BOSWELL’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON: 75 YEARS IN THE SADDLE

Anyway, by the time we pulled into the lot on Fesslers Lane, I already had a feel for what kind of place this was. The shop sits in a part of town that still feels industrial and a little rough around the edges, but there’s nothing rough around the edges about Boswell’s.

Bikes were lined up out front, the service door was cracked open, and when I stepped inside, a look straight back into the diner revealed a crew of folks already prepping to serve the first customers of the day.

Things were already busy and buzzing.

But before we talk about the present, it’s worth diving a little into the history of Boswell’s Harley-Davidson. It’ll help you understand why this place is as beloved as it is.

Boswell’s was founded in 1950 by Lannie Boswell, a guy with a small shop in Henderson, Kentucky, and a deep belief in the Motor Company. The dealership moved to Nashville not long after and set up what would eventually become one of the most recognizable names in Harley’s orbit.

When Lannie passed the torch to his son, Bubba Boswell, the dealership began to evolve quickly. Bubba was a racer, a character, and a real presence in the community.

He carried himself with the kind of energy that filled the room, and was quick with a laugh and quicker to jump in and help out wherever he was needed.

He knew the product, knew the people, and was just as comfortable behind the service counter as he was leading a ride or hosting an event.

All of these things came together to make him the perfect man for the job.

Under Bubba’s leadership, Boswell’s expanded into a multi-store operation.

There’s the main shop on Fesslers, but also Ring of Fire H-D up in Madison, Country Roads H-D out in Cookeville, and two Apparel Retail Outlets (AROs): one is Honky Tonk Harley-Davidson downtown off 3rd and Broadway, and the other is Music City Harley-Davidson in the Marathon area.

Boswell’s is part of a larger group of eight Harley-Davidson dealerships operated by Hickingbotham Investments Group. While the three Tennessee locations are the only Boswell’s-branded stores, the group also includes several dealerships across Arkansas and Oklahoma.

In 1999, Lannie Boswell sold majority equity of the Tennessee stores to Mr. Hickingbotham, with Bubba remaining on as a minority equity partner.

But even with that kind of reach, Boswell’s never turned into a volume machine, choosing instead to keep things feeling small and personal.

For decades, Bubba Boswell gave the place its pulse. His name might’ve been on the sign, but it was his presence, his energy, his voice, and his commitment to Harley-Davidson and motorcycling at large that set the tone for everything that happened inside.

In fact, when I first started visiting dealerships for this series, more than one person told me flat-out: “Bubba is an H-D legend.”

And it’s not hard to see why within the Harley world, Bubba was a force.

But this year marks a turning point at Boswell’s. Betsy Boswell, a key part of the family operation for decades, officially retired back in May, shortly before I arrived.

And Bubba, the longtime patriarch of the dealership, stepped back as well. Though not completely.   He now refers to himself as the “CEO of Activation,” which sounds tongue-in-cheek until you realize he’s still one of the first people you’ll see at a HOG ride, charity event, or meetup.

Taking over as General Manager is Craig Collins, a veteran of the performance and custom world. He got his start in the Harley-Davidson business back in 2002, selling bikes at Thunder Creek H-D in Chattanooga.

Since then, he’s led multiple stores across the country, including Mountain Creek H-D, MotorCity H-D, and Falcons Fury H-D, where he also ran the well-known Fury Customs program.

The point is, he’s been around. More importantly, he knows what he’s stepping into and he doesn’t take that responsibility lightly.

“Bubba built something legendary here,” Craig tells me. “The legacy he and this team created means everything to the people who work here and ride here. I don’t think you replace a guy like that. You just try to honor the groundwork he laid and do right by it every day.”

At Boswell’s, Craig’s also overseeing Nash Customs, a dedicated in-house custom arm operating out of the Nashville location. And to hear him talk about it, it’s not about disrupting tradition, but about plugging new riders into the culture through something built for now.

“We’re not here to replace what’s worked,” Craig tells me. “We’re just adding a layer.”

That layer is working. According to Craig, they’re closing in on 50 builds this year, including a mix of performance baggers, big-wheel customs, and specialty one-offs. Full bodywork jobs, paint, motor upgrades, stance kits… The works.

Walk back into the shop and service area and you’ll see four lifts with half-finished builds on them, and two rows of bikes staged for delivery.

Some are wild with stretched tanks, metallic flake jobs, and chrome for days, while others are more subdued, like club-style Dynas with tasteful upgrades or sleeper Softails with big-inch motors.

The customers range from local first-timers to longtime collectors who ship bikes cross-country just to have the Boswell’s and Nash touch.

Naturally, that energy doesn’t stay tucked in the service bays. It moves through the whole shop, on the sales floor, in the showroom, and especially at the grill.

Because yes, Boswell’s has a grill. Not a snack bar or a dusty vending machine, but a real-deal lunch counter that’s been feeding Nashville riders for years.

There’s a menu board with names like Fishtails Catfish, the Sportster Burger, and a rotation of Southern comfort staples.

The bar stools are repurposed Harley seats and the walls are plastered with vintage memorabilia like old race flyers, sepia photos of Lannie, early dealership shots, and even some bikes and motors up on the wall and hanging from the ceiling. It’s a real slick setup.

The grill is open weekdays from 10:30 to 2:30, and it’s always packed with locals and out-of-towners grabbing lunch before they ride out toward Franklin or Knoxville, or return to the action over on Broadway.

The events at Boswell’s are another key piece of the puzzle. They’re intentional, consistent, and a big part of why the dealership still feels so connected after all these years.

From Hot Chicken Wednesdays to swap meets, charity rides, stunt shows, and the massive Nashville PD benefit run every November, the programming draws big crowds and keeps Boswell’s in pole position when it comes to building long-term loyalty, keeping people engaged, and making the shop feel like home.

That same spirit was on full display earlier this year, when they hosted the first-ever Music City Bike Fest to celebrate their 75th anniversary. The lot was packed with vendors, food trucks, live music, giveaways, and bikes wrapped around the block.

It was a space for everyone to feel like they belonged.

And maybe that’s the best way to describe Boswell’s. It feels like home and has felt that way for riders in Tennessee for decades. When you think about how Nashville has blown up over the last decade or so, keeping that vibe alive is an impressive feat all on its own.

And even though things are shifting with Bubba stepping back to pursue a life of leisure-ish, Craig bringing in new blood, and the market doing what the market does, there’s no sense that this place is going anywhere.

It’s still a rider’s shop in every sense. The air still 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. The calendar is still packed with real-deal events, and the bikes they build still stretch necks at red lights.

You don’t stay open for 75 years on nostalgia alone. You stay open because you’ve earned trust. Because you keep showing up. Because you know that some things don’t need to be reimagined — they just need to be ridden.

If you're ever rolling through Nashville, skip the Broadway bars for a few hours and head over to Boswell’s Harley-Davidson at 401 Fesslers Lane. Grab lunch. Check out the builds. Shake a hand. You’ll get it the moment you walk in.

https://www.boswellsharley.com/