Motorcycles selling well for Princeton Harley dealer

Steve Wiebler, the owner of Wiebs Roadhouse Harley-Davidson at 230 Backbone Road East in Princeton, sits on a motorcycle surrounded by some of his employees: Lora Schaer (left to right), Chuck Berryhill, Jimmy Harrington and Alan “Spyder” Scott. (BCR photo/Lyle Ganther)

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PRINCETON — On March 1, Steve Wiebler took over the ownership of the Harley Davidson dealership in Princeton from Terry Dant, who had operated it for more than 25 years.

“I grew up in the business with my father at Walter Brothers Harley-Davidson in Peoria,” said Steve. “I raced motorcycles and rode them as a kid. I raced flat track for 10 years and started working on bikes as a mechanic after high school at my dad’s shop.

“We bought a dealership in Davenport, Iowa, with me, my father and a cousin as owners in 1990. We (father and Steve) sold it to him (cousin) in 2001.”

Steve then went back to work for his father in Peoria until the Princeton dealership became available. “I have been looking for my own dealership and ran into Terry (Dant) at Sturgis time. I asked him if he sold the business because I knew he wanted to, and everything went from there.”

Wiebs’ Roadhouse Harley-Davidson is a full-line dealership, meaning it includes sales of motorcycles, a repair service, and a line of motor clothes, parts and collectibles.

Wiebler has seen more people riding bikes because of the high price of gas.

“Our bikes sales have been pretty good all summer because most want to save gas,” he said.

Wiebler has also been pleased with the reception he has received in the first seven months he has owned the dealership and would like to build a larger building next year, if that continues.

“We want to build at a different location near the interstate next summer, a building with 15,000 to 18,000 square feet,” he indicated. “The interstate has 20,000 cars a day, and some of those people will stop in and look at you if you are closer.”

The new building would be about three times as large as the existing structure, located on Backbone Road East in Princeton.

Wiebler said the economy is good in the Princeton market for his Harley-Davidson dealership, and if it continues, he has been authorized to build the new dealership building by Harley-Davidson officials.

“Bikes are selling pretty good here,” he  said.

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