Scooter Savior

You know those tricked out vintage scooters or mopeds you’ve seen zipping around the neighborhood? More than likely they rolled out of Kyle’s Scooter Shop in East Dallas.

Neighbor Kyle Salter found a niche repairing rundown classics on twowheels, and when he’s not doing that he spends his time scavenging the country for leftover parts that line the shelves of his shop.

“There’s a new scooter shop and then there’s me, and we work together,” Salter explains. “They do all the new stuff, and then when someone brings in old stuff they say, ‘Go to Kyle.’ So I’m that guy.”

He enjoys the challenge of working on these old-school designs. It’s part mechanical, part art and part history.

Salter went to trade school for art and welding after realizing he couldn’t stand sitting behind a desk, and has been working specifically on scooters since 2004. Four years ago he bought Garner’s Classic Scooters in East Dallas and reopened it as Kyle’s Scooter Shop.

Since then, word has gotten out and it’s not unusual for Salter to get a call about a busted-up bike someone found tucked away on a farm or sunk at the bottom of a creek. Like a patron saint of scooters, Salter swoops in to save these classics from a rusty death, mixing and matching various parts from his collection to bring the bikes back in working order. But he prefers to preserve their vintage patina.

Caroline Ervin

“You want it nasty and ratty because that’s originality,” he explains.

And he’s not wanting for business, especially recently.

“I’ve gotten really into mopeds the last few years,” he says. “Hipsters love mopeds. We (meaning scooter people) have a pretty big scene in East Dallas, Oak Cliff and Uptown.”

Ever heard of Nelson the Goldendoodle who rides around in the sidecar of his human dad’s Vespa with his ears flapping in the wind behind his little doggy goggles? If not, check out @nelsonthegoldendoodle on Instagram, where he has more than 15,000 followers. You won’t regret it.

James Butler, a doctor at Presbyterian Hospital and the owner of Nelson, is a frequent flyer at the shop and is the perfect example of the kind of eclectic characters Salter enjoys working with daily, he says.

Even the scooters bring their own personality to the shop as well.

“Every bike has a story,” he says.

Brittany Nunn

You’re not buying a new place to live, you’re building a history. We understand. e Realtors at David Griffin & Company have been helping people turn houses into homes since 1982. If you're ready to make a little history of your own, call 214.526.5626, or visit davidgriffin.com.