ADAM Layton has some true pieces of beautiful craftmanship in his South Windsor motorcycle shop.
While his day job is servicing Harley-Davidsons, Layton has built some masterpieces in his shop.
Two bikes immediately command attention when entering his shop.
The first stands out because of the length of the bike. The elongated front forks are coated in gold.
The rest of the machine is covered in either gold or black. The body is adorned with skulls, and an inscription which reads: 3 can keep a secret if 2 are dead.
The second bike is completely coated in a matte black finish. It looks like something batman would ride, and is low to the ground, with a huge back wheel. Indeed, it might be more at home in one of the hangars at the RAAF Base, rather than Layton’s shop with a ‘not for sale’ sign hanging off it.
Layton designs and builds custom Harley Davidsons in his shop and said when he made bikes.
He said he had built a reputation for building unique bikes.
“People just like my taste in bikes,” he said.
“I am always trying to mix it up and do one better. Whether it has $20,000 worth of gold and diamonds, or a weird motor, or a wacky set of pipes, I will push the limits all the time.
“I make the bikes to fit people and if someone wants something and it can't be bought, I'll make it.
“It doesn't matter if it takes me a month just to make the forks so someone has a bike that no one else in the world has.”
Two minutes in Layton’s shop and it is hard to take your eyes away from the bikes, but Layton insists the thing that gives him the most pleasure is the simple servicing of bikes.
“It is the regular bikes that keep me going, people coming in for tires, tune-ups, handle bar adjustments,” he said.
“I am just as happy to do something like that than to build a $200,000 gold monster.”
Nevertheless, he said his bikes had earned his shop a reputation.
“It is funny. I am known all over the world but not a lot of people in the Hawkesbury know I am here,” he said.
“I have people coming in here and making a stop when they come and see me, it is a bit of a tourist destination.”
Layton said he had worked with a number of big names in the motorcycle world such as Frasers and Chad Reed.
Layton said Corey and Arlen Ness were big inspirations to his work, as was Jesse James.
