To some of you the name Dave Dickinson may not mean a lot, but to others the name is at the top of your wish list of who you would like most to paint your scooter, we at the ISANET free online scooter magazine asked Dave if he was up for us to do a questions and answers interview for the magazine as we wanted to bring you closer to someone who has not only painted some of the most desirable scooters to grace the custom scene but to let you know that he is just one of the lads enjoying a talent and the scootering way of life.


Q) What got you first interested in spraying scooters, and how long have you been doing this as a trade.

A) Ive always been into scooters from an early age, I was at school in the Ska era and my dad used to take me to school on his Vespa PX 200, this was the same time as the 80`s scooter invasions of Scarborough and Bridlington. Me and my dad rode around Bridlington all night looking at all the fancy paint jobs on all the scooters, and from then on I wanted to do my dads but wasn't quite old enough, I did a few scooters as a hobby but didn't set up my business until 1997, a year after my first daughter Tori was born, that kicked my arse into gear and now I'm teaching her.

Q) Is it just scooters that you spray paint and airbrush, or do you paint other things, and if so, what has been the strangest thing you've been asked to paint.

A) Scooters are the main part of the business. We do a few Harleys and bikes, but I like to concentrate on the scooters, I also still do quite a bit of sign writing on shop fronts locally. The strangest things we`ve had to paint, that's me and my wife Claire was an antique settee to look like Victoria Beckhams throne, painting murals on the walls of our old school toilets, a milk churn, a pram, and loads of weird things, I could go on forever.

Q) Did you learn your trade at college or was it a case of "why not I can do that".

A) I was always good at art at school and when I left at 15 I went to technical college to do traditional sign writing, the two came together from there.
The first set of panels I did was on a Vespa rally for one of my mates from brid, Jamie Hughes, I would have been about 17.

Q) Are you into scooters and the scootering scene yourself? If so, do you actually own any scooters, and if so what make and model of scooter do you ride.

A) We own a Li series one which has been an on going project which I never get round to finishing, never got the time because the customers always come first.

Q) Are you a member of any scooter club/s, and do you attend any rallies and events.

A) I am a member of Beverley SC and I attend as many rallies as I can, I love to meet up with all my old and new customers and friends ive met along the way.

Q) Are you a bit of a "Celeb in Brid" with the Yorkshire scooterists.

A) No not particularly I'm just one of the lads.

Q) Have you ever done a particular job on a scooter that has even amazed yourself when you've stood back and looked at the completed machine.

A) Yes quite a few times, on some of the more intricate jobs as I have a passion for detail.

Q) Have you got a personal favourite scooter that you painted? Or are they all favourites.

A) I`ve got quite a few personal favourites.

Q) I know this question has to be asked, but have you ever thought of doing a full blown custom paint job for yourself, not particularly to compete in custom shows, but more of an exhibition.

A) Yes i`ve got a lot of ideas for themes that I would like to do for myself that could appear next year, so far I have designed my own street racer, to be launched late this year possibly early next year.
The DDK ( DAVE DICKINSON KUSTOM) we are going to do a run of about 20 as a limited edition. Customers get to choose their own number, then that number cant be used again, once its gone its gone, we`ve got numbers taken already.

Q) When you first started to learn your trade was there any particular air brush artist that you personally looked up to, somebody that you thought was the bee`s knee`s.

A) When I was learning my trade there was a lot of good sign writers in brid, as its a seaside town they were in big demand, so I looked up to a lot of them. The way sign writers set things out traditionally cant be beaten, and a lot of that comes into play with the airbrush side of the trade. As for air brushers Craig Frazer and Vince Goodeves work is amazing

Q) What do you think of the scootering scene yourself, do you like it the way it is ,or do you think it could improve.

A) The scooter scene at the moment! I wouldn't change a thing why fix something what's not broken.

Q) Where can you see yourself in the future, have you got any plans that you want to see happen in your own business, expansion maybe!

A) I don't know where ill be in the future I'm happy the way things are going, so I don't plan to change anything, I don't want to expand because you loose that personal touch with customers. The only change might be the amount of portraits I'm doing on canvass for people, that could become a lot more as people are starting to collect them.

Q) And last but not least, is that hand of yours insured?

A) Not yet, but it might be by the time this goes to press.


We would like to take this opportunity in thanking Dave Dickinson in doing this interview for the magazine, but to also take this opportunity in letting you know that we will be bringing you more interviews with everyday scooterists from Business`s and Bands that you are all familiar with.

Words Tommy1drop

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