Harley-Davidson revved for run at new Strip location

Though Harley-Davidson first arrived in Las Vegas in the mid-1940s, their motorcycles, clothing and accessories just recently rode onto the Strip.

The 65,000 square-foot location, at 5191 Las Vegas Blvd. South, opened Sept. 30. The new locale is home to a rental department, motorcycle sales, parts and accessories, services, as well as clothing and other licensed products.

“We have about 30 or 40 different models of motorcycles as well as accessories, which is one of the things that makes Harley-Davidson the way it is, because of our customer’s desire to express themselves,” said Co-Owner Tim Cashman. “We also sell a lot of riding gear, boots, helmets, T-shirts – you name it, we have it.”

Harley-Davidson’s newest location, adjacent to the “Welcome to the Fabulous Las Vegas” sign on the south end of the Strip, gives locals and tourists with a valid motorcycle license the opportunity to rent bikes for half a day, full day, week or month.

“We’ll ask you to demonstrate your ability by having you drive around our back lot to make sure we’re doing our due diligence,” Cashman said. “After you sign up for how long you want it, we’ll provide rain gear and a helmet.”

Cashman said the company broke ground on its Las Vegas Boulevard store last December and worked with several architects to design the interior, exterior and floor plan.

“We started moving dirt here in the middle of December and the building was built in nine months,” he said. “The Las Vegas sign is a great attraction and we wanted to do our part for this part of the Strip to get some action going.”

Aside from sales and rental services, Harley-Davidson also offers a riding academy where new and veteran riders can train and learn about motorcycle safety.

“One of the things they teach you in class is constant threat assessment so you’re aware of everything around you and the possible things that can go wrong,” Cashman said. “That’s what is taught in safety schools — how to anticipate what a car will do and how to avoid being harmed by something else.”

The new Strip location is a continuation of Harley-Davidson’s presence in Las Vegas for decades. According to the Las Vegas Harley-Davidson website, Earl West opened a Harley-Davidson shop on Ogden Street during the 1940s and oversaw it for nearly 10 years. Jack Willows took over ownership before Bob Knerr, who moved the dealership to First Street prior to selling it in the late 1960s to R.R. Wilkerson who operated the business until it closed in 1973.

The company reappeared in Southern Nevada in the late 1970s before Neil and Alana Nelson purchased the dealership in 1980. In 1991, Neil moved the dealership from East Fremont Street to 2495 E. Sahara Ave.

Cashman and his business partner Don Andress bought the local company in 1995. After closing the Harley-Davidson store on East Sahara Avenue, they saw an opportunity to reach more people by adding a site on the Strip.

“We had the franchise and business was good so the strategy was to move,” Cashman said. “This store is significant step forward for us because of its location and we’re trying to bring the brand of Harley-Davidson to a lot more people.”

Despite the excitement of the company’s new location, Cashman said the recession hit Harley-Davidson hard.

“Our revenue dropped almost in half and we had to take steps to control costs and be able to manage the recession well enough so that we were able to continue to invest,” he said. “Though overall economic activity seems to be picking up a bit, the industry is still essentially flat here in Southern Nevada because motorcycles tend to be for recreation.”

Cashman said he’s hoping customers who aren’t normally exposed to the Harley-Davidson brand will enjoy the new store. He also wants the store to become an attraction on the Strip.

“We want to provide a great experience to enthusiasts who come to Las Vegas and give them a place to go, things to do and see while they’re here,” he said. “We want you to really enjoy your motorcycle but the experience we provide as well.”

Contact reporter Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @AnnFriedmanRJ on Twitter.