Motorcycle Dream Garages

Motorcycle Dream Garages opens the doors to sixteen motorcycle palaces, among them a secret one in Chicago housing over one hundred rare bikes; a converted garage dedicated to Vincents in St. Paul; and a sampling of luxury motorcycle garages owned by racers and celebrities, such as Jay Leno.

You want to be on your motorcycle on the open road-but if you can't, then the next best place is the garage. Open the workshop doors to where old Triumphs, Hondas, and Ducatis are restored; wild customs and Harleys come to life; and friendships are built on beer, b.s., and bruised knuckles. This book takes you inside the most ultimate garages-from the old firehouse to the lavishly finished tin shed to the plain old two-car attached structure harboring the treasured bike while the family car sits outdoors. Motorcycle Dream Garages opens the doors to sixteen palaces for two-wheeled work and play, among them a secret one in Chicago housing over one hundred rare and collectible bikes at a location known only to members of an underground club; a converted garage dedicated to Vincents in St. Paul; a marble palace in Washington DC; and a sampling of luxury motorcycle garages owned by racers and celebrities, such as Jay Leno. Motorcycle Dream Garages is a "well written and beautifully photographed book. . . a two-wheeled treasure trove" (SPEED TV). It's "all about the coolest garages in existence. If you're a garage or motorcycle person, this is a must-read." (Racer X Illustrated).

Motorcycle Dream Garages opens the doors to sixteen motorcycle palaces, among them a secret one in Chicago housing over one hundred rare bikes; a converted garage dedicated to Vincents in St. Paul; and a sampling of luxury motorcycle garages owned by racers and celebrities, such as Jay Leno.

 

Motorcycles live in luxurious palaces, lavishly outfitted warehouses, and gritty shops. Motorcycle Dream Garages takes you inside these private enclaves for a sneak peak into the homes of some of the world’s coolest motorcycles. You’ll tour a secret 10,000-square-foot warehouse in New York that houses the motorcycle workshops of10 of the nation’s finest motorcycle racers, collectors, and builders. The book also highlights a private collection housed in southern California that includes more than 25 one-off customs and highly modified sportbikes—not to mention a jet-powered motorcycle. You’ll step back in time to see the homes and shops of dedicated enthusiasts like vintage Harley-Davidson customizer George Hood (who builds eight-valve heads in his garage) and Robert Genise, the owner of John’s Cycle Center in Queens, a race shop that pre-dates the town’s last World’s Fair. Featuring the brilliant photography and lively prose of Lee Klancher, this book is a dream come true for all two-wheel gearheads.

Born and raised on the banks of the Brill River in northern Wisconsin, Lee Klancher (Austin, Texas) has been chronicling motorcycle and outdoor adventures big and small since the early 1990s. His favorite adventure articles have covered riding the treacherous 300-mile track that crosses the Bolivian portion of the Amazon jungle, scaring himself senseless on Slovenia’s Mount Triglav, and crossing the northeast Australian Outback on Honda XRs. Lee’s other interests include mountain biking, dive bars, racquetball, and college hockey. His writing and photography appear regularly in Men’s Journal, Motorcyclist, and Motorcycle Escape.

Foreword

Introduction

PALACES

1 Garage Confidential

Hush-hush in Hollywood

2 The Canadian Dream

Sparing No Expense in British Columbia

3 The Presiding Patriarch of Moto Evangelism

Kelly Owen’s Motorcycle Mission

4 Backstage

Jay Leno’s Charismatic Collection

By Rick Schunk

THE REAL DEAL

5 Under the Radar

George Hood

6 Rock This Town

Sixth Street Specials in New York

By Mike Seate

7 A Fine Obsession

St. Paul’s Steve Hamel

By Kris Palmer

SANCTUARIES

8 Heaven ’n’ Hell

Mike and Nuri Wernick’s Rising Wolf Garage

9 The Ghost of Villa Park

Tom White’s Early Years of Motocross Museum

10 Spannerland

New Jersey Nocturnes

11 The Heart of Texas

Barry Solomon

By Rick Schunk

12 Brevity

Jeffrey Gilbert’s Carefully Crafted Collection

TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS

13 Racer’s Precedence

John’s Cycle Center

14 The Art of Bar Napkin Design

Mark Triebold’s Live-in Shop

15 Yoshi’s Vintage Valhalla

The Garage Company

RACER’S REFUGE

16 Street of Dreams

Chris Cosentino’s New Jersey Shop

17 The Artisan of Speed

John Hateley

Acknowledgments

Index