He’s got a handle on cycle classics

Ask Yoshi Kosaka to name the bikes in his shop, and his answer is rapid-fire: Norton, Triumph, Ducati, MV Augusta, Harley-Davidson, BSA, Matchless. That’s the short list.

The 49-year-old founder of the Garage Company in Los Angeles owns about 150 motorcycles. All are old, many of them are rare and some aren’t even for sale, which makes his shop as much a museum as it is a store.

Widely regarded as one of the best classic bike shops in the country, the Garage Company not only sells motorcycles but also parts and service manuals, vintage decals and posters, history books and videos, helmets and goggles -- anything and everything that caters to the classic bike aficionado.

It’s a lot of gear, considering the venture wasn’t started with commercial intentions. Originally, the idea was simply to find storage space. Kosaka’s wife had watched their garage fill up with motorcycles, then take over their lawn.

She rented a storefront where Kosaka could work on his bikes, but before long people were peeking in the window and stopping to ask questions. In 1987, Kosaka decided there was enough interest to start a business, even though he was hesitant to sell some of his bikes.

He still is. The ’73 MV Augusta, he says, is “kind of” for sale. And the ultra-rare, $70,000 Harley-Davidson KRTT? Forget it. That’s not for sale.

He will, however, offer to track down another one. If he doesn’t have what a customer wants, “I can find it,” said Kosaka, who races vintage motorcycles and is well connected in the scene.

These days, ‘60s Triumph Bonnevilles are all the rage, he said, appealing to riders who are new to classic bikes. As for Kosaka, he said, “Twenty-fours a day, seven days a week, I love vintage motorcycles.” And he’s got the bikes to prove it.

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Garage Company

Where: 13211 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

Info: (310) 821-1793 or www.GarageCompany.com