Car dealerships all feel kinda the same to me. Walk into a Ford dealership in Boston and chances are it’s gonna feel and look pretty much like the Ford dealership in Barstow. Not so with motorcycle dealerships. They all have their own distinctive and unique personality (except Harley-Davidson dealerships that have a cookie-cutter sameness these days).
That’s why I make an effort to check out the local motorcycle establishments when I roam. On a recent trip to Portland for The One Motorcycle Show, I took the time to visit MotoSport Hillsboro and man, I’m so glad I did.
MotoSport Hillsboro is that rare shop that combines an obvious passion for motorcycles and motorcycling with unit sales that rank MotoSport Hillsboro up there with the largest mega-mall, corporate-owned motorcycle dealerships in the United States. That’s no easy feat. Business acumen and motorcycle enthusiasm under one roof. It all adds up to a win-win for anybody looking to buy a motorcycle.
THE SPECS Dealership name: MotoSport Hillsboro Address: 809 NE 28th Avenue, Hillsboro, OR, 97124 Phone: (503) 648-4555 Website:www.motosporthillsboro.com Authorized brands: Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM, Husqvarna, GAS GAS, Can-Am, Sea-Doo, Kayo.
Show-Off Room: The new bikes on the showroom floor have to compete for attention with collectable motorcycles hanging from the ceiling. There is a sweet collection of BMX bikes too.
History lesson: Travis Pastrana’s 1999 Factory Suzuki RM125 is hung from the ceiling with care.
Gearing up: MotoSport has an impressive parts department and accessories area. This shop understands that what goes out the door with a new motorcycle is as important as the bike. The right gear makes a great bike better.
Real or replica?: I know the Honda (#12) is a Steve Wise replica but I’d have to say the Pat Richter Moto-X Fox bike is the real thing.
Collectors item: The helmet that Chuck Sun wore when he, Danny LaPorte, Johnny O’Mara and Donnie Hansen became the first American team to win the Motocross des Nations in 1981. You gotta look close to spy this treasure.
Dynamic duo: Scott and Rachael Russell are MotoSport Hillsboro but both will tell you it is their crew, and not them, that make their dealership so successful.
Kid in a candy store: I’m fortunate that I didn’t drive Big Red up to Oregon this trip or I would have been so tempted to drive home with a new bike in the back. No wonder this place moves so many units. The positive vibe is contagious.
Blame Michael Parks: Scott Russell says the show “The Came Bronson” starring Michael Parks and chopper movies of the era got him hooked on motorcycles. Parks later starred in Sidewinder 1. Those are the pants he wore in the movie.
Take your time: You could easily spend an hour in the shop and still not see everything. I’ll plan to stop by this amazing dealership whenever I’m in the area. Heck, I might make a trip to Portland just to see the shop again.
Secret stash: “The Annex” is an off-site warehouse that houses bikes to be delivered on the ground floor and the Russell’s motorcycle collection on the shelving above. Amazing.
Full representation: The annex has everything from choppers to cafe bikes to motocross bikes to vintage British to minibikes and who knows what else? I’d need to spend a whole day here with a cherry picker to uncover all the treasures.
