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James is a two-time Canadian National Champion; a US National Champion; he competed in all the Irish Road Racing and was awarded ‘Top Newcomer’ in the Lightweight Class at the Isle of Man TT in 2016.

He has also participated ten times in the prestigious ‘Daytona 200,’ an annual 200 mile race in Daytona Beach, Florida in which his best performance was a 6th place finish.

“My father was Trevor’s business partner, and my introduction to this business and the culture,” says James.

“Dad would take me to the East Broadway store and as the owner’s kid I’d work there cleaning bikes.

“My role was to go around and pick up debris in the neighbourhood. I had a few other jobs and one of them was on the Harley-Davidson demo truck.”

Eventually James got hired by Harley-Davidson. “Motorcycles were in my blood from the day I was born,” he says.”

Carrying On The Family Tradition

As an active rider himself, Darren James continues the proud tradition of the dealership namesake’s love of motorcycle racing.

From 1947 to 1958 Trev Deeley competed in, won and ultimately set a series of track records in numerous races across North America. These would include him being a three-time competitor at the Daytona 200.

In 1957, Deeley retired from racing and became more involved in the motorcycle industry and community.

His commitment to motorcycle culture clearly revolutionized the industry in Canada, and in 1973 he was given exclusive rights for the distribution of Harley-Davidson products and ultimately became the first Canadian appointed to their Board of Directors.

Among his numerous accolades are countless awards and inductions that honour his contributions and accomplishments throughout his life.

He became a Canadian Motor Sports Hall of Fame Inductee in 1995, and the only Canadian winner of the American Motorcyclists Association Dud Perkins Award.

Honouring The Legacy

Trev Deeley passed away on March 28, 2002 at the age of 82.

And while the business he so helped transform continues to thrive in 2023, Darren James respectfully carries the modern-day torch and continues to honour the legendary brand he now so proudly owns.

“The true legacy is from Trevor’s grandfather to his father to Trevor, to my dad, to me,” says James of the dealership’s lineage.

“The Jameses and the Deeleys go back fifty years and the name will always be Trev Deeley Motorcycles.

“That will never change.

“Darwin Osarchuk was the face of the place and he’s still the man who runs it—he’s the hammer, but now it’s about having my face on this place, and showing people that we’re not a corporate store.

“There’s nothing corporate about us. We’re owned by an individual.

“And one who’s been a rider since I was a kid.”