Harley-Davidson

The new Black Hills Harley-Davidson dealership just off Interstate 90’s Deadwood Avenue exit looks a lot like- well, Sturgis Bike week. Vendor tents are everywhere at the sprawling 15-acre complex. There’s also a food court and beer tent inside the new store. The racks of clothing and merchandise looked more like JC Penney than a Harley-Davidson dealer. There’s a reason for that. The new facility is a year-round dealership that sells and services Harley-Davidson motorcycles. But it’s design is built and located to double as a biker venue during the Sturgis motorcycle rally.

For years, the Black Hills Harley-Davidson shop on East Omaha Street was a regular stop for rally bikers. But when the current owners— Al Rieman, Clay Trulson, Jim Doyle, and Jim Burgess— bought the dealership in 2000, they realized that the dealership had outgrown its longtime location.

In November 2001, they broke ground on a new facility, North of Exit 55. Gustafson Builders, their contractor, told them in February that they could move in by July. They did.

“We have nothing but praise for Gustafson Builders. They went the extra mile on everything,” Rieman said.

Black Hills Harley-Davidson moved out of its Omaha Street building on July 13. By 9 AM Monday, July 15, the dealership was back in business.

The new building covers 54,000 square feet, including 24,000 square feet in the basement. The new showroom is a vast, high-ceilinged retail space. The West wall is mostly windows, offering a bit of view of the Black Hills. Interior walls are decorated with old black-and-white photos of Harley-Davidson from the 1940s and 1950s.

The high-tech service shop has room for eight technicians, with two bike lifts for each technician. The basement, which is ground level on the backside of the building, normally serves as storage for bikes and merchandise. During rally week, part of it doubles as a repair shop.

Black Hills Harley-Davidson— timely, within budget, quality standards met— gave this project a road map to success.