People to watch in 2005
Who will be the movers and shakers in the year to come
The evolution of motorcycling in the Northwest comes down
to the people who make things happen. In the sprit of progress we thought
it might be fun to take a look at a few locals as the ones to watch in 2005.
Local entrepreneurs, racers, club members, they all make up the fabric of what's
to come.
 Andy
Moore: Racer –After cleaning up in the GP125 and GP250 categories the last
several years, Moore took it one step further this year winning both categories
and winning the #2 plate overall in the WMRRA fold – all on a Honda GP125. The
win has caused controversy inside the group as to the rules of the game, but as
of press time the rules still stand that a GP125 racer who participates as
extensively as any 600cc or Super Sport rider is just as entitled to the overall
plate as the next guy. Racers may not have to worry much about Moore in 2005 as
he’ll be doing something completely new for himself – racing a sidecar!! In an
effort to get closer to his girlfriend, Moore will steer while partner Tamara
plays monkey on the back. The hoot would be if the pair could pick up a top
WMRRA plate doing it with a sidecar. Unlikely, but Moore is committed to doing
the West Coast sidecar circuit this year and if his abilities shine as bright as
the past we may have a number one sidecar plate holder here in Puget Sound by
year’s end.
Tony Mazzarella: Shop Owner – Ever since his
purchase of Mac’s Custom Upholstery several years ago, Tony Mozzarella has been
a man on the move. More recently he merged his Seattle based upholstery business
with Sunmark Upholstery on the eastside. Since Mac’s deals a lot in boats,
Mazzarella took another turn and created a storage business under the Ballard
bridge. But in 2005 Mazzarella is gearing up to grow even more and this time it
will be in the 2 wheel arena.
 Pat
Dowling: Museum Curator – When the Whatcom Museum decided to put together a
motorcycle display for 2005, The Good, The Bad & The Custom, Pat Dowling (at
left) got handed the job of curetting the exhibit. Dowling spent much of
2004 scouring the Northwest for bikes, magazines, film footage and other
memorabilia that signifies the Northwest and the motorcycle in general. Now
Dowling will work extensively with various shops and individuals to create
promotions that will keep the exhibit hopping from the day it opens in early May
until its closing next December.
Rick Nakagaki: Shop Partner – 2004 was a critical
year for Eastside Motosports. Amidst ups and downs at the beginning of 2004, the
end result was the hiring of Rick Nakagaki as a managing partner for the
dealership. Nakagaki is no newbie to the local motorcycle scene having run the
sales departments of other shops like Renton Motorcycles and Downtown
Harley-Davidson. After a bit of turnover, Nakagaki has assembled a core of
seasoned individuals and brought a professional sensibility to the dealership.
2005 will likely see an expansion of floor space at the dealership and more
events like their successful Ladies Night last November.
Barry Mercer: Club Vice President – The Vintage
Motorcycle Enthusiasts have grown to 600 plus members. In 2005 elections
will take place and current president Terry Kellog will not re-run for office.
This leaves the most likely candidate to be club vice president, Barry Mercer.
Mercer is well-liked among club members and has served in the past as publicity
officer as well as volunteering in many events over the years. In 2003, Mercer
suffered a serious motorcycle crash that de-habilitated him with numerous major
surgeries. On the mend, Mercer took the wheel again in 2004 and had yet another
nasty crash. Mercer is a feisty fighter and throughout most of the medical
recovery periods continued to man his post, often in a wheelchair or on a cane
(Dave Frieboth took the wheel the first few weeks after the '03 crash). Should he
win the presidential position, his challenge will be to continue propelling the
club forward with membership, maintain a tight noose on a now healthy club bank
balance, and if he chooses to stay onboard through 2007 he’ll be at the helm of VME’s 25th anniversary.
 Stu
Ness and David Yeoman: Shop Owners – After defecting from the staff at
Destination Harley-Davidson in 2004, Ness and Yeoman took on something of a
rarity – they opened a used bike only shop in Fife, Sunset Motors. The pair spent much of 2004 trying
to build clientele and a name for themselves. 2005 will be the year they must
make the business grow in order to survive. Promotions like "Hot Dog Hotties,"
bike washes, visits from the Hooters girls and more have proven to be
successful for the pair as they wind their way through various marketing
angles. 2005 will no doubt be an interesting and fun one to watch these two
characters assault.
Todd Thompson: General Manager – In 2004 Eastside
Harley-Davidson closed two of their three locations (Issaquah and Bellevue
Square). They also lost longtime General Manager, Dwane Cannady. In step with
keeping it in the family, owners Bev and Keith Thompson have opted to move their
son, Todd, into the GM position. Todd’s background was running another one of
his father's businesses, Sound Container. He’s already known and well-liked by
the staff at Eastside, so the transition should be a smooth one.
 Jay
& Tara Giese: Sidecar Fabricators – After a decade of working out of the
garage, Jay & Tara Giese have moved their shop to a commercial location in
Covington. Much of what the Giese’s have produced has been in-house
fabrications. 2004 was a big year in terms of R&D expenses and 2005 is the year
the Giese’s look to see the fruits of those labors. A number of creations over
the years have brought the Giese’s to the forefront of three wheel innovation.
Whether it’s a trailer hitch fabrication for Goldwings, or the amazing Triumph
‘Tigger’ sidecar (above) they created in 2004, no doubt their Dauntless
Motors business will turn even more heads in 2005.
Darin Howard & Jim Croning: Shop Owners – In 2004
Howard and Croning left full-time jobs at a local dealership and created South
Sound Motorcycle Service. The plan was to carve a niche with Croning's stellar
service skills and Howard’s ability to source rare parts for Japanese bikes. If
the plan is to succeed, 2005 will most likely be the determining year.
 Jim
Boltz: Shop Owner – With 3 decades of motorcycle business under his belt Jim
Boltz (at right) and the crew of Cycle Barn will have their work cut out
for them in 2005. In the spring Cycle Barn will move north 1 mile to a new
location and the existing location will become an exclusive Harley-Davidson
dealership, Harley-Davidson of Seattle. The challenge will be to educate
customers about where to go for what and with any luck folks will diversify
enough to buy from both locations!
Rich O’Conner: Shop Owner – 2004 was not the
greatest year for Rich O’Conner of Rich’s Custom Seats, health-wise that is. The
man who has made a career out of building custom motorcycle seats went through
three major back surgeries and managed to cut a few digits off his hand while
building his home in Hansville. Despite the health woes, O’Conner still made it
to the BMW National Rally, the International Motorcycle Show and inked an
exclusive deal to build seats for the high end Ecosse’ motorcycle brand. 2005
will prove to be a trying year for O’Conner as he moves his business to being
open on Saturdays and mops up some mismanagement that occurred during his
absences. But if a guy can do all that under the circumstances in 2004, it’ll be
full speed ahead for this survivor in 2005.
 Tom Wicken: Shop Owner – In 2004 Pete Wicken of
University Honda/Yamaha/MZ transferred ownership of the shop to his son, Tom
Wicken. 2005 will be the year the younger Wicken goes at it on his own but as Tom says "When my
dad was here he didn’t really run the show, our customers know that ever since
the day Monkey set foot in here he’s been the one in charge!" Well,
that pretty much sums up the meaning of 'Who's yo daddy.'
SR!/Winter 2005
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