By Matt Pelkey Rappahannock News Staff Writer Last May,

By Matt Pelkey

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Last May, Bill Paolicelli thought he was in for a record year. Sales at American Road Motorcycles, his bike shop in Amissville, were through the roof But then business dropped — hard.

“Early in June it was very apparent that something was up,” he said.

Paolicelli said he watched as his sales fell by 70 to 75 percent at a time that was supposed to be the busiest of the year.

Business didn’t pick back up, and in February he began clearing out merchandise. American Road Motorcycles, which Paolicelli has run for six years, will close on April 25.

“Six years into this it’s really very sad,” he said. “I’ve just loved doing this and I’ve met so many wonderful people. I’m really sad to be closing and will really miss the business.”

Paolicelli, an Amissville resident, opened American Road Motorcycles after spending 20 years as a manager in the auto business.

A self-proclaimed bike nerd, he has been drooling over motorcycles for most of his life. He saw the shop as a lucrative way to tap into his passion.

“It’s really difficult for somebody not to notice the number of motorcycles that drive into the county Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

He set up his shop on Route 211, which in warmer months, teems with motorcyclists heading out to eryoy scenic roads in Rappahannock and Shenandoah National Park.

“We’ve been for the most part very successful over the past six years,” Paolicelli said.

The store sold an array of motorcycles ranging from HarleyDavidsons to Kawasakis, along with helmets, leather vests, jackets and other gear. It also boasted a renowned service department.

But maybe what defined the store was the conversation that Paolicelli offered.

“We sort of became a destination point for people," he said.

He said people would stop by just to shoot the breeze, he said. “It was really a lot of fun, and that’s exactly what I wanted the feel of the store to be.”

Though he can only guess why