Robert Patrick, best known as “Terminator 2” antagonist T-1000, doesn’t just ride motorcycles on movies and television shows, like “Scorpion.” He rides his Harley-Davidson Low Rider S every chance he gets, with a favorite route — down Bouquet Canyon Road.
Now with a new job title, besides an actor, Patrick will have a chance to ride in the Santa Clarita Valley more often and bring others onboard to what he calls “a motorcycle family.”
That’s because he recently became co-owner of the Santa Clarita Harley-Davidson, located at 21130 Centre Pointe Parkway.
“My life has been hand-in-hand with Harley,” said Patrick. “At dealerships, I would say one day I would own one, and that’s kind of how this happened.”
After Oliver Shokouh, co-owner and owner of the longtime Glendale Harley-Davidson dealership, who sold Patrick his first motorcycle, heard about the actor’s interest, the deal was sealed.
“We got to know each other after he bought a bike and later became a member of the board of directors of the (motorcycle charity club) Love Ride Foundation,” said Shokouh. “I knew about his dream and love of wanting to be more involved in the business.”
Besides knowing Shokouh, Patrick said there was a reason why he eyed the Santa Clarita Harley location.
“Those that ride know that the canyons and open spaces in the Santa Clarita Valley are the best,” he said. “It’s a really exciting time to be a part of this community. There’s an attitude up here, and I think that’s why I’m drawn to the area.”
Though an experienced rider who started at age 19, he said he was looking forward to diving into the business end of things, flying to Milwaukee next year to take a new-dealer course.
Until then, however, the Santa Clarita team has implemented some upgrades at the Santa Clarita dealership, including a front desk facelift with a more open concept in mind, a large clothing and gear selection for all ages and even a “Terminator 2” arcade entertainment.
Shokouh revealed that the dealer might offer the Pan America, Harley’s first adventure touring motorcycle, in 2020.
Harley will also release an electric motorcycle model, called the LiveWire.One of 150 dealers selected to offer the product, the Santa Clarita location is scheduled to provide the bike next year. The following year, he said, riders can expect to see a charging station on the dealership’s parking lot for motorists to stop by at any time.
“We want this to be a destination spot,” said Shokouh.
“There’s a whole network of dealers across the country,” Patrick agreed, adding, “We want to be part of that for people on the nearby highways to get emergency road service, have a cup of coffee and get back on the road as fast as they can.”
“We are definitely going to be a positive part of the community,” he said. “We want to be a reflection of the ideals and values that the community of the Santa Clarita Valley has.”
The co-owners are planning a grand opening for Santa Clarita Harley by the end of the year or early 2019.
