Calling out to Frame Builders

[Jay Moore]

i would say keep your eye on craig's list. i know i live in so-cal and there are a lot of deals here but i'm sure you can find some thing with in driving distance. i have got all most all my bikes off craig's list. like my dyno roadster with custom body work for 100 bucks. (i since then put 400 in to it) alot of people are hurting for money and are selling there bikes at good prices.

 

[Pawel]

i would say keep your eye on craig's list. i know i live in so-cal and there are a lot of deals here but i'm sure you can find some thing with in driving distance. i have got all most all my bikes off craig's list. like my dyno roadster with custom body work for 100 bucks. (i since then put 400 in to it) alot of people are hurting for money and are selling there bikes at good prices.

when ever I get board (white often) I search the cali craigslist, your right about great deals I mean I seen dyno limo frames for sale for 50$ I would kill for that price if I could get one, asked the guy to ship he thought I was a scam lol but out here in the east (ct where Im from) the "Kustom Kulture" isnt as big as it is out west, I mean you look on the cars section you see bagged / juiced cadillacs, crazy lowriders..here you see ...... fords and beat down chevy trucks lol...dont get me wrong one day I will own a 53 Chevy short bed !!!! but no deals here on CL, Im always checking CT / RI / NY / MA ...

If I couldn't get the real deal I don't think I could go with a knock off.
That being said I own a Dyno Roadster knock off but Basman's one of the guys and I just wouldn't feel right buying something that was obviously a copy of his unique design.

Im not gonna get the basman knock off, as cool as it looks Im gonna get the other bike, the red I posted. Reason were talking about Basman was because I wanted a frame similar to it and someone posted a link to the site that sells the knock offs.

 

[rev106]

I have a chineese stretched cruiser frame in black. 200 bucks shipped would cover it. Now it's not a custom, but it's a stretched cruiser, you can use a regular beach cruiser for most of the parts.

http://www.atomiccycles.com

 

[Pawel]

I have a chineese stretched cruiser frame in black. 200 bucks shipped would cover it. Now it's not a custom, but it's a stretched cruiser, you can use a regular beach cruiser for most of the parts.

http://www.atomiccycles.com

you have a pciture or anything?

 

[Dorian]

I'd rather have a Basman any day than that knock off Micargi. Even if the Micargi is cheaper. Micargi changed their design just enough to avoid copyright lawsuits, just on principal I wouldn't buy one.

Basman is classy

Micargi ripoff of Basman is :shock: :x

Thats what I think

Dorian

 

[user 3653]

Hey Guys!

This has been an interesting thread. Where does one buy a "basman" in the U.S.? I've looked at the Project 346 site and done several Google or AlltheWeb searchs but seldom find anything viable.

I too checked out the bikes at Lightenup and was surprised to see the Micargi Royal only came in 24".

So, where do you buy a basman?

 

[aka_locojoe]

Where does one buy a "basman" in the U.S.?

http://www.project346.nl/the-project-34 ... -to-the-us
Says for US sales but comes from Canada I guess.

 

[FBI HQ]

To those who support Project 346 and the Basman thanks. To those interested in copies, can't stop you, but think about the time that goes into the whole proces...micargi just copies with a few changes all kind of frames. When have they come up with something original or handy for custom builders? We have seen the Basman copies before and we should feel flattered that so quickly the frame was copied, but also see the failures in this copy and what that could do to the Basman name. The Basman is a great frame with so many options, which those copies don't have, but that's not seen by the "non believers" and then the problems start as they can't get extra wide rims in there as seen on original basmans without having chainline clearance problems for example.

The Basman frame came to live as anwser on the "small" US cruisers frames...we Dutch ain't the smallest in the world and like to pedal. For me one of typical style needs for the cruiser is to have the seat low on the frame. And with the T seatpost on the basman it's possible to stay low even if you are 1.9-2 m. Just slight the seat over the T seatpost back or forth away or towards handlebar and pedals.

A little more history about the Project 346 Basman can be found on http://www.project346.nl/history-of-the-project-346-basman

If you want a Basman buy don't have the cash yet there is a change to win a frame in the Basman goes west contest, see http://www.project346.nl

And yes there is a small stock of Project 346 stuff in Canada at Firebikes to save on shipping costs for US and Canadian customers.. project346/shops/us and canada.
As we haven't found dealers yet in the US or Canada the Project 346 website is only source.

I hope to have anwswered some questions about the Basman and thanks again for the support.

Project 346-The Chopperdome
Rhalf

 

[aka_locojoe]

we Dutch ain't the smallest in the world

I am of Dutch ancestry. Somewhere down the line the height gene must have got lost :| .

Thanks for the info Rhalf.

 

[Pawel]

well if it helps I wont be buying the knock off basman Im gonna buy the red fat stretched cruiser .. and strip / repaint mod from the get go.

 

[BrigmasterA]

I, too wanted a stretch cruiser. I had since i saw my first Dyno stretch... I saw the micargi one that looks like a copy of the basman. And I have to admit I kinda like its lines. It's not a direct copy of the basman, but close enough to where one would be hard-pressed to call it anoriginal design... I looked around for a while, and ended up trading a couple of bikes to a forum member for a dyno stretch. And while i like it, I don't think I would ever consider it my daily ride. So I chopped up and stretched out a spaceliner frame, cuz the spaceliner is my all time favorite frame design. And it took me a while to do this. I would say 30-40 hours. About 15 of these hours was taking apart and re-engineering. Finally I got it into a rideable version, and love it. It fits me a little better than the Dyno, and it's unique. I also learned a lot by doing it this way. Things that will come in handy when I do my next frame build(yes I'll build at least one more). That being said, I don't think I would build one for someone else, unles it was my wife or a real good friend because a)a lot of me goes into it and b)I'm not professional, and it shows.
My advice, if $200 is your limit, is to get one of those greenline bikes with apes nad everythign off of ebay. You just can't beat $200 shipped to your door. Yeah, it's probably chinese-made, but you're gonna make it your own anyways, so go for it.

 

[Dan Jose]

Nickname that is pretty cool.
http://www.lightenupbikes.com/servlet/t ... %2C/Detail

well i don't think it's that cool since it is a copy of the original basman. and that causes the loss of potential customers for the guy basman, who's house has burned down last year....

...but if you don't care about that go ahead and buy the copy :!: :roll:

I agree, i love the Basman and to buy a copy would be like cheating.

 

[BrigmasterA]

Nickname that is pretty cool.
http://www.lightenupbikes.com/servlet/t ... %2C/Detail

well i don't think it's that cool since it is a copy of the original basman. and that causes the loss of potential customers for the guy basman, who's house has burned down last year....

...but if you don't care about that go ahead and buy the copy :!: :roll:

I agree, i love the Basman and to buy a copy would be like cheating.

I can kinda see both sides here... I saw the Micargi Royal before I had ever even heard of Basman, and thought it was a pretty dang sweet bike. In fact I almost bought one. And as FBI HQ said, you can't run fat tires in it(beyond the 3 inch wide ones), so you don't truly have all the benefits. But, you do have a pretty cool unique looking bike that one could afford to ride. On the other hand, The Basman is THE original. it looks mean. And if you put a Royal next to a Basman, Especially one one set up with 4 inch wide wheels, it will pale in comparison. I would be proud to cruise either one of them. But realistically, I would probably buy a royal. Mainly because of the price and accesiblity. I know that firebikes has the basman available, but I know someone who bought a firebike, and told him that he wanted a unique-looking bike that would be fun to cruise on, and the firebike guy said this bike is just what you need and then sent him a bike that a midget would have a hard time riding, let alone a grown man, and it had no brakes on it. Just a freewheel. When he was questioned by the buyer about it, the firebike guy said this bike is a collector's piece and not meant to be ridden. Despite the fact that the buyer told the firebike guy what his purpose in buying the bike was... And on top of that, the buyer was slapped with a $300 duty fee from UPS that he wasn't told about upon purchase. So there is now an unrideable firebike hangin in MonsterMetal's(oops. Didn't mean to drop a name...) shop and I, for one, will never send them a dime for anything. No matter how cool it is. Sorry Basman. I dig your frames, but until they are more accesible, I'll either try to build my own, or I might buy a knock-off.

 

[karfer67]

i just think they need to be more avalible. the demand is there but i for one am going to wait until there is someone in the usa selling them. i thought about trying to get them through the shop here but dont even know where to begin

 

[Dan Jose]

I can kinda see both sides here... I saw the Micargi Royal before I had ever even heard of Basman, and thought it was a pretty dang sweet bike. In fact I almost bought one. And as FBI HQ said, you can't run fat tires in it(beyond the 3 inch wide ones), so you don't truly have all the benefits. But, you do have a pretty cool unique looking bike that one could afford to ride. On the other hand, The Basman is THE original. it looks mean. And if you put a Royal next to a Basman, Especially one one set up with 4 inch wide wheels, it will pale in comparison. I would be proud to cruise either one of them. But realistically, I would probably buy a royal. Mainly because of the price and accesiblity. I know that firebikes has the basman available, but I know someone who bought a firebike, and told him that he wanted a unique-looking bike that would be fun to cruise on, and the firebike guy said this bike is just what you need and then sent him a bike that a midget would have a hard time riding, let alone a grown man, and it had no brakes on it. Just a freewheel. When he was questioned by the buyer about it, the firebike guy said this bike is a collector's piece and not meant to be ridden. Despite the fact that the buyer told the firebike guy what his purpose in buying the bike was... And on top of that, the buyer was slapped with a $300 duty fee from UPS that he wasn't told about upon purchase. So there is now an unrideable firebike hangin in MonsterMetal's(oops. Didn't mean to drop a name...) shop and I, for one, will never send them a dime for anything. No matter how cool it is. Sorry Basman. I dig your frames, but until they are more accesible, I'll either try to build my own, or I might buy a knock-off.[/quote] I believe you guys, i hope fire bikes can fix this problem cause this wont help them or basman.

 

[Dan Jose]

I believe you guys, i hope fire bikes can fix this problem cause this wont help them or basman.

 

[FBI HQ]

Re: Calling out to Frame Builders
by BrigmasterA on Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:42 pm

I will try not to promote, but answer or explain why we work and react the way we do.

I think you will enjoy both as the cruising/riding position is perfect. You don't have options to adjust this on the royal that much by the way..not saying it's a "midget" bike, like the term , but has same problems as certain frames if you're over a set lenght. I must admit that if I wound hadn't seen the basman I would have liked the royal aswell, but then again I did see original And yes, better to build your own if you have the option to do so as that's what it's all about...creating something unique and being proud about it, something I will always defend. I hope you understand though, that although we help any cruiser at the chopperdome, but someone walking in with a problem on a royal we will gently tell to try their luck someplace else.

Sorry to hear about the problems this guys had and what that means to you and feelings towards firebikes. Firebikes deserves the respect for the work he has put into the "choppernation" I think. I can say that the Project 346 Basman frames you could order in Canada are the same frames we use in Europe and they are meant to be riden and used. And with one frame style so far in the line up you know what you will get. A frame ready for a build up you like within it's "wide " limits and still be rideable.

Spending money on knock offs is putting more money into the copycats pockets, meaning more copies, oh fun, or can you recall micargi being orginal. While we would invest in new items and frames. We laughed about the communists in the 80's in eastern europe copying the western style, these days sometimes cool to own, but is that the grey world you want to live in...

For example, it's was great when those 80-100 rims came available, but hard to find a fork if you don't have the option to make one your own or have one made that could host those rims. The way you don't run into problems as tire being to close to forkleg. Besides the fork used on the stingray fatboy model that by our knowledge only has been avialable in europe no cruiser/chopper fork on the market could take the 100 mm rims, so we made one and had hub made aswell. We are currently in the proces and almost ready to produce of doing fenders for these rims/tire combinations...if micargi would do the same I would shut up and stop calling them copycats.

About duty's ... it's just like at the airport coming from overseas, anything to declare sir, when buying on the internet from another country for us citizan. That's why on the US shop on project 346 prices are lower as on euro shop part (EU prices incl 19% salestax) as you will get taxed "bringing"it into the US and have salextax obligations on the purchased item in europe.

It's just the love for bicycles and design
Project 346

by karfer67 on Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:09 am

i just think they need to be more avalible. the demand is there but i for one am going to wait until there is someone in the usa selling them. i thought about trying to get them through the shop here but dont even know where to begin

Just have the shop contact us, good dealers are always welcome

Project 346

 

[tnt1]

The canada basman frame is 330.00 euros so what would that be in american money.Then shipping on top of that then wheels/tires forks handle bars cranks chain seat you would have MEGA money in it.

 

[Dan Jose]

I still love the basman anyway, and ive been thinking for a while (2 months) about building one with 100mm wheels. they are expensive but i guess when you wanna stand out you gotta do the things that standing out requires, in this case time and mmoneey. And at least they cared enough to explain things, allot of other companies don't do that. I still wouldn't want what happened to the other guy happen to me.

 

[BrigmasterA]

FBI HQ, I in no way intended to talk your product down. I know it is an extremely rideable and extremely cool bike. And I think it is awesome that you and your company build these, and the stuff to customize them. No two basman346s will ever be identical unless they are intended to be built this way. And I think that Sam at firebikes should also be given credit for bringing some fantastic styles and ideas to life here on our side of the pond. I just also feel he should have a little integrity with his product. I mean if I had a customer just spend $1000 on a bike, I would at least try to make him feel like he wasn't getting ripped off... And to then not tell the customer that duty wasn't included in the very expensive shipping, that just rubs a little more salt in the wound... Just my opinion. Again, if there is ever anywhere else to buy a basman here in the US, I will start saving my money. Or maybe I'll have my mom pick me one up on her next trip to Holland to deliver her dogs. :mrgreen: