In The Beginning
Added on Friday, November 7th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
Terry at work
So, just how did Carole Nash get to team up with custom kings Hawg Haven in a project, which will see a unique £30,000 motorcycle being created live before tens of thousands at the NEC? Well, our paths first crossed at the 2006 International Motorcycle and Scooter Show, when we presented the Norwich-based bike bespokers Hawg Haven with the prestigious Custom Xtreme Best of the Best award for their magnificent creation Psy-Bawg.
As we started contemplating about how we could make our presence at the 2008 Carole Nash International Motorcycle & Scooter Show even more memorable, our thoughts returned to Norwich. Soon we were East Anglia bound on the A14 head for Hawg HQ and meeting with top dogs Jon Quantrell and Terry Clarke (who will shortly take up the blog reins to keep you posted on their activities). Now it’s safe to say that Jon and Terry like a challenge. These are, after all, the customisers who’ve taken on high profile deadlines, chasing commissions from the likes of Charley Boorman and the Hairy Bikers. But would they bite when asked to create something really special, live, not just in front of a couple of hundred thousand rubber-necking NEC show visitors, but also via podcasts - posted right here throughout the two weeks of the show? Silly question, seems like the bigger the challenge, the quicker the Hawg Haven boys will seize it. They also seemed to like our hands-off attitude to design. ‘Here’s a budget, do what you want but just make sure it’s in our company colours’ we said. Well, they are big lads so best not try and tell ‘em what to do!
Excitement is building as the Carole Nash Construct project gets set to hit the NEC stage – or, more precisely, our stand 2C20, upstairs in Hall 2. Already Jon and Terry have christened the soon-to-be-built bike the Carole Nash Old Skool Bobber. They’ve also given us a few ideas of what to expect. A customised “Santee Rigid” frame will provide the starting point with a “1450cc Revtech 88 CI” engine providing a suitable amount of welly. What else? Well, you will just have to wait and see.
But one thing is certain, this is quite a challenge. The four man Hawg Haven team, including Jon and Terry, will spend around 200 man hours creating our new pet, as the clock runs down towards the show’s end. They’ve also got to handle the cameras and questions of show visitors and keep you posted via this blog. Easy peasy eh?
By the way, once the bike is completed we’re going to take it on a tour of UK and Irish bike shows before giving it away to one lucky punter. That’s right, given away. Free. Gratis. All our lucky winner will need to do – to enter, is get a Carole Nash motorcycle quote* between November 27th 2008 and October 31st 2009 – all those getting a quote will see their names go into a prize draw which could see them riding home from the 2009 Carole Nash International Motorcycle & Scooter Show on the Carole Nash Old Skool Bobber. It doesn’t get much cooler than that does it!
Anyway all of us at Carole Nash hope to see you at what promises to be one of the finest NEC shows ever – but now it’s time to hand over to Jon and Terry for the next instalment in the story of Carole Nash Construct….
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