Meet the 2026 Keynote Speaker
Paul d’Orléans is a globally recognized expert on the history of motorcycles and motorcycle cultures. His website TheVintagent.com has been the gold standard for motorcycle writing since 2006. Paul is also a television commentator during the annual Mecum Las Vegas motorcycle auctions, and has been the genial host of events like the Quail Motorcycle Gathering and Wheels & Waves. He has been an esteemed judge for ten years at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, and organizes events like Wheels+Waves California (2016/2017) and Velocette Owners Club Summer Rally (since 1996).
Paul has written several books: Ton Up! A Century of Café Racer Speed and Style (Motorbooks 2020), Custom Revolution (Motorcycle Arts Foundation 2018), ‘The Chopper; the Real Story (Gestalten 2014), and Café Racers (Motorbooks 2014). He has also co-written, edited, and or contributed heavily to Ultimate Collector Motorcycles (Taschen 2024), The Current (Gestalten 2019), It’s a Gas! (Gestalten 2018), The Ride (Gestalten 2015), The Ride 2 (Gestalten 2017), and The Impossible Collection of Motorcycles (Assouline 2013).
Paul has been a monthly columnist for Cycle World, Classic Bike Guide, Motorcyclist and regularly contributes to magazines around the world (The Automobile, At Large, Men’s File, etc), bringing his unique viewpoint to the contemporary motoring scene.
Paul has curated many exhibitions, including five at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles: ‘Electric Revolutionaries’ (2022), ‘ADV:Overland’ (2021), ‘Silver Shotgun’ (2020), ‘Electric Revolution’ (2019) and ‘Custom Revolution’ (2018). He also curated ‘The Chopper Story’ (2015) at the National Motorcycle Museum, and co-curated the ‘Ton Up!’ (2013) and ‘Built for Speed’ (2014) exhibits at the Michael Lichter Gallery in Sturgis.
Paul is also an artist and photographer, who spent 25 years as a professional muralist and decorative painter. His paintings have also been used as album covers for bands like the Boxing Gandhis and Bande Soleil. He is also a wet plate photographer, and his photographs with partner Susan McLaughlin have recently been published in The Long Way book, following three cross-country tours with the Motorcycle Cannonball rally. Their photos have been shared in magazines and books around the world (Brummm, 1903, Roll, Men’s File, etc), and been exhibited in galleries in the US, Mexico, England, and France.
Paul is a 5th generation San Franciscan, but spends half the year kicking up dirt in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.
For more information about hearing Paul D’Orleans keynote address and/or attending the 13th Annual International Journal of Motorcycle Studies Conference July 16th-19th in Shelton, Washington see:
Call for Papers, Presentations, Projects Motorcycle Studies
Registration for the 2026 IJMS Conference Motorcycle Studies