Another BMW motorcycle dealer gone

The Little Rock BMW dealership is going out of business after 6½ years.

Saturday will be the last day for the multi-brand motorcycle dealership that serves BMW riders in central Arkansas.

I got the word this morning from a guy in the Indianapolis BMW Club who I suspect saw an item about the closing on the BMW MOA Forum.

I called the dealership and they confirmed the report. They’re sending all of their inventory back to BMW rather than try to blow it out in a sale.

The word on the street is that they needed a new investor to stay afloat, but couldn’t find one.

Herb Anderson, who owns Grass Roots BMW Motorcycles in Cape Girardeau, Mo., told me this morning this has been the worst winter for motorcycles sales in the 15 years he’s been in the business.

All of the motorcycle manufacturers saw a drop in sales last year, including BMW. But, Herb said, BMW lost less ground than anyone else. Suzuki is hurting the most, he said, having sold only a third of the bikes in 2009 that they sold in 2008. Suzuki has closed 20% of their dealerships in the last year, he said.

On the bright side, there is huge interest in the new BMW S1000RR superbike, he said. He’s sold two of them and thinks he can sell as many as he can get.