Ron Finch on Discovery Channel 10pm tonight

A friend of mine called me today to inform me that noted bike builder/metal sculptor/painter/pinstriper Ron Finch will be on the Discovery Channel tonight at 10pm EDT.
For those of you who know Ron(and even those who don't)I would suggest you tune in and watch what a REAL bike builder is.No pretenses with Ron;he shoots from the hip.
I was going to relate a funny anecdote that occured the day I met Ron but in the interests of good taste I'll refrain from doing it here on the forum.Let's just say that it pertains to that old adage:The whole world is one big urinal and leave it at that.It was funny.
Anyway tune in tonight;I know I will.
Ray

 

Ron painted my husbands bike about 20 years ago. Very talented guy. I'm tuning in for sure.

 

YOUR WHAT ?????

 

There was an article in the Grand Rapids Press today about him being on the show.I plan on taping it. I love it when the old school guys beat the young guys.

 

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YOUR WHAT ?????

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You gotta be kiddin! HRP

 

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Ron painted my husbands bike about 20 years ago. Very talented guy. I'm tuning in for sure.

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Was that an OPPS

 

Yeah, since when are you married? Did you and that old fart you've been hanging out with slip over to the preachers house or something?

 

Your husband? Damn I have missed alot since I was away.

 

Ladies, ladies, ladies, please don't get your ******* in a bunch. It should have read X-husband.... married at the time, not married now. Really, I couldn't fathom being married now and not being able to flirt endless with all you guys.... after all, isn't the HAMB a dating service?????

 

When I met Ron...back in the eighties, the day was a real "chapter"....kinda like time travel, space exploration, and motorcycles all wrapped up in a moon rock shop with good food, smoke, and studebaker windshields....wow

 

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and studebaker windshields....wow

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AHH! You must be referring to the infamous display cases!

 

let's not forget about the gwavestone in the wall. And he did(does?) have a killer Chevy Panel Truck

 

I can't edit, I meant to type gravestone

 

I didnt realy like Rons bike at all. It looked like a fire truck ladder with a couple of wheels. I think Rooke was robbed.

 

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I didnt realy like Rons bike at all. It looked like a fire truck ladder with a couple of wheels. I think Rooke was robbed.

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I wouldn't go quite that far but I would say that was not an example of Ron's best work.I think what hampered him was the part that they were working on a time schedule and Ron is not a person who likes to be hurried.
I had never heard of Jesse Rooke before tonight and I think he does some very credible work and has a good eye for design.To say he was robbed is an arguable point as it appeared to have been calculated by popular vote.
My respect for Ron is that he is capable of doing ALL phases of a build by himself from concept to finished bike.I think the only store bought item he ever used on one of his creations was a Ron Finch square twisted springer fork.I wish I had pictures of the bike he built of small diameter tubing and solid stock with a 100" motor and drove it to Sturgis(South Dakota,not Michigan)and back and that was probably 20 years ago.
All in all I thought it was a pretty decent show(and I rarely watch shows like this)and I thought Ron was pretty subdued.They probably loaded him up on reds before shooting so he wouldn't get too outrageous.

 

Mr. Finch is loaded with talent. True artist and Biker. His opponet has plenty of time to learn a thing or two about the master's. Rooke has an unliminted road ahead with his out of this world design's. But need's to pull up his pant's.

 

It's replaying here in the Eastern time zone in 6 minutes. So since the HAMB's goin' nighty nite I'll have something to do

 

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It's replaying here in the Eastern time zone in 6 minutes. So since the HAMB's goin' nighty nite I'll have something to do

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I'm sure you will enjoy it Dennis.I'm hoping that when Kelsey comes out here again,I can get the two of them together to trade lies and such.I will definitely tape that if it ever comes to p***!

 

No offense to Finch, the guy has done more than his fair share for the culture, but Rooke had a better bike. Personally I'm still bitter over the Martin Bros getting the win over Zero. Oh well...some people just have no cl***.

 

I thought the Finch bike was such a mess... it was like every piece of bling that could be thrown on it was and there was so much going on it was hard to look at. The Rooke bike was super cool, a throwback to those old beach cruiser style bicycles, and just as clean and simple as can be. I admire the workmanship that went into both bikes, but it always seems that biker buildoff favors those over the top blinged-out bikes. I still think Russell Mitchell builds a mean looking bike, but simple designs don't seem to stand a chance on that show.

Oddly enough, discovery channel has a viewer poll online for who should have "really" won last night and ROOKE has 64% of the vote. Go figure.

Stacey

 

Personally, I thought Rons bike was a little too busy...but with that said - i really dig that hes creating stuff that makes people raise and eyebrow..... sometimes its cool to do something different, trends have to start somehow (although i dont think we'll see many copy cat bikes with gas tank/oil tank fenders.) on a side note i heard that Ron entered his bike into an abstract art show after the buildoff and won that to!

Rookes bike was much cleaner, and alot more familiar to what most people think a bike should be. (how much gas do you think that lil' thing holds anyhow? ) his bike was actually attractive enough to draw attention away from the ugly *** billet star wheels, and that alone deserves some credit. (again, just an opinion!)

~Joey

 

I really liked rooks rear brake set up.

 

not really "his" set up, exile was technicley the first ones to market a sproter, and im sure its been around longer than that..... but ill agree its a nice set up

 

But the way it was integrated into the swingarm was pretty ****ing tricky . I think that was all Rook .

 

Rooke was first to integrate it into the rigid frame. I also liked how he put the oil tank in the swingarm and gas tank under the seat. Finches was jus a mess, looked like something Pic***o threw up.

 

Good program for a change. Ron is a sculptor....and Rooke is a talented young guy.....I think alot of chopper design evolves from our youth and involvement with bicycles....our first taste of freedom. Rookes bike was just that...a 100 horsepower schwinn...cool, but not my style...either is Rons my style, but still very artistic. I would have a hard time choosing a winner, I like em both.

Bottom line is this....Both builders take it to the limit...or beyond.

 

Ron's bike was a total mess. The only thing I liked about it, where the twin Webers. Rookes built his in nine days, almost with know help, other than paint, and a little help from his friend. Rookes should have won, and would have if they hadn't been at an Easy Riders bike show. Dean

 

I thought they were both You Gee El Why.

 

You will all take Yoga lessons after March 1. ****ing yourselves off will be the only way to experience Cole vs Hank.