When thinking of the Midwestern U.S., you probably think of a place where motorcycles can cruise along straight roads and where powersports equipment is essential for jobs and off-road fun. It’s a part of the country with rolling plains and land that is filled with agricultural crops, as well as lots of small towns.
One of those towns is Dubuque, Iowa. Officially chartered in 1837, it is the oldest city in Iowa, and it is one of the oldest settlements along the Mississippi River’s western bank. In this city full of history is where you can find Sindt Motor Sales, a motorcycle and powersports dealership that has built a history of its own.
Ryan Sindt is the current owner and has worked at the dealership since he was 18. It has been family owned and operated since it opened its doors over six decades ago.
“It was started by my grandpa in 1959 and then sold to my dad and his brothers,” Sindt says. “Since then, those guys have retired and I bought it about five years ago.”
The shop has 11 employees and sells OEM rides from Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and CF Moto. Sindt says each brand sells quite similarly to one another, meaning one OEM does not significantly outsell the other.
This is also apparent in the apparel Sindt sells. The dealership carries plenty of helmets, jackets and other riding gear from a number of different brands that all sell similarly to one another too.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought its fair share of challenges to Sindt Motor Sales. Many of the challenges were felt across the motorcycle and powersports industry.
“Through COVID, the biggest challenge was inventory, which everyone’s probably going to tell you,” Sindt says.
However, the market has shifted since the pandemic, and Sindt says inventory is coming in at a much steadier rate from OEMs. Now, he says he mainly only faces the daily challenge of getting customers through the door. To help boost the success of this ever-constant task, Sindt Motor Sales is turning back to advertising to bring people to the dealership.
“I actually quit all advertising completely for a few years there because during COVID, I didn’t really need to have people come to the door,” Sindt explains. “I didn’t have anything to sell then anyway, so now we’ve kind of gotten back into it again.”
On top of advertising, the dealership’s longstanding presence in the Dubuque community has earned it a strong reputation. Obviously, Sindt Motor Sales’ six plus decades of selling motorcycles and powersports vehicles makes them a unique dealer. As mentioned before, the dealership was started in 1959. It has been in the same location since 1971 after Sindt’s family built its current building.
With that many years in the business, Sindt has collected a lot of bikes from different generations. They are showpieces for customers to admire when they enter the dealership.
“I’ve got a big upper deck shelf around the showroom that has all vintage restored motorcycles on it. It’s kind of cool,” he admits. “A lot of people come in and browse around with that stuff, especially the older crowd.”
Speaking of older rides, Sindt Motor Sales does carry used motorcycles and powersports vehicles. They aren’t old enough to be collector items yet, but they are in great shape and are a big business driver for Sindt.
“Pre-owned always does well for us,” he says. “I don’t have a lot of pre-owned stuff on hand because I turn it over quickly.”
Sindt’s pre-owned inventory includes more than just the new OEM vehicles that he sells. He has sold anything from used Triumphs to Can-Am Spyders at the dealership. Having the diverse selection of rides also means Sindt Motor Sales’ service department can work on many different rides.
“The service department has got to be the busiest department year-round for sure,” he says. “We’re in a farm community, so we do a lot of four-wheelers and side-by-sides too. In the repair shop, that segment keeps them really busy.”
For the powersports equipment that is used for farming, Sindt says a lot of the jobs the service department works on are repairing drivelines and axles on ATVs and side-by-sides. The tough terrain of the farmland typically takes a heavy toll on those parts of the vehicles.
Sindt Motor Sales’ service department has a manager and three full-time technicians that do all the repair work coming into the dealership. If there is one tip Sindt has for motorcycle and powersports dealerships, it is to have a good service manager. He says a good service manager can really help hold a dealership together.
As Sindt Motor Sales carries its decades of history into the future, Sindt wants to continue updating the technology in the dealership. Recently, he just switched DMS systems from Lightspeed to DX1.
“We’ve been on a DMS operating system for a long time now,” he says. “DX1 is a lot different compared to Lightspeed, but I like it.”
Other recent technology upgrades at Sindt Motor Sales include a new phone service and a new alarm service.
The dealership also wants to constantly keep updating its inventory, as do all motorcycle and powersports dealerships. As mentioned before, Sindt Motor Sales has no problem getting inventory on their showroom floor anymore. Check out the dealership’s website, and you’ll see all the cool motorcycles and powersport vehicles they have to offer.
Nearing its 70th anniversary in just five years, Sindt Motor Sales is looking to add more to its longstanding history in the motorcycle and powersports industry. The dealership is more than ready and willing to continue cementing its legacy in Dubuque, with the Sindt family name on its sign for generations to come.
