Markus Cuff, the ex-Easyriders Hollywood based photographer sent me a link recently. Markus doesn't send me pornography or gross accident scene photographs. He reads the LA Times every morning with his Peet's coffee Latte, reads LA Weekly weekly and attends jazz festivals. He drives a blacked out Land Rover with tan leather interior and has one cat. Get the picture? He's no fist fighting chopper rider.

Markus and I have covered the Los Angeles based world class custom and antique motorcycle market for two decades, so I checked the link and this is what I discovered. I couldn't believe that I wasn't aware of these board track based racing designed bikes. They are carefully powered with Metric engines, a healthy dose of Made In America components with European accents including Brooks leather seats and Swiss wheels. They are built and assembled exclusively in Los Angeles County by Adrian Van Anz, while his mom oversees the shop which opened just four months ago near the Peterson Museum.

Adrian grew up in Santa Monica and helped his dad refurbish old Harleys in their home. "To mom's chagrin," Adrian said. "One day I was carrying an old Panhead engine through the kitchen when I discovered a stream of oil following me on the linoleum. Halfway through the kitchen I attempted to retreat, but discovered the 360-degree oil pattern. I made a circle on the floor and kept going."

Adrian started researching building these bikes a couple of years ago. "I discovered that there are several levels of motorcycles in California from full sized bikes, above 150 cc, then 150 to moped, then scooters, and finally motorized bicycles. It doesn't need to be licensed and I can ride it in the crosswalk."

Like any newborn motorcycle manufacturer, the Derringer evolved and changed as it approached maturity rapidly. But first here's the factory description and some design background on Adrian:

Derringer is the neo-classical interpretation of a 1920's era board track racing motorcycle, but that's not all.

This revolutionary moto-hybrid was conceived as an exciting new option in highly-efficient transportation. Derringers can be pedaled as a traditional bicycle, propelled via engine power, or pedaled with the assistance of engine power. While under power, the pedals can also remain stationary, allowing you to operate in the style of a traditional motorcycle. Capable of fuel economy ratings that can exceed 150 mpg, Derringers are the first product to take the compromise out of environmentalism, clearly evidenced by the number of customers who purchase a Derringer along with an in-home display stand.

Derringers were specially designed to conform with the legal classification of a motorized bicycle and, in their standard configuration, do not require the motorcycle license endorsement that is necessary to operate scooters and mopeds in most states. As long as the rider is over 16 years of age, no drivers license is required.*

The Derringer was created by world-renowned industrial designer, whose clients range from celebrities including Brad Pitt and members of the Royal Family, to design-forward companies such as Sony, Reebok, and Hewlett Packard. Heralded as a genius by Sony, his extraordinary creations have been featured in publications ranging from Forbes to Variety, and on television shows seen around the world.

When he set about creating a revolutionary class of efficient personal transportation, he envisioned the perfect urban vehicle as the missing link between his Ducati and his Schwinn. He knew, after looking at the failure of recent personal transport projects, that if he was going to draw people out of the familiarity and comfort of their cars, an argument for efficiency alone would not suffice.

Something very important was missing from the failed projects of other companies: Style. With that in mind, he set out to create a product that was cool; the fact that it achieved 150 mpg would simply be an afterthought. After months of studying state and federal transportation regulations, he came up with a formula for efficient, safe, and fast transportation.

The Derringer master, Adrian.

The design process was next, and the athletic image of the board track racer inspired him. Its clean design provided the vision to keep his product light; less displacement and fuel would be needed for the same superior performance. Its large wheels and wide balloon tires would translate to safety in an urban environment littered with potholes and other road hazards. Its pedals, originally used only to start the engine, could now create a hybrid drive system, allowing the rider to travel either under his own power, or with the assistance of an engine. Above all, its design was pure.

From the white tires, manufactured without the use of carbon black, to the hand made leather saddles with hammered copper rivets, each Derringer is a beautifully crafted objet d' art. The finished product is a pure vintage racer, re-imagined for a concrete jungle.

We met briefly at his shop to check the quality of these bikes from inside Adrian's showroom and without a ride, since it was raining outside. The frame was designed by Adrian and built out of Chrome-moly in Los Angeles. He began with a Chinese powerplant but wasn't pleased with some of the quality. "Many of the fasteners and studs were poor quality," Adrian said. "By the time I drilled and taped holes and replace studs and fasteners to make it acceptable the engine was not an economical investment."

Adrian stepped up and researched Honda generator engines that simply bolt into place and are far more reliable than the original Chinese power plant. "We changed the gearing for a more torque, and it's a 4-stroke for an enhanced throaty sound."

He has experimented with a more conventional board track styled tank, made locally with heavy walled mild steel, since there are no fork stops. "Our original tank was designed as a narrow English tank with enhanced badge emblems," Adrian said. "Since we anticipated running the British pennant on the side panels for distribution in England."

The Derringer team is also testing the new springer front end. "The girder actually contains less bounce," Adrian said, "but we're testing the springer."

It would seem to be a true benefit to folks stuck in urban sprawl. Derringers are available in almost any color that can be powder-coated. All components except the tank are powdered. The tank has gold leaf lettering, hand pinstriping to the owner specifications, and each unit is delivered with a pinstriped matching helmet. I immediately forwarded an image to our 5- Ball Racing team for Bonneville competition consideration. Watch for more reports in the near future.

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