Family Enjoys Motorcycle Memories

ROGERS — When Chuck Snider is in his garage, he might sometimes be in the doghouse. But, he admits, “it’s a pretty nice doghouse.”

Snider, who owns Chuck’s Auto Sales in Rogers, and his wife, Betsy, have turned their three-car garage into a Harley-Davidson themed “man cave” enjoyed by the whole family. From day to day, it’s just as likely to find Betsy Snider watching the flat-panel television and working on a crocheting project as to find her husband shooting pool with son Chris. And many times, the game room is filled with friends who are also “motorcycle enthusiasts.”

It’s Chris, 25, who makes the distinction between the age-old stereotype of “bikers” and what he and his parents enjoy.

“Where else would you find people who do toy runs or stand up for abused children?” he says. “Where else could a plumber and a doctor meet and become good friends?”

“It gives you a bond with everybody who rides,” adds his mother.

But Betsy Snider wasn’t always convinced. In fact, she says, she “fought it hard.”

Growing up in Rogers, Chuck Snider wanted to ride a motorcycle badly enough that he rented the use of one. He had bikes when he and Betsy married, but the hobby was set aside as their three children came along.

What convinced his wife to support his desire?

“I wanted our daughter to move into our rent house,” Betsy says. “And I told Chuck if he’d kick the renters out, he could buy his Harley.”

But when the “first store-bought Harley” came home, there were stipulations.

“She told me none of our kids was allowed on it, and I had to wear a helmet at all times,” Chuck Snider recalls with a laugh. “I finally got her to ride with me — but we had to go slow.”

The more she rode, the more she enjoyed it, Betsy Snider admits.

“We were at a time in our lives where we’d been married for years, and it was something fun to do together,” she says. “And we made really good friends, interesting friends we might never have met otherwise.”

Eventually, Betsy Snider started riding on her own. And when Chris was a junior in high school, he bought himself a Harley.

“I kind of helped him instigate against Mom,” his dad admits. “But he was only allowed to ride with us.”

“We still worry when we know he’s riding and he’s not with us,” Betsy says. “Parents worry.”

Having a place for all of the family’s friends to gather was the plan when the Sniders decided to remodel the garage. What started as a small project grew into a new gabled roof, a bar, a pool table, two card tables and the TV area — with a price tag of more than $18,000.

“It’s kind of like putting chrome on a motorcycle,” Betsy Snider says. “It’s a never-ending project.”

“Just about everything in here brings back memories,” adds Chuck, looking around at memorabilia from events like Bikes, Blues & BBQ and the Sturgis (S.D.) Motorcycle Rally, T-shirts, saddlebags, even the tail of the bike converted into a trike for his wife.

“Everything has a memory,” Betsy agrees. “You can’t put a dollar value on it.”

At A Glance

Harley Branded
At major retailers and all over the Internet, a wealth of home decor bears the Harley-Davidson brand.

JCPenney
Harley rugs, bedskirts, drapes, sheets, comforters and accent pillows

Dillard’s
“The Trail of the Painted Ponies” motorcycle mustang figurine

Target
Wallpaper borders, murals

Walmart
Weathervanes

Online
Sheet sets, bar stools, ceiling fans, clocks, drawer pulls, door knobs, mailboxes, jukeboxes, mirrors, neon lights and even a child’s rocking motorcycle

— Source: Staff Report