How a Motorcycle Company Found Its Way.
By K.R. Ball with photos by Markus Cuff, plus a couple of crappy photos by the Bandit.
We are chopper riders, fun loving souls who dance with the devil by the pale moon light, risk our lives behind a bottle of Jack Daniels and the next redhead. To others this is a creative nirvana. It’s a form of artistic expression, and fortunately we have the freedom to express ourselves.
Yet there is still another level to this expression and Gard Hollinger is standing on it. Unlike many custom builders, Gard is taking what is generally an annual creative expression for the likes of Arlen Ness, Dave Perewitz, or Roger Goldammer, and mixing two-wheeled art with form, function, performance, technology, and pure guts. It’s not to say Arlen or Roger don’t consider these elements, but Gard is no longer faced with one-off considerations. He is also considering the manufacturing process, serviceability, and long distance performance.
Gard always had a knack for function and handling within his bobbed custom creations. He met Keanu Reeves in 2007 through Keith Oliver, who was working with Bill Wall and making Keanu a seat for a Dyna. When Keith looked at Keanu’s accessorized stock motorcycle, Keanu commented, “It’s bad isn’t it?”
