When Jeff Wright from Church of Choppers converts a bike, only the essence remains. His version of the R nineT once again proves his extraordinary artistic talent.
CoC R nineT
Church of Choppers (CHVRCH)
Jeff Wright
R nineT
2014/2015
Streetfighter
What are the most important tools for converting a motorcycle? Correct, a welding system and...Google. At least this is the case for Jeff Wright from the legendary forge Church of Choppers (CHVRCH). And Jeff should know; he has dismantled every imaginable model from a wide range of brands and put them back together again in accordance with his vision. For his hotchpotch of modified classics, choppers, street fighters and dirt trackers, it is surprising that by 2015 no bike from BMW had appeared on his CV. But when the opportunity presented itself to style the R nineT his way, he was ecstatic. "I live in the middle of the USA, and with 2,000 miles to California and 1,500 miles to New York City, it's great to get a chance to tinker around with a bike like this", says Jeff, who lives with his wife and three children in Des Moines.
Jeff Wright
Church of Choppers
Jeff is as diverse and varied as his motorcycles. With his fashion label FTWCO, he designs clothing, is a qualified artist, writes a blog and owns a pub. He described himself as a grumpy, artistic avid smoker. Someone as unique as Jeff naturally only builds unique models. "I say to people: if you like something I've built, then make me an offer. I won't build a motorcycle for anyone other than myself.
His modification process is similar to that of a spring clean. Jeff calls it "tidying up", when he gets rid of all parts that, in his eyes, are no longer needed. For the R nineT, he removed the vehicle electronics. The two poles of the battery are now located in the seat hump of the intricate seat bench. They are easily accessible and ensure that the horn sounds and the indicators flash. The injection system also had to go; Jeff replaced it with a classic flat side carburettor. Instead of the emergency ignition, he fitted a traditional ignition magneto, that can be clearly seen, because the lower half of the tank functions as a type of window. This is just an example of Jeff's craftsmanship abilities.
Series part
Modified tank, homemade seat bench with access to the battery, in-house designed rear, front fairing produced in-house
Showa fork, milled Triple Tree, BlackStone Tek carbon rims
Series part
In-house production, Racefit shock absorbers end below the seat bench and are at 30-degree angles to one another
Silver with black-red-gold decoration on the tank, racing pattern on the rear
The R nineT cleaned up by Jeff was unveiled for the first time at the "Naked Truth Show". The bike didn't have any paintwork and stood there simply "naked". Visitors could fully concentrate on the modifications and were impressed. When Jeff's R nineT was then enveloped two months later at The Only Motorcycle Show in a black-red-gold robe, the motorcycle fans could no longer hold themselves back. "There were a lot of high fives", Jeff recalls. And if one of his admirers wishes to emulate him, they just need to get themselves a welding system. And for the inspiration: Jeff's unforgettable motorcycles can be found by anyone on Google.