Eric Marshall

June 10, 2022

Motorcycle parts fabricator shifts gears to balance many hats

_{For Northern Motorcycle Supply, Eric Marshall builds springers and fabricates motorcycle parts, helping build the bikes.}

Eric Marshall got his start riding motorcycles at a young age, and has been fabricating parts for fun for as long as he can remember. Making a business out of it came naturally for the Métis entrepreneur, and he started Northern Motorcycle Supply during the pandemic.

"A friend of mine asked me to build him a front end," Marshall said.

Then, requests kept coming in through word of mouth.

"It turned into me doing it a lot," he said. "I figured I'd just register as a business, and I've just been steady since - not looking back."

For Northern Motorcycle Supply, Marshall builds springers and fabricates motorcycle parts, helping build the bikes.

"Everything I deal with is kind of pre-'85 Harley-Davidsons, and there's not a big clientele in Manitoba," he said. "There's a few, but I would say 90 to 95 per cent of my sales are American. So, everything is based off social media, and I kind of just get work that way."

Marshall has gained a large following on his Instagram page, @northernspringers, with over 6,500 followers.

_{Marshall got his start riding motorcycles at a young age, and has been fabricating parts for fun for as long as he can remember.}

The Métis entrepreneur wears many different hats. His website, ericmichaelmarshall.com, documents his photography: from portraits, to wedding and engagement shoots, and more - another hobby and profession of his.

"I've been a freelance photographer for longer than I've been building bikes, I want to say. I've been published so many times. I worked for a bunch of magazines, I still do on occasion. Now I kind of just do my own thing. I'm basically a film photographer," Marshall said. "Every so often I'll do a wedding just for the fun of it, if it's a friend's, but I always enjoy shooting."

Amid his day job and photography, Marshall also competes in boxing.

"(I'm) one of two people in the province going to nationals in the fall, so it's exciting," he said. "My days are always busy."

Marshall has been slowly completing pilot school for nearly three years now and has his private license.

"I'm just finishing out my commercial (license). I'm always looking for grants and any type of way to keep it going. It's just expensive. My end goal would be probably aerial firefighting," he said, "or some type of bush piloting. But for right now, I'm just content with my business and slowly working away at that."

_{The Métis entrepreneur has won best in show at the World of Wheels auto show three times, and has garnered awards at multiple chopper shows across North America.}

The profit margin for Northern Motorcycle Supply continues to grow, and Marshall has racked up many accolades. He has won best in show at the World of Wheels auto show three times, and has garnered awards at multiple chopper shows across North America.

"I've done first, second, third a bunch of times at World of Wheels. There's a bunch of other shows around the States, and in Manitoba, and all over Canada that I've been in," he said. "I haven't been able to travel as much since COVID. But now that things are opening back up, I have two or three front ends in a show in California at the end of June, so I'm going to go down for that."

Among the awards and shows, Marshall has advice for young Métis entrepreneurs looking to start a business.

"Just break the ice and do it," he said. "If you're passionate about something, just dive in and don't listen to the naysayers. Do your own thing."

 

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