Objects in the Mirror...

Jeffrey Butts

My friend Rod Ditchfield helped me drop off the Mighty Brick for service up in Washington back in October. We were trying to work our way back to the plant when we ran into a serious freeway arterial sclerosis situation. Rod took the next available exit and then backtracked through the west Portland hills to emerge ahead of the clogged traffic. As we were working our way down through the "urban interface," I spotted a little garage off to the side of the road. It looked like an old gas station but it was labeled as "Cycle Metrics" and offered both car and motorcycle repair. I filed that away in the back of my feeble mind and vowed to pay a visit the next time I got the chance.

The shop is owned and operated by Gary Black, a 53 year-old bike rider with a lengthy history of bike riding and repair. Gary has run this business from the same location for about 20 years. The building itself is kind of interesting. The architecture is similar to auto shops and gas stations of the 50's. The construction is concrete block over a poured concrete floor. There is a basement that used to be the way into the grease pit for working underneath automobiles. When he took over the building, there was three feet of standing water in the basement. The walls are made of the same concrete block as that used in the Rocky Butte Jail in Portland. The holes for the reinforcing bar are horizontal rather than vertical. Gary said that the previous business was an auto repair business and, most likely, did almost as much business in drugs. The area is actually just inside the Multnomah County line and is zoned residential. Since the business pre-dates the zoning regs, Gary has a conditional use permit. He tells an amusing tale of dealing with the county government when trying to get his permit to add an office to the front of the building. Apparently there was a fire inspector who lived nearby and would pass the building daily. Because they were afraid of the previous tenants, code enforcement people just passed the place by. When Gary bought it and started to clean it up, the local gummint types came down in a swarm. He said that about 30 of them spent the better part of the day trying to figure out who had responsibility for interpreting building codes. Well, he pretty much got it the way he wanted although he had to cover over the grease pit. He also cleared a couple dozen junked cars on the property and fixed up the shop pretty nicely.

Although the shop is not as shiny and bright as Bob Lanphere's big place in Tigard, it is very tidy nonetheless. Prior to opening his own business, Gary worked for other shops, acting as service manager for Milwaukie Yamaha and also working for Beaverton Honda. In his shop a variety of bikes are being worked on, ranging from a BMW R100 to a motor scooter, from road bikes to motocrossers. It is a sign of a good shop that it is clean and organized. I especially liked the collection of vintage tools that hang on the peg-board above his daily use tools. There are service manuals, spare tires, and parts aplenty. I asked if he has any security problems as the location is not exactly on the main drag and he has no bars on the windows. "Nope," he said, "I've only had one break in and they didn't get away with anything." The reason is that the two exterior doors are steel and double dead-bolted and the roll-up is just as sturdy. The two big front windows have break sensors in them that will dial him up immediately but, even if someone got in, there is no way, except back out through the window they came in. Like I said, it is a nice set- up. At one time Gary employed two mechanics as well but now his business is just himself and his wife Marianne does the bookkeeping. By his own admission he has never been happier.

Although Gary works on cars if he has to, his business is primarily bikes. I asked about his mainstay, was it service? No, he has built a reputation of a different sort. While there doesn't seem to be a definable customer profile, his market niche is for bikes that are ten years or older. He takes vintage machinery, some of which hasn't been running for years, and makes it roadworthy again. Since the dealerships shy away from older bikes, they send a lot of customers his way; the rest comes from word of mouth. He is in the business of motorcycle resurrection. As to the customers, I asked, are there any horror stories about the people themselves? He paused, and looking deep into the past, was only able to come up with one problem, a son of a regular customer passed on some bad checks. All in all, that is a pretty tame story and one that all entrepreneurs have had experience with.

Gary has been riding bikes since he was about 12, racing some motocross in the early 70's. He has owned over thirty bikes thus far and his current personal collection includes an XR250, three (or was that FOUR) Yamaha XS-1100's (one with 243,000 miles on the clock), a Yamaha Venture, and his personal favorite, a Honda Transalp. When asked what bike he would own if money were no object, he said that he couldn't name one. In his business he has had the opportunity to ride any and all kinds and so he considers himself ahead of the game because he has had the experiences but has not had to lay out the moolah. As to the newer bikes, he says that they just don't appeal to him. Favorite rides? Carlton and along the Nestucca River Road to Beaver (south of Tillamook). Another? Hood River up Highway 35 to the Dufur Valley Road and east to Dufur.

My final question was one of those boring, textbook things you ask in job interviews. "Where do you see yourself in five years?" For this, there was no deep contemplation or thoughtful pause. "Right here" he said with a smile on his face. Damn. Don'tcha just find it amazing when you find someone who loves what they're doing? You'll find Gary Black at Cycle Metrics, 10400 NW Thompson Road, Portland, (503) 292-5510.