The closing credits to the movie "Easyrider" are presented above by NSBNEWS.net as a tribute to Bruce Rossmeyer, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle mogul, who had a dealership here in New Smyrna Beach among his many holdings. Biketoberfest 2009 was the first biker event since Rossmeyer was killed while riding on a Harley to the big Sturgis biker rally with friends.
Rossmeyer, 66, was killed Aug. 20, on his Harley in rural western Wyoming while on his way to the big motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D., when he tried to follow a line of bikers passing a camper trailer which turned its signal to turn left, authorities said. Besides Bruce Rossmeyer's New Smyrna Harley-Davidson, he was principal owner of 14 other dealerships in several states including the shop on Beach Street in Daytona Beach and Destination Daytona off Interstate 95 in Ormond Beach.
It was business as usual in Rossmeyer's dealership on State Road 44 next to Pub 44 -- together, New Smyrna Beach's largest gathering spot for the fall Biketoberfest and the spring;'s larger Bike Week -- during the just-concluded Biketoberfest 2009.
Steve Shay, general manager of the New Smyrna store, was busy crunching numbers and going over sales applications inside the packed dealership Saturday, but took time to respond to my question of how he and his staff were coping with Rossmeyer's death just two months earlier.
"It's a huge loss to all of us," he said, choking back tears. "He was just an inciteful businessman and we're all fortunate for knowing him."
Amen to that.
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NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Bruce Rossmeyer's New Smyrna Harley-Davidson was jam-packed with bikers here for Biketoberfest as shown in this photo taken Saturday.