Venture Deal of a Lifetime Club...you have a new member today.

VanRiver · December 31, 2015

Wow Puc, thanks for sharing some of your history! Sounds like you have led a very fulfilling career....especially the part about leaving the corporate rat-race and following your dreams (something that we can all learn from)! I am sorry to hear about your accident and medical difficulties though...It is not just the pain and suffering but also the financial impact that so many people face after the fact.....That is the one thing about our Canadian "Socialized Medicine", I don't need to swipe my credit card first before the ambulance will pick me up and take me to the hospital......But I'm really glad you got the top notch medical care and are back in the saddle again!

I had no idea that the motorcycle "export" business was so lucrative.....for the right bike going to the right location of course. But one thing that I'm rather curious about.......although you have probably owned, restored, and ridden countless Motorcycles over the years (and some very high priced machines), that you have chosen the First Gen Venture and now the V-max as your chosen longterm rides? Unless you have one of those 6-figure valued choppers in the back corner you haven't told us about. Don't get me wrong, I love Tweeks, but don't you miss having a second gear at least? Or maybe a new BMW K1600GTL that you and Tippy could start another sticker collection on? (that is such a great idea by the way, and what gives Tweeks her uniqueness and spirit in my humble opinion).

Always wanted to own/operate my own bike shop Vanster,, that started wayyyyyyy back when I was just a kid - was never right in the head, I actually remember being punished in Kindergarten for sitting around drawing pictures of choppers instead of playing in the play ground with the other little boys - I was "different" even back then. Was in Management for years, my last position before finally realizing my lifes dream of opening our shop was Plant Superintendent at a large machining operation in Grand Rapids Mi. Good job, UAW Union Shop, lots of great supervisors working for me, paid REALLY well and all that BUT - was getting older and wanting to fulfill that lifelong dream so, I did..
Had always been involved in bike restoration and the like as a hobby - knew a LOT of people (good customer base) when we stepped out. Checked into costs associated with franchising with the big guys , almost bought into Yamaha as a very close friend was closing his shop but the numbers really didnt look good. Went independent in strictly restoration (buy low, add value, sell high and expand on the middle) and did AWESOME. Had a few GREAT employees, my daughter - who is a doctor now - worked for me for years and she ended up being one of them - those years were SO MUCH FUN!! Did a TON of early Honda work including hardtail Z50's and early CT's. Lost a couple good really good clients (people with way more:mo money:then time) that I lost in 9/11 (be surprised how many of those rare little hardtail Zzzz ended up under class in offices), Chopper craze had just started though so we jumped on the Chopper craze in old school chop restores - I had come FULL CIRCLE!! It was time when there were LOTS of old Amen and Santee frames were still around, TONS of old Springers and all the other fixings.. Stuff sold as fast as we could build em - the "cookie cutter" modern chops were being sold like crazy for 50 grand and above (people went nuts trying to relive an era they had totally missed) - had found my niche in a dream from long ago PLUS, I had actually lived the early days and knew what was cool and what wasn't - proved invaluable. We also lived thru some really strange days of Japan wanting back some of the early bikes they had shipped over. Remember the early Kawi Z1's? Got hooked up with the right folks and shipped a BUNCH of that stuff off shore - GOOD MONEY!! That dried up as the bikes did. Also got involved with shipping "AMF" HD Shovels into England, not as lucrative as the Kawi's to Japan but pretty dog gone good - always amazed me with the AMF Harley deal, I lived thru the days (and rode the socks of those early Harleys) when Harley almost tanked because of AMF - NO ONE wanted em.. For some reason, the Brits LOVED em and could not get enough of em:Bunny:. CRAZY WORLD!!

Got messed up in a car/deer accident, ended up in a wheel chair. Got blessed with an AMAZING Neuro Surgeon who got me back in the saddle again. Insurance company messed with us, ended up owing a LOT for medical bills. Sold the business, paid the bills, kids are growed and gone, just a semi-retired maniac now