About Rock River Marine

Rock River Marine began with a dream, a passion for marine and powersports equipment, and a commitment to helping others enjoy the machines they love.

Founded by Dick Palmer in 1958, the business started in his garage as a small operation built on hard work, hands-on knowledge, honest service, and treating customers like neighbors. What began as one man’s dream steadily grew into a trusted local business serving generations of customers throughout northern Illinois and the surrounding communities.

Dick later passed the business on to his son, Terry Palmer, who brought his own passion to Rock River Marine — a love of speed, performance, and getting the most out of the machines he worked on. That enthusiasm helped carry the business forward while continuing the values and reputation his father had built.

Today, Rock River Marine continues that legacy from our location just outside Byron, IL, off Route 2, with a Leaf River address. We are proud to keep those dreams alive by combining the traditions the business was built on with modern diagnostic methods, repair techniques, and real-world riding and repair experience.

Our goal remains simple: provide fair pricing, dependable workmanship, honest answers, and the kind of personal service that keeps customers coming back.

What We Service

We provide professional diagnostics, maintenance, repairs, and parts support for all major brands of ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, and outboard motors. We work with equipment from manufacturers including Mercury, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Polaris, Can-Am, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat, KTM, Husqvarna, and Ski-Doo.

Whether your machine needs routine maintenance, seasonal service, troubleshooting, or a more involved repair, we carefully inspect it, identify the cause of the problem, and explain the recommended work before moving forward.

Our services include engine and fuel-system diagnostics, carburetor service, electrical troubleshooting, cooling-system service, outboard water-pump and gear-lube service, oil and fluid changes, drivetrain repairs, tune-ups, seasonal preparation, and general mechanical repairs.

We also specialize in boat control systems, including steering, controls, lights, and wiring, along with boat trailer repair and wiring.

In addition to modern maintenance supplies, we stock a large selection of vintage, hard-to-find new old stock (NOS) and used parts for McCulloch, OMC, Johnson, Evinrude, and Yamaha products.

The equipment may have changed over the years, but the heart of Rock River Marine has not: hard work, quality workmanship, personal service, and a genuine passion for keeping people on the water, on the trail, and enjoying the machines they love.

Rock River Marine is more than a business passed from one generation to the next. It is the continuation of two dreams - one built in a garage and another fueled by a passion for speed and performance - and we are proud to keep those dreams alive.