Malcolm Smith: Motorcycle Dealer

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ans of the seminal motorcycle movie On Any Sunday know what the legendary Malcolm Smith is up to on any Sunday, but what about the rest of the week? The iconic motorcycle dealer-turned superstar still puts the hours in at his dealership, still heads up the El Oasis orphanage in Mexico via the Malcolm Smith Motorsport Foundation non-profit he established in 1998 to give back to the future leaders of Baja, still consults with Tucker Rocky on the Malcolm Smith Racing Hard Parts and MSR apparel brands, and he still hosts the infamous Soboba GP and a dozen other rides.

Somehow he also found the time to write a book. Malcolm! The Autobiography is a must-read for any motorcyclist or off-road enthusiast. From his early days along Canada’s Pacific coast, to his childhood in San Bernardino, CA, to his first bikes, his racing efforts in the U.S., Baja, Europe and Asia, to his business life, the iconic movie On Any Sunday and his family life, it’s all here, and all told by one of the world’s legendary motorcycle and off-road racers.

“I’ve done a lot in my 74 years,” Malcolm says, “and I even managed to remember a lot of it despite falling on my head a few times!” So now that the book is done, Malcolm has added book signings to his busy schedule. We just saw him at MSR’s open house a couple weeks ago where Malcolm was the first guy in and the last man standing at the end of the evening after signing several hundred books and sharing stories with everyone! As he is fond of saying, “Racing made me famous. Customer service made me successful.”

Most recently he was the Grand Marshal for the IV League Flat Track races at Del Mar fairgrounds. Although the event was held the same day as the dealership’s annual parking lot sale, Malcolm managed to do both events. Typical Malcolm, he arrived early and stayed until the final race on Saturday night. He did sneak away from his official duties long enough to check out the Indian SuperHooligan bikes created by Roland Sands Design and give pro street bike stunter and Team Red Bull rider Aaron Colton a few tips on how to ride a dirt bike.