Bald Eagle Harley-Davidson is relocating from Marquette to Escanaba, operating out of the former Country Roads building at 4473 U.S. 2. The building is under renovations but is set to open Tuesday, March 17. (Photo courtesy of Jesse Zambon)

ESCANABA — From local riders to cross-country travelers, motorcyclists will soon have a new hub in Escanaba as Bald Eagle Harley-Davidson launches its new location this March.

The dealership, previously located in Marquette, has been purchased by Escanaba native Jesse Zambon and business partner Tim Stephani, owners of Northwoods Motorsports on Ludington Street. Northwoods Motorsports specializes in KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas dirt bikes and dual sport bikes, serving both local riders and travelers in the area.

“(Bald Eagle Harley-Davidson) will be primarily just street bikes – so same industry, just two different areas of the industry,” said Jesse.

The new Harley-Davidson location will operate out of the former Country Roads building at 4473 U.S. 2, which is currently undergoing interior renovations. The parking lot is also expected to be paved in the near future.

Jesse and Tim purchased the assets, inventory and dealership name from longtime owner Tim Dagenais after reconnecting late last year, sparking a fast-moving transition from November into early spring.

“People ask, ‘Why would we leave Marquette?’ But we think Escanaba services our customer base more centrally. In Marquette, we’re at the north end of our service region, so this puts us more in the middle. It helps out Manistique, Escanaba, the Cedar River area and other communities in our assigned Harley territory. In addition to the central location, we gain a longer riding season here in the banana belt.”

About 70% of the staff from the Marquette location will relocate to Escanaba, where the dealership will employ roughly 10 full-time staff members, including additional specialized technicians.

“We’re going to be different than a lot of dealerships,” Jesse noted. “We’ll beef up our service flow to support five technicians, whereas Marquette had two to three. We plan to offer very quick turnaround service and highly trained technicians.”

The dealership will offer services ranging from same-day tires, brakes and oil changes to full engine rebuilds. Plans also include the addition of a dyno, which measures a motorcycle’s engine power, torque and performance and allows fine tuning of the engine.

Jesse previously owned Northwoods Harley-Davidson in Arbor Vitae, Wis., but sold his portion in March 2025.

He and his wife, Amanda, bring more than a decade of experience to the new storefront. Jesse previously worked as general manager and Amanda as clothing manager. Amanda will assist with apparel, inventory ordering and event planning in Escanaba.

The couple will operate two apparel locations to serve area riders: a year-round clothing showroom at the Escanaba dealership and a seasonal showroom in Munising, open during the riding season.

“We are both really excited to be able to bring this to the area, even though it wasn’t really planned,” Jesse said.

Jesse and Amanda, who share three daughters, have worked in the local Harley-Davidson community since 2007, when they joined the Ison family at the Marquette dealership.

The business has changed hands multiple times over the years. Tim Dagenais purchased the Marquette location, then known as Eagle Mills, from Greg Nyberg in 1999. Dagenais changed the name to Bald Eagle Harley-Davidson and operated the business until 2003.

He then sold it to Al and Darby Ison, who owned the store from 2003 until 2015. In 2015, Dagenais purchased the dealership back.

That history makes the transition especially meaningful for Jesse and Amanda.

“Now Tim (Dagenais) is giving me the opportunity. I was their general manager. It’s cool that it came back to us because now we can carry the torch,” Jesse said. “They could’ve given the opportunity to anybody, so we’re pretty lucky to keep it local. I know most of the customers, too.”

Jesse also recognized Sean McAdam, general manager and partner at the Marquette location, for helping him through the transition process.

The dealership is set to open Tuesday, Mar. 17, although a grand opening celebration is planned for the summer.

“Once the riding season is in full swing and the weather gets better, we’re targeting around June – probably mid-to-late June – to host a big grand opening,” Jesse said. “That way, we’ll have the pavement in.”

For Jesse, the new chapter also represents a return to familiar ground.

“We were bummed when we departed Bald Eagle and had to move due to life changes,” Jesse said. “To have the chance to do it again and to bring it to a community that we grew up in is pretty neat. We’re thankful for all the people involved in making this happen – from Harley-Davidson themselves, to Bald Eagle for selling it to us, to our amazing Northwoods Motorsports crew, friends and family and for all the years we worked for Al and Darby Ison.”