Welcome!

Welcome to The Dirt Shop Inc. on line at www.dirt-shop.com ! Many of our customers also know us by our other trade names “The Motorcycle Shop” and Cycle Accessories. Our “tag line” is “playing in the dirt since 1971”, and we have been “playing in the streets since 1978”.

Please stop by our store in College Park, MD on US Route #1. We are located just ¼ mile South of I-95/495 exit 25.

Our story from the beginning.

In the late 1960’s, two schoolteachers “Ralph” and “Ralph”, found that they shared a mutual interest in dirt bike riding and motorcycles in general. Their stable included a couple of old (‘60’s vintage) Maico’s, a ’69 Bultaco Matador, and several Riverside-Benelli’s. Of course, those rides needed much “TLC” and maintenance. As budding mechanical geniuses they performed the necessary work on their machines. Then their friends asked if the two Ralph’s would work on other machines and the seed for a business was planted. After two years working from the basement of “Ralph’s” house, and the local zoning detective issuing cease and desist notices, a decision was made to jump in with both feet. The search for a convenient retail location was not easy, but in the spring of 1971 The Dirt Shop was opened.

The first “Dirt Shop” was tiny, only 600 square feet. With 1/3 show room, 1/3 parts room, and 1/3 service department. In 1972 we became a CZ motorcycle dealer. In 1975 we were the #7 CZ volume dealer in the nation with over 100 new units sold from our tiny shop. We modified and sold motocross CZ’s with a passion.  In the summer of 1975 we moved to our present location in College Park, MD. At our “new” location we added the Can-Am , and OSSA motorcycle product lines to our business. The “Can-Am’s” were “rocket ships”, the “OSSA’s” were fast too, but they never replaced our fascination with CZ’s. By the late ‘70’s, Can-Am and OSSA were practically extinct. CZ was hanging on by a thread and later expired as the ‘cold war” economy of Czechoslovakia no longer could support the CZ factory in the mid 1980’s.

In the late 1970’s the partners went in different directions. One “Ralph” made his commitment to teaching in public schools his passion, and the other “Ralph” made the motorcycle business his career route. By 1980 the diminishing open areas to ride off-road in the immediate area and the increasing popularity of street bikes forced the inclusion of more street bike accessories into our business plan. Some of our staff of dirt bike riders even road raced with nationally recognized success. Through the next 20+ years, our market has increasingly become more street bike oriented. However our staff and ownership has not lost it’s interest and zeal for dirt bikes ! Even though there is no longer a “Ralph” actively working in this business, our staff is still very dirt bike oriented. Yes, they know street bikes, and ATV’s, but their own participation the sport of motorcycling is mainly in dirt biking.

Today we feature products for the ATV, Dirt Bike, and Sport Bike riders. We offer installation of most of the products that we sell. Our website is a “work-in-progress” so check back often for product lists, photos, and information. Eventually we will include an On-line store, extensive links, and a forum for our customers to share their riding experiences.