Wild, wild west of motorcycles
Calgary’s motorcycle market is undergoing a subtle revolution. Interestingly, stalwarts in the automotive industry spearhead the changes.
First, in early 2009 there was the Carter Automotive Group and the Rocky Mountain Honda Powerhouse in the city’s south.
Carter also recently purchased Pro-Am MotorSports in northeast Calgary.
Here, the group plans to continue selling Yamaha and Kawasaki. But, according to the Group’s Jay McKeen, they’re adding Honda to that mix.
Currently looking for land in north Calgary, McKeen says, “We plan on building one of Western Canada’s largest motorcycle facilities.”
Further to that news, Gary Sartorio, dealer principal of Shaganappi GM, has purchased Calgary Harley-Davidson and the Wild and Wild motorcycle facilities, also in the northeast.
Some background is in order here. Jim Wild and family have been a presence in the local motorcycling community since 1982 when they opened HarleyDavidson of Southern Alberta. In the mid-1990s the store moved into a purposebuilt structure on Pegasus Road and became Calgary Harley-Davidson.
Then, in 2010 Jim and brother Tim Wild built another facility just down the road, and began selling brands such as Ducati, Indian and MV Agusta.
“Jim and I were talking about a deal two years ago,” Sartorio says. “He was putting feelers out, and I was interested. But that deal went by the by.”
That is, until earlier in 2012, when Wild called Sartorio and offered him the motorcycle businesses, which included the new facility. The original Pegasus Road building was not included.
“I jumped all over it,” Sartorio says about sealing the deal.
Sartorio is no stranger to motorcycles. He’s been riding since he was 16, and has owned a diverse range of machinery, from KTM to Moto Guzzi. He is, however, a consummate fan of American iron, including Harley-Davidson.
Now, he’s selling that brand, plus several more.
On Oct. 1, the new and rebranded Harley-Davidson of Calgary opened at 2475 Pegasus Road N.E. with Rob Dzikewich acting as general manager.
Dzikewich was previously the general manager at Shaganappi GM.
Also under the same roof are Ducati of Calgary, Indian of Calgary, and Shaganappi Motorsports — a division of the company that includes storied motorcycle brands MV Agusta and Norton.
“We’ve amalgamated the brands into this one 32,000-square-foot building,” Dzikewich explains. There are separate entrances for Ducati and Harley-Davidson.
Sartorio upgraded the service department, and there is a used motorcycle gallery on the mezzanine level. A new dyno-testing room was installed, and the Calgary Hog Chapter meeting room was enlarged.
Many of the original Calgary Harley-Davidson sales and service staff were retained. Sartorio says instead of service technicians being laid off during the sometimes slow winter months, they’re employed building custom motorcycles.
Harley-Davidson of Calgary will continue the tradition of offering a riding school, and Dzikewich says the company is currently in a conversation with Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada to become the authorized provider of the Rider’s Edge Harley-Davidson Academy of Motorcycling in Alberta and Western Canada.
But the biggest change is yet to come.
Sartorio has purchased land at the corner of McKnight Boulevard and Aviation Boulevard N.E., and plans to have shovels in the ground by March or April.
“It will be a 46,000square-foot, state-of-theart Harley-Davidson store, and it will include our other brands,” Sartorio explains. There will again be separate entrances for Ducati and Harley-Davidson.
Conceptual drawings of the building’s exterior show a “jewel-box” display tower at one end.
Sartorio says he plans to have the best of the best for service, sales, clothing and parts departments, but nothing is yet finalized.
“I’ll be travelling this winter to some of the biggest and best dealerships in North America to get some ideas,” he says. “The inside will be just as pretty as the outside.”
Doors should be open by summer 2014.
“I’m really excited about the business,” Sartorio says. “When I went to get approved by Harley-Davidson, I’ve never been treated better by anybody.
“You just don’t see that in big corporate business anymore.”