As I've explained previously and elsewhere, on my first big ride I dropped my Buddy. Literally. He tipped over and broke the left brake lever. Less than three days into an eight-day ride, it looked like I was facing a dangerous 200-mile ride home from Traverse City with no front brake. But Bayside Cycles, a motorcycle dealership with a commitment to scooters, was a (fairly) short ride away in Frankfort. The owner (I think his name's Don) was having a bad day. He said just enough about it that I knew he had more important matters to deal with. But he was all professional and friendly with me. He didn't have a brake lever in stock, so he pulled one from one of his floor models and fixed me up, for just $25. And gave me directions to get back where I was headed on a beautiful, cycle-friendly route, without enduring the busy, hilly highway I'd taken to get to him.
So yesterday, as I was passing through northwest Michigan again, I stopped in Frankfort to say "hi". He remembered me. Seeing the packed red Buddy in his lot (as he returned from a quick test-ride of the Roughhouse he was prepping for a customer) was his first clue.
We talked for a while. He asked me if I'd gotten across the Mackinac Bridge alright, and I told him how. I showed him that I'd put 20K miles on the bike, which now enables him to testify with an actual real anecdote to worried customers. He talked about life as the only Genuine dealer in the north of Michigan. He sells more Roughhouses than Buddies, with all the off-road riding opportunities in that part of the state (and not a lot of city commuting). But he just sold an Italia 150 that day. His shop is wall-to-wall bikes, with the workshop open to customers at the back. Nothing fancy. Just good merchandise, and great service. He says the locals think he's a god because he can fix things. Even chinascoots.We said farewell and I rode away, but a few miles later, I noticed that my "add oil" light had come on. "Now where do you think I can get a quart of 2T oil around here?" I wondered. I turned around.
After selling me a quart, as an afterthought he gave me a "Bayside Cycles Frankfort" dealer sticker to put on my bike (why not?), and then gave me directions to a nice scenic overview of Lake Michigan about a mile down the road, because even a guy who'll (probably) never be back to buy anything from him still deserves a good riding tip.If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop in. Tell him the crazy guy who rides the red Buddy all over Michigan sent you.
