February 26, 2017

Meet Jarred Fixler of Motorsport Exotica in Hollywood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarred Fixler.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My personal story is very simple. I grew up always tinkering with performance cars and motorcycles. I was infatuated with anything engine powered, from scooters, to my parents lawn mowers I could always be found wrenching in my parents garage.

Once old enough to legally work, I got an apprenticeship with a local performance automotive garage and started skipping my after school sports to go work at the shop. Cleaning floors, garbage and general clean up were my duties. Unpaid, it didn’t bother me, I knew I was gaining experience and working around the cars I loved.

That experience quickly spiraled into racing. I was recruited to race sports cars for the same shop I was cleaning up. That passion and determination had finally blossomed into one of my dreams. Not long after my automotive racing career started I found myself learning to ride motorcycles. After that very first ride I was hooked. Cars will always have a deep special place in my heart but bikes took over.

Fast forwarding to my 18th birthday. I started a small operation in my first apartment with my buddies working on friend’s bikes. General repair and performance modifications were our specialty.

I started doing track days and attending racing organizations around my early 20’s and received my race license shortly thereafter. The sport completely took over. I was living, eating, breathing motorcycles on a hourly basis. With that passion I made a decision at 24 to move to Los Angeles and try and open my own performance shop.

While still working my corporate sales job I found time to start off small in the one car garage of my house. Luckily my girlfriend didn’t seem to mind the 20+ bikes I had stuffed in there on a daily basis. In 2014 I quit my job and decided to start Motorsport Exotica full time. With the help of Sean (our manager and head technician) we were operating still out of the house. Not until November of 2015 did Motorsport Exotica move into a full designated location. We have been growing rapidly since then.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Owning your own business is no small feat. From the legalities of the industry to making connections in a new city. There was and still is an intense learning curve. We take everyday for all its worth and try not to take anything for granted.

Motorsport Exotica has struggled in its first year with the tremendous amount of cash flow going out for set up and city fee’s I found myself working from job to job to stay afloat. Once we started to gain more traction, with the help of social media and Yelp it has been smoother sailing.

I don’t believe that we will ever come to a point of zero struggle. I believe that a struggle is a learning curve and you should never stop learning.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Motorsport Exotica story. Tell us more about the business.
Motorsport Exotica is a performance motorcycle repair facility catering to Japanese and Italian motorcycles. We specialize in all forms of repair and performance/race modifications including but not limited to: dynamometer tuning, race bike prep, suspension adjustment and overall motorcycle well-being.

We are most known for our attention to detail and the immense amount of catering we do for each of our clients. We strive to go above and beyond the competition in regard to deadlines and providing affordable services in a extremely timely manner. One of the most commented things we offer is a direct relationship with technician and client. Each client has the chance to meet with the technician who will be working on their bike and get face to face time with them to discuss their needed or already performed repairs. We feel that this gives a much more personal interaction with our staff.

We are also one of very few shops in SoCal that has an in-house dynamometer. This machine allows us to perform dozens of tests that aren’t generally offered as well as custom tuning. This is a service that most people want but are unable to find due to the lack of specialization.

Some of the products well sell are harder to find. We like to be on the cutting edge of the industry as well as offer a broad range of products that aren’t readily available in the US. Most of our clients like to be the first to have a new product or get something that no one else has. This is where our passion for excellence really comes in. We have made connections overseas from dozens of manufactures that aren’t easily obtained in the states.

We are most proud of the family like atmosphere we offer and the interaction with have with our clients. None of our customers are customers, once you bring your bike to us you become family. We even have a family board where clients can sign and add little notes if they desire. This is one of our biggest features. Having somewhere to bring your bike where you feel appreciated and valued. Not just another number or invoice. Offering such an atmosphere, coupled with our very competitive labor rates, we are striving to get better every day.

Motorsport Exotica has quite a reputation of delivering on-time or early. We strive to go above and beyond to make sure your bike is done in the time we promised. If that means a late night for us at the shop, so be it. We don’t stop until we deliver.

Motorsport Exotica also runs its own in-house race team. We run several riders in the CVMA race series. This added a whole new dimension to our shop experience. We not only work on bikes but we actually race them as well.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. Everyone makes choices each and every day. If you work hard and strive to achieve your goals then luck shouldn’t have anything to do with it. Stay positive and be humble, the rest will fall into place.

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