Garage Visit: Jesse Cruze Photographer: Derrell Boson

The garage is the home of process and a space that is meant to get dirty. It sees the full gamut from minor motor tinkering to full on machine builds and anything that revs, leaks, or sparks in between; it is the embodiment of the work in progress. In Jesse's garage the DR 650 and an XS 650 take up the most space, these are his current undertakings. There's an SR 500 that is his daily rider, and tacked on to the wall is an invitation to the Revival Cycles 2018 Handbuilt Show for an 09 TW200 that was built in this same garage.

"My favorite project is usually the one I'm currently working on" Jesse tells photographer Derrell. Jesse first rode a motorcycle when he was 20 years old. A college friend was showing off a new Harley and offered Jesse a go and he was immediately enamored. Soon thereafter, he purchased a 78 Yamaha XS1100 that was shipped down from Ohio. He had some familiarity with mechanics from when he was a kid, his dad always bought and fixed up old cars and had an array of tools to do so, though his parents were less than thrilled when he decided to pick up this new hobby. His dad had been in a motorcycle accident years prior, but this didn't hinder Jesse's enthusiasm. He did some minor modifications and electrical work on his first bike and has been building on his skills ever since. His first complete custom build he ever did for someone else was entered and admitted into the 2018 Handbuilt Show. Jesse sees the work that he does as a reflection of himself and feels personally responsible for the safety of the machine when he hands over a finished project.

Jesse gets commissioned to build bikes because he has the technical know-how and will make something that rides as good as it looks. All of the issues that arise during a build are not planned for ahead of time, it is just one of those things you have to figure out as you go. He says he doesn't spend as much time as he would like riding but in the end he doesn't see it as much of a problem. "There's probably more of my time spent in the garage but that's a little more purpose driven than if I was just riding aimlessly around." He enjoys the process and the space that comes with it.