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Inside the Monster Garage With Jesse James

Crafting mechanical works of art is bike builder Jesse James’s passion. See the process through the lens of photographer Nathaniel Welch.
Published in the November 2007 issue.

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Jesse James smart design
The Smart Design. Function and form have to work together, whether you’re boring a hole in a transmission sprocket cover or forming an exhaust pipe or building the perfect frame. “All our bike parts need to do all the things they need to do well, but they also need to look good doing it,” James says. “If it’s just functional and well-built, then it’s probably bland and boring. That doesn’t fit our style.” He says research is the key to making something special: “I get inspiration from everywhere, from furniture to 1970s Formula One cars to aircraft. Finding out how those things are made, and then using those techniques and processes in a creative way, is rewarding to me.”

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