Brown Motor Works in Pomona, CA

Brown Motor Works in Pomona, California, is a family-run BMW dealership that has been in business since the 1960s. I first visited the place when I moved to California in 1979, and that’s when I met Bob Brown. I liked Bob and the dealership immediately.   Brown BMW felt like a motorcycle shop.  Bikes, riding gear, cool used stuff, and none of the antiseptic featurelessness you typically find today at most new motorcycle dealers.  Nope, Brown’s is the real deal…a real motorcycle shop.

Fast forward another 20 years, and my good buddy Marty kept telling me about the First Church of Bob. He was referring to the Saturday get-togethers at Brown’s, where riders congregated for an hour or so of talk about, well, anything and everything, followed by lunch.  I was a little hesitant at first because I didn’t ride a BMW, but Marty told me lots of guys at these weekly events didn’t ride Beemers.  So I went, and I’m glad I did.  I’ve made lots of friends there and I’ve gone on many rides as a result (the Three Flags Rally, Baja adventures, and more).  I’ve been a relatively faithful First Church of Bob disciple for close to 20 years now.  And hey, it’s Saturday.  I’m going there today.

Bob Brown is the guy who started Brown Motor Works. Bob is as real as it gets, and to overuse a phrase, the guy is a living legend. He raced the big races, including the storied Catalina Grand Prix, Baja, and more.  Bob rode the thousand-mile length of Baja when it was only paved for the first 200 miles.  And Bob rode what might have been the first GS ever to Alaska and back (and when I say the first GS ever, I mean it…he took a standard BMW boxer, chopped the fenders, put on knobbies, and pointed the front wheel north).  Bob designed handlebars, kickstands, and many other BMW accessories that ultimately found their way into the production motorcycles.

And wow, can Bob ride. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen him absolutely smoke youngsters on Gixxers, Ducatis, and other high-performance machines. Bob would be on a black-and-white police boxer trade-in (one of his favorite mounts, a bike weighing a good 200 lbs more than the hypersports) and he’d pass Ricky Racers in the twisties on the Crest who thought they were quick.  Sometimes he’d do it standing on the pegs, just to make a point.

Brown BMW is one of our ExhaustNotes sponsors (that’s their ad you see on all of our pages), and I’m here to tell you it’s a place you want to visit. Dave Brown and his sister Julie run the show today, with help from great folks like Tom in Sales, Eddie and Gerry in Service, and others. While you’re there, you can take a look at Bob’s collection of vintage BMW motorcycles, have a cup of coffee, and maybe even say hello to Bob. It’s a fun place to visit and everything they do is top notch.  Folks, trust me on this:  Brown Motor Works is the real deal.