Easy rider: cult Brooklyn bike-makers Horse Cycles launches motorcycle gear

hand-painted helmet — The Brooklyn-based company Horse Cycles has put the same approach it uses in its handmade bicycles to work on a range of motorcycle gear

(Image credit: press)

For the past several years, Horse Cycles has been keeping New York’s bicycle aficionados sated with its collection of handmade bikes. Armed with a discreetly marked workshop in Brooklyn that fires up the self-made steel frames, Horse Cycles produces several models of bicycle in addition to offering made-to-measure frames for that perfect fit.

Thomas Callahan, its self-taught proprietor, is an all-around fan of metalwork in general and also restores vintage motorcycles in his spare time. Thus has sprung the label’s latest work – a range of motorcycle gear that includes hand-painted helmets, leather riding gloves, denim jackets and custom-made moto tanks that enable speed demons to embrace that stylish Brooklynite flair. Even the collection's ‘Hell Cat’ logo, which might appear to have a slightly menacing hard edge, is actually based on Callahan’s pet cat, Charles – bless.

Its proprietor, Thomas Callahan, was inspired by his love of restoring old motorbikes to create a range of moto tanks (pictured), helmets, gloves and jackets

A carefully-restored vintage motorbike that now dons Horse Cycles' moto tank

The brand's hand-painted helmets often feature its 'Hell Cat' logo, based on Callahan's pet cat, Charles

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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.