(Photos: Alicia Mariah Elfving)
Psst! It’s the bike that’s for sale. But when models seductively languish over motorcycles, prospective customers may forget that.
Arun Sharma, the general manager of a Ducati dealership in Portland, Oregon, understands this truth. That’s why commissioned a series of images of men and women flaunting their bodies on the Ducati 1199 Panigale sportsbike. The women are beautiful. The men are…well, let’s just say that they have excellent personalities.
Photographer Alicia Mariah Elfving arranged and shot the images. The use of raw sex appeal to sell bikes annoys her, but she appreciates the humor that inspired this series. The male models are all employees who work in Mr. Sharma’s shop:
A few refused to take part, he recalls, but most were enthusiastic. They drew numbers to choose who would pose for each shot. Senior technician A.J. Ralston was one of the last to choose. He is pictured precariously perched on all fours on the bike's seat.
"I thought it was a fantastic, hilarious idea," said Ralston, who has worked in the shop for 11 years. "It seems like we always get a lot of flak from customers whenever we put something up on our Facebook page that has a beautiful woman on a motorcycle, so making light of all of that and having a good time doing it seemed like a good idea."
Holding the pose proved to be a challenge for the 5-foot-10-inch, 230-pound technician, especially in slingback shoes and booty shorts.
-via Jalopnik