Mini-choppers make spectacular debut

Students' machines impress motorcycle club

By: Charlie Mathews, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — Jason Sosinsky went to high school about 15 years too soon.

"I would have signed up for this in a heartbeat," said the vice president of the Ant Hill Motorcycle Club, a few yards away from the four new mini-choppers making their debut Friday evening.

They were unveiled at the Manitowoc County Ice Center in front of hundreds of parents, teachers, corporate sponsors and motorcycle enthusiasts at the event hosted by the Ant Hill Mob and Hoban's Cycle.

Since last September, four teams of high school students have spent thousands of hours creating the two-wheeled machines that may be the ultimate show and tell.

"It was challenging to get the frame to fit around the motor," said Weston Wagner, on one of two Lincoln High School teams, with his machine sponsored by LDI Industries. "Now I know how to fabricate … build something out of scrap."

Well, not exactly leftover downsized motorcycle pieces, but the students did acquire a wide variety of mechanical design, welding, painting, electrical wiring and other skills as part of the Manitowoc County High School Manufacturing Project.

"They developed problem-solving skills," said Clayton Nei, a technical education instructor at Lincoln and one of about a dozen advisers at Lincoln, Roncalli and Valders high schools.

Nei assisted Wagner and other students on the LDI mini-chopper, as well as working with a second student team whose machine was sponsored by the Manitowoc Crane Group.

With a $5,000 investment, Spancrete was one of four "Hard Core" sponsors. The Valders pre-cast concrete company underwrote the machine created at Valders High while Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry subsidized the costs of the 250cc engine and various components of the mini-chopper created by Roncalli students.

In addition to the students' time, the commitment of about a dozen adult consultants also was crucial.

"There's a lot of instructor time involved," said Ken Stubbe, executive director of the Manitowoc County Economic Development Corporation, appreciative of teacher involvement.

"It has been such a great experience for the kids, teachers, parents and the community," said Jill Hennessey, a human resources executive for The Manitowoc Company and chairperson of the project sponsored by the EDC and The Chamber of Manitowoc County.

She said they hope to have more schools and teams participating in the 2009-10 academic year.

"Build a bike … build a career … build a future in manufacturing" is the theme of Project Mini-Chopper.

Organizers want students to understand that manufacturing provides excellent career opportunities, which will help create a skilled and professional work force to meet local manufacturing and economic needs.

Lincoln junior Ryan Krummel would like to continue developing his fabrication abilities through a youth apprenticeship in welding next school year. He said the project helped him develop teamwork skills.

"Putting the frame together, getting gas to flow through and getting it running right — those were the challenges," said Jacob Herrmann from Valders, who committed to being a team member in April 2008.

Andrew Braun did much of the electrical work on the Valders mini-chopper. "He had a tough job," Herrmann said respectfully of Braun's contributions.

"This was a class Garret wanted to go to," proud Roncalli father Larry Meyer said of his son's weekly Wednesday evening four-hour work sessions at Lakeshore Technical College.

Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry's Kory Brockman said they would keep the mini-chopper for company marketing purposes for a year.

"But then, our intent is to give to Roncalli to auction off at next year's Pierside Plaza Auction" with funds raised giving a boost to the parochial school's technical education programs.

Ant Hill Mob member Chris Bloom might be a bidder. "The students have done a great job … it's amazing how (the mini-choppers) came together.

"They weren't built to be street legal but with some modifications could be," Bloom said.

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