Author: laura

New WSM “PACT” ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE AT THE PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM

 

Consider The Game Changed. On April 4th, come witness the #ElectricRevolution supported by @harleydavidson and presented by @PetersenMuseum and produced by @motorcycleartsfoundation and @sashatkoff. Guest Curated by none other than @pauldorleans @thevintagent, Electric Revolution is the world’s first museum exhibition featuring only electric motorcycles and will explore the history and current state of the electric industry, seen through the handiwork of both visionary home-builders and established manufacturers. The opening night will be attended by the world’s most talented builders, designers, and thought leaders in the electric vehicle industry and will feature exclusive access to the new exhibition with a live “electrifying” panel discussion. The exhibit will be open to the public from April 6th – November 2019 so come and check out the insane design, love, and passion put into these works of art by folks like @rolandsandsdesign @tarform @iamspecialized @roninmotorworks @waltsieglmotorcycles @ridecake #ebike #electric #electricvehicle #electricbike #losangeles #motorcycles #museum

WSM IN NEW YORK TIMES T MAGAZINE

 

In 2007, Walt Siegl left New York, his home of 20 years, and his career as a cultural representative with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to move to an old textile mill in New Hampshire. There, he turned his hobby of souping up Italian motorcycles into a full-time job. Now there’s a two-year wait for one of his impeccable custom machines. (Brad Pitt is set to receive his third creation by Siegl, whose bikes are coveted by connoisseurs for their stripped-down elegance and structural perfection.) ‘‘I take the time to pay full attention to every detail, to show mechanical components as objects of beauty,’’ Siegl says.

In addition to one-of-a-kind custom projects, he also offers ready-made models: the sleek Leggero, the chunkier Bol D’Or and the new off-road Adventure, out this month. For all three, Siegl takes apart brand-name bikes (Ducati and MV Agusta) and rebuilds them with specialty materials — Kevlar and carbon fiber in place of plastic, chromoly in place of regular steel. The result is a drastically lighter, more technologically advanced machine. On the bikes’ fuel tanks, Siegl affixes his trademark, the outline of a wheel with a flower at its center that’s inspired by childhood memories of picking wild blooms for his mother near their home outside of Graz in southeastern Austria. ‘‘When I came to the States, I couldn’t believe how much attitude is involved in motorcycling,’’ Siegl says. ‘‘To ride, you need to have a big heart. There’s no need to act tough.’’ — SAM DEAN