Penn College welding students, metal artist build all-steel motorcycle

FIGURE 1. A group of welding students at Penn College built a 9-ft.-long motorcycle sculpture made entirely of steel. It was installed near the front of the college campus this spring. Images: Penn College

If it weren’t for FABTECH 2021 last September, an all-steel motorcycle would not stand near the front of the Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College) campus.

Penn College student Skyler Graver wanted to meet metal artist and welder Rae Ripple, whose work Graver admired greatly. She had questions to ask Ripple. First, would she be interested in visiting her school? Not only that, but she wanted to know if Ripple would be interested in working on a project together. Ripple said yes to both.

“She was into the aspect of having the students build something and to also be a part of it,” Graver said.

What followed were months of brainstorming, planning, designing, and fabricating that culminated in the installation of a 200-lb., 9-ft.-long stainless steel motorcycle sculpture at the Williamsport, Pa., school.

“It was absolutely incredible to watch. The amount of fabrication from these students is insane,” said Ripple.

Why a Motorcycle? Because Why Not?

Ripple was impressed with Graver from the start; she is an example of the kind of future fabricator trades programs can churn out.

“She's a very driven individual. She reminds me a lot of me in the early stages in my career. Everything she does connects to her heart. I just related to that,” Ripple said.

Ripple also saw the potential of working with Graver and other welding students at the school’s American Welding Society (AWS) student chapter on some type of metal arts project—but what exactly would that project be?

Some ideas were tossed around, including the fabrication of metal wings similar to ones Ripple has done in the past. In the end, the team landed on a motorcycle.

Why a motorcycle? “Why not?” they countered. Several Penn College students ride motorcycles. Ripple, meanwhile, has a background as a motorcycle stuntwoman and considers motorcycles a big part of her life.

FIGURE 2. The Penn College team settled on a chopper-style bike, featuring a rigid-style frame, high rise, rabbit-ear handlebars, long rake, open-belt drive, and a coffin-style gas tank.

Steve Kopera, a Penn College welding instructor who oversaw the project team, said he liked the symbolism behind a motorcycle sculpture and how it upends stereotypes of both welders and bikers.

“I think the history of motorcycles and the history of trades kind of parallel each other. You look at the stigma around being a welder 30 years ago, 40 years ago, 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, is totally different than it is now. The same thing holds true for riding motorcycles,” he said.

“When that whole chopper scene was going on, it was for the rough-and-tumble group; it was for the outlaws. And that's not the case anymore for motorcycles—or for trades like welding.”

Fabricating a Chopper to Reality

Work on the motorcycle began in early 2022, following approval from Penn College officials. Nikolas Harnish, one of the welding students involved, said they spent “too many hours” over a six-week stretch building the sculpture out of two sheets of stainless steel and donated materials.

The 10-student team split into groups to build the frame and engine and handlebars, the gas tank and wheels, the seat and fender, and the final touches.

The team settled on a chopper-style bike that included a rigid-style frame, high rise, rabbit-ear handlebars, long rake, open-belt drive, and a coffin-style gas tank.

Ripple contributed to the chopper motorcycle by plasma cutting flower designs into the wheels during her visit to the college in February.

“They wanted some laced-out stuff on it, so of course I put my touch on it,” she said.

Harnish came up with the gas tank and wheels design using 3D modeling software. He said he found the tank to be the hardest part of the project.

“That was, like, my third iteration of it. I had a couple of times that it didn't work out. Just like anything, it's just a prototype, so you're trying and trying and then it finally works out,” said Harnish. Both he and Graver are welding and fabrication engineering technology majors.

FIGURE 3. Metal artist Rae Ripple cut floral designs on the wheels of the all-steel motorcycle sculpture. She visited the Williamsport, Pa.-based college as part of her involvement in the project.

Kopera said making an all-steel motorcycle was unorthodox and a challenge.

“The wheels and the seat ... it was a bit of a challenge to figure out how we're going to make something that's made out of rubber and leather out of steel,” he said.

Lasting Legacy

The college installed the motorcycle sculpture in April following the project’s completion. And so far, everyone loves the final product.

Kopera says children and adults alike are impressed.

“(In early May), they brought these little kids to campus, and there's all these six-year-olds and little five-year-olds climbing up on it and it was freaking awesome,” Kopera said.

“You can sit on the motorcycle and take a picture with it,” he added. “It's an interactive piece, for lack of a better term. We are hoping that it becomes a staple of our campus.”

Graver said Ripple gave them glowing remarks upon seeing the final sculpture.

“I've been able to text her a little bit about it, and she was just so incredibly impressed with the work that we did, especially [Harnish’s work] with the fuel tank. Just the incredible craftsmanship that went into it—she's stoked about it,” Graver said.

Ripple said the motorcycle is a testament to the types of welding students Penn College can produce and the resources the 55,000-sq.-ft. facility can provide to those pursuing or interested in welding.

“Anytime they want me, I’ll be there,” she said.

“It definitely was a stress-inducing time for the majority of us—probably all of us, I would say,” added Graver. “But just to see it out there and be able to be like, ‘I was a part of that, we came together, and we did this together,’ is just incredible.”

FIGURE 4. Metal artist Rae Ripple used a plasma cutter to create the floral designs on the wheels of the chopper bike.