The Motorcycle Classics/Dairyland Cycle Insurance Bonneville Build. Nice, eh?
Six months ago, we launched into our latest project, the Motorcycle Classics/Dairyland Cycle Insurance Bonneville Build. We took a brand new retro classic 2010 Triumph Bonneville and morphed it into our interpretation of a modern take on a classic theme, the bobber hotrod. Our plan from the beginning was to give the bike away, and give it away we did when we announced the winner of our Bonneville Build Sweepstakes at the 6th Annual Barber Vintage Festival on Saturday, October 9. And the winner is …
The winner is Christopher Howley, of Quincy, Mass. Chris wasn’t in attendance at the festival to hear his name called by Dairyland Cycle’s Frank Thornbury, who made the drive to Leeds to announce the winner (you didn’t need to be present to win). It took us a few days to track Chris down, and once he found out he’d won our new Triumph he was predictably excited. “It was kind of a shocking thing,” Chris told me. “I came home and my mom said ‘you got a call.’ And that was the call!”
Although Chris isn’t an avid motorcyclist, his brother is, and we’re hoping said brother will fire up Chris’ interest in bikes and get him out on the road on his new Triumph. If that doesn’t work, Chris admits that he’ll probably sell the Triumph. But not just for the sake of cash. “I have a cousin who does Habitat for Humanity,” Chris says. “He’s been in New Orleans, and I went with him last year and I’m going in 2011, too. He’s inspired me, and I’d like to do something like that, start an organization that builds houses. I want to call it WAITT, We’re All In This Together. So if I sell it, the money won’t be used for selfish purposes.”
Well, we won’t hide that we’d be happier to see the bike go to someone who plans to ride it and enjoy it the way we enjoyed building it, but if our Bonneville Build ends up making life easier for people who have less than the rest of us, we’d call that a pretty happy ending.
So congratulations to Chris, and thanks to everyone who signed up for a chance to win. The sweepstakes was enormously popular, and the comments and encouragement we received regarding the build were fabulous. Our email inbox was literally stuffed with notes from would-be winner telling us how much they liked what we did and how proud they’d be to ride our bobber down the road. Well, maybe next time. And yes, there will be a next time, because we’re plotting out our next build, to be announced soon!
In the meantime, our thanks to all of you for your interest in the Bonneville Build, and particularly to Dairyland Cycle Insurance for its support, partnering with us to build one of the coolest bikes anywhere. If you’re looking for motorcycle insurance, check them out; they’re good folks, and not just because they sponsored our build. — Richard Backus