The Past - Not What It Used To Be: Part 2

Washington State Motorcycle Dealers Association through the ages

...continued from part 1

We now enjoy a cornucopia of motorcycles of fabulous design, many of which could have won world championships in road racing or motocross twenty years ago– totally stock, and we shop in dealerships with bright lights, friendly people, attractive displays, and more technology for less money than in any other product area. Go ahead, see how much a car or boat with 150hp per liter and lashings of carbon fiber and titanium goes for these days. It always pains me to see Internet postings referring to "Stealerships." True, I have had a bad customer experience or two in my time, but I have never felt I was being intentionally ripped off.

Bad service, or (more often) indifferent service, is not stealing. Selling a product for the price the market will pay is not stealing. If being a motorcycle dealer is so easy, why are they relatively few and far between? Last, I have had the occasion to meet many of the dealer/owners in this area. I like some of them, but not all, and those opinions are certainly reciprocated, but one thing does stand out. They are all enthusiasts. They are all passionate about motorcycles. That has not been my experience with previous forays into the world of car dealerships.

Here is some background on WSMDA, and some of the people who made your passion what it is today.

In the early and mid 60s motorcycle dealers in Southern California were very competitive and did not communicate much with each other. They began to have meetings to discuss business, but also to get together socially and diffuse some of the negative feelings that arose from dealer and brand competition. These meetings worked very well and resulted in the formation of the California Dealer's Association.

Eldon Douglas was a partner with his father-in-law (Mr. Maynard) in providing both dealership and motorcycle rider insurance, and they were members of this group. They decided to expand their business, and Eldon moved to Washington to open a Douglas/Maynard Insurance Agency here in the later 60s.

Eldon noticed immediately that dealers in Washington had the same problems that had been at issue in Southern California and he had the thought that getting dealers together would work up here as it had there. At about the same time a lot of off-road riding areas were being closed all over the state and dealers were panicking. Last, a new helmet law was a cause for concern. These were the catalysts for forming the original WSMTA – the Washington State Motorcycle Trade Association. WSMTA was formed in 1969. In 1980 the name was changed to Washington State Motorcycle Dealers Association, or WSMDA, and in 1995 the "Motorcycle" evolved to "MotorSports" for the current and future Washington State Motorsports Dealers Association.

For simplicity, I have used WSMDA throughout this column.

Most of the early meetings were held at the famous Dog House restaurant off Denny in downtown Seattle - after a first few meetings at the Red Lion Hotel in Bellevue. Some of the earliest players were: Larry and Pearle Poitras, Jack Anderson, Jeri Drager, Rod Norman, Bob and Val Budschat, Pete and Karen Wicken, Kenny Higgenbothem, Eldon Douglas, Marc and Dottie Anderburg, Jim Tenneson, Terry Saxlund, Bob Selden, "Bouncing" Bob Malley, and a few others.

The actual association was formed in the fall of 1969 and the first ORV act was passed in 1971, mostly as a result of WSMDA efforts. The early WSMDA had all the normal officers, regular business meetings, and at least tried to follow Robert’s Rules of Order.

The meetings eventually ended up at the Dog House and some other bar type places, at night, where at times very little business occurred. When Jim Boltz, Pete Wicken, Burke Hinshaw, and Mike Leibold were president, most of the meetings were held at Andy's Diner for early morning breakfasts.

Larry Poitras was elected as the first president and held that position for six years. He was instrumental in growing the association and keeping track of legislation coming out of Olympia pertaining to the motorcycle industry. The second president was Jim Tenneson and then Jim Boltz, Peter Wicken, Burke Hinshaw, Mike Leibold for nine years, and Jim Boltz since.

Have you ever read the book on labor organizing written by Saul Alinsky? I cannot recall the title, but one of his concepts has echoed in clarity ever since. According to Alinsky, in every organization of any sort, about 5% of the people do 90% of the work. The point? If you have new tasks to be done, you might as well start with the 5%, as they will end up doing it eventually. I have found this to be true in classrooms, unions, clubs, etc. Here are some of the WSMDA founders and presidents who were, for sure, the 5%.

Larry (Poke) Poitras – Poke was originally a musician playing clubs around the Bay Area. He ended up working as a "gunk brush " (what today would be termed a "lot technician") in the shop of Hap Jones – the famous San Francisco dealer. Poke moved to Seattle and opened his own shop up by Seattle University. In the 1960s he was a dealer for BSA, Norton, BMW and Yamaha.

Poke dropped Yamaha and BMW in the early 1970s and his shop was basically an enthusiast shop for British bikes and collectors. Poke was the first WSMDA president and a real fireball. Some of the early meetings were not maximally productive – but they certainly fit the "getting to know ya’" theme of the early years of the association. That is not to say the meetings did not produce significant positive outcomes – such as initiating and passing our state ORV program.

In later years, Poke’s son Ross took over the business, and today Ross is still very active in VME. He is, to my mind, the most knowledgeable person on the topic of classic bikes in the entire Northwest.

Jim Tenneson – Jim, over the years, was an entrepreneur on many different levels. Jim grew up in Seattle society, went to Yale, and was a business partner in the printing business with Terry Saxlund. Wanting to diversify their business interests, they bought the bankrupt University Honda in 1967 – which had the #1 dealer number for Honda, USA, from Gib Eaton. Gib, by the way, was one of the very first Honda dealers in America and is rumored to have turned down the opportunity to be the Honda importer/distributor. Oops!

Terry was a Seattle Cossack member in the 50s. Although Terry had more experience with motorcycles, he also had more hands-on experience in the printing business, so Jim took over the bike shop. A very young Jim Pomeroy was sponsored by University Honda and they helped him get his ride with Bultaco – for whom he was the first American to win a GP race – in Spain. Jim Boltz was their first parts manager and Pete Wicken the sales manager.

Jim Boltz – Jim Boltz rode a new 1961 YDS1 Yamaha in the Army while stationed in Northern Japan. In 1967, he transferred to the UW from Highline Community College to finish his BA degree in Accounting. Jim’s cousin is Terry Saxlund – University Honda needed a parts manager - Jim needed a job - and the result was Jim learning a lot as U Honda’s Parts Manager. Leaving U Honda to begin his (one year) accounting career in 1970, Jim opened Lynnwood Kawasaki in 1972 – in a barn. Today, the Cycle Barn Motorsports Group is still owned by Boltz, headed by Gary Harper, and consists of three dealerships north of Seattle.

Pete Wicken – University Honda’s first, and only, Sales Manager. Pete bought the dealership from Terry Saxlund and Jim Tenneson in the late 1980’s – eventually moving it to downtown Seattle in the 1990’s. Pete has now sold the dealership to his son Tom and is working on retiring to his home in Baring – up on Highway 2.

Burke Hinshaw – Burke managed the family dealership in Auburn for many years. Burke was the WSMDA president when Jeri Drager and others got the first WSMDA franchise act passed in 1983. Burke was an avid sportbike enthusiast and rode to many events on the West Coast with his "gang". Burke passed away, way too young, in the early 1990’s.

WSMDA Board Member Ron Orr now owns Hinshaw’s motorcycle store.

Mike Leibold – led the WSMDA for over nine years until he finally asked to have someone else run it. Mike held more meetings and followed a more structured format than any other president. Mike’s huge interest in off-road programs led him to champion many matters while president. Mike and his brother Ed own Everett Powersports – one of our states leading volume dealerships. Mike cut his teeth in the motorsports business while working for Ski Hut Honda (now Tacoma Honda) in the 1970’s.

Coincidentally, while working on this column, Cycle Barn held a special event, and we wanted to have some classic motorcycles on display. Thanks to the kind efforts of some friends we amassed a mind-boggling display consisting of, among others, a 1952 BMW R 57, a 1953 Series C Vincent Rapide, a 1967 Triumph Bonneville, and a 1974 Norton Commando Roadster. It fell to me to move them outside the next morning and ride/coast them down the ramp – engines off. What a remarkable experience! These are all genuine classics, and all were in very fine fettle.

The first impression of each is the light weight – compared to almost any modern bike they are literally bicycles with engines in the middle. Second impression is how small they are – modern bikes, for all of their technological wonder, are wider, longer, and much, much heavier. Then you notice the non-similarity of the controls, and variations in the strength needed to pull the clutch or brake levers. Last, I did not realize that the front brake of a Vincent is really more of a concept than a device to actually slow the vehicle.

All marvelous machines, and given a winning lottery ticket for an enormous sum, anyone would be proud to own one or all of them. However, beware the rose tint on your spectacles. They are what they are, and deserve to be revered for the technology and beauty they represent for their day.

So, as we wander away from this stroll down memory lane, take a moment to marvel at the technology you have parked in your garage, and appreciate progress! Of course, in just a few years the bikes we have today will be antiquated, but fear not… we will be as well!

Dave Preston is the author of Motorcycle 101, a sensible book for the new and returning rider. Pick up a copy today in the Sound RIDER! store.