Michael's Motorcycles is not your typical motorcycle shop. More like a museum/art gallery, it is hard to take it all in when you walk through the front door. A bi-plane hangs over a collection of vintage bikes stacked on white steel racks. A large arrangement of fresh flowers is placed in front of a white sofa that is surrounded by toys and a chess set. A barrista is brewing espressos under a striking art-deco motorcycle ad. The coffee shop is called Kickstarter Cafe.
Saturday was their annual Bike Show and open house. Michael and his staff specialize in rare motorcycles which they collect, repair and sell to collectors all over the world. I joined several members of the St. Louis Drawing & Painting Meetup to sketch our impressions of the event that included a live band, a food truck and about 80 guests many of which parked their own vintage motorcycles along the street in front of the building in an industrial area on Chouteau Avenue.
I cound not resist sketching the early '20's Indian, a beautifully restored museum-quality object. Check out the white tires.
There is a cool video of their 2010 Bike Show on Michael's Motorcycles web site http://www.michaelsmotorcycles.com/
Bike Show sketches, Michael Anderson, watercolor on Canson 140lb cold press. 7" x 9".
