Builder Spotlight - Justin Torres

We thought it would be fun to ask our builders to answer some questions so we can get to know them a bit better. Below you will find their un-edited responses & some photos that represent them and their work/life.. Show these folks some love!! Say hello when you see them in the crowd at the Show!

Name: Justin Torres

Name Of Shop/Business/Nickname (If you don't have one, type NONE): None

Instagram : @ls_taco

Website Address (Type NONE if you don't have one): None

What's your daily rider? And Why? Any mods you have planned for it in-the future?
My more so daily is my 73 ironhead sportster. I built that bike from the ground up a few years back and when doing it, the motor was all gone through and all that good stuff. It's just been super reliable for me. That's the bike I can hop on and I know I don't gotta worry about it. My only plans I really have for it, is to redo it again haha. Would definitely do it a different color.

What bikes do you currently own?
A 1978 Harley Davidson shovelhead, my latest bike ive built.
My 1978 Harley Davidson shovelhead, my first real build. Full paint, polished everything.
And a 1978 Harley Davidson ironhead, my first Harley.

Favorite part you have ever used, fabricated or bought?
Probably my frame on my 73 ironhead. Which is a early 60s frame. I had so much time in to doing all the mental work on that frame, smoothing everything and really learning how to fill stuff with metal. That frame was pretty rough when I got it. So I was pretty stoke to get that all done.

Best Track you have ever Raced on? Why?
War run 5 mini bike track haha

Podcast Suggestions? What are you listening to these days?
If you're into skateboarding, the nine club is a pretty good one.

Is there anything you are working on currently that you're excited about?  Does not have to be a motorcycle.  House project? Jumps in the backyard for the kid? TreeHouse? Custom Chopper? Custom Meat Smoker?
I got an 1980 VW Rabbit pickup, which I've made into a mini truck. That's just kinda a ongoing project, but I'm always still pretty stoked about it.

Best Experience at a motorcycle event? Which Event? (Please don't feel like you have to say MT/FOF. This is not about that!)
Probably have to be going to a rocker box show back in like 2008 or so. I was 15 or 16 and my brother took me. That was my first real time seeing choppers and custom bikes and what nots. It was such a cool thing to see for the first time. I'm sure I can look on my old phones and find pictures back there or bikes I thought were cool haha.

Rank your TOP Motorcycle activities. Street? Bar-Hopping? Flat Track Racing? Single Track? FMX? Ice Racing? Looking cool in front of the ladies and or gentleman? (Choices not limited to these suggestions)
For me nothing tops just being out riding my bike on a warm summer night. Can be out all night just bombing around.

What is your earliest memory related to motorcycles? Or what was your first moto/mini bike? Do you still have it?
I have a brother that is 7 years older than me. When he was in his early 20s, I was in high school. Him and his friends all got some bikes and were building them up. They showed me some of the blogs that were around at the time, like Q4 and atr. And I remember seeing that stuff and the stuff they were doing and I thought it was so cool!

Is there any questions we have not asked yet that you have been dying to answer?? Now is your time to shine. Let us have it.
Nope haha

Best Motorcycle Crash? Good or Bad? Still riding afterwards?
More of a dirt bike crash haha. When I was in the 7th grade my brother came home from college on break and his friends came too and they're brought a little Honda 50cc bike. I remember my mom telling me she didn't want me to ride cause I would get hurt, well being a kid you're like naw it's fine nothing will happen haha...well I was riding for bit and I ended up whisky throttling it right in to a fence haha. Nothing bad happened, and I was able to get the bike out of fence before my mom noticed haha.

How did you get started fabricating/painting/building/collecting?
I had some friends doing stuff, building bikes and what not and I knew I wanted to build a bike and knew if I got one I'd have to learn. So that's what I did haha. I definitely had friends help and show me stuff...but I've definitely tried a lot of stuff and fucked up stuff along the way. But that's half the fun haha. Always learning.

If you could invite a Builder/Bike to Mama Tried, who would that be?
Chris Trapp. He's had a bike in the show before. But he's got so much cool shit that people don't even know about. Y'all should make him do it again haha.

What other stuff influences you? Books, architecture, cooking, painting, hot rods, movies, etc?
Pictures, I love seeing photos of stuff. New and old ones. I get so inspired by that stuff. It can literally be someone just riding and it'll be a cool photo, then I'm inspired haha.

If you could travel to any country, where would you go and why? (This could be a place you’ve already been)
Europe. I really wanna go to Germany. I'm really in to history and war and stuff. So that's be cool to see. 

If you had 6 months where you didn’t have to worry about financial, professional or personal obligations, what would you want to do with that time?
I'd try to go on a road trip. Just one long roadtrip. I'd drive my van and have a bike in the back. I'd go all over the US.

Favorite book that comes to mind?
"The Warriors" I'm currently reading that haha

If you had an unlimited budget, what bike would you buy/build?
I try to buy one of my all time favorite bikes. Which is a blue knucklehead that Max Schaef built way back when. I know he sold it and the guy who bought it changed it up a bit. But I believe Ryan of vintage dreams has it now and put it back to the way Max had it. That bike is perfect to me.

What's your most memorable road trip and why? And what’s an item you always bring?
I drove a 1979 VW Rabbit from Milwaukee to Ocean City, Maryland. 18 hours straight in a car with no radio haha. It was a good time, didn't really have any problems with the car. Also got 50+ mpg, which is cool. Diesels are cool haha.

Favorite Restaurant? Why?
El Palmar in Waukesha, WI. Little hole in the wall place with the best tacos.

Favorite sandwich?
I'm basic. a good ham and cheese. 

Any Brand Loyalty when it comes to motorcycles? Or do you operate ur collection like a Swiss Army Knife? Please Explain.
I'm more so a Harley Davidson person. As I said before I'm a big Harley Davidson person, so knowing the history to Harley and what people did with them back when, super cool stuff.

3 favorite bands (off the top of your head)?
Agent Orange
The buttertones
Wu-Tang

Anyone to Thank, give props, talk shit  or say hello to?
The biggest person to say thank to, would be my brother Jason. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't be in to all the stuff I'm on too now. You know little brothers are always trying to be like their old brothers haha. And all my friends vo, loks, JJ all plenty more. Their always there to talk shit and help me when I need it. And of course my parents for all the help and putting up with me when I was younger haha.