Day 6 - Houston, TX - Baton Rouge, LA

Kobs back again signing on for day 6 updates.

I was expecting some serious 'rush hour' traffic so I left extra early. When your from L.A. ,Traffic means you leave at least an hour to get to where ever. Apparently in Houston traffic has a different meaning because I showed up at my first shop 1/2 hour before they opened. Anyway...today I met some very cool people and hit traffic in some very unexpected places. Check it out.

Mancuso Harley-Davdison Central - this 'Old Skool' shop has been around since 1983 and they are proud to be the first Harley shop in Houston and the original Mancuso shop. They have a real friendly crew here. I walked in around 9:15 and had 4 guys congregated around to see what I had going on....it may have been that I was also the first one in the shop? Raul Mendoza is running the parts counter. He graciously accepted the sample kit an agreed to give it a try. Thanks Raul.

Honda of Houston was next and it was the largest all Honda store I have seen. Cory at the parts counter took care of me and was very helpful. If you are in the Houston area and need anything Honda, this is the place for you.

EXimports Cycles had the most unbelievable display of exotic bikes. The Ducati inventory they have is second to none as far as the Ducati Dealers that I have seen. They also carry Aprilia and Arctic Cat. They also claim to be the largest motorcycle Dealership in Houston...possible, but it is close as there are some large dealers in Houston. One thing is for sure, if your looking for a Ducati, there is nowhere else to go. Juan took care of me and we took a photo in front of his favorite bike.

Team Mancuso Powersports Southwest has the most eclectic array of bikes that I have ever seen under one roof...Big Dog, Victory, Kawasaki and...well that's what they advertise, but I saw at least 3 other brands in quantity. Johnny Mancuso has a lock down on the Houston area with 6 different dealerships. I have been to 4 of those and I must say that Mancuso does it right by hiring the right staff. Jeff Bensen, Parts Manager was extremely personable and dispite being very busy, took a few minutes to take to me about my products and the Mancuso family of dealerships. The staff at each Mancuso dealership are friendly and attentive.

Stubbs Harley-Davidson has a nice old school feel to it...maybe that's because they have been in Business since 1965. The service department is on it, I watched 3 service associates move about 12 people out, with product in hand and smiles on their faces in about 10 minutes. Parts manager Joel Morris has been there for 30 years, however he wouldn't take a picture with me. But Cory Pitts stepped up to the plate and low-and-behold I kept the streak alive and got a photo....Thanks Cory for the photo and the advice.

Gulf Coast BMW/Triumph was my last stop in the Houston area. Cliff Holland the owner of the shop was on the floor making sure his customers were being taken care of. That's dedication and something that you don't see everyday. Cliff walked right up to me to see if I needed anything and I presented him with a sample kit. He was gracious in taking the kit and agreeing to give it a test run. Cliff also rounded up the troop and we got a group photo. Thanks Cliff!

San Jacinto Harley-Davidson in Pasadena, Tx was an unexpected stop as I was just outside of the Houston area and on my way to Lafayette, LA. This is a nice new shop with a friendly staff. Roy Abrego, Parts Manager was extremely busy so Julie "Hootie" Cunninham too very good care of me. She even took a photo with me, what a good sport.


I was on a tear through Houston and on the way to Lafayette, LA by 1:00, plenty of time to get in 3-4 more dealer visits on the day. That is of course until the freeway stopped...I mean parking lot...3 miles in an hour. After an hour I left it up to my trusty navigation system. Picture it....I am in the middle of nowhere, somewhere between Texas and Louisiana. I get off the freeway and start heading deeper into nowhere. After 20 minutes of winding here and there, a couple of dirt roads and a minor stint of off-roading I found my way past, what I found out later was a flipped 18 wheeler. Then another parking lot experience through Lake Charles, LA made my plan of more dealerships all but a dream. Looking forward to tomorrow, but for now...signing out.