Hi Roland. How did you hear about the Motorcycle Film Festival?
I think I originally saw it on the interweb through friends and social media, but was formally introduced through Paul d’Orleans. And then there was that drunken night at Paul’s house in New York when I was officially pulled into the fray.
You’ve really moved up in the motorcycle wrenching world. You started by sweeping floors on your way to becoming Director of R&D before establishing your own company. What set you on this road?
I was a motorcycle racer. After ten years of dedicating myself to going fast and getting hurt, I figured I should try something else. I missed racing terribly and after getting really depressed I found solace in building and designing motorcycle and motorcycle parts. I loved the job so it stuck.
What are your favorite films? Motorcycle or otherwise, and what do you like about them?
I love films with real emotion that pull me out of my own reality. I like to go other places, to other worlds and feel a sense of displacement that gets me out of my own head. We spend enough time swimming through our own skulls, and movies do a good job of giving you something else to focus on beside yourself, kind of like riding a motorcycle.
You’re a builder and a designer, what will you be looking for in this year’s submissions?
I’m looking for passion without the cheese. Something outside of the typical ride a bike with a half helmet on and light a campfire. There are real stories out there, and they need to be shown and experienced. Of course I love racing and bike building and a new spin on either of those things would be really cool. A little depth into why people do what they do is always a plus as long as it’s not manufactured. A little fear is never a bad thing. The motorcycle horror genre hasn’t been explored in a while.
How does your experience as a road race inform your builds and view of motorcycling?
I just like to build bikes that work—that you can ride hard. The aesthetic is important, but if it works like shit I’m not interested. It has to have a purpose. I suppose I like movies that serve a purpose as well. Even if that purpose is to freak you out.
Your recent designs, especially in clothing, have a vintage feel. Is this a personal influence or do you sense a trend or zeitgeist in the motorcycle community?
I build the motorcycles I like. There’s not a lot out there I’m in love with, so it motivates me to build something I can really appreciate. It’s the same thing with motorcycle parts and apparel. I like to have a reason to do something; it’s not just about creating something for people to buy. It’s about creating something new I really dig.
You just opened another shop in LA. What was the inspiration behind that?
I’ve always wanted to have shop in LA. My buddy Nevo from PowerPlant had an opportunity, and we made it happen. For me it’s about getting the brand out there in an authentic way with my friend in a cool environment. It’s a place we can throw parties and events as well as show off what we do and how it’s done.
You never seem to slow down, what’s next
That’s the question I ask myself every day when I wake up. BMW parts, an Indian build, a bunch of new riding gear and Bell helmet designs rise to the top of the mental pile currently. I have a part in the new On Any Sunday movie, which is really cool and hopefully is one of the movies that makes the festival. I’m voting for it anyway if that’s allowed.