"In his own words, Shinya Kimura is a motorcycle mechanic. To the rest of the world, Shinya is an artist, building kinetic sculptures that are and very labor intensive, one-of-a-kind, and ultimately utilitarian. Raised in Tokyo, he moved to LA about a decade ago to actually escape his growing fame and to quietly go on with his life as a mechanic. Acclaim has annoyingly still followed him. His bikes are tough, perfectly made machines that are thrilling to ride. In this film, Danielle explores briefly why motorcycles and what makes the work compelling for Shinya, and the feeling he gets while riding. The film is a supplement to the third issue of On Paper Magazine."

Dir by Danielle Levitt

SHINYU KIMURA – "Motorcycle Mechanic" from Evan Scott on Vimeo.

Please follow and like us:

Some motorcycle enthusiasts talk of their "old lady" riding on the back of their bikes.

Usually, though, the lady in question isn't preparing for a three-digit birthday party.

Nor does she generally have to worry about her walker or oxygen tank before trying to jump aboard.

"Nah, you don't get that often," avid rider J.R. Chance said with a guffaw. "You don't see much of that."

But that's what he will see – along with the rest of the Snyder Village retirement community – when his mother, Lavern Chance, celebrates her 100th birthday Saturday with her first motorcycle ride in almost a decade.

Born to be mild? Not when joined with a thundering, two-wheeled army of more than 100 other riders. With an eye toward Memorial Day, they'll salute the veterans at Snyder Village, then throttle up the excitement and join Lavern Chance's birthday ride.

Is she ready to once again feel the wind in her hair?

"Maybe we'll get to 3 or 4 mph," she said with a gentle smile.

Read more

Please follow and like us: