Handmade Motorcycles from Liberty Vintage

Handmade Portraits: Liberty Vintage Motorcycles from Etsy on Vimeo.

Video and Photos via ETSY Handmade Portraits and VIMEO 

Located deep in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood is an unassuming warehouse that sits peacefully in between rowhomes, across from a small park. Inside that warehouse we find a collection of 200+ vintage motorcycles and the workshop of Adam Cramer, the owner of Liberty Vintage Cycles. A true master of his craft, Adam specializes in restoring vintage motorcycles to perform as well as they ever had when they were new. For the last 25 years Adam has honed his skills as a master technician to restore and repair countless motorcycles from an era long gone.

Adam’s passion for restoration is rooted deeply in his desire to preserve these motorcycles as pieces of history for future generations to fall in love with. But Adam also fears for the future of his craft. Adam believes that we as a society may be losing some of the toughness, some of that can-do American spirit that defined us culturally during industrial revolution and throughout the 20th century. Adam seems to mourn for the future of his craft as an eventual “lost art”, a soon-to-be victim of modernization. While we don’t necessarily agree with 100% of his views, we certainly understand where he’s coming from.

But alas, we have faith. Anyone that’s ever ridden a vintage motorcycle or driven a classic car knows the feeling. It’s special, and that’s what makes it hard to define and describe. Adam explains it nicely:

“The vintage bikes have much more style and panache. It’s more of an accomplishment. And it’s the cool factor, it’s James Dean…Marlon Brando in The Wild One. It’s Fonzi for chrissakes.”
– Adam Cramer

Keep up the good work Adam. We’re pretty sure that you’ll have no shortage of customers in the coming years.

Source: ETSY Handmade Portraits via VIMEO