ABOUT MOTOS 84

Don here, Owner – Operator of Motos 84. In 1983, I was one of the most sought-after engine builders in the Northeast. I'd even won Ford's MVP award for my work in the SVO program. In 1984, I was invited to work in Spain and jumped at the opportunity. I soon found myself in the Paddocks of Jarama, Jerez, and Montjuic, rubbing elbows with some of the big names of the day. Tuning race bikes became the name of the game, and in the off-season, it was rally car builds.

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Fast forward 30+ years, and I’m still in Europe, now teaching automotive and technology programs in the shadow of Germany’s Nurburgring. Going fast was turning into a pastime, and preserving history started to become more important. Bringing some of those old steeds back to life and preserving what was, just became more important. By 2017, I decided to return to my patria and landed here in Lakeland, Florida.

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But something was amiss. The name of the game with the shops I went into seemed to be profit over performance. It was really stomach-turning. I got sick of seeing guys like me getting ripped off by sharp-talking service writers and salesmen. Guys that ride bikes want to enjoy those bikes, and paying tons extra to support an office staff and shady salespeople just made me sick. So enough was enough. Why not break out and just do right by my fellow riders and help them enjoy their rides rather than having to choose to pay for groceries or enjoy a Sunday ride.

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Motos 84 was my concept to combat the issues that local shops and dealerships present to riders. By working out of my own garage, I can do away with the overhead of shop facility payments, I can work directly with the rider and not through a service writer who’s been trained to upsell to you. As a technician, I can also ask the right questions and get to the root of the problem rather than guessing through a third party. Additionally, I can control the parts that are ordered as again working through a third party “parts desk” can really slow things down.

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With over 40 years of experience in all aspects of maintenance and repair, I know what’s needed to get a proper running cycle. Without interruptions and hurry-up requests to make that higher profit margin, you the customer will get a better repair. Taking the time to do the job right and having the ability to perform extensive quality control on the work done also ensures a better outcome. Something that is lost through a hierarchical system in larger shops.

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So you may have noticed that I won’t work on certain bikes. I can make exceptions for regular customers, but as a general rule, I can’t take on certain bikes as they are proverbial rabbit holes for technicians. Those bikes, in general, will always eat up more time than can be reasonably charged. Harley’s I don’t do simply because there are too many Harley specialists floating around that can do them much faster and cheaper than I can.

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I’m not against working on newer bikes, but won't. They are money-makers compared to older bikes that may take extra time to get apart or need parts found or even made to get them back on the road. The real issue for me is weight and plastic. Newer bikes have really become behemoths compared to their older siblings. Look at the FJ1100 Yamaha of 1985 vs. the newer FJ1300. The newer bike is enormous in comparison and with about 3 hours of plastic removal just to get to the bike. Dealerships love this as it keeps the techs busy and your wallet open. I prefer bikes that allow me to get right to the job at hand.

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My specialties are in the world of older Asian and European bikes. After living for over thirty years in Europe, I can better relate to bikes like Gilera, Moto Morini, Derbi, Bultaco, Benelli, and so on. Along with Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha, these are the bikes I cut my teeth on. I also have the ability to reach out to old friends and suppliers back in Europe when assistance for technical support or parts are needed.