JD Snowden, 52, is passionate about motorcycles. He has worked on cars since he was 8 and now for 16 years as owner and operator of Snowden’s Pitstop. JD’s specialty is motorcycle restoration, resurrecting classic bikes that may have been rusting in barns, unused, for decades.
The 1973 Triumph Tiger 750 now in his shop is an example. JD is trying to convince the owner to restore it to exact original condition, not just original-plus-a-few-enhancements. Such a restoration would put it close to matching the Triumph cycle that Henry Winkler rode as Fonzie in the television series Happy Days.
Motorcycle restoration doesn’t happen quickly. It may take lots of searching to locate authentic parts or even fabricate components from scratch. One of JD’s acquaintances summed up the process with a teasing remark: “He takes a long time, but he sure is slow.”
Another motorcycle with special significance to JD is a custom bike once owned by the famous World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler, “the Undertaker.” The Undertaker made dramatic entrances on the bike. WWE notes that the Undertaker “loomed large over the WWE landscape like a menacing shadow” battling other well-known wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan. The custom motorcycle was an important part of the Undertaker’s persona. Now this bike is JD’s personal motorcycle, gleaming in like-new condition.
JD has three grown children, eight grandchildren and a short-haired Shar-Pei puppy named Blue who was once struck by a car. Snowden’s Pitstop is a constant hive of activity with family, friends, customers and acquaintances dropping in.
A day’s work might find JD consulting on a restoration, putting new tires on a friend’s car and helping his grandson learn to fly a drone. His advertising is all word-of-mouth, with customers coming for his special expertise from as far away as Lexington and Louisville. Business keeps JD busy, particularly in the summer when, he notes, “you can’t get in the parking lot,” he says.
