Tons of Hogs Fly Off the Lot at Sturgis Harley Dealership
Sturgis rally fueling demand for Harleys at Black Hills Harley-Davidson, dealer hopes to sell 605 machines by rally’s end.
Around this time every year, the small town of Sturgis, South Dakota comes to life with the roar of hundreds of thousands of Harley-Davidsons for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. And with those leather-and-denim-clad road warriors comes a big economic boost for miles around, no matter what anyone is selling.
Of course, it also helps to be able to participate in the 10-day party upon one’s own Harley. And if you happen to be Black Hills Harley-Davidson in nearby Rapid City, you’re definitely in position to help new riders saddle up. Local FOX affiliate KEVN-TV says the dealership is moving plenty of hogs by the dozen during the rally, with no signs of letting up.
“This is an off rally year everybody said,” said Black Hills Harley sales boss Kelly Rang, “but it caught us off guard. You can see around you; it’s not off. It’s not an off-year at all.”
At the start of the Sturgis rally, Black Hills had 700 Harley models of all sorts on the lot, from Road Kings and Freewheelers to Street Glides and Superlows. Thus far, a total of around 130 models have been sold, with more on the way to meet the sudden increase in demand.
“Inventory is still good, but as you can see, we’re starting to settle down a little bit,” Rang said. “So I just bought some additional inventory from other stores so I’m hoping we can pull it all together.”
Of course, not everyone’s there to buy a Harley. Per local NBC affiliate KNBN-TV says Black Hills Harley has dozens of vendors on its property, selling everything from custom paint jobs to gun holsters. No doubt those vendors are helping to draw in potential new riders to the dealership.
“We might be Rapid City, but this is indeed Sturgis,” said Rang. “We sell a lot of bikes to people all over the world and to buy something in Sturgis, the biggest motorcycle rally of the year, that’s special.”
According to KEVN-TV, Black Hills Harley sold 604 motorcycles during the 2015 Sturgis rally, the most sales in the world over the 10-day affair. The dealership aims to move 605 units by the end of the 2019 rally. We think they might sell more than that, though; who wouldn’t want to experience the open road on a Harley of their own, after all?
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