Kiwi Inidan Motorcycle Company
Several years ago I was fortunate to meet Mike and Carolyn Tomas. Mike IS Kiwi Indian, running his company since the 80's. He not only restores Indian Motorcycles from the '01-'53 time frame but he builds replicas and has a booming parts business. In a time when 99% of us riding Indian Motorcycles are on the modern versions, this is a thriving niche business that has done them well and continues to do so.
Over the years I've stayed in contact with them, but rarely getting the quality time I wanted to spend with them. A couple of years ago they were in Galveston for Lone Star Rally and we got to ride with them to some beach side joints and visit, but still not enough time. I missed the opportunity this past spring to meet with them in the Hill Country at an event and that one was a heart wrencher for me. I'd hoped to see them all weekend and even bring down my 1947 Chief and see if Mike could give it some TLC. This past weekend I found myself in California on a trip to see family and being only an hour away, I wasn't going to miss this opportunity to look up Kiwi Mike and his bride.
Sunday was the 'wide open' day for me so reached out to Mike and got a "come on out Mate!" response so it was a go. Asked my daughter if she wanted to tag along and she was all in. She's got a passion for the bikes from an outsiders perspective; she loves riding with me, bike rally's .. but .. has never ridden herself. Pick her up in Long Beach, we jump on Hwy 91 and we're rolling East. For the most part traffic isn't an issue and to my amazement, we're rolling into Riverside an hour later with no delays pulling up to our destination. I'm calling, texting but no answer. Jess sticks her head over the fence and sees Mike mowing the yard and gets his attention. We've arrived!
I've seen a few pics of his place via Carolyn on Social Media but they don't 
do it justice. He's got a beautiful setup out in Riverside that brings me back to my childhood a notch. I grew up in SoCal as a kid and I'm having a rush of memories. Temps are in the nineties and its got the dry desert heat feel I love. Mike picked us up some cold ones and has a new grill fired up with some meat on it. Downing that first beer smelling the chicken and ribs aroma; I'm smiling. We're soon BSing , discussing the past, the future and even my daughter's situation. Mike goes right into Dad mode with my daughter, which was a beautiful thing to see/hear. She's been out here for over a year and he's asking all the normal questions and I'm smiling listening to her answers, even snickering when she's having to answer the boyfriend related questions. Mike is the real deal and I'm soon reminded why I love these guys. Soon the meat is seared to perfection and we're feasting on the back porch with a fresh cold one. This is the life!
After lunch Mike offered the 'tour' which I've been hoping to get of course. We head out to the shops where the magic happens and I won't be disappointed! We start with the main office which impresses me out the gate with all the memorabilia in it. Fascinated is probably a better word. They lost their son a lil over five years ago to a motorcycle related accident and throughout their home and shops I'll see 
beautiful reminders of him. Find myself wishing once again I'd had the honor of meeting him before he passed. Soon, we're getting the tour of areas where the engines are built/rebuilt, bikes worked on. I'm seeing bikes I recognize (his daily rider and the Coast Guard tribute bike). Few customer bikes. At this point, I'm a notch surprised and wondering if the operation was 'smaller' than I'd previously assumed. Still, I'm surrounded with bikes and parts here and there, in various stages of builds. Eventually, we exit and headed to another building.Now I'm in what I'll call the 'parts bin'. LOTS of various parts. A bike here, a bike there. We'd passed an area outside that had dozens of frames and other various pieces so one begins to get a feel of the vastness of this business. But still in the back of my mind something seems to be missing and it
hasn't dawned on me yet. I'm looking up at tanks hanging above me .. fenders .. and more tanks.. and more fenders Soon we're headed upstairs and I feel like I'm in a show of "American Pickers' .. .. there is stuff... .everywhere. Jess keeps picking up things in fascination wondering what they are , why they are here. Lets just say, shit got real and cool. Mike's told me of how when he buys bikes he sometimes gets LOTS of additional things with them. Hell, I guess there was a convertible Impala in this garage recently, that came with a recent bike purchase. All or none, and the car was loaded with .. memorabilia! Here we were surrounded by that and more.Just and I think the tour is over and start back down the stairs just as Mike opens a set of doors and I soon find myself in his Man Cave! Now, we are talking! Beautiful room loaded with memorabilia, Big Screen TV, Leather Chairs/sofas and custom art work. If this had been another time, I'd have run up to the house grabbed a six pack, headed back and kicked back with him shooting the shit. But today isn't that day. I noticed a "worlds' fastest Indian ' movie poster and after talking about it, I find myself with two different new ones handed to me. Mike has been involved in so many things/movies over the years, it seems like he knows 'everyone' and has ties. He's got box of these in the corner and hands them out as he sees appropriate. The upstairs tour is over, we're headed down and I find myself 'sad' thinking it's all coming to an end. Wait...there's another set of doors, another room, located under the Man Cave above .....
 |
| 'original' Chieftain |
Soon, Jessica and I are rolling back and I'm seeing a part of SoCal I rarely visited. My idea of Riverside was always seen from the Interstate headed to / from San Bernardino. But Kiwi is more towards the city of Riverside well off the Interstate. It's more desert like out there, just the way I like it. Hell, in a different life, I could imagine living in this neck of the woods. Your out of the LA hell hole, but close enough to venture down as necessary. As luck would have it, we don't hit any BS traffic and within 55 minutes we're back at my daughter's home sipping a cold on in her back yard, chatting about the awesome visit we just had and sharing the pictures with others.
Great Day and thanks again to Kiwi Mike and Carolyn for having us over!
_________________________
The 'showroom'
'
Few other cool things along the way
Comments