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The last post on our Motorcycle Contortionists Photoshoot we heard from “G” who told us exactly what it meant to be contortionist, and how the shoot came to be. If you haven’t seen the pics already, take a look. “G” has performed internationally including as far away prestigious events in Rome, Italy for the National Ballet of Milan. She and fellow performer Dani took their talents of flexibility and strength and got to work at bending on, around, and all over motorcycles.
One of Mark Gornik’s motorcycles, a rigid framed Harley-Davidson Sportster based chopper was a centerpiece for our contortionists. Mark has been building hot rods and motorcycles since he was sixteen years old and was willing to let the girls put his steel to the test.
Mark currently works in architecture technology and he’s far from a weekend couch potato:
Spare time outside of work and motorcycling is spent on interests such as photography, scuba diving, and flying a Cessna 172 airplane.
Mark also has a collection of bikes including a Ducati, a Buell, and has built his share of award-winning show bikes. My personal favorite? His rigid frame chopper (not shown) built around a 1200cc Buell Thunderstorm motor, entirely powder-coated black with Showa inverted forks.
Does this guy make a habit of building what he calls “sinister looking” motorcycles? You’d better believe it.
The Sportster engine his chopper used in the motorcycle contortionists photoshoot touches a soft sport in my former-Sporty-rider heart. It’s rocking a springer front end, sans-fender.
The air intake is unfiltered. The bike sounds rough and the chain drive is a real throwback to the days of Harley past. The blued downturned exhausts add to the raw feel of this sweet motorcycle.
A cool touch not so evident in pictures is the lack of any cables around the handlebars. Mark seems to have found ways of keeping everything very clean and tidy, including the use of a suicide shifter.
Defiant of the “norms” of choppers and bobbers, you won’t any whitewall tires or fat rear tires. Mark’s chopper rides on a skinny pair of 19s that make a toothpick look thick.
Thanks for bringing your baby to the shoot, Mark. Keep up the great work!
We’re sure glad Wobblycat called you up!
See also:
Part 1: Motorcycle Contortionists Photoshoot
