Welcome back Eric!!!!

[bclapham]

Well, ive been off the bike for over a week since ive been sick and ive just about run out of James Bond films to watch on the four day TV marathon, LOL; but i just logged on and see that Eric is back behind the keyboard! Great to have you back Eric, hope all is well with the new shop.

dont forget, we need all the scoop on the 04 models when you get chance, and i especially want to hear about that rm155 you are building!!!

Cheers

Bruce

 

[EricGorr]

Thanks Bruce,

I suppose I should explain where I've been. I wish I had an exciting scientific excuse related to worm holes and superstring theory of parallel universes but its a little more complicated than that. My education in database marketing served to bite me in the ass, providing more service work than I could handle. To compound it all I could'nt get reliable help in Wisconsin where the three Bs reign supreme ( Beer, Bait, and Bullets) thats all people need to be happy. After struggling for so long I finally broke down and thought about quiting my work and taking a job as a tech writer for a motorcycle manufacturer and punching a clock for only 8 hours a day. But then my dad and Rich encouraged me to make the risky move to the Chicago area. There have been some recent market changes here. The commercial real estate economy is in deflation so space is down in price to the same levels as 1978. I picked up a 2,500 sqft. unit with a showroom and workshop located near Schaumburg, a northwest suburb of Chicago where all the retail shopping centers are. And theres nobody selling dirt bike parts here! I feel like I stepped into a time machine to the days in the early 1980s when I had a shop in the same area. I have Rich building 4-stroke engines, my older brother building 2-stroke lower ends, and lots of support from a 30 year old network of motorcycle shops and mechanics. Its truely a homecoming.

The new shop is coming together and sure beats the little ole ding dang two car garage in Beaver Dam, though I'll always miss that place. Luckily I sold my house in only 45 days but there was a lot of hard work and sacrifice involved. I think I'm the only person on earth who has actually lost money on real estate. I lost almost 6 grand on my house in the course of living there for 3 years. The state of Wisconsin has some serious financial problems and their response is to overtax a population that has the thrid highest tax rate, thrid lowest income rate, and a staggering 7% unemployment rate. When people asked me why I was moving to Chicago I'd respond "I can't afford to live in Wisconsin anymore". Besides they've passed some hideous new taxes that I feel will drive out the core cluster of mail-order companies from the state. So I consider myself lucky to have only lost 6 grand on real estate. The long term outlook of being back at home with a modern infastructure, lower costs, reliable help, and burgeoning dirt bike market makes the Wisconsin experience seem like a distant bad dream.

We've got big plans for the new shop, we're going to sell parts and accessories along with an expanded array of performance services. I'm calling it "FORWARD MOTION - The Dirt Bike Hardwear Store" because we're selling hard parts and leisure wear. Its gonna be like a big garage where people can hang out, get fast service, get empowering information on how to do things themselves. Its totally different that anything anybody else has ever done. So far the response has been great. People come in everyday saying that they're sick of dealing with the local dealers because they treat them badly just because they ride dirt bikes. Thats all going to change.

Technology wise, Rich set up a wireless netwrok and DSL so I can handle the needs of DRN members and answer the phone in a timely fashion. The workshop is better equiped than most manufacturers' race team shops. At the same time we built this shop we stepped things up at US Chrome, building a bunch of dedicated tooling and Iridium coated titanium anodes that competitors like Max Power, RPM, and Millenium can't afford to incorporate in their operations. We've also found a reliable source for crank stroking, TNR in Dowling Michigan, a motorcycle enthusiast and machinist with experience and equipment that blows away companies like RPM and Crank Works, plus he's fast. No more 10 week turnaround. We've also tooled up for thumpers with the purchase of a SERDI valve seat machining center. So while our competitors are sending out their heads we'll be saving time by doing it ourselves.

The next thing I'm tackling is an online service order tracking system where people can track the progress of their work on the web site  to ease their anxiety and reduce the number of calls to me. And maybe I'll have to to work on my RM125 project. I completed the cylinder, a boost ported 58mm, TNR stroked the crank 4mm and I've ordered a 2004 RM125 connecting rod in hopes that it will be easily adapted to the older cranks to be used with a Cometic spacer plate. Hopefully I'll have some news on that project soon.

Take care, Eric

 

[jmics19067]

welcome back Eric! congratulations and good luck with the move!

 

[Tony Eeds]

Great to hear things are looking up Eric.

 

[RM_guy]

:thumb: Good deal Eric!!

 

[bclapham]

Originally posted by EricGorr
I have Rich building 4-stroke engines

that sounds like an elaborate cover up story to me, i bet he is working on the blaster and banchee engines, isnt he????? :confused:

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Originally posted by bclapham

that sounds like an elaborate cover up story to me, i bet he is working on the blaster and banchee engines, isnt he????? :confused:

SSSSHHHHHH not so loud Bruce. :eek: I don't need the neighbors egging my truck when I come home. :confused:

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Sounds like an excellent move Eric. Great to see you back. Did they let you keep your cheesehead hat??? :)

 

[Chief]

Sounds Pretty Darn Exciting!!!

Good Luck to You Eric.

Chief

 

[steve125]

Eric or Rich some pics of the shop please!!!!

Good to have you back Eric :thumb:

 

[David Trustrum]

So I guess a new book is not in the making, -a shame. Good luck though.

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Originally posted by David Trustrum
So I guess a new book is not in the making, -a shame. Good luck though.

Not true David, Eric is working on a new book as we speak. :yeehaw:

Originally posted by steve125
Eric or Rich some pics of the shop please!!!!

I'll take care of that this weekend Steve :thumb:

 

[Faded]

Eric,

It's good to see you're back! :yeehaw: It sounds like you have quite the set-up, I can't wait to see the pics.

 

[jaction125]

Finally someone around here to do reliable motor work! I'd love to come up saturday and check out the new shop!

 

[EricGorr]

Senior KX - I never got one of those hats in the 7 years I lived there, I was always a hold-out Bears fan. But I did bring back a goofy laugh, because every Wisconsin guy has a distinctively goofy laugh.

David - Dam right I'm working on a new book! Current book sales have been good and its made the cut for 3 years consistently so Motorbooks decided to print it in color with glossy pages. I told them to make it the kind of gloss that resists oil staining when its left on a dirty work bench. MBI decided to allow me to add 25,000 words and a CD with some innovative and interesting things included. Some of the new topics we'll address include converting an mx bike for supermoto and dirt track racing, MX-Tech's suspension tuning tips, and lots of 4-stroke stuff like a new performance tuning guide. We're shooting for a Christmas 2004 release.

 

 

[Faded]

Originally posted by EricGorr
We're shooting for a Christmas 2004 release.

Where do I sign up?! :cool:

 

[David Trustrum]

Cool, I might have to consider the upgrade, little harder when I already have the 2nd one, if you include a revalve setup spec for my EC200 WPs then you’re on. :)