Break Lite Motorsports capture the spirit of Halloween with their Nightmare Before Christmas inspired Suzuki Hayabusa. First published in SportBikes Inc Magazine, November 2014.
Movie-inspired custom bike builds have become more commonplace in the market. Popular characters and themes are translated onto two-wheel canvases paying homage to films of the big screen. While some movies are more frequently rendered than others, what truly sets a movie-inspired custom build apart is the proper execution of every component. The overall concept must be considered from inception, execution to completion. The Nightmare Before Christmas was a spirited film, in more ways than one. Painstakingly animated via the process of stop motion, the film had numerous characters that seemingly became larger than the movie itself. The process of stop motion animation is a labor of passion in the realm of modern cinema. With all the digital, three-dimensional, computer design technology at the ready, the question could be asked, “Why?”
It could be answered in relation to why some photographers shoot in only black and white, why some painters choose oil over acrylics, why some sculptors work in clay and others blow glass.
It’s the effect. The look. The feel.
So when Mark and the team at Break Lite Motorsports began the build of the Nightmare Before Christmas Hayabusa custom bike, they understood that just like the film, their finished product needed to be on the same level of execution if not better. The movie hit the theaters in 1993, then was reissued in 2006 in a digital, 3D format. The movie was quickly established as a classic and amassed a huge cult following. The main characters of Jack Skellington, Sally, Doctor Finklestein, The Mayor and Oogie Boogie all stepped into lives of their own with branding and merchandising.
Being that the characters are a few of the most well-known from their genre and are extremely popular, not just during the holiday season, their likeness has to be spot on. When it comes to airbrushed rendering of likenesses for custom bikes, there is a very short list that can get it down correctly. Break Lite reached out to Killer Kreations for the task. They weren’t disappointed. Freddie from Killer Kreations has a keen eye and expert level of paint application. His renderings are in the top tier of the business. Beyond that, the composition of the characters in relationship to the lines of the bike in harmony with the dark and stormy skyscapes set an authentic mood that rings true to the essence of the film.
Mark and the guys at Break Lites went for a contrast look when they selected the components to be incorporated. To set off the amazing artwork, a set of RC Components Widow wheels in chrome were selected with a 300 rear wheel kit mounted to a single-sided 10 inch extended C and S Custom swingarm. The front brake setup was converted to a single rotor to make the front wheel more visible from the profile like the rear wheel.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Hayabusa’s strengths lie in its visual impact and dominating presence. If this bike rolls up to the local bike night, it is most likely rolling away with a trophy. But there is more to this bike than that. Least we do not forget to mention that the base bike is a 2011 Suzuki Hayabusa with a full VooDoo Moto exhaust system, equipped with a Power Commander 5 and a Healtech X-Tre Power Box.
Like the movie that it is inspired by and rendered from, The Nightmare Before Christmas Hayabusa is a rolling example of the process of proper custom bike building. It could have been done the easy way but then there would be no effect. No look. No feel. This is where the art of filmmaking and the art of custom bike building meet and synergize. The purpose is to evoke a response be it good, bad or indifferent. Break Lites Motorsports has accomplished that by translating a high-spirited, darkly animated film and giving it a new life in the form of a rolling display of cinematic delight that you would be hard-pressed not to smile at when you see it.
Images: Greg Caparell
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