El Solitario Heritage Motorcycle Co.

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Text VP

I have always been passionate about Spain. Since I was very young, in our travels we always felt the the good vibration it pours. I traveled all over the country and find every occasion to go back a good one. Recently in my last trip I encountered a new region, Galicia, very different from the rest of Spain. This region has a very strong personality, from its landscapes to its inhabitants' origins ... David rode us there for the first time of many. He is a truly special specimen and there he's known by the name of "El Solitario". May be it is because he has spent more time abroad than in his native country, which has probably forged his dissident character, and also his love for old motorcycles and their culture. David spent five years in Miami before moving back to Spain and opening "El Solitario Heritage Motorcycle Co.". In his workshop, he has already started the building and transformation of classic and vintage motorcycles. It's great to see those wooden benches already full of work in progress! You can breathe the challenge in its origins. The challenge of a man that left everything behind to pursue his dreams. We are eager to see his very first works that will be exposed in June at the Southsiders week-end.

Me confieso un enamorado de España desde muy temprana edad. Es un pais donde siempre he percibido buenas sensaciones y que conozco bien tras multiples viajes a lo largo y ancho de su territorio. En mi ultimo viaje descubri Galicia, una region distinta y misteriosa. Tierra de gran personalidad, tanto en sus paisajes como en sus origines. Alli nos llevo David, un personaje muy especial... Alli le llaman El Solitario, dado que se ha pasado gran parte de su vida vagando por distintos lugares del mundo, siempre lejos de su tierra natal, lo que probablemente sea la raiz de su marcado caracter disidente y su pasion por las motos viejas y la cultura que las rodea. David vivio 5 años de su vida en Miami antes de su regreso a Galicia, para la apertura del El Solitario Heritage Motorcycle Co. En los bancos de su taller ya se perfilan las siluetas de sus primeras creaciones y huele a madera quemada y desafio. El desafio de un hombre que lo dejo todo para realizar sus sueños. Ansiamos el momento de poder contemplar sus obras que seran expuestas en Junio en la fiesta de Southsiders MC.









Text by Chris Hunter
The bike-building scene in Spain is absolutely booming, and I’ve no idea why. We have the specialists—like Radical Ducati—and the new wave custom shops, like Café Racer Dreams. Now we have El Solitario MC, based in the Galician town of Gondomar and run by vintage motorcycle racer David Borras. It’s hard to categorize this shop, but it’s run on enthusiasm and skill, without being tied to any particular style. This distinctive, heavily patina’d machine is the first creation, a matching numbers Triumph T120R that’s had a complete motor rebuild and been fitted with a hardtail frame. The rims are Borrani—19” rear and 21” front—with a 1971 Triumph twin leading shoe drum up front and race tires. Carburetion is twin Amal monobloc, and David has also fitted a QPD open belt drive and Boyer Bransden ignition. The tank and rear fender are classic Wassell. It’s grungy, oddball and stylish at the same time, and will no doubt polarise opinion …

Images courtesy of Vincent Prat, Southsiders MC. Take a look at the El Solitario MC website for glimpses of other interesting machines and some very good photography.

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