Motoworld of El Cajon – El Cajon, CA – July 23, 2007

CONTACT
Motoworld of El Cajon
315 North Magnolia Ave.
El Cajon, Calif. 92020
800/249-3556
www.motoworldofelcajon.com
OWNERS
Brian Juhnke, Jared Malmquist and Glenn Bagge
BUSINESS PROFILE
Motoworld of El Cajon has its hands in many projects. It doesn’t hurt that the dealership has three able bodies at its helm to make sure things are running smoothly. Brian Juhnke was the first to buy into the California dealership in 1993, with Jared Malmquist and Glenn Bagge eventually joining Motoworld of El Cajon’s ownership structure. In addition to the brick and mortar dealership, the company has a thriving secondary e-commerce Web site, www.motoworldracing.com, which sells everything from aftermarket parts and accessories to casual wear and powersports books and DVDs. It also fields a racing team that competes in supercross and outdoor nationals. In 2003, the dealership moved into a 44,000-square-feet facility, which houses its selection of ATVs, UTVs, personal watercraft and motorcycles. Motoworld of El Cajon carries E-Ton, Honda, KTM, Polaris and Yamaha products.
GREATEST CONCERN
The assault against off-road riding areas is at the top of the list for Bagge, who is also Motoworld’s general manager. Improper media coverage, particularly on the noise aspect of off-roading, is at least partly to blame, he said. “Certain organizations are really coming down hard on the off-roader because of noise levels,” Bagge said. “These are areas people have been riding in for years and years. All the tree huggers of the world will hang on to anything to make off-roaders look bad. They don’t look at the family aspect.” Bagge credits organizations such as the Off Road Business Association with working with people who can make a difference in that area and advocating in Washington, D.C. for off-roading.
WHAT’S HOT
The sunny San Diego-area weather makes street bikes a perennial favorite, Bagge said. The advent of summer always means a spike in PWC sales as well. Juhnke, Malmquist and Bagge all have roots in the off-roading world, so that’s another of Motoworld of El Cajon’s major focuses and big sellers. Over the last year, side-by-side sales have really skyrocketed, Bagge added.
CUSTOMER BUYING TRENDS
Keeping an eye on the local shopping mall is one way Bagge gets a bead on what consumers are looking for. Motoworld of El Cajon is a mile away from a mall and Bagge has noticed the dealership gets a lot of traffic from there. He tries to keep the dealership’s casual soft goods competitively priced compared to mall prices and styles. It helps that there are no lines, product is in stock and people can check out motorcycle stuff, too, Bagge said.
PARTS AND SERVICE
With about 50 percent of its building dedicated to parts and accessories and its entire e-commerce site as well, P&A makes up a large chunk of Motoworld’s business. Bagge calls it “competitive, but ever-expanding. Casual lifestyle goods have been an awesome addition. It brings in new customers every day. It’s a fun experience to market to people who aren’t in the industry already.” On the service side, Motoworld of El Cajon staffs seven technicians.
PROMOTIONAL HOME RUNS
While Motoworld holds a couple of events annually, Midnight Madness is perhaps the biggest, and was created to give back to the community. The two-day event runs from 9 a.m. to midnight and includes carnival rides and food and everything is free. Customers can follow searchlights roaming the skies to the dealership. The event draws thousands to the dealership to not only enjoy the fun, but to check out what product is available and to take advantage of any event specials.
WORDS OF ADVICE
Don’t forget why you got in the industry and always put yourself in your customers’ shoes,” Bagge said. “We got into the industry because we love motorcycles. It’s easy in business to take yourself out of the customers’ shoes, but I always try to look at the other side of the table. It’s worked out well for us.”
— Lisa Young