Heroes Motors, Serge Bueno's empire, now extends to Malibu

Serge Bueno's workshop on La Brea Avenue went on television news at the end of 2017. It was in his den that Johnny Hallyday liked to stop for a drink, talk about motorbikes. But Heroes Motors is more than a place of pilgrimage for fans of the chess. The garage, opened since 2015, is a destination for enthusiasts and collectors of two-wheelers. And Serge Bueno wanted to go further.

Leather jackets, helmets, gloves, sculptures, limited edition books or watches: the Parisian has designed and designed a range of derived products "made in USA" to offer a "lifestyle" to fans of his bikes. After opening a shop on Melrose, he develops a little more his universe with a second address in Malibu, inaugurated on Saturday, December 7th.

You will not find this artist of the bike in his stores, "Windows" of his mark. He prefers to spend his time in the grease in the workshop, his "Art Gallery", to restore a Majestic dating from 1929 arriving in spare parts. A work of goldsmith that lasts up to 400 hours, during which he repairs, revises the gearboxes, remakes the chrome, painting … "Our spirit is to retype the bikes in an authentic way, respecting the product while offering optimal performance"says the perfectionist, who also makes "custom" on demand.

Models that sells between $ 15,000 and $ 500,000: "Scarcity is the price, just like catering"he defends. And the American market was a real boon for the restorer of big engine: "There are many more collectors than in France, and a true culture of the old bike", notes this autodidact who considers them as "pieces of history". On one of the walls of the garage, we can admire "A piece of museum, a Peugeot of 1904". "It's an addiction, as soon as you start buying it, you do not stop." From his network in France and Europe, forged for over 20 years, he exports vintage bikes to retype. Heroes Motors has found its place in Los Angeles, and sits its reputation through trade shows (triumphing in particular at the Beverly Hills elegance contest).

His artistic talent has not always been expressed in this way. Graduate of the National School of Fine Arts in Paris, this designer was moving towards a career as an architect, touching photography, painting and interior decoration. Instead, he will run several communication agencies for ten years, collecting in parallel motorcycles from around the world. A passion that began when Serge Bueno, at age 20, bought an old Peugeot to retype. In addition to aesthetics, he admires the performance of two-wheelers, having competed in motocross rallies for more than 10 years in Tunisia and Morocco, until a fall in 2011.

Making the crazy bet (and very Californian) to live his passion, he decided six years ago to radically change his life by selling his agency, and moving to Los Angeles, "A great place to ride". From the first year, the fifties managed to sell his personal collection of forty-two bikes. An investment needed to build his garage, then his shops. Since then, collectors have been selling their high-end motorcycles, like the traders who use them to "dress up their shops". And Serge Bueno can continue to express his art in his workshop, and in the clothing and accessories collections he creates for Heroes Motors.