Falcon Motorcycles of Downtown Los Angeles creates works of machine art in the form of re-imagined vintage motorcycles. Look at these fucking bikes-- the level of design and passion that goes into each one is kind of hard to comprehend. Each build so far has required a minimum of 1,000 hours to produce, and the latest took 6 people one full year to make. The plan is to make one motorcycle a year for 10 years, and so far the team, lead by owner, designer and head fabricator Ian Barry, is 30% done.
Each machine is based on and inspired by rare and iconic vintage bikes and attempts to both do justice to the original and push things way forward. #3 in the series is the Black Falcon (check out the video below) and it's about the most beautiful thing we've seen this year. This is high art, impeccably done, with obvious love of craftsmanship poured into every last detail. The only thing we're left wondering is, how can you bear to part with it once you've created it? The price has to be in the stratosphere, and buyers must have to be able to offer more than just a huge check, but still it must be a very sad day at Falcon when one of these beauties gets loaded onto the truck to take it to some billionaire or actor's house in the hills...
Let's meet the other bikes produced...
The Bullet
The Bullet started as the derelict frame and engine of a 1950 pre-unit Triumph Thunderbird — the bike Marlon Brando rode in "The Wild One". The concept was inspired by what a Triumph board track racer would have looked like, if indeed Triumph had ever created one. This bike is owned, we think, by Josh Homme of QOTSA.
The Kestrel
The Kestrel started as the unit engine of a 1970 Triumph Bonneville, which Falcon cut in half & re-engineered. With the exception of a few critical pieces everything – including the frame, front forks, gas & oil tanks, exhausts, handlebars, levers, even the cylinders – was fabricated in-house.
The next bike on the list to be built is The Altai, which is based on the very rare early version of the legendary Ariel Square 4, one of select few British four-cylinder motorcycles built before 1990. This 1936 model is especially desirable in using overhead camshaft valve operation... that this machine was an original US import makes it nearly unique.
Much more information is available at the Falcon Motorcycles website.
