Press
Presswhat they say about Falcon art motorcycles
The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Cycle World, the Los Angeles Times and more on Ian Barry’s motorcycles.
What the press says about Falcon motorcycles.
“The names come from types of falcons, and looking at the newest one it’s hard not to think of Brancusi’s sleek ‘Bird in Space.”
“Ian’s machines have the harmony, balance, and immediacy of good design, but like art objects they’re mysterious too. From the moment you see a Falcon you want to know the story behind it, and Ian has a good story to tell.”
“Gasoline-powered embodiment of living, breathing, moving art.”
“A mind-bending hybrid of machinery and artistry.”
“The more that Ian Barry fabricates motorcycles from scratch, the more arresting they become... Except for the engine and two tires, the artist built the motorcycles from the ground up, fender to handlebar. The sense of abstraction as it relates to bodily shape, the requirements of aerodynamic motion and an urge toward extreme visual pleasure pushes to the foreground.”
“[Ian Barry] has an artistic vision that goes far deeper than the motorbikes his company creates... He is so dedicated to creating the perfect motorcycle that he even designs and builds many of the tools that are used to construct each bike.”
“With an object this preciously constructed, one has to wonder: Is it a motorcycle or is it art- meant to be admired, but never touched?”
“The Black is like that. It so clearly exists outside the realm of ‘ownable commodity,’ its preciousness is almost an identity. Kind of spooky, kind of magic, let’s just call it a Unicorn motorcycle.”
“Barry delights in addressing the ‘already-solved’ problems of a motorcycle’s construction, and of the rider’s physical relationship to the machine. His approach is radical– from the Latin, an examination of the roots of an issue - and devoted as much to aesthetics as to practicality; every piece he creates, no matter how humble, must be stunningly beautiful, and perfectly functional. These brilliant works of art – the Falcons – can be ridden in anger on an ordinary street, but are luminous with the attention and time lavished on their construction. Ironically, after such efforts to make them ‘work beautifully’, the world finds their beauty is enough to celebrate. Falcons are celebrated as the most beautiful, intriguing, and mysterious of motorcycles, and the rarity of their public appearances has only whetted the public’s appetite for more.”
“In the heartland of pimped rides and cosmetic chop shops, Barry, 35, has raised the bar for bike aesthetics and further blurred the lines dividing mechanics and art; He is breathing new life into the business of custom motorcycle construction.”
“A work of artisan isn’t any less a work of art just because it has an engine in it.”
“Each Falcon Motorcycle will be worthy of a place in the garage of a collector, as well as in The Museum of Design and Technology.”
“For award-winning Californian motorcycle builder Ian Barry, old bikes don’t die, they provide him with the raw materials to customize vintage two-wheeled icons.”
“With this new body of work Barry shifts the paradigm of motorcycle ideology in its acknowledgment of our innate desire to control and categorize, and challenges us to rethink our perspective on seemingly utilitarian subjects.”
“Falcon Motorcycles are visually elegant, and timeless, and thankfully, built with modern mechanical finesse. Which is nice for me because I don’t like Fringe, Bling or unnecessary chaps. So basically... it’s absolute class... roaring under your ass.”
Last updated: 13 October 2026
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