STORMRIDERS #456

What's up everyone and welcome back to the Fast Life Podcast.

On today's episode I'm sitting down with the man behind Storm Riders, Tay.

He was in New Braunfels, Texas a couple weeks back and we were able to link up with him

at the old stomping grounds for Giddy Up and record this podcast.

If you don't know who Tay is, Tay is a motorcycle rider.

He's a fashion dude.

The best way to describe it.

He does some male modeling, Zoolander style and I'm just kidding.

He's a good dude and I've really had a great time talking with him.

Pretty sure you guys are going to enjoy this podcast as well.

And before we get into it, let's talk real quick about our sponsors, Arlen S Motorcycles.

If you need to get your bike dialed in with some cool custom motorcycle parts, they got

you covered.

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Use that at checkout.

Also, my guys at Cowboy, Harley-Davidson and Austin, they got all the bikes you could

ever want and need.

That's where I get my bikes from and you should try them out to check them out.

Law Tigers.

1-800-Law Tigers, if you or someone you know has been in a motorcycle accident, they are

going to get you taken care of on the right path.

So give them a call if you run into any uncertain, unfortunate events.

Also my guys, Kabuto Americas, great helmets.

I've been rocking them for quite a few months now, almost a year.

Check them out.

We did a podcast recently, a lot of great info about the helmet culture and his helmets,

the Kabuto Japanese made helmets, all in that episode.

Links down in the description.

Now let's get into it with Tay.

Hey guys, you ready to let the dogs out?

I didn't think I'd be spending my Tuesday sitting on a park bench at the old giddy-up

stomping grounds.

It's a pretty nice way to spend a Tuesday.

Yeah, they turn out pretty beautiful.

It is.

Yeah.

Every time I'm out during the week doing something like this, I just, I stop and I'm like, I'm

so grateful for what I get to do right now.

Like I'm off in the middle of the week.

I'm doing something I love and it just makes it, it makes me feel grateful for what we're

doing.

It's definitely something to always stay mindful of, right, even though when you're in the

midst of creating stuff, content, working on bikes, whatever you're doing and you get

to enjoy motorcycles or this kind of shit all the time, it's easy to get jaded by it.

It is.

But constantly reminding yourself by doing things like this.

Uh-huh.

Totally.

Yeah.

I know.

It could be worse, man.

Yeah.

You know, I've been there.

I've been, I've worked, I've grinded, dude.

Yeah.

You know, I've dug ditches and it helps me stay thankful for what I get to do stuff like

this.

Yeah.

You know.

So where are you from originally?

Like.

So I was born in the Bay Area, a town called Walnut Creek.

I know exactly where it's at.

Yeah.

Good mall there.

Yeah.

I'm sure there is.

There was like, I think I actually grew up in Concord, which is like kind of next door

to that.

Yeah.

It was a little sketchier.

That's like where my parents could afford to make it, you know?

Concord would be like, there's a road to take that up to Mount Diablo.

Yeah.

That's, yeah, that's all I know.

Because I used to work in like Byron and Discovery Bay all the time.

Okay.

Yeah.

So we go back and forth to Martinez.

Yeah.

Over there.

Totally.

Right there by Benisha Bridge and everything.

Yeah.

And then I grew up, or I basically grew up in Auburn, which is in, in the hills, like

towards Tahoe.

Okay.

And that's, that's where I feel my hometown is because I moved there when I was like

seven years old.

And that's, that's where I grew up.

Different mentality of growing up in an area like that versus Walnut Creek, you know, being

closer to, you know, the, the bay itself, but the bay still runs deep in the hills over

there where you're at too, doesn't it?

Oh yeah.

No, totally.

I mean, I feel like we will know I'm not near water.

I'm not near the bay area at all.

It's, it's not.

I know where you're at now, but like Walnut Creek is just over the hill from there.

Yeah.

Totally.

Yeah.

And I think it's considered the bay area, you know, and it was like a city experience.

I feel like my parents just wanted me to grow up in a small town, you know, and that's

where my family, my parents' family is from also.

So it made sense and it's like, you know, growing up there when I was 20 or 18, I really

wanted to escape it, but you know, now I live there again as an adult and I really see the

value in like being in a small town and there's no traffic and you can go out and ride whenever

you want.

It's, you know, you have all these kind of comforts of a small town.

There's a lot of aspects that I feel like when you're growing up you hate, but you learn

to appreciate them over time.

It's really like, I mean, if you think about it, like what you're doing now, your kids

probably when they get of age, you're gonna be like, oh, this stuff is dumb, dad didn't

know what he's talking about.

And then you get to that point where you're like, you kind of knew what was going on.

Totally.

You kind of knew the business.

That's right, man.

And like, I feel like every young man, you know, once they get into their late teens

and they start trying to figure out who they are, you want to go grind in a city and experience

new things and experience more culture and see what you can get into and more, more creative

people.

Like that's kind of what I was searching for when I moved to LA.

And then you grind and it's, it's such a grind that it grinds you down and you learn really

quick what it's like to be an adult in the real world, you know, living in a city.

But you learn so much from it.

You know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't trade my experience.

So your first, your first departure was to LA?

Is that?

Yeah.

Would you go down there for just to kind of just to, just to live basically just to try

something new.

And, you know, I was really into fashion and I thought maybe I might want to work in fashion.

And that was, I wasn't going to move to New York because that just seemed way too far and

I love surfing.

So LA made sense.

And I went to college there, you know, and I paid, paid my way through college and did

that whole thing.

And, you know, at the end of it, I was like, I got into, I kind of shifted and I wanted

to start doing something that would help people.

I kind of got that like college mentality where you want to, you want to save the world,

you know, when you save the whales.

Yeah.

You're 22 years old and, you know, I started like going that direction and then I was looking

at grad school and the money I was going to have to pay for it.

And I got accepted to CSUN, which is like a college Northridge.

And I was just like, man, fuck this, I'm not paying the money to do, to do this.

And then I just went full, full the other direction.

And that's how I turned into what I am now, I guess.

Someone tagged me in a meme yesterday that said something like, for those of you who

said I wouldn't turn out to be shit when I got older and then it jumps to now and says

lucky guess.

So good.

Oh, that's amazing.

Yeah.

Man, memes can, they're comedic art.

I really think, you know, I've heard, I heard Rogan say a long time ago that they're a form

of community.

And they would become a form of communication, which I think that they communicate thoughts

and feelings very well and sometimes so well that you kind of, you love it, but you also

hate it.

It's almost like it, seeing your thoughts portrayed in something else sometimes can be a very unsettling

thing depending on where your mind is at.

It can.

It really can.

And I think like one of the things about like meme culture, you know, something you would

see on the internet like that is they're, they're almost up to interpretation based

on someone's experience, but they'll tell, they'll tell you something about your life,

you know.

So, but then it's like, it can grab all these different people because it's up for interpretation.

And that's why I think they're so, they go viral really well is because no one really

knows what it's about.

And then people start trying to dissect it, you know, and they're staring at it and trying

to dissect it.

So, yeah.

I think that's like one of the reasons why they're so popular.

Yeah. Social media, how it's changed over the years is a, is a, is a crazy one.

But when you got, when, you know, you decided not to do the extended education situation,

yeah, like what'd you jump into?

Or what would you have to do to survive?

Like down there, work wise.

So I worked in vintage clothing stores.

I always, when I was like, you know, 14, 15 and started working, it was either like for

my generation, I felt like you either worked in restaurants or you worked in retail.

And that was kind of like what the two paths that I saw, you know, as a young guy, like

what you can get a job doing.

And I chose retail.

So I, I was working at vintage stores.

This was like, I was 21, you know, and look, this was, this would have been like 2009.

Height for vintage shit.

Yeah. No, it was great, man.

And I was learning a ton from all these people because I was buying over the counter.

Um, you know, so people would come in, show me what they have to sell for the store and

I would have to buy it in real time.

So I was learning a ton from these really experienced pickers, you know.

So I got, I was very lucky to get to learn about vintage clothing kind of in real time,

like before the internet.

Yeah.

You know, so that was really cool.

And still that's like my foundation for everything I know is what I learned from those store,

working in those stores.

You know.

I never got the vintage thing much.

Um, sorry, I didn't understand it, but when I started to, you know, like, honestly, when

I started working in the chopper stuff and started going down the path of like interviewing

and getting to know the people in that world, it opened up my eyes to like the value of

it.

Isn't so much like the perceived to how people see you, but there is a different feeling

when you put on something like, like I have a car, heart, vest in there that's, it's probably

not vintage, but it's used.

Someone else did all the hard work in that thing for me.

So now I get this nice, comfortable, great feeling, great fitting jacket.

Totally.

And I think that the other thing is like, I got to a point where like, I just had a closet

full of like perfect white tees, perfect black tees, and then every day I go to work,

I'm aware of the white tea that I get dirty all the time and that one became my favorite.

Yeah.

Oh yeah.

And then it kind of goes against like, you know, a lot of my upbringing, which, you know,

I grew up in an urban area where if you had to stay on your shirt, like you got made fun

of.

For sure.

Right.

And so now it's like breaking down that built up idea of like how I need to dress, how I

need to present myself and kind of opening up to other things.

Like I have a couple of vintage pieces my wife got from me that I actually love wearing

and they are, you know, they'll have a hole in it or, you know, the collars are a little

worn out and it just feels better.

It does.

And I think a lot of it's nostalgia to a material item, which seems weird and I feel like that's

what a lot of people are not attracted to it for because it's like, well, you, it's

a material item and like what, like where's the value in something that's old.

But it's, it goes just like anything else, just like an old bike.

It's the story, the memories you have in it, you know, even, even if it's something that

you bought used, it becomes your favorite thing and it's like a second skin.

Like that's how I look at it.

Well, I mean, if you were to add the material, like the, probably the side of it, you don't

want to, you know, promote, um, there are less people that have it.

Totally.

You know, there is a scarcity aspect to it that when you have something that's vintage,

whether it be an old Porsche or an old car heart, right?

Yep.

Not everybody, you can buy a brand new Porsche and you can buy a brand new car.

But not everybody's going to have that, that particular cut or that particular trim, you

know?

Yep.

And I think how old are you?

Uh, 43.

Okay.

So I don't know if you're technically considered a millennial, but I, I'm, I'm that I'm the

first, depending on what thing I'm 82.

So it's like 81 82 is technically the first year.

You're right.

But they, I'm finding out this now, I'm a bridge baby.

You are between Gen X, yeah.

Yeah.

I think millennials, like from what I've seen, just being a human and my friends is like,

we have a very deep seated need to feel different, to feel different.

And for better or for worse, whatever that may be, we want something that's our own.

And look at, look what we're naming our kids.

I mean, that's like a great example.

Like, I feel like millennials are naming their kids the weirdest fucking things ever.

Yeah.

I've, I've heard some weird ones, you know, fucking a girl named Tulum, like just,

you don't have a girl named Tulum, do you?

I have a girl named Rain.

Okay.

See, there you go.

That's a unique name, right?

Yeah.

It's not Dave.

It's not, it's not Becky.

Yeah.

It's not Jessica.

Yeah.

Fucking hit the nail on the head on that one.

Yeah.

So I feel like our generation just wants to feel different.

Yeah.

You know, we want something unique and a lot of times going into a store, you're not

going to be able to get that, you know, and that's why smaller businesses like what

we're doing or what a lot of people in this culture are doing, independent brands, small

creators, they're able to actually sustain and create a life supporting business because

I feel like our generation wants to support that.

Yeah.

And Big Box is out.

Like big companies, I feel like are having a really hard time becoming culturally relevant.

Yeah.

You know, it's like, is it all going to die with the boomers?

You know, maybe, I don't know.

Yeah.

That's a good point.

But yeah, so when you are in this space, you're learning about vintage and all that

type of stuff.

Yeah.

Like is that where like the motorcycle thing starts to kind of, I mean, because those

kind of go hand in hand and depending on what part of like LA you're in the vintage,

you might have been right around another really popular motorcycle shop at the time.

No, totally, man.

And so I was like, I was living in Silver Lake at the time, which is now it's million

dollars, it's rich, rich people neighborhood.

When I was living in there, my apartment was 750 a month.

It was a beautiful time to live in LA.

And you know, Todd has talked about this on his podcast, I think where that weird area

of time during the great financial recession was a sweet time to be in LA, man, because

you could live there as a normal for kid and you could, you could live, you could pay for

a place, you could, you could eat out, you could have a good time and it wasn't overrun

with so much money that it was unavailable to people who were just kind of working normal

jobs and just kids having fun.

So I'm very grateful that I got to experience LA at that time and that's where I started

seeing motorcycles was when I was living there at that time and, you know, because I wasn't

really interested in it before then, you know, my dad grew up racing dirt bikes and that

was a huge part of his life, but I've never been allowed to ride a dirt bike growing up.

My parents wouldn't let me get into it.

So you know, I feel like there was this kind of deep seated thing that I wanted to do it

eventually.

And then when I saw basically what our modern chopper scene is, when I saw that, that was

what really grabbed me and wanted and made me get into this stuff.

Yeah, I feel like I just was introduced to motorcycles through the custom aspect.

Right.

And so everything and that's been the hardest transition I think I would have I've had in

this like in my journey of motorcycles is from things being perfect to now things having

character and being untouched.

Absolutely.

And I learned that doing the shovel head chopper because it's so much easier to make it perfect

again.

Yeah.

It's really hard to preserve the patina that aluminum has after 30 years or, you know, other

aspects of like parts that you find that they don't make anymore.

Like I get it.

Right, right.

And it's I can't explain it to someone that doesn't understand it.

Right.

The same way someone couldn't explain it to me where I was like, oh, yeah, that makes sense.

Right.

But after I've learned that it's actually harder to have that, yeah, that it is to have

something perfectly brand new.

Totally, man.

And that's like when someone walks by me and my bike and they, you know, most people look

at it and they're like, this is a literal piece of junk.

Like what what is this thing?

You know, it doesn't look valuable at all.

And it's not very valuable.

You know, it's still code shovel head, whatever, you know, but, you know, it's that's what is,

I guess, in style and that's what became in style and that's what people want.

They want a worn in or at least that's what's important to them, you know, like they'd

rather have something that is old and preserved than something that was hand built.

Well, a lot of the culture, maybe.

Well, it maybe to a point, a little, little B action there, maybe to the point of like,

it's not so much that you're what's the word?

It's not that it's like on paper, like this is a 30 or 40 or $50,000 bike because,

you know, it's a, it's a $10,000 bike or $15,000 bike that you can't just walk up

and turn it on and go enjoy a day of riding.

It takes another another level, another layer of you to keep it on the road,

keep it running, which makes it more special because like, like I don't even,

I leave the keys in mind.

Like I feel like if you can get it started and you can go run this thing down the street,

yeah, you might deserve to keep it saying.

But for the most part, like I, you, it adds another layer of like, you can't just buy this

for sure, man.

You know, I guess, you know, my bike is kind of pretty, but I want to,

I want to fucking ride the piss out of it and give it the patina on my own.

That thing, when I saw that, OK, one, it's an amazing bike.

You did a great job.

And it's totally, it's the style that a lot of my friends ride up in my area

because it's that style.

It's NorCal.

It's totally getting it in the hills, man, you know.

And that bike is going to look good, dirty.

That's when I saw it, I'm like, that's a bike that's going to age really well.

It's going to look great, freaking with oil all over it.

Like that's the that's the hope, man.

I want it to be one of those bikes that, you know, we were kind of talking about it

earlier, but, you know, we, we both love and follow a lot of chopper dudes

that I think have paved the way for even us to come into it now.

100 percent.

You know, the Mac shafts and stuff.

And I mean, at one point in time or at some point in time in the future,

that could be us for the next person coming into the scene going, you know,

because whenever I was building my bike, I was looking at yours

because of your bar. Right.

I wanted that kind of height and that kind of.

But I didn't want to be the dude on the line going, hey, man, how tall are your bars?

They're four teens. Yeah.

But man, that's that's what it's all about, dude. Right.

Passing it on. Right. Passing it on.

If someone, someone came up to me at Shopper Fest, the dude from Olive Street,

and he said, I have a customer who wants me to build him a bike.

And he showed me a picture.

He said he wants me to build a mirror bike, basically.

And I was obviously like, well, man, that sucks for you,

because my bike is a piece of shit.

There's nothing really special going on with it.

And he laughed, obviously, kind of a self deprecating thing.

And I was like, that's cool.

You know, like this guy saw something that connected with him.

And now he's going to go for it.

And I want someone to go for it.

Yeah. Right. Because whatever gets you on a certain track,

you're going to you're going to develop as time goes on.

If you stick with it, you're going to develop.

You're going to you're going to create your own style.

And then just like that, it's going to happen

where someone else approaches him or sees his thing.

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Yeah, and the styles are always compiled of like all your influences, right?

Yes, that's that's the one thing I always like to say,

even though like I would say that my gold effects are that that's my that's my right.

But there's a piece of North Carolina.

There's a piece of the Midwest and there's a piece of Swedish shoppers.

There's a piece of Ventura in there.

Exactly. There's a lot of little pieces that came together

to make that particular one that is mine.

But it's made up of all my influences and whatnot.

Right. That's how I used to always think that growing up.

And then when I started diving into music bands, it would say like,

oh, you know, we were in the Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd

and a little bit of this band.

And like, that's what our band is our core sound comes from.

Oh, that's cool because I hear that.

And I like the fact that you you would say that.

Right. A lot of dudes like, no, dude, we saw me, dude.

I don't look at I'm not online.

I don't look at nobody else's bikes. That's funny. Yeah.

You know what I mean? Yeah.

Dude, let me see your fucking your saved photos.

Right. Right.

Let's see how many choppers and how much of my shit's in there.

Totally. Yeah.

Well, you know, it's I feel like they say

when you're trying to learn to write, when you're trying to get good at writing

and I'm really into writing, I love it.

They say a good thing to do is to read to read other authors.

That's the best thing you could do to improve your writing

or to even just sit down and write, rewrite something that someone has already written.

And, you know, it's like, even if you try and recreate something exactly,

it's still not going to be that.

It's still going to be you. Right.

So I think that's a good exercise to do.

If someone feels stuck or if someone doesn't know where to start,

just take something that already exists and try and do that.

Yeah. And like I said, you're going to develop

and you are going to find your own voice, right?

It takes trial and error.

Like no one has their own.

Very few people are good enough to have their own voice like right off the roof.

Right. Yeah. You know, it's a long game.

It takes a lot of work.

I would say even someone that's like seems like a natural talent,

you know, there's still like an aspect of Tiger Woods

that probably went in where he grew up in a household that was very eclectic

or, you know, push them into creative ways

so that you could still pay your homage to maybe that upbringing

or the type of cartoons you watch growing up or whatever.

You know, right?

Are you saying no one is like no one is solely like artistically independent?

Is that kind of what you're saying?

Like I wouldn't want to say that like I wouldn't want to make that statement

as a complete generalization, right, that nobody is that.

But I found that most of the prodigies that I've ever looked into

or the people that I've met that I thought was just naturally

naturally, they can be better at it with less effort.

Right. But it still stems from somewhere.

Right. And it's that it's the iceberg, right?

And everyone sees the very top, you know, when you've achieved something,

something great and they don't know.

Yeah, underneath the water, all the iceberg.

They don't understand all the work, you know, prime example.

If we're playing, we're talking choppers, like.

I feel like you need can't miss.

Oh, he can't miss, you know. Yeah.

And but there there's definitely and he said it on my podcast,

I can't recite him, but he said like these these people before me

are the what kind of shaped my way of seeing the world.

And then the way you see the world is the way you interpret it,

which is the way you put your twist on it, right?

Yeah, totally, man.

And, you know, I think a lot of the environment you grew up in over there

in that Hollywood area, you know, Melrose and stuff.

I think all those things play into creating a visual

aspect of how you recreate or how you create art or how you create anything.

Totally. You know, so I, you know, my.

I find it like what I consume becomes that shit.

So I try to consume a lot of things that are inspiring, mainly.

Right. Getting into books was a big thing.

I I slacked heavy on writing.

I got into it real heavy.

And then I just kind of like I'm just not on it like I need to be.

You know what I mean?

Well, writing is a labor of love because they're the reward level

that you get for writing is, you know, one tenth of what you're going to get

for making a video. Yeah.

And that's strictly not even to do with the quality of what you're putting out,

but it's because of the platforms itself.

Like I could spend, you know, I wrote I wrote that piece for DICE on me

and Axl's trip. I wrote like a very detailed.

It was very long, you know, report of that trip for the DICE blog.

And it took me fucking days.

You know, I had to like buckle down and do it.

I was doing it late at night.

And, you know, how many people are going to click through that

and actually read the whole thing?

Very few, you know, as opposed to someone who's going to watch a real with clips cut

of real made of that trip is going to be is going to go way beyond

what something you write about it is.

So really, for me, the writing isn't about reach.

It's not about reaching people.

It's about the internal joy that I get from it.

And it's like something I can go back on, you know, and I don't want to sound

big headed, but like I go back and I'll read my old ride reports because I love it.

I love going back into those times and thinking about how I was feeling

and what the trip was like, you know, and I do that with

I do that with the blogs of like kind of the people who came before me.

I mean, I still will go.

I'll go fucking 15, 10 years back on Detroit.

And I'll read his and he did some similar ride reports.

And I'm like, you know, it brings me back to when I was

seeing that in for when it came out.

And I was like, oh, my God, this is this is such a cool story.

You know, isn't it weird how I feel like I talked to so many people

that really love the idea of blogs and they love it.

But how do you how do you get something like that to exist again?

Because it I feel like writing like you kind of said it.

But it's like you need to make content, you know,

viral videos or wherever the fuck for like to get seen.

But I think that like when you do those more specific things like writing

and shit like that, you kind of do it for that deeper audience or deeper connection.

Maybe not your core like these dudes fuck with me heavy,

but maybe the people that are also looking for right,

just generally something deeper out of all this.

Totally. And that's like from day one,

that's what I've went out to use Instagram and social media for.

I was like, this is not going to be what I'm trying to actually do.

It's going to be the billboard.

It's it's my billboard.

It's going to get people to go to my website.

And and if you want to dig deeper and see what it's really about,

you can do that.

And then what that's done is it's created a very strong

relationship with the people that will buy my clothes,

the people that who have read the Rive reports or who I ride with in real life

and people like you, who we meet, who I meet on the road, you know, and like.

My social media doesn't look like a clothing brand at all.

It doesn't.

You people don't even know it's a clothing brand really until you go

dig a little deeper and then you're like, oh, OK, this is this is actually

what this guy is doing and it's worked out really good, you know,

because like Instagram is the billboard and it's a great tool for that.

But I don't think I don't search.

I don't go on Instagram for like in depth,

like really good material, right?

I mean, I try and find it somewhere else.

You've got to scroll down on people's

Instagram page, you have to go to the bottom and see the see the 2014.

Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, better stuff there.

Yeah. Yeah, that's that's a thing.

Right. I mean, I wish people I wish it was like a I think.

Cut rate said this on the podcast once that he goes.

He wishes there was a button that you can hit and it would just take you

to the beginning of their Instagram. Right. Right.

Flip it forward and go up and see where you kind of come and go from.

So yeah, talking about your clothing brand and talking about Storm,

right? It's like, what was the idea behind it?

I know you kind of talked a little bit about it with Dan on Dan's podcast,

which if you guys are listening to this, you should definitely go check that out.

Because I think that it it's going to fill.

I think both podcasts fills, fills gaps.

I think so, too. You know, at least I hope that's the plan here.

Right. I don't want to give you the same thing that Dan created

on the Danger Dance Topshop.

But the beginning of that, I think you had mentioned on his podcast

like you were a flip phone guy, anti.

I was. Yeah, I was very like.

You know, you talked about I feel like you've talked about

kind of like the golden age of Instagram, like social media.

And I I don't even know what that I don't.

I wasn't there. I wasn't there. Yeah.

And like, I wish I wasn't, honestly.

Like, if I could go back, I wish I would have started doing this

when I in my early 20s, you know, because I probably would have

taken it further by now. Right.

But I was like, I was very.

Afraid to put myself out there.

And it was a defense mechanism, I think, because and so I told myself

that I was being really pure and legit.

And that was kind of like my reason that I justified to myself.

But I was just I just didn't have the confidence to really do what I wanted to do.

So let me let me ask you this question.

I mean, coming from the vintage world.

I mean, am I out of line to say that there's a lot of pretentiousness in that that world?

I'll be completely honest.

I think I think fashion and clothing is a little bit more forward forward

thinking than choppers from what I've seen.

I think I think there's a little bit more of understanding the lightness

of what fashion and or vintage is in that in the community.

Like that doesn't exist where like I feel like the motorcycle industry

and world is very, very serious and very, you know, what you're doing is very important.

And it's your whole self and it's it's you, you know.

And the fashion community just I think has gone.

I don't know what it was like before I was, you know, in past decades or whatever.

But like, I feel like they understand that like this stuff, it's not that important.

But it's it's a fun artistic expression.

OK, you know, so I find that like it's a little more accepting to newcomers.

It's a little bit there's not as much like pretension in the culture, I think.

You know, look at the movie Zoolander, right?

I mean, you've seen that movie.

I mean, it's a total spoof of everything that is hilarious about that world.

And it's all true. It's all rooted in truth.

Yeah, I feel like, you know, the motorcycle industry hasn't really

maybe acknowledged that about itself yet.

And I don't know if it needs to.

I just know that for me, that's what is making me feel more honest to myself.

Yeah, you know, and it's worked for me personally.

No, that makes sense.

You know, like having kids had a lot to do with it, you know, for me,

because I was kind of having kids when I was starting this whole thing.

And, you know, the second you have a kid, I was just like, man,

all these things that I take so seriously about myself are kind of a joke now to me.

You know, like I've got I should be focusing on so many more important things.

You know, I'm addicted to old motorcycles and, you know, clothing and stuff like this.

And I'm not I'm not trying to put down anyone else who doesn't have kids or,

you know, anything like that.

But like that is what my experience was.

And I was like, wow, I need to be able to just kind of laugh at myself and take a

breath and, you know, realize that everything I'm doing is not very important

in the grand scheme of things, you know.

Oh, it makes sense.

Yeah, I had kids so early in my life that I feel like I was still growing up.

Right. You know, I always say on the podcast that I mean, my daughter

grew up together, you know, and so I feel like a lot of the things I think

created my identity of who I am now were things that were traded

after they were both born.

You know what I mean? Right.

Always been in the motorcycling, but I didn't really consider myself a biker

until I was damn near eight, nine years into it. Right.

You know, right. That's when I was like, all right, I guess I'm a biker now.

Right. You know what I mean?

Yeah, I really wanted to be an artist. Right.

But I guess I'm just going to be a biker. Right. Yeah.

And so what is a biker to you?

I mean, that's an ever changing, you know, thing.

The problem with the term is that so many people's identities are rooted

in their version of it, that it's almost like, no matter what you say,

it's not biker enough or it's too light or too much biker or whatever.

Totally. I remember Dan and I had this exchange on a podcast on mine once

and he was like a biker and I'm saying this and Dan is not here to defend himself.

But he was like, a biker has to work on his bike on the side of the road.

He has to be able to do that.

I was like, Dan, you just rode down to Mexico with Brian Helm

and, you know, all these other guys like Brian do not work on his bike,

but he's a biker. He's like, yeah, I guess you're right.

So I mean, it's it's such a weird thing.

And I don't know that I actually.

I don't I don't know if I have like a checklist of of things that I could

rattle off right now to say this is why and this is why not. Right.

I just know that my life is biker. Yeah.

It's I'm I'm every day a motorcycle is involved in my life in one way or another.

Right. So I don't know if that checks other people's boxes.

But I think it's like I'm not too concerned with their

concern of my bikerism. You know what I mean? Right. Totally.

That's the one thing that does feel liberating is as I get older,

the less kind of like who you're saying, the less I feel the need

to have other people's approval. Totally.

But I still want people to like me.

Well, I think deep down, everyone does, you know,

or they might say that they don't.

But, you know, that's like a that's an evolution.

I don't want to be an unlikable dude. Right.

I want to be a good hang. Right. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Totally. But I don't want to like not be who I am.

So if the thing is OK, well, whoever I am,

if I'm off putting and pushing people away, then that's probably something bad.

Right. You know what I mean?

So maybe I need to figure out that what what's wrong with my personality

that's being so off putting to so many people. Right. Right.

Yeah. Well, the weird thing is that sometimes

the people that come in like that and don't give a shit at all

are very attractive. Right.

It's a weird thing. Yeah. You know.

So but like I think it is different for everyone, you know,

how they define what's important, you know, different aspects

of the culture are more important to certain people when it comes to fashion.

I think you were talking about this live on dance podcasts as well.

But every and I think Dan brought it up and you.

I forget exactly whose mouth it came out of.

But basically, it's like I think most men just want to effortlessly

be cool in how we dress and carry ourselves all the time.

And the most effortless we look.

Then I feel like the more we achieve that idea of it.

But right, you know, I think you said something about like, man,

just trying some shit on the mirror outfit.

And I feel good in this.

There is a good feeling when you get a nice pair of clothes,

something that goes on, you know, I think so.

You know, I think it's more like.

You know, we we pay so much attention to what our bikes turn out to look like.

Right. You know, and why why is it?

Why is it not OK to do that with yourself?

That's kind of how I how I look at it. You know, it's.

You know, I.

I meticulously put a bike together the way I want it to look, right,

to to look a certain way.

And I do that every day when I get up, you know, I do the same thing, you know,

whether and, you know, I don't wear like super crazy shit to the wrong fucking thing.

I'm not, you know, normally when I'm on my shovel,

I I have to wear basic shit because I know I'm going to get on the ground

for the most part, you know, so that changes it.

That's what the colors of darker colors laid back, heavier fabric, you know.

But like I all wear all kinds of crazy shit, you know, I'm not afraid to say that.

And I've worn a bunch of different shit throughout the years, you know,

that's like one thing that I feel like is kind of a stigma in choppers is a lot

of people are like, you know, I've been I've looked the same way for 20 years,

you know, and that's cool. I get that. That's cool.

But I kind of like your life and how it how it changes and you try different things

and you get to experiment and you go through these different seasons.

And, you know, I don't think I don't think it's a bad thing to like change your style.

Right. That that notion of I've been like this for 20 years,

that I think that's a defense mechanism to not seem like you're being trendy.

Right. I've been in wearing Dickies and flannels my entire life.

Right. Right. You know, I've always wore vans.

Yeah. You know, like those kind of things are more or less to

put yourself in the I was here first category and I'm not here because of the trend.

Totally. And which I get and I'm guilty of it for sure at some point in my life,

you know, because I grew up in a shop.

Dickies were part of the outfit, you know, but there is that aspect of like

to what you're saying is that me and my wife, we had this conversation.

We had it last fall and we were like, I was like, what's your color right now?

Like, yeah, like we all have a favorite color, but we don't wear it all the time.

Right. And we both were like, you know, we're both in the navy blue right now.

Uh-huh. And so we noticed that a lot of our outfits

and the shoes we were buying had a lot of navy blue and coordinating kind of things with it.

Uh-huh. And right now I'm into the fucking green.

Yeah. And you know what happened?

Fucking I've got this thing from Power Plant for my chopper and he sent me a green hat.

Uh-huh. And I do it on and I'm like, God damn, I like green.

Yeah. And so now like all I'm seeing is green.

And for me as a painter, I think it kind of like

doubles in different aspects of like, I want to paint green things

and I want my outfits to have some green in it.

Totally. Totally, man. Yeah.

And you know, that comes back to like where you're getting inspiration from something

and then you're letting that inspiration come out in all these different ways.

Yeah.

You know, in your way and it should come out in the way you're dressing.

Right.

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I mean, when I lived in Nashville, I fucking wore so much denim.

And I loved it, dude.

I was so stoked to be around this different world.

And I got into it.

I loved it.

It was really cool to try these different things out.

And I still have all that.

It's still in my closet.

I still wear like a...

The denim rabbit hole is deep.

Oh, it is.

Whether it's Japanese, selvage, vintage, all...

I watched a video on the shit.

I was like, I'm not ready for that as a chapter yet.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, it's another nerdy thing.

Like old choppers, right?

It's like a culture, kind of.

Those guys are really into it.

Yeah.

You know?

But I get it, though.

It's like when you...

Again, I have a closet full of pants.

And most of them I never wear.

I always go back to two or three different ones that I always want to wear.

And it's like the idea of just...

I'd rather buy some quality clothes and have less than have a bunch of just fluff.

Yeah.

You know, because the other aspect of my fashion sense, I guess you will,

or lack thereof, is that I'm also like a Steve Jobs kind of vibe,

where I want to have less options.

Less to think about.

Yeah.

And, you know, there's an aspect of just throwing a black t-shirt on all the time

and having a bunch of them to not wonder which one's this,

for this occasion or that occasion.

But all is to say that I understand the world of it.

And I think that pages like yourself and bringing those kind of thoughtful things into

motorcycling is like, I think it's cool.

Yeah.

And it'll break down that stigma of like, you know,

the choppers to certain demographics of motorcycling

has always been like the hipster thing, right?

See, that's interesting.

And that's one of the reasons why I really wanted to talk to you

is because you have like more...

I'm not saying you're an outsider at all,

but you have a different perspective coming into it,

you know, where you can tell me something like that,

because that's interesting to hear.

Well, and it's not so much from like the performance motorcycle community,

it's from like you're the older demographic of biker that has, you know,

they went to bike week in 03, you know what I mean?

And then they had to sell their bike and they got another one in 13

and then they did a rot rally.

And but now they're heavy on YouTube and all this other shit, right?

So a lot of those older, maybe hog chapter kind of,

I don't know a way to classify or, you know, whatever.

But like, you would hear that a lot.

You would hear like the hipster choppers.

That was the way they talked about the born freestyle chopper stuff.

Right.

And even I would hear it in the industry from certain brands

that were kind of, you know, prominent in it.

Yep.

But, you know, I don't know, like the word hipster became derogatory

the same way millennial became derogatory.

Right.

You know, and then most people don't even really go back and understand

what a hipster is or the definitions and those kind of aspects of it.

And I think it lost a decent cultural thing that definitely,

I think I've probably fallen in that category a lot

and a lot of things that I like.

Well, me too.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

So.

Yeah.

And I don't think like to me.

We're hipster millennials, dude.

Well, yeah, we are.

But that's the thing is I don't think it's necessarily a derogatory thing.

Like everything that I am, like you're saying, we're aging.

And I'm totally okay with what I am at this point in my life.

Like I don't, I really don't care.

You know, this is what I'm comfortable with.

This is who I am.

If I want to put on a fucking flamboyant suit one day, I'll do it.

You know, like because it makes me have a good time.

It makes me feel good, you know.

And one of the things like I guess with my page is I don't want to change the way people

like actually act.

Like I don't really care if someone, you know, takes action and starts dressing a certain way.

I don't want to feel like people have to like start dressing a certain way.

But like just acknowledging that it's okay to care about that stuff.

I think is important in my ultimate goal and kind of showing like the similarities

between these two worlds.

And I think that's a lot of times why my page will do well is because you're getting these

two different groups of people who shouldn't be in the same room together.

You're getting like these fashion kids and you're getting these bite guys.

And it's like this is what happens when you put them all in the same room and get them talking,

right?

Yeah.

You know, so like, you know, there was people like I follow a lot of fashion accounts like,

you know, men's wear guys like because I love that shit.

You know, it's seriously my passion with motorcycles.

It's the same same level of passion.

And you know, a lot of them are like, why are everybody why is everybody so mad?

Like what what did you do wrong?

Like this is a cool outfit.

You know, like they don't get it because they don't they don't come from that motorcycle

world where you're not supposed to do stuff like that.

You know, so like there's this weird kind of like

a collision of different cultures, I think, that are meeting.

And I still think it's in that positive, you know,

would you say that maybe it's because motorcycling is a collective of like,

it's more of a collaborated thing.

Like you can ride a bike by yourself, but so much of motorcycling takes place with other

people and friends.

So there becomes this aspect of you can't hide behind a social media identity on

as a motorcyclist as you could as a fashion dude blog kind of thing.

Possibly.

Like there's not a I mean, I know there is meetups and things that you do in the fashion

world, but it's not like we're going to the sturgis of the fashion world and we're getting

we're partying all weekend.

Possibly, yes.

And I but I do think I think you can live the motorcycle lifestyle without ever getting

off your couch.

I think you can.

I think it's I think it can be done, you know, because people do it.

And, you know, whatever, if that's fulfilling to someone, then I'm not going to I'm not

going to judge someone for how they get value out of something that they like.

You know, at this point in my life, I did.

I used to do that and I was an asshole.

You know, so so I do I do think it probably there is a level a barrier to entry.

Like I was talking to Dan, there's a barrier to entry in motorcycling,

which is going to weed out a lot of people that won't go all the way to actually do it.

Yeah, right.

So it is harder to do that.

And that's probably why there is hostility towards people, perhaps that they feel like

are all the way in, right, like all in with it, like not really living it.

It could be like that.

When you started like when would you say your page started to take the more

is parody the right way to say it or or satire?

No, I wouldn't call it that.

And that's what a lot of people call it.

But I would call it more hyperbole because it's all it's all it's all me.

Yeah, I just I blow it up.

I turn the volume up to 11, you know, like, you know, so everything is rooted in honesty.

But but I turn it up to make it funnier and, you know, all all right, little aspects,

you know, things that I see or maybe I've said or felt before.

I take like pretty much all the worst aspects about me and I crank them up to 11.

Like, yeah.

And I try and make like the when I make a video, I'm like,

how do I make myself look like the douchiest person on earth?

Right.

Like that.

Like, how can I create this character to make it like ridiculous like that?

Yeah.

You know, and then that's that's what I do.

I remember the first time I saw like it came across like a suggested situation.

Oh, OK.

Yeah.

And I think like many people, I'm probably in the same boat as many people as I had to watch.

I had to click on your page and watch five videos.

And ask myself, is he being for real or not?

Right.

Before I realized that it's it is what you're saying hyperbole.

Right.

And then I followed.

I was like, this is fucking awesome.

Awesome.

And then I show my wife.

Yeah.

And then I sent it to a friend.

It's like, dude, this shit is fucking hitting the nail on the head.

Almost like I wonder if in my head now that I'm thinking about it,

if I would have thought you were serious, if I would have just been a hater from the beginning.

Possibly.

If I would have like saw since I saw it and felt it as like, I guess the intention.

Right.

I loved it versus if I would have took it as like, oh, no, this dude thinks he's like hot shit.

Right.

Oh, fuck this dude.

And then I would have probably sent it to the same people like, look at this fucking nerd.

Right.

Just with a different different narrative.

Right.

So I don't know.

That's just maybe a realization I'm thinking of in my head.

But I think maybe a lot of people go through that thing when they see stuff like that.

And relatively to my knowledge, I mean, I could be wrong.

But like your page is it was the jump off for you in a lot of ways in like social aspects.

Oh, it was.

Seeing 100 percent.

It wasn't like a whole bunch of podcasts that you already been on that I know of.

You know, right.

No, that's totally what it is.

And like, you know, I've been selling vintage for like 15 years.

You know, that's been something I've always done because I love it.

I love like, you know, putting together a collection of vintage that I find and selling it.

And I've never really given myself the opportunity to actually try and do it.

You know, I never really applied myself because I was very afraid of putting myself out there.

And I felt like I don't I felt like I shouldn't want the attention.

I feel like I shouldn't want to be successful, you know, because like that's,

you know, people my age, especially people that are attracted to choppers.

It's like success is the the enemy of legit, of legitness, right?

Like that's the coolest thing you do is not care about anything and not and just live

in your own little world and never put it out there.

You know, so that's where I'm coming from.

Like that's kind of how I grew up is like, that's the mentality.

You know, so like, you know, finally, like the pandemic kids, I've got I'm having kids and I'm

just like, you know, I'm just going to try and actually do this and see if I can do make it into

something, you know, and like the whole goal, I'm like, I need a place for like my brand to live.

You know, like I don't the thing about it is like I'm talentless.

I don't do anything.

You know, I well,

but that's the thing.

Like I I needed a place where I could build my brand and sell clothing through, you know,

so it's like anyone can make clothes.

Anyone can do what I do.

I don't I have no, you know, perception that that's special in any way, you know,

but like, I'm trying to create a world that I see, you know, and that's that's the whole thing

is like I want to create a world for the brand and and that's that's what I want.

You know, I always wanted to work in fashion, but I could never I felt like I could never get a job

in fashion.

You know, I would love to do this for another brand or for a brand like that was what I wanted

to do.

I thought that would be really fun, you know, and I just figured I could do it for myself.

You know, you could do you could do anything now with a with a phone and an internet connection.

You know, so it's been nice to like finally have a little bit of a place for my thing to

live, you know, instead of just living nowhere, basically, and me just doing it kind of for

the love of it and make a few bucks here and there like selling clothes.

But do you struggle with like the last podcast I did with my buddy Luke, we were talking about

like the influencer culture economy, that kind of world and like, you know, because it's

another thing that another word that now has a negative condensation to it.

Absolutely.

How are you condon?

I always say condensation like the.

Yeah, yeah, the trips on the window.

Yeah, yeah, connotation.

Okay, there that's getting my my verb is right.

But it's another one of those things that just has a bad rap, right?

Absolutely.

A lot of it, now that I've now that I've gotten wrapped up in it, like, I can only think about

my path of being a painter and working on bikes and just putting out my work turns into attention,

which then turns into, you know, opportunities, brand, things like that.

And so it's like, it was never like I'm going to jump on here and go spend 10 years before the

internet comes out to learn how to paint bikes so that this hypothetical thing can come into

the world and I can be a part of it.

Like, it's just a happenstance of like doing things and having a visually,

you know, doing things that's visually pleasing for people to look at, you know.

Yeah, I absolutely think about that.

I think influence or culture and the time that we live in is absolute absurdity.

I think it's the most hilarious, ridiculous thing ever.

And I love that.

I love how funny it is to me.

And that's a lot of my pages like being, you know, self-deprecating about what I,

what the world that we live in now, you know, like, I know that I am in, try, you're like,

that's what's happening, you know, that's, this is an influencer type of thing.

And yes, it is stupid, you know.

That video you made, it, I fucking like, if I would have had food or liquid in my,

I would have spit it out.

Which one?

At the end of it, you go, I'm going to tell the IRS that my life is a right.

Yeah, yeah.

Right.

Because I fucking laugh my ass off.

Right.

But that's like, it's funny.

Because I think that.

You think that.

I think that.

You think that.

And that's, I think that too.

And like, you know, a lot of that stuff is like, you know, I'll try and take things that

are hilarious about influencer culture that I participated in.

And then I'll put it out there in a way that is just straight honest.

And like, that's the funny aspect of it.

You know, sometimes the thing that connects with people the best is the thing that everyone

is thinking, but no one says, you know.

So like, like I absolutely think that I am absurd and influencer culture is hilarious.

But it's like, that's the world that we live in now.

You know, and I, I'm kind of, of the mindset and like without getting too like philosophical,

but like I, I kind of think everything is a performance in life.

Like that's kind of, that's kind of the, the mindset that I have adapted through my life.

Like I just kind of feel like everything's a performance and, you know, everyone,

everyone on social media is, is trying to do something.

You know, even the guy that doesn't care or that says he doesn't care,

he's selecting exactly what he wants the world to see in the exact way he wants people to see it.

But it, and also the apps themselves are trying to push people to all go down this path as well.

Right.

I mean, if you have a normal non-business Instagram page,

Right.

the Instagram will ask you like, hey, do you want to turn this into a artist page of this?

Does it? Oh, right. It does.

It kind of like, it's, it's like the, the concept for social media platforms is for everybody to

adopt this culture.

Yeah, totally.

Because it's good for the platform.

This is, I kind of said this in the last podcast, but I'll say it here for the context of this,

this conversation.

In 2016, when the influencer thing was becoming something in the motorcycle world,

Right.

the platforms were very beneficial to us.

Right.

They would promote us, which gave us leverage to work with brands and deals worked.

Yeah.

Well, then you have that all the way up until about 2020, 2021.

Yep.

And then the apps are like, you know what?

Why don't we stop giving them reach and make them pay for it?

And then we'll just reach out to the brands and say, hey, look,

you give us a thousand dollars a month.

We're going to give you more access to all this stuff than the influencers ever could.

Yeah.

So in a sense, it feels like the platforms created an opportunity for people to go down

the path to be influencers, brand ambassadors, things like that.

And then they pulled the rug out and gave all that power back to the brands.

Right.

Where now the influencers are all scrambling and losing their shit and losing their mind

because like, oh, what the fuck?

Right.

The algorithm, I hear people complain about that a lot.

And, you know, I don't know how the algorithm works.

Like, I don't, you know, it's designed very complex to keep you on the app.

And, you know, I don't know.

I don't, I try and not go on the app unless I'm posting something, you know.

And if something, if something does well, like I, you know, it's,

I'm not one of those guys that says I don't think about this at all.

Like I, I try and understand the app because it's good for business to understand it.

You know, so if something does good, then I'll stay on the app and I'll kind of engage

with the app a little bit.

If something does bad, then I won't go on the app because that is going to,

I think, hopefully say to the, to the algorithm or the app that, oh, okay,

this guy's much more engaged when something is doing good on the app.

You know, so like, I feel like I'm trying to play mind games with it,

but I feel like some people getting this thing, like, you know,

I've seen people, like even people that are, you know, culture posts, like,

my shit doesn't get seen, my shit doesn't get seen.

It's like, you know, I, I know that rabbit hole you can go down where you just start

like doing something and it feels like nothing's going to work, like nothing's working.

But you're just on the app constantly, like refreshing shit.

And it's like, that's not that it doesn't care about how good your shit is doing.

It only cares about how much time you're spending on the app, you know, so like that.

I think it does.

I think it, it affects art, like real, not real, the version of art that I think that

maybe, maybe our generation is attracted to, but there is an art form that's emerging through this,

like, with the, the, for instance, the satire, hyperbole, the, the parodies,

all the different things that a lot of people are starting to create.

Right.

I think it's interesting.

It's like, it's, it's a short form version of YouTube in some kind of way, right?

Right.

And there's a home for that, but it's, it just sucks that it's also the home where

photography used to live.

Yeah.

And now photographers like myself, or people that are, that love the, the, the craft and the art of it,

don't really have a place to put it.

Totally.

And if I have to make a video to show you my photo,

right, it doesn't, it kind of defeats the purpose of it, right?

Totally.

So I think that a lot of art forms are struggling to figure out where they live.

Right.

You know?

Oh yeah.

And there's a, I mean, I would love for those things to live in like the real world, you know?

Yeah, yeah.

And in galleries, art shows, bike shows that, that, that really focus on showing artists,

magazines, you know, things like that.

But, you know, those are, those are like more, there's a lot of gates to get through,

to get to those places, as opposed to Instagram just opened.

It was a, it was a catch all be all.

It was a place we can all kind of put our work, be seen by work, grow from our work,

be inspired by other people's work.

So for you, was there a monetization like during that golden age, or like when you

felt like it was really good for creators or photographers like yourself, was there,

were you able to like monetize what you were doing from the app, or was it,

did you feel like it was just, it was just numerically being shown more?

It was more so like, like, I've never made a, I say a dime.

I think every once in a while I get like six dollars from Instagram.

Oh, okay.

You know, like I don't make, I wouldn't say I make money.

That's probably going, I, in the only reason I ever did like the verified batch thing,

was for the security of the page.

That's why I did it too.

Just to make sure that it didn't get hacked.

And if it did, I had a better chance of getting it back.

You know what I mean?

More so like, it was more like, be able to post something or create an event,

or do something and use the platform to show the world what's going to happen,

or what's going on, or what I just did.

Right.

So like I said, I never, I never had a t-shirt that I was selling online.

I never really sold anything, but I could make a post and say,

Hey, I have five helmet spots open.

And then they were booked by the end of the night.

Right.

And it sucks that it got to that point.

Like, I hate that I grew up never knowing what Instagram was or social media was,

had a book full of my pictures and would walk into shops and say,

Hey, look, I can paint and did that type of marketing.

So then, okay, I can just post these online and then gain it.

And now I completely, I'm completely beholden to the online thing now.

That's exactly right.

It's like, and that's the weird thing is our, you know, business is very reliant on it now,

especially for small, smaller people like us, you know, what we're doing.

And like what I've tried to do is really get people going away from Instagram

and trying to get them to my website.

And that's like, like a mailing list is huge and offering something outside of the app,

because then you can actually contact, connect with your audience outside of the app without an

algorithm.

So that's like a huge part.

I feel like that people could be taking advantage of, but it's hard to build that just like anything

else, you know, but like, yeah, it's weird.

I mean, that's, it is so ingrained in everything.

Like I feel like that's where everyone is going to get new work,

whether you're trying to be like an actor or a photographer or a fashion designer or a bike

builder.

It's like, that's, that's where you're going to get your work, right?

Yeah, in terms of photography, like I've gone through like mental phases where I'm like,

oh, like a dreamer phase, like, oh, it'd be so amazing to be like a paid photographer.

Right.

But that back and forth mentally, like I feel like it can kind of value or devalue the

act of doing photography.

Totally.

So I've completely, for the most part, removed the aspect of trying to do it for money and

just making it something that I do for myself as a, you know, something that I enjoy.

I'm not looking for anything on the other end.

I'm doing it purely out of like the love of it, right?

Yeah.

And it still does help out business-wise.

It helps out with the content with, you know, after we do this, I'll probably shoot some photos of

you for this podcast.

So there's an aspect that it does kind of through a couple processes maybe help me make money.

But it's not like a hand over fist, I take a photo of you, you give me a hundred bucks.

Right.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, totally.

And that's probably like a lot of trades where that changed.

You know, like before, I feel like when it was rooted in the real world,

you know, you could get a book of clients that you worked for.

You had to really establish connections, real human connections with someone that,

you know, they had to like your work and you had to be able to perform,

you know, even under pressure, like on set, right?

You know, you had to be able to make it happen.

They had to like you.

And a lot of that would be built by you being someone else's like,

you know, photography assistant, a grip or something like that,

lighting person.

Yeah.

Yeah, totally, man.

Do you know Brian Bowen Smith at all?

I don't know him personally, but I know him.

Yeah.

I mean, super nice guy.

And I mean, he just like, he came up so organically.

Yeah.

He like busted ass to get where he is today, you know, and like that's,

he's like the perfect story of how you should get into a train, you know, or a craft, you know,

and that's like, it's hard now because like, you know, the fucked up thing is,

is that if I fucking bought a camera and started saying I was a photographer,

I could probably get work just because of my following.

And that is so fucked because I have, I have, I'm not a photographer, right?

And that's like the world that this is, that we're living in now, you know,

like it's just, the incentives are all messed up, right?

That's a good point.

The incentives are messed up.

You know, like there's things that I've done that I guess in some categories,

I could be classified as a photographer, but I don't like,

I've always said that like artists, photographer for this conversation,

biker, those are kind of like things I think are bestowed upon you.

Right.

You know what I mean?

Like that's how other people can describe me.

That's not the way I want to describe myself.

For sure, man.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Because it feels weird.

Hey, what do you do for a living?

Right.

Man, I'm an artist.

Yeah.

What the fuck does that mean?

Yeah.

Yep.

I airbrush.

Oh, you mean like t-shirts?

Yeah.

No, man.

I do, I pinstripe.

Oh, you mean like on the side of Lexus and shit?

Like it just, it feels, I don't know, it just, I don't know.

I like to say painter.

Yeah, painter's good.

That's a good click answer that doesn't really entice too many questions.

In all this stuff, you know, your, these, these aspects,

where did this like notion to travel on a chopper come from?

It's been from when I got into bikes.

That was always like a mountain.

Always.

That was the reason that was what, what you're supposed to do with these.

That was how I saw it in the beginning.

And that's always what attracted me to it.

You know, like in, in that era of when I got into it, you know,

and I'm not, I'm not like an OG.

Like I'm not part of fucking like Mac shafts.

You know, like I'm not the, the originator.

I was looking at that to get into it.

I'm like, you know, the second cohort or whatever, I guess you could call it, you know,

so like when I saw it, it was kids in LA and they had shit bikes,

old Harleys that they were figuring out and they didn't, they weren't super skilled,

you know, and they were just riding all the time and having fun.

And that was what it was about.

So when I saw that, that's all, that was like how you were supposed to do it.

That's what, how I related to it.

And that's what I wanted to do.

So like, you know, the first guys that I started riding with,

they were just, they were camping every weekend.

They were riding during the week together.

It was all about being on the road and they were all in their early 30s

and they felt ancient to me and like the coolest guys ever.

I was like, I was so happy to be hanging out with them, you know,

they'd make me a coffee for them every morning that I got the beer.

Like it was a total, like almost like a funny, like prospecting thing.

You know, they were like, is this kid cool enough to hang?

You know, you know, so that's how I saw it.

And, you know, they'd always be like, you know, are you riding enough?

Are you riding enough?

You know, they were like big into that whole part of it.

You know, so like that's kind of what shaped my mentality.

So like, I've always loved doing trips.

That's always kind of what has been inspiring to me.

And, you know, some of my most favorite special trips are like ones

before I even did the whole social media thing,

like where I just went with like me and my wife.

You know, those were those are special and like those are kind of my favorite,

favorite ones, you know, but like, you know, you're a guy who's ridden a ton.

And I asked you what about what you thought a biker was because I,

I feel like you are like the definition of a biker.

Like really, like from my perspective, I always,

when I first saw what you were doing, I was like, this guy's a fucking biker.

I appreciate that.

Yeah. And, you know, so like doing a big trip,

like especially one where you go across the country, that's like a huge,

you know, I feel like it's a rung on the ladder that you want that I wanted to achieve.

You know, it just so happens that I wanted to do it.

And I love every second of that journey, you know, like if so,

it was, it was fun to even just do it.

But, you know, it, it was definitely always the goal like was to do something like that.

Yeah. And I think the romanticism of traveling on a motorcycle

is something that I've fallen in love with.

Like we were talking after we had some barbecue earlier.

It's like that's the only mistress that's ever come close to pulling me away from my life.

Right.

Is the love of being on the road.

Right.

You know, and there's an aspect of it that isn't intoxicating.

Like it was funny because last weekend, two days ago,

I went and rode a little bit west of Dallas to go eat at this little spot.

And these roads I was on are the roads that I would sometimes leave to go west on.

Oh man.

You got the feeling there?

It like a vibe of feeling, it just comes over you.

And it's like, it was a good feeling.

It was a very warm and very, you know, sat like it was awesome.

But it was like, man, like there, there isn't a intoxication to it.

Once you, once you do it and you actually love it,

because there's a lot of people that hate every moment of it.

They just want to get to the destination.

Yep.

They, they don't romanticize the hardships that come along with it.

Right.

Which you don't do that in the moment.

Right.

I mean, not always, maybe later on after you've solved the problem.

We do.

Yeah.

But it's one of those situations that like it's literally one of the most,

if I, if, if I could never do anything custom on a motorcycle,

that's the one thing I don't think I could give up in life.

It's some form.

It don't have to be seven weeks.

It don't have to be a week.

Right.

But just the, I'm going to leave Friday night and I'll be home Sunday night.

Yeah.

Totally.

I don't know where I'm going.

I'm going to go as far as I can go before I have to turn around.

Yep.

And that, that's the most intoxicating thing for me in motorcycles.

What's your favorite place you've ever ridden, like in the country?

Like what's your favorite zone?

That's the hardest.

Yeah.

I want to hear your answer.

People, people ask that all the time.

And, and I mean, it's really, I get, you catch more flies with honey.

Yeah.

California's honey.

Okay.

Right.

So I get a lot of things in California and whether it's when I'm in the Bay Area,

like on the coastline, going up to Bodega Bay and riding down to Monterey,

like there's things that happened that I feel that taking me back to different parts of my life

that I love.

Yes.

Yeah.

There's parts going up towards Crescent City that take me back to spots riding around

Venice Beach and LA, you know.

Here, this road right here, we're on River Road is one of my favorite things.

And I think it's more attached to the giddy up feelings and experience that I had a long time ago.

Right.

But man, the problem is it's like, I can't just say it's California, it's Sturgis,

or it's this.

It's like, I've had amazing moments in so many spots that it's almost like I'd be doing,

I'd be just, I don't know.

They're like children.

You love them all for their own little quirks.

Yeah.

No, that's, I think that's a very fair answer to that question, you know.

But like, doing a ride like that where you're experiencing so many things,

it really forces you to love all these different little areas and sub areas and different things,

you know, like, because it's refreshing after you get out of the mountains in Denver,

that you've just ridden through the mountains of the past two days and you're sick of your

bike fucking running rich and you're, and you know, and like being in the elevation,

man, once you get into the flats of Kansas, that shit can actually feel good.

I love riding through Kansas.

Dude, yeah, man.

Yeah.

You know, and people shit on it all the time about like, man, you got to have the right

perspective.

That's right.

I think photography also is one of those things that helped me love a lot of different

aspects of it because, and I was explaining this to my buddy who's in Palm Springs right now,

and he was in Joshua Tree for a couple of days and it was raining.

He's like, all this sucks.

I was like, no, think about it.

Dude.

You're seeing something like the desert, like Palm, like, you know, Joshua Tree in a condition

that not everybody does.

It's rare.

It's a unique opportunity.

And I only learned this because I remember the first time I rode a Lolo Pass that it rained

the entire time.

Right.

And then when I rode it the second time, when it was dry and perfect, I liked the rain version

better.

Amazing, dude.

Isn't that amazing?

But it's like, it's the perspective like, because sometimes it's the, the little, like,

if your tunnel vision's on a road like that, then you're only thinking about, oh man, the turns.

Right.

But no, I'm riding, it's, it's raining enough to where I'm wet.

Yep.

But that river I'm riding next to is fucking raging.

Right.

And you could still focus on it a little bit and enjoy it, right?

Oh my God, dude.

Like, it's just, it's something that I could not recreate.

The second time I rode it, the river's all the way down at the bottom.

You could have walked across them.

Right.

And it was beautiful skies, but it just wasn't, it didn't have that same effect on you.

Maybe riding in the rain heightened every one of my senses.

Right.

To tackle into that moment more.

And then at the end of the road, you know, we're in this town, starts with a K, we're going back,

we're going west from Missoula.

Yep.

And we all stop and some of the buddies that didn't have rain suits are all naked in the

fucking wash jeeried, drying, like drying their clothes.

Yeah.

And that hang could never recreate that.

Yep.

Because you would not, you would not, for any reason in the world other than you just rode in the

rain, stop there and kick it for an hour and a half so someone can dry their clothes.

Yep.

And then get wet again as soon as we get back.

Totally, man.

Yeah.

No, I think, I think riding long distance, it's, it's totally like a drug dude.

I mean, I'll feel the high, I will feel the high for weeks after doing a trip, man.

I'll feel so good.

Like when I get on my bike, on an open road, like on a trip, I mean, even just during the

week when I'm riding, it's like, I get on and my brain just starts sending me positive

messages.

I just feel better about my life in general, you know, and that's

we were talking about earlier.

It's like, you're grateful.

Right.

I say this every, every year I get to go to Sturgis.

I look at that as a blessing.

Like, oh my God, dude, like there, I grew up around men who dreamed of going to Sturgis

and I've been every year for 10 years.

Amazing.

You know what I mean?

Yep.

So those kind of things that try to be mindful and aware of all the time.

Yep.

Um, in regards to like, you know, you, you and, uh, is it Axl or Alex?

It's Axl.

All right.

So Axl that, that trip and that video was epic.

Right.

Yeah.

Before we talk about the trip, I want to ask you to like bike print.

Okay.

And I need this for myself right now.

Okay.

Hit me.

How did you gear that thing?

Is it four speed ratchet top, right?

Four speed ratchet top, 25 tooth trans and then the stock drum is 51.

So I think you're trying to get close as close to 50 or you're close to half, right?

You're trying to divide it by two and get close to, that's how you're, that's the best sweet spot.

That works for me.

My bike, um, that's the same bike.

Actually, I did it the year before on.

I did, uh, all the way to Charleston, South Carolina.

Did you make a video about it?

Dude, that, that one will live in my memory.

That's that.

Did it happen?

So that's the funny thing that's, and this is something that I love.

It's like when I did cross country the first time, I went with a guy who's totally offline.

He doesn't give a shit, dude.

He's not even on Instagram right now.

Like he just, he's not interested in it.

And so we did it and it's like, it was such a, it was a different, the same experience,

but different.

Like, you know, we were just not really thinking about documenting it, you know, which is like,

a lot of the, a lot of my friends are like that, you know, that's, and I, I respect that.

You know, I'm the, I'm the loud ham that likes to be in front of the camera in my friend group,

you know, um, so it was really cool to go, to have that experience with Jake.

And it's like, we're, we vibe so good.

We're really good friends and, um, we did the trip and it's like, it'll live in our memory pretty much.

That's it.

You know, and then going with Axel, who's like totally into like, he comes from a skateboard

background.

He's like always been into filming things in a certain really artistic way.

And, um, you know, when I left for that trip, I didn't know we were going to do that.

I was like, you know, he's filming the first days, like filming a lot.

And, uh, and I was like, oh, you know, this, we're going to document this trip.

Like I need to step up and film this trip with Axel because I don't want the whole thing to be one-sided.

You know, so like that was a really fun challenge for me to try and film the trip from my perspective.

And get all those angles of him and like, you know, I'd go up to him at a gas station and ask him

like a question and film him answering and stuff, you know, and like a lot of my friends told me

that was their favorite part of Union Yang is like the in-between gas stops where we're just talking

about what's happening, you know?

Yeah. I remember when I first, I sat down, this is, this is the thing that I, I encourage people on

here is like when you have like, that's almost a two hour long dude, almost two hours long.

So man, go home, put it on the TV and sit down, crack open some beers and just watch it.

Right. This isn't, this isn't a sit on the shitter and catch 15 minutes of it thing.

Right. Right.

And that's what I did. I watched it when it came out and it was like, do this is sick.

And I don't know if I messaged you or if I thought I was going to say, it's like, I could tell that

by the end of it, y'all are both comfortable on camera versus at the beginning,

because you were just meeting each other too.

We basically were meeting each other.

I had met him twice before, you know? And like, I'm very intuitive when I meet people,

you know? And I don't think this is special or anything, but like, I feel like when I meet

someone, I know if I'm going to be, if I will vibe with them. And Axl was totally that way.

I was like, he, he's very, he's sweet. He's, he has like a, he has this like aspect of self

preservation, which I think I have also, which I think kind of has to line up for with me, you

know? Like I don't, it's hard for me to, to get along like deeply with someone who's like,

totally out of control, you know? Like I need a level of self preservation. You know, I have kids

like I, I need someone that goes to bed at nine o'clock. That's my fucking speed. Like I like to

sleep, you know, a partier on that trip would have been difficult for me, you know? So, so we

matched up like that. He's, he's just super sweet. He's into, he's into clothing and like his style

and, you know, his whole thing. And, and we had such a good time getting to know each other on

that trip. And some of like, we had this conversation sitting at a gas station in Montana and we

didn't have our phone. We didn't record any of it, but like it was, it was such a good, like

deep conversation where we were getting to know each other. We had like both drank a couple

tall cans and like stopped in the middle of the day. What's your favorite color? Yeah, shit like

that. Like, you know, it was like one of those times when you shouldn't have stopped. Like we

had like 500 miles to ride that day and we stopped for like an hour and a half just fucking off,

you know? Yeah. But yeah, like by the end of the trip, we were like kind of fucking with each other

and like we were a little loosened up and felt more comfortable. But it's a, I thought it was a

good depiction of it. And I mean, and don't take this as, as like a, like, I don't mean any disrespect

in this, but it's like the primitiveness of it. Oh yeah. Of the videoing, the way it was done. Yeah.

It almost like beckons, like anybody out there like, look, you don't have to have this camera

right here, these GoPros and all this shit. Like just capture it with your, your phone and,

and lean into it basically. That's all you have to do. And I have talked to Axl about this

after the trip. Cause like I, we didn't know it's a two hour long YouTube video. Like it's

going to be hard for people to watch. You know, we didn't think that it would do as good as it did.

You know, the video I'm trying to make a ride in my shovel across the country is, is inspired by that.

Awesome, man. Because I want to make, so when I did my job, my FXR chopper ride, I did four videos

of that trip. Yep. I watched them. And I really, I think about it all the time and I might just do

it. I want to cut all the intros and outros out and put those together and make one video. Yep.

Because I feel like the people that watched the first one, they didn't watch all the way

to the end to the, to the last. For sure. And I want people to see that whole journey, right?

Yep. When I do this shovel head across the country, Lord willing, it goes there and back.

Oh yeah. I want to make one video. And if it's two hours, it's two hours. And I think that

I would rat, like that's a body of work. You know what I mean? It is. It is. Yeah.

And it's a body of work that I'm putting out on my terms and not algorithms terms.

Yep. And so I'm kind of okay with it. Say kind of, I'm completely content with it not doing

whatever it needs to do. Like this is kind of more of a, the same way I told Josh Kirpius

when I did the podcast with him. Yep. What you guys did 10 years ago, essentially. Right.

Inspired me in so many ways. Yep. And now I'm sitting right here interviewing you. Right.

And you inspired me in so many ways that now I'm sitting here, right? So maybe this video

will help somebody out like we were talking about earlier. Yep. Or maybe it'll keep me

remembering the cool shit that I'm capable of. I think it's good to do both. Yeah. And that's

like what video can do. You know, especially on YouTube where it's kind of, it can live forever.

You know, if you don't take it down. But I mean, Axel is the artistic. Yeah. Yeah. He's the artistic

person who put, who did that. Yeah. He, he did that whole thing. And I was happy to be along

with it. He says thank you. He says thank you to me. Like I did something and I'm like, dude,

I was happy to be a part of it. There's an aesthetic vibe to it too though. Yeah. Like,

unfortunately, I feel like if you, if you did a trip like that, but then you had three modern

baggers next to you riding, it would kind of like, hate to say, like kill the vibe. Yeah. Yeah.

You know, cause like, I don't know that it's almost like having chase cars behind you.

Yeah. Yeah. I think, I think you're right. I actually, but it's like, if there was three

baggers ripping across the country on their own thing, that would be, it'd be cool as well.

That would work. Right. It's the mix where it's like, it doesn't, they just don't, I mean,

the baggers have two more gears. Right. It's not going to work. Yeah. It's, yeah. They have to

stop for gas every 60 miles. These guys can go freaking 250. Exactly. Did you have a question

about packing? Originally, when we were, I would say that I did notice that y'all's

packouts on that, on that trip was a non-existent. Yeah, it was. It seemed like tools and spare parts.

Yeah. Yeah. What was your, what was the, what, what run me down the packing though? Like, what?

Okay. So me and Axel were talking like the months up into it and we decided like in January that

we're going to do the trip in July. And he was like, I think some, one of us said we're going

to do it with no sissy bar. And then the other one was like, fucking, I'm not doing a sissy bar

either. So that was like our thing. We're like, we're going to do this ride with very little,

like basically nothing. And so a side bag, do you have a sissy bar? You do, right? Yeah. Okay.

So that's going to be, you can put clothes and shit in there and you'll be fine. The problem is

when I travel I have to take all this camera shit. You have to take all this shit. You're

going to have to have that on your body, right? I'm thinking if, if the financial gods bless

me between now and then I'm, I might buy another camera smaller, finance another camera that's

smaller, but that, that is the workhorse right there. It does it all, you know?

A side bag helps. I had all my parts in the side bag and major tools. I had tire spoons in there.

I had a regulator rectifier. I had advanced weights because those are a bitch. If a spring

goes bad on those, those are hard to get in a small town. Points. I had a coil just in case,

you know, and then tire spoons, big crescent wrench for the axle nut and all that shit. And then

my small bag, I had all my hand tools and then I had a sleeping bag and my tubes on the back. And

that was it. I had a toothbrush in my pocket. That was, that was all I took. I smelled really

fucking bad dude. Straight danger Dan vibes. Yeah. Kind of wall danger. Yeah. Yeah. It was like that.

Yeah. The, uh, so that's the reason that like when I built the chop, like there's certain things I

did that I, you know, like spoke wheels look timeless and classic on choppers, right? They're,

they're prone for flats and shit like that. Yep. As opposed to the mags, essentially, you know,

you're not having to deal with tubes. I can put a plug in it if I need to, you know what I mean?

You'd have to true it if you hit, hit a pot hole. You know, you have to worry about that. So in a way,

like when I travel on mine, you know, you could say that you guys are more biker than me.

No, I mean, if not that we're playing that game, but I'm just saying like there, there, I, I want

to do it because it's hard and finding out how to pack and what, what else to leave behind. Right.

Becomes a fun challenge. Yeah. Um, and then forcing yourself to go on a journey like that.

And then without all the shit you feel like you need, it kind of changes your perspective of,

perspective of what you actually need at home. It does. You know, and I think all this stuff plays

into like my open-mindedness to fashion, better clothes, less clothes, more intentional with

everything you have instead of just abundance. Yeah. Totally. Yeah. And that's, that's one of the

I love about motorcycles is there's so many parallels to life as far as what you can take

from it, you know, and, and use in your, your own life. The whole book of Zen and the art of

motorcycle maintenance is literally just a parallels book, philosophy and shit. So it's like,

I don't know. I thought, I noticed I was like, fuck, like, I don't think I can do that. But

I, you know, like I said, I do have to take the camera stuff. I need to record podcasts. Right.

These little, you know, DJI things, like these make making YouTube videos a lot easier. Right.

And I mean, take this off. If it's in the pocket, it's a little bit easier to kind of hold and then

like, I feel like the phone is to like record things for myself. I think so. Yeah. But I don't

know. I thought the video was great. I think that I'm not saying there's still people all over the

place riding choppers across country. That's not going away, but I wish I saw it more. I wish it

was, I wish more people were documenting it and showing us because that shit is so fucking cool.

It is, man. And I mean, 21 days under the sky is such a good film. Like I, I watch that. I rewatch

it, you know, just because I like it. I wish they would have let the guys talk more. I wish there

would have been a little bit more like vocalization from the guys. Like, I mean, Grossman, you can

just let him talk and it's like the most amazing. It's like the most entertaining thing. He's like

so lighthearted and fun, you know, like. Josh had mentioned it either on my podcast or when he did

Todd Blueballs podcast. There was some aspect where a lot of them had met each other. Like they knew

of each other, but they met on that thing. And so it was a level of filling each other out. Right.

And then apparently Josh didn't even join them until they were already in like the salt flats.

I think I remember hearing that. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's weird because you'd never,

you'd never know the way it was edited. The way it was edited. But yeah, he says like he was riding

his bike in Milwaukee or out of Milwaukee in the wintertime to like shoot the footage of him like

leaving for the trip. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's funny, man. And like everything I've heard about

the making of that movie, it seemed like there was a lot of personal tension kind of in the group,

you know, and like that is a, that's, that's real. Like that shit does happen. Yeah. You know,

I mean, that's, it's hard to do a trip with people you don't know, you know. Well, I mean, and, you

know, Mark Kirkland, I think is his name. Like this, when he did Todd Blueballs podcast and talked

about some of the, like what he was like, he sold a photo to Apple. Or you mean Michael Schmidt?

Michael Schmidt. Sorry. Michael Schmidt. Sorry. Michael Schmidt. So when Michael Schmidt,

he sold a photo to Apple, which gave him enough money to buy all the camera equipment to make

21 days out of this guy. Or actually, is either 21 days or six over one of the two.

Wow. But it was like something to that effect. And I don't know, I thought that was always unique and

cool. And like I said, one of those things that I know as time goes on, it's going to become more

more of a cult classic of like, you know, Oh, it is. And I mean, dude, to see,

that's like kind of the one place you could see who Troy Critchlow was. You know, I mean,

that's it, dude. That's like him, you know, you can go to his blog, but like that's the movie you

get to really see him, you know, and you've seen like the old soul of the whole vibe. I feel like

he was man. And like, I, you know, I was around at that time when he was in LA and like, I remember

when I saw him at the Long Beach Swap for the first time and I was like, what the fuck this guy is

so fucking cool. Yeah, no, like he, he looks like a David Man painting, you know, just like blown away.

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It's just an era that like was existing and I was in a

different world and I, I'm, I'm thankful and glad I found all the things that I'm into when I found

them. I wouldn't really change it, but they're a boy could dream. It'd be cool to be in LA at the,

you know, in 2008 to 2014. Right. See it all that shit happen. So we're like, with other aspects

of like, where does the modeling shit come into play? Yeah. So I like, how does that, what door

or when did that door open and what did that look like? So I've kind of been doing it like for free

more or less since I was, since I was in LA, you know, like my friend who I started riding with,

John Dragonetti, he was a photographer. He still is. He's a great photographer. He was like

working for brands. He did like some loser machines shit in the early days and like he would have me

come along and be in it. Yeah. And I was like doing it just as a kid, you know. And so like the,

the, when I started putting myself out there on Instagram, I, I started getting a few more

opportunities. And like to me, modeling is just like, one, I like fashion, so it makes sense. I

love being on set. I like, I'm, I'm not afraid to say that I don't love it. Like I love being on set.

I love being in front of a camera and I love like trying to make it happen for the client. Like

and give them what they want, you know, in the moment. And you know, so like, I feel like I'm

kind of in my, in my realm when I'm doing it. And so every opportunity I get, like I look at it,

like it's easy money, you know, like I'll do it. It's fun. I'm not going to like seek it out, but

like, you know, if you watch my videos, it's, it's worked really well because I basically, the video

footage just is like a, like a reel for my modeling, basically. You know, it's like, that's

what you, that's what modeling looks like. That's, that's what it looks like when you're, when you're

on set. Yeah. Right. So it's kind of doubled as like, that's what, to, to not to cut you off,

but that's kind of the thing when you're shooting people, you don't want them to just really dig

into this one pose. Right. Exactly. You want to kind of move and, and create angles and, and like,

yep. It showed like, because the camera's going. Exactly. You know, you're shooting, you're shooting,

you're shooting. Right. And I try to, you know, I shoot my wife a lot and she kind of gets it,

and she's gotten better at moving around some and not being so fixed in one position. Right.

But giving me time to make the shot. Exactly. You know, the photographer will get the shot,

you know, that the photographer runs everything, especially now, like the sets that I've been on,

like for God's true cashmere, that company, amazing to work with. Yeah. Such a good people.

And I mean, the guy Haggub, who's the photographer, they use a lot. And he's like a creative director

on set. I mean, he's like running everything. Yeah. I didn't know the photographers did that.

You know, that's like their role really running everything. And, you know, so I just get, get

there and I try and move in the ways that I think work and he, he does everything else, man. You

know, that's how they do it, apparently. Well, I think it's, I mean, it's, I don't know, it's cool.

It's a, I never really, it's kind of like, once you know how the, the, the sausage is made,

essentially kind of thing. It's like, you pick up a camera and you think it's, oh, I want to just,

if I put a hot girl in front of this bike, it's going to be a perfect photo. And you realize

the hot girl is like stiff and doesn't know how to move or doesn't have angles. It doesn't know how

to extenuate things. And then it shows, okay, well, you have to be a good director. You have to be

able to talk to them in a way to get them to loosen up and to start to move and find ways to

encourage them in the moments because it is a very, maybe intimate, but not sexually. It's

intimate and very. It is. You know what I mean? It is. And a good photographer can make you feel

comfortable. Yeah. You know, that's like when, you know, I connected with Haggubalot. He's a really

good guy and like we were, we were friends immediately when we got on set. And that made me

feel really comfortable taking direction from him and working with him. You know, and I feel like

Ben Christiansen's also like that. You know, I mean, he's one of those guys that like,

you want the photographer to direct. You really do because someone has to be in control and taking

charge of the situation. I think that's how you get the best work. It's like a band where everyone's

trying to write the song. Like, no, you let the one guy write it and then everyone can put in

their little two cents, but like, that's how you get the best result. You know, so Ben's another

guy who I like totally respect. I love working with him and he's just, he's one of those. He's

not just a photographer. He's a, he's a creative director. Right. No, that makes sense. Well,

I just thought it was interesting because like those shoots you've done, it's, I guess it's just

like, you don't, you're kind of breaking a mold that I think a lot of us are used to seeing in

this space. Right. That I'm here for it. I think it's cool as hell, but I just think it's one of

those things that like, man, I never, I didn't know that was another path that people could take

or, or maybe people that were handsome, whatever you want to call it, like can go beat in those

spaces as well. Cause I mean, I know some other dudes that are more or less on the modeling

shit, but they do it in more of a punk rock way. So it doesn't feel like it's as serious. Right.

Right. You know? And like the stuff you did with that, is it God's cashmere?

God's true cashmere. Like that one was like prestigious shit, dude. I know. I know, man.

I mean, all I could think of is like turtlenecks and choppers, dude. That's where we got it.

That's where we got a turtleneck and chopper fucking trip. Yeah. Just, ah, let me see. Just get

it dirty in hell. Dirty as hell. Because it's different, man. And that's like my goal, my dream

is to do like a Gucci campaign. Like it really is. I'm not kidding. Like I would love if they

came to me and were like, let's do something that's like this, that's your world. I would be like,

oh my God, this is exactly what I want to do. You know, like that's what I want to do.

You know, I'm trying to do, I want God's true cashmere to do another shoot with a bike.

Really bad. You know, I thought they were going to do it for the Harley collaboration.

And they didn't end up doing it, but I thought it would be so much fun to put that world in

a different context. You know, that's what I love doing is like changing the context and showing

things to different different groups. Right. You know, I feel like that's where that's where the

magic happens. You know, I like, I really love like confusion. I love a little bit of friction.

I think that's like how you grow and create new things. Yeah. No, it definitely doesn't totally

make sense. They got my notes over here. Oh, nice. Trying to keep up with everything I've

wanted to make sure we get totally for the camera goes dead or overheats. But we're, we're both,

uh, we're both partners for Harley Davidson this year. Yeah. We're the class of 2026.

What does, what does that mean to you in a very vague, very overarching, complete

question? You know what I mean? Like, yeah. When they approached you, like, what was your

initial feeling of that? I almost cried. I really did. I was so happy because Harley Davidson,

to me, has been a company that has had as much effect on my life as like fucking Apple or Microsoft.

Yeah. Like it's, it really has in my development and who I am today. It's all because of Harley

Davidson. Whether it wasn't, you know, even if it wasn't new bikes that got me interested in it,

this company has put me on the path and made me who I am today and introduced me to so many

amazing experiences. And it's like, I was so happy to be able to represent them in my way through

me, right? You know? So like, I was extremely happy. They didn't, they said, uh, oh shit.

Like a treat just fell. Yeah. They didn't think I would do it. Yeah. You know, when they called me

and I was like, oh my God, fuck yes, I'll do it. Like I would, I would love to ride a new bike and

see what it's all about. You know? So, so overwhelming happiness because of the impact that

Harley has had on me and my development and who I am. I was very, very grateful and very excited.

What about you? Uh, I don't, I'm kind of embarrassed to say, but it felt validating.

Uh-huh. Yeah. Like it felt like, it felt like, man, like I've, not that I've done

in busting my ass for these last 20 plus years, I've been in, in making motorcycles my career,

my living, right? But it felt like, fuck man, like, like it did, it felt validating. It felt like

justifying all that time and effort. It wasn't for nothing. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, there's, there's

being on these, these, uh, kind of like these paths in the, you know, making a living in motorcycles

is, is not, I'm not going to say it's easy. I'm not going to say it's not easy. It's, it's literally

subjective in that way, but it is up and down and it's very volatile. Not the people. It's just

the market is volatile. Yeah, totally. You know, one day, you know, you're the,

you're the baddest painter there is. And the next day, you know, no one likes real fire anymore.

Right. You know, and you have to reinvent yourself. And so there's a way that it's,

it's good in that way. Or, you know, maybe you became big in one section or coal or side of the

motorcycle world. And now you're, you're, your heart is in this one over here. And now how do you go

and transition and not, you know, like, there's a lot of over thinking that I do.

Totally. But I think validating was like one of those, but it feels very arrogant to say

is validating, but it, to your point, I think it also felt good to represent.

I think mine's mainly validation and I hate to like land on that only.

Well, I got that too. I mean, I will put that aside. I mean, I think that's a real thing because,

you know, you dedicate your life to something and you're so into something for so long. And it's

like, you know, maybe it is pure for a very, a very long period of time, you know, you're not

getting much from it, you know, because you love it so much, but you're losing a lot, you know, and

it's essentially like opportunity costs, you know, what could we have been if we would have

done something else, right? Something a little bit more safe, you know, but like

you, you know, so you put in all this work and you do things that you want to do and you're

kind of killing yourself for it. And then, you know, when basically the people that started

this whole thing say, hey, we want to give you a bike, that feels like it wasn't for nothing,

you know, and I understand that totally. Yeah, there's that. And, you know, there's a

deep appreciation. It does feel good. It feels, again, validating. It feels very

optimistic. It reignited a lot of optimism too. Yeah. Like, okay, well, now this thing comes

into the mix and how does it change the trajectory of whatever path that was on?

Right. What were you trying to do and how do you have to readjust now to incorporate it?

Whether it's me readjusting or just naturally, how are things going to be different?

Right. And, you know, I'm always someone that's trying to look ahead, which is the

trade I'm trying to work on. Right. But, you know, just, okay, what does it look like now that I'm

a part of this, you know, or how do I do a good job? Right. You know, I think I mentioned to

you earlier, like, at first it was validating and then I went through a phase. I think I still am

kind of on the tail end of this phase of feeling very, what's the word I used earlier?

Imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome. Yeah. Because, you know, you look at it and then,

of course, I'm also maybe comparing myself to the Adam Sandoval's and all these

more, way more on the lines of influencer or content creators, YouTubers, that have kind of

gone through these waves a lot more or the builders that I've admired for years, they got the

opportunities to do stuff. So it's like, once you're kind of finally in that, it's kind of like

validating because like, oh yeah, I deserved it. But then, oh shit, am I as good as these guys?

Do I deserve this? Right. Why do you deserve it? Exactly. So it's been a, it's a whirlwind of emotions.

Yeah. You know? Yeah. No, totally, man. Not bad. But I think it's got potential for so much growth.

Uh-huh. You know what I mean? Yeah. No, totally. You know, Dan was talking to me about how like,

he thought I would start burning the new bike crowd, like, or like doing videos in that realm.

Yeah. And, you know, to me, I kind of feel like that is almost the, it's the easy, the easy way.

Like I, I always want a zig when everyone else is thinking I'm at a zag, right? Like, I think that

would be too easy. I think that would be, you know, almost the expected thing, like to start

doing the same thing. Yeah. Just change the, uh, change the, uh, the, the home it's landing in.

Exactly. You know, like I think the real challenge is like, how, how do I show what this machine

can be for a guy like me in my life? Like how, what can I do with it that is going to have an

impact on me? And like, you know, a lot of people are focused on, a lot of people are focused on like

the what or the, or the how, you know, they like seeing how something's built or like, what's the

part, you know, like that's kind of what they focus on. Like the question I'm always asking is,

what does it mean? Yeah, the why, the why, that's, that's what my whole thing is, is, you know,

what does this mean? How do I, how does it, how do I interpret this in my life and like,

what can I get from it? And in like a self fulfilling like internal, you know, you know,

so that's like, that's always what has interested me. And that's the direction that I am going to

continue to go, I think with this, this opportunity, you know. Yeah, I think that it came at a time

where my path of motorcycles was kind of in a much different place, right? Yeah. Yeah. You know,

my, my heart is really into choppers right now, both building them and seeing how far I can push

them traveling and stuff like that. But again, your point of why, you know, you know, asking

myself why it's like, okay, well, now I got to figure out how to fit this bike into my world.

Not, not figure out like, like, uh, like I don't want it or I don't need it. But like,

to figure out how to show the world or show people, because like I said, now I'm putting on this

influencer brain, right, you know, I didn't paint a bike for Harley and they gave me a bike. Like

the job here is to, is to promote the bike and to promote the brand, which I've always done,

you know, to be fair. But now I got to figure out how to show, okay, well,

I do love this chopper and this is why what I'm pulled to for here. But this is also where this

fits into my, my garage now and how it solves a problem for me today on it right now. Like,

it was fucking 35 degrees when I left my house. Right. You got to get to freaking San Antonio.

Yeah. And I, you know, like I just the, doing 100 miles an hour down the, down the tollway,

you know, made it a lot simpler that that chopper's not, I'd still be on my way if I was on the

chopper. Oh dude, you would man. Yeah, that's to get from Dallas to here's could be all day on

the chopper. So there's an aspect of it. And then there's also the aspect of like, I haven't had a

bike that my wife can enjoy with me in years. And I'm hoping that she takes a liking to this

and that we can open up to some cool things together on this bike, which I hope to show through,

you know, the YouTube and things like that. So I think the why is also like, if I had to think

about it is also like the direction I'm trying to take on this. I'm going to customize it. I'm

going to make it my own and whatnot. But I think that I don't think I'm going to reinvent the

wheel and that at all. I'm going to do something new that the color that we were talking about

that I'm interested in. Yep. And then just ride the piss out of it and enjoy it. Totally man.

You know, maybe just enjoy the wind. Yeah. You know, well, that's what I've noticed riding mine

is it takes takes away a lot of the things that prevent you from enjoying the ride.

You know, like, that I'm used to, right? A lot of times I'm so honed in on listening to my bike

and, you know, thinking about, oh, well, shit, did I lock tie that? Like, is something going to go

wrong? I haven't placed that in a long time. Like, and it's, it's hard. It's a different experience

where now it's like I get on and I've been riding, I've been riding in so many weird, small little

circumstances that I wouldn't have written before because it's like I needed, if I go out on my

chopper, I got to clear all day. I can't pick up my kids because if I break down, I can't pick up

my kids, you know, so this I can get out when I want to in the short little periods and it's like,

it's very useful in that way. Yeah. You know, I remember a couple of weeks ago, I was going to

go to bike night and I was going to ride the chopper and I went out and kicked on it and this,

I got the kicking down. I'm pretty good at it. I saw you did. But every once in a while, it just

reminds me of who's boss and I started kicking it and then I started getting tired and I was kind

of layered up because it was a chilly night and I was like, fuck this. And I pushed it back in,

pulled the roguelite out, hit the button. It was warming up while I was getting the rest of my

shit and I was out of the house. Oh dude, done. Yep. So I was, I had a similar experience because

we ride every week together, guys in our area and at the end of the night, it's like fucking 1am,

it's freezing cold. It's like 35 degrees and everyone's kicking their bikes. I'm just sitting,

standing there smoking a cigarette. And I had that realization at real time. I was like,

man, this is kind of nice right now. Like I'm going to get on and be warm with this

ferrying. I got my music freaking blaring like, you know, just hanging out while these guys are

all like trying to start their bikes. I think it's, I mean, also like you picked up an FXR

while you're down here in Texas and that's a whole nother experience on motorcycles. I think that

like the real conversation to be had is how each one of these machines provided different

experience of riding motorcycles. Totally. All within the brand. Yep. Different eras from the

Shovelhead cone to the Evo. Yep. And now the M8, you know, second gen motor. Absolutely, man.

And I'm like a huge believer that like everything is going to become cool eventually. Yeah. That's

the thing that like, I feel like people don't step back enough to realize that, you know, like

everyone hates on everything new in the chopper world anyway. You know, like that's very common,

like, oh, you know, something that's not, that's older or the newer than Evo is not cool. You know,

but it's like, man, if you just 20 years, you know, people will start doing it, you know, it'll,

it'll be cool eventually, you know. It's funny to say that because I've been, I've never cared for

them and I've seen a couple dudes, whether it's just they have the swag or they just have the

aesthetic that works on like 010203 baggers that are just kind of crusty. Yeah. Just enough crusty

to look old, but you know, it's still twin cam. It still has five speed. It starts easy. Yep. And

I'm like, that's kind of fucking cool, man. Those are some of my favorite people, most interesting

people, I think is like, you know, I've met, I mean, we were like riding through Maggie Valley

one time on the way to wheels through time, you know, that place. And we stopped at a gas station

drinking a beer. I was with my wife and my other buddy and this dude comes up on like a whatever

it was. It was like a 95 soft tail, just totally fricking biker decked out, had patches from

every run he's ever been on. Like he came up and talked to us. I'm like, had his old lady. I was

like, this is like a biker. Like this guy fucking rides his bike. He's had that bike since he probably

bought it new, you know, like that, that is cool. You know, to me, I love that fucking story, you

know, that's a good point. I think that perhaps like, I think motorcycling, maybe, and obviously

neither one of us were there, but maybe back in the nineties, early 2000s, you weren't buying a bike

and getting into a subculture of that bike, which now like you get a bagger, you throw bars on it,

now you're in a subculture performance bag. And that's all it takes. You get a soft tail,

you put some super tall apes on it and some fish tails, you're now on a vehicle. Right. So it's

like, you get the chopper, you buy the right clothes and you're in that niche, you know.

But again, it's like you were saying, like there are aspects of like, well, you know,

the chop, like I'm the same way and it would be easy to kind of clown on it. Being like, oh,

you got to put your chopper outfit on. I'm like, well, yeah, because I'm kind of mid controls,

I'm tight. Yeah. Right. Oh dude. So I need to wear like, I can't layer the same way I'm layered

right now. Totally. So I need to wear a little bit thicker pants. Yep. I really want to wear boots

on it. But because the angle, I have no dexterity in my feet. So I'm finding myself like looking for

a type of boot or a shoe that can be something I can travel on, right? That I'm not going to be

concerned with getting all a pair of bands will work, but though they're going to get fucked up

really bad. Oh yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. The boots feel more calm. I don't know. You're not

a boot guy. I'm not. I've never been a boot guy. Yeah. These these I'm wearing. I'm still breaking

them in. Right. I noticed are they thorough good? Yeah. Yeah. So those are really nice. And the wedge

so is like, I feel like that's entry level into being a boot guy, the wedge sole, because it's

still pretty comfortable, you know. Yeah. I wear the most serious boots ever. Yeah. I wear 17 inch

chippewa steel toe. Like they go all the way up my calf. But I love the fucking protection. I love

the wind protection and all my pants are really like high on my they're just always high. So it

my pants don't go underneath the boot, right? Okay. Yeah. So they stay because the boot is really

high. Yeah. You know, I I love boots. So it's weird for me to hear someone say they don't like

boots. But I think if you just find the right pair, you'll you'll get it. It's just also like

good boots are expensive. They are. So yeah, finding out what it is and what it ain't. And I

guess it's also I grew up playing sports. So movement in my ankles have always been something

that like I value. Yeah. And so when you, you know, even these just being like, I think these are

six inches tall, this is these are hot tops for me. Yeah, totally dude. And so I feel like very,

uh, you know, I don't feel like I can, you know, juke somebody. Yeah. Yeah. No, totally man. That's

why I like pull ons especially for foot clutch pull on you have no laces, nothing tight around

your ankle. So it's really comfortable. A pull on. Um, we had a foot clutch since that's that's

kind of thing is it I don't like wearing like slip on vans, even though I do occasionally wear on

that, but like normal vans high tops I dig because I can still feel it under like under my under the

sole. Right. Like the foot clutch is like, there's like something, there's a little bit of a feeling

there there. You know what I mean? Oh yeah. And I feel like too much separation with the sole kind

of like takes it away or makes me a little self conscious. Totally. Cause I've already had a

couple like two spots where like I got mixed up and what was going on. Yeah. I slipped your foot

or slipped my foot off, didn't have a break, looked for one, didn't have it. Like

didn't lay it down or anything, but like definitely a couple gnarly spots. Totally man. Yeah. It's

like, it's like playing the drums, riding a foot clutch is like playing the drums. Like you got to

be really coordinated, do a bunch of shit at once. I don't find it difficult. Right. Like I've, I've

gotten accustomed to it, I think pretty well, but occasionally I haven't been drunk on it yet

though. That's, that's another one, but occasionally just zoning out, not paying attention. Yeah. You

know, that's whenever I got a, right. That's, that's when it lets me, it reminds me, Hey dude,

you can't do that. Right. Totally man. Eyes right here. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. So

I want to say one more thing that I like have it. Well, I don't think I've ever said this before,

but so all the photos about new bikes, going back to the new bikes, all the photos that we all

fucking jerk off to all the old 60s photos, all these dudes are riding bikes within 10 years old.

I mean, like they were riding new bikes. Like they were clubbed. You know what I mean? Like,

so it just feels so weird. Like, you know, I think about if like back in the 1969, you know,

if like Terry the tramp rode up to a group of guys and they were like, Oh, you're not riding a 1901

single cylinder. Yeah. You're fucking gay. Yeah. Think about how weird of a situation that would

seem like. Yeah. That's kind of like how life is right now for us. Right. It's very weird, man.

Like I, and that's like a perspective that I've kind of like acknowledged recently with the new

bike. You know, it's like, um, you know, it really makes for me, my chopper feel like, uh,

like cosplay. I mean, it feel, I've kind of had that, I've acknowledged that weird thing like

in me, you know, like, you know, I love like that whole 60s movement, like that everyone is really

into, right? You know, like that's like what we were all looking at and stuff. And it's like,

you know, these guys were on new bikes, basically, you know, they were, they were fucking them up.

They were like finding frames and, you know, doing that. But it's like, it was all fairly like

modern, modern shit, you know, no, that completely checks out and makes sense. I mean,

but I, how much society changed from like the 40s to the 70s, which if you,

it hits your book, it's significant, but compared to that to now insane. We're talking computers, AI,

internet, fucking fuel injection, right? So many things like 1930s knucklehead, 36 knucklehead

to a 1969, you know, pan shovel. When did they come out with cone? What was that?

Cone was 70 70. All right. So 69 is last year. Yeah. That's a very similar motor.

For sure. Yeah. You know what I mean? So it's not like you were on, you might have been on,

like, you know, the panhead came out and now you're on the shovel head, right? Right. Right. So,

but it's like still kind of the same thing. Totally. Yeah. And then you go from there to here

and modernization, you know, it's just keeping up with the times. You know what I mean?

Totally. Yeah. I get it. It checks out like what you're saying, but it also like

50 years back from there versus 50 years forward from there. It's like leaps and bounds.

It's leaps and bounds. Yeah. For sure. I agree with that. Yeah. Yeah. I think also like,

you know, probably the guys back then, and you know, I don't know because I wasn't there,

but like they probably wanted the new, like, like putting shovel heads on a panhead was a great mod

and a lot of guys did it because it was like new, a new modification with new factory good

shit, right? That it would probably leak less and stuff. So it's undeniable though that like design

itself, there was something more in it back then, you know? Right. I'm a huge, I'm not an expert in

knowing it, but I'm very keen and I love mid-century modern stuff. Uh-huh. And I, even as when I was

in architecture in high school, I never really picked up on it. I was more into like the Frank

Lloyd Wright era, which is kind of early mid-century. It's more, you know, ranch style stuff. Yeah.

To Art Deco shit. It was of the, you know, 20s, 30s and 40s. Yeah. But like mid-century, it's like

there's so much philosophy behind design that I fell in love with. And then the era of mid-century

is like, you know, the conversation pits, the Playboy era, you know, a lot of the things that I

love, magazines, culture, it all came out of this era, you know? And I'm drawn to it. Like my wife

and I want, when we do buy a house, like we really want to find something that has a mid-century

vibe to it. Yeah. And maybe we can't afford like a legit, you know, uh, Silver Lake area,

you know, mid-century shit, but like we can probably find something that kind of, you know,

in one of these towns that, that fits our vibe, but I'm drawn to the design of those things and

the aesthetic of it. Totally. Um, even to this day, like most of our furniture in the house,

we've kind of went and found either authentic mid-century old shit or something that looks

like it that's made new. Yeah. But it's just that design style. Totally. And that stuff, like

it's crazy because mid-century is so expensive now, right? Like every, even every piece of

furniture, like you go and look like you try and buy a credenza and someone wants $15 bucks for it,

you know, like it's crazy. Um, but that, like that design is fucking timeless. Yeah. I mean,

it is something that like, you know, you buy it once and you're gonna, you're gonna have it forever.

I never, and I said this on the podcast, I'm sorry. I've never cared about Porsches ever

until I watched a video talking about the design philosophy behind Porsche. And now I'm

fucking turned on every time I see one. Yeah. Yeah. Nice. Because of, it's kind of like

Harley Davidson, the FL style fender that used to come on, they don't really come on them now,

but that was like the standard touring fender that came on all the bikes. Yeah.

That fender had came on these bikes since the, since the knucklehead, right? That look,

that style was timeless. Yep. That feeling of creating a design, something that stands the

test of decades, almost a century. Right. To me, like that's, that's badass. It is badass,

you know, for sure. But then you have to think like, think about what kids are into right now.

And I see this in vintage because there's a lot of young kids getting into vintage, like they

90s. No, getting in the 90s. Newer, newer. Dude, oh fuck. Dude, it's weird, man. So it's like,

these kids are like into 2003 Ralph Lauren and shit. Like, you know, like stuff that

when we, when we go picking now, like Laurel and I, we know we're looking for like a totally

different thing than all these new kids are looking for. Yeah. It's really cool to see that.

So what I'm, what I'm trying to like wrap this around it is like, dude, stuff that we

think is like valueless and not timeless could be timeless. It's our perspective right now,

you know, right? Like that's, like to us, it's like, oh, the 60s, 70s, like this is where it's at.

And to someone who's 23 right now, like they're like, oh dude, 2001, like that's the cool shit.

You know, like you're gay, you're old, you're an old dude. You know, it's just a weird thing. Like,

you know, we may have, my kids might be looking for like. Stuff that's cool now.

2015 homestyle design, like country, whatever they call it, like chip and joy, rustic, chip

and joy and a game shit. Like that might be what's really cool and desirable and timeless.

You know, it's just so weird how things move. Yeah. Yeah. You know, cut rate that said that

last podcast we did together, he said that something that like vintage is sometimes something

that's kind of close to like what you're used to seeing in your life, right? That you're attracted

to it, but it's something from an era that you might have been around or shortly at before you.

Yep. You know, because I would, I think I was talking to him about how my grandmother forever

was into antiquing. And the antique stuff was more of that farmhouse stuff, like from her era,

it was like the coming off of the planes and into the city kind of thing where you have,

you know, the 1800, late 1800s to like the forties style, you know, rustic stuff, essentially.

Totally. Yeah. And, but they grew up in the era of all the shit that I want, which is mid-century.

Yeah. You know what I mean? Yep. Isn't that weird? Yeah. No, like, you know, I grew up in a house

that was built in the 1800s and it's insane. It's like a very old house. Yeah. It was under

construction my whole life. It's still under construction. You know, my dad is just, he does

everything himself. And, you know, I grew up with my parents like going to stores and sourcing vintage

stuff and like, you know, furniture and everything like that. Like it was all about old original

shit. Yeah. You know, so like I was doing that when I was a kid and now the house that I live in,

it's like so similar to my parents' house. It's just, it's bizarre. I like feel like my dad,

you know, and I didn't plan that at all. You know, it's like a 1935 craftsman home, you know,

like terrorist and everything. Yeah. But so I think, I think what Oliver was saying is pretty

true, man. Like, you know, whatever you grew up around, like you'll kind of find your way back

to that. I'm really into 80s shit right now. And I fucking hated the 80s growing up. Like in the 90s,

I felt like cars changed from the 80s to the 90s. Like they went from very boxy in the 80s.

Right. It's very round in the 90s. Totally. And I hated 80s looking shit. And now there's not a

thing in the 90s other than like maybe an Impala that I would fuck with. Right. You know, everything,

like I'm like into 80s fucking, well, I like 90s like BMWs and German shit right now in the 90s

is sick. I'm into that. Yep. This shit's addicting. And it's, I don't have enough money for all these

hobbies. Yeah. You know, because I really, I got the van. I love it. I, my wife and I enjoy it,

but I really wanted like a, an old Porsche, not an expensive one, like a 944 or something kind of

cheap. Yep. But also there's some friends of mine once they flew up to Seattle and bought like an

old BMW or a Benz and drove it back to Texas to all photographers and they just like had this road

trip journey. Oh my God. That's amazing. On a car. They didn't know if it was going to make it, but

they were going to figure it out. Have you seen the photos and stuff? I haven't. He came on the

podcast and talked about it, but I haven't seen like a results of it, but the romanticization

or however you would say that made me want to do something like that. It's basically what we do on

bikes. Yeah. That's pretty amazing. I mean, I never got to experience like traveling,

like with friends that, you know what I mean? Like cause I got in a relationship quite soon

after I got high school. Right. So there was not a, there was no roommates with guys. Right. There

was no band that I traveled with. Yeah. There was no like, Hey, we're all going to jump in the car

and go see this concert down, you know, 102 or 300 miles away. Like, I didn't really get to experience

that growing up. Yeah. Or even in my young twenties. That's why you traveled so much

on a bike in your 30s, I think. Yeah. I mean, 100%. Also, I had kids young. Right. And by the time

I hit 31, my daughter was 13. My son was, you know, young, but, you know, we weren't, we were

separated. So, you know, couldn't only got to see him on certain times anyway. So, you know,

but yeah, it, I don't know, traveling is always going to be there, but now it's just kind of

broaden to like, I want to go further. Yeah. I want to see different shit. Totally. Yeah.

Maybe it'll happen, but I like, I don't like touristy shit. Yeah. Like I, I want to go to

Europe, but I don't want to go to Europe and do the things that, that's on the brochure. Right. I

want to go hang out with some homies that ride bikes out there and go to local pubs and see the

local shit. Well, luckily now you can do that. You can pretty much organize something like that

on the internet. Yeah. And have it. And like, if someone hit me up from another country and was

like, dude, I really want to come to California. You know, I, if I trusted the guy, you know,

mildly, if I felt they were a good person, I'd probably try and help them out and make that dream

a real. Isn't that kind of what Dan's trying to do with his like danger dan tours things? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yep. He was telling me about that. Yeah. Seems, I mean, it's a good fucking deal. I think

about that too. It's like, as much as I've traveled on bikes, I could lead a really legit,

very fulfilling bike trip for somebody that wanted to do something. Yeah. You know,

if I, if they gave me their parameters and what they want to do, I can curate

something really fun. And that's something I already kind of do with people. Yeah. I'm like,

I'm going to go to California every year regardless. Right. So if you want to go,

I'll go do this shit because I want to see your reaction. Totally. You know,

I've seen the Golden Gate for the first time or, you know, whatever, you know. Oh, yeah. Yep.

It's like a, it's like an Airbnb experience almost, you know, it's like you could do the chopper

experience, you know, come, come to a trip with, with Jace, we'll break down, we're going to drink

beers at gas stations across the country, get to experience it. It's different, man. Yeah. I remember

a close friend of mine. We had, we were on big wheelbaggers. It's funny, as funny as it is. We

were riding them to San Francisco and we did. We had a lot of hardships on the way up there.

Air ride problems, breaking down. Yeah. We figured it out. We did some chopper shit,

got it all to Vegas, solved all the problems. Then we made it up there to San Francisco,

did all that. And then we were down in Monterey and there's just like hotel ride on the,

before you get into Monterey, it's like on the kind of highway still. Okay. Yeah. And

I've always booked it there because it's like you can walk right out to the beach and we just

got a six pack. Yeah. Dug our toes in the sand, drink some beer, sunset on Monterey, beautiful.

Yeah. Amazing. It's like that, for that reason right there is why I can never go sober. Right.

Because I will always try to chase that, that momentary fucking experience. Oh yeah. Dude,

I get it, man. It's like Nick Offerman said, like a stand-up routine. He said like use intoxicants

because they're very, it's a great tool. Like after a hard day, like hard work, use an intoxicant,

have a beer. It's freaking worth it, man. You should do that for yourself because it feels so good.

It's when you take out the hard work that you get depressed, right? Yeah. Yeah. That's actually

a good point. But is there anything better than like riding all day? You're fucking riding all day,

you're in it. You're like trying to make it to wherever you're going and then you stop.

Maybe it's late at night, you buy a fucking six pack, sit outside by your bike and you're just

like, today, I made today. I made it. I made it. Tomorrow we're going to wake up and it's a new

challenge and a new task. But right now I've got this and I'm going to fucking sit here and enjoy

it, man. No, 100%. I love it, man. It's like, again, it's intoxicating. I just hoped it,

I've always really hoped that when people listen to these podcasts, what they take from it is

motivation to try some shit like traveling or even for this case, consider what you're wearing.

Try not to feel so bad about, not bad, but get out of your way. If you're interested in something,

try it. You know what I'm saying? Totally. Maybe you want to make videos like you and stuff like

that. Dude, just fucking turn the camera on and riff. Totally. That's a thing that I keep coming

back to. It was like, me and my friend, Zach, we're talking about this at the bar the other

night, like a bike night. He's like, if new people don't get into this, it dies. It will die.

It takes a lot of work and people to make this whole thing alive and what it is. For us to have

all the fun that we have, of course you can keep doing it by yourself, but having the community

takes work and it takes people coming in who are stoked on it. It's like, I want to encourage

new people to get into it. Maybe if you find it on Instagram and that's your first way you see it,

and then you want to get a bike because it looks cool and you maybe like the style of it

and that's where you're starting from, that's okay. It's about where you go next and

diving deeper, but I don't want to slam the door on these kids' faces the second they do

something wrong that isn't deemed appropriate in the culture. I feel like that is going to

kill what is happening. I'm having a lot of fun and I think everyone I am around is having a lot

of fun and they love what this whole thing is. I get inspired by young people, by new people,

that's my favorite thing. If some young kid wants to come around and hang out and ride with us in

our town, we always try and invite them and give them the chance to hang out. I learn from them

dude. In our group we've got kids who are 23, we've got a guy who's in his 60s, we've got everything

in between and it's like everyone's just talking like they're the same age and everyone's at a

different level in the culture. Maybe someone just got there for a sport stir, but we are all

together doing the same thing and living exactly what we want to do and that's what binds us all.

That's sick man. You're basically Sacramento up in the mountains-ish, you know what I mean?

That's good. It's nice man. Having good groups of friends to share those sunsets and those

fucking beers with, you know what I mean? Like I said this campground we're sitting at now,

so much inspiration came from here. It's just crazy. You think about how long you've been

riding in motorcycles and I think about that for me and I always think about I don't ever think

it's that long because I know someone it's longer. Exactly. Me too man. And then I meet a lot of people

that come into this world and this is no way of saying less than or whatever, but like oh man,

you just found this in 2021. I'm stoked you're here but I'm like fuck you missed a lot of cool

shit. You missed a lot of fun stuff man and you know whole tight we're trying to make some more

shit. Yeah. You know if you got some ideas we're open minded. Exactly. Yeah dude it's a good thing

to be a part of. It's not a bad you know all this stuff whether it's old or new like it still

moves you in a you know I haven't even felt the chopper yet across the country but I know how

bad acid is to ride a motorcycle across the country. I am so excited for you to do this. I really

am going to be your biggest fan. I am I really cannot wait because this is like to me what you're

doing is very in line with what I like which is breaking down doors and shattering norms. Yeah.

And it's like you you're coming from new bikes I mean you've been riding much longer than I have

but you're coming from new bikes and you're going to build a chopper ride it and that's your plan

and it's like that that to me is breaking down norms in the culture and that's what I like to see

and that's why immediately I was very drawn and supportive of you and what you're doing you know

so I I cannot wait to watch that happen and unfold and I'm really excited to see it man. I

appreciate it man it's it's something I'm looking forward to it's definitely a it's the bucket list

this year even though I have a lot of things I want to do on this road glide and do with it you

know um I feel like the first hurdle is uh is this experience that I want to have and I'm also

trying to not overthink it and put some you know I just want to this is just the path and I don't

want to force anything on it yeah you know what I mean totally um that's kind of like when I watched

the yin and yang thing it's like didn't you like leave in the middle of that trip to go do something

yeah yeah so I it was ridiculous dude I had I had to leave for a job for God's true cashmere

like halfway when we got to Nashville yeah so I didn't even go to the show I didn't go to

Paradise Road show I probably looked like such a fucking asshole but uh I they called me I was at

a gas station in Missouri and they called me and they were like could you fly to LA in two days or

three days whatever I was like I was like okay I think I'm gonna be in Nashville in three days or

two days like yeah I should be no nothing major happens and uh yeah so they flew me out halfway

and it flew me back to Nashville that's sick yeah pretty funny yeah and then you know how you know

how like you know when when Axl's bike broke down y'all still made a trip over it with the U-Haul

totally totally then the shots of you like getting back off of it with the uh the Roy's Motel

dude yeah like so amazing it is man and I wanted to show him I am boy California really bad because

I've like I rode through there like 10 years ago and it blew my mind like I hadn't I didn't know

what it was I randomly stumbled upon it and um and I was like we gotta go here because it's

you're gonna love it like it's gonna have an impact on you so I pulled my bike out I let Axl

ride my bike and stuff too yeah so yeah yeah it was cool getting experience it yeah I'm still looking

for the chopper dudes that want to do things like the traveling so you know hopefully in in me doing

this trip I'll find the guys here locally in Texas that are into it they yeah I think there's people

into it they might not have the time exactly to get off to do it but yeah that's kind of like

you know like I said I'm just raising a flag and if people are into this like hey come let's

hang out right you know what I mean let's go let's go do some big trips you know yeah it all works

out to be sick to like catch up with you guys on the way to the congregation this year dude we could

do it man you know yep I think we could definitely cross paths at some point yeah yep that'd be

really fun so this year I mean you got the new glide uh what kind of events are you gonna try to

like you gotta you doing born free or any of those type of things or what I am not gonna do born

free this year and I I really wanted to I I actually applied for a booth but they don't have

space and I get it it's like very if you have a booth there you're locked in yeah and why would

you give it up because it's it's huge you know um so I would love to go down there because I Alex

from Chris Biko is building a bike in the show yeah and um uh Dirty Biker from Death Traps MC

is building a bike in the show so there's some hometown guys you know who are gonna be there

but man it's gonna be tough for me if I'm gonna take the trip three weeks off I gotta say no to

a lot of shit yeah unfortunately man so that that might be my whole year you know that's that's

that's cool so this when y'all do the trip to the congregation this year three weeks are you still

gonna be smashing miles every day like you did on this last one are you gonna try to slow it down

some and enjoy some of those spots or we're gonna smash we have to man like because I I know I have

to be back at a certain time you know so it's like that was the thing like when Axel's thing

happened on the way back from Tennessee we were like you know if we didn't have jobs or wives

and kids we could find a machinist out here and take a week and figure this out you know but like

that's it just wasn't we had to be back you know like and that's the hard thing about having

responsibilities at home you know yeah so like when Jacob and I did it we did it

all the way to Charlotte in six days and we were moving like we it was it was rough I enjoyed it

because that's how I like to do it how does what was the average day like 500 miles probably 500

yeah what's that what's that feel like on your body it's it's brutal in a good way

um and I don't you know I 500 miles to me is a lot on a shopper in a day but I know there's

guys that ride that ride a lot I'm hoping that 500 miles is doable by me right I before before we

go too far deep like I don't find it uncomfortable to ride a chopper like the hardtail right yes if

you hit a fucking nasty little bump you're gonna feel it you're gonna feel it yeah but it's not like

the entire ride is a shit show it's not it's not like you're aching while you're riding it's more

of the time the timing is what's the difficult thing for me is what I've noticed you know like

say you stop to fix something that takes 30 minutes and then you got to stop for gas every

hour 20 basically yeah and then you have a beer so you're stopping for an you know an hour yeah man

all of a sudden the biggest day we did was 560 me and jake in one day and we rode till like midnight

we rode from like 7 a.m to midnight it was like you're riding all fucking day yeah you know and

it's like you never sleep so good like you sleep like a baby what would you say like uh and I'm

these are complete questions for me trying to like keep in mind for whenever I jump on my trip

what would you say is like the thing's coming loose like what what would you say you always had to

kind of seem to check a lot there seemed to no matter how tight you got it how much locked tight

so I always check big major things I check and this some guys might be like well you suck at

building or putting a bike together if you have to check this but I am I do suck at putting bikes

together I am not me too by the way I am not good at this stuff like I I get by I check my my axle

nuts I check my brake stay I check I'll check my fucking brake master cylinder my for fluid just to

make sure it's not low you know because a drum brake in the front doesn't do much I'll check my

chain adjustment on star hubs and shit I'll just wiggle the wheel back and forth a little bit you've

got mag wheels and bearings so you're good on that but um oh your jockey shifter check your

fucking jockey shifter nuts that hold that thing on because if you lose that then you're you're

fucked you have no way of shifting so those always come loose for me even my trans has come loose

so I check that thing yeah on the on the plate you know so like those yeah I was trying to think

of what kind of like bringing extra bolts because it so far the only thing that's come loose I

did lose a bolt out of the the rear master cylinder the one that holds the master cylinder to the

frame yeah yeah so I lost that friend of mine caught it I didn't I looked right past it

the top tank mount because I got my tank mount has a like sides and then one centered this one got

loose but I was like just playing with it one day because it was right there and you felt it I felt

oh glad I did that uh-huh um so far that is the only thing that's come loose I'm probably

shy of a thousand miles just ripping around on it okay yeah you know what I mean yeah but I need to

do it's just the weather's been so erratic yeah and I have not had a weekend off to save my life

I need if I could have rode it down here today and stayed here and just rode around and then

rode it home tomorrow that would have been a great test of shakedown because I want to do

a long day on it to see what it does to the motorcycle totally you know what I mean yep and

that's the that's the hard part yeah the only way to do that is to ride it yeah and that's like I

I said this in my youtube video but like that's why it's so it feels comfortable to finish a bike

and sell it without you know what I mean you finish it you do it and then you can sell it and

it's good you don't have to go through that terrible process of shaking it down and breaking it in and

all that stuff you know because like everything will come loose on a chopper just because it

vibrates so much you know so glad you brought that up I was gonna forget all about it so youtube

yeah oh yeah start now dude yeah I'm trying trying what's the uh what would you say is the hardest

part about that for you it's doing something that I feel people are gonna think is interesting

that's the hardest part about it for me yeah is like I you know and I'm trying to make that the

appeal of the channel is like this is gonna be a very bare bones in depth kind of look at like

what I'm actually doing yeah I'm gonna talk how I normally talk I'm gonna just there's not gonna

be a show really you know and I might like I might try and do some like trip videos and stuff and

try and get better at editing and do music and stuff but like I really want to show the progression

of learning of learning how to do it I think that would be cool like in five years to be like oh

wow look at this first video it was so it was terrible it was three 360 dp or whatever it was

laughing like very authentic yeah 360 dp um and then he learned and he kept learning and now he's

making good videos you know because I feel like that's such a valuable skill set yeah right to be

good video which you have that skill set and yeah I mean I don't know I mean good as objective it's

just more like it's what it's I try to when I do a video I try to just did I waste somebody's time

or not right you know and yeah sometimes I might have depending on what they're looking for but

I try to always just make it you know interesting to some degree I mean that is I guess the the

idea behind it is I do feel like I have a unique life sometimes it's hard to capture it all and to

and to form it into something um palatable to somebody through through video um because you

know when you're doing this all the time you're also not actually engaging in exactly exactly

it's a trade-off it is a huge trade-off and that's one thing like I regret not getting into the

YouTube stuff while I was traveling the country with my friends yeah because those stories I mean

like kind of like you were saying about Jake yeah they get to live in your head and that's where

they'll be yeah same for for mine but like I guess maybe so much that like I would have loved to

the world to see who these men were and how that dynamic was and and you know stuff like that because

it was truly unique totally now totally and it's like sometimes the best things are uncaptured

right like you know they I think sometimes like you know because everything's a lot of things now

are like oh I want to show this person like this person needs to be seen like this is so cool

you know we're like this bike or like this this culture needs to be seen it's so cool but it's like

sometimes the most respectful thing you can do if you really love something is leave it the

fuck alone right yeah and that's like that can be how you look at what you had when you were

traveling so much it's like it's yours you know it's just for you yeah yeah that's a good point

and we were kind of talking about it at lunch it's kind of like if you want to have a really good

intimate event that's not really an event it's just more of a run a hang a yeah you know you know

then you don't promote it yeah exactly just talk about it once it's over with but you don't promote

it that it's happening yep you know yeah those that know know you know totally there's something to

that that I like that I'm interested in but yeah you know the YouTube thing I think is it's you know

10 years ago it was like the barrier of entry was pretty difficult you know like not saying you

could have done it with your phone or whatnot but it was it just seemed like it was harder you needed

equipment for sure yeah that was like probably when you had to buy the actual software to edit

things to you couldn't just subscribe like 10 bucks a month you know you had to like fork down 1200

bucks to buy a file cut exactly so I think that now it's it's becoming an extension of just like

social media and aspect of like well of course if you have this this this you need to have that you

do yeah you know um I don't have the energy not not that I really have an issue or a quarrel with

like a TikTok or anything I just when it came out I just didn't have the energy to go invest yeah

both like on both sides of the coin yeah into the platform to like get it you know what I mean

it was it's been beneficial for like it was it was important because I got to kind of like

TikTok you can work stuff out you know because you just don't give a shit about it you know

where like it's very based on like the algorithm you know like you're not I'm not like interacting

with the people who are looking at it I don't know anybody it's not like my friends talk

within that app where Instagram is very like it's about your social connections you know like people

that are interacting with you are a lot of times you know them right yeah you know so like

but the thing about TikTok is it's it's a whole different age demographic you know so I felt it

was important to build it and use it you know and like I'm not I'm not really good at it because

the trends shift so much and like it's very like vapid like it's kind of brainless

content the stuff that does good on it you know and like that's I like to kind of like think about

a whole story and like what am I trying to say with this this video right like that's kind of

the thing is I want it to be well thought out yeah and so that like that's a weird thing getting

used to but I think it is important because it is a younger demographic and I don't think it's

going to go away yeah you know yeah I was like you know we were kind of talking when we both

picked up the Harleys and shit we were doing the reels and I'm glad you did yours first because

I really wanted to know like I was what you were supposed to do yeah I felt like I was like okay how

do I do this what does it look like yeah um but like I put all this energy into making a reel to

showcase picking up the bike and all this and the other yep and yeah I did okay but then I

stalled my bike out and I kick started it in an intersection and it like you know it didn't hit

millions but it went fucking stupid yeah I'm like man does that suck I know it's like I get it but

it's like the reward mechanism the reward system is ass backwards from how I grew up

it is where effort equals reward not effortless equals reward that's exactly what it is it fucks

with like the nature of like the order of life in to me it does it really does man I fully agree

with that and I don't you know I don't think I I don't think it's necessarily a good thing it's

just a matter of learning how to use the tools that are available to you in the best way possible

you know and it's like and doing it still in a way that is you but um you know I mean it's becoming

even it's it's safe now even in you know like I guess the old bike thing like it's people are

feeling more comfortable making videos you know we're like when videos came out and Instagram was

pushing reels a lot like I feel like it was very it felt almost like selling out making a reel

which is weird because it's just like doing anything else you know it's just like a everything I

think is like exactly the way it was 20 years ago it's just a different platform I feel like when

the reels came out there was like I remember instinctively like our buddy that used to

start riding do all this shit sit down Steve did this like reels kind of popped off we're like

what is this and then he leaned into it real heavy goes to Daytona puts this wild like

highlight reel of Daytona on the reel and it was with a banger ass song yeah yeah and it was like

bro that shit's badass uh-huh but then you have like everybody saying reels is in reels is in

reels is in and they're telling you in a way of like it's like tiktok and then to us at the time

it was like tiktok was like kids eating tide pods and dancing yeah that was the whole influencers

in the wild was all built on tiktok style shit yeah so it kind of put a bad you know

tasting a lot of people's there was a stigma and what it what it's become now and is literally

like the skits that people do right stuff like relationship people like totally playing out

like scenarios and yep and all that kind of stuff which I get wrapped up in that shit every

once in a while I'm like god damn it why are you watching this yeah it is entertaining but it's like

I didn't I didn't really open the app for that right you know what I mean yep so that's just me

what's your favorite thing to see like what do you what is your favorite thing to see on social

media like what really gets you pumped I don't mind reels but I want to be like like when Cory

makes a reel for main drive and he's showing like all the processes of making something yep or I

I ain't a lot those fucking like dudes in like Thailand or the jungle that start building fucking

forts and shit yeah yeah taps into something deep in me okay yeah I fuck with forts and

clubhouses and shit um just you know people's experiences riding you know I you know in the

in the culture of what I'm into yep there are some other like clothing people that I found that

I'm not saying that I'm like super into it but like I'm interested in it yeah I don't

know I watch it every once in a while uh who is it can you name one I don't know their names

I know this is one chick I don't even know why I watch her she's not like some like

she's an older lady but like she's I don't know I dig the content I don't know what the

fuck I don't even know how to explain it okay I have to show you that I don't even it pops up

every once in a while yeah um I don't know I like just kind of like seeing what the people that I

chose to follow or putting out there yeah usually I don't need to be entertained by people yeah I

think that the insight into people's worlds to see like like when you post something on your

personal page that I'm good with that yeah even if it is just like me and the old lady and the kids

and we're hanging out like I chose to follow you to see the inside life or the or the the things

you choose to share right and I find that to be the the value thing right and so that's kind of

where it's like I feel like it's pushed myself and some people maybe to not be so personal on

social media anymore right you know like my daughter gets a shout out my my son gets a

shout out for their birthday my wife gets a shout out on anniversary yeah her birthday yeah but for

the most part it's just not a lot of personal things going on there anymore right you know yeah

and it's that's hard because that's what people want you said you like to see it I like to see it

but but isn't that weird how like yeah you don't that's what you like to see but it feels weird

to put it out there yeah I'm a caption junkie dude like I would someone writes a paragraph

caption that's what gets me to stop oh yeah read what they say yeah and I like because I like

I think it's the most pure form of what a person is thinking that they can sit down and put together

a paragraph that's like how you really can get an in-depth look into someone I think you know so I

love that shit like when someone if they post a video of a trip I love to see the story with

that that was written yeah because it takes so much more time to write to write a fucking thing you

know yeah now I'm with you on that I do like there's times I like to like when I went through a phase

of really wanting to be better at writing or a writer or whatever the fuck and I feel like I was

putting a lot more thought into that and I've kind of bounced back and forth on my photography page

like I really just want you to look at the photo yeah you know and sometimes I feel very compelled

to write something but there's really nothing that comes to mind so I'll just put a date yeah

and leave it vague I don't care if that page goes anywhere I just need a place to take a photo that

I like that I took and I need a place to put it right and whatever that looks like you know what

I mean yep so I will challenge I will challenge you a little bit okay okay because I think I love

photography I do but I think I think it needs writing with it I it does man for me like I

I um I guess like maybe a photo just doesn't hit me in the right way unless it has something

that the photographer wrote about what it is or what it means right like that you know so like

and that's why like magazines like modern chopper magazines I want I wish they had more writing

that's always what I am like wanting you know because like I don't want to buy a magazine

and have it be just like Instagram like basically a physical version of Instagram yeah you know like

I want I want to see someone write something about what they were feeling what it was like

those are those are my favorite parts of the visuals right and I so I think like

and that's just a personal thing no it makes sense yeah yeah I think it's there is there is a line

in there where I do understand that the context behind a photo helps guide the viewer into that

realm right right yep um but I I also struggle because I feel like a photo should

and be interpreted by you right there should be how it feels but an aspect of mystery but then again

to be fair um to to what you're saying is if that was the case of you walking through somewhere

and seeing the photo on on a wall right like like if you came to my house and the photographer

up on the wall doesn't have paragraphs under it right you're looking at so and so you know

the day after this right you know so that I think that when you see photography on another scale

it kind of uh it kind of invokes an emotion in you that's different than if you see it on

this side screen I totally agree you know what I mean yeah because this feels like everything's

the same yep you know it does and you and seeing seeing stuff in physical form is so valuable

and cool and I know you've talked a lot about trying to trying to push people to like

do something where you can show your work in person even if it's something small

in your hometown right but like get people out there to like really see it how you want it to

be viewed right and I feel like because it does hit you a lot a full-size fucking print out there

on someone's wall yeah it will will make you feel the situation yeah exactly right and I think that

also like the way you decorate your home should be an extension of of like you and your your life

you know and I I can tell when I walk into someone's home and the partnership between the husband

and wife is like they're a team yeah versus this dude hasn't he don't run shit he has no say he has

no saying nothing yeah and to me it's like it's not about like oh I want fucking chopper titties

over there and biker shit over here right and some rat thinks over here like it's not that it's just

that it's a balance of like things that you that both partners feel so we made a conscious effort

my wife and I that like all the things that are hanging in our house are personal to us uh-huh yeah

and they could be some piece of art that we found at an event a print or something like that yeah

but nothing from target nothing from amazon totally um and when you come in my house I want you to

feel like you're walking into our world yeah you know not like a bunch of pictures of our faces

you know what I mean which is weird because we grew up in houses where our faces were everywhere

that was what you did exactly and now I think social media has changed that in us where we feel

less inclined to post pictures of ourselves everywhere you know what I'm saying yeah but

you know I just think that's a unique thing and I I feel like when I go to people's houses that

that are like that I'm more drawn to the curation of it and I like it for myself because it makes me

it inspires me and it kind of reminds me that gives you that gratitude we talked about earlier

yep because I remember that picture I was broke down the side of the highway in in uh New Mexico

yep scariest but strangest and most exhilarating day of my life uh-huh you know and I see that I'm

like reminds me all the time totally man I feel like you know when you see someone's house it's

like a very it it can be it's like that look into who they really are right and it's like um

it's weird but like I feel like it would be hard for me to even connect with someone who didn't

care about their space like I don't want to sound that might sound like an asshole thing but like

if if someone doesn't want to make their space theirs like that that would be a weird divide

between us right you mean the place you spend them probably most of the time right right like you

don't care how that feels exactly right yep yeah it feels like they're maybe detached or they have

like I don't know some underlying shit going on or it may be much more important things to work to

worry about in life which could be a could be a negative look on us right yeah we care about all

these funny like little things that don't really mean anything but I think they all go into like

making us making us feel like grounded and connected to the life that we live and not the

life that we maybe try to portray on social media totally yeah this is my life this is actually it

yep you know yep and yeah I think it's important it is man I've got two big like blowing up Garcia

shots shout out Texas Garcia great dude Brian Garcia but he sent me like two of my favorite

chopper photos ever it's like this one dude on this like tight little generator shovel

and he's got like the biggest smile on his face and he blew it up you know that picture no what

he had like a book was it the bison or the great white bison or something like that um I don't know

actually I know he's been taking photos of choppers it since the very beginning of this whole thing

you know I feel like I have a book from because he's from here and that name sounds familiar like a

little photo photo zine type thing you might he's a really really good photographer yeah he shot a

lot of ice grip stuff a long time ago yeah yeah I think we're probably uh on the same page the same

dude but yeah stuff like that I mean friends things that remind you of certain times that's

what it's all about I think I said it before but and I'm drawing a blank on the photographer's name

but it was a shot of Justin Haney on the low low run uh and he's like riding his bike but it's from

the back and he's just like doing this with his arm like this yeah and you could tell that it was

like an excitement kind of feeling right and right I love that photo and I would hang it in my house

if I could if you could you could find the guy that took it well I know the guy that took it I

needed to ask him but it's out of sight out of mind yeah you know it's like man will you print

that I'd love to frame that and put it in because it's just the he he captured a vibe a moment uh and

to me like I want to surround myself with inspiring things like that yeah you know what I mean so we

have a we have a level of like things that are us in our home and things that are just from the world

that we love right like art like like I have a six over poster above my toilet uh you know huge

like a poster hell yeah uh the first born free I ever went to I have the the the like little giveaway

roll-up poster they give framed in our kitchen and then the the first mama tried that the mama tried

that I got to have my bike in I have that framed nice and it's just things like that I try to like

have at some point in time they might not be in the house they might be in the garage in a garage

or somewhere else but like for now they have a home there until something else comes along and

changes that but yeah I like that shit man I think it's cool me too man dude we did it man I think

we've done a lot I think we got enough what time do you have to be back uh probably right after

we finish this yeah all right cool what time is it yeah I think we're probably right on right on

schedule yeah it's four o'clock I can uh wrap this up and then I can head back to Dallas and you

could head back to doing family duties that's right this was great man I appreciate you being

available and doing all this and uh I'm kind of glad we got to do it this this I hope this came

came out the way that it feels like it I know because this felt so good yeah and to do it here

at a at a place where we both have good memories is amazing man it'll capture it so all right yep

thank you guys thank you sir yep hope you guys enjoyed that I want to thank Tay for riding out

and taking time away from uh spending time with his family while in Texas to come and uh sit down

and do this podcast with us great time love the dude awesome guy looking forward to doing more things

with him over this next year maybe some traveling with him we'll see how the planets align in that

world guys we got a lot of cool stuff coming up for you uh Lone Star Swap Meet is this weekend

it's March 7th and I believe the 8th so Saturday and Sunday we also have a after party that we're

hosting at the bearded lady in downtown Fort Worth um from 7 p.m to midnight it's going to be a good

time also guys we have nitty gritty chopper city coming up Thursday March 19th through Sunday the

22nd we will have a performance motorcycle show at that event we got some cool belt buckles courtesy

of my man Dustin from LFG got us dialed in on some cool stuff sponsored by law tigers it's going to

be a great time I've been saying it for the last two years the nitty gritty chopper city is kind of

like camp out vibes of what we used to have but with way more entertainment way more to do um

it's a good time we're going to be out there we got some new shirts that we're going to be slinging

so if you want to get a fast life shirt that's going to be one of the places you can grab one

a lot of cool stuff coming up we have so much going on here at the shop and I also am dropping a

YouTube video right after this podcast of the ride down to New Braunfels to kick it with Tay and

see my man Scott at Kabuto so I'll link that down in the description below and uh yeah hopefully

you guys have a good one and we're going to catch you on the next podcast all right peace

STORMRIDERS #456

vintage

great financial recession

motorcycle

dirt bike

lightweight composite shell

MIPS safety standards

full face helmet

Harley-Davidson

certified pre-owned

sissy bar

tire spoons

regulator rectifier

big crescent wrench

bagger

soft tail

chopper

Nissan Juke

fuel injection

FL style fender

Chevrolet Impala

Porsche 944

jockey shifter

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