On The Road Again

Whether or not you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, you may have noticed a resurgence of vintage bikes on the road in recent years. For Chad Francis, owner of Retro Wrench, restoring old motorcycles has been a lifelong passion.

Chad grew up watching his grandfather fixing old things around the house. “It was cool to see something broken taken apart and brought back to life to be completely useful again,” Chad says. “He taught me to ‘wrench,’ and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

After attaining a college degree in the field of occupational safety, Chad worked in the corporate world while also maintaining a side job as a mechanic. He found that the satisfaction of resurrecting old bikes and helping to keep them on the road restored a sense of joy that he didn’t get from his day job.

It wasn’t too long before Chad realized he needed to make a change in his professional life. In 2014, he opened Retro Wrench and began a career dedicated to motorcycle restoration.

Chad says he believes the best motorcycles were built in the 1960s and 1970s. They can be found today on Facebook Marketplace, at yard and estate sales, or even long-ignored in the back of someone’s garage. Some patrons bring in a bike that has great sentimental value to them, and they’re eager to relive the joy and fond memories of riding. Others find a great bike and want to fulfill a dream they’ve always had of learning to ride. Each motorcycle has its own quirks and nuances; some essential parts are harder to find than others. It can be a long and challenging process, but Chad says he relishes the opportunity to bring each bike back to the road. “Restoring these old bikes brings me joy,” he says. “I get to help bring that feeling back for my customers too. It’s awesome.”

Chad says he counts himself lucky to have built a profession out of a skill he developed as a kid. Getting paid to do something he feels passionate about restores his own soul. The motto at Retro Wrench is, “Ride old bikes.” It may sound simple, but it’s an act of love and great meaning to Chad and to those customers whose bikes he restores. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Chad says.

By Megan S Willman | Photos by Emily McCanless

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