FC-Moto Opens Branch Network: What the Motorrad-Ecke Takeover Means

• FC-Moto takes over all 8 Motorrad-Ecke locations and now operates a total of 9 stores
• The new stores are located in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria
• Customers can have online-ordered products delivered to a store to try on

For decades, FC-Moto was a pure online retailer with just one brick-and-mortar store in Würselen near Aachen. Now the company is making a strategic shift and building its own branch network. By acquiring all remaining Motorrad-Ecke locations in southern Germany, FC-Moto now operates nine physical stores. For customers in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, this means helmets, apparel, and accessories can be viewed, touched, and tried on in person before purchase.

Which Locations Has FC-Moto Taken Over?

FC-Moto has acquired all eight Motorrad-Ecke stores. Together with the existing store in Würselen, this creates a network of nine locations. The former Motorrad-Ecke shops are located in Schwenningen, Singen, Böblingen, Pfullingen (as an outlet), Offenburg, Heilbronn, Rosenheim, and Weil am Rhein. The focus is clearly on Baden-Württemberg, where Motorrad-Ecke had been a fixture in the accessories trade for more than 25 years. The Rosenheim location adds a single Bavarian outpost.

The transition is already underway. On the Motorrad-Ecke Instagram channel, the message is essentially: same shop, new name. According to customer reports from online forums, staff at the locations have largely been retained. At the Heilbronn store, for example, shelves were reportedly not yet fully stocked in late March 2026, though visitors described the staff as friendly and helpful.

Who Is Behind FC-Moto?

FC-Moto was founded in 1996 by Farshid Chalatbari. It began with a small shop on Jülicher Straße in Aachen. Just three years later, the online shop launched. According to a report by the Aachener Zeitung from May 2025, Chalatbari had previously worked for eight years as a shop manager at the now-defunct chain GoTo-Helmstudio, where he gained early experience with eBay and the first online shops.

Growth was rapid. In the early phase, the company reportedly grew by up to 150 percent annually, according to Chalatbari. In 2012, FC-Moto moved to Aachener Straße in Würselen, where the store with its roughly 50-meter-long shop window served as a go-to destination for local customers for years. In July 2023, the biggest move to date followed: FC-Moto relocated to a new site at the Avantis business park near Aachen, from where approximately 4,500 packages of motorcycle clothing, accessories, and spare parts are reportedly shipped daily.

Today, FC-Moto describes itself as one of the leading e-commerce companies in the motorcycle industry. The online shop is available in 18 languages, with around 20 percent of revenue reportedly generated outside Europe, according to Chalatbari. The company operates as both a retailer and wholesaler and states on its website that it carries more than 200,000 items from over 100 brands. According to the Aachener Zeitung, annual revenue exceeds 100 million euros.

Why Is FC-Moto Entering Brick-and-Mortar Retail?

The expansion into physical retail marks a significant strategic broadening. For motorcyclists, in-store shopping offers a tangible advantage, particularly for apparel: helmets need to fit, jackets and pants must be the right size, and gloves need to be felt. Online shopping alone can only partially replicate this experience.

FC-Moto therefore offers a hybrid approach at its locations. Customers can have products from the online shop delivered to a store without any obligation to buy — up to ten items at a time — try them on, and then either purchase on the spot or return them. The model combines the depth of online retail with the tactile experience of a physical store.

That FC-Moto is making this move specifically through the acquisition of the Motorrad-Ecke locations is likely no coincidence. Motorrad-Ecke, headquartered in Villingen-Schwenningen, had already filed for insolvency in 2010. At the time, the company operated 27 stores nationwide with 103 employees. During the restructuring under the then-insolvency administrator, numerous unprofitable locations were closed, while part of the business continued under former managing director Mustafa Özbek. The eight locations that most recently remained have now passed into FC-Moto’s hands.

What Does This Mean for the Motorcycle Industry?

FC-Moto’s expansion comes at a time when brick-and-mortar motorcycle accessories retail in Germany is under considerable pressure. The chain Polo Motorrad und Sportswear, one of the largest providers in the country with around 90 locations and approximately 700 employees, filed for self-administration proceedings at the Mönchengladbach district court in November 2025. The company, founded in 1980 and based in Jüchen, is battling insolvency for the second time, having already gone through a similar proceeding in 2011.

The chain Hein Gericke, once one of the most recognized brands in motorcycle accessories retail, no longer exists as an operating company. After a total of four insolvencies between 2003 and 2017, the last remaining stores were closed in 2018. The brand rights were sold to the Dutch Perier Group in 2024, but a return to active retail has not materialized.

That FC-Moto is expanding in this environment rather than retreating like other providers can be read as a deliberate counterposition. The company comes from e-commerce, has established logistics with its own high-bay warehouse, and can operate the stores as a complement to online business rather than as the sole revenue channel. Whether this model proves sustainable in the long run remains to be seen.

What Role Does the Würselen Location Play for FC-Moto?

The store in Würselen remains FC-Moto’s flagship and continues to be the company’s largest branch. The location is in direct proximity to the company headquarters at the Avantis business park, which also houses the logistics center. In online forums, customers report a large selection on site, personal advice, and the ability to take products home directly.

Founder Chalatbari has already announced, according to the Aachener Zeitung, that he is looking for an even larger property for the Würselen store, with up to 3,000 square meters of space. This suggests that the combination of online and physical retail is not only planned for the acquired Motorrad-Ecke locations but will also be further expanded at the flagship site.

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