If you really want to break away from the ordinary, a trip to The Shop at North Point might be just what you need.
Shawn Darby, who owns the shop with Jon Boesche, has built a loyal following for service, sales, and most of all creating custom motorcycles. Taking the customer?s specifications and then adding extra touches, such as measuring the rider so the bike “fits,” is arguably what Darby does best.
“Shawn sets this business apart,” said Boesche. “He is the next wave of big time motorcycle people in the business on the builder side.”
Indeed, Darby seems poised to follow in the path of his friend Russell Mitchell who has built a national reputation for building custom cycles. Darby is a self-described “computergeek” who worked in technology support for 14 years. His background in customer service and passion for cycles makes the business an ideal fit for his skills and talents.
“I?ve found a lot of people in the business are unscrupulous and I can?t work that way,” said Darby. “All my years in tech support taught me that good customer service counts. People remember it.”
Indeed, Darby is one of the few dealers in the area that works on any kind of motorcycle. The shop sells bikes on consignment, too, and Darby has plenty of knowledge on all the different models.
But many customers have come to believe custom cycles are for them. It just makes sense on many levels, Darby said. He recently customized a stock Harley-Davidson for a Grateful Dead fan complete with Dead themed paint and wheels. Another time, he took a stock cycle and customized it so fully that the only original piece was the motor.
“A lot of people will go in and spend $20,000 on a new bike, when they could spend $10,000 or $15,000 [to customize] their bikes.”
Customers love the opportunity to create bikes in the exact image and motif they desire, he said.
“I don?t want to have to go out and find which is my bike,” said Darby. “I want to know which my bike is because there?s a crowd staring at it because it looks so good.”
At a glance
The Shop at North Point
2819 Suite N North Point Blvd.
Dundalk
410-285-7433
