The motorcycle accessories chain Louis returned to the roots of its founder Detlev Louis with its re-entry into off-road sport in 2022: Louis was a successful off-road racer in the 1950s and even took part in the team world championship, the ‘Six Days’, twice. The range for off-road bikers is constantly growing, both in the online shop and in the stores. There you will find clothing and technical parts for motocross, enduro and supermoto riders in a wide variety of brands.
The history of Louis dates back to 1938, when Walter Lohmann opened a motorcycle shop in Hamburg. Together with Lohmann, Detlev Louis continued to run the business after the war under the name Lohmann & Louis, and in 1946 Louis became the sole owner. The economic miracle of the 1950s led to a real boom in two-wheelers, and Detlev Louis's business was right on target. But even in difficult times, such as the 1960s, Detlev Louis proved his business acumen with a knack for the right products and continued to expand the company. In 1968, he was the first to send a mail order catalogue directly to customers, and with the motorcycle boom in the 1970s, the company grew into a limited liability company. In 1981, Louis opened its first branch outside Hamburg, and there are now over 85 Louis branches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. After briefly importing several brands of motorcycles, including Kawasaki, the company divested itself of its vehicle business in 1990. In reunified Germany, the clothing and accessories business became the main source of income, so that vehicle sales were completely discontinued in the early 1990s. After the turn of the millennium, the steady growth of the motorcycle industry began to slow, but Louis had already set the course for the future with its online shop, which has been in operation since 1996, and the expansion of its services, and the company continues to grow steadily to this day.
In 2022, the decision was made to significantly expand the range for motocross and enduro riders. MX clothing was already part of the range, including the own brand ‘Madhead’ as an MX clothing line, but until now there had been no strong focus on dirt bikers. With Kai Sedlak, the company gained an experienced man with a wealth of motocross know-how for purchasing. With Kai's experience as a former international professional rider and trainer, which he still is today, the range was quickly expanded to include accessories. Louis now stocks inner tubes, brake pads, plastic parts, tools and much more that motocross riders need on a daily basis – all from renowned brands such as Xtrig, Brembo, AFAM, Acerbis, Renthal, Polisport, ProTaper, DID and Scar. There is also an extensive selection of MX clothing from brands such as Airoh, Sidi, Scott, Leatt, Alpinestars, Fox, O'Neal and many more. Louis is continuously expanding its MX range, with One Industries and Gaerne set to be added to the range in the course of the year.
Initially, only the online shop stocked MX products, but they are now also available in most of the more than 80 stores. ‘If you realise on Friday afternoon that you need brake pads, you can now simply drive to your nearest Louis store and pick them up quickly so that you can go to training or racing on Saturday as planned,’ explains Sedlak. The online shop offers many special features thanks to its huge bike database. For example, if you enter your motorcycle model alongside a chainring, the customer is only shown parts that are compatible. At the same time, the availability in the store is also displayed, where you can leave the part for collection. "Our product range and the brands we offer are constantly growing. Our commitment to motocross and enduro sports is long-term.‘ So it was clear that the company would also be present at events such as the ADAC MX Masters, the MXGP in Teutschenthal and the Cross Finals. ’There we meet our target group 100% and use their direct feedback to further expand our range," explains Louis' marketing department. ‘We have also become a partner of the ADAC MX Academy so that we can be there for our future customers right from the very beginning.’ In addition, numerous regional motocross series are supported. The company has been working with the Becker Racing Team and riders such as Nico Koch and Marnique Appelt since the 2023 season, helping a new generation of top German riders to develop and achieve their goals and even their dreams, as Nico demonstrated at the beginning of 2025 with his sensational rides in the American Supercross.
Louis on the web: louis.de Instagram: @louismotorrad Facebook: @louismotointernational