The Art of Motion: Jarred Fixler and the Relentless Spirit of Motorsport Exotica
By Alexander Cartigan – Chief Editor
Where Passion Becomes Precision
Step inside Motorsport Exotica, and you’ll understand immediately that this isn’t just a performance shop, it’s a living organism, pulsing with the rhythm of combustion and the hum of perfection. The air carries the sharp scent of fuel and metal, and the sound of torque wrenches sings like a mechanical symphony.
At the center of it all stands Jarred Fixler — founder, racer, builder, and the relentless force behind one of Southern California’s most respected motorcycle performance and race facilities.
Jarred didn’t build his empire by accident. He built it out of frustration, the kind that only a true craftsman feels when others fall short. After relocating from Connecticut to Los Angeles in 2012, he quickly realized that even the so-called “best in the business” often failed to deliver the precision he demanded. “If you want something done right,” he says, “do it yourself.” And so he did, in a one-and-a-half-car garage, armed with a bike lift, a washing machine doubling as a workbench, and an obsession for getting things right.
What began as a passion project soon became a full-fledged movement. Within months, word spread, and Jarred found himself with a line of bikes outside his home and a city-issued cease-and-desist letter on his doorstep. “That was the moment,” he recalls. “Either pack it up or go all in.” He went all in.
From the Corner Garage to the Championship Grid
The journey from a suburban garage to a full-scale, championship-winning facility wasn’t easy. Red tape, competition sabotage, and the daily chaos of running a startup nearly broke him. Yet through it all, Jarred’s focus never wavered. “Matthew McConaughey once said, ‘Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself.’ That’s the goal,” he says. “I’m not there yet. Until I am, I’ll just keep working.”
A decade later, Motorsport Exotica is more than a name; it’s a reputation. The facility’s bikes have found their way onto podiums across the country, each machine recognized for both craftsmanship and soul. For Jarred, the thrill isn’t just in the build, it’s in the validation. “Seeing one of my bikes take the top step of the podium… that’s it. That’s the pinnacle. It’s not about ego, it’s about proof that every long night and every risk was worth it.”
At its core, Motorsport Exotica isn’t about trophies or titles. It’s about movement forward, always forward. Jarred’s story is one of resilience, craftsmanship, and a stubborn refusal to settle. He’s a man who turned a one-car garage into a legacy; a name whispered in racing circles from LA to Daytona.
The Community That Fuels the Craft
Behind the wrenches and race fuel lies a culture of camaraderie. Jarred’s network of riders, drivers, and builders has become an extended family, a tribe bound by a shared obsession with speed and craftsmanship. “It’s multifaceted,” he says. “I’ve got my bike people, my car people, my race people; they’re all different, but all family. They’ve opened doors for me, challenged me, supported me. That’s what keeps me going.”
That same ethos extends to his staff. “I don’t call them mechanics,” he says firmly. “They’re technicians and engineers. A mechanic fixes things. A technician understands them.” Jarred is quick to credit those around him, from family to staff to clients, for the success of Motorsport Exotica. “I wouldn’t be here without them,” he says. “Every single person who’s been part of this journey has played a role. They’re all crucial.”
A Philosophy of Motion
Jarred’s relationship with machines began long before Motorsport Exotica. As a teenager, he worked at a Porsche race shop in Connecticut called Speed Sport Tuning, sweeping floors, cleaning lifts, and watching; always watching the professionals work. “I wasn’t allowed to talk or touch anything,” he recalls. “I was the grunt of the grunts, but I loved it. The smell, the vibration of race cars in my chest, that was heaven.”
That early exposure shaped his understanding that both cars and motorcycles have what he calls a soul. “You can have two identical machines off the line, but they’re never truly the same,” he says. “Each one feels different, sounds different. They talk to you. They let you know when something’s off, and when everything’s dialed in, you’re not just riding or driving; you’re being.” For Jarred, tuning is equal parts science and art.
“Suspension and engine work are about data, telemetry, metrics, numbers, but also about intuition,” he explains. “You can’t tune purely from a screen. The rider has to trust it. Sometimes the numbers say it’s perfect, but the feeling doesn’t. That’s the art.”
The Cobra and the Call of the Open Road
Although motorcycles are his first love, Jarred’s passion extends seamlessly to four wheels. His latest automotive masterpiece, a 1965 Shelby Cobra with a ROUSH 427R, is a nod to raw, unfiltered performance, an open-cockpit time capsule that defies the digital age.
“After years surrounded by high-tech machines, I wanted something visceral,” he says. “The Cobra gives you that, it’s just you and the car. No radio, no traction control, no filters. You smell the exhaust, feel the vibration through the chassis, hear every mechanical note. It’s alive.”
The Cobra began as a way to reintroduce himself to the car scene, a statement of individuality in a city flooded with supercars. “In LA, to stand out, you need something different. The Cobra? It’s art on wheels. It makes people stop; not because it’s expensive, but because it’s authentic.”
He describes the build as ongoing, an endless pursuit of refinement. “It’s never done,” he smiles. “Every drive changes what perfection means.”
The Hublot That Marked a Milestone
For someone who lives his life surrounded by motion, it’s no surprise that Jarred’s appreciation for time itself runs deep. “I’ve always been into timepieces,” he says. “Growing up between New York and Miami, fine watches were everywhere, on wrists, in windows. Something about them just captivated me. Part design, part expression, and definitely part exclusivity.”
His Hublot Big Bang holds a particularly sentimental place. “It was one of the first watches I ever purchased. When Motorsport Exotica hit its first major milestone, I walked into an AD and saw it there. Carbon glistening under the neon lights of the display case, the rubber strap shaped like tire tread. It was perfection at that moment.”
He recalls admiring the rose-gold 301.PX.130.RX Big Bang as a kid, a watch that defined modern boldness, and though his tastes evolved, that memory stuck. “I’ve grown deeper into the watch world over the years, but that piece remains special. It marked a moment in my journey, a reward for betting on myself.”
Today, Jarred keeps a diverse collection, including a Rolex Submariner “Bluesy”, but he admits full gold isn’t for him. “I just don’t think I pull it off,” he laughs. “Two-tone is as far as I’ve gone down the gold path.”
A Collector’s Dilemma
When asked which single car or watch he’d choose for life, Fixler laughs. “That’s impossible,” he says. “People ask me all the time, one bike, one car, one watch, but there’s no way. Each one serves a different purpose.”
Still, he admits a few grails: “The Porsche 964 Factory Turbo is near the top of my list, but I can’t take that snowboarding, so that’s out. A vintage Bronco with a teak bed? Love it, but I can’t track that either,” he grins.
As for watches: “A Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5373P-001 or 5316/50P, those are just timeless. Perfect. Pieces that speak to craft on another level.”
Passion Beyond the Paddock
Even when the shop lights go dark, Jarred’s world never stops moving. His passions extend far beyond the racetrack yet, unsurprisingly, everything still revolves around motion, precision, and design.
Walk into his office and you’ll find an entire wall lined with over 1,500 Hot Wheels, each one a miniature symbol of his lifelong obsession with cars. “All real models,” he laughs, “none of that fantasy stuff.” The collection started as a childhood fascination and evolved into a tribute to the dreamer who never grew up. It’s proof that even in a world of roaring engines and championship bikes, Jarred still makes room for nostalgia.
Then there’s Rizla, his dog and unofficial shop mascot, often spotted trotting through the bay with a Pirelli racing slick clenched proudly in her mouth, a small but fitting emblem of the Motorsport Exotica brand.
Outside the garage, Jarred finds balance through other pursuits that reflect his appreciation for craftsmanship and control: Autocross, competitive shooting, fine watches, cigars, scotch, and a bit of fashion, “the usual suspects,” he says with a grin. Raised by a mother immersed in the fashion world, he jokes that it led to a “now under-control sneaker addiction.”
Advice to the Next Generation
Jarred wants young entrepreneurs to understand the real rhythm behind success, the one that plays between failure and perseverance.
“Don’t ever stop,” he says. “There will be incredible highs and brutal lows, but the difference is how you face them. Do you grind through, or do you retreat? Keep going until you no longer have to introduce yourself.”
He speaks from experience. From corporate cubicles to cease-and-desist letters, from anonymous tips and sabotage to national race wins, every setback became a chapter in his evolution. His journey is proof that resilience isn’t born from victories, it’s forged in the long nights, the noise, and the relentless belief that what you’re building matters.
For Jarred, success isn’t about fame or fortune, it’s about motion. “Forward, always forward.”
Follow Jarred on Instagram
Photographer: Brandon Ilic