Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills cruises Main Street in Huntington Beach recently with his ÒAnimalÓ helmet from Sesame Street. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills on his limited edition R1 Yamaha wearing his Darth Vader helmet he made from a standard helmet. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills cruises Main Street in Huntington Beach recently with his Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

An unidentified man runs up for a selfie with motorcyclist Alex Diaz as he wears his ÒAnimalÓ helmet in downtown Huntington Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills cruises Main Street in Huntington Beach recently with his ÒTransformersÓ helmet. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills with his wife Elizabeth and some of his helmets. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills cruises Main Street in Huntington Beach recently with his ÒTransformersÓ helmet. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills often has people hand over their children for photos he says. On this day he is in Huntington Beach wearing his ÒAnimalÓ helmet from Sesame Street. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Motorcyclist Alex Diaz created this helmet he calls ÒSyndromeÓ from recycled computer parts. It has lights all the way around. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Motorcyclist Alex Diaz of Laguna Hills with some of his 15 decorated helmets he creates with recycled parts.(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Orange County Register/SCNG)



By Michael Fernandez

When Alex Diaz, of Laguna Hills, propels himself down the road on his limited-edition Yamaha R1 — fur from his Animal helmet flapping in the wind — he does it for his own enjoyment and that of others.

“It makes me happy, I’m a kid at heart,” Diaz said. “And I really enjoy the reaction from the people.”

Diaz began transforming motorcycle helmets using computer parts and bottle caps three years ago. He now has 15 decorated helmets ranging in theme from “Star Wars,” “Transformers,” “Iron Man” and “Halo,” to “Sesame Street” characters such as Animal.

“I noticed that everyone bought the common marketed helmet and I wanted to do something different and I wanted to have fun again riding,” said Diaz, whose first design was a “Star Wars” Stormtrooper.

Diaz said he has a hard time stopping his creative juices from flowing. He works late into the night thinking of ways to transform an ordinary helmet into a unique eye-catcher.

“Every time I finish one, something else comes up,” he said. “I only have three things I enjoy in my life — my wife, these ladies, and my motorcycle. I have a lot of responsibility and responsibilities come first.

Diaz and his wife, Elizabeth, are full-time caretakers to three women ranging in age from 90 to 100. Diaz said he even missed his mother’s funeral in Mexico because he was afraid one of the women would die if he wasn’t around for more than a day.

Being a care provider gives him great satisfaction, he said, just like meeting kids while he’s on his motorcycle.

Diaz said he usually cruises down Pacific Coast Highway from Laguna Hills to Main Street in Huntington Beach on the weekends.

“People will hand their kids to me for a photo,” he said, noting the smiles on the children’s faces. “That’s why I do this, it makes me feel wonderful. You live only once, why not try to be happy!”

His wife wouldn’t mind if he stopped making helmets, due to the space they take up, but “it’s ok though,” she said. “It’s his passion.”