It is said there are two types of people who ride track days – those who have dropped a bike during a session, and those who are yet to. In 2006 I crossed over from being a potential to a definite. My pristine black 2005 Kawasaki ZX-12R with less than 4,000 kilometers on the clock and I went sideways after a mishap on Turn 5 at Queensland Raceway. I was fine, but the ZX was a mess.

So the search began for a repairer who’d do the job without costing me an arm and a leg. Insurance claim wasn’t an option, for obvious reasons.

Peter was a regular at Queensland Raceway back then. Good rider, pretty quick around the track. That’s all I knew about him at the time. I soon learned that he ran a custom motorcycle shop in Wynnum; and so I decided to call him. He invited me down to his workshop, and to bring the sad and sorry ZX-12R with me.

After having a conversation with Peter on some options, we arrived at the decision to rebuild the bike purely for track days. I loved the bike, so didn’t want to just write it off. I was still keen on regular track days, so it was a good outcome. I kept in contact with Peter over the following months as he applied his ingenuity and talent to using what he could from the bike to recraft a new machine.

Late in 2006 I went down to his workshop to pick up the finished motorcycle. Didn’t really know what to expect, but when he showed me the finished project I could not believe my eyes. It was a masterpiece! See the attached photograph below. I didn’t take a photo of the ‘before’ so readers could fully appreciate what a brilliant job he’d done.

Over recent years through various commitments; I have become a less frequent participant at track days. There was not a lot of point in having a pure track bike any more. My intention was to sell it ‘as is’. I spoke to Peter, to get his thoughts on the idea. He put forward an alternate idea; and that was to rebuild the ZX-12R again, this time as a naked ‘street fighter’ bike. I would then sell my 2003 Yamaha FJR1300; and I’d get back to one bike; which was my original plan. After all, the ZX only had 5,000 kilometres on the clock.

We talked through some options, and the ZX went into ‘surgery’ again with Peter.

Keeping in contact through the months, and watching him pull together this project was fascinating. He has the remarkable ability to work comfortably with both the left and right brain. In creative mode, he crafts the vision of what the final build will look like. Thinking like a sculptor, an artist. Then with his engineering brain in full tilt, he goes about dealing with the dozens of problems and challenges such a project inevitably generates. Making everything work together with precision and exactness.

So the day comes to look at the bike before it is finishing touches; and yet again another masterpiece in the making.

I’d recommend anybody who is interested in crafting that special custom motorcycle to call into his workshop at Wynnum. Have a talk to him, you won’t regret it. His passion is motorcycles.

I am but one of Peter’s many satisfied clients; and will be off with the new toy very shortly.

But when the time comes to look at the next project; I’ll be calling on him again; for sure. In the meantime, I’ll still be watching him do his thing on the track from time to time; riding one of his own unique creations.” — Keith Erskine – January 2010

There is a world of difference between having a standard panel repair job done and having the design vision in your head transferred onto your pride and joy. This is exactly what Peter is able to do with great confidence and quality of craftsmanship. He is truly a professional in his field and dedicated to serving his customers.

If anyone is having reservations on letting Silver Star handle their painting project, don’t. Peter will walk you through every step and put any concerns you may have to rest. Initially, I was reluctant to go for a full on custom paint job. However after speaking with Peter on numerous occasions, I felt comfortable that he was the one to paint my bike.

Peter is a devout biker himself and has been for many years, he paints only bikes for bikers and has a great understanding of what look will work and what won’t. It is obvious that he takes his work very seriously and adds his own personal touch to every job he handles. This is the second complete custom paint job Peter has done and I cannot recommend his work enough!” — Duncan Elliot

When it comes to motorcycle body repairs, finish and reliability is absolutely essential to us. And Silver Star never lets us down. Their attention to detail is just fantastic and the personal touch from Peter really makes all the difference.” — Bob – Ducati Brisbane

Peter at Silver Star will not let anything out of his workshop untill it is 100% right. I know this from experience. He will even totally redo a job if it is not perfect. His perseverance and skill is really appreciated and we find him a pleasure to deal with. Nothing is too much trouble for him.” — Dave – TeamMoto Honda