Living Our Dream Tour (Part IV) – Alyxmoto, Alyxmoto... do you know Alyxmoto?!
I have been very fortunate over the years to have run into a handful of really amazing mechanics. With that said, on an even more rare occasion I have run into – what I call – a “true artisan”. An individual who has found their calling in life and spent their years learning and perfecting their craft. Alyx (of Alyxmoto [www.alyxmoto.com]) is one of these individuals. I met him at the BMW MOA event in Salem, OR. He had teamed up with Remus and Ohlins to install shock and exhaust systems purchased at the rally. After watching him work and speaking with him I could clearly see his passion for working on BMW motorcycles. After I had my new Ohlins installed I struck up a conversation with a rally attendee, Mel, later in the day – he was interested in getting a new suspension system for his 1200GS. Mel indicated that he saw Alyx install the Ohlins on my bike; and, that I was lucky to have him as my mechanic and indicated that Alyx does all the work on his 1200GS. This unsolicited praise brought me back to Alyx to arrange a full service of my and my wife's motorbikes later in the week.
I arrived at Alyx's shop and he went to work immediately. Trained in Germany, you could see the care and efficiency as he went about his task. He allowed me to watch, ask questions, loaned me tools to make some minor adjustments on my own, and made suggestions (no hard sales pitches) on some things I might consider doing to increase performance of my and my wife's motorbike. He also took the time to make some additional fabricated adjustments to make sure my wife's bike operated more efficiently.
I even had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Jenny, and two daughters.
When everything was complete, the bill was more than fair. Watching him work I even threw in a little extra – I felt that good about the time and care he put into his work and felt it was worth every penny.
If you are ever in Western Washington State, or making the Alaska to Ushuaia run, be sure to stop by Alyxmoto and have an 'artist' work on your BMW motorbike. He is completely independent so he does not have heavy overhead costs driving his prices up. He only accepts cash, but no worries, there is a ATM 5 miles from his shop as-well-as a Starbucks Coffee should you wish to take a day and catch up on your correspondence.
Be sure to check him out! Do you know Alyxmoto?!
Please note – be sure to call him before you "drop in" for service as he primarily works on a by appointment basis. Phone: 503-270-7088
ALYXMOTO [www.alyxmoto.com]:
30120 SE Retreat/Kanaskat Rd, Ravensdale WA 98051
GPS Coordinates: N 47.34071 W 121.94122
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