| As far as I can remember my youth in France, I | | | | the storyboard" of the new motorcycle. All projects, |
| always had a passion for everything American | | | | simple or sophisticated, are first designed on paper: |
| custom culture (Dean's & Brando's movies, rock | | | | research of a theme and name, drawing of the bike |
| & roll, hot rods, Harley's, Von Dutch art, etc). For | | | | under different angles, sketch and final blue prints of |
| example, I became the coolest kid on the block by | | | | the custom parts, seat design, graphic research, layout |
| customizing my model cars and motorcycles. I had to | | | | and choice of colors for the paint job etc. It is only |
| have my first bike stolen in the street of Paris, an | | | | after client approval that, under my supervision, my |
| electric blue Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, to realize I | | | | team of craftsmen handles the fabrication, molding, |
| was so much in love with her. I was inconsolable, heart | | | | painting and final assembly process. I am a designer |
| broken, with no money to replace it. Certainly the 1st | | | | loving motorcycles more than a biker customizing |
| time in my life than an inanimate object (but is it?) | | | | bikes. I want my custom motorcycles to be time |
| caused me such pain. Then intense business life in | | | | enduring rolling pieces of art. |
| advertising in a big city prevented me to ride much until | | | | The way I see it, succeeding a custom motorcycle is |
| a new love, human this time, and American, of course, | | | | to conceive it such a way that it will become both an |
| made me settle definitively in the US. | | | | object of intense pleasure and affection for the client |
| America became my escape route to find a new | | | | and a "star" in the motorcycle world. The process of |
| place in my life where I could merge my 2 passions of | | | | creation and customization has no visible end. It means |
| designing and motorcycling. Riding the big landscapes | | | | that probably like all true artists I am obsessed with |
| of the West made me feel like starring in a biker | | | | reaching perfection and always over doing everything |
| movie. Customizing for my friends was exhilarating and | | | | beyond client's expectations. Trying to become both a |
| made me access the trophies stage of the most | | | | master of design simplicity and beauty and at the |
| prized bike shows in Daytona & Sturgis. Rich | | | | same time a master of technological complications |
| people liked my unusual designs mixing pure Californian | | | | require an exhausting amount of love and dedication. I |
| hot rod stance with European art deco details while | | | | will never design and build a custom motorcycle just |
| following a very Zen approach where simplicity is the | | | | because somebody could buy it. I never count billing |
| ultimate sophistication. America always fired my | | | | hours, just expecting from my client fairness and |
| dreams. Now design & motorcycles forged my | | | | appreciation. It's probably the difference between a |
| new professional identity: custom motorcycle designer | | | | motorcycle shop doing custom work and a true |
| & builder. | | | | custom designer and builder. I customize as much for |
| My mission is to give each client's motorcycle an | | | | myself than for a client because creating something |
| added value aesthetically, technically and financially. For | | | | never done before, beautiful, working better than the |
| this I must define a unique "motorcycle personality". I | | | | competition, appreciated by its owner and admired by |
| hate improvisation. All my designs have an objective, a | | | | the public at large is the greatest joy anyone can get |
| strategy and a justification in my eyes and the ones of | | | | in any profession. |
| my client. As an art director I am in charge of "writing | | | | |