Mule Motorcycles

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via : mulemotorcycles.net


" My name is Richard Pollock, owner of Mule Motorcycles, a one-sometimes-two man operation. I have one occasional helper, Jim Rose. "

Going back to say 1969, my interest in motorcycles became serious and I purchased my first real bike, a CL72 (250 Honda Scrambler). Richard Pollock, Mule MotorcyclesBecause I had somewhat of an art talent, I spent three hours a day in a high school art class. Coincidentally, my art teacher was a serious “Gearhead” and had just purchased a new DT1 Yamaha. So we went dirt riding quite a bit. Actually, he rode while I spent most of my time falling on my head and pushing my broken bike back to his house (near the riding area), so I could repair it enough for the ride home!
Two years later, I bought a used CZ and began racing motocross. But I couldn't leave any bike alone--I'd begin cutting and carving them up almost immediately upon their arrival in my garage. Next was formal mechanical training at AMI and a few Honda schools. While working for a Honda shop in Vero Beach, Florida, I was invited to try the owner’s flattrack bike at a local track. I was hooked on flattrack after the first 3 laps! The ride, the look of the bikes with the chrome and nickel plated frames, the atmosphere, the brightly colored leathers, everything about it was too cool!


It seemed to me at the time, 1975, that Southern California was the center of the motorcycle universe and there was a strong magnetic field pulling me into it. I was powerless to fight it! However, upon arriving, I was at the bottom of the food-chain. Buying, building or racing exotic bikes would be a way off.
Eventually, I went to work at a Yamaha shop where Roadracing was king! There were two TZ750’s being run out of the shop. One was ridden by Dave Aldana, the other by Kevin Stafford, and the shop had a heavy RR clientele. I spent eleven years at this shop before I switched to aerospace manufacturing in 1988. That was the beginning of fabricating high dollar parts with strict quality and craftsmanship standards. I’m still in this field after 19 years.


What I’ve learned through this experience is that almost anything is possible as far as design and construction of parts and materials is concerned. It may take a bit of head scratching, brainstorming and a bunch of pictures and money, but anything IS possible.
My specialty is ideas and solutions to problems, and designing and building high quality bikes. I build each bike like I was building it for myself, so if you’re in a hurry, you’ll end up getting pissed off! The bikes I build are my design—not like any Harleys, customs or Streetrackers you normally see. I've also experimented with unconventional ideas. As a builder, the only way to see if something will work is to try it. That’s how you learn.






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Posted in: Bike Builders,Dirt