CV (WHO IS TIFOSO)

Why is a CV so important. Well if you have to deal with a guy, it is better to know who are you dealing with. And as Pit-Bull says. "When people tell you who they are, BELIEVE THEM".

Also i must mention that i don't have that many photos of myself. You will see later on, what i mean.

The name is Kostas Koukoutsis. The age is 47. Born in November 2nd in 1968. So i'm a scorpio. That is why i'm wearing dark glasses even in the dark.

Education: Degree in Agronomy, from the Aristotel Universtity of Thessaloniki and an MBA from the same University.

Languages: Greek, English (obviously) and Bulgarian.

Army service: Officer in the special forces. I have to admit though that the army in Greece is not like the United States Army, or the UK Army, because we are not a global scale empire and we haven't been in a big or small conflict since 1974. So this Special Forces Officer, is less dramatic than it sounds. No batllefield experience. I can tell you though when i watch a Rambo movie, what's true and what's not. The explosions actually don't have flames, just thick smoke. And when you watch a Rambo movie, you can't even imagine the smell of Johnny's sweat. A smell so thick you can cut with a knife.

So after the army, starts my actual life. In my whole life i was training 3 to 5 hours a day. So when i decided to follow a dance instructor course, it was a peace of cake. Together with the dance instructor school i also went through an actor's school. And since 2001 i work as a dance instructor and an actor, in fact a stand-up comedian.

I work as a dance instructor for 14 years and the only pic i have of myself is this. Tifoso is the guy with the dark glasses.

Since 2001 i work as a stand up comedian as well and the only pics that i have are those 2 that i've found today, as i wrote my name on the search bar of Google/Pictures.

They are the DVD covers of the videotaped show, "Comedy Nights 3" and "Comedy Nights 4".

Definitely the #1 was better. It is strange though that when i wrote my name on the search bar this image came along, as well.

I navigated into the page and couldn't found out why this pic came along, under my name. So i thought that even the artificial intelligence software, has this image for us Greeks. That we all go around butt naked all day suntanned with a cheek in our hands staring at the sea. I guess this will happen, if i write any Greek name on the search bar. 

                                                              George Papadopoulos

                                                                   Nick Petropoulos

                                                               Zach Galifianakis

What can you do. As we say here in Greece, "It is better to lose your eye, than your credibility".

Three years ago i build my first Cafe-Racer the red ST2 as a personal bike. 

But the success of the design and the satisfaction i've found durring the process, made me deside to do that, as well. Become a Cafe-Racer builder. The idea of the modification kits was a necessity. The economic recession of Greece, meant that the local market was dead. 

So, no background on bike building or modifying. That meant that i had to learn everything by myself. Everything. Welding, fiberglass building, painting. The designing was the easy part, because i'm a painter. That's in the genes. My mother was a painter. 

Now, three years after my first bike, i have the joy to show some of my bikes.

The second project, the 996 Cafe-Racer.

The Monster Rmx Vol.1. This was a Cafe-Racer kit for less than 300 euros.

The Monster Rmx Vol.2. A Cafe-Racer kit for less than 600 euros. The main challenge here was to build an exciting Cafe-Racer from the Monster without having to change the fuel tank. This keeps the cost of the modification low.

The Monster Rmx Vol.3. This kit can be from 900 to 1200 euros roughly and that is because you need a different tank. Either an ST tank or a Ca-Cycleworks tank. I still haven't publish it here on the blog. I'm telling you, if i can find the time to ride a bike, the bike that i will build for myself will be a carburated Monster 750, with this kit on, a pair of Alpina tubeless spoke wheels, a dry clutch and it will be painted black with a yellow stripe.  

I have also build the Monster Rmx Vol.4, with the same tank but with the Imola seat, but i wasn't thrilled with it so i have never put it for sale on ebay. 

That last project shows that when you design stuff, you may have to throw away a few weeks work, because it is not what you have expected it to be.

And of course together with the projects that i have build here, a dozen of people were building their Tifoso bikes as well.

So the experience of three years, is about 40 kits plus some 500 parts.

With this 3 year experience, the SSie Cafe-Racer project came out astonishing. I can't give you more than some sneak pics, right now, because i want to publish the Rmx Vol.3 first, but it will happen within the next few days.

I 've forgot to mention that i have 2 divorces and that is, because for both of them i'm not the one to blame, but even so, you wouldn't believe me on that. "Yeah, right. You didn't do anything wrong. It is always someone else who is responsible for everything that happens to you. Typical Greek". You see? That is why i've forgot to mention that. 

And i'm a father of  3 daughters, age 26, 6 and 3.5.

So from November 2nd 1968 this is how i've got here. 

Why the CV? Because it is relaxing to know who you're dealing with. It is not just a company in Greece. It is me Kostas. Through the last three years i had to learn how to do everything by myself, even packaging and delivery. Because here in Greece everything is expensive due to high taxes, i had to deal with problems like, what you stuff a package with, because the stuffing material costs about 20 euros for a kit +5 euros for the box itself. That's why 2015 customers found balloons in their boxes. Because a balloon is light (it is full of air) soft (it will not ruin a paint) and cheap, 2 euros for 50 balloons.  

It is me that carries the supplies (steel, fiber-glass, polyester resine, packaging boxes), and still me through the hole proccess. I have to wax the molds, gel-coat them, unmold the parts, cut the steel, weld the subframes, test fit the hole kit, open the bolt holes, then paint the kit, then package it, deliver it to the post office.
All of that not even with a car, but with my Vespa ET4 150cc seen in the pic below. By the way, if you look at this pic, you can see what Greece looks like right now. The kiosk and two shops are closed. The third shop, is my workshop. The SSie Cafe looks like a joke.

In between i must answer to e-mails, design the next project and try to build it. Personal life? No, that is out of the question. For the last 3 years, i sleep about 4 hours per day and I shave 3 times per year. So this is how i look like the last 3 years.

                                                     Thank God that beard is a Trend!

Isn't that pathetic? Depends. Everything has several points of view. The way i see it, my life during the last three years is like the life of a friar, a monk. According to the orthodox tradition (i'm not talking about religion, i'm talking about tradition), when you want to get closer to God (the idea that you worship) you have to do 2 things, fast(deny pleasure) and pray (go over and over again, the history of your belief). This is how i explain my new reality. If you want something realy bad, shouldn't that be obvious on you?

Three years through the worst economic depression since WW2, and the dream is alive. And i will continue this path, from Greece or elsewhere, until it won't be funny anymore. How do i know that it is still a hell of a fun?

Check out the SSie Cafe-Racer. It came out of my workshop, the day of the referendum. With the banks closed due to capital controls. But like i said. sneak pics, the Monster Rmx Vol.3 first.

Best Kostas


PS: In my search to find some pics of myself as a stand-up comedian, i came up with a youtube video, so there you go. Me on the stage of Athens Comedy Club. Ha!
What? The blonde hair?
Read my lips" COMEDIAN".