Today, Cross Country Powersports is a very successful multiline motorcycle shop. The story of how it began shows that there is no one path to success in this industry. Neither Dan nor Lois Notte, the owners, had ever worked in the motorcycle world before they bought their dealership.
Retiring from the oil field and rebuilding their life on the gulf coast, owners Chuck and Ashley Otwell first opened the doors to Otwell’s Extreme Motorsports in 2017, moving to their current location in Pensacola, FL from Fort Walton Beach in 2018.
On a cold and wet weekend in February, in Tacoma, Washington, the roads are dry, so there are a fair number of motorcyclists out riding. Tacoma riders are a hardy bunch, willing to get out on the road on a chilly morning with overcast skies, and, since 1977, Tacoma Motorsports has been around to keep them moving.
Twenty-five years ago, brothers Matt and Mike Jackson took a chance and followed their passion with the opening of a new business world. Matt grew up racing motocross and longed to be involved with the industry, and older brother Mike was also a rider.
Baxter Cycle is unique. Most motorcycle-oriented businesses either concentrate on new parts and sales or vintage parts and service. Baxter does both.
It seemed fitting to speak with a dealer whose goal was to turn their dealership into a “destination” and as many dealers know, it all circles back to the experience.
The fact that the motorcycles are not front and center does not stop WMR from selling lots of motorcycles — the dealership is one of the top KTM and Husqvarna dealerships in the country.
Motorcycle enthusiast and Seattle area public relations and marketing executive Melanie Wilhoite purchased the Wenatchee Yamaha, Polaris, and KTM dealership in 2014 and it became one of the few woman-owned power-machine dealerships in the Northwest.
When Jeff and Jodell Murray opened a Harley-Davidson dealership in Durango, CO in 2002, it filled a deficit; before that, the nearest franchise was in Farmington, NM.
Zeigler Motorsports announced that it will be celebrating the renaming of its in-house restaurant, Trak-Houz Bar & Grill, with a week-long grand opening event.
Doc started making his own parts, found that he was good at it and saw a business opportunity. In 1969, he started selling hand-crafted parts for British motorcycles and Harley-Davidsons.
One of the world’s largest Harley-Davidson dealer group has split into two companies representing another chapter of the Veracka Family’s 40 year motorcycle industry legacy.
