BMW motorcycle dealership lands here

According to Justin Prann's research, there are more than 500 registered BMW motorcycles in the Chattanooga area and not a single dealership within 100 miles.

That is one of the primary reasons he chose the Scenic City as the location for Pandora's European Motorsports, a BMW and Ducati motorcycle dealership set to open in December.

Another reason is the coming Volkswagen manufacturing plant, which Mr. Prann said should give the local economy a boost.

"This has been a very carefully orchestrated venture," he said.

Pandora's European Motorsports is slated to open Dec. 15 at 4784 Highway 58. Contractors are expected to begin turning the building into a showroom with a full service and parts department next week.

According to information provided by BMW, the German-manufactured motorcycle company's sales dropped 13 percent in the first nine months of 2009 with September sales totaling just 7,715 bikes worldwide.

Mr. Prann said he is hoping his $80,000 investment in the building and equipment and $1.5 million worth of inventory when the dealership opens will help change that.

He said he expects to have about 20 to 30 new bikes on hand at all times plus about 20 pre-owned bikes.

Mr. Prann said Pandora's European Motorsports will be an independent operation, but it will be an authorized BMW and Ducati dealer with a wide variety of used bikes that he will get from auctions and trade-ins.

The dealership will have between eight and 10 full-time employees which will include certified technicians for both BMW and Ducati.

"Service will be an important pillar to the table," he said.

J.Ed Marston, spokesman for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, praised Mr. Prann's investment in the area.

"This is a strong statement for him to be making this kind of investment during a very difficult economic period," Mr. Marston said. "It certainly says something about the resilience of our local economy."

Mr. Prann believes he has an advantage in the business because he has more than six years of experience working at BMW's American headquarters.

"I'm out of the corporate womb, but I still have close contacts there," Mr. Prann said. "It is an advantageous spot. I know who to call to get things done and I know who not to call."

Once a racer of superbikes, Mr. Prann has plenty of experience which he said will come in handy when BMW releases its first superbike in February -- the S1000RR.

Pandora's European Motorsports, a sponsor for Sunday's Octoberfest event at First Tennessee Pavilion, will have a pre-production model of the almost 200 horsepower BMW superbike on-hand.