Today we’d like to introduce you to Franco Factory.
Hi Franco, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My friend Adam and I met at a motorcycle social in 2021 and quickly became close friends. We both had a decent amount of riding friends, but there was no established motorcycle group based out of West Los Angeles who rode on Saturday mornings. On a random Saturday morning, we hosted a group of about eight friends and spent the day cruising through the Malibu canyons. At the end of this ride, we started to brainstorm, “What if we start our own group?” So, we did, and considering we would stay near the water, we decided to call our group Beachside Moto Club or BMC for short. Our first organized club ride hosted about 50 riders, and the second a whopping 90 riders! Since then, we’ve been hosting group rides once a month on Saturday mornings with an average of 80 riders in attendance.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not smooth at all. As we’ve grown in popularity, we’ve encountered a ton of lessons learned with hosting massive group rides in a heavily populated metropolitan city. For example, we’ve had to grow our team from just Adam and myself to about 20 riders so we can escort such a large parade of motorcycles. Red lights and short left turn arrows are our worst nightmare because they split apart our riding group. Teaching our 18 fellow crew members how to escort separated groups has been a challenge. Also, finding a solution to pair our helmets via Bluetooth in a way that’s reliable has also proven to be a tall hurdle.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a co-founder of Beachside Moto Club (BMC), I’ve been able to pursue my passion for motorcycle riding within my interest of building community. I do this because I genuinely love seeing people come together over, grow their social circle, and make lifelong friendships. Some of our goals at BMC are to create rides where everyone is welcome regardless of gender, experience level, or motorcycle type. As we recruit new crew members, we look to maintain this mindset wrapped around our core which is promoting inclusion and diversity.
What matters most to you? Why?
My goal with BMC is to create an environment of motorcycle riders that is not intimidating but welcoming for anyone new to riding or looking for a group to re-enter the scene. Why do I care about breaking down the stereotype of an unapproachable motorcyclist? It’s because I’ve been on the opposite end, where it’s hard to break through to make new friends in a new hobby/interest. No one wants to be left alone in a social environment, this is why I actively approach newcomers and personally introduce myself, so they know they have an ally within our group.
Contact Info:
- Website: bmccampout.com
- Instagram: francofactory
- Other: francofactory.com
Image Credits
Jonathan C. Ward
Lorenzo Basilio
