Throughout his childhood, Mark attended a whole host of motorcycle shows and swap-meets, courtesy of his father’s obsessions. The pastime was a family-oriented affair – every weekend there’d be some kind of gathering, complete with drag races, prizes, and food stalls. The sense of kinship was undeniable. It’s a period Mark recalls with great affection.

“You’d go to a big field, where everybody would be socializing. All the clubs would come together and compete in various contests. If I wasn’t attending one of those events, there were always motorcycles outside the house. People would visit from out of town, from all walks of life, sharing their love of this common interest.”

As years went by, Tye was a regular fixture in the motorcycling community, encouraging other African Americans to bond over their mutual pursuits. By the time he passed away in 1980, it was obvious that Tyree had left behind an enduring legacy. Ever-spirited, his zeal outshone the bigotry of the era – a noble standard that future generations would adopt in their struggles against racism and injustice.

“Dad inspired so many people to start riding. Even when my brother lost a leg in a road traffic accident, he still carried on. He got that resilience and soul from our father.”

Currently headquartered in a repurposed fire station, Prism was founded by brothers Jake and Zach Hindes in 2012. What began as a home garage now refurbishes a roster of vintage motorcycles – its painstaking attention to period detail the subject of widespread critical acclaim.

Matt Best currently heads up the shop’s content department, producing an array of material that documents the day-to-day running of procedures, as well as the remarkable stories underpinning each individual piece.

“We see ourselves as custodians. We know that these bikes will live on in the hands of those who appreciate them, just as much as their original owners did. We want to keep that generational tradition alive,” he explains.

Situated at Camp North End, Prism’s center of operations was once a Ford Model T factory and WWII munitions manufacturer. Now, it’s a reimagined garage space – the reconditioning an apt encapsulation of the company’s values and overarching mission.

“We aspire to find old stuff with character, and bring it back to life. We retain as many of the original components as possible. If we can’t, we’ll re-service it as authentically as we can.

“In our industry, it’s popular to take old vehicles and cram them full of new parts – to make them faster or more reliable. We prefer to get the old technologies up and running again.”

Placing his trust in the know-how of specialists, Mark Smith relinquished control and custody of his cherished heirloom. It was a tough decision, but a necessary step nonetheless.