next years show.
This is actually a tastefully constructed little cafe racer, clean lines and good workmanship

I love an old school bobber and this bloke's got the concept right while keeping the bike reasonably rideable

This fugly little whatsit seems to be some Newtown art students vision of what a dirt bike looks like without actually ever seeing one or having ridden a bike of any kind.

What's this piece of shit doing in a bike show? 0/10

[oldfart]

whoa
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1987-Yamaha-SR400-PECCANT-/280703503854?pt=AU_Motorcycles&hash=item415b3b8dee

[Doc]

I don't go much for any of that Deus stuff. To my way of thinking it's like someone putting an RT34 Skyline engine in a HQ Monaro

[lukeb1961]

I don't go much for any of that Deus stuff. To my way of thinking it's like someone putting an RT34 Skyline engine in a HQ Monaro

it'd better be purple and have white pom-poms, then 

[Doc]

I still have my little rat commuter tucked away..maybe I should get it out and enter it in the next Deus competition and see if I can pick up a 3rd place! not likely!!

[EML]

Needs pull-back bars and knobbies to even get close--sorry Doc

[Nathan S]

Doc wins. By a long way.

This was aiming for a Bantam-style, surely?

[crash n bern]

The top pic of the 'ugly' pair' seems to have an Emu donk or something similar. That is seriously 'out there' in my opinion. Who woulda thunk that shit up? Someone sittin' in a shed too close to some lawn clippings I gather.

For a running/static sculpture, a bit of rampant thinking has gone into that "Now what the frig have I got lying around the farm" bike.  It might seem ugly to some at first glance, but look closely it's quite a clever build.

Custom bikes are like art.  There are those who paint to please the masses and there are those who paint to please themselves. Then there are those who paint with no talent at all, but still enjoy to paint.

As for the red P.O.S, as Firko called it.  It might not be that pretty, but for a postie bike bucket racer that probably cost less than most people spend on new plastics for their VMX bike, it's not bad.