Joseph Burtoni
Detroit, Michigan
How long have you been riding?
I started riding when I was 3 years old onboard a little 50cc. My grandfather built training wheels for the motorcycle and would walk behind me with a kill cord. I actually still have the bike, it’s painted in Lamborghini Diablo 30th Anniversary Purple and my name is written in gold-leaf.
Now that I’m 31, there’s only been a short gap in time when I did not have a motorcycle (I moved to NYC where dealing with motorcycle ownership would have been too much). So, 27 or so years onboard a motorcycle.
Why did you start riding?
It’s in my blood. My grandfather built and raced flat track bikes for the San Jose mile when he was a teenager and continued building old British twins for years. My dad could hold his own on any trail. I always wanted to ride when I was young, there was something about the speed and adventure that you could only feel on a motorcycle.
As I’ve grown older I use motorcycles as a cheaper (maybe not that cheap) form of therapy. It allows me to disconnect from my very digitally-focused career and just relax.
How’s your experience been with Royal Enfield so far?
When I was living in Berlin, Germany I entered one of the motorcycle shops and saw a Continental GT 535 and absolutely fell in love with the proportions and styling. When the GT 650 was announced I immediately knew I needed one and was lucky enough to grab one of the very first ones in Michigan.
A little background about who you are & why you are so awesome.
I’m a small-town boy from Colorado that loves to travel. After spending time in NYC and Berlin, I’ve settled down in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.
