Sad, but a great story,. Same story here in the US. All the old guys who ran shops in my town are all gone or fading fast. We have an annual old timers banquet but fewer and fewer show up and ironic that I find myself now one of the "OLD People" (When did that happen?)
One of my favorite shops (and people) is a place in San Jose California called Rabers parts mart.
Run by Bob Raber and his wife, his son Mike is taking over. But I heard recently they are looking to partially shut down to only 3 days a week. The issue is simply costs and environment.
The NorCal Bay area is so expensive to live in that they cant find qualified staff who are willing to commute and none can afford to live nearby. The MC trade is an honest living but has never been a high wage endeavor. Finding mechanics, machinists or parts people who are willing to work for anything reasonable for what a bike shop can pay is challenging.
The other option is 2-3 hr commutes each direction.
Great story but all too common
