Finland trip PT. 6 HOMEGROWN CHOPPERS

We spent a couple of hours over at the HOMEGROWN CHOPPERS clubhouse in Helsinki. This is a relatively new club with mainly younger guys.....many with a skateboarding background. The club currently has 30 paid up members who share the rent on the clubhouse. It's a great way to do things, there is a real communal spirit and different guys specialize in different aspects of bike building. The clubhouse also had a pretty cool, well stocked Tiki bar.

An impromtu photo shoot for DAVIDA HELMETS took place when a professional photographer, some pretty girls, Fiddy with some helmets and a cool chopper all happened to be at the same place at the same time!

The girl in the last shot, who was very clearly "with her boyfriend".... propositioned me later on in the evening....whilst her psychotic-looking "fella" was prowling around the party with his arms folded and a frowned expression on his face, watching her every move.....it left me a little uneasy and on edge.

FINLAND TRIP pt.5...ANTSU

This is Antsu, a really great guy who looked after us on our trip. He's been a friend of Fids for over 10 years. The last picture is Antsu in action and this shot is actually part of the DAVIDA MOTO PHOTO exhibition.

He's been a mainstay and innovator of the Finnish Chopper scene for 30 years, building and riding hardtails. As a result he now suffers with severe back problems, which has led to a change of lifestyle that includes a rigorous daily exersise workout on his rowing machine.

He lives in an amazing traditional wooden house, full of interesting stuff.

He owns a bunch of British/American bikes but currently his passion is J.A.P. engined projects.

He is picking up ,whenever possible, various J.A.P. engine parts and is also the proud owner of a early 50's J.A.P. grasstracker in totally original condition...I will do a post about it when I get more pictures!!

A top-notch host, a great cook with a great taste in music!

FINLAND TRIP pt.3 ....Mitja the Madman

This is Mitja....a very interesting guy! He's an ex-Teddy Boy and sports a wild old school tattoo of Bill Haley that he had done when he was 13.

Thats his bicycle chopper. Last year, he rode this bike 230 km each way to a show in Nortalje, Sweden!!

He informed me that it is completely legal to ride a bike, row a boat or ride a horse.....completely pissed. It is however illegal, under any circumstances to ride on the back of a Moose!!

Mitja is a musician who loves 60's garage and 50's rock n roll and has been involved with organising PA equipment for the Hells Angels parties.

He told me all the band members and roadie crew were issued with "Access all areas" passes that said "DON'T HIT ME TOO HARD.....I WORK FOR YOU"

FINLAND TRIP pt.2 after the party

This is the morning afterthe party. Everybody was hung over, no loud music and the chance to chat to people.

I was very aware of the SCANDINAVIAN BIKER WAR in the late 90's between HELLS ANGELS MC and BANDIDOS MC. in which there was 11 murders and almost 100 woundings. Talking to Mitja, he told me the ROAD WEIRDOS was a neutral clubhouse that both Hells Angels and Bandidos visited from time to time when they wanted some fun. Apparently their own clubs have become too regimented and business-like. He added that the reason for the fun factor was a "No Guns" policy at this clubhouse....however, the thought crossed my mind as to how you could enforce such a policy!!

Talking to Kiatsu and Iikku I learned they really dug Raleigh Chopper bicycles and British TV shows ON THE BUSES, SAPPHIRE AND STEEL and KENNY EVERETT SHOW.....

Folks in the above shots, from the top of the page are:

Hese, Kiatsu, me with Mitja in the background, Iikku and Kiatsu, unknown Chopperdero member, Hese and ladyfriend, me in amongst some bikes, Mitja's bicycle chopper, 70's style Japanese-motored skooter.

FINLAND TRIP pt.1... Road Weirdos clubhouse party

First installment of pics from the trip I just took. I got a last minute opportunity to go to Finland for a few days to take in a chopper show in Helsinki with Fiddy from DAVIDA helmets.

This post is about the ROAD WEIRDOS clubhouse on the outskirts of the city. Its in a really green, leafy location and would be difficult to find if you didn't have someone take you there (thanks Antsu!)

The Road Weirdos did their own thing totally independent from the big chopper show. A small gathering of bikes and a swapmeet throughout the day...... followed by a party throughout the night!

Good food, lots of boozing and falling over, a traditional Finnish folk band and some crazy dancing. A highlight for me was witnessing the bikers and their mamas dancing to "Juke Box Jive" by The Rubettes at 4am.

Being stone cold sober, I had a couple of slightly scary moments and possibly the worst nights sleep I ever had on the clubhouses hard, wooden floor along with 15 or so other guys and no "Alcohol Pillow"