Buscadero Moto Co

AN INTERVIEW WITH Mike & Parker

Owners of Buscadero Moto Co.

LETS START WITH AN INTRODUCTION. WHO ARE YOU? WHere are you from?

NAMES: Mike and Parker Lichfield

LOCATION: Eden, Utah

Tell Us about Buscadero Moto Co.

We build New motorcycles, with vintage style for the dirt.

Why did you start this company

Mostly because we both love motorcycles so much. But more specifically because we saw an opportunity in the dirt world to build some really unique bikes that we knew would resonate with people like us.

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Tell us more about these motorcycle builds? What’s unique about them?

Vintage motorcycles are indisputably cool, but everyone knows they’re a handful to ride, work on, maintain, etc... We envisioned a line of motorcycles with e-start, disc brakes, proper suspension that resembled some of the iconic mx bikes of the 70’s so that you can ride something that gives you the complete grassroots, “on any sunday” experience that is also a pleasure to own and ride.

We built a custom full sized enduro bike that was based off the GPX fse250r, that checked all the boxes and turned out beautifully. But we soon realized that we’d need to work in batches and source parts wholesale if we wanted to offer these builds at a decent price. So our first “batch” of bikes is a line of 110cc pit bikes based off the GPX fse110r. We ordered 50 bikes from the GPX factory completely naked (no body work.) And then we went to town with peanut tanks, oval plates, custom seats and fenders. Some of the parts were pulled from the famous Honda z50 and xr75. A lot of work went into engineering the bracketry and getting everything to fit. But we’re ECSTATIC with how they turned out and already can’t wait to do the same thing and start building a batch of full size 250’s.

What is it like working together as father and son?

Racing and restoring old motorcycles is something my dad and I were already doing most of our lives. Any time we are together we’re talking about racing, building and riding motorcycles so turning it into a business has been a very natural process and honestly, not that different from what we were doing anyway. We work well together and our different skill sets seem to compliment each other well without stepping on any toes.

What challenges have you faced starting this company?

One of the things we were blindsided by with this type of business is the shipping/transporting of the bikes. It’s been a massive bottleneck. We’ve lost a couple bikes in transport, a few of them showed up damaged and all together the process of getting them on the trucks and to the new owner has been a huge headache. We’re coming up with lots of new solutions to get around this and it might even result in a slightly different business model down the road but it’s all part of the fun;)

How have motorcycles impacted your life?

Motorcycles were the way we bonded as a father/ son. It happened in the small moments of him teaching me how to change oil and clean an air filter. Endless hours spent in the garage and at the track that created a really solid relationship between us and I’m forever grateful for that.

When did each of you start riding motorcycles? Why did you start?

Mike: I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria while my dad worked for the CDC. As a field based epidemiologist he was given a gov’t issued tote goat to get out into the bush. He ended up not using it much so it naturally became mine and as a 7 or 8 year old I single handedly wore two of them out ripping around an abandoned soccer field. And that was essentially what sparked a deep love of motorcycles and led to a life full of riding, building and racing for me.

Parker: I remember watching my dad’s “home video” racing footage when I was about 5 years old and became completely enamored. Which led to me wanting more. My dad had “Terrafirma 2” a Fox racing film featuring Jeremy Mcgrath and after memorizing every second of that film and basically wearing out the VCR tape, I caught the bug and desperately wanted to learn how to ride.

What was your first motorcycle?

Mike: I worked tirelessly painting houses as a teenager to eventually save up enough money and buy a 1973 Chaparral T-100

Parker: Mine was a pretty rare 1979 Italjet 50cc that I got at 6 years old. I really wish we still had that bike.

What’s the most memorable ride you have been on?

This is hard to answer because there are so many good ones. But I think we’d both agree that a recent event we held, the 1st annual Buscadero “Pit Bike Round UP” was one for the books. It was held at a gorgeous private property tucked in the mountains of Eden, Utah. So many good people (including old moto friends) showed up to ride and hang. And we had some epic battles and an enormous amount of fun.

When you look back on chapters of your life, what was a defining moment for your career as a creative?

We’ve been so fortunate to have basically “won the lottery” multiple times throughout our first year of doing this. We’ve had some personal heroes, highly talented people, and really great companies reach out to us and give us some big breaks that I never thought we’d have. Just to name a few; Aaron Brimhall, Alex Strohl, Forrest Mankins, Peter McKinnon, Isaac Johnston, Ben Christensen, Taylor Brown of Bike Bound Blog, Urban Armor Gear, Voltage LTD, Kids and Cobras and so many more. And I hope it goes without saying, I don’t mention them to name drop, but to thank them for so much support.

But one of the “moments” that was most pivotal for us was the 2020 One Moto Show in Portland. We made the trip up there without any idea of what our business was or who we are, not even a name yet. Just a hope of doing something and we talked tirelessly, brainstorming ideas of how we turn our love of motorcycles into something real and sustainable. And it was that trip that sort of shaped and molded who we are now.

Can you share a quote or an idea that has helped guide you in your journey?

Bruce Brown pretty well sums up the whole Buscadero mantra for us. In “On Any Sunday” he says,

“There’s something about going riding with your friends, a feeling of freedom, a feeling of joy that really can’t be put into words. It can only be fully shared by someone who’s done it.”

Helping people find that feeling is basically what drives everything we do.

It’s an outdoors mecca. 4 seasons, beautiful scenery, plenty of trails, natural terrain, vibrant offroad and moto community. However we miss out on a lot of riding during the winter months, so a climate that offers year-round riding sounds pretty enticing sometimes.

What advice would you give people who want to start riding but don’t know where to start?

A lot of people don’t start riding because it’s intimidating. I think starting out on a smaller bike that’s easy to ride is the best way to overcome that.

A 110cc is one of the best bikes to start on, Whether it’s one of ours or a KLX, TTR or CRF. They’re great because they’re semi auto (no clutch), low seat height, easy to start and you can’t get into too much trouble on one. But at the same time, you get 3 or 4 of your buddies on the same bike and you’ll have more fun than you can imagine.

Is there a trip, ride, or event you are dreaming of taking the Buscadero Motorcycles too?

Just to list a few...Red Bull’s Day in the Dirt, One Moto Show, or just some wide open trail riding in the sawtooth mountains.

What does the future hold for Buscadero?

Of course we hope to offer a more robust line of new bikes, and other products like parts, kits and apparel. But we’d also love to get more serious about hosting events that get people together and having fun riding, whatever that looks like. We’re still so new to the scene and have so much work on our plates as it is but that’s where we’d love to see it go.

How Do People Buy A Bike?

You can place an order for a Custom 110 on our website. Once you place the order, your bike will be added to our build queue and we’ll get in touch with you afterwards about delivery. But keep in mind we only have a very limited number of these 110’s left. So don’t sleep on it.