I’ve always loved riding on two-wheels and the visceral reaction I get from certain motorcycles. I’ve often wondered whether my background as a designer and writer influences the types of bikes that I’m drawn to. Is it form or function? Perhaps a little of both, but most of the time, I find the attraction inexplicable; an exhaust note, a certain shade of a color, a transverse mount of a V-Twin engine, its history, or simply, the completeness or incompleteness of the idea of the bike.
I started Mototrope in early 2010 to create a place to feature many of my friends in the Creative Community that ride and to get their perspectives on motorcycles and riding. Along the way, I’ve included some of my own observations, stories and experiences to complement the interviews.
Today, I ride several motorcycles. I’m partial to Italian bikes with their racing heritage and quirky but beautiful designs that always seem to capture my imagination. Living in Chicago, I have found my Ducati GT1000 to be the perfect vehicle to commute to work. It has a great retro ’70s look but a modern Desmo engine that delivers gobs of power whenever I need it. I’ve also enjoyed “learning” how to ride the Moto Guzzi Griso 8v over the last year. The Griso has a new, modern chassis design with the traditional Guzzi engine that took a while to figure out. The powerful but lumpy V-Twin engine is what I always imagined riding a motorcycle to be. Both Italian bikes are beautiful to look at and evoke all of its history and sense of style whenever I take it out for a ride. The first new bike I ever bought was a 2006 Triumph Bonneville. I always loved the idea of a Triumph. I went in to the dealer thinking I was going to buy a new Speedmaster but fell in love with the Bonneville. It was the perfect bike for me at the time and even today, I can’t seem to part with it.
When I'm not riding (or working on my bikes), I work at Designkitchen, a WPP interactive design company based in Chicago. In addition to writing for Mototrope, I’ve collaborated with photographer Tom Maday on several books, including Great Chicago Stories and After the Fall: Srebrenica Refugees in St. Louis. Currently, we are working on Corkin's Lodge: At the End of the Road.
Please feel free to comment. And, don't hesitate to write me directly at mototrope@gmail.com.
Happy and safe riding!
Sam Landers
Sam Landers
