Frontier H-D/Buell – Lincoln, NE – March 14, 2005

Frontier Harley-Davidson/Buell

CONTACT
2801 North 27th Street
Lincoln, NE 68521
402/466-9100
www.frontierhd.com

OWNERS
Dave and Deb Fischer

BUSINESS PROFILE
22,000-sq.-ft. dealership (15,000-sq.-ft. main building plus four warehouses, two on-site and two off-site) founded in 1987 at the present location in north-central Lincoln. The Fischers are building a new store near the interstate on Lincoln’s west side that will provide visibility and both interior and exterior space. “We hold many events that draw big crowds, so with 14 acres we’ll be able to do more outdoor activities without jamming up the neighborhood,” says Dave Fischer. Carries Harley-Davidson and Buell, and recently added Thunder Mountain Customs. 22 employees.

GREATEST CONCERN
“I think the industry as a whole is generally healthy and growing, and that’s nice to see,” says Fischer. “I have more specific concerns about the Harley-Davidson dealer network. It was a lot of fun when we were a little niche. When you rode a Harley 15 or 20 years ago, it was unusual. We’ve become a bit more common and are gravitating toward the motor-vehicle industry model. I didn’t get into this business to be a car dealer. Those remarks could extend to the entire industry, really because we’ve seen the metric bikes already adopt that model.”

WHAT’S HOT?
“Paradoxically, the higher-end touring models and the lower-end new Sportsters are very popular,” says Fischer. “Of course, everything sells well but the ‘bookends’ seem to be really hot right now. We do a big P&A business, and the performance parts-Screamin’ Eagle-seem to be particularly strong.”

CUSTOMER BUYING TRENDS
“I follow our dealership’s demographics all the time, and they tend to be averages rather than means or medians,” notes Fischer. “We work hard to appeal to the broad spectrum of customers, regardless of income, gender, or race. We think we’ve succeeded in having a very diverse customer base. We don’t want to have a ‘typical’ customer. We’re all getting older-that trend is unavoidable-and I think the increased demand for touring models reflects an aging rider who wants comfort.”

ANTI-POWERSPORTS ISSUES
“As you know, the Motor Company is very concerned about noise issues,” says Fischer. “We’re sensitive to the issue. We just want to be good community members, so we try to negate or counter the image of the hell-raising, straight-pipe, loud biker. We haven’t seen a lot of government action directed precisely at motorcycles.”

PARTS AND SERVICE
Frontier has six service technicians (three of them senior techs) and five support staff. “We’re very proud of our service department,” says Fischer. “But that’s all we have room for; we’ve gotten as big as we possibly can. In our new dealership we’ll have 12 service bays with two lifts in each bay, letting us have 24 motorcycles in the air at the same time. That’s very efficient if the technician is waiting for parts or owner approval, because he can go to his other lift and keep working. We’re excited about the efficiencies that we can capture.” And the new building will also allow more space to stock and display parts, accessories, and MotorClothes. “We’re so cramped now and lose a lot of sales due to the lack of ability to display inventory. They say that women in particular don’t like ‘bumping butts’ when they’re shopping.”

PROMOTIONAL HOME RUNS
Fischer is a motorcycle collector. “Right now we’ll put one or two bikes in the window for a few months then rotate them. But the new facility will have a museum, and it will be nice to have most of my collection out. The oldest running bike is a 1933, but I have a few projects older than that.” Frontier HOG-1,000 members strong-meets at the store. “It’s certainly one of the biggest in the Midwest, and maybe the country.” Fischer says he has been “slow to get on the promotions bandwagon. Word-of-mouth and references have been a great outreach for us. I’m slowly doing a bit more advertising, but we tend to let our reputation speak for itself. Our periodic newsletter goes to a mailing list of over 7,000. That’s our most effective communications tool with existing customers. We’re reaching out for new customers more than we’ve had to in the past.” Typical events during the year include an early-Winter chili feed, a HOG party in mid-February, a women’s bike show in Spring, and six to eight poker runs throughout the year. “There’s quite a bit of charitable activity and fundraising, usually linked to either riding or showing,” says Fischer.

WORDS OF ADVICE
“Resist the urge to get predatory and act like a car salesman,” advises Fischer. “If we continue to focus on promoting the enjoyment of the sport, the business side will take care of itself. That’s always been our philosophy here.”

—Julie Filatoff

If you would like to share your story with the readers of Powersports Business, please contact Julie Filatoff at filatoff@cybermesa.com.