Since its very loud and garish exterior renovation in 2015, L.A.’s Petersen Automotive Museum has been the source of gentle ribbing from all corners of the internet, inviting unfavorable comparisons to Guy Fieri’s food, Michael Bay’s movies and Steve Buscemi’s face.
One thing that no one is denying, though? The majesty of the high-octane exhibits you’ll find inside.
The institution’s new exhibition, Custom Revolution, is a collection of “the most avant-garde and influential custom motorcycles from independent builders around the world,” as curated by biker-about-town Paul d’Orleans, of Cycle World and The Vintagent.
We’ve previously dropped jaws and batted eyelashes at a number of the beauts currently on display, from Bandit9’s sci-fi L-Concept to The World’s Fastest Indian-esque BMW Alpha to a certain “electric scooter.”
“This is the first-ever hand-built [motorcycle] exhibition in a museum, and we’re very proud of that,” said Petersen Executive Director Terry Karges according to Robb Report. Not only that, but it’s the museum’s “first-ever exhibit dedicated to the art of custom motorcycles,” writes the Los Angeles Times.
Below, a selection of the pavement-burning offerings from the 25 international bike builders showcased:
Custom Revolution (8 images)
In order of appearance:
- The Crapshoot (2018) by Brisbane’s Alta Motors
- The Black (2011) by Ian Barry and L.A.’s Falcon Motorcycles
- Speedster (2015) by Germany’s Ehinger Kraftrad
- BMW Alpha (2016) by Mark Atkinson, based on a concept by Mehmet Doruk Erdem
- 2 Stroke Attack (2015) by Los Alamitos’s Roland Sands
- L-Concept (2018) by Daryl Villanueva and Bandit9
- E-LisaBad (2017) by Rolf Reick of Germany’s Krautmotors
You can catch the exhibit now through March 2019 so, quite contrary to the theme, there’s no rush.
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