Dave Kirk has a new website

[sarion]

http://kirkframeworks.com/

in the beginning of 2015, a new kirkframework website, a new Kirk Logo design, a new kirk hardtail bike model.....

Nice work Dave!! :banana:

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I likey!

[MattTuck]

Glad to see Dave always moving forward.

I wonder who the first will be to have bikes with all three of his logos.

[wooly]

Very nice.

[VTCaraco]

In my opinion, Dave's stuff is as good as it gets.
Some day.........

[Ralph]

Impressive web site, equally impressive products.

[Mister Donut]

I've always liked the mix of Dedaciai and Reynolds tubing.

The new site's not bad either; the side menu's nice.

[parris]

Cool beans!

[christian]

Very nice Dave. Impressive as usual.

[OtayBW]

Nice! Fantastic gallery!

[roguedog]

Man, I really like the new site and the new graphics!

Nice job.

[tumbler]

So. Very. Pretty.

[weaponsgrade]

Love the new site and graphics.

[old fat man]

Nice site. Easy to navigate, great writing and pictures. But, how much do they cost?

[CMiller]

Old Fat Man (haha), if you check out the models most of them show a base price, all around $3800 frame and fork.

Those curved seatstays are great.

[m_sasso]

Enjoyed reading under the "about" heading, always great to grasp some tidbits about where these great bikes evolved from. The next time I pass through Bozeman I would really like to visit Dave's workspace.

[soulspinner]

Id be blissfully happy with a fillet brazed 3200 frame and fork. Always wanted one: daughter getting married, tuition, half time at work till things pick up. by the time I can afford one I will need a carbon fiber wheelchair :bike:

[feFIFO]

Damn, but that hardtail looks right.

[FlashUNC]

Love the new downtube logo. Wonder if Dave is lurking and has any perspective on the relatively rapid logo change? I know the now-old logo was a fairly recent adoption.

[JAGI410]

Website looks great!

[bikerboy337]

Love the new graphics... good stuff...

[jblande]

I love the site and I love the bikes.
One item of subjective feedback: I find the font a touch too small.

[Derailer]

Awesome new logos. Beautiful work on the disc brake brace on the MTB. I've always wanted a Kirk; now I must have one.

[fiamme red]

.

[fiamme red]

I love the site and I love the bikes.
One item of subjective feedback: I find the font a touch too small.I agree. I'd prefer at least size 11 font throughout.

I'd like to see a bike in the custom gallery with metal fenders. I'm a big fan of SKS Longboards, and have them on my daily commuter, but they leave something to be desired aesthetically on a beautiful custom bike.

Otherwise, the website looks great.

By the way, there's a link to the Framebuilder's Collective in the lower right hand corner. That website doesn't seem to have been updated since May 2012. Does the organization still exist in any form?

[David Kirk]

Love the new downtube logo. Wonder if Dave is lurking and has any perspective on the relatively rapid logo change? I know the now-old logo was a fairly recent adoption.

Thanks everyone for the feedback and kind words. It been a huge amount of work but I like the end result.

A few brief replies -

* I agree the font might be a notch too small and I'm glad to hear others feel the same way. I thought it was just me getting old!

* As soon as I have a bike with metal fenders in hand I'll take some good photos.

* Timing of new artwork. It's funny - when I started the business coming on 12 years ago I designed the artwork myself and I liked it then and I'm still proud of it now. I used it for 5 years and then switched to the negative space block logo design.....so that means the just now retired artwork has been in use for coming on 7 years. That in my book is a long time and I like to have something fresh to look at and play with. I can see where some would feel that 7 years isn't all that long but to me it's a very long time to be looking at the same thing. FWIW if someone really had their heart set on the block logo I can still make that happen until JB and I run out.

Thanks again - I really appreciate the support and feedback.


dave

[MattTuck]

yikes, it's been 7 years already with that new logo? Time flies... I would have guessed 3 or 4.

I think Dave is against panel paint schemes :) That negative space logo made panels a bit challenging and the new logo seems to be quite long on the down tube.

What do you have against panels, Dave? :p


I do really like the new typeface.

[nrs5000]

Dave, the new website and logos look great. To my eye the clean aesthetic resonates really well with your design philosophy.

[David Kirk]

yikes, it's been 7 years already with that new logo? Time flies... I would have guessed 3 or 4.

I think Dave is against panel paint schemes :) That negative space logo made panels a bit challenging and the new logo seems to be quite long on the down tube.

What do you have against panels, Dave? :p


I do really like the new typeface.

Tempus Fugit at they say eh?

I've never been called a 'panel-hater' before :)

The logos will be slightly shorter than shown as the final decal design is printed and they will work very well with panels of they are your thing. In fact the new artwork was designed to work with panels to better open up those options.

dave

[FlashUNC]

Tempus Fugit at they say eh?

I've never been called a 'panel-hater' before :)

The logos will be slightly shorter than shown as the final decal design is printed and they will work very well with panels of they are your thing. In fact the new artwork was designed to work with panels to better open up those options.

dave

3-4 years was my guess as well. Even as recently as two.

I'll chalk it up to my early onset dementia. And a good logo that wasn't easily dated to a specific era.

Let's spin the question on the logo another way. Given your love of cars and autocross, how much did that world influence the new logo? I see all sorts of shades of everything from Knight Rider to the new Ford GT in that typeface. Screams "supercar" to me and I wonder if that's intentional or not.

[crownjewelwl]

the big boy bike on the home page is really well proportioned!

[David Kirk]

.................

Let's spin the question on the logo another way. Given your love of cars and autocross, how much did that world influence the new logo? I see all sorts of shades of everything from Knight Rider to the new Ford GT in that typeface. Screams "supercar" to me and I wonder if that's intentional or not.

That is a good question I don't have an answer for. I worked with a local company to help design and put into zeros and ones what I had in my mind's eye. They took what i told them and gave me a huge number of fonts and looks to start with and then it got narrowed down to a very small number and then I started requesting tweaks to the few that remained and in time we had what I had in my head all along.

Now the bigger question is where did the image in my head come from and I can't site a specific source or two. When designing anything, be it artsy stuff or lug shapes or most anything really I try not to look at what anyone else does. I will purposely not look and will try not to think about it otherwise I get frozen on what someone else did and not on what I should do. Of course everything I've ever seen has crept in and left its mark and impression and I won't say I operate in a vacuum. But I try to.

dave

[FlashUNC]

That is a good question I don't have an answer for. I worked with a local company to help design and put into zeros and ones what I had in my mind's eye. They took what i told them and gave me a huge number of fonts and looks to start with and then it got narrowed down to a very small number and then I started requesting tweaks to the few that remained and in time we had what I had in my head all along.

Now the bigger question is where did the image in my head come from and I can't site a specific source or two. When designing anything, be it artsy stuff or lug shapes or most anything really I try not to look at what anyone else does. I will purposely not look and will try not to think about it otherwise I get frozen on what someone else did and not on what I should do. Of course everything I've ever seen has crept in and left its mark and impression and I won't say I operate in a vacuum. But I try to.

dave

Chalk it up to a fantastic and happy accident. Looks great.

And post some more photos of the Caterham when you get a chance. That thing is fantastic.

[David Kirk]

Chalk it up to a fantastic and happy accident. Looks great.

And post some more photos of the Caterham when you get a chance. That thing is fantastic.

It's a Westfield actually.....a Westfield Mega S2000 with the engine and trans from a Honda S2000. It weighs just under 1400 lbs so it gets out of the way in a hurry.

Here it is with its new towing set up so that I can drag race tires to races.

dave

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/10828073_826308967430484_6822747684085738964_o.jpg

[sparky33]

I like that the site is mobile-friendly. I'm checking it out on my phone now!
Great site design....nice presentation and flow.

proper looking bike here:
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/16/a9f2eaf4c5698dce6f0b03fb1a93df14.jpg

[weightshift]

Dig the new site. Everything a modern website for a frame builder should be. Great info, options, ordering info.

[rnhood]

Agree with others here, a good job on the website. Probably one if not the best I've seen and read. Informative, easy on the eyes and to navigate, and to the point. I really like the emphasis on the JK series as it becomes the identifying bike for Kirk - rather than just indicating that he can build anything someone wants. The JK sort of becomes the stepping stone.

[gemship]

It's a Westfield actually.....a Westfield Mega S2000 with the engine and trans from a Honda S2000. It weighs just under 1400 lbs so it gets out of the way in a hurry.

Here it is with its new towing set up so that I can drag race tires to races.

dave

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/10828073_826308967430484_6822747684085738964_o.jpg

You're car with the trailer in the snow is a riot but....what interest me enough to sign in and post, lol..is the metal eyebeam supporting the balcony. Looks good all painted up. I know it makes sense to use them but it's not often you seem them hanging out in the open like that. I like it.

[malcolm]

Web site is great, I liked the old one as well. As fond as I am of the old graphics, the connected bubbles I really like the DAVID KIRK, had you explained it to me I would have thought it hideous and way too much for a down tube, but one the bikes built up it's pure awesomeness.
Kudos Dave