Gabriel

Last winter we collaborated with Urban Motor on a very special project, we named Gabriel, which for one reason or another escaped from the public light until now. When I first met Peter from Urban Motor in Berlin, a couple of years ago, I was amazed by the quality and proficiency of his builds and was happy to see that he loved our bikes too because of that “enfant terrible” unseen factor we emboss on all our works. It wasn’t until another occasion we met, I think in the desert of Almeria, that the idea of collaborating hit us. A perfect but untamed Urban Motor x El Solitario was to be born but we were only missing the link. We needed one crazy enough man to pick up this endeavor. Only a year later Peter called introducing us to Raoul. You should hear Raoul’s excitement on this project and “joie de vivre”!@#$ It was magic, one of those unforgettable situations in which the stars align. A few months later a bloody gorgeous and to be 100% TUV compliant machine arrived in our workshop, just waiting to be baptized!

The starting point, (as it couldn’t be in any other way), was to find the real name for the rebirthing creature. This time wouldn’t be easy too. There was an inherent strong emotional charge on this project, being Raoul immerse in a tragic fight for his life. This alone did put us against the ropes at first. We knew the personification of this motorcycle needed to be very powerful and sacred but always defiant in respect to our DNA. When the idea of the Archangel Gabriel raised, we immediately realized we were up to something precious. Gabriel means “man of God” and is one of the two angels named in the bible and universal to all three religions. Gabriel was God’s special messenger. Although a scary tough archangel, he would offer guidance and aid, if adequately asked. Our dear Gabriel, with its flamboyant wings and insubordinate scythes, should protect our buddy Raoul through the shady roads that life might put at his wheels.

Once we had cleared the path with its nomenclature, the next step towards resurrection was to prepare the surface of its reservoir. Our often imitated El Solitario Impostor anthropomorphical treatment was to be applied. We can’t give you all the details of this bloodcurdling praxis, because of a few mockers, tricksters, and self proclaimed artists, whose name is not worth to squeal, as they’ll surely be creeping, behind their computer screens, to scavenge our secret ritual. But we can disclose a few hints.  We first gave it a bath in Galician lava to purify all guilt and then frantically scrubbed it with dragon skin, till achieving the desired patina and feel. Only then a little toad fat was to be applied for that delicate shine. Once the surface was idling for its rebirth, we tattooed El Solitario iconography al over it, utterly framed by two splendorous and powerful wings, using Noramigami Indian solitude sticks to achieve that Mischievously-Perfect-Look™. Next, as we were in for a full sensorial ride, was to be the seat. After selecting the right skin, our squirrels did a perfect job, which could be the envy of the upper worlds. This was then extended to the grips et voila! “Teḥiyyat Ha-Metim”

PS: Gabriel says: Never Ride Faster Than Your Angel Can Fly