History of TLD
Troy's Story
My dad was an artist. I was 12 years old and Christmas was a month away. We were living in Nevada City, California. It was the boondocks, man. One day, my dad did a sketch of a Christmas scene and sent me over to his friend who owned a NAPA Auto Parts store. I began painting the front window. I guess that's where it all started. I made $15 that day and I was on my way. Next was an old Ossa. That job required some bondo and fiberglass work before I could paint the thing. At that point in my life, man, painting was the coolest thing in the world. I mean, we painted anything that wasn't nailed down. Lunch pails, mail boxes, and turtles. We'd mask off the shells and paint numbers on them.
In the late 1970's I was racing pro around Southern California. Whenever I won a race at places like Ascot, Saddleback or Corona, I'd go get my $100 from the promoter. I loved racing, but I wasn't exactly getting rich. Even so, I was racing and painting and having the time of my life. Along the way, my friends started asking me to paint helmets for them. I'd get to the races early, hand my friends their helmets, and collect $40. I was still going pretty fast then.
To make myself stand out a bit more, I started painting my Suzuki's refrigerator white and candy-apple red. What I was doing must have made an impression on the other riders, because about that time, Goat Breker asked me to paint up a helmet for him. Goat introduced me to Jeff Ward, and I painted a helmet for him. Then came Magoo Chandler and Mark Barnett. That's when I realized that my dream just might come true. I could actually make a business out of the two things I loved most, painting and racing.
I can't believe I've been at it for 25 years now. 25 years, man. It's crazy to think about all the athletes I've worked with, the artists I've come to know and the products that we've created. But I guess the coolest thing of all is that I don't really feel like I'm doing anything much different than I did before. I'm painting, racing bikes, raising two kids and hanging out with the same group of close friends. I guess that's where I'm going with our newest product line. Not only a celebration of being in business for 25 years, but a big thank you to everyone who has helped me realize my dreams.
More about Troy
Where did I come from and where did my passion for racing come from? Well, I guess I should start right at the beginning. The year was 1961 and my mother, Linda, was pregnant with me. She and my father, Larry, were at Ascot Park watching a dirt track national. From what my dad tells me, that night, the current National Champion, Troy Lee, won the main event. On the way home, he said to my mom, "Troy Lee, that has a cool ring to it". And so it was. I was named at the races.
My dad, too, was born into racing. In 1949, my grandfather Marvin Lee, along with Wally Parks, created the First Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials. That same year, Marvin held the land speed record in the B Streamliner class at 153.545 mph. Nine years old at the time, my dad tagged along with his father whenever he went to the races. In the years to come, my dad started drag racing, racing boats and eventually, motorcycle racing. He never really settled into one form of racing. In fact, I'd get bummed at him, because whenever he got halfway decent at something, he'd switch to something else.
How did it all begin for me? My grandfather owned Tustin Honda and I was 14, he gave both my brother and me new Honda Elsinores for Christmas. To live in the "back woods" and get state-of-the-art motorcycles like that was, to this day, the coolest Christmas presents of all time.
It's been said that racing is in the blood. I wouldn't argue that statement. You hear the sound of motorcycles and cars when you're in the womb, and you're just born with it. Man, I know I was.
