Kevin Schwantz, the 1993 FIM Road Racing World Champion, loves to burn fuel with his motorcycles and trucks. But when putting the finishing touches on the construction of the new home he is building on his family’s old ranch in Central Texas, he chose renewable solar power. Get an inside look into the new home and life today for this 500cc world champion.
About Schwantz Ranch
Schwantz’s grandparents owned this ranch in Paige, Texas since the 1980s, which Schwantz grew up visiting regularly when he was a kid living in Houston. He recently constructed two new homes on the ranch, adding to the original home that his parents are currently living in.
Situated up on a hill, the home has a beautiful view out the front of farmland for miles, and his backyard patio looks out on a pond and a set of motorcycle trails. He and his family have a total of 17 rescue animals on-site, including two black Labrador Retrievers, a father and son donkey, a longhorn, several cattle, and a friendly black cat named Binx.
The farmhouse style of the homes take a modern twist, with dark panel exterior, wood beams, and a metal roof. The black-on-black Mission Solar panels he chose fit into the aesthetic perfectly. His roof will receive full sun for most of the day, and his panels offset up to 70% of his annual electricity usage.
Carving out space for his motorcycle legacy
Schwantz’s wife Tara wanted to create a special space to hold the decade of memories from Kevin’s decorated career. They set up a loft in their home to be the “motorcycle room”.
When you walk into Schwantz’s motorcycle memorabilia room, you see Lucky Strike and Suzuki red everywhere, the team that he put on the map. His dozens of track suits from every race are captured in a custom display case.
As you can imagine, after an illustrious 30 year career in the spotlight, Schwantz has received hundreds of fan mail and memorabilia. The room displays unique items he has received from fans, such as jigsaw puzzles, bobble heads, and cross-stitched designs of his likeness. Framed photos line the walls of memorable moments in his career, not just achievements but also crashes. A framed quote states words of wisdom: “It is not enough to know how to ride. One must also know how to fall.”
How solar fits in
With diesel engines being such a core part of his life, Schwantz might not be the typical solar ambassador. But he wanted to do his part. “Energy independence is hoping we don’t have to depend on those wires coming in the house anymore. We can cut off and not have to worry about buying our energy from someone else. We can create our own,” said Schwantz.
This is Schwantz’s second time around with solar, as he installed solar on his previous home in Austin Texas. In the process of selling that home, he found it created added value with the potential buyers.
In regards to his experience with the installation process, Schwantz said: “My experience with Freedom has been amazing. Seamless, easy, I think most importantly the staff that they’ve assembled has been friendly and helpful as they could be, unlike the [home] building process we had experience for 2 years prior to that.”
Interested in what solar can do for you? Kevin Schwantz’s fans can receive $500 off of their solar project costs. Get started here.
Photography: Nick Simonite
Videography: John-Paul Garrigues