Slideshow: Wood artisan’s latest creation can go 120 mph
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BIARRITZ, France – George Woodman of George Woodman Garage acknowledges that he probably overdid it in retrofitting a Yamaha XSR700 motorcycle with a full fairing made of carved beech wood.

To keep the wood stable, Woodman applied an overlay of fiberglass saturated with resin, similar to the process used in the manufacture of surfboards.

“To shape the wood parts, I did all by hand with mostly a grinder with sanding discs,” Woodman, a furniture maker, interior designer and carpenter, wrote on his website. “It was a mad work to do and I cannot say how many hours I've spent on it but I can say with no doubt that it is the first and the last full fairing that you will be able to see ;).” 

The makeover of the Yamaha XSR700, which he dubbed “Hommage,”  is the latest in a series of motorcycle transformations Woodman has undertaken using wood. Hence the slogan, “Ride against the grain.”

Woodman ended his post about Hommage by noting, “This bike is actually for sale.”

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Rich Christianson | President/Owner/C-Level

Rich Christianson is the owner of Richson Media LLC, a Chicago-based communications firm focused on the industrial woodworking sector. Rich is the former long-time editorial director and associate publisher of Woodworking Network. During his nearly 35-year career, Rich has toured more than 250 woodworking operations throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has written extensively on woodworking technology, design and supply trends. He has also directed and promoted dozens of woodworking trade shows, conferences and seminars including the Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo and the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo, Canada’s largest woodworking show.