Shop: Falcon Motorcycles

The converted industrial warehouse that houses Falcon Motorcycles is tucked away at the dead end of a gritty street just off the I-10 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. There are no signs, the exterior is bland and the surrounding buildings are still home to heavy industry and manufacturing. Inside, the large live/work space is brightly lit by massive skylights, where Ian Barry and his crew meticulously build Falcon’s homages to English motorcycling of a bygone era. But I didn’t shoot during daylight, during regular production hours. I photographed at night while Ian quietly toiled away on new designs from his lofted open office above the transformed dark and cavernous machine shop. Was he politely guarding an attic full of secret projects? Naturally. Click below for the feature.

Grant Ray. December 14th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (26)

Shop: Roland Sands Design

Barely a year since the grand opening, Roland’s shop for RSD has been extremely busy. The back is crammed with projects for weirdo rich folk who demand insanity like glorious MotoGP replicas turned into desmo trackers, as well as one-off customs for A-list celebrities. Roland also just tracked down his TZ250 AMA Championship winner. Mmm, TZ250. Click below for the feature.

Shop: Roland Sands Design

Grant Ray. October 31st, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (16)

Happening: Cafe Desmo 2011

If Italian and vintage bikes are considered sexy, then walking around this year’s Cafe Desmo 2011 at Pro Italia in Glendale, CA was a lot like checking out a porn convention. Everyone hangs out and has a great time laughing, ogling and awkwardly touching exotic toys that shake and vibrate at various rpm when you turn them on. I could have taken lots of pictures of over 2,000 sweaty dudes in leather and denim staring inappropriately at inanimate objects, but that might have caused me to reflect on the possibility of my own perviness. Okay, okay, so maybe I did some touching too. Click below for the feature.

Happening: Cafe Desmo 2011

Grant Ray. October 9th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (30)

Happening: 2011 Orange County Traffic Officers Association Motor Rodeo

Nothing is more scary to Southern California bikers than rain, except for a downpour with high winds and temperatures below 65, which is the known end of everything wholesome in the universe. Unless, of course, those bikers are fearless bike cops competing head to head on Huntington Beach in the 2011 OCTOA Motor Rodeo. First rider to drop a foot, knock a cone or miss the on-the-fly route loses and the winner moves to the next round. Perfectly trimmed mustaches? Check. Guns and batons? Double check. Buzz cuts? By the dozen. Incredible low-speed skills? Without a doubt. Blasting the Village People’s YMCA for the champion? Damn right. Click below for the feature.

Happening: 2011 OCTOA Motor Rodeo

Grant Ray. October 6th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (43)

Shop: Wilzig Racing Manor

Wilzig Racing Manor is a 275 acre estate of dirt trails, woods, a lake, watercraft, guns, a 2+ mile road race course, race cars, race bikes, carts, dirt bikes, a multi-bay service station, the most amazing collection of Italian Superbikes I’ve ever seen and a chef who also likes blowing up the occasionally overripe watermelon. It’s also my incredibly gracious friend Alan and his family’s home. Since I can’t possibly document all that awesome in a single feature, I’ve decided to selfishly stick to only my favorites of the bikes. Click below for a sliver of heaven.

Shop:Wilzig Racing Manor

Grant Ray. August 3rd, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (57)

Excursion: Oakland Valley Speedway

May 22 at Oakland Valley Speedway wasn’t scheduled for motorcycle racing. That day was booked for a quad racing event which let whatever bikes that showed up to race between heats. The weather in New York was drizzly, a bit chilly and constantly threatening heavy showers, the kind of stuff that keeps most people indoors or in cars if they have to run Sunday errands. But, for these East Coast Flat Track racers including the crew from 6th Street Specials, there is no such thing as a bad day for dirty racing. Click below for the feature.

Excursion: Oakland Valley Speedway

Grant Ray. June 3rd, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (24)

Field Test: Alpinestars urban dirt range

Continuing our series of Field Test features pitting real riders against the latest gear, we outfitted Brooklyn industrial designer and vintage dirt bike lover Clark Sopper with a full kit from Alpinestars for a little bit of late night rainy crashing and a whole bunch of brutally cold winter commuting. Click below for the feature.

Field Test: Alpinestars urban dirt range

Grant Ray. March 28th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (22)

Shop: Earl’s Cycles

Just off the 110 Interstate, right before it dead-ends into San Pedro, California is a tiny unassuming shop where underground legend Earl Kane has quietly been building some of the best SoCal British bobbers the exact same way for decades. Click below for the feature.

Shop: Earl’s Cycles

Grant Ray. March 24th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (5)

Shop: Century Motorcycles

Faded, marked up, plastered over, worn in, labyrinthine, and impossibly full of a seemingly infinite supply of categorized odd and rare parts for vintage bikes, exploring the back of Century Motorcycles down in LA’s San Pedro neighborhood is like falling into Wonderland. Click below for the feature:

Shop: Century Motorcycles

Grant Ray. March 11th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (13)

Shop: Chabott Engineering

To call Shinya Kimura a customizer or builder is almost to denigrate his art. Because that’s what he really is, an artist. Just one working in metal and engines and speed instead of oil on canvas. Last week we visited his tiny Azusa, California garage where he works now under the name Chabott Engineering to create this latest in our series of Shop photo features. Click below for the feature:

Shop: Chabott Engineering

Grant Ray. February 15th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (25)

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