Frank Deihl has devoted over 50 years to his love of British and European motorcycles. It’s no surprise that Frank’s work not only takes top honors at classic motorcycle shows nationwide, but several motorcycle restorations have even become museum pieces. Frank brings to every classic motorcycle he touches decades of knowledge, hands-on experience, and a love for the greatest bikes every built. From Ariel to Velocette, BSA to Norton, Triumph, BMW and even the occasional antique Indian, Frank’s vision of what a rusted out frame and a couple boxes of disemboweled machinery becomes what can only be described as miraculous resuscitations of what others would see as old junk with no hope of renewed magnificence.
Frank’s first motorcycle was a 165cc Harley, but within 2 weeks he traded up for a bigger, 1947 74” Harley flathead. Soon after came the 1955 Golden Flash 650cc BSA twin, beginning his love for British bikes.
Early on, Frank worked as a mechanic for Blalock Cycle, a BSA and Yamaha dealer in Wheaton, Maryland. A common love for British bikes and motorcycle racing put him in touch with Tom Heyser, founder and owner of Heyser Cycle, at that time a major BSA and Honda dealer in Laurel, Maryland. Frank accepted Tom’s offer to become the Parts and Accessories Manager for what soon became the largest motorcycle dealership in the DC/Maryland Metropolitan area. This shared love of British and European motorcycles still exists today as does their long-time friendship. Their accomplishments include proving they had the fastest BSA Gold Star in the United States when Heyser’s 1955 finished first in all of its races in the 2006 AARMA vintage races at Daytona, beating out teams sponsored by “the big guys.” You can catch Frank and Tom at vintage race sites around the country making teams with well-known, big name sponsors very mad…. Money can’t seem buy years of knowledge of the intimate workings of these classics…
Frank began working at home on his friends’ British bikes early on in his career. The business grew and he went from doing minor repairs to fettling race bikes, major rebuilds and full restorations, continuing to draw a large following of dedicated clients. After retiring from Heyser’s in 2000, he turned his attention to the restoration and repair business full time. In 2005 he moved to Georgetown, South Carolina where he built a new 2800 square foot workshop and warehouse. Today he has a huge inventory of both original and modern manufactured parts for classic British and European bikes. He is also an importer of new, reengineered ABSAF Gold Star engines. From a completely original ground-up restoration, to the latest modern equipment to make that classic run like new, Frank Deihl has what very few restoration specialists have – the ingenuity, pride in his work, and love of what he does to make every single antique motorcycle he touches become the crowning jewel of your collection.
Frank loves having visitors to the workshop. Just be sure to bring a few treats for the dogs and be ready to get your hands dirty – he might put you to work!