The Pareidolia Sequence is a four-part cognitive challenge initiated by J. Shia in 2017. The primary motorcycle to be built was a meticulously curated 1971 BSA A65, rechristened ‘The Manipulated’. The sculpture was conceived and co-created by renowned artist Michael Ulman, a pioneer in the field of object design. The unusual bike boasted a multitude of innovative design and performance nuances, accompanied by a pull-start lever that brought the vehicle to life when activated. Despite its unorthodox appearance and novel approach, it proved to be a resounding success.
The second custom bicycle in the series titled ‘The Satan’s Advocate’ was completed in 2019. Built from a 1957 Royal Enfield Indian platform, J. Shia created a custom motorcycle that showcased her ability to craft another project as influential as the renowned Manipulated BSA.
Independently constructing another exceptional piece, she created a stunning bicycle-themed artwork. Despite its unconventional appearance, the Enfield proved to be a highly practical vehicle, much to the delight of her friends who readily acquired it. Unlike the Boy Scouts of America, the Satan’s Advocate was established using a design thinking approach centered around a found object methodology. Using everything from an egg slicer to repurposed parts of a Little Pink Wagon pull cart, J. Shia brought her creative vision to life. With its unique bespoke foot throttle setup, the Enfield stood out as a truly singular build.
To complete the Pareidolia Sequence, J. Shia and the Madhouse Motors team simultaneously built two iconic motorcycles, showcasing their exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to innovation.
Dubbed “The Optical Conclusions,” each bike started its journey as a 1972 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi SS350, with its unique styling influenced by an unexpected factor.
I was impressed by Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘Swan Lake’, John. The devoted twins were introduced to their mom’s roots in music by debuting at the prestigious Boston Symphony Orchestra stage, shares Madhouse team member Gretchen. Given the identical models and VIN proximity, these two bikes are essentially twins, differing by mere hundreds of vehicle identification numbers. They’re equivalent of their size, top & weight, and their profiles are close to silhouettes of each other.”
While the two Aermacchi aircraft share similar engineering, their individuality is also underscored by distinct aesthetic differences and unique approaches to engine modification.
Every bike’s chassis and subframe have been treated uniformly. Each swing arm features stretch-fitted single-sided suspension, which leverages a gasoline-pressurized spring in tandem with an opposing enclosed coil spring. To streamline aesthetics, J.Sia removed the auxiliary down tube from each frame and reinforced the remaining structure with strategic gusseting.
While the primary distinction between the two frames lies in the curvature of the white bike’s body, which wraps around to the entrance, contrasting with the black bike’s body, which extends continuously to the rear.
The cinematography is undoubtedly a standout aspect of the series for J, notes Gretchen. Every bicycle features rechargeable batteries discreetly integrated within the fuel tank, with wiring cleverly routed along the frame’s underside and beneath the seat. All wiring in proximity to the exhaust system has been treated with a protective Teflon coating.
What sets J.Shiya’s approach to wiring apart is his innovative use of a secondary loom that cleverly circumvents the coils and battery, thereby introducing an unparalleled level of complexity. This feature enables any bicycle to be easily charged using a standard 110-volt electrical outlet. Because of its innovative design, the headlight can function as a lamp should the owner ever need to park it inside their home.
Prior to modification, each of the Aermacchi’s 350cc single engines was subjected to a thorough overhaul. While J.Shia’s approach to optimizing bike performance is noteworthy, his methodology requires clarification.
On the white bike, you’ll uncover a boost courtesy of a turbocharged package. Featuring a twin scavenge pump setup and an external oil tank for enhanced cooling performance. The black bike that inhales nitrous oxide? When activating the N2O feed, a simple adjustment to the carburetor’s highest housing unit is all that’s required.
The two bikes boast an abundance of intriguing design flourishes. A closer examination of these two pieces will uncover reworked components from musical instruments, discarded phones, farm machinery, and pre-owned leather. While some elements were introduced primarily to enhance visual appeal, many others serve a dual purpose. The innovative approach to aerodynamics on these custom bikes is exemplified by the utilization of a portion of a straight soprano saxophone to optimize air consumption within the turbo housing of the white bike, while its black counterpart features a velocity stack crafted from the mouthpiece of a clarinet on its carburetor.
Amongst the unconventional modifications Shia has applied to each of these bikes, it’s the rear ends that are likely to raise the most eyebrows in a positive manner. The old white bicycle boasts an amateurish tail unit reminiscent of a wizard’s pointy hat. Manufactured from lightweight aluminum, this component serves as a housing unit for the oil that lubricates and cools the turbocharger in the bicycle’s sophisticated cooling system. A corresponding counterpart can be found on the black bicycle. Although it assumes the form of a stomach pan cowl and simultaneously serves as a component of the exhaust system. The bike’s tail unit features a repurposed wind instrument, split longitudinally and extended using custom aluminum spacers to achieve its unique design.
“J. did this to problem herself not solely as a customized builder, each conceptually and technically, but additionally as an artist, and intertwine her two worlds of wonderful artwork & yard bikes,” says Gretchen. The Pareidolia Sequence, a creation of J.Shia’s esteemed Madhouse Motors, has reached its zenith with these two machines; yet, there remains no doubt that this talented builder will soon unveil another extraordinary contraption that will leave us questioning what constitutes the boundaries of innovation.
