Purpose Built Moto GM500 Reveal
On the 27th of March I was fortunate enough to be asked to document the reveal of a one of a kind hybrid motorcycle. This particular bike is the brainchild of an avid speedway enthusiast brought to life by the team at Purpose Built Moto.
Tom Gilroy, the visual engineer and name behind the custom motorcycle manufacturer; Purpose Built Moto was tasked with the job of creating a speedway inspired, street legal motorcycle.
The event was held at the Gold Coast Motor Museum, a suitable location rich in history and priceless automotive artefacts.
A healthy number of guests arrived, gathering at the onsite restaurant for pre-reveal dinner and drinks. In this time I took the time to meet and talk with a some other people in the industry, one of which, Joselyn Dare I found to be truly inspiring!
Joselyn is a wildly driven individual with a huge passion for Australian Grassroots Motorsport. She has set out on a mission to document, promote and support the legacy of Australia's up and coming motorsports athletes.
This passion grew into a full blown life sentence after the passing of her father Ron Johnson. Heartfelt tributes and images of his racing career began to arise, prompting the ambition to carry on his legacy.
I urge you to follow @nomaddirtculture on instagram to keep up to date with some of Australia's most notable motorsports athletes.
Following the informalities, guests made their way to the museums main shed for the official unveiling. The bike of the night being located at the rear of the shed meant that you had to walk past decades of automotive memorabilia. The display, a love child of Carl Amor consists of over 100 vehicles ranging from one off custom creations to collectables rarely visible to the public today.
Complimentary to the collection, the PBM creation pays homage to the history of speedway and the passion for its former and current members.
Jake Tobin; the visionary for the project was present on the night. He took a few short moments on the mic to tell a brief story of his involvement in the sport and what the project means to him. Similarly to many others in the room, Jake found a sense of community and pure joy for the thrill of racing.
Its a family affair for most and tends to be passed down through generations in all different forms, for that reason the reveal felt a little more personal that you'd come to expect.
PURPOSE BUILT MOTO
The name says it all. A motorcycle that balances class and style, emulating the key features of a vintage speedway motorcycle with typical modern-retro styling of a PBM creation. Built to ride and purposed for the streets. This bike truly is a work of art.
The custom GM500 engine was delivered to the team at PBM with a vision in mind.
This bike features very similar geometry to a modern race purposed bike, typically paired with the 23-19 wheel combination. In a competition application, this setup maximises handling and control when the steering is at full lock.
The paint scheme and chrome components compliment the bespoke frame design and vintage inspired front suspension setup; giving this bike a vintage feel with modern reliability.
Reliability comes with precision engineering. In the harsh Queensland heat cooling is essential on a bike that will see slow speeds and city traffic. The PBM team has created a one-off custom cooling system to keep this system at a safe operating temperature, ensuring Jake can ride this for a little or as long as he desires!
The night as a whole was super inspiring. This is a bike that will be spoken about for generations surrounded by a community that carries tradition to their modern life.
This truly was a moment that will make history and in turn potentially inspire a new generation of bike builders or speedway atheletes.
Speedway as a sport suffered a big hit when new regulations were enforced prompting the closure of hundreds of private and commercial tracks.
Like any modern motorsport, governing bodies maintain a standard for the motorcycles, gear, facilities and community standards. Whilst this is essential to sustain the future of the sport it has also simply made it far too in-accessible for amateur racers to get involved.
Its with our best intent that we share these images to try inspire others to follow the journey of those racing today. It was a pleasure to share my experience from the night with you, please enjoy these last few images!
