| Unfortunately
for the purist, the explosion of the custom motorcycle industry
brought with it a wave of pure "posers." You can spot 'em
by their fresh tattoos and finely manicured beards.
They're certainly doing their best to get that "outlaw" look,
but in the area of true life experience, there's little or
nothing to back it up. Make no mistake, there still exists
the pure and uncompromising bike-builder who's spent a lifetime
twisting wrenches and chopping frames with little or no regard
for prime-time television or celebrity. But nowadays that
builder's getting harder and harder to come by. Enter Tom
Foster, a true purist who for more than two decades has taken
literally space-age expertise and applied it to the creation of
classic choppers built for breakneck speeds. Sure, Foster
loves to see his creations pirouetting on show platforms,
commanding the attention of fans and capturing trophies.
But given a choice, Foster would rather see one of his creations
doing as he intended - tearing up the road, splitting lanes with
no regard for life, limb or law. For Foster, bike-building
is part of a lifestyle, and that lifestyle isn't about fads or
trends.
The Life:
From his first glimpse of the lifestyle in early 70s biker films
and magazines, coupled with the "Varrio" ideals of his Chino,
California hometown, Tom Foster lived and breathed motorcycles
and the outlaw mentality that came with them. Foster's
passions rested within a lifestyle that pushed the limits of
both local law enforcement and of the shovelhead motor in his
first chopper. Motorcycles were about respect, brotherhood
and freedom, and for Foster, they were the weapon of choice.
After years of
wrenching, turning basket cases into near-death machines, Foster
brought his keen eye for design and capable hands to the
aerospace industry as a production engineer for Hughes Aircraft,
spearheading the production of satellite network antenna
systems. Days were spent in the realm of space-age
technology, while long nights were dedicated to the realm of V-twin
technology, chopping, twisting and giving life to his trademark,
two-wheel weapons of mass destruction.
Truly, "O.G":
Tom's first magazine feature was in a 1989 issue of Easyriders.
There were no prime-time biker TV shows and bike-builders were
by no means celebrities. It was never about all that.
What it was about was the love of motorcycles and the
self-expression that came with building and most importantly
riding them beyond the brink of common sense. The clean,
classic lines and extreme performance quality of Foster's
creations earned the respect and ultimately the friendship of
one of the industry's true pioneers, Ron Simms. Simms
became not only a mentor, but a true brother to Foster,
imparting his own experiences and helping forge
relationships and earn the respect of the industry elite.
Foster's
signature work has been featured in industry magazines and at
bike shows for two decades now. He's built for rock stars
and fashion moguls, but mostly he's built for himself and the
pure love for motorcycles. It's literally in his blood.
While you may not find Foster's logo on bicycles or find toy
models of his bikes at Walmart, mention Tom Foster to any
builder, old or new, and the show of respect is immediate.
It's a respect that transcends trends and fads, TV shows and toy
models.
Tom Foster is
truly "OG," and that's something that can never be manufactured,
bought or sold...only lived.
Bikes:
Much like a Rolex watch or an old pair of Dickies, Tom
Foster strives for designs characterized by timeless and classic
lines - the kind that never go out of style and celebrate function
as much as form. The "Foster style" celebrates the flowing
and minimalist lines of the early classic motorcycles while
still reaching forward technologically. This is evidenced
by Foster's "Landshark" signature style. As far as Tom
Foster sees it, motorcycles are about the "go" far more than
about the "show."
"Who's the
bigger pimp? Not the guy cruising on the stretched, raked
chopper with the massive rear tire and all the fancy paint.
It's the guy spitting traffic at 90-plus and scraping it in the
turns with plenty of throttle to spare. Now I can't speak
for other builders, but that's who I build bikes for," says
Foster.
"It seems at
some point along the way, someone decided that choppers were
more an image thing to make you look cool, and all the
high-speed cornering and performance riding was for sport bikes.
To me, that's tragic, and it's the farthest thing from my
mentality, lifestyle and riding style: splitting lanes and
taking names." |
