RENO, NV (July 4) – We welcome our newest sponsor to this site, Moto Source. Owner Rich Thorwaldson and his wife Shalie are well known in the motocross and moto community. Both have motocross and motorcycles in their DNA.
His father, Rich Thorwaldson Sr. was a driving force behind motocross racing in our area. And Shalie comes from the racing Stillmock family.
Asked about when he started the shop Thorwaldson said, “I decided to go into business for myself in about October of 2009 and by January 2010 we had a store and were up and running.”
Current sign on Mill Street.
The name Moto Source came from his desire to be a source for all things moto.
Previously the shop was close to the eastern end of Mill Street but it didn’t really fill the needs for the business.
“We were open for probably three or four years and we had out grown that location. I wanted to move for several years and it took me a long time to find a place was suitable and this was it,” he said.
Moto Source Store Front at current location on Mill Street.
The new location is 3180 Mill Street, Unit C, about a block and a half east of Terminal Way on the south side of the street.
Having the office upstairs has created more floor space for the shop and the show room is also larger. Good thing as the store carries all kinds of accessories and products for riders.
Just part of the show room at Moto Source.
“The service department stuff had increased exponentially, showroom stuff like parts, accessories, clothing and all that stuff has also grown,” he said.
Another example showing just some of the selection of products the shop offers riders.
Like any full service motorcycle shop there is a variety of services offered.
“We offer everything from engine rebuilds on street bikes, to carb cleans, oil changes, chains, sprockets, we pretty much do everything,” he said.
But one service area brings lots of work to the shop.
The service area does a variety of work including off-road motorcycles, street bikes, quads and UTVs.
“We do a tremendous amount of suspension work including shocks and forks. Perhaps more than anyone else in town we kind of specialize in that. We have a lot of those speciality replacement parts, seals, little bushings, a lot of intricate things we have a lot of those in stock” he explained.
As a result he has other shops in town calling him for suspension pieces since Moto Source stocks so many.
While the shop is geared toward the off-road market the service side does a lot of service on street bikes.
Timing helped Thorwaldson when he opened the business. It was after the economic meltdown and he already had a great reputation after working for dealerships.
“I had a lot of customers that found me from the dealership that now come to me,” he said. “I support the local motorcycling clubs whether they are street bike or dirt bike. It’s been fantastic.”
Running a small business does have challenges, when asked what is his biggest Thorwaldson said, “Personnel. But I think that’s with any business, getting quality people. And managing to have a life outside of work, sometimes proves to be difficult but I think I’ve got a pretty good balance with that.”
Both Thorwaldson and his son Dylan race so they travel to events as a family. This way everyone is included.
Looking at his current location he explained they’ve expanded the store and put in one of the nicest service facilities.
View of the larger service area at Moto Source.
“That’s really our focus, providing the best service, whether it be up front on the sales side of things, for accessories and clothing as well as the shop.”
Asked if he’s optimistic about the future he said, “Absolutely, we’ve been growing every year.”
For further information about Moto Source one can check their website at, www.moto-source.com. The shop is located at 3180 Mill Street in Reno and phone number is 775-856-3855.
