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THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 2018
Barney’s Motorcycle and Marine is a third-generation family business that has been in the industry for over 70 years! It is one of the oldest and most respected dealerships in the powersports industry. In
1946, Barney and Rosalee Barclay borrowed $500 and opened their first shop selling Indian Motorcycles in Bloomington, Illinois. Being an Indian dealer during those early years wasn’t “easy street,” and the demise of the Indian factory in the early 1950’s didn’t make things any easier. The business was moved to St. Petersburg, FL in 1951, where Barney’s of St. Pete still stands; only now, it’s much bigger! The Bar- ney’s family expanded and acquired a Brooksville location in 1998, and Barney’s of Brandon was estab- lished in 1999. In 2002, an addition to the Brandon store was completed, which nearly doubled the size
of its building. In 2009, it was expanded again to add a personal watercraft showroom, in order to better serve the area’s watersport enthusiasts.
Throughout the last seven decades, Barney’s has been a dealer for many different brands of motorcycles; AJS, BMW, BSA, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Lambretta Scooters, Norton, Triumph, and Zundapp, to name a few. Each Barney’s generation of owners has grown up with a love of racing motorcycles, and has participated in and run race teams in professional road racing, and motocross divisions. Today, Barney’s Motorcycle and Marine has over 100 employees and proudly sells Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Can-Am, and Sea-Doo at their Brandon location. The business has also grown to be one of the largest boat and personal water- craft dealers in the southeast.
We know what it takes to keep our customers satisfied, and we treat each one as part of the “Barney’s Family”. Read below to see the history of Barney’s through the decades, and visit the Barney’s Museum at Barney’s of St. Pete to see photos, old motorcycles and memorabilia from the last 70 years.