Harely Davidson FLSTN Softail Deluxe
Steeped in pop culture, dunked in rebellion, dripping with danger and routinely offered up as a benign, inexpensive form of personal transportation–everybody has an opinion on motorcycles. Lighter, faster, and more fuel efficient than cars, motorcycles have, for the most part, resisted any hint of turning into something other than what they are, simple and arguably beautiful machines that we just can’t resist.
In the 1860s, inventors began toying with the idea of mounting steam engines on bicycles. By the early 1900s, some of the names we still associate with motorcycles today were selling their petroleum-powered creations to the general public. Great Britain gave us Triumphs and Royal Enfields, while America began churning out Indians and Harley Davidsons.
Part transportation, part design statement, motorcylces are more about the journey than the destination. To find out what bikes today are defining that intersection where form meets function, Chesapeake Home + Living caught up with a few of the region’s more discriminating aficionados.
Douglas and Victoria Rixey are principals of Rixey-Rixey Architects, a design firm based in Georgetown that specializes “in sharing a vision of inventive design solutions anchored in context and the evolution of historic type.” They are also bikers. “When we were dating in college, Douglas showed up to visit my parents for the first time on a motorcycle wearing a beard and a full set of leathers. They absolutely loved him,” says Victoria.
The bike in question was a Triumph TR-6 Trophy, a personal favorite of Steve McQueen, who rode one in real life and also in the film, “The Great Escape.” Both of the Rixeys hold valid motorcycle licenses and between them they’ve owned 15 bikes. They’ve owned as many as four at a time but currently they’re down to two, a Ducati Multistrada and a Triumph Bonneville. Actually three, if you count the scooter.
Robert Wiedmaier currently owns and operates four restaurants: Marcel’s and Brasserie Beck in Washington, DC, Brabo in Alexandria, Virginia, and Mussel Bar in Bethesda, Maryland. Besides designing what goes on the menu, the chef also keeps a hand on the throttle while laying out his eateries.
Chef Wiedmaier grew up in Germany and Belgium, which spills over into his sensibilities about food and his approach to life. He started riding a Vespa scooter in Germany at the age of 9 before graduating to Honda dirt bikes and eventually a slew of Japanese street machines. When Wiedmaier moved to the States as a young man, he decided to go American by buying a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail and eventually a customized black chopper from Bourget Bike Works.
The appeal of two wheels is lost on many people, but the affliction can be compared to any other activity or hobby that demands total concentration. “When you see those commercials about how relaxing it is to ride a motorcycle, that stuff isn’t true,” says Wiedmaier. “When you’re riding a bike, it’s intense. If I’m on the motorcycle, I can’t be thinking about whether or not I’ve ordered enough veal for the weekend.” As the rider rolls down the straights and slips around curves, perception is focused to a sharp point.
Maxwell MacKenzie is a DC-based fine arts and architectural photographer who has published three books of his images. Some of the destinations in the books were reached via motorcycle. Around town, he pilots a 2000 BMW R-1100-RT, which was the first bike he ever owned. The year was 2000 and MacKenzie had just turned 48. The shooter then bought a second bike that he uses at his summer home in the upper Midwest.
“RIDING INSTEAD OF DRIVING MAKES EVERY TRIP A PLEASANT AND EXCITING ADVENTURE INSTEAD OF A CHORE.” — Maxwell MacKenzie
Maxwell MacKenzie's BMW R-1200 GS
“After several years of going off in our one car, on extended daylong photo expeditions, I realized that perhaps it wasn’t wise to leave my wife and two sons with no transportation in case of emergency, so I bought a second BMW, an R-1200 GS. I now use this useful and immensely capable machine to go in search of my subjects,” says MacKenzie.
The difference between moving from one place to another on two wheels instead of four is visceral and immediate. MacKenzie says, “Riding instead of driving makes every trip a pleasant and exciting adventure instead of a chore.
I savor the smells, the sounds, the temperature changes, the complete visibility, even the ever-present danger, which requires constant vigilance. Without any doubt, I feel more alive when riding, knowing my survival depends on me, on my judgment, my abilities, my choices.”
The experience of riding a motorcycle is impacted by traffic and weather. Parking in the city is easy and twisting roads in the country take on new meaning. Robert Wiedmaier enjoys thumping his V-twin out to where the farmers live while looking for new food suppliers or visiting the ones he already knows. Douglas Rixey is known for showing up for site visits on a growling red Ducati. Max MacKenzie fills his saddlebags with camera gear and hits the road on a humming, shaft-driven beauty looking for inspiration.
Whatever the reason, wherever the destination, it’s impossible to deny or completely explain the passion of a life designed on two wheels.
Scott Sowers is a frequent contributor to Chesapeake Home + Living and rides a Triumph Bonneville T-100.
Contacts:
BMW: bmwmotorcycles.com or 800-831-1117
Bourget Bike Works: bourgets.com or 623-879-9642
Ducati: ducati.com
Harley-Davidson USA: harley-davidson.com
Triumph: triumph.co.uk/usa or 678-854-2010
