Nifty 250cc

BRANDING

It took a few tries to get the logotype dialed in but the name was never in question. Motorcycles can be intimidating. Most think of loud biker gangs on Harleys or powerful sports bikes screaming through traffic, but most riders' beginnings are very humble. The 250cc engine is a staple for the moto curious providing low cost, manageable power, and exceptionally low weight. They embody everything beautiful about riding in a simple, fun, and accessible package. In photography, your first serious lens is a "nifty fifty" millimeter and is a right of passage on your journey to camera obsession. It only made sense to marry my two passions to start this project.

FUNDRAISING

With branding underway it was time to create merchandise. I started with producing die-cut vinyl in various sizes and eventually farming out printed vinyl stickers to sticker mule as seen above. The next step was collaborating with Tony Desantis of Sidecar Press. Tony was able to take my screen print design and embellish it with his own flair to create one of a kind woodblock prints. These special edition shirts were all pressed by hand by the legend himself. 100% of the sales went directly to Troop 367.

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THE BIKE

While my Suzuki TU250 was a great motorcycle in it's own right, I wanted to make it my own. Over the course of six months I turned the Nifty 250 into a one of a kind mini adventure bike thanks to support from private and corporate partnerships. Brother Moto provided shop space for me to work on the bike and plenty of help when I got stuck.

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THE JOURNEY

Atlanta, GA to Pikes Peak, CO. With just sixteen horsepower on tap the bike had to stretch its legs for six to eight hours a day but never skipped a beat. Temperatures soared to over 104ºF as I made my way across western Oklahoma and I had to rewire the brake lights in a Best Western Parking lot when I got to Pueblo, but guess what Mom; I didn't die.

CONCLUSION

After my grueling journey to Pikes Peak it was time to go home. Between merchandise sales and donations I was able to raise just shy of $5,000 for Troop 367.