Rupert's San Jose shop tour

Today was my first of several regional shop tours. I'm trying to hype 'em up as a big deal by calling them "shop tours", but what they amount to is a cold call, though sales was not my main intention.

I visited a bunch of shops I thought were pretty cool, including 45's Forever, Just Leathers, Old School Customs, Pacific Cycle, San Jose Harley-Davidson, RAM cycles, and Road Rider. I had the pleasure of meeting lots of nice folks and giving away shirts and postcards at nearly every stop.

The main purpose was to get out there and let people know what I'm doing, that there' s a new brand of biker graphic coming to a shop near you, and, sure, if a sale came out of it, that's great. But the first thing was just to get out and meet people. It sure didn't hurt that I got to get around a lot of American iron in the process.

My second stop was at Just Leathers, a top notch riding gear place and surely the supplier of my next set of leathers. I was surprised and pleased to get more than smiles and appreciation of my gear when they made a decision to order some shirts for their inventory. I really enjoyed meeting the owners and got the feeling that they are folks who appreciate riding, bikers, family, and fun. I've heard about this place for some time and it went way beyond my expectations.

If you manage to get to Just Leathers, just off 17 at Steven's Creek Blvd in San Jose, tell 'em Rupert sent ya.

The other shops were just as terrific to visit. I got a small collection of business cards and felt like I made some friends out there. One such conversation was with a gentleman outside San Jose H-D. I approached this gentleman to ask directions (I got lost every step of the way) and wound up giving he and his wife postcards and shirts. I was wowed by his explanation that he spends most of every year on the road, riding his Electra Glide up and down the west coast and into Central America. This man was a pleasure to talk to, loves live and lives it to the fullest. I look forward to hearing from him on his travels.

I'm excited about doing a few more of these trips. Initially I'm planning to visit shops in Salinas, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Gilroy, and Morgan Hill. Depending on how it goes, I hope to work my way north and south, making friends along the way.

Thanks to those who were kind and generous with their time today.