Dustin
Aksland
1 is an ongoing project on the legends of motorcycle racing. The number 1 is what the champion wears, 1also represents first. The first two riders featured are both multi time champions and pioneers of the sport. Kenny Roberts was the first American to win the World 500cc Grand Prix title, and the first to win it his rookie year. Dick Mann was the first rider to complete motorcycle racing’s Grand Slam and the oldest rider ever to win a championship. The images in this project document the time I spent with these two legends doing what they love most, building and riding motorcycles. I was also interested in photographing forgotten about trophies, helmets and historically significant parts that found buried in their shops. I wanted to share a side of these men that’s rarely seen and preserve an important piece of motorcycle history for future generations to discover.