Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler was recently sighted at the New England International Auto Show. During a press release he announced the Redwing Motorcycle company name (which he started) is no longer flying high. The new name for the company is now Dirico Motorcycles which is named after Tyler’s brother-in-law (Marc Dirico) and the companies lead engineer. It’s been widely rumored that Tyler received a “Dream On” letter from the Honda Motor Company legal staff.
Steven Tyler
Biographer Laura Jackson reported about Tyler’s drug-fuelled ’80s and roller coaster life of excess – at one point spending over a million dollars on drugs – however, through numerous visits to rehab he has miraculously survived to continue performing and share his branding passions which range from Guitar Hero Aerosmith to custom motorcycles. Don’t get me wrong, I think Tyler is one of the better singers of rock music and Aerosmith is in heavy rotation on my iPod.
But this celebrity branding thing is so 1980’s. The Dirico Motorcycles announcement is in my view a non-event! Most of the stock motorcycle “enhancements” look to be superficial and a color palette with small details don’t equate to a $10K+ premium over an already inflated MSRP even from a rock and roll legend. In this economy does anyone give a rip about the lifestyles of the rich and famous and their over inflated “works of art” viewpoints?
Read between the lines… this motorcycle company isn’t going to be about people who ink metaphors for their life into their own flesh. If you live on the East coast, have seen a Redwing and have an alternate view I’d like to hear from you.
Photo courtesy of Redwing and Autoinsane.com web sites.
mac,
Steven Tyler is a perfect frontman for a motorcycle company. His reputation, his style, his vision… What makes trends work IS their lack of linear blending with what is hot NOW. If you follow only what is hot now, you are a lemming.
Steve is trying something new in his life and he has the money to do it so good for him.
About the bikes: I have been dreaming of a bike I would build for awhile now and since I haven’t the cash to make it happen it is still in the dream stage. My dream: Crossbones with the full fenders, get rid of some chrome beach bars and cool nostalgic paint (CrossBones paint is gay or “Hot Now”)… guess what….- I looked up the new Dirico bikes and MAN! these bikes are very much if not exactly what I was thinking of. I don’t think Dirico is making bikes for the masses because my vision is always off the wall different, and easy. If steve and Dirico wanted to make bikes for the masses we would have another Big Dog company Thank God we don’t there are enough of those. Remember what I said about being hot NOW?
I do think I would rather buy the Cross Bones and do my thing rather than buy Dirico. Like you said, a $10,000 premium.