CHAD WATTS: WATTS PERFECTIONS OWNER

STARTING POINT: “I worked at Barr’s Competition in Shelby, North Carolina in the late 1980s. I wrenched for Mike Brown, which gave me the opportunity to work for Team Green. Soon after I worked for Ryan Hughes, and then I wrenched Mickael Pichon at Pro Circuit. At the end of 1996 I got paired up with Ricky Carmichael. I worked for Ricky until 2003 and then moved in-house to Honda’s four-stroke engine development program. Shortly thereafter I resigned from Honda and moved back home to start Watts Perfections (www.chadwattsperfections.com).”

THE JOB: “I do restoration bikes, as well as two- and four-stroke engines. It can be anything from cylinder and valve work to specialized coatings. It’s a one-stop shop. Believe it or not, the phone rings so much during the day that I get more work done after hours. Fortunately my wife does most of the paperwork. My favorite bike to work on is a Kawasaki KX125 two-stroke, because I have so much history with it.”