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The 1-Moto Portland: A Storied Bike Show
Every bike show has its character. Some focus on a specific style, like choppers, performance bikes, cafe racers, or art bikes. Others point to a particular brand or perhaps a specific model. The One Motorcycle Show in Portland, OR often referred to simply as “The One Show” or “1-Moto,” takes
The TMMR – Revival on the Ranch
The Tennessee Motorcycles and Music Revival is kicking off its 2025 event as this feature is being posted. The event, now in its eighth year, is one of the best, most characterful events out there. It’s a bike rally, custom bike show, bike races, adventure riding, hill climbs, a campout,
Mama Tried Show – Just a Party?
“We just wanted to have a party, but it turned out bigger than we expected.” Famous last words from Warren Heir, Jr, who, with Scott Johnson, founded the Mama Tried Show in 2014. Considering this mid-winter (February this year) motorcycle show in the upper Midwest now draws upwards of 10,000
Sons of Speed, Racing for the X-Factor, or Just a Big Smile
Sons of Speed, the vintage outlaw racing series inspired by early 20th-century board-track motorcycle racing, has been in the public mind since it was first staged in 2017. However, the seed from which this concept was born goes back much further. It was the brainchild of Billy Lane, who first
It’s a Shop, It’s a Club, It’s a Style! No – It’s PDF
Surely, you are familiar with the acronym “PDF” when you see it in an email. You will likely click on its icon knowing a document will open, even if you aren’t aware that it stands for “Portable Document Format.” For this article and anyone interested in custom motorcycles and custom
Passion – The Heart of Verona’s Motor Bike Expo
Italy is all about Passion! Italians don’t just have hobbies or interests – they have passions. They don’t just like food; they’re passionate about it. They’re all in, all the time! And this is why I love, or I should say, why I’m so passionate about Italy. This is also
Kully’s Torsion-Bar Equipped Street Tracker
As seen in Hot Bike Magazine Kully Millage, the builder of this 1960 custom Ironhead, was still in high school when he built his first custom bike. Coming from a racing background, he wasn’t even into street bikes when he took it upon himself to complete what he describes as
Mooneyes – When Yokohama Becomes the Center of the Bike World
What is motorcycling, if not an incredible way to experience the world? I’ll bet this was a big part of why many of you started, and continue, to ride. We are out there, our senses heightened, experiencing how the temperature drops several degrees as we ride across a stream or
About michael
In 1977, after a stint simultaneously playing drums in a BeBop jazz band, bussing tables in a restaurant and doing personal photography, Michael decided he was a better photographer than a drummer and hung up the sticks. It was during this time that he started riding his 1971 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead (which he still owns) and photographing bikers. This work, along with a series on cowboys, was exhibited in group and solo exhibitions over the next few years. Prints were included in private and public collections, most notably by ARCO (Atlantic Richfield Corp.) and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, in Paris.
GETTING STARTED
In 1979, Easyriders started to publish some of Michael’s motorcycle photography. He photographed a number of smaller events and features specifically for them, proved his abilities and then was off on his third trip to Sturgis in 1981, now on assignment for Easyriders, for whom he has returned there ever since. Also in 1981, after a solo exhibition of his work at the Gallery of Photography in Dublin, Ireland, which was boycotted by the League of Decency, Michael became disillusioned with the “art world” and again changed course. He stopped publicly exhibiting his photographs in favor of publishing his motorcycle work in Easyriders and simultaneously began developing his career as a commercial advertising and corporate photographer. By 1982, his studio was open in Boulder, Colorado. It wasn’t long before he developed a clientele that included companies like IBM, Sun Microsystems and Kraft Foods.
WORLDWIDE INFLUENCE
Motorcycle and commercial assignments have taken Michael across America and abroad to Canada, Europe, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand. While he has published more than 1,000 articles on motorcycling and custom bikes, he has also photographed annual reports, product photography, advertising, brochures and posters. The diversity of subject matter included two cookbooks, covers for more than 60 beer magazines and the same for audio magazines. His commercial motorcycle work has grown over the years to include magazines around the world and commercial clients like Indian Motorcycles, Big Dog Motorcycles, Wiley-X Sunglasses, Harley-Davidson, Nikon Cameras and many of the best custom bike builders in America.
To learn more about Michael and see more of his work, visit his website: lichterphoto.com