Give us a little J & L history:

J&L Harley-Davidson is owned and operated by Jim Entenman and Lonnie Entenman. The brothers started the business in 1975 on West Burnside Avenue. In 1993 it moved across the street, literally, and into a 15,000 square foot building. Within 5 years J&L had outgrown that space and moved to the current location on 60th Street North.

The new facility includes a 36,000 square foot main building, a large pre-owned center (used bike sales) building on the south side of the parking lot, two warehouses, a Snack Shack with restrooms and two large picnic shelters.

How did Hot Harley Nights begin?

The concept came when owner Jim Entenman and CFO/Operations Manager Char Roth were on a business trip in southern California. They saw a concept at another Harley-Davidson dealer, brought the idea back to Sioux Falls, got together with the then Sioux Falls Brewing Co. and kicked things off in July of 1996.

That first year there were 250 people registered for Hot Harley Nights and about 3000 people in attendance. The event raised about $3200 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Dakota.

How did you decide on a specific charity?

The Entenman family was already very involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation through a motorcycle raffle they held every year. Char Roth was a Make-A-Wish Granter and Volunteer, so it turned out to be a natural fit.

How much do you hope to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Dakota?

In the past 12 years 1.2 million dollars has been raised for Make-A-Wish of South Dakota. Our goal is to always exceed the previous year. Last year Hot Harley Nights presented a check to Make-A-Wish for $179,000. Every penny makes a difference and as long as children with life threatening illnesses have wishes we hope to do our part to make those wishes come true.

How many riders do you expect this year?

We hope to have at least 4000 riders in the parade through downtown and at least 1800 participants in the casino run. The casino run will travel to 5 parks in the Sioux Falls area and make a special stop at the new Make-A-Wish offices. A different casino game will be played at each stop. High scores win some great prizes and the “non-high” scores are also eligible to win prizes, too. And for those that want to get in more miles, the Sioux Falls Harley Owners Group will be hosting area rides on Saturday, July 12, departing J&L at 10am. The event is open to all motorcycle enthusiasts.

Do you need to ride a Harley to participate?

No. The Hot Harley Nights Parade and the Casino Run are open to all makes of motorcycles. For more information check out our website at hotharleynights.com

2008 marks the 105th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Are there any specific events for the Sioux Falls location?

J&L Harley-Davidson is fortunate to be an overnight stop for a ride originating on the northwest coast. The riders will converge on Sioux Falls on Monday August 25 and J&L will be hosting their monthly Bike Night on this day. The evening will include live music, food vendors, ice-cold refreshments and more. In addition to the NW riders, we also know of several riders coming in from Canada and some riding west from Wisconsin to meet up with the Ride Home to Milwaukee.

What are the biggest changes you have seen in the motor sports business over the last 20 years?

We have experienced over three decades of changes and are excited about the growth potential of the Harley-Davidson brand. We are glad to know that it is protected and that the leadership of the Motor Company share the riding passion - that has not changed in the past 105 years. Some changes in the past 20 years include expanding the Harley-Davidson market share with a wider variety of motorcycle styles being made available, a large increase in female riders, and of course in the bikes themselves. We have also seen a change in the customer – with the internet so accessible the customers have more information available.

Customers have less time so they want to enjoy their time riding, and most do not do their own service work. And as motorcycles have become more sophisticated, it is hard for a customer to keep current and be able to work on their own bike. Our technicians get regular updates and training on all Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

What can we expect during the next 105 years?

We believe that you can expect a strong American icon to continue to produce a high quality machine and dealers like J&L to keep the spirit of fun and the thrill of the open road alive.