BERGEN COUNTY H-D: PROUDLY MADE IN JERSEY
Words and images by Max Barna
When I got the call that I’d be heading out to Bergen County Harley-Davidson for their 50th anniversary party, I knew it was going to be a fun one.
First, because Bergen County H-D is an absolute institution. If you grow up around motorcycles in Central Jersey like I did, it means you’re going to hear all about this legendary dealership.
Their focus on customer relationships. Their undying commitment to their staff. Their strong family ties. Their commitment to being one of the best and most well-liked dealerships in the New York Tri-State Area.
It would be an easy story to write because I already knew about all the things that make this dealership so special. I’d already heard it all.
BERGEN COUNTY H-D IS AN ABSOLUTE INSITUTION. IF YOU GROW UP AROUND MOTORCYCLES IN CENTRAL JERSEY LIKE I DID, IT MEANS YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR ALL ABOUT THIS LEGENDARY DEALERSHIP.
But it was also an exciting day for me. I travel all over the place to visit our dealership network, and usually it means having to ride another bike to wherever I’m going — either a rental from our friends over at Eagle Rider or, if I’m really lucky, a bike from the company fleet. I know. Not a bad work perk.
Seeing as Bergen County Harley-Davidson was so close to me, I’d have the opportunity to ride up on my personal bike, a custom-built chopper (by yours truly). Big Twin Evo motor, old Panhead Ratchet Top four-speed transmission, hardtail frame, jockey shift, foot clutch... The works.
I’m proud of this bike. It’s such a big labor of love, and I love talking to people about it with folks. To share that with one of our dealers and their staff was going to be something really special for me.
I spent the morning before the party in my garage, swapping and drilling out a new set of clutch plates the way my old timer gray beards taught me, making sure everything felt smooth before I hit the road.
The weather outside wasn’t looking so hot. The drizzle that blanketed the streets all morning was picking up, and the water was so thick in the air I could feel it on my skin the second I went outside.
By the time I wrapped up my clutch swap and took off, it was so heavy you could practically feel the clouds getting ready to open up. Bummer.
Bergen County H-D is a straight shot up the New Jersey Turnpike from where I grew up, and I’ve done the ride a hundred times over the years.
The roads were wet and traffic got thick around Newark, but the bike spun like a top and made a quick trip north into a real solid ride.
By the time I pulled into Bergen County Harley-Davidson, the rain had really picked up. The weather definitely put a damper on attendance, but that didn’t stop dozens of local riders, loyal years-long customers, and even new folks from showing up to celebrate such a special occasion for such a legendary dealership.
The smell of roast pig and barbecue carried through the lot, and when I got off my bike and looked around, I saw something beautiful.
People. Dozens of people. Laughing, talking, sipping drinks, eating food, walking in and out of the dealership to grab gear or warm up for a minute. Not a single person seemed bothered by the rain. They were all just happy to be there.
For any other party, the weather would have been enough to keep everyone home. But to celebrate Bergen County H-D? People were happy to make the trip out.
After a few minutes of taking in the scene, I headed inside to find Phil DiGennaro Jr., the Bergen Harley’s General Sales Manager.
I REMEMBERED THINKING IT WAS OBVIOUS THIS PLACE RUN BY PEOPLE WHO’VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, AND WHO CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT COMES WITH IT.
Another quick standout was that every single — and I mean every single — employee I interacted with was so attentive and kind and smiling, long before I said who I was or why I was there.
Spotting me first, Phil came over, shook my hand, and welcomed me like we’d known each other for years before showing me around.
The place is big. It’s clean and impressive and packed to the gills with bikes, MotorClothes®, accessories, etc.
If you look to the right as soon as you walk in, there’s a full wall display of Bergen County H-D history and family photos, as well as some classic photos of well-known H-D legends.
And hung up on the back wall near the cozy customer lounge, they keep Phil DiGennaro Sr.’s old riding jacket and aviator sunglasses in a glass frame.
An homage to the man that started all of this.
Best of all, it feels comfortable. While Phil Jr. Showed me around, I remembered thinking it was obvious this place run by people who’ve been here a long time, and who care about the business and the community that comes with it.
We finished up the tour and I met Liz DiGennaro, the dealership’s Dealer Principal and General Manager. She’s one of those people who makes an impression right away. She’s quick, funny, confident, and completely at ease in her element.
She gives off the vibe of someone who’s been doing this her whole life, because she has. At one point in our conversation, she told me they’ve eaten Christmas dinners inside the dealership, sitting around tables surrounded by bikes and parts.
That’s the kind of detail that tells you exactly what kind of place Bergen Harley-Davidson is.
Bergen County Harley-Davidson started back in 1975, when their father, Philip DiGennaro Sr., bought a small 3,900-square-foot shop nearby.
Back then, it was about as old-school as you could get. The MotorClothes section was just T-shirts stapled to the wall, and if you wanted one, you’d point to the number and someone would grab it from the back.
Leather jackets hung from a fork tube tied to the ceiling with rope, and the floor was covered in oil-stained carpet. Phil Sr.’s office had a motorcycle in pieces in the middle of the floor and, famously, a shotgun leaning in the corner.
When Phil Sr. passed unexpectedly, the family could have walked away. Instead, they doubled down. With help from their long-time employees, they kept the business running and eventually built it into one of the top dealerships in the Tri-State area. By 1998, they’d moved into their current 35,000-square-foot building at 124 Essex Street.
BERGEN COUNTY HARLEY-DAVIDSON STARTED BACK IN 1975, WHEN THEIR FATHER PHILIP DIGENNARO SR., BOUGHT A SMALL 3,900-SQUARE-FOOT SHOP NEARBY. BACK THEN, IT WAS ABOUT AS OLD-SCHOOL AS YOU COULD GET.
Barbara Buccola, who co-runs the dealership along with Liz and Phil DiGennaro (Dealer Principal) — not to be confused with Phil DiGennaro Jr., the General Sales Manager who met me when I first walked in — told me how her dad was an aircraft engineer before all of this.
When he got laid off, he started driving a truck to make ends meet. When the chance came to buy the dealership, he borrowed money and went for it.
She laughed when she told me she started out cleaning the place every week because her dad thought she “was a good cleaner.”
Phil talked about how they’ve managed to stay successful for 50 years. After all, 50 years is a big milestone for any family-owned business. His answer was simple:
“We still run this place like a mom-and-pop shop,” he said. “We don’t own yachts. We’re here every day, working alongside everyone else.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. He’s on the floor, in the office, or in the shop every single day. It’s the kind of leadership that keeps a place grounded.
That sense of family and commitment runs through everyone here. Joe Bamberger, the Parts Manager at Bergen County H-D, summed it up perfectly.
“This is my family,” he said. “Every decision that’s made here, every idea (good or bad), it all runs through us. I get to come in and work with my best friends every day, and that’s what we strive for.”
Liz said the same thing in her own way. “If someone sketchy walks through those doors, all the guys are out there watching and protecting” she said. “We’ve got each other’s backs.”
The long and short of it is this: They’ve been successful for 50 years because they’ve built a workplace that feels like a home, and a business where customers feel like part of the family.
Employees stay here for decades. Their kids hang around the dealership. Customers become part of the family, and when their kids are old enough, they do, too.
And, like family, they stick together through hard times, too.
Barbara told me about the early months of the pandemic, when they — like many businesses all over the country — thought the business might not be able to weather the storm.
But something remarkable started happening: people came anyway.
Employees would come by and ask if they could work. Not long after, customers started knocking on the doors asking to buy bikes, gear, and anything else to keep their local shop going.
That kind of loyalty doesn’t come from luck and it definitely isn’t something that just... Happens.
It comes from 50 years of doing things the right way.
THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE A YACHT TO SHOW FOR ALL THE YEARS OF HARD WORK, BUT THEY HAVE A HELL OF A HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP.
The rain didn’t stop until the end of the day, but that didn’t stop anybody. Kids ran around the store while their parents talked bikes and caught up with old friends. Staff laughed with customers. Riders compared notes about the weather and the roads they took to get there.
It felt more like a family reunion than a dealership event.
Near the end of the day, everyone gathered outside to cut the cake.
The DiGennaro family stood together and thanked everyone for coming out, surrounded by customers, staff, friends, and everyone else who’s been part of their story over the last 50 years.
And I think that’s the thing about Bergen County Harley-Davidson that’s really worth highlighting here.
It’s not just a dealership that’s lasted 50 years. It’s one that’s done it by staying true to who they are.
Family. Loyalty. Service. The kind of place where the owners still show up every day and the customers still feel like they’re walking into something that isn’t just about “generating revenue.”
They might not have a yacht to show for all the years of hard work, but they have a hell of a Harley-Davidson dealership.
If you ever find yourself riding through the Tri-State area, make a point to stop by Bergen County Harley-Davidson. Whether you’re looking for a new bike, parts, service, or just want to meet some genuinely good people who live and breathe this lifestyle, you’ll feel right at home the second you walk through the door.
You can find them at 124 Essex Street, Rochelle Park, New Jersey 07662, or give them a call at (201) 843-6930. Fifty years strong and still going. Proof that some dealerships aren’t just built to sell bikes. They’re built to last.
EXPLORE MORE FROM THE NETWORK
HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF NASSAU COUNTY: OLD SOUL, NEW SPIRIT
A chilly October ride to Harley-Davidson of Nassau County becomes a warm, nostalgic look at a family-run dealership rooted in New York history, community, and lifelong passion for motorcycles.
CLASSIC HARLEY-DAVIDSON: KEEPING HARLEY CULTURE REAL IN RURAL PA
In Leesport, Pennsylvania, Classic Harley-Davidson proves that real Harley culture is rooted in family, community, and sharing the open road with all-comers.
BLACK HILLS HARLEY-DAVIDSON: THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER, AND THE RALLY NEVER ENDS
When the Black Hills come alive every August with the roar of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, no place embodies the madness, magic, and meaning of it all quite like Black Hills Harley-Davidson.
STURGIS HARLEY-DAVIDSON: MAKING HISTORY IN THE HEART OF RIDER CITY
Sturgis has always been the epicenter of motorcycle culture. Now, for the first time, you can buy your Harley right in the middle of it. Welcome to Sturgis Harley-Davidson.
BARTELS’ HARLEY-DAVIDSON: A DIFFERENT BREED OF DEALERSHIP
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to walk into a shop where the name on the sign is also the person handing you your keys, this is it.
LAIDLAW’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON: THREE GENERATIONS DEEP, AND STILL RIPPING
Before this place became one of the most respected Harley-Davidson dealerships in the country, it was just a small shop on Garvey Avenue in Rosemead.
QUAID HARLEY-DAVIDSON: ON THE BUSINESS OF GOING FAST AND EATING TACOS
This is a dealership run by people who love the brand, the bikes, and the world that comes with them.
RED ROCK HARLEY-DAVIDSON: FINDING THE HEART OF THE RIDE IN THE CITY OF SIN
Red Rock Harley-Davidson is the kind of place that reminds you why you started riding in the first place.
BOSWELL’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON: 75 YEARS IN THE SADDLE
The air smells like tires and burger grease. The techs still know your name. When you leave, you’re sent off with a handshake and a promise to see you at the next ride.
MOONSHINE HARLEY-DAVIDSON: HARLEY-DAVIDSON’S PERFORMANCE KINGS
Their vision for what Harley performance can be is so far ahead of the curve that it feels like you’re watching the next chapter of the industry being written in real time.
SMOKY MOUNTAIN HARLEY-DAVIDSON: NO ORDINARY SATURDAY
Smoky Mountain is a cornerstone. That blend of old and new — vintage bikes and choppers on display, modern bikes rolling off the floor — tells a story without needing to spell anything out.
WHITE LIGHTNING HARLEY-DAVIDSON: WHERE THE TRAIL BEGINS
The Pan America program at White Lightning is on another level. This place lives and breathes the platform.