By Carolina Paredes

The west coast air is different from any other air. From the moment you land, you know you are close to the Pacific Ocean, to the minute you walk on its earth you know you are in the part of the hemisphere where life blends with nature. There is this je ne sai quoi that the west has. Most of my life, I lived in the West Coast and now, a lover of the third coast; Texas; let me tell you that it is good to be home for a visit. 

I’ve been to many custom built motorcycle shows, ranging from the USA to Europe, and all of them have their own flair, their own pizzaz, their own energy; and the 1 moto show didn't disappoint. This being my first time in town for this show, the excitement from all my peeps online kept building up until arriving at the magical venue; the Zidell Barge Building on the South Waterfront—a massive and rustic open-air structure that was used to build ships in the 1930s. It is as big as it is rusty. I walked in, with two of my fellow builders, as the sunny sky started to slowly melt the morning dew and drip the different smells of the ocean dancing with the forest; it was then when I knew the weekend was going to be special. 

Walking down this big space, it never once felt like a cold soulless space; to the contrary; the space was warm and inviting. The mixture of love for the craft, the excitement of seeing old friends from all over the globe and the collective energy of the motorcycle people who came to share their talents and the expectators who rolled down to check out the unique motorcycle builds and stunts was contagious and exhilarating! 

I love people and motorcycle watching, it is sort of comical to be walking down the halls recognizing or being recognized by that internet buddy who has been DMing you about your own build -or vice versa- and finally getting to meet them IRL and the magic that happens when you get to see their hard work materialized on two wheels is truly indescribable. Or the humbling experience of being stopped by name by a complete stranger that becomes an automatic hug because this one person has been following your journey and shares all sorts of kind words with you. We are all in this together. For one reason or another. Our common bond is two wheels; and everything else that comes with it is a true gift. 

It is so interesting to see what builders come up with. It's like deciphering their thought process, being a spectator of their minds and being surprised with badass out of the box concepts or redefining what a style can look like. That's my jam during these shows: to seek out for the visionaries, the crafts(wo)men, the rebels that build and use their hands for the love of it, the outliers that are in it for the smell of gas and oil -not in it for the glory and the ephemeral smoke and mirrors of a box you double tap for likes. It's true motorcycle love. 

As I was walking around, this magical place, there it was at the very entrance, @slick_cycle_works chopper trike 👌🏽 This thing was sick and slick! Trikes would not normally turn my head and this one made me look twice. I love how creative this builder was and how pieces that seemed random blended perfectly together. From the not so choppa wheels to the white spiral pipes, this trike looks like a lotta-fun all around.

Love me seeing women creating magic on two wheels! I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Katie Loftus @luckyladyrider and to shoot her on her bike. So rad to see her glowing and admire her first build! A 1999 Harley Davidson XL1200 named “Frida the Freedom Chopper”. This bike is full of life and it automatically makes you smile when you see it. A chopper that truly matches its builder's charisma and smile.

I love when someone is not trying hard to be cool and it's so super cool. @coltonbravid ‘s 1973 Harley Davidson cone shovel is just that 😻 This is clean, solid bike with a rigid frame, showcases some straight pipe hugging the engine has some sweet ape hangers. Simple is hard. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. To make something simple and functional you gotta dig deep through the clutter & the clout or trends, and this chopper has it. It understands the essence of a chopper truly is.

Right from the East of Las Vegas, Franklin aka @lussierbuiltcustoms does some amazing high quality metal work. This kid’s welds are outta this world; clean and crips and all of the good kinds of clean and sleek metal amazingness. His 1940 knucklehead is a work of art. I don't say this lightly. In very rare instances metal has made me feel alive. If you are in Vegas and want a great TIG class you better holler at Franklin and take his class. 

I love me some hybrid fun moto ideas! I mean I built one recently and the fun of figuring out form over function or vice versa is a journey itself. I had so much fun looking at @spokenmoto The Gromuleus Maximus. 🏍 A pieced together little bike with parts from a Honda s90, Ninja 250, and the Honda Grom engine & headlight. This fun machine is the brainchild of Spoken’s own Brian Gingerich that started 2.5 years ago, coming to life with the help of Spoken mechanic @buzzxcycles .  

The entire 122,000 square feet property was filled with lots of outdoor space for all of us to spraul around, eat some yummy food, get some cold drinks, and hang out with your friends while checking out the badass stunt shows from Dust Motor Show, Rob Carpenter and Sean Sets and Red Bull street freestyle rider Aaron Colton. These kids were having so much fun getting the crowd all excited for the next trick!

I had the opportunity to take a test ride on one of the many demo bikes that Indian Motorcycles brought. The crew at their booth was the nicest and answered all my questions being an Indian newbie. I took the scout for a ride around and man oh man it was a lot of fun. The throttle was easy to engage and the revving was fun to twist. ALl around a sweet bike. I also had the pleasure of meeting some of their ambassadors like Levi and Ricki that have been IG buds for a while  and getting to see them and chat IRL was such a treat.  

The venue offered a great deal of motorcycle goodies from the best vendors around. Merchants brought one of a kind products and labels that truly embody the motorcycle heart and soul of passionate self doers and entrepreneurs.. My heart rejoiced when I saw Rahul Sinroja from Royal Enfield and got to get a hug from Jenna and my Stellar moto brand gals, finally meeting in person Black Stich label (go follow and get some upholstery from her!), my lovely Go Fast Don't Die peeps that always bring a smile to my face and the boys from Tobacco who always have a big hug to share. This trip really reiterated why I love motorcycles and reinforced my love for our moto community.

On my last day, I was wrapping up a zoom radio interview when I saw three cute girls on a scooter. A big bright smile from Jess, Ash and Red from my babe moto collective The Litas as they entered the bar of the hotel I was staying in. What a sweet way to end the trip by sharing a big laugh with the ladies that support all that I do in Houston and the reason we are all where we are. Seriously, I know I always say this but it is so damn true: The best part about motorcycles is the people that build, ride and love them. 

Always grateful for this roaring machine. Until the next show y’all.