When Christopher Weber clocked in to his job as a mechanic at San Francisco’s historic Harley-Davidson dealership at 3146 Mission St. last Saturday morning, he expected a typical work day. But by closing time, Weber said he and more than a dozen co-workers were abruptly let go.
Without warning, the 110-year-old dealership, which had survived two world wars, the Great Depression and a pandemic, shuttered its doors. Former employees were told Harley-Davidson corporate would take over the location, but corporate headquarters did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The former employees say the trouble started after new management bought the dealership in 2018.
The San Francisco Harley-Davidson, which was not always located on Mission Street, was founded in 1914 by Dudley Perkins. After being passed along for three generations of Perkinses, the dealership sold in 2018 to two people, including Cliff Chester, who previously owned two other Harley-Davidson dealerships in Idaho and Nevada. Up until then, it had been the world’s longest-running family-owned Harley-Davidson dealership.
Things turned a year in, when the dealership moved from South San Francisco to its current location. “Everything was just kind of chaos,” said Carlos Martinez, who had worked at the dealership for 22 years until he was also let go last week.
Harvey-Davidson dealerships are independent businesses licensed to sell Harley-Davidson products. However, they must comply with corporate standards. Many of these protocols weren’t followed by the new management, three employees said. Parts sat in a room, unlabeled. Merchandise was lost. Without a system for organizing invoices or a packing list, orders were left unfilled. Less emphasis was placed on building relationships with customers.
The disorganization began to strip the business of its culture, too. “It became just a dealership,” Martinez said. “That’s not the way Dudley Perkins was … you were part of a family, the motorcycle community.”
The place, which was “like a museum” for Harley-Davidson enthusiasts, seemed like it had been “run into the ground,” Weber added. He saw Chester only once every three to six months; Perkins used to be there every day.
Employees were directed to an independent accounting company, WC Services, LLC, to voice human resources issues. In 2023 and 2024, Weber expressed concerns about theft within the business. “I just don’t want the doors to close at the dealership,” one email concluded. Weber did not receive a response to his most recent email, in May.
Two weeks ago, Martinez sent an email to Chester, warning him that stolen parts were being sold “on the down-low.” He also did not receive a response.
When reached, former general manager Scott Rawson declined to comment. Neither its co-owner, Chester, nor WC Services responded to requests for comment.
That last day, June 22, workers stayed at the dealership for hours, awaiting a staff meeting that had been scheduled for noon, according to Webster and Martinez. All were expecting an update from their boss. But Chester did not show for hours, and workers started getting nervous when they heard from colleagues at other dealerships that their shop might close.
At 6 p.m., no one went home. They were still waiting for Chester to emerge from his office and hold the meeting, Webster and Martinez said.
Finally, he did, and announced that Harley-Davidson corporate would be taking over the dealership. Unemployment papers were distributed. Mechanics silently packed up their tools. One of Weber’s co-workers started crying. “Where do we go now?” Weber remembered asking.
“I have five kids, and was a faithful employee for three and a half years there, and this is horrible what they did to us all,” former employee John Via said.
After working for Harley-Davidson for nine years, Weber said he never expected to experience something like this: “There was no preparation. There was no warning. Just abruptly, we had to put all our tools down in the middle of working on customer’s bikes … ”
Employees still have not received formal notice about whether the business will reopen, or if they will be rehired. While the San Francisco Harley-Davidson website is still functioning, its phone number immediately goes to voicemail. The smaller retail outlet on Fisherman’s Wharf, also owned by the franchise, could not be reached.
Martinez hopes to find another job in the motorcycle industry; after over two decades, it’s all he knows. He still remembers fondly what it was like to work for the Perkins family, receiving Harley-Davidson baseball caps in the summer, and sweaters for the winter holidays.
Weber also plans to continue working as a mechanic, helping members of the motorcycle community he has admired since he was a kid. “I feel lucky every day I get to wake up and I get to do what I love,” he said.
Update: This article has been updated to clarify that, though the Harley-Davidson dealership was 110 years old, it was not always located on Mission Street.
Wow, complete turnaround from Dudley Perkins. I remember Mr. Perkins riding with us on some runs. Janet and Chris were great too. The museum they had included a Harley Topper. They had an amazing store in South San Francisco. Great mechanics.
Yes!
Tom did go on the rides!
I worked in the service department for the Perkins on Page Street, 1999-2006.
I can’t believe Carlos lasted 22 years!
Stupid ass owners. You have to be a total idiot not to be able to be able to make this location profitable. Obviously they did not know what they were doing. Corporate will come along and right the ship.
But you ain’t amount of money these owners siphoned a shitload of money and that’s why the business went under. They just used it to fill their pockets. If you never saw the owner except for once every 3 to 6 months yeah he was taking money he was probably even still in the parts and selling them under the table so it’s way hardly never knew anything. I think Harley should open up a criminal investigation against the owners.
I doubt it. But let’s hope.
Corporate is part of the problem.
I’ve been laid off because of cooperate sell outs 4 times you’ll get used to it, in the end you’ll realize you are just a number you own them nothing but the hour of work you perform and if performed correctly the promised pay for that hour.
Especially considering how they’re co-located with Eagle Rider rentals, which should bring them baseline business you’d think.
I was there in 1992 and remember the old shop next Market St, remember a guy trying start a dragster on the street, yes it was the real Dudley Perkins… So sad seeing disappeared a page of the history of Harley and for the City. My kind thinks to they all good people working there.
Everywhere is the same businessmen kill the soul of the best for pretend to make more money and hitch time is the same, we lose something special something we love…
That’s terrible end to end. There’s no good reason the shop shouldn’t have run smoothly with the crew from Dudley Perkins.
Hope corporate can get this back up and running ASAP, otherwise it’s off to CA Choppers. Anyone in the know what’s going on there, Wayne&Rob still running the shop there?
“Less emphasis was placed on building relationships with customers.” Sad to say, but that is not atypical for most dealerships these days. Used to be, every dealership had it’s own personality, it’s own style. Now, they’re Harley Davidson boutiques. Many of them won’t service a bike more than 10 or maybe 15 years old. And the new bikes have, like autos, become computerized and too difficult to repair for the average rider. Sad.
Cliff needs to own up to the demise of this dealership. His employees brought to his attention the wrongdoings of the GM. But chose to leave several people unemployed and allowed the GM to walk away. Smells like a class action lawsuit. They should seriously look into suing Cliff and that GM. Seriously.
She really sad how somebody could run a good running operation when they bought it into the ground. I’m 60 years old and I remember the name Dudley Perkins from back in the day. My father had a little motorcycle shop in Oakland when I got my first bike I remember going over there to South city which was a really nice shop. Don’t know why they moved it. 110 years idiot operator ran it into the ground from what I hear they own a few more dealerships. Guess they’ll be running them into the ground too they own San Joes so I bought my bike from , hope all the workers find work
Wow!!! Just Wow!!!!
People with no business since, or no Scruples..just came in and Tore aprat a wonderful place ,that had stood the test of time! SHAMEFUL!!!!
So sad to say goodbye. I worked as a painter at the Page Street shop. Dud Senior gave me a ride to work sometimes on his Topper. Great guy and a true motorcycle legend, rider as well as shop owner. The crowds in attendance at his funeral bore witness to the respect and affection in which he was held.
I know many of you will not like what I am about to say. But, a automotive or motorcycle business main value is the property. This building and location is not a profitable investment. One more thing is the fact it is in SF!
This is the worst run city in the USA! I understand that one family ran it successfully for many years. But, they had over 100 years to pay the building and assets off. You know the. Other owners had to write big checks to buy the place. The the factory made the new owners have to sell more motorcycles because the original dealer agreement was not the same as the one the new dealer had to sign. So, no value in the property and a franchise that is not as valuable because of a unreasonable agreement. Forced this dealer to close and put many people out of work. Not to mention the city is a s—–! Well you get the point. I am sorry everyone lost there jobs. But that is why you need to vote for the right people. Then you have a fighting chance. But not now!
Can’t afford the cost of parts anymore so Sturgis and Daytona will be just memories
Info here is wrong. Kegel Harley Davidson in Rockford Illinois is the world’s oldest family owned dealership since 1910, and according to some records found in Milwaukee 1912.
Thus Perkins never was the oldest, and anyone who thinks so is wrong. Kegel’s is now four generations and looking at the fifth.
Correct,
It was the second oldest dealership.
I had heard it called the oldest dealership west of the Mississippi.
The last owner is probably the one that lied about its “oldest dealership” status.
Thanks Mark, if you can, could you email us those records? We were going by what the company itself said.
It’s not just sad for the employees of SFHD, it’s also sad for the hundred (+/-) members of the Golden Gate HOG (Harley Owners Group). They can’t continue as a group after losing their sponsor (SFHD). This affected quite a few people, hopefully corporate will step in and save many jobs and our HOG group.
Cliff the owner didn’t even own up to his poor decisions. Still not a work from him? How could he not listen to his employees when they brought to his attention that the store manager was doing wrong? Because of his ignorance, several people are out of a job. That’s a class action lawsuit. The employees should look into that. Seriously.
It wasn’t run right..no accountability no goals no system s in place..with the right crew and mindset you can turn it around..fire every one get a smart GM in there and a hit squad sales team and Ace mechanics ..advertise and bombard internet with aggressive ads and a bank that will buy every deal.
Oddly enough, Mr Chester is the one of the partners of WC Services LLC. This seems to be a deferral of obligations and responsibility all the way around.
We just went to the “open house” on June 22. Seemed like a routine day, no fanfare or festivities other than giving us a lapel pin and tire pressure guage. Nothing seemed amidst of a closure either. When things like this happen suddenly it’s usually because of serious fraudulent activities. Time will tell what really happened!
One of the oldest Harley dealers in the country , It is unacceptable by Harley Davidson to leave these employees hanging and the museum that the Perkins have built unmanaged
Step in and reopen this San Francisco institution.
What about customers with bikes in for service?
I live in Mississippi, and am not familiar with this dealership at all. That being said the same thing happened to a dealership in Hammond, Louisiana. It was an awesome place to go and just hang out, and a lot of people did. Everyone knew you by your first name, and the parts guy didn’t need to look up anything. When you told him what you needed, he just went and got it for you. It got new management, and closed in six months. It’s just sad how bad management can quickly ruin something great.
Wonder if this is the same guy who owns/owned Reno Harley-Davidson. Absolutely zero customer service when I visited there a few weeks ago. No greeting and no one approached me to see if I needed assistance.
How sad better word what cowards the higher ups are!! I have been in business 30 plus years. And I would never do that to my employees. I would at least give them a little heads up… Good luck to you all patriots. That worked for that dealership. I’m sure you will find work
Bought a bike from there in 2006 great people sad out come
So sad to see a good dealership go down. As a life member We do a lot of trips on the Harleys and on the road you are always looked after Wish all employees get to stay under better management
Harley Davidson prices are going to be the Doom to them. 140 dollars an hour is stupid for active rider not a trailer boss. Back to honda
If they were making money, they would have never closed. Signs of what’s to come Economically.🤙🏾
The closure of this legacy business is just one more symptom of
the economic anemia of San Francisco, which was at one time
the economic engine of not only California, but the West.
Now, that engine has blown out it’s gaskets, broken it’s cylinders,
and exploded it’s radiator.
We stopped here while on vacation in May 2023. While in the store, our car windows were smashed and two bags and a laptop taken. I ran back into the store for help and basically got “Welcome to San Francisco.”
I feel for the employees. What management did here is inexcusable. With our personal experience there, I have to believe the crime also plays a huge role in the business suffering. That was our first and last visit to San Francisco. It’s a shame too, because it is a beautiful city that’s rich in history, like this Harley shop.
New Hsrley design probably killed it. That, and crappy treatment of customers is what’s hurting Harley. People would rather buy an older Pan-Evo than this new stuff.
Bizarre framing in the headline.
Sounds like this dealership was sold in 2018 and moved from South San Francisco to the Mission in 2019. Now it’s closed, but not really, because it’s being taken over by corporate. So what 110 year old legacy is being broken exactly?
I’m sad for the people who lost their jobs, and hope they land on their feet, but this seems like a simple case of “mismanaged business fails”
Remember the Page St store fondly for its quirky gear. Actually kinda glad the son didn’t sell me a new Sportster to replace my Shovelhead. They were not so fondly remembered in the neighborhood – too much noise going up Page St on test runs, particularly from the mechanics installing aftermarket systems
Bought a new 1978 FLH Sport from Perkins when on 66 Page St. off Market … Service was upstairs …salesman last name Belland built XR750 racers for Mert Lawill … Perkins on 66 Page was a musuem for HD artifacts … bikes lined up on the street in front of store … special place for a lot of us on bikes
Visited Perkins when located in So SF … always a Perkins on site & helpful staff … a true experience for motorcyclists … Still riding but getting harder to find shops of any brand who truly understands the motorcycling community …and why people do it
Hope shop makes a comeback … Good Luck to all employes & their families
Good riddance to all having let dealerships I’ve been paying on my bike now for 18months how do I owe more now than when I bought it?! Harley can kiss my A$$!!
UNFNBELIEVE ABLE!!! WTF?
Sounds like old management and service tech didn’t like the changing of the guard and new ownership righting the rings now the pieces are falling
The state of California and the city of San Francisco has made it extremely difficult for businesses to remain profitable, but you keep voting for these idoits.
Over 40 years ago I purchased 4 t-shirts from Dudley Perkins Harley Davidson.
I wore them till they were tattered, faded and unreadable.
Nothing is forever.
Just heaven