Not sure this is the right place, but for those who ride I thought you may be interested to read this...sad news for the motorcycle world Staff Report DAYTONA BEACH -- Bruce Rossmeyer, one of the nation’s largest Harley-Davidson dealers, was killed today in a motorcycle crash in Wyoming. A family friend said Rossmeyer, 66, of Ormond Beach, was riding with several motorcyclists when they pulled out to pass a pickup. Rossmeyer was the last in line and was killed when the truck strayed into his lane, hitting his motorcycle, according to the friend who didn’t want to be named. Bruce Rossmeyer Born in New Jersey in May 1943, Bruce Rossmeyer was a long-time resident of Ormond Beach. He and his wife Sandra also lived in Fort Lauderdale. They have five children, Mandy, Wendy, Randy, Will & Shelly. One of the largest Harley-Davidson dealers in the nation, Rossmeyer also co-owned three automobile dealerships. He acquired his first auto dealership, Rossmeyer Dodge, in Washington, New Jersey in 1969. He opened his first motorcycle business, a Harley-Davidson dealership on Beach Street in Daytona Beach, in January 1994. In the next 15 years, he became one of the nation’s largest Harley dealers, with 13 dealerships in Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts and Tennessee. “Some other dealers may have more blades of grass, and someone else may sell more spark plugs than I do, but I sell the most motorcycles,” Rossmeyer told The News-Journal in 2007. He opened the 109,000 square feet Destination Daytona in October 2005. In 2007, the company employed about 500, including 125 in Ormond, Daytona and New Smyrna. Rossmeyer was known locally and in Broward County for his generous philanthropy and support of charities, especially those benefiting children. He helped found and served on the board of directors for Camp Boggy Creek in Cassia, a division of The Hole in the Wall camps. He sponsored “Ride for Children,” the camp’s annual charity motorcycle ride. He served on the executive committee of Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties. He was a sponsor for “Kyle Petty Ride Across America.” He also has served on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County and the Police Athletic League for the city of Daytona Beach. He was a life member of the Alumni Association of the University of Southern Mississippi and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in October. According to University documents, he was a “significant contributor” to its college of business and athletics department. He received the school’s “Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year Award” in 2003. The Wyoming Highway Patrol had not confirmed an identity, but a spokeswoman said a fatal motorcycle accident occurred in Sweetwater County on Highway 28 between Lander and Farson about 11 a.m. today, the Rapid City Journal reported. The road where the accident occurred is heavily traveled by tourists, according to the newspaper. It runs from Farson over the scenic South Pass area to Lander at the base of the Wind River Mountain Range. Rossmeyer, who goes to Sturgis each year for its motorcycle Rally, was with a group of motorcyclists on their way to the Sturgis rally, Al Rieman, managing partner of Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City, told the Rapid City Journal. A woman at the front desk of the Harley dealership at Destination Daytona said, "The family isn't ready to make a statement. The media will be notified when they are." Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey said the news "is a terrible tragedy for our area. In addition to being a prominent businessman, Bruce Rossmeyer was involved in many charitable activities for the community. He'll be greatly missed. My heart goes out to his family." Kevin Kilian, senior vice president of The Chamber, Daytona Beach Halifax Area, who worked with Rossmeyer on Bike Week events was also was saddened by the news. "Obviously, Bruce Rossmeyer was a big part of the business community and certainly the motorcycle community," he said. "The argument could be made that his presence downtown built Bike Week into the event it is today. And his extension of that event to the Ormond Beach area was a major boost." "It's surreal," he added. George Mirabal, executive vice president of The Chamber, Daytona Beach Halifax Area, worked with Rossmeyer for several years in conjunction with Bike Week and other community events "Everybody's first reaction is just shock," he said. "Bruce really has been a leader in the community. And I was around when he shaped Bike Week on Beach Street. Everything had been on Main Street till then. And then he reshaped it and spread it to U.S. 1 and to Ormond Beach, to everyone's benefit." Rossmeyer’s heart for children was a big part of his life, local officials say, whether it was contributing and helping to found Camp Boggy Creek for children with life-threatening illnesses or helping the Boys & Girls clubs, including the Rossmeyer Family Holly Hill club, named in his honor. "He was a champion for kids here," said Joe Sullivan, chief professional officer for the Boys & Girls Club of Volusia and Flagler Counties. "He overcame some challenges and got in trouble as a young man and said the kids in the club remind him a lot of him." He continued serving on the board of Camp Boggy Creek, southwest of DeLand and was excited, officials say, at the June meeting describing the plans for the 15th annual Daytona Harley-Davidson Ride for Children in October. "We are just heartsick. This is just horrible," said Sarah Gurtis, spokeswoman for Boggy Creek. "All you had to do was see him around the campers and you knew there was no false smoke. His heart was so focused on those kids." In a 2006 interview with the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Rossmeyer said "when you go over there and see the results of those kids who are having such a good time, it just gets into your heart." NASCAR driver Kyle Petty formed his own camp for children modeled after Camp Boggy Creek after the death of his son. Rossmeyer helped him to form Victory Junction Gang Camp in North Carolina after years of driving with him in the local ride for children. Rossmeyer continued every year to hold similar fundraising rides for Victory Junction and other charities each year. "You see him on billboards and he’s a big guy, but you have to be that big because he has that much heart inside him," Petty said. "That is a blow to a lot of people. It is far reaching. He was like a pebble that you drop in the water and the ripple effect goes on and on. His presence is going to be missed not only in the motorcycle industry but the communities he was a part of." Petty said it’s even a bigger blow after Rossmeyer and him also lost a mutual friend last year, Click Baldwin, the owner of the Carlonia Harley-Davidson dealership in Gastonia. He also was headed to the Sturgis Rally on his motorcycle. Thursday is just the beginning of the 69th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which will runs through Aug. 9, said Lonnie Isam, owner of Competition Distribution, who deals in vintage Harley Davidsons and builds 1913 replicas. Isam's business is at the heart of the event activity. "I can see his booth from here," said Isam, who often raced motorcycles in Daytona Beach. "The event is so large. There will be a half-million people here and I am sure a lot of people will stop by his booth. The word will spread and everybody will be sad."
i hate hearin about motorcycle deaths... it might be the last true form of freedom left in this world
Sad. Last in line and the truck strayed? The truck didn't notice all the other motorcycles that just passed him? What the hell?
I rode street bikes from the time I was 13 (track) until 1 year ago...so for 15 or so years I was on a back tire, or laid in a curve somewhere, minus a few years in college. It is amazing how the traffic will get to looking at the bikes and slowly come over on you. I have been last in a line of wheelies and by the time you get to the car to pass they have veered over either watching your buddies, or staring at you in the side mirror. Scary, and the reason I sold my bike when my little girl was born. I am not responsible enough to slow down, or just enjoy the ride therefore I got rid of it. I would love to get another one one day when I grow up...LOL I am 30 now so that probably wont happen.
familiar story, spent a lot of track time back in teh early 90's and my last bike was a heavily modded early model R1 that I sold about 6mos after my first boy was born, listed it about 2 wks after I saw 172mph on the speedo on a public road... harley's are more my style these days... but still haven't put one in the garage...
I hear ya Mike. I've already been taken out by a cage earlier in my life which totaled my bike and only left me with road rash. I was very lucky. It didn't stop me from getting another bike and now all these years later, my first Harley. I've already had a couple close ones with just 2000 miles in 2.5 months of riding. Two most significant ones involved an old lady and the other, a girl texting! Ride like your invisible and watch the cages at all times!
Good luck! I thought that by waiting until I was 50 I'd be over my power craze.......... Ha Ha!!! Was I wrong! I damn near doubled the power of my Harley and I ride it like I stole it! I don't think there is a cure for it.
Sad story as is all of them. You just don't know if you ride. Just last week on the way to work in the predawn hours a buck ran right across my headlight not a foot in front of me. Came out of a 7 ft cornfield just a running. I didn't even have time to take my hand off the throttle. A MPH faster here or there on that road and we both would have been toasted. Just never know but we as riders accept that.
