After A few epic days in Nor-Cal we were scheduled to get down south to L.A. for our real destination on this road trip - Born Free 4. Putting us up for our stay in southern California was the uber-gracious Caleb Owens and his beautiful wife Kristen. I first met Caleb last year at the Brooklyn Invitational where he was showing Siksika - one of the most iconic panheads built in recent history. I was drawn to Siksika (and all of Caleb's bikes) by it's proportions - they are perfect. There isn't a bad line on that bike and visually everything compliments everything else. It's also a perfect study in aesthetic restraint, an idea usually ignored on a lot of modern builds. When we got to Caleb's shop he was just finishing up Yang Yang his new Born Free build, the bike that would ultimately earn him another builders choice best of show award 24 hours later. Given his track record of successes and awards you might expect Caleb to have a head the size of a medicine ball but instead you find out that he is one of the most down to earth guys you'll ever meet with zero ego. He went WAY out of his way for us making sure we were comfortable during our stay and I cannot thank him enough for it. Thanks to Caleb, Shayna and I would be meeting most of the west coasts motorcycle fraternity over the next 4 days. After getting settled into his shop loft we spent most of the night and a solid chuck of the early morning hours helping Caleb get Yang Yang ready for the show. We all went to sleep exhausted but full of dormant electricity due to the pending good times we all knew were coming. First thing in the morning we would meet some of Caleb's crew, pack up the bikes with gear and point them all at the Oak Canyon Ranch. Born Free 4 is next!
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