You might have seen glimpses on my
Vintagent Facebook page, if you were quick, or at
Shinya Kimura's blog, before 'those' photos were edited out...but since work-in-progress shots of the 'White' showed up in the
New York Times 'T' design section today, I suppose a further few discreet images won't hurt.
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| Ian Barry with the in-progress handlebars...the whole assembly is built from solid aluminum |
A lot has happened since 2011, when
Falcon Motorcycles débuted their Vincent-based custom, the ‘Black’, at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering. In my
Cycle World article ‘Back to Black’, I pondered the ‘Tidal Wave’ of time and effort required to build that exquisitely intricate Vincent special, and mused whether Falcon’s business model was sustainable. The answer turns out to be no, but it’s a more nuanced ‘no’ than economic consideration alone. True, Falcon has shrunk to a two-man shop, from the sprawling gang of ultra-skilled artisans who once kept the warehouse humming deep into the night. But what’s more important is a profound re-definition on the part of the man on whom it all depends: Ian Barry.
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| The Velocette Thruxton engine... |
Barry, the artisan-savant behind the three previous Falcon creations, had become by necessity a team manager, allowing other talented artisans to bring his work to metal. Managers and visionaries are rarely the same people, and Barry was never just a ‘designer’ who hands over evocative sketches to be fabricated. He’s anxious to do the work himself, to solve the problems arising between graphite lines and welded tubing or shaped aluminum. Rather than become the next
JesseJames or
Arlen Ness, Ian Barry said
‘fuck this’, handed his crew their pink slips, and went back to work on what he loves; making motorcycles. One naturally wonders what sort of motorcycle Barry will build without a veritable factory, and how long it might take to finish his next machine. A lot simpler, with a slower build time, right?
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| A construction detail; I won't say where on the bike, but this is typical of the kind of workmanship we expect from Ian Barry...and of course, this assembly 'does stuff'... |
Surprise. The next Falcon project, the ‘White’, based on a ‘one-of-8’ 1967 Velocette Thruxton factory racing motor (and sister to the
1967 Production TT winner), appeared in unfinished form at
Soho Housein LA on November 11
th. Has Barry skimped on all that crazy detail work, and gone back to a simpler Custom? Well, here’s the trick – the White is by far the most complicated and deeply crafted bike yet to emerge from Ian Barry’s shop. In a departure from previous Falcons, the chassis is no longer based on or even resembles the original Velocette item, nor is it a ‘what might have been’ if Velocette were in business today. No motorcycle factory can afford to build bikes the way Barry does... extravagance is expected of a Custom, but nobody else is paying this much attention to detail. The silhouette of the many imitation Falcons may be the same, but Barry is deep in the Woods, and what emerges from his lair is so radically different, it will be a long while before anyone truly follows his example.
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| From the NYT; the interior of the new Falcon warehouse in LA |
Good bike builders create harmonious lines and clever details to wow the viewer, but brilliance in any medium makes you stare, ponder, and repeatedly return, discovering more with every visit. If you’re lucky enough to see the White in person, I guarantee you’ll be doing exactly that.
I'll post more photos of the complete White build, from drawings onwards...when the bike is properly unveiled. Full disclosure; I have no financial interest in the White, but I did sell them the ex-Works Velocette Thruxton 'Squish' engine, one of 10 built by Veloce as 'loose' engines for special race-supporting dealers in 1967. One of these 10 engines, the sister engine of the White's, won the 1967 Isle of Man Production TT in the hands of Neil Kelly.
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