SoCal Moto Madness
I'm trying to get my two best buds to start a motorcycle gang with me, so we've been touring the best vintage motorcycle shops in Southern Cali.
First stop was Kiwi Indian. A bloke in New Zealand with a passion for the better American brand started this shop in '88 and now they can manufacture a vintage model Indian from the ground up. Me, Lardo Retardo and the dag took the trip to Riverside to gawk at the old and not-so-old iron.
Lardo liked the leaf-spring front end on this one. I liked the bare-metal finish.
The highlight for me is always the barn-finds. I prefer a little patina to bright-shine. Chrome won't get you home!
There's something menacing about the deco fenders on these bikes. It's like a two-wheeled Christine.
Next stop, The Garage Company on Washington, right here in El Lay. This is the best gawking ground I've found, with a huge and varied selection of bikes, parts, books, and paraphenalia. Proprieter, Yoshi gave up a lucrative career in dentistry to come to America to race, collect, and now build and sell classic bikes.
A minor frustration is that much of what's on display is not for sale, like these gauges.
He even has a tarted up Chang hack that he is selling for a client at a ridiculous price.
Last stop Cycle Garden in Long Beach. Skippy wants a wop bike and I am trying to talk him out of a Ducati. Seventies-era Guzzis have a great reputation for dependability, a rare trait in any Italian vehicle. The Ambassador was so sturdy that back in the day the LAPD bought a fleet of them. Garden wrench Ryan showed us around the storeroom while chewing a smoke.
I love that the cylinders are in the wind like a BWM, but unlike a bimmer, they are out of the way. Shaft-drive instead of a chain is another robust feature.
This one-cylinder servi-car is still in service.
And, like all things Italian, these bikes are long on style. If I give up my baby, it'll be for one of these.