About Chariots of Fire Customs
Independent Motorcycle Shop in Troy, Missouri — Keeping the Shiny Side Up Since 2005
Owner Jan Knobbe grew up around motorcycles. He had several of his own and worked on them as a young man, enjoying tinkering with the engines to get more torque. When it was time to raise his family with his wife, Reine, he sold his bikes but continued his mechanical training, soon rising to be a top-level ASE-certified master technician. Years passed, but his love of motorcycles never truly faded.
How the Shop Started
In 2004 he had an opportunity to jump on a cousin’s bike and the rest is history. That brief ride reignited his passion for motorcycles. In March 2005 Jan and a partner opened Chariots of Fire Customs, LLC in a strip mall along Highway 61 in Moscow Mills, Missouri. Still working his day job, they began serving customers on nights and weekends in the humble shop. As a way to get to know customers and help get the word out, Chariots began organizing weekly dinner runs on Thursday nights. Customers would gather at the shop and Jan, Reine, and their staff would join, navigating the county backroads to enjoy various diners, dives, and outdoor patios.
The shop first opened in a strip mall in Moscow Mills, Missouri.
The First Charity Fundraiser
Shortly after opening Reine organized a fundraiser for Cassie Glebavicius, a vibrant teen battling a brain tumor (1988-2010) in June of 2005. DJ entertainment was provided along with giveaways and several local organizations and vendors showed their support at the event. Thus the annual Chariots of Fire Customs, LLC Motorcycle Show was born.
Early Growth & Expansion
The shop continued to thrive, expanding twice at the Moscow Mills location to add more shop space in the back and offer more retail in the front. After six months the partnership ended and Jan and Reine took over full ownership of the growing business. Reine owns 51% and the shop is women-owned. Jan’s official biker name would surface years later as “49%”— a running joke reflecting this. The team had expanded and now included son Jake Knobbe as well as techs and front counter staff over the years who were or became family friends.
The First Move to Troy
As a growing community of bikers and their rides wanted more from the shop Jan and Reine looked for a new location to expand with room for events and to expand their services to support customers’ needs better. In 2012 the shop relocated to the old Ford dealership on North Lincoln Drive in Troy, Missouri, just 15 minutes from its original location.
With the new location came new opportunities. The oversized lot was perfect for bike nights and the growing the annual fundraisers throughout the year including the Fall Fest, Save the TaTas, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Christmas in July. Chariots partnered as the host of the Lincoln County Bike Night series, drawing in new motorcycle enthusiasts and continuing to build relationships with a growing customer base.
The dynamic team continued to ebb and flow. Within the retail shop a small office was made whole by Donna’s Sewing & Things, an independent seamstress and patch maker offering repairs and patch sewing to the leather goods sold in the retail portion of the shop. Customers could now sit and enjoy a little TV in the living room-style customer lounge complete with a reclining couch and soda machine. The shop continued to grow.
Professional Racing
Jan, Jake, and another race rider raced competitively as JAK Racing from 2011 to 2014 in the AHDRA drag races. The additional exposure made new connections with pro racers, including Eddie Crawic and Andrew Hines and Funny Car Champions John Force and Rob Hight. Corporate sponsors of the race team also benefitted from the additional exposure.
New Facility
In 2017 Jan and Reine’s daughter and son-in-law, Marie and Clayton Newell, were recruited to assist with designing and building a new location north of Troy on a plot with highway frontage to expand once more. The new building was designed to expand the mechanic shop to 9500 square feet with heat and air conditioning, house a new Dyno machine, trike lift, have a covered outdoor patio for events, as well as expand the retail space and customer lounge for the “last” time.
The Last Move
Chariots of Fire Customs, LLC moved for the in August of 2018. The shop had become an officially recognized service shop for Harley-Davidson Planned Maintenance and Extended Service as well as a Safe-Guard and Dynojet Dyno Center location.
Present Day
Now owners Jan and Reine Knobbe lead a small but mighty team. Chariots of Fire Customs, LLC continues to serve with the original values of custom quality service. From high-quality innovative motorcycle parts to attentive service, the independent motorcycle shop located in the heart of flyover country exceeds industry standards. Dedicated to giving back, the team continues to host, organize, and donate to non-profit organizations focused on veterans, suicide prevention, breast cancer awareness, and above all, the motorcycle community that has given so much support to them for nearly 20 years.
Meet the Team
Jan "49%" Knobbe
Owner, Certified Missouri State Inspector, Master ASE Certified Technician, Certified Power Commander Dealer, Dyno Tec
Originally from St. Louis and a tech since 1979, he enjoys traveling and riding any of his many custom motorcycles through the mountains, deserts, and coastlines. His dream is to retire one day in order to travel more knowing Chariots and his customers are in good hands.
Reine "Biker Bunny" Knobbe
Owner, Events & Marketing
Known for giving smiles and hugs, she handles donations, accounting, and event/volunteer organization. She continues to work as an occupational therapist in the surrounding school districts, with a goal to semi-retire and work at Chariots “full-time” until they’re both ready to officially retire and travel more.
Rick Dunlap
Tech/Manager
Frankie Emma
Parts Counter
Willie Hofmann
Tech
In The News
Custom Harley-Davidson Road Glide Named “Zombie” – Motorcycle Powersports News January 13, 2023
MPN Takeover – Motorcycle Powersports News April 21, 2022
Local woman crosses item off bucket list – Lincoln County Journal July 20, 2019
Christmas in July run a success – Lincoln County Jounral August 8, 2018
Trust Our Techs
Our technicians, with a combined experience of 30 years, provide quality motorcycle service and repairs. With our expertise, comes the wisdom to assist you in the customization, personalization, and performance of your ride. Like it as is? Let us help you keep it on the road with regular maintenance.