announcing the end of a 15 year long ride of a lifetime
(And the beginning of a new one!)
Celebrating the end of an era - the Black Market Bikez story from the beginning...
Over 15 years ago Black Market Bikez was created by its sole proprietor Dave Black Jr. with one vision
in mind: to provide the absolute best value for a customer in the powersports industry with a
dedication to unparalleled customer service and an unwavering commitment to putting the safest and
most affordable bikes on the road and trail that fit every customers budget. What transpired over the
next decade and a half can only be described as a ride of a lifetime. What started as a passion quickly
turned into a profession (and obsession) in 2008 after leaving other careers behind to focus on
establishing and growing the business which started from humble beginnings in the family 3 car garage
with one lift and many second hand tools. Over the next several years it evolved into a burgeoning
business with a focus on service and parts sales as well as vintage restorations and renovations.
Specializing solely in metric sportbikes during the early years of the business provided a much
needed, metric focused, small shop that filled a niche that was left void for the latter part of the
2000's in southern York county. This quickly helped us gain a loyal and dedicated customer base
locally and throughout the mid-atlantic, many of whom are still customers to this day over a decade
later! Fast forward 10 years and in 2018 we moved into our current location in Felton, PA that allowed
us to expand the operation in a shop with over 3600 sq ft of space. We were fortunate enough to remain
small enough to be a true "Mom and Pop" shop when Dave Black Sr. and Sandy Black retired from their
other careers during the early years of the business to work alongside Dave Jr. and help the business
to continue to grow and expand. Having just a few dedicated and loyal technicians join the shop crew
over the years allowed us to remain on a very personal level with every customer that came in. Even
after becoming known internationally and shipping bikes to nearly every continent on the earth as well
as shipping to nearly every state in the country we still strived to maintain the small town shop vibe
that made every customer feel like they were part of the family. We are so fortunate that so many
customers have become as close as family and have been blessed with so many years of good memories and
adventures together that it's truly hard to believe and sometimes hard to remember how many of our
close friends started out as just another customer walking through the shop door. The camaraderie
shared by motorcyclists around the world is something unique and very special and it has been a
constant throughout owning the business being able to share a bond between those that are passionate
about the sport and the industry. We have helped well over a 1000 new riders follow their dreams of
two wheel freedom and enter the foray with their first bike. We have trained hundreds of new riders
over the years and have got to witness millions of miles worth of memories that all started in our
little shop. With 1000's of bikes sold over the past 15 years from ultra exotic race bikes to ultra
rare vintage restorations we have made a lifetime's worth of priceless memories. This leads us to the
reason for this recount of the past 15 years of the wild ride that has been Black Market Bikez...we
have decided to discontinue sales and take some much needed time for focusing on family and friends.
Any of those that are part of the family of Black Market Bikez and know us well, know that we have
truly given our all to this business and this industry especially in the years after the pandemic
which led to rapid growth but also an unceasing demand that was good for profits but left very little
time for personal life. This is truly the end of an era not only for us but every single customer who
was part of the Black Market Bikez family. We do have some dreams and aspirations of new ways we can
continue our original mission of providing value to the riding community and helping as many as
possible experience the freedom that only riding a motorcycle can provide. Stay tuned for updates, and
here's to the next chapter of this ride of lifetime!
A letter from the owner
To my riding family,
I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams of what this business would have become from such humble beginnings. Those of you who were there in the beginning have been along for the journey with us and some have been a critical part of it. Some of my current best friends started out as customers and some of those have been a crucial part of the development of the business. Some of us have now been friends for so long that I sometimes forget just how many people in came into my life through the business. From local guys looking for service, to people stopping in off Route 74 just to check out the shop, or buying a bike from us off craigslist back in the day...so many of my closest relationships and best memories the past decade have been with those i've met through the business. I was more than blessed to have the customer base that I did these past 15 years and it is amazing how many came back over the years even sometimes after a long hiatus from riding. I have got to watch young riders grow up and some start families of their own and have even sold their children their first bikes. My uncle introduced me to the world of riding at an early age and it was one of the greatest joys I have ever known. I made it my mission to help as many friends, neighbors, relatives, and through the business as much of the public as i could experience the world on two wheels. A life behind bars certainly has its ups and downs and I have lost some very close friends and customers over the years but if I have learned one thing over these past 2 decades of riding its that once it is in your blood and becomes a part of you there is no replacement for the freedom only a motorcycle can provide. There are few things in life that compare to the joy of riding and I know many of those whom I have lost over the years shared that sentiment. This letter is a sincere thank you to those who have helped me make a lifetime of memories on the ride of a lifetime fulfilling a lifelong passion and seeing my dreams come to fruition while helping others turn their riding dreams into reality...
Where "buy it like you stole it" was more than just a catchy saying
Finding a way to make every service and every sale fit every riders financial needs was always of paramount importance at Black Market Bikez but wasn't always easy. We accomplished this early on by keeping operating costs low that allowed us to provide personalized service at prices that were unmatched by the big dealers. We always advertised that we would pay more than any other dealer for trade ins and we almost always were able to sell much lower than sometimes even private sellers by keeping overhead costs low. Even when the market exploded during the post Covid era we managed to work closely with many financial institutions that allowed us to get nearly every customer approved for the ride of their dreams. When other dealers had 1 or 2 bikes on their showroom floor we worked overtime keeping our inventory full and offering a rich selection even during the height of the inventory shortages. Our goal was always for the customer to be happier than we were when we made a sale and the "buy it like you stole it" ethos has continued to be the foundation on which are sales operated until this day to provide a quality product, part, or service at an affordable price.
Service & maintenance for current customers
We work closely with Billet Motorsports on the other side of Felton and we highly recommend them for any and all service or maintenance work for all Japanese and European motorcycles, ATV's, and UTV's. We have worked with them for over a year and feel comfortable sending any of our current customer base to them for any and all service needs. They will also do basic service on Harleys including tire changes and oil changes. We recommend Freebyrd cycles locally for more involved Harley and American V-Twin related service as well as East Coast Iron Garage that is located in York New Salem, PA.