They say that there's nothing like the feel of the wind blowing through your hair as you burn rubber down the open road, don't they? With so many iconic images and so many films and TV shows made about motor-biking adventures, many of us have no-doubt had motorcycle dreams, but how many of us have actually followed up on them? Jon Palmer of the newly opened BigBoar Motorcycles, Chepstow, is one such motorcycle inspired fella. He's taken his dream right to the next level, and his story reads like a great book.
Inspired by watching the American Chopper' series, Jon decided to pack his case and fly across the pond to study at the prestigious American Motorcycle Institute to become an AMI Harley Davidson and Ducati certified mechanic and, four years on, his dreams have become a reality.
Jon and his wife, Imogen, have recently thrown the doors open to BigBoar Motorcycles. Its sole aim is to provide friendly, high quality service to bike enthusiasts, whilst also offering a competitively priced aftermarket, with custom parts and biker apparel available to purchase also.
Since completing his eight-month mechanics course, Jon has twice since returned to America; once to marry Imogen and a second time to train in fuel injection tuning for Harley Davidson Delphi ECUs. "Unfortunately this meant a dyno really had to be added to my tool list," Jon said of his second bout of training. "So I promptly went out and bought one!"
Always looking to increase his skill-base and repertoire, Jon has recently returned from Holland, where he successfully completed courses in S&S VFI tuning and 'Sidewinder' engine building. As if offering diagnostics and servicing, a Harley showroom and a great range of apparel wasn't enough, Jon and Imogen are currently developing the mezzanine floor at BigBoar.
"It's being made over into a friendly and comfortable 'hangout', where folk are invited to grab a coffee and a snack, surf the net, peruse the library and the many dealer catalogues on offer and watch any number of biker themed films and documentaries", Jon added, enthusiastically. So next time you're in Chepstow, pop into BigBoar and browse the second-hand Harleys, grab a coffee and a catalogue and order yourself that all-important shiny bit! You'll be warmly welcomed, and, who knows, maybe you'll ride away on that dream machine!
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