© David Naldini
The mind of Maxwell Hazan is surely an incredible place. After all it is where the LA-based artist first dreams up the ideas for his unique motorcycles.
© David Naldini
Maxwell Hazan
When it comes to building unique motorcycles Maxwell Hazan is fairly new to the game. The 32-year old first opened Hazan Motors in Brooklyn in 2012 (he has since re-located to LA) and has only built four bikes so far. There is a very good reason for these low production numbers however; each bike takes on average 6 – 8 months of intense manual craftsmanship.
His creativity and attention to detail have not gone unnoticed though. MB&F’s Geneva-based M.A.D. Gallery, famed for showcasing the work of some of the design world’s most visionary inventors, will soon become the new home of his two most recent creations – the Royal Enfield and Harley Davidson Ironhead.
Both bikes have been hand-built by Maxwell Hazan himself, completely from scratch and are unlike anything you have seen before. Each bike is distinctly different from the other and yet at the same time you can quickly spot the common thread of a singular artist at work.
The Royal Enfield
© David Naldini
According to Hazan he first fell in love with the Royal Enfield motor when he saw a photo of an Enfield that his sister had rented in India. Two years ago, he bought a 1996 Royal Enfield motor and began work on it. The six-month long process was all encompassing, not to mention exhausting but the results speak for themselves.
“This was the first time that I built everything from scratch,” he explains. “Every lever, linkage, cable… each part was made to be seen.”
As you can see the focus is on the engine, which has been paired with a double cam system with bronze chains. At the front an imposing looking drum-braking system occupies much of the front wheel, whilst the handlebars above feature metallic grips.
© David Naldini
Finishing the look is the beautifully hand-carved wooden seat floating over the plump back tyre. According to Maxwell Hazan the seat is inspired by the design of vintage Italian speedboats, and required refinishing three times to compensate for the expansion and contraction of the wood.
The Harley Davidson Ironhead
© David Naldini
The second bike in the line up has a more aggressive look to it and well it should, it is after all based on a Harley Davidson. According to Hazan he had always loved the heads on the Harley 1000s, and so he decided to buy a 1981 model with the idea of running two front heads and dual carbs.
Sitting above this impressive engine display is an equally impressive custom made fuel tank, giving the bike a very tapered, aerodynamic appearance. It took Hazan four attempts to get the shape just right but his persistence has certainly paid off.
© David Naldini
Close examination also reveals an innovative front suspension system complete with a horizontal shock absorber. The design is completely new, something Hazan challenges himself to come up with on all his bikes.
To see the incredible creations of Maxwell Hazan for yourself be sure to visit the M.A.D. Gallery either in person in Geneva (highly recommended) or failing that, at their very cool website: www.mbandf.com/mad-gallery/
