It takes a special cocktail of skill, knowledge and reverence to restore a classic race bike properly—especially if it’s a rare one. It’s a recipe that Mike Watanabe and Luke Ransom know by heart. They run Union Motorcycle Classics out of a barn in Nampa, Idaho, where they concoct the handsomest of restorations and customs.…
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I’ll admit, my knowledge of vintage Ducatis is rudimentary at best—so I always feel a little out of my depth when talking to Mike Watanabe. He and Luke Ransom run Union Motorcycle Classics out of a barn in Idaho, where they specialize in charming classics and restomods. And their knowledge runs deep. Mike put that…
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We’re casting the net far and wide this week. There’s a brutal Aprilia Tuono V4 from Switzerland, a Harley cafe racer from Japan, and a new bike from the American small-batch manufacturer Janus. Plus Union Motorcycle Classics are raffling off a jaw-dropping Gary Nixon tribute Triumph.
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Working from an old barn in Idaho, Union Motorcycle Classics produce some of the nicest restomods and classic customs we’ve seen. But the shop has a softer side, too. Two years ago, they built and raffled a stunning Ducati Scrambler 250 to help ReActs—a charity that helps poor and distressed children in Southeast Asia. Now…
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At some point in their career, every good custom motorcycle builder sees a client point at a bike in their portfolio and…
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We never need any excuse to write about Union Motorcycle Classics. Builders Mike Watanabe and Luke Ransom create beautiful machines in their…
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There’s something about Beemers with classic fairings and paint—just look at all the fuss being generated by the new R nineT Racer.…
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Union Motorcycle Classics is the kind of shop we love to hear about. It’s based in a 100-year-old barn in the 19th…
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Harley-Davidson has a strange affectation for Italian motorcycle companies. It bought MV Agusta in 2008, and offloaded it just over a year…
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Sometimes, usually towards the end of a hard week, I daydream about the kind of motorcycle business I’d like to own. Somewhere…
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