The Bay Area has a great riding scene and culture and Grey Dog Moto is part of why it’s so good on the left coast. Alameda, CA is an island sandwiched between San Francisco and Oakland and Patrick Bell’s Grey Dog Moto takes up just small sq. ft. of prime bike building real estate. With a love for speed and a laid back Weimaraner named Berlin as his CEO, Bell has turned his passion into his profession. [Motor Magazine]
2014 (not much change, maybe helmet, less hair)
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circa: 1989 |
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My beginnings are like most...first a bicycle, dirt bike, then got into 80's MOD scooter sub culture with Italian scooters, lot's of air-cooled motors, VW's, Porsche's, then a need to go faster and farther on two wheels. Always had a big passion for motorcycles & European cars. Friends bought bikes and I wanted one too. Of course that grew over the years... My photographic background in art made is easy to understand the beauty in all vintage machinery. The lines, metal work, the real dedication to mechanics. Designers knew their craft, but always had room for improvement. I found that I could be more than just "the photographer" that rode a motorcycle to the studio or set. I could also modify or repair it myself. I mentored at several shops to hone some skills. Eventually I fell back on the photographic industry, but bikes always intrigued me. I continued to wrench and pursue my photographic career. Photography gave the vision to modify bikes the same way you would frame a photograph. After our Son was born this soon turned into wrenching and customizing motorcycles at a feverish pace. Somehow Art & Motorcycling easily go hand-in-hand. Beauty through function, simplicity and form. It's never a perfect blend... Photography, Television, Movies, and Magazines, have been a platform to share. I've have the privilege to work with many talented people, and I work hard for others to enjoy my creations. Vintage Bikes are inherently beautiful so it's easy to be attracted. They are not always fun. They fight back! Broken knuckles could be the only reward. I love people...but........ years of being frustrated with intolerant shops, mounting machine cost, painting, part supply companies, etc...Grey Dog Moto was born!!!! Berlin CEO "the grey dog" (our German Weimaraner) is the boss. She sleeps, eats, and almost never tells me to speed up. Here at GDMoto we listen to details, be it a service or build. It's always fun to make others "bucket list" a reality. Cafe Racers, European, Customs, Brit Bikes, Italian Scooters, "Rat Bikes", American Classics, and all things vintage... it's on! I'm inspired by others who have already done the hard work of invention, and only try to honor that history. Motorcycles have been in my life for over 30 years. Very hard to believe that it's been this long. I'm looking forward to riding someday with my children. I want riders to experience some of the fun I've had... Vintage Motorcycles are the foundation. 
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