Ian Barry
Encyclopedia
Ian Barry is an award-winning industrial designer, and co-owner of Falcon Motorcycles
, with Amaryllis Knight
. He plays guitar in the progressive metal
band Black Math Horseman.
, California
. He left a Silicon Valley
career at an early age to pursue his obsession with building motorcycles when he moved to Los Angeles in 2000. Working from a tent in a friend's back yard, while living in a second tent next door, Barry developed a strong following, his clientele included Them Crooked Vultures
and Queens of The Stone Age
frontman Josh Homme, and actors Giovanni Ribisi
and Jason Lee
. Barry’s motorcycles were described as being fast, stripped-down customs
, that remain true to the classic styling of their era, while being filled with innovation, fine attention to detail, and original ideas.
In 2008, after a decade of experience fabricating custom motorcycle
s based on vintage British marques, Ian Barry founded Falcon Motorcycles
with fiancée Amaryllis Knight
in an "unassuming" workshop on Sunset Boulevard
. Specializing in high-end, one-off special interest motorcycles, Barry was featured on CNBC
, who highlighted his motorcycles as "rolling works of art". The company rose to prominence after the success of Barry's design for the "Bullet Falcon", awarded Best Custom at 2008 Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d’Elegance
. Quickly receiving broad international acclaim, his work with Falcon Motorcycles has since been featured in newspapers and magazines worldwide and has been credited with helping kick-start the British boardtrack-racer movement.
In 2009, Ian moved his company to Downtown Los Angeles
where he employed four fabricators and machinists to aid in the fabrication of the "Concept Ten", a collection of one-off custom motorcycles, that he engineers and fabricates around the derelict engines of rare iconic British motorcycles from the pre- and post-war
eras.
After some 2,000 man hours, Barry unveiled the second Falcon Motorcycle, the "Kestrel Falcon" in May 2009. "Barry drove an intense engineering exercise to achieve the desired aesthetic" with the Kestrel, according to Popular Mechanics
who claim that to understand the true achievement of his motorcycles, one needs to dig deeper than the 80 hour paint and pinstripe job. Having started the Kestrel with a 1970 Triumph Bonneville unit engine with a blown up gearbox, and a BSA transmission, Barry became the first to have turned a later Triumph engine into a pre-unit. The Kestrel was the winner of the Best Custom award at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, in Carmel, California, where it was noted for its "its purity and depth in both aesthetic and functional execution" and for the "mind-bending volume of time spent on the details, and its hand carved, graceful and organic shapes."
In July 2010, Barry was featured as an inspiring small business owner by American Express
, in their National “Start Booming” TV campaign, celebrating real business owners that have "uncovered new ways to grow their businesses and move forward, even as this economic environment continues to challenge many of them."
Quartet Black Math Horseman, a progressive metal
band that was signed to Tee Pee Records
in early 2009.
The band's debut album "Wyllt" was released on April 21, 2009 by Tee Pee Records
, and recorded and produced by Scott Reeder of Kyuss
and Unida
.
.
Falcon Motorcycles
Falcon Motorcycles makes custom motorcycles in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2008 by industrial designer Ian Barry and his partner Amaryllis Knight, and specializes in the design, engineering and fabrication of one of a kind machines, built around the derelict engines of pre- and...
, with Amaryllis Knight
Amaryllis Knight
Amaryllis Knight, co-owns and operates Falcon Motorcycles LLC, based in Los Angeles, California, with her fiancee, motorcycle and industrial designer Ian Barry...
. He plays guitar in the progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Black Math Horseman.
Career
Barry was born in Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He left a Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
career at an early age to pursue his obsession with building motorcycles when he moved to Los Angeles in 2000. Working from a tent in a friend's back yard, while living in a second tent next door, Barry developed a strong following, his clientele included Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures is a rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by John Paul Jones , Dave Grohl , and Josh Homme . The group also includes guitarist Alain Johannes during live performances...
and Queens of The Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
frontman Josh Homme, and actors Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
and Jason Lee
Jason Lee (actor)
Jason Michael Lee is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin...
. Barry’s motorcycles were described as being fast, stripped-down customs
Custom motorcycle
A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle that is highly stylized or which treats aspects such as frame geometry, engine design, or paintwork in an unusual way compared to standard manufacturing. Custom motorcycles are unique or individually produced in a very limited quantity, as opposed to "stock"...
, that remain true to the classic styling of their era, while being filled with innovation, fine attention to detail, and original ideas.
In 2008, after a decade of experience fabricating custom motorcycle
Custom motorcycle
A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle that is highly stylized or which treats aspects such as frame geometry, engine design, or paintwork in an unusual way compared to standard manufacturing. Custom motorcycles are unique or individually produced in a very limited quantity, as opposed to "stock"...
s based on vintage British marques, Ian Barry founded Falcon Motorcycles
Falcon Motorcycles
Falcon Motorcycles makes custom motorcycles in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2008 by industrial designer Ian Barry and his partner Amaryllis Knight, and specializes in the design, engineering and fabrication of one of a kind machines, built around the derelict engines of pre- and...
with fiancée Amaryllis Knight
Amaryllis Knight
Amaryllis Knight, co-owns and operates Falcon Motorcycles LLC, based in Los Angeles, California, with her fiancee, motorcycle and industrial designer Ian Barry...
in an "unassuming" workshop on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
. Specializing in high-end, one-off special interest motorcycles, Barry was featured on CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, who highlighted his motorcycles as "rolling works of art". The company rose to prominence after the success of Barry's design for the "Bullet Falcon", awarded Best Custom at 2008 Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d’Elegance
Legend Of The Motorcycle
The annual Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d’Elegance is a competitive event held on a 44-mile scenic loop that begins at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay, California and follows the coast down, along, and back up the mountain ridge-top that overlooks the Pacific Ocean...
. Quickly receiving broad international acclaim, his work with Falcon Motorcycles has since been featured in newspapers and magazines worldwide and has been credited with helping kick-start the British boardtrack-racer movement.
In 2009, Ian moved his company to Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
where he employed four fabricators and machinists to aid in the fabrication of the "Concept Ten", a collection of one-off custom motorcycles, that he engineers and fabricates around the derelict engines of rare iconic British motorcycles from the pre- and post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
eras.
After some 2,000 man hours, Barry unveiled the second Falcon Motorcycle, the "Kestrel Falcon" in May 2009. "Barry drove an intense engineering exercise to achieve the desired aesthetic" with the Kestrel, according to Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics is an American magazine first published January 11, 1902 by H. H. Windsor, and has been owned since 1958 by the Hearst Corporation...
who claim that to understand the true achievement of his motorcycles, one needs to dig deeper than the 80 hour paint and pinstripe job. Having started the Kestrel with a 1970 Triumph Bonneville unit engine with a blown up gearbox, and a BSA transmission, Barry became the first to have turned a later Triumph engine into a pre-unit. The Kestrel was the winner of the Best Custom award at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, in Carmel, California, where it was noted for its "its purity and depth in both aesthetic and functional execution" and for the "mind-bending volume of time spent on the details, and its hand carved, graceful and organic shapes."
In July 2010, Barry was featured as an inspiring small business owner by American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
, in their National “Start Booming” TV campaign, celebrating real business owners that have "uncovered new ways to grow their businesses and move forward, even as this economic environment continues to challenge many of them."
Awards
- Custom Culture Award, Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours, California 2008
- Best Custom Motorcycle, The Quail Motorcycle Concours, California 2010
- World's Coolest Bikes, CYCLE WORLD's top 5, 2010
Music
Barry is a founding member of L.A.Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Quartet Black Math Horseman, a progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band that was signed to Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records is an independent record label located in New York City in the United States, made popular by the signing of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.-Artists :*Ancestors*Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound*The Atomic Bitchwax...
in early 2009.
The band's debut album "Wyllt" was released on April 21, 2009 by Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records is an independent record label located in New York City in the United States, made popular by the signing of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.-Artists :*Ancestors*Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound*The Atomic Bitchwax...
, and recorded and produced by Scott Reeder of Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
and Unida
Unida
Unida was an American stoner rock band that was formed after the dissolution of Kyuss and Slo Burn. The band originally consisted of John Garcia , Arthur Seay , Miguel Cancino and Dave Dinsmore . Dinsmore was later replaced by Scott Reeder, who was in turn replaced by Eddie Plascencia...
.
Personal life
Barry lives in Los Angeles, California with his fiancee and Falcon Motorcycles co-founder Amaryllis KnightAmaryllis Knight
Amaryllis Knight, co-owns and operates Falcon Motorcycles LLC, based in Los Angeles, California, with her fiancee, motorcycle and industrial designer Ian Barry...
.