The late Victor Kiam boasted in vintage television commercials that when he tried an electric shaver by Remington he “liked it so much, I bought the company.”
That?s almost how Joe Guyton became a part owner of Speed?s Cycle World. Guyton was a high school teacher and Italian motorcycle enthusiast who frequented Speed?s and often talked with Speed Millet. After a few offers to join the team, Guyton made the switch about a year ago.
“I?m sort of a fanatic,” said Guyton, who owns three Italian motorcycles. “I liked teaching but this is more fun.”
Now, Guyton is a part owner of the dealership that prides itself on selling and servicing the top-quality Italian motorcycles that appeal to a select group of riders.
The cycles aren?t only popular with those on the East Coast.
Johnny Nguyen, owner of Duchman, a Garden Grove, Calif., parts distributor for Ducati, Aprilia and other Italian cycles, said he gets calls from all over the country, even the world, from enthusiasts.
“These are the Ferraris of motorcycles,” Nguyen said. “The Italian motorcycles are more exotic than the Japanese. They sound more powerful. They look exotic. They are incredible.”
And owners want to go to dealerships that understand the brands, Guyton said. That?s why he and his partners pride themselves on those with impeccable knowledge of the cycles. Mechanics employed there are either certified by the cycle makers or are sent for such certification.
“You go in a lot of motorcycle dealers, and they don?t care what they sell,” he said. “We have the knowledge in our sales staff and we have certified mechanics. We invest in the training.”
Those who own Italian cycles range in age from 20s through 60s, but they generally share a longtime affection for the sport.
“These are not really people who are the lifestyle change,” he said. “These are people who have been riders for a while.”
And the Italian cycles perform so well, that they are developing a brand loyalty similar to other more commonly known brands such as Harley-Davidson, he said.
Guyton has ridden all types of bikes in the more than two decades since he became an enthusiast. Although he enjoyed a Harley at one time, he said he?s a convert for life.
“Once I got an Italian bike, I knew I?d never go back,” he said. “The speed, sound and styling, you can?t get them anywhere else.”
Speed’s Cycles
5820 Washington Blvd., Elkridge
410-379-0106
speedscycles.com
