NIKO

It's an early weekday morning in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. In the neighborhood, called the Old Moto Machinery, managers of the 50-year-old parts stores start slowly preparing for the day, taking long breaks for coffee and cigarettes before any of the customers show up. Nikolay Yanchev, who earned his place in the Bulgarian motorcycle community throughout the years of hard work, thousands of handshakes, millions of kilometers and uncountable number of favors done to the fellow motorcyclists, does not follow a similar routine while opening his motorcycle shop.

After turning on all the electronics and cleaning the place, Niko, as friends call him, goes through the tasks left from the day before. The motorcycle guru examines dozens of websites, digs into numerous catalogs and calls people from all over the country to complete a complex order. And these are not the only responsibilities that the owner of NikoMotor shop follows.

“We are responsible to be in a good mood. Sometimes we are not in our best mood. But we are careful not to let this affect the customers who come here because they all, by coming to us, expect to find something they need.”

Niko in the usual working environment

Niko in the usual working environment

Niko’s shop is both his duty and his main achievement. Being almost 60 years old, he spent 40 years working with and for the motorcycle riders, preserving the traditions of the shop and attracting people from Blagoevgrad, Pernik and Kyustendil, all the way to the capital city, Sofia.

“[During the socialist times] I worked in a community shop, but my dream was to work here. I have never wanted to be in the corner or to hide from people. So, when the ‘privatization’ began I bought this place. It has been 40 years since I started working with motorcycles and I think there is not a single person in the region who does not know who I am.”

People know Niko not only because of his shop. As one of the oldest motorcycle riders, he is one of the leaders of the regional moto-community. NikoMotor supports a large part of the motorcycling events in Blagoevgrad, ranging from races to festivals.

“I take part in the motorcyclists’ life, we ride together, we have fun together, we organize events together all the time.”

The memories on the display

One of the walls in the shop is designated for some of the most memorable moments of Niko’s life. Switching between all possible types of motorcycles, the shop owner experienced the whole spectrum of possibilities that riding an “iron horse” can bring.

“We were these big groups of 20-30 motorcyclists, and we rode off-road bikes here above Blagoevgrad in the Pirin and Rila mountains. We have been to all places where almost no human had set foot. We wanted to go there with our motorcycles, and we did.”

Niko rides road bikes now because they allow him to continue exploring the world together with his friends on two wheels. Making round trips up to 3000 kilometers, he has traveled to Greece, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia and Serbia on a motorcycle.

“I wanted to try all types of motorcycles. The one for the mountain ride in mud and dust, the one for the highway, the one which can reach 100 mph and more, and so on.”

Niko believes that being a rider helps him not just understand the basic customer needs but feel a fellow motorcyclist’s desire. For him, it is not acceptable to offer anything that he is not sure of – nothing cheap, unreliable, or fake. Any rider who steps into his shop knows that for Niko it is not only about profit.

“Only a motorcyclist can understand another motorcyclist. The owners of some motorcycle shops are not motorcyclists. They don’t know what the essence of the job is. They have not experienced rain and snow while riding. They have never fallen off a motorcycle. They cannot possibly understand what exactly the shop should provide to help the motorcyclists feel the thrill of the motorcycle.”

Niko points at a curved collarbone under the shirt as he talks about the adrenaline rush and leans the topic towards the importance of equipment in rider’s life.

The riding gear offered at NikoMotor

The riding gear offered at NikoMotor

On September 10, 2011, Niko went through a severe accident. A detail from his motorcycle’s kickstand went loose. Atone of the turns, the stand went down at the speed of 60 mph and turned into a catapult, sending the rider more than 3 meters up into the air. After the fall, Niko slid for 20 meters, tearing his equipment up the tarmac. Teeth broken. The whole body bruised.

“My helmet was on my head, my boots were on my feet, my armor… All of this saved me. That is why I say that I can pass on my experience to a customer. I tell them: ‘I have worn this, now I am wearing that. Do you want me to show you? Here in the closet. I use the same equipment!’ A lot of people listen to me, I can’t complain.”

While being a mentor for many beginners, Niko has his own idols in the world of motorsports. A scratched, fading ticket from the 2018 world championship is hanging on the wall right behind the motorcycle guru as he shares the excitement from being in the fan sector of a racing legend:

“We were in Valentino Rossi’s sector. I had flags, flannels, T-Shirts, all kinds of things. I admire Rossi the most since he has been the best in this sport for over 20 years…"

A ticket to the 2018 MotoGP race in Austria

A ticket to the 2018 MotoGP race in Austria

"We must look up to these people. There is trauma and hardships there, but they continue racing no matter what.”

One does not have to be a nine-time world champion to win Niko’s support and admiration. A couple of meters to the right, the whole shelf is taken by the numerous trophies and medals of a Bulgarian rider. It is Niko’s friend and one of the most prominent national motocross racers, Nikolay Kumanov. The shop owner displays these trophies with great pride.

“Some sportsmen put their trophies on display at their moto clubs, others bring them home. I told him that I want people to see these trophies. To look at them, to admire them, to write about them.”

Some of the Kumanov's trophies

Some of the Kumanov's trophies

Niko also has personal awards modestly hidden behind the displayed parts – mostly the letters of appreciation and honorable membership diplomas. The shop owner knows that motorcycling needs development and always gets involved.

Niko's awards behind the shelves

Niko's awards behind the shelves

“I have known some of these people, whom I helped for years, and I know that they are shy. I have to tell them that I can help. I have been here for so long that I don’t need advertisement, and I can always help when others need it. When they come and ask for a favor, I always help.”

The guru explains that there is something special about riding a motorcycle that creates an irresistible connection between all kinds of motorcyclists.

“We are situated a few inches from one another when we are riding. We are not in automobiles. This bonds us. It is the risk of this profession, or sport, call it whatever. This brings us together.”

Niko is sure that this bond will not let him quit neither riding, nor his job any time soon. The shop needs to continue its tradition. The community needs to be supported. Motorsport in the country needs to be developed. And for Niko, motorcycling, in any form, does not have an expiration date.

“It has been proven that it doesn’t. We can see how many older motorcyclists there are, with their long white beards, maybe 80 years old and even older. We see them everywhere – pictures, news, etc. That is why I have always said that whoever started riding a motorcycle, cannot give it up that easily.”

This piece is produced by

Viktor Kharyton and Yenlik O'Neill.

The article is a part of the Motorgrad Project.