October 2016 - Los Angeles - California
It sounds cool to say "I'm going to California for 18 days to ride motorcycles on the beach!"
And it actually was, thanks to Manu Casteux, who found us this incredible plan, and thanks to the unwavering determination of Fred Fosse of Kustom Sufer, who organized this trip. We needed a godfather, and Frank Margerin, the cartoonist who loves beautiful machines, was appointed ex officio. We also needed a few tasteful magazines to document our adventure, and that's where Kustom Magazine, represented by Charlie Lecach, and Moto heroes, represented by Philippe Caville, came in to narrate this incredible race: "The Race of Gentlemen" (TROG), Pismo Beach - California session.
What is The Race of Gentlemen? It's a race reserved for motorcycles and hot rods built before 1947, held on a beach. To set the scene, you're not allowed to set foot on the beach if you're not dressed in period attire! Luckily for Gentlemen's Factory, we have a collection of famous vintage motorcycle outfits, including our vintage 1940s racing sweaters, which are true reissues of motorcycle sweaters from that era ;)).
As sponsors of the race and the rider (Fred Fosse), we were in our element. The TROG motorcycles! American brands only, but not exclusively... Indian, Harley Davidson, Excelsior, Thor, as long as it's a twin. For the Hot Rods, the same rules applied: vehicles from before 1947 with 4-cylinder Flathead and Overhead or V8 Ford engines, capable of reaching 160 km/h. For purists, we're talking about Gow jobs, Soup up, Top chop...
In short, a treat for the eyes and ears... Honestly, to be transported 80 years back in time is fabulous! Just as fabulous as racing with Go Takamine, Shinya Kimura, Steve Caballero (legendary skater)... You get the idea; the cream of vintage motorcycling, some US TV stars, like Discovery Channel, bare-chested and tattooed Kustom Kulture folks who transform cars and bikes and make us drool on our couches.
Only period looks and no safety... Just an old rope separating us exiled participants from the public, eager to see and touch the fuel-fed legends. Runs of two follow one another, plumes of sand propelled by big tires darken an unusually gray sky. Machines skid and drift off course, riders shake their suicide controls and struggle to hold their handlebars with one hand. The ocean is close, too close for my taste... the sand is soft. "Rockabilly" poses on the sand, beers quench thirst, and hot dogs fill bellies... It's raining on this vintage world, but it's just beautiful and good to be here... My Gentlemen's Factory clothes are ready for the trash, my butt is soaked, my candies are stuck to their wrappers :) ... We finish pretty well on our 1940 Indian Scout, Fred did a good job, the bike isn't broken, which is an achievement!
I'm cold, I want to jump in the shower at Motel 6 and wait for a sunny tomorrow. When I wake up, it's worse... The tide is too high and the tracks are dead, devoured by giant waves... Damn it! With Frank Margerin, Charlie Lecach, Philippe Canville, and Les Kustom surfers (Marc, Tom, Lolo, JM), we hang out, chug beers, clean the bikes, make a campfire on the beach, and perform incantations for the sun to return while the hot rods flee the town for good. My Chippewa shoes are finally dry, my jumpsuit folded into a neat square in my bag, we've found California again, the sun, the surfers, the vintage motorcycles, the customs, the bearded guys in t-shirts. Nature and the beach obviously didn't want us, we are blind to the adrenaline!
We head back to Los Angeles in a V8 van, we visit custom motorcycle builders, we stop at Moon Eyes for photos, we eat at Deus Ex Machina in Venice... 18 days is a short time to understand what's happening here, but riding a motorcycle in a t-shirt day and night, burning rubber on Sunset Boulevard in a V8 is cool, but it's time to go home. The Race of Gentlemen is over, we hand the keys back to the Americans, what belongs to dreams must stay on that side of the Atlantic.
Photos + Article: Laurent Scavone
