The Ride 2nd Gear: (Lacks Title Page) New Custom Motorcycles and Their Builders

Men and motorcycles: a story that has vacillated somewhere between cult and cliché for years. Custom bikes, in particular, have a history that is deeply rooted in the spirit of freedom and change of the 1960s, as well as man’s primal urge to build something with his own hands or, in this case, tools. The Ride 2nd Gear is a showcase of the power and beauty of these bikes.

The book presents a stunning selection of recent custom motorcycles, as well as the small, local workshops around the globe in which they are built. Hotbeds of creativity and craftsmanship, these workshops are mostly run by single individuals and attract a small yet devoted community of fans and fellow builders. Rather than coveting the newest luxury models to come off the assembly line, this community is more concerned with transformations.

They want to turn grandpa’s old heap, a bargain found on eBay, or a soulless model from another era into something of their very own. They want to augment old motors and existing mechanics with modern technology or make their personal visions of aesthetics and handling a reality. This process takes time, dedication, technical expertise, and skilled handcraft.