Deus Ex Machina

[metallyguitarded_imp]

I came across a video of this café/surfshop/custom bike shop on YouTube called Deus Ex Machina. It's in Venice Beach which is about 130 miles from San Diego. I had the day off, the wife was at work, so I decided to ride up the coast and check it out.

It was a beautiful day and the traffic was light. Well, relatively light for Los Angeles. The ocean was a brilliant blue and the air was a pleasant 79 degrees. The CB rode like a champ. The new grips get an A+. One stop in Huntington Beach to fill up then on to Deus which is on the corner of Venice and Lincoln.

There were a couple old Harley bobbers, a Triumph Bonneville, a Kawasaki W650, and a few custom Deus motorcycles in the parking lot out back. I pulled in, enjoyed a sandwich and a latte, then browsed through the place.

The café has outdoor seating as well as some tables inside where people were busy on their computers doing whatever it is that those people on their laptops do in cafes. From there, the place flows into a surf shop of sorts with boards lining one wall but with motorcycle art/prints on all the walls. Just past the surfboards is the clothing which includes some retro styled motorcycle gloves, jackets and boots. I picked up a t-shirt to bring home with me.

There were a few custom motorcycles throughout the place. All reminiscent of the early days of riding. The whole place had a cool but unpretentious vibe to it. It didn't seem to be a hipster hangout but even if it were, I have no problem with hipsters. I just can't fit into the skinny jeans they wear.

The ride home wasn't as fun. Traffic was bad. The three hour ride home would have been closer to four if it wasn't for lane splitting! All in all, it was a good day. Five and a half hours on the CB. She's breaking in nicely.

Here's a link to the YouTube video that turned me on to this place: http://youtu.be/x7sUnXhNASM

Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with 15 guys and gals from the VFR forum for lunch. Of course, I'll be riding my VFR to that one. It would be cool to get a group of So. Cal. CB riders together for a meetup. How many of you are out there?

Oh, "Deus ex machina" is latin for "God from the machine." I like it.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Born in Australia. Must be dodgy.

[url=http://www.adventure-journal.com/2012/12/the-story-behind-deus-ex-machina/]Deus ex Machina

Cheers, and a "Viffer" too. Great bike.

[TINK_imp]

I came across a video of this café/surfshop/custom bike shop on YouTube called Deus Ex Machina. It's in Venice Beach which is about 130 miles from San Diego. I had the day off, the wife was at work, so I decided to ride up the coast and check it out.

It was a beautiful day and the traffic was light. Well, relatively light for Los Angeles. The ocean was a brilliant blue and the air was a pleasant 79 degrees. The CB rode like a champ. The new grips get an A+. One stop in Huntington Beach to fill up then on to Deus which is on the corner of Venice and Lincoln.

There were a couple old Harley bobbers, a Triumph Bonneville, a Kawasaki W650, and a few custom Deus motorcycles in the parking lot out back. I pulled in, enjoyed a sandwich and a latte, then browsed through the place.

The café has outdoor seating as well as some tables inside where people were busy on their computers doing whatever it is that those people on their laptops do in cafes. From there, the place flows into a surf shop of sorts with boards lining one wall but with motorcycle art/prints on all the walls. Just past the surfboards is the clothing which includes some retro styled motorcycle gloves, jackets and boots. I picked up a t-shirt to bring home with me.

There were a few custom motorcycles throughout the place. All reminiscent of the early days of riding. The whole place had a cool but unpretentious vibe to it. It didn't seem to be a hipster hangout but even if it were, I have no problem with hipsters. I just can't fit into the skinny jeans they wear.

The ride home wasn't as fun. Traffic was bad. The three hour ride home would have been closer to four if it wasn't for lane splitting! All in all, it was a good day. Five and a half hours on the CB. She's breaking in nicely.

Here's a link to the YouTube video that turned me on to this place: http://youtu.be/x7sUnXhNASM

Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with 15 guys and gals from the VFR forum for lunch. Of course, I'll be riding my VFR to that one. It would be cool to get a group of So. Cal. CB riders together for a meetup. How many of you are out there?

Oh, "Deus ex machina" is latin for "God from the machine." I like it.

I've stopped by DEUS a few times. Interesting place, more hipster boutique than motorcycle shop.

I've also attended a few VVMC Third Sunday rides where several DEUS built bikes show up regularly >
http://www.photosbytink.com/vvmc2014april/

I live in Westminster and I'm always up for a ride; a CB gathering would be very cool.

TINK

PS
Had a couple of VFR's myself, great bikes > http://home.ix.netcom.com/~tinkler/VFR.html

[The Spaceman_imp]

Born in Australia. Must be dodgy.

[url=http://www.adventure-journal.com/2012/12/the-story-behind-deus-ex-machina/]Deus ex Machina

Cheers, and a "Viffer" too. Great bike.

I get some dodgy viffers myself sometimes. Bar-B-Q seems to kick them into high gear.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

Born in Australia. Must be dodgy.

Deus ex Machina

Cheers, and a "Viffer" too. Great bike.

Thanks!

I came across a video of this café/surfshop/custom bike shop on YouTube called Deus Ex Machina. It's in Venice Beach which is about 130 miles from San Diego. I had the day off, the wife was at work, so I decided to ride up the coast and check it out.

It was a beautiful day and the traffic was light. Well, relatively light for Los Angeles. The ocean was a brilliant blue and the air was a pleasant 79 degrees. The CB rode like a champ. The new grips get an A+. One stop in Huntington Beach to fill up then on to Deus which is on the corner of Venice and Lincoln.

There were a couple old Harley bobbers, a Triumph Bonneville, a Kawasaki W650, and a few custom Deus motorcycles in the parking lot out back. I pulled in, enjoyed a sandwich and a latte, then browsed through the place.

The café has outdoor seating as well as some tables inside where people were busy on their computers doing whatever it is that those people on their laptops do in cafes. From there, the place flows into a surf shop of sorts with boards lining one wall but with motorcycle art/prints on all the walls. Just past the surfboards is the clothing which includes some retro styled motorcycle gloves, jackets and boots. I picked up a t-shirt to bring home with me.

There were a few custom motorcycles throughout the place. All reminiscent of the early days of riding. The whole place had a cool but unpretentious vibe to it. It didn't seem to be a hipster hangout but even if it were, I have no problem with hipsters. I just can't fit into the skinny jeans they wear.

The ride home wasn't as fun. Traffic was bad. The three hour ride home would have been closer to four if it wasn't for lane splitting! All in all, it was a good day. Five and a half hours on the CB. She's breaking in nicely.

Here's a link to the YouTube video that turned me on to this place: [url=http://youtu.be/x7sUnXhNASM]http://youtu.be/x7sUnXhNASM

Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with 15 guys and gals from the VFR forum for lunch. Of course, I'll be riding my VFR to that one. It would be cool to get a group of So. Cal. CB riders together for a meetup. How many of you are out there?

Oh, "Deus ex machina" is latin for "God from the machine." I like it.

I've stopped by DEUS a few times. Interesting place, more hipster boutique than motorcycle shop.

I've also attended a few VVMC Third Sunday rides where several DEUS built bikes show up regularly >
http://www.photosbytink.com/vvmc2014april/

I live in Westminster and I'm always up for a ride; a CB gathering would be very cool.

TINK

PS
Had a couple of VFR's myself, great bikes > http://home.ix.netcom.com/~tinkler/VFR.html

I've stopped by DEUS a few times. Interesting place, more hipster boutique than motorcycle shop.

I've also attended a few VVMC Third Sunday rides where several DEUS built bikes show up regularly >
http://www.photosbytink.com/vvmc2014april/

I live in Westminster and I'm always up for a ride; a CB gathering would be very cool.

TINK

PS
Had a couple of VFR's myself, great bikes > http://home.ix.netcom.com/~tinkler/VFR.html
Great photos Tink! Let's work on getting some CB's together soon.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

I suppose I missed the hipster crowd when I arrived at Deus. There were plenty of people inside but none with the classic hipster look. Just regular people, chillin in a café like most cafe's I've been in. Wait a minute ... what if I'M a hipster and I don't realize it?! And all those "regular" people are hipsters too! Oh no ... what's my momma gonna think?

The place did strike me more as a fancy motorcycle-inspired café than a serious custom motorcycle shop. Still, I enjoyed it. The stuff inside was priced out of my reach but we don't have anything like that down in San Diego. It was fun to visit. I'll probably go back again.

TINK, I see that you posted about a So Cal meetup. I'll be over to that thread in a moment. Here are a few pics from my VFR meetup. Would be great to get at least a half dozen CB's together!

Here we have a 2nd generation VFR750 (1986) in the foreground, a 5th generation VFR800 (1998), followed by two Anniversary Edition 6th generation VFR800s (2007); mine being the last one.

[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/102514BeeJasonJohnandMyBikes.jpg.html]

We picked up a brand spanking new 8th generation VFR800 (2014) along the way. It's the all white bike which actually has a beautiful metallic shimmer to the paint. You need a camera (and eye) like TINK's to pick up.

[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/102514Meetup2.jpg.html]

By the time everyone got there, we had 10 VFRs from various generations represented. We filled up on burgers and fries and put faces to screen names. it was a good time.

[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/102514Slaters8.jpg.html]

[emptysea]

Great pictures. Very cool bikes, all.

what if I'M a hipster and I don't realize it?! And all those "regular" people are hipsters too! <--- Cracked me up.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

Great pictures. Very cool bikes, all.

what if I'M a hipster and I don't realize it?! And all those "regular" people are hipsters too! <--- Cracked me up.

Thanks EmptySea! If you hit the road now, you'll make it with plenty of time to spare for the Hansen Dam meetup. Let me know your waist size and I'll bring you a pair of skinny jeans two sizes too small and some pomade to curl the tips of your mustache. No way I'm going to be the only hipster there!

[the Ferret]

Very cool VFR pics MG

[Pterodactyl_imp]

I suppose I missed the hipster crowd when I arrived at Deus. There were plenty of people inside but none with the classic hipster look. Just regular people, chillin in a café like most cafe's I've been in. Wait a minute ... what if I'M a hipster and I don't realize it?! And all those "regular" people are hipsters too! Oh no ... what's my momma gonna think?

The place did strike me more as a fancy motorcycle-inspired café than a serious custom motorcycle shop. Still, I enjoyed it. The stuff inside was priced out of my reach but we don't have anything like that down in San Diego. It was fun to visit. I'll probably go back again.

TINK, I see that you posted about a So Cal meetup. I'll be over to that thread in a moment. Here are a few pics from my VFR meetup. Would be great to get at least a half dozen CB's together!

Here we have a 2nd generation VFR750 (1986) in the foreground, a 5th generation VFR800 (1998), followed by two Anniversary Edition 6th generation VFR800s (2007); mine being the last one.

[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/102514BeeJasonJohnandMyBikes.jpg.html]

We picked up a brand spanking new 8th generation VFR800 (2014) along the way. It's the all white bike which actually has a beautiful metallic shimmer to the paint. You need a camera (and eye) like TINK's to pick up.

[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/102514Meetup2.jpg.html]

By the time everyone got there, we had 10 VFRs from various generations represented. We filled up on burgers and fries and put faces to screen names. it was a good time.

[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/102514Slaters8.jpg.html]

That '86 is a beautiful bike. To my eye it has the clean lines of a classic sport tourer with the emphasis on sport. Lightweight, a tad over a hundred neddies and setup to travel quickly. In fact THE classic sport tourer. If you have one in good condition then cherish it as they have gone forever. The new 800 Viffers are a credit to the lineage however I feel the emphasis has shifted to touring. Don't get me wrong, the 800/1200 models still handle very well and are great bikes in their own right. Just "different". Tour on a 750 and lightweight is the way to go. With the new big boys you could pack a tuxedo, a selection of tha Napa Valley's finest, a flat screen and someone to wash your dishes. Great photos mate. I would have loved to be there.

As to the other, and critical, question. Have you been bitten by a hipster and become one of the un-read? For a start look between your legs. No not there mate, further down! Yes, that's it, at the motorcycle you are sitting on. Is it a small capacity Japanese grey import bought for next to nothing by a boutique motorcycle business? Has the bike been stripped down to faux rattiness, clip-ons and bar end mirrors affixed? Racing seat in "used" leather? Poor quality exhausts wrapped? Tank polished back to metal and decorated with the business name or maybe a slick slogan (ranging from new-age to "death or glory")? Was it sold to you at a markup that would make the Wolf of Wall Street wet his pants? Do you have the T-shirt, with motif, over blue jeans with rolled up cuffs, heeled boots, and slicked back hair? Garbed like this, do you ride this sorry excuse for a bike, let's call it a "motorsickle", to trendy cafés? Sorry mate, if you answer yes to these questions then a silver bullet and stake through the heart is the only fix. Get a man with a Viffer to do it.

Cheers, and great post.