By Nick Orlando
Fun, freedom, camaraderie and efficiency are all words that come to mind to describe the reasons motorcycles are so popular.
When potential riders start looking for a cycle, they generally fall into three broad categories. The first demographic is the 20-to-30-year-old "Sport Bike" rider who seeks the thrill of high-performance machines. Next, you have the 30-to-50-year-old crowd looking for the freedom and camaraderie of a "Cruiser. Lately the average guy and girl next door are attracted to the ease, practicality, and most importantly, the fuel economy of a scooter as a cost effective commuting option.
If you are in the market for a set of wheels, Staten Island Powersports has got your ticket to ride. The dealership itself has been in business on Staten Island for 40 years. In May, 2007 it was purchased by the Costagliola brothers: Mario, Tom and Ralph, who renamed it Staten Island Powersports. In nearly 2 years, it has grown to staff 10 full time employees, and that includes both Mario and Tom running day-to-day operations. Since their purchase, the brothers say sales have doubled. Their Customer Satisfaction Index, measured by the major manufacturers through a system of customer surveys, is well above the national average and is the highest in the NYC area.
They are Staten Island's only authorized dealership for Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda motorcycles, scooters, and ATVs and their staff is factory certified. They also offer service, parts and accessories for their bikes.
All three brothers share a lifelong passion for the open road and they came together for this venture from greatly diversified backgrounds. Ralph is an Oral Surgeon on Staten Island; Tom is a commodities broker and President of Global Coffee Inc; Mario is a retired Army Colonel who was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for combat in Iraq.
Professed chopper enthusiasts, the brothers say their number one priority is customer satisfaction. For them, motorcycles are a means of escaping the everyday stresses of life, so they work to ensure the buying and ownership experience is consistent with that philosophy.
The brothers grew up riding motorcycles on Staten Island as kids. They purchased their first bike, a 1973 Yamaha, right at this dealership from the previous owner, Ken Carpenter. From there they began a long relationship with both Ken and the motorcycle world. In fact, all three brothers worked at Ken's store while attending high school. Ken, a Vietnam Veteran, was influential in Mario enlisting in the US Army in 1981. Twenty-five years later, when Mario retired from the U.S. Army, their relationship culminated with the Costagliola family purchasing the dealership from Ken when he approached them about potentially buying the dealership.
Today, the biggest hesitancy they see from potential buyers is a lack of confidence in using a manual transmission, i.e. "clutch and gears." Few people own manual transmission cars nowadays, so there is hesitancy about operating a manual transmission vehicle. For these potential riders, Staten Island Powersports offers fully automatic scooters and motorcycles and they always recommend that new riders take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course.
Like all small businesses they are feeling the pressures of the current economy. The single biggest factor is the tightening of the credit situation. Mario explains, "We have the machines and we have the clients that want to ride; the challenge is securing retail financing in an extremely tight lending environment." But with their slogan "New Owners, New Attitude," the Costagliola brothers have created a philosophy that takes the motorcycle dealership to a new level. Mario put it this way, "All our employees are involved in Powersports as a recreational activity as well as a profession. We live and breathe motorcycles." They hope that attitude will keep engines revving for another 40 years.
Staten Island Powersports, 4260 Arthur Kill Road, Staten Island, NY 10309, 718.966.060
