THE LIFE OF RILEY
T
he best description of this dealership comes straight from the owner Richard Riley. “There are two ways to describe Fredericktown Yamaha/ Triumph. First, we love motorcycles and second, we are a family.”
“We all know what it’s like to feel the excitement of riding and racing, to know the freedom of what “we” do, and to know that only those of us who ride really know what’s going on when we talk about the passion that is motorcycling,” adds Richard.
“When I say ‘we are a family,’ certainly I mean we are a family business, but it’s more than that. While we aren’t all related to each other and we don’t all share the same name; we do share a love for motorsports. That ties us all inextricably together.”
And it is that passion for motorcycling that brought the dealership to where it is today. It all started when Richard’s mother told him “So long as you live under this roof, you will never have a motorcycle,” or something to that effect.
Certainly, GM Ian Riley is literally as well as figuratively “family” — But technicians Don Hipple and Ryan Brandenburg, parts manager Jason Conlon, parts associate Steve Coleman and finance advisor Kim Ferris are considered family, too. This sense of family even extends to customers like two generations of Texters and “Uncle” Sammy Halbert, who stays at Richard’s house when he is in town.
So, what does Richard do? He joins the Navy, ends up in Spain, and buys his first motorcycle: a Bultaco. (Come in and ask him to flesh out the whole story for you.) Fast forward about 10 years later, Richard is out of the Navy and has opened the doors of Fredericktown Yamaha. “We have been in the same location now for over 40 years,” he says. “Although the corner of Grove Road and Route 355 has changed, our humble business has remained.” “Success can be measured in many ways… we have been able to keep it fun over the last 45 years, so we must be doing something right.”
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