Every spring and fall, Josh Sirlin rides Kyushu with friends he has known for ten years, on vintage bikes from Freeway in Oita, a shop open since 1986. Hot springs, the Yamanami Highway, and horsehide.

Culture, Japan, Japan & Culture, Motorcycles, travelJosh SirlinOctober 8, 2026kyushu motorcycle trip, oita japan, freeway oita, vintage harley japan, japanese custom motorcycles, yamanami highway, beppu, leathertogs 1933, josh sirlin, black bear brandComment

The Roughout Commander Jacket

Roughout Horween horsehide with the raw side out, no lining, and vintage snaps. Josh Sirlin on the commander jacket, on roughout leather, and on the friends who have put real miles on theirs.

Why Some Things Look Better Used

A sixteenth century Japanese idea about age, and why the day you buy something is not the best it will ever look. Josh Sirlin on wabi-sabi, patina, and designing for the fifth year.

Craft & Materials, Culture, Denim, Heritage, Jackets, materials, leather, Motorcycles, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 12, 2026wabi sabi, patina, sen no rikyu, japanese aesthetics, aging clothing, indigo fade, leather patina, black bear brandComment

Motorcycles and the Movies, Freedom on Two Wheels

Put a man on a bike on screen and you do not need dialogue. You already understand him. Josh Sirlin rides a 1948 Panhead, and this one is personal.

Culture, Heritage, MotorcyclesJosh SirlinJuly 25, 2026Comment

The 1948 Panhead: What a 76-Year-Old Chopper Taught Me About Design

Josh Sirlin rides a 1948 Panhead that has outlived almost everything built since. Here is what a 76-year-old chopper taught him about designing clothes worth keeping.

Culture, Heritage, MotorcyclesJosh SirlinJuly 17, 2026panhead chopper, 1948 harley, josh sirlin, motorcycle design, black bear brand, built to lastComment

The Style of the Ride: Japanese Motorcycle Fashion

How Japan turned motorcycle riding into a style language — vintage Americana, leather, waxed cotton, and indigo — and why it mirrors Black Bear Brand's rugged-refined soul.

Culture, Japan, Japan & Culture, MotorcyclesJosh SirlinJuly 12, 2026japanese motorcycle fashion, moto style, leather jacket, waxed cotton, indigo denim, riding style, black bear brandComment

Motorcycle Culture in Japan: Choppers, Craft, and the Soul of the Build

Japan took American chopper culture and made it an art form. From postwar riders to the world's most jaw-dropping custom builds — the story of motorcycle culture in Japan.

Culture, Japan, MotorcyclesJosh SirlinJuly 9, 2026japan motorcycle culture, japanese choppers, bosozoku, custom motorcycle japan, yokohama custom show, chopper culture, black bear brandComment

My 1948 Panhead: On Presence, and the World Slowing Down

People ask why I ride an old machine when a new one would be easier. Ease was never the point. My 1948 Panhead gives me total presence — the world slows, the noise thins, and I'm here. A rider's history of the first-year Panhead.

Motorcycles, Culture, HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 6, 20261948 harley panhead, panhead chopper, first year panhead, harley davidson panhead history, vintage chopper, josh sirlin, motorcycle culture, black bear brandComment

Denim and the Motorcycle: Why Riders Have Always Worn Blue

Leather, chrome, and blue denim — the uniform of the ride. How jeans became inseparable from motorcycle culture, and why heavyweight selvedge is the rider's cloth.

Culture, denim, MotorcyclesJosh SirlinJuly 5, 2026denim and motorcycle, motorcycle jeans, biker denim, riding jeans, heavyweight selvedge, motorcycle culture, black bear brandComment