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May 2008What a month so far! The new Diablo design has taken off with both German an Spanish magazines running stories about it, I am thinking of putting out one of the Diablo renders as a nice big wallpaper (1024 x 768). If you want it, just drop me an email Also there is a series of articles appearing in 3D World magazine which trace the development in diary form of the V-Rex from my original idea and sketch all the way to rolling down the streets of the U.S. I am also working on some car designs which will be added to the gallery shortly. April 2008The latest design, the Diablo has already gotten some press, with this month's AMCN featuring it in the news section. There are more new designs on the way, including our first hybrid.
Vids
vids vids! Clips of the V-Rex are all over the web. It looks
GOOD in motion!
March 2008Some more stories are appearing in the USA this month, as various motorcycle publications both web and print-based, get to ride the V-Rex for the first time. One of the best articles so far is over on motorcycle.com (direct link here) complete with a video showing the bike cruising around Huntington Beach. My favourite quote is the opening paragraph: If Angelina Jolie strolled down Main Street naked, perhaps with her hair on fire, she might come close to attracting the amount of attention the Travertson V-REX does. - Kevin Duke I'll add links to the various other stories as they appear. February 2008Two
big stories have come out in the USA this month, the V-Rex
made the front cover of the Robb Report and Cycle World's
Mark Hoyer reported on what it was like to be mobbed whilst
riding the world's coolest bike around Los Angeles. To top it off, I've added the first of a bunch of new designs I've been working on. You can check it out here. 
January 2008I've taken the opportunity to give the website a bit of a going over. Both the 3D Design section and the Motorcycle Design sections have had 'the treatment', and I'll be adding some new material over the next few weeks as well. The New Year has kicked off on a positive note with all sorts of good publicity bobbing up about the V-Rex. The first examples are being spotted on the roads around Los Angeles, California, and because many people are seeing the bike 'in the flesh' and on the road, they are losing the idea that V-Rex is in some way a non-road going 'concept' machine. A local mention was made of the bike in the latest issue of Australian Motorcycle News, where the V-Rex got a nod for being one of the more news worthy models to be launched during 2007, earning it a coveted 'Ken' Award in the process.
 December 2007Since the bike hit California in late November, things appear to be snowballing rapidly, with all sorts of great publicity! There are a bunch of great magazine stories on the way, NovemberThe V-Rex #0008 was on display at the LA Convention Centre as part of the Los Angeles Auto Show (Nov 16-25), one of the major automotive shows in the world. There was a walk around video shot by Mr Jack Reynolds at the show click HERE and then click on 'Fleet' then 'Travertson' The first deliveries of V-Rex (Rexii?) are taking place in the U.S. at the moment. There's now the very first ride report written about the V-Rex courtesy of the purchaser of #0008, Mr Jack Reynolds. You can read about just what the bike is like to ride by going HERE and then clicking on the 'Forums' button.
OctoberLately I've also been doing a lot of sketching of machines powered by hybrid powerplants. It is a lot of fun finding new looks which don't have to based around where the good old carbs, cases, barrels and exhaust pipes are going to be. There's great freedom in looking into these new layouts. I've always been of the opinion that bikes were by their very nature a great 'alternative' for transportation needs, and it would be great to see more people using them instead of dragging around a ton and a half of metal on four fat wheels everywhere they go. If new generation bikes are even more fuel efficient AND look cool as well, then I guess everyone wins! SeptemberEven
more coverage of the Swann bike, with the latest issue of
Two Wheels magazine featuring a nice big story covering the
Swann bike, as well as the research work in motorcycle
damage and repair being undertaken by IAG. Late AugustThe
press coverage continues this month, with the latest issue
of Australian Motorcycle News this week features a big story
covering the Swann bike, and what it means for future
motorcycling. Matho also gives a mention in his editorial,
which is great. 
 EARLY Huge media launch here in Sydney for a major design project I have been working on for about a year, in conjunction with Sydney-based research organisation, the IAG Technical Research Centre. This organisation has been looking closely into ways to make motorcycles safer as well as cheaper to repair in the event of a simple tip over, and asked me for some input, which lead to the 'Swann Insurance Motorcycle of the Future' design coming about. The media launch was kicked off by our very own Aussie motorcycle racing star Casey Stoner, currently leading the pack in the MotoGP series, who unveiled large images of the design, which features a virtual 'wish list' of items designed to make motorcycles both safer and cheaper to insure. A HUGE story has just appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald sparked by this launch, featuring nice big images of the design. The story is up online currently here 
JulyWe
finally found a copy of this month's issue of Cycle World
(July) out in the shops - both the US and UK based magazines
take a good month to find their way over to Australia! It
was worth the wait however, as Cycle World's Mark Hoyer
wrote a fantastic two page story about the V-Rex. Four
thumbs up!!! :-)  In
early August there is going to be a major media launch
involving a motorcycle design I have penned in conjunction
with the IAG Research Laboratory here in Sydney. This
motorcycle is being used to highlight some deficiencies in
current motorcycle design as regards ease of damageability
and cost of repair. More details will be added as the launch
grows closer.
June'Lotsa press' seems to sum up this month! Stories about V-Rex are appearing in major magazines stateside as well as in Europe, not to mention plenty of exposure here in Australia. On top of that, the announcement that Bruce Rossmeyers' chain of H-D dealerships will be distributing V-Rex has been made here. It looks like Travertson Inc. is going to be very, very busy! Also,
starting to become a topic is something I have been working
on in liaison with staff from the IAG Research Laboratory
here in Sydney, Australia. Serious in-depth research is
currently underway into ways that motorcycle design can be
improved as regards the expense of damage ocurring after a
simple 'drop'. With
horror stories of bikes being 'written off' by insurance
companies after simply rolling off the sidestand, there's
plenty to be done. I believe this problem can be
successfully tackled at the design stage without affecting
the 'looks' of the bike very much, if at all. It would be no
fun if your bike looked like a battleship just so that you
could insure it! Oh and I started building Skeletor, my original thumper design from a few years ago. See here for more info. AprilHere is an interesting comparison image between the original 3D data (white lines) for the V-Rex concept and the final CAD version (red lines) from Christian. Even now I still find it astounding how close the two wireframes are.  Some stories are starting to appear about the bike. This week Ozbike magazine in Australia features the bike on the cover and in an 8 page centrefold pictorial. A french magazine called "maximoto' has also done a rather nice feature as well. Bit of a roundup from Daytona. First off the bike won its class at the Daytona Beach Boardwalk Bike Show and Christian has a HUGE trophy for the mantlepiece! The bike was also entered in the world famous 'Rat's Hole Bike Show' somewhat reluctantly as Christian explained that the V-Rex is NOT a one-off custom bike, it's a PRODUCTION bike, but, according to Christian, they wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, and so for possibly the first time in history, a production bike placed in the TOP TEN out of 150 entries at this prestigeous show! March 11th 2007Daytona
Bike Week has finished up. There's so much to do just to
keep up. The bike has been causing quite a stir around the
place! The story has also been picked up by a lot of bike
news websites and other media and there's been plenty of
positive feedback from the public which is just great to
see. My favourite comment so far that really seems to
capture the mood is " I don't know what that is. But it's
awesome!!!!!" All in all a bloody amazing week and words
just can't really express how proud and excited we are
around here. As soon as those new pics and hopefully some
vid arrive I'll post them here. Cheers! March 5th 2007Just received some more photos from Christian. The bike has just been on a 2 day photoshoot with reknowned photographer Mr Alain Sauquet.
March 4th 2007Last
night we received the first pics of the finished bike. This
morning had to look again just to check I wasn't
dreaming!
March 2nd 2007Well, this it! I have some pretty huge news to announce. As you read this, the first public showing of the actual, real, finished V-Rex is taking place at Daytona Beach Bike Week! (March 2 - 11) At this moment I am still in shock at seeing the bike come alive and stay so close to the original concept. Pictures and hopefully some video are on the way and as soon as ANYTHING arrives here from Daytona, I'll put it up on this page. For now here's a couple of shots as the prototype reaches completion in the Travertson factory. Also, there are plans for a more formal launch stateside in the very near future, which I will let you know about as soon as details are nailed down. I know it's a hackneyed, trite and painful cliche but... stay tuned!
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