Win this Bike!
The Schoolyard Motorworks custom motorcycle that has been designed, built and marketed by students at the TBA Career Tech Center is up for grabs. Next month, the bike will go to a new owner who holds the winning raffle ticket.
That lucky person will be getting a winner, as the motorcycle placed third out of 50 entries in the Detroit Autorama, held in early March. In addition, the bike and students involved in the project will be featured in a future issue of American Iron magazine.
About 14-15 students involved in all aspects of the project attended the biggest show in Michigan as well as the awards ceremony. The red, highly stylized bike was entered in the professionally built category because of the collaboration and contributions of Kip Watkins and the Watkins Boyz, a custom bike building operation.
"I knew what they were capable of and what Kip was capable of and they all worked together and it came out what we were hoping for," said Chuck Hunt, project director and a welding instructor at the Career Tech Center.
Watkins conceived of the project and, after an enthusiastic reception by Career Tech Center officials and faculty, it was launched in June of 2004. The endeavor has brought together students in all areas of study at the Career Tech Center, faculty at the center, a host of contributors and the expertise and vision of the Watkins Boyz.
"The project happened because of Kip, he worked with the kids and Kip's the one that made it happen," noted Hunt.
The bike was built thanks to donations from numerous businesses — locally including Home Depot, the Army National Guard, Air Gas, Advanced Auto Parts and Garage Outfitters — as well as fundraisers along the way.
The intent of the project from inception was to donate all proceeds from the $50 raffle tickets, hoped to be around $75,000, to the Father Fred Foundation. Sales of the 1,500 tickets are slow but steady and organizers are trying to get the word out that more are available.
"The project is much bigger than building a bike, the bike is paid for so 100 percent of the ticket sales go to Father Fred," said Hunt.
Brandon Hubbell, a freshman at Northwestern Michigan College, has worked on the Build team for two years. Applying his welding skills, he built the gas tank, oil tank, handlebars and exhaust system.
"Basically, anything that was welded, I did," said Hubbell, who hopes to build custom off-road 4X4 vehicles for a living. "This was a lot different than anything we learned in class, something I've always wanted to do."
"The first year, a lot of it was design stuff and the second year was building," he added.
In addition to the bike's design and construction, the Schoolyard Motorworks Pit Crew has been invaluable in all facets of marketing and publicity — basically anything beyond the realm of metal and motors. Students in the construction trades, horticulture, culinary arts and early childhood development have also participated in the project.
"It's been a way to really bring a lot of kids together," said Julie Kunkel, a visual imaging technology instructor at the Career Tech Center. "It took a crew to put it together and it's been great for everybody."
"It's been a huge undertaking but we get to have fun," she added.
For more information or to purchase a raffle ticket, which are $50 each, call 922-6273 or see the website www.schoolyardmotorworks.org. The drawing will be held on May 19.