Any epic story worth telling generally starts with a girl.  It’s a patented formula.  Superman had Lois Lane.  Popeye had Olive Oyl.  Will Kenefick had Natasha.

Natasha was an obstinate Italian red head from Bologna who mercilessly captured Kenefick’s heart.

“Natasha was the beginning, “ said Will with fond reminiscence.  “She taught me the ropes.  Together, we discovered how to blend tasteful aesthetics and superior performance.”

There is a slight twist, however.  Natasha was not a flesh and blood woman, but a 1995 Ducati 900SS/CR.  She may not have been able to dance a tango or boil pasta, but she inspired Will to new heights of creativity.

“That was the start.  I tinkered with Natasha for a few years while working with numerous AMA and WERA teams.

The relationship with the Ducati was intense enough to pay out.  Natasha and stable mate Isabella, along with other siblings, garnered Kenefick 8 firsts in the notoriously picky Del Mar Concourse D’Elegance and Laguna Seca Concourso, including 3 Best Of Show awards.

“I was building bikes in my garage at home the whole time I was in and out of the road racing circuits.  I ended up participating in 4 national championship efforts, 35 regional championship teams, and over 100 race wins.  Pretty cool for a guy wrenching out of his house,” he said smiling wryly.

“I’ve been pretty lucky,” he sums up.

Will goes on to attribute his luck in motor sports and the love for his work to his father, Bill, who instilled a passion for drag racing and entrepreneurship in him.

“There is a little bit of me in every bike that I build.  Consequently, there is a lot of him in those bikes, too,” said Will.

“I owe the whole shooting match to the things I learned from him,” he said.

The genesis of RetroSBK was a natural progression of his talent as a mechanic and his eye for classic lines.

“Blending old school design aesthetics with modern performance and technology is an idea I’ve been toying with for a while,” said Will.

The beginning of a retro-techno movement in design can arguably be place upon the auto industry, he is quick to point out.

“Take a look at the new Beetle or the new Mini or the new Mustang,” shrugs Kenefick.  “I took a calculated shot with a 06 CBR-1000, restyled the bike in a tribute to Freddie Spencer, finessed the performance to match the styling, and it hit.”

“Freddie rode the bike at his school in Vegas and gave it the thumbs up.  It made a magazine cover or two, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“To date, RetroSBK has had some 30 magazine covers and there have been features on my bikes in print media world wide,” he said.  “It’s definitely been an interesting ride.”

Don’t look for Kenefick on the latest episode of Biker Buildoff or Orange County Choppers or anywhere else for that matter, save his Camarillo shop or the occasional track day with his crew.  He has no interest in becoming a celebrity builder.  In fact, he readily admits that self promotion has never been a strong suit.

“I let the bikes do the talking for me,” he said.

Kenefick’s latest creation, a tribute to legendary tuner Hideo “Pops” Yoshimura can be seen on the cover of the most recent Ultimate Motorcycling magazine.  His creations will also appear on the big screen in “Transformers II-Revenge of the Fallen” due to appear in theaters sometime in 2009.

-Andy Madden