Ian Knight’s western action shooting club as featured in Issue 99

Meet 21st century sheddie, Tim O’Connor of Army Bay Engineering, who has created his own unique brand of mini bikes from his small Whangaparaoa peninsula workshop, Hustler Mini Bikes.
In the true spirit of the Kiwi DIY tradition, Tim rallied from the disappointment of a Covid-related job loss to create his own very successful, satisfying, and special business.
“There is no room for mediocrity nor false modesty in the shed of precision engineer Tim O’Connor. His Instagram tagline is: ‘Maker of the world’s finest minibikes,’ and it would be a hard ask to find someone more motivated and committed to improving their product than this self-confessed perfectionist.
For Tim, designing, building, and marketing his ‘Hustler’ minibikes is not just about selling units. His scaled-down, pocket-rockets have a deeper, almost sentimental significance. He has been riding small bikes since the age of 12, and remembers building minibikes in the garage with his father.
He says, “That is where my love for bikes and engineering started.”