YORK-Offroad enthusiasts who live on the Peninsula have a local gearhead mecca to gravitate toward. Mike and Cindi Strickland opened Dirty Quads Motorsports and Graphics a few days before Thanksgiving in 2021. Their shop is located at 5005 Victory Blvd., Suite H, in the Village Square at Kiln Creek shopping center where Dress Barn operated from before the store’s closure.
The shop offers dirt bikes, go-karts, ATVs, UTVs, Strider Bikes, apparel, safety gear, and custom graphics.
Born and raised in Yorktown, Mike Strickland’s retail career took the family out of state about 11 years ago. While living in Colorado, his son, who was five years old at the time, expressed an interest in dirt bikes.
“That’s kind of how we got started. My son said, ‘Dad, I want ride bikes and do motocross,’” said Strickland. “We had to pump the brakes a little bit, but we did get him a four-wheeler to start out with, and he took to it like walking. He was great at it.”
The Stricklands’ son progressed and was always on the lookout for a bigger and better bike.
“That’s how we came into contact with this, we saw an avenue to bring it into York County,” said Strickland. “His passion for riding spread to us, and that’s pretty much what got us to this point.”
While the Stricklands were moving across the country due to Mike’s work in electronics, his wife, Cindi, started running her own graphic design company.
“She’s kind of been an entrepreneur her entire life and specializes in embroidery, screen printing, vinyl, and graphic design,” said Strickland. In addition to working with spirit wear for schools nationwide and crafting team uniforms and spirit wear for Grafton/Tabb youth football, she also has the ability to customize Dirty Quads Motorsports merchandise.
“We can offer customers the ability to put their child’s name on their bike, helmet, or any clothing they’d like to customize,” said Strickland. He said that a lot of customers are jumping at the opportunity to personalize their bikes. The add-on opportunity gives patrons the option to customize their products inhouse versus having to visit a paint or body shop.
“If customers give us the name or design they want, Cindi can print off the design here, and we can give it to them when they pick up their merchandise,” said Strickland.
The wave of electronic technology that’s hitting the marketplace has been beneficial for business.
“During the holidays, we sold every electric bike in the store,” said Strickland. He said supply-chain restraints were preventing him from restocking merchandise for a few weeks, but it seems to be lightening up now.
In addition to the electric bikes, the shop’s next best seller has been kids’ four wheelers.
“I don’t know if it’s because they’re hard to find in the larger stores that sell adult four-wheelers, but the 125 and 150 size ranges are hard to keep in stock,” said Strickland. “As fast as I get them in here, they’re gone. In most cases, I sell them before I even get them in the shop.”
He attributes the store’s success to people being cooped up for the past few years due to the covid-19 pandemic.
“This gives people an avenue to get outside,” said Strickland. “It gives kids the opportunity to do something fun other than sitting in the house playing video games.”
Dirty Quads Motorsports and Graphics will be offering a 10-percent discount off all four-wheeled outdoor entertainment vehicles from April 15 through May 15.
Store hours are currently from 11am to 6pm Tuesday through Friday and 10am to 6pm on Saturday. The shop’s closed Sunday and Monday. After April 1, store hours will change to 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. The store will remain closed on Monday.
For more information, visit Dirty Quads Motorsports and Graphics’ website or call 757-373-0282.