Towing, repair shops getting ready for influx of bikes during 110th
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- As Milwaukee gears up for the big Harley-Davidson Anniversary Celebration, thousands of bikes are headed into the city, and area towing and repair shops are getting set for a busy Labor Day weekend.
With the chance that a few riders may encounter mechanical problems during the Harley celebration this weekend, businesses around town are ready to help.
The garage at Suburban Harley-Davidson in Thiensville is filled with bikes in need of a tweak or two!
Service Manager Chris Weiand says it will only get more hectic in the coming days.
"We’re an extremely high volume dealership here, anywhere between 250 to 500 on a normal week. We’re expecting double or triple that," Weiand said.
With that in mind, Weiand has called in extra mechanics and says they'll work late into the night to make sure bikers can roll into the weekend festivities.
"Our service department’s is normally open until 9:00 at night, but if you're an out of town traveler, we’re gonna do our best to get you back on the road. If we have to stay until midnight with two technicians, we will figure it out. We’ll get it done," Weiand said.
In Waukesha, Tim Elder says he's tried to make his towing business as motorcycle-friendly as possible.
"We’re really looking at trying to be diverse and try to take care of a little bit of everything. It’s on two wheels and we wanna be able to move it around like anything else," Elder said.
Elder says much like Suburban Harley-Davidson, he'll have extra staff on call this weekend.
Elder says some celebrations have been busier than others. He says the most hectic Harley anniversary he can remember is the 90th, when calls were coming in non-stop.
He says five years ago, during Harley's 105th, his trucks responded to less than 10 bike-related problems. However, Elder says in his line of work and with so many people coming into town, you've always got to be ready.