Pig Trail Enjoys Bikes, Blues & BBQ

Northwest Arkansas’ first Harley-Davidson/Buell motorcycle dealership opened July 24, but the Pig Trail’s true grand opening was during the Bikes, Blues & BBQ event held 30 miles south in Fayetteville Sept. 27-30.
Marshall Johnson, sales associate and son of owner Paul Johnson, said, “you couldn’t move for three days.” He wouldn’t comment on specific sales figures, but said the dealership sold several bikes and a lot of Harley branded clothing and merchandise.
Paul Johnson said the typical buyer of a Harley is a male between the ages of 40 and 54 and makes $70,000 a year. However, Harley-Davidson is beginning to market more to women and younger riders.
The Rogers dealership stocks about 100 motorcycles with sticker prices between $8,000 and $35,000.
It took about three years to put the dealership together, Paul Johnson said, but it was worth it.
“It’s great to take a passion and turn it into a job,” he said.
Johnson has a silent partner from Dallas who owns two Harley dealerships.
Mike Bennett, a writer for Outlaw Biker magazine estimated the Bikes, Blues & BBQ event lured close to 400,000 bikers and vendors to Fayetteville. Economic impact figures hadn’t been calculated at press time, but the city put a $40 million revenue figure with 2004’s event.
Organizer Greg Mack said beer sales were up about 50 percent over 2005.