Mill Bay bike builder gets invitation to Playboy Mansion

[LegalAlien]

Mill Bay bike builder gets invitation to Playboy Mansion

Jay Burnham will be adding a little extra eye candy to the Playboy Mansion next weekend.

The custom-motorcycle builder from Shawnigan Lake has been invited to show four of his latest creations at a charity Halloween bash being thrown by Hugh Hefner at his Beverly Hills compound.

Kiss frontman Gene Simmons and talk-show host Jay Leno, both bike buffs and big-time collectors, are on a who's who Hollywood guest list for the party and show -- dubbed Where Leather Meets Lace.

"It's a pretty cool invitation ... phenomenal exposure and we're pretty stoked about it," said Burnham, whose Freakshow Choppers has been gaining international notoriety for striking designs and artwork.

Burnham has been running the Island's version of Orange County Choppers since 2003, producing about 15 bikes a year for local and international buyers -- some fetching as much as $125,000.

The former gas fitter and heating contractor has gone from a backyard garage to a 6,000-square-foot, custom-built shop in Mill Bay with full-time builders and specialists, a showroom and retail area where riders can buy kits, accessories and custom clothing.

"We specialize in one-off bikes and it's all old-school craftsmanship," says Burnham, 43. "We build from scratch, basically using hammer-and-dolly on sheet metal."

Custom bikes can be built for as little as $22,000, adds Burnham, or riders can add custom work like a tank or fender.

Freakshow is a collaborative affair with plenty of talent. Blair Chamberlain is head fabricator and shop foreman while Art Storey and Greg Grozelle have big hands in how the bikes come together. Mike Gariepy of Mike's Tattoo and Airbrush in Duncan does the jaw-dropping paintwork, while leather specialist Barrie Dale -- who does custom work for luminaries like California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- uses shop space to produce seats, saddle bags and rider apparel.

Freakshow has been on a wild ride the past two years, picking up awards at motorcycle shows across North America. The company cleaned up at the Canadian championships last year in Toronto and was named one of the world's top builders at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in North Dakota. Earlier this year at Las Vegas Bike Week, Freakshow won for best overall metal work and top-of-class in pro-radical -- freestyle -- and pro-builder categories.

The Playboy Mansion party is sponsored by the U.S.-based Motorcycle Charity Associates, with proceeds going to help wounded soldiers.

Freakshow Choppers is at 3145 Telegraph Rd. in Mill Bay. Call 250-812-1819 or go online www.

freakshowchoppers.com

dkloster@tc.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

[LegalAlien]

Couple more pics.