Hogspot: Business built on finding biker friendly spots

Kathy Jennings | Thursday, February 27, 2014

These days smart phones and their apps have made it easy to locate just about anything you want to find. Just about everything but places where motorcycle riders are welcome.

That realization led Matt Page to develop the HogSpot app and website. A play on the popular name for big bikes -- hogs -- and hot spots, the app is about a year old and Page created it himself. It's available free on Google Play and Apple App store.

Page describes the need, saying, bikers out for a ride typically go about an hour before they stop to take a break and stretch. If the ride is a long one, that may leave them looking in unfamiliar places for restaurants and bars that welcome them.

Page, who rides a Victory Vegas, says he's learned there are basically two kinds of riders, those who are looking for places where they will find other bikers and those who want a bike friendly atmosphere but don't require the spot to be exclusively for bikers.

And when we are talking about bikers we are not talking about the bad guys and hoodlums that are the typical stereotypes the media uses to portray bikers. Page says most motorcycle enthusiasts are "a unique breed of people, but unlike the negative way they are portrayed in the media, most are freedom loving Americans with good hearts."

This breed is not going to turn to Yelp or 4Sqare to find the type of establishment they are seeking. They have starting using HogSpot to fill that need.

HogSpot has listings that locate bars, eateries, places to buy gear, dealerships, and where to get repairs. It also maps rides, vistas, and museums.

Access to the app and website are free. Ultimately, Page anticipates businesses featured on the site will want to advertise there. He currently is working to demonstrate the business model is viable.

At the same time, two business partners recently have left and Page is now seeking others to help grow the business. A full-time police officer at Western Michigan University, Page fits in work on the startup business around his paying job.

He also is contemplating dropping the name HogSpots, as many bikers associate hogs with Harley Davidson and that is causing confusion, as the site is for all types of bikers. "It doesn't matter what bike you ride," Page says.

Page has developed his business with the help of Starting Gate and worked with WMU's John Mueller as his mentor. Page, who as has been a police officer for 15 years, also is now back in school on his way to becoming an MBA student.

With spring will come a new biking season and Page want to have the latest version of HogSpots by whatever name it is called ready to roll.

Source: Matt Page, HogSpots

Illustrations from HogSpots website.

A map of what you can find on HogSpots.

Matt Page on his motorcycle.