Florida Motorcycle Dealers Association

Motorcycle mogul Bruce Rossmeyer killed in crash "World's largest" Harley-Davidson dealer died riding his motorcycle on way to biker rally

Ludmilla Lelis
Sentinel Staff Writer

11:00 PM EDT, July 30, 2009

Bruce Rossmeyer staked his claim as the world's largest Harley-Davidson dealer, amassing an empire of 15 dealerships and stores across the nation, including his crown jewel, Destination Daytona off Interstate 95 near Daytona Beach.

He made his face and name synonymous with motorcycles on TV commercials and massive highway billboards. Using his blockbuster persona, he promoted Daytona Beach's Bike Week and his favorite charities.

On Thursday, Bruce Rossmeyer died on a Harley, riding a Wyoming highway with a pack of friends on his annual trip to Sturgis, the biker mecca in South Dakota.

Rossmeyer, 66, lived in Ormond Beach. He is survived by his wife, Sandy; five children; and several grandchildren.

"He was in that moment that he lived for. He was doing what he loved to do," said Richie Supa, a fellow biker and musician who performed at Rossmeyer's charity events.

"How ironic it is for him to be on a motorcycle in one of the most beautiful riding territories in the U.S. "It's sad, but he couldn't have picked a better spot on God's earth to feel that freedom when you ride."

Rossmeyer was traveling with a group of friends on his way to the 69th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally, one of the nation's largest.

He had recently left Colorado, where he owns two dealerships and was on his way to meet the Hamsters motorcycle club in Thermopolis, Wy.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol said Rossmeyer and five other motorcyclists were headed east on Highway 28 in Sweetwater County when they were trailing a Ford pickup truck pulling a 2 axle camper style trailer.

The truck driver, Robert L. VanValkenburg, 73, of Rock Springs, Wy., slowed down and began making a left turn and Rossmeyer tried to pass him when they collided, the highway patrol said. Rossmeyer was not wearing a helmet and VanValkenburg's turn signals and brake lights were working at the time of the crash, the report said.

In Sturgis, news of his death shocked the many attendees who have arrived at the rally, said Woody Woodruff, owner of the Buffalo Chip Campground, a Sturgis landmark.

"His death is going to change the entire motorcycle industry," Woodruff said. "You have movers and shakers, and Bruce was definitely a mover and shaker. He made things happen. You lose someone like that and it creates a big void."

Born in New Brunswick, N.J., Rossmeyer built his first career as an automotive dealer, starting with his own Dodge dealership in New Jersey in 1969.

A longtime motorcycle rider, he opened a Harley-Davidson dealership in Daytona Beach, almost as a hobby.

"I thought this would be neat to mess around on weekends and have some fun," Rossmeyer said in a 2007 interview with the Orlando Sentinel.

But that 1994 opening of the Daytona dealership coincided with the dramatic jump in motorcycle sales. During the next decade, Harley-Davidsons and the whole biker culture roared into the mainstream, becoming a billion-dollar business, and Rossmeyer enjoyed the ride.

He continued to expand his Harley empire, opening dealerships in New Smyrna Beach, in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, as well as in Colorado, Massachusetts, Mississippi and the Graceland-themed dealership in Memphis, Tenn.

The crown jewel of his empire was the 109,000-square-foot Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach, a 150-acre resort for bikers with hotels, condominiums, restaurants and stores anchored by his big-box-size dealership, which ranks as the world's largest Harley dealership. It opened in 2005 as Bike Week hit its peak in Daytona Beach and was attracting a half-million motorcycle riders to town.

Rossmeyer never envisioned he would become such a motorcycle magnate and credited his success to hard work, luck, family support and good timing.

He reveled in building a business that he called "Halloween for adults."

"You can dress up, put on your leathers, go act like you're a biker and on Monday morning, go back to Wall Street," he said in a Sentinel interview.

Rossmeyer was a major fundraiser and benefactor to several charities, including Camp Boggy Creek, Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties and of Broward County, and the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Broward.

Daytona Beach police Chief Mike Chitwood said Rossmeyer's dealership supplies his department with a dozen Harley-Davidsons, for a mere $150 a year.

"He always would grab you with that big paw of a hand and say, 'Chief, don't be afraid to call me.' He had the look: 'I'm doing this because I believe in it.'ƒ|"

"It's a tremendous loss also for this community," Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey said. "Bruce was not only a friend. He was a great community leader."

At heart, Rossmeyer was just a teddy bear, remembered his friend Supa said.

"He loved to laugh. He was just a very fun guy."

Susan Jacobson of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Ludmilla Lelis can be reached at llelis@orlandosentinel.com or 386-253-0964.

Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel