By Alan Cathcart Photos by Phil Hawkins
Few bikes have a backstory to equal the Velos streetfighter , the debut model from Audette Motorcycles . The company was founded by Tony Audette , a U . S . Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan as a machine gunner and was part of a platoon that became known as the Exiled Eight .
“ We got lost on our company ’ s roster ,” Audette said diplomatically about being left behind during a troop withdrawal in 2013 , “ so we spent several weeks on the front lines without any support systems and pretty much had to fend for ourselves . It was tough .”
After being recovered , the remaining members of the Exiled Eight volunteered to stay on active service , but military downsizing forced Audette and his comrades to be placed on reserve duty .
“ I didn ’ t know what to do ,” the 32- year- old related . “ I ’ d been a soldier all my adult life and wasn ’ t prepared for so suddenly being told to sit on the sidelines .”
The Georgia- born Audette decided to relocate to Connecticut , the home state of four of his troopmates . He got an apartment in a semi- derelict former convent , which also served as a workshop for restoring the motorcycle
The Velos is a visual stunner . The ceramiccoated , stainless- steel 2- into- 1 exhaust system with headers running in line with each other was created by Ryan Colligan at Toce .
AMERICANRIDER . COM | OCTOBER 2023 | 37