Jeremy Tagand: Deus Ex Machina- Handcrafted Motorcycle documentary
Handcrafted Motorcycle Documentary – Jeremy Tagand- Deus Ex Machina
I was in Sydney on a work trip and had been tossing up whether or not I was ballsy enough to go into Deus and pitch them on PBM parts. After deciding “fuck it, I got nothing to lose” I contacted the shop and organized to meet their spare parts manager Taka. I’d been in this situation countless times before but this was Deus Ex Machina, a bloody Goliath. Taka’s first comment was “We’ve been waiting for you to contact us, what took you so long!” that one sentence made me instantly comfortable. I was shown around the shop and introduced to Jeremy, a softly spoken Frenchman that was more than happy to talk shop about what he had on the go.
Everybody see’s the bikes that Deus put out, but the guys behind them area a lot less publicized. Meeting Jeremy Tagand and putting a face to the bike’s I had seen was a great experience, and learning that he knew who I was felt just as good. Whenever I was in town I would stop in or show up to their week night events and hang with the team. Getting to know them a few hours at a time.
An intriguing part of Jeremy’s builder life is that he immigrated to Australia to work at Deus very early on. Starting off with a team of bike builders at Deus HQ in Sydney and watching the freight train take off and go global. Now the sole mechanic in Sydney, Jeremy has his hands on every piece of machinery that leaves the shop. Representing a giant brand with your work would be a balancing act of being true to your own style, while still representing your company’s core values. Something a lot of bike builders will never have to deal with, we generally just represent ourselves.
Jeremy somehow seems to carry these pressures quietly and focus on the task at hand. Always speaking of his projects humbly. Apart from his personal projects that strongly showcase his style, a set of bikes that really spoke to me was the 2 x Deus built 2017 Kawasaki Z900’s. Given to Jeremy before commercial release to customize at his will, the 2 bikes that rolled out were worlds apart. A super aggressive, monstrously sized Tracker (my pick) and a full fairing apocalyptic café racer. Both representing his creativity and craftsmanship well.
Jeremy is one of the few builders represented in this series that works it as a 9-5, and definitely the only one in such a corporate environment. During our talk I found myself really appreciating his gratitude and loyalty to Deus. As much as the company can be seen as a giant that lost its soul, the people on the ground are real, passionate and genuine. Jeremy champions this attitude in my eyes and it shows through in our talk.
