A new store and shop in Prairie City focused on motorcycles will open for business in the first part of March.

The Eagles In Flight motorcycle shop is located on the north side of Front Street between the Oxbow Restaurant and Hotel Prairie

Owners Rob and Tish Tygret moved here from Concrete, Washington, “which is smaller than Prairie City,” Rob noted.

Rob came up with the name for the business.

“Eagles are found on lots of motorcycle accessories. It stands for freedom,” he said.

The Tygrets bought the former Prairie Drug and Prairie Hardware & Gifts building along with a home west of town featuring spectacular views of the Strawberry Mountains. Moving here was a logical decision, they said.

“The riding around here is amazing,” Tish said.

The Tygrets are familiar with tough economic conditions. Most of the store fronts in Concrete are closed, they said.

“But Grant County is full of doers, full of people who say, ‘Let’s get it done,’” Rob said. “There’s a tremendous sense of pride in community. You can’t say that about every place.”

They said they’ve had a very positive experience with the people they’ve met.

“We’ve been really impressed with how welcoming the community has been,” Rob said, noting that rancher Ken Holliday was the first person in Grant County to greet them.

Rob has been working on motorcycles for 22 years, including 13 years at Harley Davidson franchise shops. He is a certified master mechanic who also can do custom engraving and build custom motorcycles to order.

Eagles In Flight is not a Harley Davidson franchise shop and will sell a diverse variety of motorcycle parts and rider accessories.

“We’ll work on all brands of motorcycles and carry parts for them,” he said. “This will be a good destination stop for riders.”

The rear door is not wide enough to accommodate three-wheelers, but if a bicyclist stops by during the summer needing an emergency repair, he’ll offer assistance, Rob said.

Rob has a full complement of tools, from a mill, lathe and valve grinder to a tire changer, sandblaster and three motorcycle lifts. He has shelves and bins full of parts, many that he acquired when he bought out the Harley Davidson shop in Bellingham, Washington, in 2012.

“It took 21 trips to move everything here,” Rob said.

He and Tish did all the moving themselves. They’ve been remodeling the old building, cosmetic changes like attaching used corrugated tin to the ceiling and setting counters and benches in place, Tish said.

“It’s been a big effort, and the dust is just settling,” Rob said.

“But we’re creating more dust,” Tish added.

When completed, the west half will feature a customer lounge and show room with helmets, clothing and other accessories for sale. The east half will have the checkout counter, more clothing and the repair shop.

The Tygrets plan to settle down in Grant County. Their children attend college in Washington, but this is their new home, they say.