ST. CHARLES – There is a new hog boss at the Tri-Cities' Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership.
For several weeks, a management team from Villa Park-based Windy City Harley-Davidson has rearranged the staff, the store and the services offered at the St. Charles motorcycle dealership formerly known as Zylstra Harley-Davidson Buell.
In late May, Windy City bought the dealership, located at Randall Road and Route 64, from the Zylstra family, renaming it as Fox River Harley-Davidson, said James Wallish, director of marketing and events for the Windy City chain of Harley stores.
The purchase makes the St. Charles store the fourth such dealership owned and operated by the Windy City Harley group. The group also owns Harley stores in Villa Park, Palatine and Berwyn.
Wallish said the purchase will allow the Windy City chain to improve service to customers in the Fox Valley and elsewhere in the suburbs.
"We saw an opportunity to do a lot for the riders in this area," Wallish said. "And we grabbed it."
The purchase from Zylstra ended talks between the two dealership groups that had begun "some time ago," Wallish said.
However, Wallish declined to comment further on the specifics of how the purchase deal was accomplished. The Zylstra group continues to operate Harley stores in Iowa and Minnesota.
A message posted on the Zylstra dealership group's website informs visitors that the St. Charles dealership was sold and is no longer a part of the Zylstra group.
The message instructs those with questions to contact their other stores. A call to a Zylstra representative at that dealership group's Iowa store was not returned Tuesday.
Wallish said customers in Kane and other nearby counties should expect improved availability of parts and other services, as they can now take advantage of the Windy City group's greater inventory and larger staff.
The new dealership will offer riding lessons and rentals, as well as the ability to test ride a range of bikes in a 50-mile radius.
"A Harley-Davidson is a big investment, so we want our customers to have the chance to ride several bikes, and zero in on that one bike that is best for them," Wallish said.
The Windy City group has largely replaced most of the staff at the St. Charles dealership, Wallish said, hiring new workers and transferring staff from elsewhere in their organization. The dealership now employs about 20 workers, and more are being added, he said.
The dealership is planning a grand opening party June 25, with live music, free food and drinks and a qualifying round for the dealership chain's competition to choose its next spokesmodel.
