Guillaume Barras of Angry Lane
Guillaume Barras is the co-founder of lifestyle and custom motorcycle brand Angry Lane. He tells Yannie Chan about the artistic side of bikes and why he drives like an old man.
HK Magazine: How did you get into motorcycles?
Guillaume Barras: I got my first motorcycle when I was 9. In France, most villages hold a carnival, and they had those very small motorcycles for children. I really loved it. My dad is very cool: he told me that if I did well and came first in school at the end of the year, then he would get me a motorcycle. I did, and I got it. When I was 18, I got my license, and one year later I bought my first Harley-Davidson.
HK: What was your first fender-bender?
GB: I was 10 years old. We wanted to jump in the air: We were at my cousin’s home and we made a ramp. I tried it first, and I didn’t go very fast. My cousin went back a long way and he jumped—he ended up in the living room, through the window, breaking the table! He got a lot of shit from his parents. But no one was injured—even the bike was fine.
HK: How much of your life is motorcycle-based?
GB: Recently, a lot. I’m spending most nights and weekends customizing motorcycles. A bike would cost on average a few hundred thousand dollars. Customizing a bike takes about a month to a year—it’s very important to get the aesthetics right.
HK: Why build your own bikes?
GB: Motorcycles are like an expensive watch. I like listening to the engine and appreciate the mechanics of it. If you gave me a lot of money to buy a motorcycle, I probably wouldn’t, because bikes today are only plastics. I prefer my own. I have a very artistic approach to motorcycles: I like a functional design, making the bike as naked as possible, so you see the mechanics and see the engine. I see myself as a product designer, not as a mechanic.
