"I don't really want to do anything else but build cyclekarts," says Frank Bankonin. It's the best hobby for him. Since 2018, he has turned his hobby into a profession. Cyclekarts are cars modeled on racing cars from the 1920s and 1930s. Their bodywork is made of wood and covered with sheet aluminum. They are cars full of nostalgia and accessories from a bygone automotive era. Frank Bankonin has a large fan base who queue up to have a car built by him.
The former confectioner came to cyclekart building in a roundabout way. He has always been a car enthusiast. As a child, he took everything apart and had a great enthusiasm for technology. He uses his great enthusiasm for cars and his extensive know-how in his cycle karts. In 2011, he took part in a soapbox race and built himself a soapbox out of sheet aluminum. After the race, he wanted to sell the soapbox on the Internet and was very surprised by the great interest.
Cyclekarts have small motors, gas and brakes. The motor is the difference to a soapbox. A warehouse near Augsburg is Bankonin's creative workshop. Small dream cars in bold shapes are created here. The originals once won many prizes in car races. The technical inner workings of the cyclekarts come from the sport of go-karting. Go-karts have smaller wheels and more modern shapes than cycle karts. Frank Bankonin builds two cars a month. Once one is finished and sold, he already has new ideas. He is a real luminary in the cycle kart scene. His attention to detail makes his cars unmistakable.
IN THE VIDEO
Frank Bankonin, Cyclekart builder
CREDITS
Author: Gabriele Damasko
Camera: Dirk Schwarz
Sound: Felix Hess, Jonathan Utecht
Editing: Monika Agler
Graphics: Katharina Flamm
Editing: Carmen Lustig
Social media editing: Land und Leute RP Online
Production: teamWERK, Die Filmproduktion GmbH