Today we’d like to introduce you to Fabian Campos.
Fabian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been a life-long admirer of motorcycles and motorcycling culture. My uncle was my childhood hero and he introduced me to a love of country, Bruce Lee, Superman, Laser Discs and of course, motorcycles. All my life I wanted to ride motorcycles but my folks and closest family around me were opposed to the idea. As the cafe racer resurgence arrived, my love was rekindled and at 40 years old I decided to buck the “safe path” and buy a motorcycle – 4 of them to be exact. I wanted to build a vintage bike but didn’t know the first thing about it so I needed to find an expert; someone who could teach and help me build a bike. In addition, I wanted to tap into the community of motorcyclists and their shared passions but creating a meeting place for us to meet and collectively enjoy the world of motorcycles. My hope was to create a community space in the town I love and eventually a space where we could work on bikes and just hang out.
In November of 2015 I met my moto sensei, David Morales.
I was trailering one of my four vintage motorcycles (a 1968 Honda CB160 vintage racer) from Denton to Lewisville to have a friend help me get the bike running and painted so I could sell it and start this moto dream of mine. I stopped at the corner gas station to make sure the straps were tight, a short 1.2 miles from home. I never made it onto the highway. Trailing by only a couple of seconds behind, David found himself directly behind me as I pulled over. As a long-time motorcycle builder and overall motorcycle enthusiast, he had to know the story of the bike he was following behind. So he pulled over, asked me if he could take a closer look and then hopped out to have a chat.
A couple of hours later we had a handshake deal where he would build me a custom bike and teach me some things along the way, in exchange for the CB160 I was towing. Through many late nights of bike-building and whiskey-sipping, we decided to chase down this moto dream of ours.
With David’s expertise in all things motorcycle and my background in sales and marketing for Redan Media (a local tactile marketing house based in Lewisville, TX), we had the perfect team to pursue this venture. Our good pal and fellow motorcycle builder, John Green (a.k.a. Juan Verde), partnered up to help round out the Three Amigos of Denton Moto Collective.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a wild ride and we’ve been fortunate in a lot of ways but it hasn’t been an easy road so far. Like any new project or venture, starting out is always the hardest part but this is something we’re passionate about, something we’d be doing anyway so we decided to chase down this dream and see where leads.
Please tell us about Denton Moto Collective.
At Denton Moto Collective our desire is to embrace the sheer joy and excitement that motorcycles and the moto culture bring and share it with as many people as we can.
It is the vision of two Denton, TX creatives who love all things moto. Our desire is to build motorcycles, design cool things and do it all from the city we love. We feed off of and are inspired by our fellow creatives who are out there building, doing, making – also right here in good ol’ Denton.
We help resurrect old bikes who’ve seen better days; bikes that have so much character and more to offer than the dust-collecting corners they’ve been forgotten in. We also want our customers to play an active part in rebuilding the bike they’re ultimately going to ride. We want them to have the confidence to pop some plugs and clean some carbs when the time comes.
Denton Moto Collective is also a gathering place. A destination of like-minded, moto-inspired artists, creatives, musicians and all around weirdos who love to express their art in a collective environment. You may already own a motorcycle or have zero desire to own one. But you love the moto lifestyle – freedom, outdoors, adventure, style and all-around two-wheeled awesomeness. Denton Moto Collective is your home.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my greatest childhood memories is hopping on the back of my “Tio’s” (uncle) motorcycle and going rides with him. It was the greatest thrill combined with a little fear at the same time. I adored my uncle in so many ways and for so many different reasons but I’ll always remember all those times I got to feel like I was flying with my childhood hero.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dentonmoto.com
- Phone: 214.674.8987
- Email: fabian@dentonmoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dentonmoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dentonmoto/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DentonMoto
Image Credit:
Brandon LaJoie, James Trawick
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