From garage to dealership, a shared passion for riding combined with dedication has led the owners of Throttle Company Vintage Motorcycles down the road to success.
Founded in 2018 by partners Nicole Coleman and Dylan Paul, Throttle Company originated by selling motorcycle lifestyle products such as beard balm, coasters and t-shirts. Coleman said during this time, Dylan restored vintage motorcycles with his dad, Ken Paul, out of their garage.
Ken was officially added to the team in July 2020 when Throttle Company opened as a dealership. Coleman said the father-son duo was quickly reaching the number of motorcycles they could sell per year before filing a dealership license.
“So we finally just decided, ‘Well, we might as well just open a dealership,’” Coleman said.
Located in south Franklinton at 1130 W. Mound St., the dealership sells both new and old motorcycles. Coleman said she categorizes them as “vintage of all brands.”
Since opening, the dealership’s new motorcycles have been Royal Enfield, the longest continuously operating brand, founded in 1901. Coleman said it wasn’t until March that Throttle Company expanded its selection of new motorcycles to include Moto Guzzi — another classic brand, founded in 1921.
The dealership sells selected examples of vintage motorcycles, as well as parts and services on models that generally come from the golden era of motorcycling, between 1965 and 1989, according to its website.
Riding motorcycles was something Coleman said she’s been interested in her whole life, but always found a reason not to. She got her motorcycle license five years ago as a birthday present to herself, and has been riding ever since.
When she started riding, Coleman said it was difficult to find equipment that fit or was available locally. She said the team later took that experience into consideration when creating what they wanted their dealership to be.
“We just wanted to be something that was more welcoming to beginners, to people who aren’t what I call ‘shiny floor dealerships,’” Coleman said.
Coleman and Dylan are no strangers to the Franklinton neighborhood. The couple met while working at The Columbus Idea Foundry, a resource and shared creative workspace, on the east side of Franklinton.
“We fought really hard for the idea of this type of building,” Coleman said. “I wanted to have some character and have some community, which I think Franklinton is great for. Having worked in Franklinton previously and having some connections with a lot of people who were in Franklinton, it was pretty important that we be.”
Ken said he’s happy about the dealership’s location, but it’s challenging not having the chance to know people who haven’t come in because they don’t visit the area or find it inconvenient.
“We like to say it’s equally inconvenient to everybody,” Ken said. “We’re pretty much 20 minutes from anywhere in Central Ohio.”
In August 2021, Coleman co-founded the Columbus branch of The Litas, an all-female global riding collective. The Litas welcome all “womxn,” the x representing LGBTQ inclusivity, and accept all motorcycle types and skill levels. The only requirements to join are being at least 18 years of age and identifying with she/her or they/them pronouns, according to The Litas website.
Coleman said social events play an important part in the motorcycling community and Throttle Company and The Litas often co-host events together. Throttle Company hosts its own monthly events as well from April through October, and attends other local gatherings to help gain exposure.
“We are certainly ‘rising tide raises all boats’ type of people, so another dealership doing well isn’t necessarily a detriment to us,” Coleman said. “If there are new people getting into riding and there are women getting into riding and there are minorities getting into riding, whether that’s us or not, that benefits the motorcycle community as a whole and that’s what we’re hoping for.”
Throttle Company Vintage Motorcycles is open Wednesday through Friday from 12 – 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday from 12 – 6 p.m. The shop is located at 1130 W. Mound St.
More information about Throttle Company and upcoming events can be found at throttlecompany.com.
All photos by Ashely Kimmel