ambassadors
What’s your story? You are without a doubt one of the most passionate bike enthusiasts I’ve ever come across. Where did that passion start?
I’ve been on two wheels since I was 4 years old. My dad put me on an RM 50 for my 5th birthday and I promptly went out and broke my arm. I think the fact that all I wanted to do was get back on that bike was the ultimate proof of my commitment.
You’ve been racing professionally for almost ten years. Where did the urge come from for the transition to designing and building bikes?
Too many injuries and I was losing the passion for it. When you’ve been doing it for ten years and it’s really become your whole life. Racing is your life, and the rest is just waiting around - that was certainly true for me when my head was in it. I really just got interested in different things and I wanted to be respected for what I could create, not just how fast I was.
Do you miss racing bikes?
Certainly, that’s why we jumped into the flat track thing. It’s measurably safer than road racing, at least on short tracks. It’s also less expensive and more accessible for the average Joe than road racing. We’re racing custom bikes and that’s the secret, each bike is its rider’s own pet project.
How would you describe your building style?
It’s an eclectic style that blends performance and heritage, while always trying to genuinely improve the machine, not just making superficial changes to make it look better.
You’ve built bikes in so many categories – from choppers and cafe racers to endure style bikes. How do your adapt to all these styles?
I love riding all styles of bikes really, so I suppose I try to understand what each machine is trying to do before I start on it, or before we adapt it for another use, which we do a lot. I try to put the rider first when we make decisions.
What do you think your clients are looking for in a bike?
Of course something different, fresh and new, but also something well-finished. And above all something that’s going to be fun to ride.
Riding gear and style are also really important and a big part of what you do, but totally different from designing bikes. Was it a bit of a challenge to include apparel in your company?
It was natural for me as I saw a big gap in the market at the time - this was like 2010. You couldn’t buy a decent jacket that didn’t make you look like either Fonzi or Pokémon. So we started designing riding gear that was more wearable. It seems to have caught on with every brand now, which is crazy to see.
Where will your ambitions take you next?
We’re putting on events and festivals. I have a mission to take motorcycling and its marketing to people outside the traditional motorcycle shows and spaces. The goal is to try to put two wheels in front of both moto and non-moto consumers in unexpected ways at large events. I want to show people what they’re missing out on.
Pictures : @All Credits to the photographer / owner
