Born Free Cycles is a rad motorcycle shop nestled in the vibrant city of Burbank, California. The shop is owned and operated by the hardworking Alex Lopez. Born Free Cycles has been Los Angeles’ best motorcycle shop for 12 years and it looks like they won’t be slowing down anytime soon. With a deep-rooted pride in their craft, the shop team goes above and beyond to provide unparalleled service, ensuring that each rider embarks on their journey with nothing less than the best. Alex has an unwavering passion for the open road and likes to send customers off with his trademark phrase, “I won’t see you for a while because this things’ gonna run.” This statement embodies the commitment to excellence that defines Born Free Cycles. Whether it’s a regular tune-up, custom modification, or expert advice, Born Free Cycles remains dedicated to making every customer’s experience an unforgettable one.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: I’d love for you to share how your journey in the motorcycle industry started and how you became the owner of Born Free Cycles.
Alex Lopez: I graduated from MMI in Arizona in 2005 with honors and a perfect attendance, which is really hard for me to do. I wasn’t the “perfect attendance” kid in high school or junior high school. I started working for a local dealer here in Los Angeles. I was there for close to 10 years. When my wife and I set out to open our own shop, I just woke up one day and I said, ”I really want to expand.” We were into the new Harleys, and we didn’t get to build custom bikes at the dealership [I worked at]. And it was just kind of always at the back of my mind, because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I love to do it in my garage. So I wanted to expand and so we came up with Born Free Cycles.
Caption: Alex standing in the shop next to a great build (Photo: Owned by Alex Lopez)
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: Your shop predominantly works with Harley-Davidson. So what inspired you to specialize in American-made bikes and because of this, what sets born free cycles apart from other motorcycle shops?
Alex Lopez: Well, the answer is in your question, they’re American-made motorcycles and that’s what sets us apart. We specialize in only Harley-Davidson’s and American v Twin Motors, from the very antique models, all the way up to the present day. We have the knowledge, experience, and sophisticated tools to handle the new stuff. And that’s what sets us apart.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: Could you walk us through the process of customizing a motorcycle for a client from design to completion?
Alex Lopez: I spend time with the client. I wanna get to know them initially. I wanna know what they’re about, their style, their favorite colors and what inspires them, what they wanna be, and what they want the motorcycle to look like. We spend that kind of time to find out the overall performance of the motorcycle and then we put it in motion. So we get the results that we’re all happy with.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: And what would be your favorite part of that whole journey with your client?
Alex Lopez: The relationship is kind of the most important part of it. I like that part of it. I always say, we treat you like family.
Caption: Alex working hard in the shop (Photo: Owned by Alex Lopez)
Caption: Alex proudly walking around the shop checking out the latest builds (Photo: Owned by Alex Lopez)
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: What advice would you give someone who is interested in becoming a rider?
Alex Lopez: As a rider, start with the bike you want to ride. Don’t buy a bike you don’t want to ride in the fear of how much it weighs. Buy the bike that you want and adapt. Learn how to ride that motorcycle and never, ever ride out of your comfort level.
Caption: Born Free Cycles specializes in all things Harley-Davidson (Photo: Owned by Alex Lopez)
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: Obviously you found your passion in motorcycles, but you didn’t share how you got into motorcycles.
Alex Lopez: It’s funny, I have a picture of me in a onesie when I was a baby with one leg on top of a big wheel. My dad said, ”I always knew you were gonna be some sort of biker with long hair”. The longhaired days are over. But he says, I was into motorcycles from the get. He says, you were fascinated by motorcycles. So I got into riding scooters in the eighties, in my teenage years. We were riding Vespas and we would chop ’em up and make ’em look like a chopper and build these big motors out of these things. And they were really fast. Then I rode a Triumph. My first motorcycle was a Triumph Bonneville, a ‘74.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: What’s the most memorable experience working with a client on a specific motorcycle project?
Alex Lopez: That’s a difficult one. The best part of this is that I’m in the motorcycle community and you meet everybody. People will call us or think Harley people got a reputation of being snobbish towards other motorcycles. You know, FTW stands for Forever Two Wheels in my book. And so it’s two wheels, right? It doesn’t matter. It’s a motorcycle, you know. So I stop and talk to the guys on the Triumphs and the women on the Triumphs and the women on the Harleys. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m passionate about motorcycles and the motorcycle community and the riding.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: Have you ever gotten into a motorcycle accident? If so, what did you learn from it?
Alex Lopez: Yes, of course. I hate to say it like that, but I had two accidents in my younger days. When I was 17 and I was 20. Neither of them were my fault. Both were before the helmet law. What I learned is, get yourself a good lawyer.
If you need a tune-up, rebuild or require some new gear, consider visiting Born Free Cycles. Check out their website or Instagram for the latest updates, and secure an appointment today for an exceptional experience! Ride safe, and thanks for reading!
