When we entered Urban Lena Motorcycles to interview one of the founders, Ricardo speaks passionately about his products to a customer, one of the many who visits the store out of curiosity after seeing the shop window full of beautiful products. Together with his wife, Helena (Lena) Carvalho, Ricardo Nunes opened the store after a trip they made to the United States. Across the ocean, they saw a vibrant culture around motorbikes and heritage brands, away from the “RoboCop” look, an expression that Ricardo uses several times to describe some motorcyclists with whom he does not identify. After travelling the world installing photovoltaic parks, Ricardo wanted to return to Portugal after knowing that they would have their first child and the store seemed the perfect business to settle in Lisbon and expand the passion he and Helena had for the motorcycles. From the industrial streets of Brooklyn, they have brought inspiration to open a relaxed space dedicated to heritage brands, where “handmade production, fair trade and quality” are essential elements. With his vintage BMW 900, Ricardo is passionate about the culture that surrounds the two wheels and describes in detail the production process of some of his (and ours) favourite brands like Red Wing Shoes, Schott NYC and the newer Labuta and Maria Riding Company. With a clear focus on Portuguese brands, Urban Lena Motorcycles chose Ideal & Co to complete their careful selection of coats, boots, helmets and gloves. When we asked why he chose Ideal & Co, Ricardo replied that it was “for its design, quality and because we know that the grandchildren of a person who buys a backpack will still use it in the future.” Reflecting on Ricardo's relaxed and calm character, Urban Lena Motorcycles is one of our favourite shops in Lisbon, a must visit!