“I’m very happy with how we’ve done, but when we first started out, we really didn’t have any big expectations,” McIntyre said. “But there was never a Plan B.” When McIntyre left college to launch the business with his twin brother, Mike, in 1985, he had never toiled for anyone but his father. The eager entrepreneur leaned on a passion for motorcycles and a strong work ethic to carry the business, then named Mr. Yamaha, through those first few lean years. His twin brother is no longer active in daily operations of the business.
Now Mr. Motorcycle is cruising along with 45 employees, selling 23 brands of vehicles. The dealership was honored with the ATV Dealer of the Year award for 2007 during the Arctic Cat dealer convention last month in Las Vegas. The Jasper County Health Department is strongly urging people to check their homes for any of the products recalled. If you do find that you have any of these products, please handle them with caution, as the cans may burst, exposing you to the toxins. Please do not return the products to the store, instead, double-bag them and dispose of them outside of your home. It also important to note that cooking these products is not recommended, as cooking does not remove the bacteria.
During 2006, Mr. Motorcycle doubled the market share for Arctic Cat ATVs sold in El Paso. Tracy McIntyre, who started riding motorcycles at age 9, attributes the dealership’s success to its adjustment to fluctuations in the market, to employing people who understand the needs of their customers and to riding a decade-long wave of popularity for motorcycles and ATVs. The North Dominguez Wilderness hardly qualifies as wilderness because it’s already criss-crossed with roads, ATV riders said at a public meeting in the old Mesa County Courthouse. People have been riding in the area for 30 to 40 years on motorcycles, Jeeps, ATVs and four-wheel drives, Tom Derryberry said.
“They keep taking roads away,” said Gary Shaw, an ATV rider who said the proposed second wilderness was a step by some outdoor enthusiasts to expand wilderness at the expense of ATV riders.
Proponents said they were undismayed by the opposition to the north wilderness.
“There are very few wilderness areas in the country that haven’t been crossed by vehicles,” said Bill Grant of the Friends of Dominguez, a coalition of area environmental groups.
Sales of two-wheelers in the United States continue to rise: 2006 was the 14th consecutive year of growth measured by the Motorcycle Industry Council’s estimate on new-unit sales for all brands. Mr. Motorcycle recorded a 30-percent growth for sales in 2006 over 2005, and McIntyre said that sales so far in 2007 are 13 percent ahead of where they were last year at this time. He did not give specific sales figures.
McIntyre expects that trend to continue, given El Paso’s temperate climate and the influx of thousands of new soldiers at Fort Bliss. The dealership outgrew its previous space on North Mesa and, in late 2001, moved to the 21,000-square-foot store at 6020 Gateway East. The move gave the store a higher profile seen by anyone who travels Interstate 10.
