Walking into The Garage Company, you quickly comprehend why this shop and its illustrious owner, Yoshinobu "Yoshi" Kosaka, are mentioned in every conversation regarding vintage motorcycles in Los Angeles. It is the proverbial candy store for gearheads, whether they appreciate European, Japanese or American iron. In fact, Glory's Justin Kell calls it "the best vintage motorcycle shop on the planet."
Where else will you find a '79 Triumph Bonneville, a '76 Honda CB750 and a Samurai-style custom Harley Shovelhead lined up side by side? Although Yoshi and his crew build (and rebuild) period-correct machines, they also do custom bikes. "It used to be that Americans, especially bikers, wanted big bikes, but now people are into tight shirts and jeans and want a cool, slim bike," he says of the Japanese-style bobbers. "It's very popular with guys in their 20s, as is the caf-racer style. The young guys want something custom."
This being L.A., Yoshi has built bikes for numerous celebrities, including rockabilly god Brian Setzer, tattoo artist-turned-fashion icon Ed Hardy and even Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher. The rest of the shop is full of retro accessories such as Buco helmets and aviator goggles as well as books, magazines, T-shirts and memorabilia. But not everything is for sale: The Garage Company functions as a sort of mini-museum full of vintage bikes, parts, posters and collectibles. "I never throw anything away," says Yoshi. Even the shop itself feels like a throwback to the '70s with its checkered floor, neon signs and wooden shelves and display cases.
"Vintage is always popular,"...
"Vintage is always popular," says Yoshi. "Young guys want vintage-looking, but not always real vintage. They can't start it. They can't kick it!"
Yoshi's motorcycling career began in Japan, where he first raced vintage bikes. He soon grew tired of his boxed life in Tokyo, and so in '84 sought more space and sunshine in California. He was still working as a dental technician in '86 when he started competing in the AHRMA vintage nationals, traveling the country from race to race. In '93 he won the Formula 250 national champ-ionship on a water-cooled Bultaco TSS. Disturbed that there were no vintage races in Southern California, he promoted an AHRMA national at Willow Springs in '95, and the Corsa Moto Classica continues to this day.
To keep all of his bikes running, Yoshi had purchased dozens of donor bikes and basket cases for parts. This was before the Internet, when he could buy truckloads of parts at swap meets for very little money. "Now, it's all eBay, eBay, eBay," he laments. He soon had over 100 bikes littering his yard, so in '87 his very understanding wife Kyoko found him a place where he could work on his bikes on weekends. "Pretty soon, a lot of people started coming. It was like a shop," exclaims Yoshi. He wasn't quite ready to part ways with his prized possessions, however, so he made up some Garage Company T-shirts to sell to these curious visitors. Six months later, he moved to his present location on West Washington and decided to dedicate himself to motorcycles full-time.
To this day, The Garage Company is capable of slapping a perma-grin on the face of any motorcycle enthusiast, regardless of age. "You know why Yoshi's shop is so good?" asks Kell. "Because he lives it."