MIKE AND MBACCR
MOTORCYCLE DETAILING
CLASSIC CAR DETAILING
So... why motorcycles and classic cars?
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“Motorcycles are quite unlike any other vehicle ever produced. Since the invention of the bicycle, the motorcycle was an idea waiting to happen. Riding them is the next best thing to flying. They provide an unrivaled exhilaration and experience of freedom for the rider and pillion. They are also objects of beauty, style and individuality. Working on them involves technical nuances - and challenges - which are enjoyable when using the right tools, skills and products. If you love your motorcycle, having it properly detailed brings a certain joy. It is a joy I completely understand.
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Classic cars have something no new car possesses. Perhaps it’s the chrome, the lines or curves of a bygone era. They can be both evocative and suggestive, or just plain square and straight, it doesn’t matter. A classic car is something an owner can grow old with. Their owners’ stories can be as fascinating as the cars themselves. I’ve spent hours having conversations with clients about their cars’ biographies. Their tales are unique, enriching and, in some small way, a privilege to be a part of. Enhancing a car’s finishes provides longevity for the machine and pleasure for its owner. I also love seeing the results myself. A classic car is more than just a car!”
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- Mike Jackson​
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Since owning my first road bike in 1995, I've probably spent as much time cleaning my motorcycles as I have spent riding them. In around 2015, Dan Neubronner - long-time friend and owner operator of Dan's Garage Detailing - said to me you love cleaning motorcycles... why don't you put it out there as a motorcycle detailing business? I was placed in the perfect location with an ample garage space. All the ingredients were right. Then, practically that day, the phone rang. Rick Thomas from All American Motorcycles needed someone he could trust to detail his clients' motorcycles. Everything just began to work. My social media profile then took off. Sometimes a simple idea can be a lucky thing.
The first few years were spent building a portfolio of skills and equipment. While there are many car detailers, I was very surprised to find that there are so few who choose to work on motorcycles. To this day, I don't know the reasons for sure, but I can safely assume the following: the motorcycle market is a smaller market and the work is far more technical. Sometimes it's dirty, quasi-mechanical and it's probably the kind of thing most (car) detailers wouldn't want to touch. A fair amount of bench space is needed to pull a bike to bits. Windscreens, top boxes, fairings, side cases and covers, seats and saddles, the parts can be quite nuanced, as can be the process of cleaning or treating them then reassembling them.
Motorcycles vary incredibly from their four-wheeled counterparts. Their finishes and being able access them requires unique tools, products and a varied skill set, patience and even some insanity sometimes. People don't always believe me when I tell them a motorcycle detailing can take more time than that of a car. Needless to say, there are inherent risks with two-wheeled vehicles. The first time I parked a fully-laden 450-kilogram Indian on the platform hoist had me a little shaky in the knees. If you weren't an experienced rider, you'd be mad to attempt this. And if you're not equipped with the right tools, the results may be compromised as well as inflicting wear and tear on you.
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Countless clients have invited me to take their motorcycles for a ride. Though I only do this occasionally, I take their level of trust as a great compliment. A person's motorcycle is a tremendously personal thing.
The classic car arm of the business was like a piece of reserved land with nothing built on it. I've owned a few old cars and have always been fond of them so I added this offering to the business a couple of years after it began. It now accounts for maybe ten percent of vehicles I work on and it provides a refreshing change. It does something for the balance of things. Older cars do much more for me than anything new, even if they are not technically 'classic'. An older car can have a nostalgic effect. I've had the privilege of working on cars I would otherwise only get to read about. Above all other things, working on them is great fun. A car's heritage and legacy can be quite a charming thing.
One of my personal aims is to always learn something with every machine I work on. I work by the Thomas Edison principle of learning what doesn't work, compelling me to find something that does. This has been my holistic approach to building the business. In social media comments and detailing write-ups, I use the words "we", "our" and "us" but, the truth is, there's just me. From the time your vehicle arrives to when it leaves, it is in my hands, as are all facets of the business. The exceptions to this are interior detailing which is performed in-house by a specialist and reupholstering which is outsourced.
Every detailing is a project. Every client is important. Working on your machine is as much a pleasure for me as it is for you. Being a motoring enthusiast myself, I have an appreciation for what your vehicle means.