Vehicle designers, on the surface at least, appear to have one of the best jobs in the world, sitting around all day daydreaming, playing with crayons and doing lots of colouring in. Probably a million miles from the truth and one thing that must be frustrating is creating the perfect vision for a manufacture’s brief, penning the subsequent sketches and computer renders, only for the fun police to impart spirit crushing regulations, insist on ugly appendages and generally dumb-down for the mass market. Depending on one’s take on this, top-level custom builders like Stefano Venier are either compounding this frustration, or perhaps realising the designers original concept.
Stefano has produced some of the most stylish customs of recent years from the Venier Customs workshop in Brooklyn, New York. Most guys look good in a suit, better if it’s tailored but then you see Sean Connery in the early Bond films, no comparison. A Venier bike is Saville Row, with a shot of nitrous.
Being an Italian import himself, Stefano favours bikes from his native country, especially those from Mandello del Lario. Moto Guzzi’s are in his blood and the passion for them shines through. The Tractor series of V7s have been extremely well received and the order book is bulging. Here we have 03, a 2011 750cc V7 fit for the most distinguished of rider, with a degree of practicality retained. The seat is a two-up affair, although gelato bingeing pillions might need to look elsewhere for a ride, this saddle is perfectly proportioned for those with perfect proportions.
The handmade aluminium tank and fenders are the result of much R&D and the same as those available through the Venier website. One thing the stock V7 isn’t blessed with is truckloads of power, so weight saving adds valuable pep to the performance. Fellow New Yorker Lou Neziri from Alchemy Studio assisted with the fabrication and brought his own metal tailoring skills to the workshop. Mass Moto, also from Italy, manufacture high quality exhausts and have produced a special line for the Venier bikes, including the Tractor series.
Renthal bars fly the flag for the U.K. whilst the suspension is by Ikon from Australia, who assist Stefano with with the build courtesy of a pair of 7613 series shocks. Rocker covers are the old type from a small block motor, powder coated with a crackle finish. The speedo is uses satellites rather than spinning cable to asses progress and features the Venier logo, neat. Some of this though isn’t quite as novel and innovative as Stefano would like, so plans are afoot for expansion.
Alongside the as the factory should have made series of V7s and now 1400 Californias the Venier company is diversifying. Just launched is a clothing line, and we’re not talking logo on a T-shirt stuff here, but proper tailored riding wear. The main diversion for attention and time though is to transition Venier Customs to Venier Motorcycles, which will offer full, ground-up customs, bespoke frames, the lot.
Turns out that Stefano might just have the best job in the world, motorcycle designer, customiser, tailor and soon-to-be niche manufacturer. He’s going to need extra long business cards.
Photography by Alex Logiaski via PIPEBURN
