Local Wheels Enthusiast Profile

Randy Keller

1. How did you get started?

I was always taking apart things as a kid, especially my bike. When I was around 10, I bought a mini bike, and I have been wrenching on them ever since.

2. What are your fondest memories?

Traveling alone with my girlfriend through country roads, being shadowed by the trees and cutting through the mountains while gently holding her hand. That, or traveling as a young man from one biker event to another, sleeping on the side of the roads and meeting new friends along the way.

3. What sustains your passion?

Motorcycle ownership and lifestyle is true freedom. Most people are raised to be quiet, conform and obey. They're told they should go through life avoiding risks, fights or trouble. For some of us, living outside the norm, or outside where things are safe, predictable and boring,...well, that’s where freedom really begins.

4. How does your ride reflect your personality?

My chopper reflects my current outlook on life. I had it painted recently to reflect a smooth, professional look. My Softail reminds me of my past, a hard core phase when I was traveling as fast as possible to reach nowhere. Doran Benson built this one for pure performance with Nitrous Oxide and a turbo charger to boot. It's a true rebel machine built to go from point A to B as quickly as possible. I have my heart and soul invested in both of these scooters.

5. If you could have any vehicle to tinker with, what would it be?

I'd build a 850 Trimph Chopper the old school way—long stretch forks, no front brake system, skinny square back tire, long banana seat with a high sissy bar for my girl. My father had one and riding this beast to school when I was 16 made me the coolest kid. My friends called me "Freeze".

6. Do you belong to any clubs?

When I’m riding, I ride alone and for my purpose only, uncontrolled by a bunch of old guys who sit around and talk about freedom instead of just living it. I do belong to one club, the Fountain Grove Golf & Country Club. This is the only place I can escape the decay of our modern society

7. Do you have a role model, idol or favorite personality?

More than 50 years after its debut, "The Wild One" remains an important movie for me. It's about the freedom of being on a motorcycle that sparked the revolution among teenagers of the 50s and and 60s. And, it was the first movie to put motorcycle riding in a realistic light—drag races, bikers riding wheelies downtown, and women chased and ogled at all the time. The movie woke up American youth during the sleepy 50s and sparked a rebellion, causing kids like me to question their own views on authority and freedom. Marlon Brando’s character made motorcycle ownership popular today.

8. What's your favorite local drive?

The ride to Occidental, with a stop at the Union Hotel for a beer and then down Coleman Valley Rd. to Bodega. You can see a lot from the road, stop right in the middle and enjoy it, and there isn’t much traffic.

9. What else would you like to share?

As a biker, the greatest thing I've learned is probably the simplest: "I am what I am". I've opted for the rough road in life—the one less traveled—and I think I've gained wisdom. My life has been a good one, but full of set- backs, hard times, disappointments, punctured achievements, good times, hard fought battles and significant victories.

I actually have a customized license plate that reads IMAFELN (I'm A Felon), referring to a low point in my life when I was accused of a crime I didn’t commit. The plate has been photographed several times and is the center of many bar room conversations. Though I was found "Not Guilty", it cost me several thousand of dollars to prove it—money I would have rather spent on building another scooter. During this period, my brothers Carlos the Columbian, Ezra, Marty-The One-Man-Party, Jethro, Tricky Rick, Smokin' Joe & Special Ed, were all true to me, along with my scooter...unlike some other people.

Only true Americans would take a two-wheel motorized contraception like a motorcycle, wrench it up and spend thousands of dollars to turn it into a street burning, head turning road machine, symbolizing their unique notion of freedom—and get away with it.

I don’t consider myself political, but living in the United States and riding a Harley Davidson you become classified as a political statement whether you like it or not. You are branded as a modern day outlaw, a no good member of our society, an agitator. Yet we bikers are only doing what we should be allowed to do, because we live in America.

Motorcycles and life share one simple idea: "Neither motorcycles or life have a reverse gear, so continue to move forward, for now and always.