Born out of necessity, The Kustom Kommune not only filled a much needed gap in the custom motorcycle scene of Melbourne, it nurtured it into a thriving machine that has seen folks and bikes of all kinds flock to it’s workshop floors.
Motorcycles and riding for Jimmy, The Kustom Kommune’s Kreator, came later in life as a passion. “I got my licence about 7 years ago and I didn’t know a single person who rode. I had come from a custom car background and have always been working on old stuff and living in inner city apartment wouldn’t allow me to have cars, so my focus turned to motorcycles.” This focus would turn into an addiction, and there would be no bike in Jimmy’s ownership that wouldn’t get a healthy dose of the wrench.
“I get bored very easily, I love to wrench and once I get to a point with my bikes that there’s not much else to do I tend to sell them and move on to a new one. This means my bikes are off the road more than on, but wrenching late into the night has really become my Zen.
I’ve had a huge variety of bikes in this time, Sportster, MT01, Thruxton, B33 BSA, XV1100, DT250, KH100, A100, TT600, XL500, Softail, plus more that I can’t think of… I just love motorcycles, the more I get to ride the better.
For me, the best part of motorcycles is the people you meet – my closest friends are ones I met through bikes.”
This passion for working on bikes, and the need for a space to do so in the seemingly shrinking space of the city resulted in Australia’s first ever communal motorcycle workshop. The Kustom Kommune is a completely decked out and fully equipped DIY space, located less than 3km’s from Melbourne’s CBD. Here you can work on restorations, scratch builds, custom projects or just general maintenance. This is a thriving creative space where technical knowledge can be learned and applied.
The Kustom Kommune doesn’t just offer the space and tools, but also training courses which teach you exactly how the professionals do it. Here folk can learn basic welding, electrical wiring and also metal fabrication. This is all taught and explained in simple and relaxed terms, allowing those to improve and work on their skills at a relaxed pace and in a supportive environment. Simply hanging out in this space will have you leaving with either new ideas for your bike or new knowledge on how to work on it.
“The workshop is very much run as a social enterprise. For me, giving the greater community a space to realise their two-wheel dreams, meeting like-minded folk and have having somewhere they can learn new skills is our main focus.”
“We have the most eclectic mix of members and motorcycles you’ll ever see. Scooters, Choppers, Vintage, Cafe Racers, Scramblers, Mopeds and more. I came in one day and there was a Knucklehead chopper on one lift, a Vintage Vespa on another and GSXR1100 on another. It was a beautiful sight to see all these sub-genres working in perfect harmony.
People wise, we have a big group of female riders that regular use the space (by no means is it a boys club) and people from all back grounds. Accountants, Students, CEO’s, travellers and Dole bludgers.”
It’s not just all work at this space, with a fully stocked bar in service to quench anyone’s thirst as well as a Texan BBQ that will induce you into the very best of food comas.
To check out more on The Kustom Kommune head to www.kustomkommune.com.au
