A little more than 120 years have passed since William S. Harley and the Davidson brothers founded one of the most traditional motorcycle brands in the history of the sector. Now, thanks to a series of investigations into the company and its first years of commercial activity, we already know which is the oldest dealership in the world for the Milwaukee firm: Kegel Motorcycle.
The beginnings of Kegel Motorcycle
This is the summary of a story of love, passion and dedication around Harley-Davidson. Kegel Motorcycle, located at 7125 Harrison Ave, Rockford, Illinoisopened its doors in a very distant 1909the exact moment in which Joe Kegel took the reins of the bicycle shop where he had worked as an apprentice for years. Simultaneously, Harley-Davidson contacted him and Joe assumed distribution of the brand in the establishment that had seen it grow.
From that moment on, as evidenced by multiple images, receipts and other documentation that is still kept at the dealership, Kegel Motorcycle dedicated itself to the sale and maintenance of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. “Official Harley-Davidson records confirm that Joe Kegel was a dealer on March 30, 1912.”they state from the brand itself.
Years later, in 1923 Joe moved the activity to Rockford “and bought an existing Harley-Davidson dealership on Madison Street. Then, in 1930, just as the Great Depression was ending, Joe was seriously injured in an accident while riding in a sidecar.”they explain. After almost a year of recovery, upon restarting his business he discovered that he owed $10,000 more than his inventory was worth.
Giving up was not in his plans
Joe, far from throwing in the towel, contacted his creditors and promised to pay them, sending them money every week, even if it was only a dollar. The family explains in the interview granted to Maxwell BarnaScreamin’ Eagle consumer products portfolio manager at Harley-Davidson, which “he finally got his house back and paid all his creditors.” With this he kept afloat the business that was passed from generation to generation, always remaining in the Kegel family.
“It moved to its current location in Rockford in 1996. In 1998, the dealership won the Dealernews Top 100 contest for best store in the country. In 2022, the store celebrated its official 110th anniversary by sharing daily snippets of its history on social media, drawn from old photos and newspaper clippings.”is explained in the detailed article about the history of the place.
Four generations and more than a century later
Katrina Kegel-Mather is currently the general manager, co-owner and is the fourth generation of the Kegel family. Some of his earliest memories are from the dealership’s old location on Auburn Street: “I remember walking into my grandfather’s office and playing with his calculator. He printed while adding, which I thought was cool. At dealer parties, my cousin Kenny and I would hide under the coat racks.”he explains.
Since then Kegel Motorcycle has evolved to become the reference place it is today: “When I walk visitors down the hallway and they see the amount of history that is concentrated in that area, I feel enormous pride”explains Katrina. She concludes by sending a powerful message to all those who, like her, manage a dealership of the legendary North American brand:
“Take care of your employees, take care of your customers and never forget the family that has brought us here,” said. “This all exists because my great-grandfather decided to buy a dealership and sell Harley-Davidson motorcycles.” More than a century later, the family philosophy regarding work remains intact, a fundamental aspect to be able to make the place the oldest Harley dealership on the planet.
