by Stevie Wilson | Unless you’re an avid rider or collector, Vancouver’s homegrown connection to the world of motorcycles might come as a surprise. Our city’s storied past with the two-wheeled transport has been a point of pride for many riders over the years, and it’s largely thanks to three generations of one industrious local family: the Deeleys.
In 1914, British ex-pat Fred Deeley Sr. opened a small bicycle store at 1075 Granville Street under the quant moniker, “Fred Deeley – The Cycle Man”. Two years later he began to import motorcycles from the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), and in 1917 he brought in the brand that the family is so well-known for today: Harley-Davidson. Following the success of this shop, he expanded the motorcycle business into a separate venture in 1925 and his son, Fred Deeley Jr., took over operations (in 1922, Fred Deeley Jr. was instrumental in founding the Lions Gate Motorcycle Club). By 1929, both shops were located along West Broadway, and business boomed.
In 1950 the shop moved to its iconic spot at 606 East Broadway, where it enjoyed 46 years of business before relocating to Boundary Road. Throughout the 1940s and ‘50s, Fred Jr.’s son, Trevor Deeley, garnered his own popularity as a sponsored flat-track racer for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Racing across Canada and at legendary spots like Daytona Beach, the Vancouver-born “Trev” was the first Canadian to be awarded an expert plate – his ubiquitous #22 – by the American Motorcycle Association. His love of riding complemented his enthusiasm for the evolving bike technologies of the time, so it came as no surprise when he was hired to be the General Manager for his father’s company in 1953.
Trev also served as a trainer for the newly established Vancouver Police Drill Team in 1954, and took part in their popular acrobatic and riding displays as a special civilian Constable. By this time, the Deeley name could be found all over the city; the Stanley Park Traffic School originally featured miniature pedal cars sponsored by Fred Deeley Ltd.
The company became the sole distributor of Harley-Davidson products in Canada in 1973 following Trev’s departure from an executive position at Yamaha, and subsequently evolved into Fred Deeley Imports—an homage to Trev’s father and grandfather. Trev was eager to cultivate relationships with their new network of dealerships, and two years later he, his business partner Don James, and their wives famously set out on a cross-Canada ride to visit each location.
Throughout his career as a racer and retailer Trev also collected motorcycles, many of which are now on display at the Deeley Exhibition inside their large flagship store at 1875 Boundary. The collection, which also shares a little of Trev’s own racing history, is open to the public and well worth a look. From vintage models to Hollywood icons (my personal favorite is the 1978 Triumph Bonneville), it’s an impressive showcase of evolving design and tastes—and it’s only a fragment of the huge collection.
Apart from his status as a legendary racer, Trev and his wife Joyce are remembered as local philanthropists, particularly for their generous contributions to the BC Cancer Foundation and their Daring To Believe campaign. Following his passing in 2002, a large portion of his estate was used to fund the Trev & Joyce Deeley Research Centre at the BC Cancer Agency.
While the allure of motorcycles in Vancouver proper has waxed and waned over the last several decades (condos don’t have garages), GM Darwin Osarchuk confidently notes that those who want to hit the open road still find a way. From re-vamped old-school Harley designs to impressive state of the art touring models, there’s still a huge market for something that was once seen as a passing trend. They’re a proud bunch of enthusiasts over at Trev Deeley Motorcycles; after all, as Osarchuk observes, “What other ‘fad’ has lasted over 100 years?”
Special thanks to Sean Wilkinson, Darwin Osarchuck, and Sam Villanueva at Trev Deeley Motorcycles. Calgary photos courtesy of Greg Williamson.