“Burt Shavitz, our co-founder and namesake, has left for greener fields and wilder woods,” read a statement on the Burt’s Bees homepage. “We remember him as a bearded, free-spirited Maine man, a beekeeper, a wisecracker, a lover of golden retrievers and his land. Above all, he taught us to never lose sight of our relationship with nature.”
Shavitz’s story is pretty amazing: He was a hippie beekeeper making money by selling honey until he met a hitchhiker named Roxanne Quimby. In the 1980s, Quimby started making products from Shavitz’s beeswax, which ultimately formed the foundation for Burt’s Bees. The company made $20,000 in its first year of operations and quickly expanded to making lip balm, soaps and other cosmetics.
In 1999, Quimby bought Shavitz out of the company for around $130,000. In 2007, Clorox got it for $925 million.
The 2013 documentary Burt’s Buzz focused on Shavitz’s life post-cosmetics empire — in particular, how things ended up with Quimby, who later reportedly gave him $4 million and 37 acres. Shavitz insisted he wasn’t upset.
“I’ve got everything I need,” he said in an interview with the New Yorker. “A nice piece of land with hawks and owls and incredible sunsets, and the good will of my neighbors.”
The steel and brass seat came into being via some similarly time consuming and meticulous craftsmanship, it features a brass hold down chain and two valve springs from an old motor. The rear mudguard is the original front item that was re-shaped and given a central bead before being mounted on custom brackets. The oil tank is again formed of 18 gauge steel with rolled beads and double pressed sides to give a deep circular look.
The BMW Urban Racer is a new concept motorcycle created by designer Jans Slapins. The motorcycle boasts a unique appearance inspired by the design of fighter jets and features a silver body complimented by carbon fiber fenders, a quilted leather seat, a BMW emblem, and polished mahogany gas tank guards. Along with clean lines and a sleek exterior, the BMW Urban Racer is also outfitted with a 115 horsepower 1200cc twin cylinder engine and Brembo brakes.
Death-defying feats have fascinated mankind for centuries. From sword swallowers to human cannonballs, the daredevils of history have risked life and limb to draw a crowd. Few performers gained lasting fame. But in the 1970’s a motorcycle-jumping stuntman from Butte, Montana vaulted this tradition from its sideshow origins to unthinkable heights of popularity and influence.
Portugal-based Dream Wheels Heritage has unveiled a custom Yamaha XJ750, which usually doesn’t get the custom treatment. But their edition of the popular motorbike is quite impressive, as they’ve given it an all-new look and feel.
