MESSAGE TO AMERICAN RIDERS

Article paru en Août 2010 dans le New York Rider Magazine

Salut à toi rider Newyorkais !

I LOVE THE GENIUSES! You americans, you're lucky enough for having some geniuses in the field of motorcycle and custom. Somebody as Jeff DECKER for example. I love so much his art work!. I met Jeff two years ago in France, when he was invated to participate to the Europaen HOG Rally in South of France at Saint-Tropez. He came with some of his bronze creations (under his label HIPPODROME STUDIO)

And it has been a real great pleasure (honor) to see him again at the last Daytona Bike Week in this early March (he had a stand, right in front of the Rossmeyer HD dealer at Hormond). Jeff is a real nice man and a great artist

Have a look on his blog: http://jeffdeckerstudio.blogspot.com But, did you know that, we have geniuses in France too?? (Yes, we have!!). Let me introduce my friend Jean-Luc GAIGNARD

and his home. All began when Jean-Luc worked as a farm boy. He would discover old motorcycles discarded in old barns, forgotten and rusting away. This was 35 years ago. Today, Jean-Luc is one of Europe’s most envied vintage motorcycle collectors. When you arrive at Jean-Luc home's it's like coming back in the past and enter in the history of motorcyle

What you are watching on this photo is not a movie set but his real home! He did / built it all by himself, years after years!! Building a collection of vintage Harley-Davidsons, Indians, and French motorcycle marque, Escoffier, Jean-Luc now has more than 150 bikes (all in perfect state of working) in his collection (but he's not exactly sure, it's may be more ...). He is clearly captivated by the history of Harley-Davidson and Indian ... and old cars too

Using his treasured collection, as well as borrowing bikes from other collections, Jean-Luc became a professional exhibitor of vintage motorcycles, designing and building exhibition stands and presentations for many motorcycle-related events. In 2003, he began to work with Harley-Davidson France to prepare exhibitions, the most notable being the H-D Centenary celebrations in Paris. He wanted to do something really special to mark the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson and built a replica of the original shed where the Company began and then ... he became so famous in the French and European field of antic motorcycle that he opened a museum called "La Grange aux Harley" (The barn with Harley – closed for the time being, but will re-open soon)

Jean-Luc is a smart likeable person and a simple man whom we all love. You can't imagine how it is fantastic when you leave Paris on a sunny saturday morning, joining the campaign by little roads, going West, knowing that after 4 or 5 hours riding you will arrive at the Jean-Luc house's, right in time for the afternoon coffee (or beer ... or something stronger) in the middle of nowhere ... not so far of the biker's paradise

And if you're lucky enough, Jean luc will pick you up with an old SUNBEAM sidecar of the WWII for a crazy antic run.

Oh yeah, we like it! Next time you will be in Paris, we shall go to see him. See ya soon on the road (who knows?) Hervé you're French connection (http://blog.hdcollectibles.fr).