Post by Jack McIntyre, Article & Images by Jordan Kraemer.

Builder Profile: Pierre-Yves Wingerter (Winges Garage)

This time, the ride was only about twenty minutes from my place, in a quiet little village in northern Alsace.

Most people think the chopper spirit belongs to America’s wide open highways. But sometimes, all it takes is a small country road in Alsace to find that same spirit. That’s where I met Pierre Yves Wingerter, better known as Winges of Winges Garage.

Pierre-Yves has been building and shaping motorcycles his own way for more than three decades. Over the years, his creations have earned awards at custom shows across Europe, from France to Germany and the Netherlands, including Punta Bagna 2025 in France and the Custom bike Show 2025 in Germany. Among European chopper enthusiasts, his name already carries weight.

But within the first few minutes of meeting him, we weren’t talking about trophies. We were talking about what really matters. The passion.

His shop tells you everything you need to know about the man. Built his way. Every bike, every part and every tool has a purpose. Most of them were made by his own hands. It’s the kind of place where anyone who loves motorcycles or fabrication could spend hours just looking around, asking questions and taking it all in.

Before long, my eyes locked onto a metal lathe built back in 1902. Pierre Yves stumbled across it almost by accident on a French classifieds site before driving to Munster to pick it up. To this day, it still allows him to machine a large portion of the parts that end up on his motorcycles.

I found myself standing there, staring at that old lathe far longer than I expected.

I honestly think that machine tells Pierre Yves’s story almost as well as his motorcycles do. Using old school machining techniques, he manufactures many of his own components from scratch. It’s crazy to think that a machine built before Harley Davidson even existed is still bringing award winning choppers to life today.

This isn’t catalog culture.

Around here, parts aren’t ordered. They’re born from an idea, a chunk of steel and countless hours behind a lathe.

I wanted to understand where it all began.

Here’s part of our conversation.

When did you realize you didn’t just want to ride motorcycles anymore, but build your own?

“I was already doing that with Peugeot 103 mopeds. Before that, I did the same thing with bicycles. I’d cut them up, modify them and change everything. That’s just how I’ve always been.”

So there was never really a defining moment. The passion had always been there. Long before his first Harley. Long before the bike shows.

What struck me most is that, deep down, he was already building choppers without even realizing it. Low, narrow, compact motorcycles. Back then, he didn’t even know what Frisco Style was. He was simply following his instincts.

That says a lot.

What was your first real motorcycle?

“A Yamaha Virago 535. I still own it. Today, my daughter rides it.”

I like that idea.

Almost like a family heirloom, passed down to the next generation.

When you start a new build, do you begin with a sketch?

“Not at all. The bike is already finished in my head. The first steps are almost always the same. I machine the steering neck, install the rear axle plates, then I start seeing the lines come together. The rest happens naturally.”

A few quick questions.

If you had to be a rock band?

“Metallica.”

One song?

“Master of Puppets.”

Why?

“Because the energy in that song is unbelievable.”

If you had to be a road?

“Back roads. The Route Napoléon. The roads through Doubs, Haute Saône or Luxembourg. The kind of road where you settle into the bike, breathe and just let the miles roll by.”

If you had to be an engine?

“A Panhead. That’s the engine that represents the beginning of the real Easy Rider style choppers. One day, I’ll own one.”

And if you were a beer?

“An IPA.”

Why?

“Because it’s bitter and fruity at the same time.”

That’s exactly what defines his motorcycles.

The perfect balance.

What’s the greatest reward you’ve ever received?

I expected him to bring up Punta Bagna.

Not even close.

“When guys, even professional builders, ask me how I made something, that’s always something I’m proud of. Winning is great too. You come home and everyone’s happy. But the best moment is when you finish a bike, fire it up for the very first time and take that first ride. That’s the reward. That’s when you tell yourself, ‘Hell yeah… she came out just right.’ It rides, it works, I pulled it off. That’s the best feeling. The trophies are just a bonus.”

What advice would you give a young builder who dreams of following the same path?

“When you’ve got an idea in your head, hold onto it. Build it the way you see it. Don’t change it because of what other people think. Don’t be afraid.”

If, fifty years from now, one of your motorcycles is displayed in a museum, what would you want engraved next to it?

“Live to Ride.”

Then he added something that stuck with me.

“If you spend every day going to work just so you can come home and mow your lawn, life doesn’t make much sense. You’ve got to live your passion.”

As I headed home on my FXDB 103, I kept thinking about our conversation.

Here’s what makes his story even more impressive.

Building choppers isn’t his day job. Every bike comes together after work, on weekends and late into the night, driven purely by passion. Using the skills, the tools and the experience he has built over the years. Pierre-Yves has managed to impress judging panels made up of some of the biggest names in the custom world, including Stéphane Grand of T4 Motor Cycles. He’s gone head to head with full time professional builders working with budgets far beyond his own.

Respect.

Maybe that’s the real signature of Pierre Yves Wingerter.