Bio Excerpt: Irina Krivolap turned a childhood dream in distant Vladivostok into reality in Los Angeles, where Russian doors for women in motorsports were welded shut but American ones stood wide open. She co-founded WAWA Racing motorcycle team, then launched LIETO Factory, her design and manufacturing studio creating... (full bio below ↓↓)
Irina Krivolap
Motorcycle racer
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(last updated January 24, 2026
Irina Krivolap is a Russian-born motorsports entrepreneur and graphic designer who transformed her childhood passion for racing and design into LIETO Factory, a cutting-edge design and manufacturing studio serving the motorcycle racing community in Los Angeles.
EARLY YEARS
Krivolap grew up in Vladivostok, in the Far East of Russia, about as far from the glitz of Los Angeles as you can get. Her father was a passionate motorsport enthusiast, and that spark caught early. While other kids were playing house, she was watching races and dreaming about the track. Vladivostok wasn’t exactly a hotbed for professional motorsports careers—especially not for girls—but the dream stuck anyway.
She studied graphic design at Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service, earning her master’s degree between 2005 and 2011. The technical skills were solid, but her real education was happening in her head: how could she merge design with the adrenaline-soaked world of racing? In Russia, that door wasn’t just closed—it was welded shut. So she started looking elsewhere.
OTHER INTERESTS
Beyond the racetrack, Krivolap rides her own motorcycles and has a history with cruisers. She once owned a 2002 Harley-Davidson Heritage and rode a Russian version of the WWII German BMW motorcycle—the Ural, complete with sidecar. She’s not just designing for riders; she is one. That authenticity shows up in everything LIETO Factory produces, from custom fairings to bike wraps. She understands what works because she’s been in the saddle herself, navigating both the technical and emotional sides of motorcycle culture.
EARLY SUCCESS
After relocating to Los Angeles, Krivolap finally found the space to chase what had always felt impossible. She completed her graphic design studies in Russia, but her dream had always been to work on a racetrack. Unfortunately, Russia didn’t offer that opportunity—not for women, not in any real capacity. Los Angeles did.
Together with a group of friends, she founded WAWA Racing, a motorcycle race team that gave her a foothold in the competitive world she’d been circling for years. It wasn’t glamorous at first—grassroots racing never is—but it was real. She was finally inside the fence, not watching from the outside. A few years later, she took the next logical step and established LIETO Factory, a company specializing in custom canopies, race fairings, apparel, flags, bike mats, decals, laminated vinyl bike wraps, and full bike livery design. It was a natural extension of her skills and her world. She wasn’t just participating in motorsports anymore—she was building the infrastructure for it.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- Founded WAWA Racing, a motorcycle race team in Los Angeles, providing a platform for competitive racing and community building.
- Established LIETO Factory, a design and manufacturing studio specializing in custom motorsports products including race fairings, bike wraps, and livery design.
- Built a reputation for high-quality custom motorsports graphics and products, earning praise from clients for both product quality and customer service.
- Successfully merged graphic design expertise with hands-on motorsports knowledge, creating a business that serves racers across multiple disciplines.
INSPIRATIONS
Krivolap’s father was her first and most enduring inspiration. His passion for motorsports planted the seed, and despite growing up in a place where professional racing opportunities for women were nonexistent, she never let go of that early influence. Moving to Los Angeles gave her access to a community that valued skill over gender, and that environment allowed her to finally pursue what she’d been dreaming about since childhood. Her inspiration wasn’t about proving something to anyone—it was about finally being able to do the work she’d always wanted to do.
REPUTATION
Within the motorsports community, LIETO Factory has earned a solid reputation for quality and service. Clients consistently praise not just the products, but the people behind them. One customer review summed it up: “Not only do they give 5 star service they are 5 star people as well.” Another noted, “Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Genuine quality & support.” That kind of word-of-mouth doesn’t happen by accident. Krivolap built her business on understanding what racers actually need—not what looks good in a catalog, but what holds up under real conditions. She’s a designer who rides, a business owner who races, and that credibility matters in a world where posers get sniffed out fast.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
Information about specific future goals or plans beyond 2025 is not currently available.
REFERENCES
Meet Irina Krivolap of Lieto Factory – Voyage LA Magazine
Lieto Factory – Design and Manufacturing Studio for Motorsports
Reader Story: A Russian Woman Shares How She Discovered Riding
Racetrack Service and more | The Moving Moto | Los Angeles
Irina Krivolap Email & Phone Number | Lieto Factory Chief Executive
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