Written by Andrew Jones
There’s a lot of Aussies that feel rightly proud of local boy Craig Rodsmith. From bombing around on bikes in one of Melbourne’s rough and tumble Northern Suburbs in the 1970s to rubbing shoulders with the likes of Max Hazan and Bobby Haas, here’s a custom builder that takes the phrase ?good with his hands? to preposterous new heights. He now calls Chicago ?home? and making some of the world’s best custom motorcycles ?a job?. But in typical Aussie fashion, he’s taking it all with a grain of salt, a lit ?durry? and a refreshing glass of vodka lemonade. We just spoke to him to see how he did it.
The Rodsmith Turbo Guzzi ?Dustbin? racer
Can you introduce yourself to our readers"
G?day. I?m Craig Rodsmith, a transplant from Melbourne, Australia now residing in Illinois. At the moment I can say I?m a ?custom motorcycle builder?. I?m in the very fortunate position to say that because it?s not something I take for granted. I suppose it?s an obsession that begun at a young age. I obviously wasn?t setting out to be a ?professional motorcycle builder?. I just loved mechanical things; especially bikes. The danger, the independence and probably as a typically impressionable boy, the ?romance?. As much as I love original bikes, I found it was way more fun to alter and change them, mainly out of necessity as I couldn?t have a new or original bike, so I?d get fucked up ones and make them into what I?d want them to be.

I?m still ...