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FORT MYERS — Bill Dannhel wasn’t much of a motorcycle enthusiast when he landed a job with Harley-Davidson Motor C. 15 years ago.

But that changed quickly.

“Yes, I am an avid rider now,” he said, grinning. “I bought my first Soft-Tail shortly after joining the company and really fell in love with motorcycling. When you’re out on the road, it’s a very intimate experience with the environment, an opportunity to escape and see the road in a different way.”

Currently an executive vice president at Harley-Davidson, Dannhel helped local Harley riders celebrate the company’s 105th anniversary during an outdoor party at Harley-Davidson of Fort Myers on Thursday evening.

This morning, Dannhel and 20 local riders will depart from the dealership on a marathon “Ride Home” to Milwaukee.

Fort Myers is one of 105 designated starting points for the ride.

More bikers are expected to join along the route and eventually the riders will join thousands of enthusiasts from across the country to descend on Milwaukee for a musical festival and anniversary party expected to draw hundreds of thousands.

The four-day event celebrates a company that has become an American icon since William Harley and brothers Walter and Arthur Davidson built their first three motorcycles in 1903.

Selling 337,774 new motorcycles in 2007 and earning $5.73 billion in revenue, the company has also established one of the strongest brand names in the country.

Harley-Davidson merchandise — T-shirts, leather goods and bandanas — is so popular it gets as much floor space as the motorcycles in the Fort Myers showroom.

Nationally, more than $305 million worth of Harley merchandise was sold last year.

Part of Dannhel’s job is to ensure that the brand continues to denote a lifestyle that has become synonymous with Harley’s, he said.

“The brand is freedom, with maybe a little bit of rebellion,” said Dannhel. “The brand is what unites the company and our customers in an authentic and passionate way.”

That relationship was on display Thursday afternoon as about 100 bikers endured occasional hard rains to gather in the showroom and under a big white tent set up in the dealership parking lot.

Even with the rain, the crowd was expected to reach about 2,000 during the evening.

“It will be packed,” said Andy Hadee, a Cape Coral resident who owns two Triumph motorcycles, including an antique 1971 Triumph Tiger 650.

Hadee, 50, has been a rider all his life and attends special events at the store regularly. Even though he doesn’t ride a Harley, he feels at home.

“The crowds are the most well-behaved, nicest people you want to meet,” he said. “It’s just people who get together because they have something in common — they like to ride.”

Guy and Stacy Badger made the hour-long ride from Englewood to be at the party.

Guy rides a SuperGlide 1450, while Stacy rides an 883 Sportster.

“The family of bikers is phenomenal,” said Guy, 54. “The new breed includes doctors, lawyers — everybody is on bikes now.”

Though the crowds are diverse, each rider has one thing in common, said Guy.

“The only thing in the world that understands how bikers feel is a dog with his head out the car window,” he said. “It’s all in the wind, it’s just a real thrill.”

Randy Martin, a salesman at the dealership, agrees that the growing community of bikers is part of the appeal of owning a Harley.

“There are lots of Harley riders here, it’s a good market,” he said. “Our average customer now is probably between 40 and 60, generally a professional and usually with a college degree.

“But we get all kinds and it’s cool. We sell a lifestyle and there’s a real loyalty. You don’t see guys walking around with Kawasaki tattoos.”

The Fort Myers store has been successful enough to expand.

Owner Scott Fischer has negotiated a lease for all the space at Colonial Plaza, where Harley-Davidson of Fort Myers is located.

The plan is to convert the strip mall into a single Motorsport Village, including an additional store selling Buell and Kawasaki motorcycles, Sea Doo sport boats and other watercraft.

Interior and exterior spaces will be set aside to accommodate live music and special events, plus space will be provided where bikers can eat or just hang out.

The renovation is expected to cost $3.5 million to $4.5 million.