University Honda is the first Honda dealership established in the United States and was started in 1959 by Gilbert Eaton. He ordered the bikes through an ad in Popular Mechanics magazine, two Cub 50’s. His first retail outlet was on East Pike St. within a couple of blocks of its present location and was called Washington Honda at the time. He moved the store to NE 89th and Roosevelt Way prior to 1965 and from that location he moved it to NE 58th and Roosevelt Way in 1965, then to Roosevelt Way and Ravenna Blvd. in 1966.
In August of 1967 Pete Wicken started working at the Honda shop known as University Honda/Bultaco, later to add Kawasaki, Jawa/CZ, and Clews Stroka to their lineup. He started as a salesman and worked there for three weeks when James Tenneson, and Terry Saxlund started the process of buying the business from Gilbert Eaton, a process that took a little over a month. In 1981 Terry Saxlund sold his shares of the company to Pete Wicken, Jim Tenneson and Pete became partners for about three years when at that time Jim agreed to sell his shares to Mr. Wicken.
Pete kept the business at Roosevelt and Ravenna until 1995 when he moved it to its present location and added the Yamaha and now MZ lines of motorcycles to the mix. Tom Wicken purchased the business from Pete Wicken on September 1st, 2004. The 49 year history of University Honda/Yamaha/MZ has been exciting, fun, adventurous, challenging and interesting, but most of all very rewarding for enabling us to meet thousands of wonderful customers and friends.
The future of University Honda/Yamaha/MZ looks very bright and we welcome you to come in and find out that our employees are just as wonderful as our customers.
University Honda Yamaha 420 E. Pike St. Seattle WA 98122 Phone: 206-322-3400Fax: 206-328-5292
University Honda is the first Honda dealership established in the United States and was started in 1959 by Gilbert Eaton. He ordered the bikes through an ad in Popular Mechanics magazine, two Cub 50’s. His first retail outlet was on East Pike St. within a couple of blocks of its present location and was called Washington Honda at the time. He moved the store to NE 89th and Roosevelt Way prior to 1965 and from that location he moved it to NE 58th and Roosevelt Way in 1965, then to Roosevelt Way and Ravenna Blvd. in 1966.
