We asked Nik L. one simple question and got lot more than we bargained for — in the best way possible. Read on to learn about his intro into the moto world and fun facts about bikes bearing Audi's classic logo. Then check back next week, when we ask Nik about his moto trips.
How long have you been riding, which bikes have you owned and how did you become interested in riding?
Since birth! Well, almost. My parents have a photo of me at three years old, where I'm wearing a colander as a helmet and turned the front wheel of my tricycle 180 degrees around, so you can see the fender, like on a real motorcycle.
I bought my first bike at 16, found in the back of a barn at a garage sale in upstate NY. It was a 1966 Yamaha 305 Scrambler. Kept it at a friend's house, never rode it, but sold it for $150 a year later.
At 17, I went to college in Rhode Island with $500 in cash from my parents for books. Within two days, I found a 1982 Suzuki GS450A in the Providence Journal classifieds, and talked a friend with a car into driving me 45 minutes off campus to look at this bike. The handlebars were twisted, tank dented, tires bald, and for $450 cash it was mine. I paid for the textbooks with my first credit card.
From that point, buying and selling bikes became my side hustle while in college. I would buy them in the late fall, ride for a little bit—once even in the snow—and then sell in the spring. Through four years of college (started in Engineering, finished in Visual Art), I had owned multiple examples of every UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). A few that come to mind are the Honda CX500 and CX650, Yamaha Seca, Suzuki GS700ES, Kawasaki GPZ550 and KZ750.
The summer between junior and senior years I worked for a high-end antique dealer in NYC, and started researching vintage bikes. A lifelong Audi fan (I grew up in snowy central NY, where AWD was a must), I discovered that of the four companies that merged (hence, four rings) to form Auto-Union in 1932, one of the four, DKW, was primarily a two-stroke motorcycle and small car manufacturer. In fact, DKW bikes outsold BMW in Germany during the 1930s. So my dream became to find a motorcycle with the four-ring Audi logo on it.
That dream was fulfilled in the fall of 2000, when perusing the now-defunct weekly Want Advertiser, I saw an ad for "DKW motorcycle, needs work, 1953" in Mansfield, MA. My parents were visiting that weekend, and I dragged them, reluctantly, with me to look at this "investment". The trip was successful, and I became the owner of a 1953 DKW RT200H, which I own to this day and periodically update with correct restoration parts. Yes, it runs. And has the four ring logo across the rear fender, just below the factory luggage rack.
After college came a short career in biotech. My first purchase during adult life was a 2001 MZ Skorpion Sport 660, a bike with ties to Audi lineage. The MZ factory was originally the DKW factory, but ending up East Germany when the borders were drawn post-WWII, it naturally came under new management. That said, by the late 90s, MZ made very interesting bikes, outsourcing Yamaha 'thumper' engines.
Other bikes during this period included a 2000 Ducati Monster 900ie, which I did not own, but took care of for two years while a close friend was completing his Masters at London Business School. I also bought my 'forever' bike, a new 2006 Triumph Bonneville in silver, in the spring of 2007.
Life changes found me in Chicago by the fall of 2011, where I still reside. The Bonneville came with me, then back to Boston, then to upstate NY, then back to Chicago again. I started renting Harleys during family vacations—at the time, this was the only viable rental option. I'm not a fan of heavy bikes, but there were a handful that I enjoyed, such as the V-Rod Night Rod Special and the redesigned 2011 Wide Glide.
Chicago is very flat, and 95% of the streets are straight and perpendicular—this seemed ideal for a classic American cruiser. I found, and purchased, a perfect Wide Glide at this time. I also found a worthy new home for the beloved Bonneville after ten years of ownership. The following summer, my brother-in-law came to visit for several months, bringing his whole family from Russia's Far East (Sakhalin Island, to be precise). He's an avid rider, and after a few rentals, I decided that it would be best to have another bike on hand. Harley? Nope. I found a black '09 Bonneville, quite similar to my beloved '06, but with alloy wheels, 865cc engine, and fuel injection. The following year I sold the Wide Glide, and the replacement Black Bonnie became my new forever bike.
Recently, I discovered Twisted Road while on another family trip to the east coast. I was tired of renting Harleys, and being familiar with the RelayRides/Turo platform, started searching the web for a motorcycle equivalent. Behold, a Twisted Road member was offering his Ducati Scrambler in Newbury, MA, fifteen minutes from our beach house. The interaction was very courteous and professional, and inspired me to list my Bonneville with Twisted Road when I came home.
Since then, I've added two more bikes to my recreational/rental fleet: a 2015 Ducati Scrambler Urban Enduro (a hilarious, hooligan bike, recalling Steve McQueen in The Great Escape), and a 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 in white - a classy, powerful sport tourer with matching hard luggage. Both Triumphs and the Ducati are available through TwistedRoad here in Mount Prospect, IL. I'll gladly show you the 1953 DKW when you come by!
Check out Nik's Bikes (all three of them) available for rent (just outside of Chicago):
