4 minute read
Sleeping Bear Motorsports
By Amanda Renkiewicz
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Eric started riding motorcycles in the 1960s and turned his love for the sport into a vocation in the early 1990s, but his first adventure was in the military.
Originally, Eric was interested in joining the Michigan State Police. When he was considered too young, he instead joined the US Army in January of 1974. Eric ended up signing on for three years instead of two to guarantee his MOS of choice,
95B Military Police, as well as his preferred duty assignment, Fort Meade, Maryland. “I was made platoon leader, and upon completion of my training, I went for my first duty assignment. Fort Meade was an “Open Post” at that time, even though it contained the NSA building! The MP unit there was a “Combat” MP unit, so we pulled duty as on-road patrol MP’s as well as being trained for combat MP duties, including “Field” training! Oh Boy!” he recalls.
Eric soon discovered that he was incredibly gifted at shooting. He qualified as an “Expert” with both the M-16 and .45 Pistol (“As well as the hand grenade, but I’m glad I never had to use that one!” he adds with a laugh). While at Fort Meade, their units had a shooting competition among platoons, and as the best shot, he was able to attend a special training school run by FBI sharpshooters. “Now THOSE people can shoot!” says Eric. “What an experience watching groupings of 4 inches at 1000 meters…you can’t even see something like that with the naked eye, and before somebody out there thinks, “Oh that’s no big deal,” remember now that we are talking about the year 1975! Guns, bullets, and optics have come a long way since then,” he explains.
In September of 1976, Eric received orders to go abroad. He was supposed to be stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, for 13 months. Still, He enjoyed his duty assignment so much that when he was offered the opportunity to attend MPI school, he extended his enlistment – twice! “Since my last name is spelled with a “c,” the German customs people were delighted to show me what I was “missing” as an American in the “Homeland.” I was also blessed with the birth of my daughter there,” Eric smiles. His military career ended in 1980, and he returned to the USA to explore new roads.
Eric has been a motorcycle enthusiast since the ripe old age of ten. “I started riding motorized two-wheeled machines, and now have over 5 decades of seat time behind me, pun intended,” he laughs. He was able to turn his love of the machines into a small business in 2012 after working at a local motorcycle shop. While people were purchasing and accessorizing their bikes, they often asked Eric if he could help sell some of the items they were replacing. It became a lucrative business model as Eric opened a brick and mortar shop and began selling items and machines on consignment. “It went way past any expectation I ever dreamed of,” he says of the business’s success. “We now have six full time people here, half of whom are US Army Veterans!”
John Lefler, President of the Grand Traverse Area Veterans Coalition and a client since opening day
When COVID hit in March and transformed normal life, Sleeping Bear Motorsports could remain active as an essential transportation industry. They stayed open, but with lots of modifications to how they did business, curbside pick-up, social distancing, and constant sanitizing both products and personnel. “During the lockdown, everyone stayed home...and got very bored,” Eric recalls. “Then they were told they could, and should, go outside. Part of our business is selling and servicing ATV’s and Side by Sides. Sales went through the roof!” Both child and adult items were selling out as manufacturers of all kinds of outdoor recreational equipment ran out of the product. “We were one of the lucky businesses because we sold things like that,” Eric concludes.
Sleeping Bear Motorsports is a veteran-run and deeply tied to the military community. They support local area veteran groups and their fundraising events and offer a discount on any aftermarket new part or accessory to all Active Duty Military or Military Veteran. In the last year, they provided over $35,000 in discounts to their military-related customers. The joy of the open road and the love of country is ingrained in their business. Eric describes his passion by stating, “There’s a saying that goes something like this: “If I have to explain, you wouldn’t understand.” There are no truer words to describe the feeling we get when we ride.”
