Motorcycle & Powersports News

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

Jan. 2

013

V

OL. 39 N

O. 1

01.2013

US HighlandBack on Track

>

4 January 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Volume 39 Number 1

EDITORIAL

Editor – Colleen Brousil [email protected]

Associate Editor – Gina [email protected]

Senior Editor – Brendan [email protected]

Columnists & Contributors

Ricky BeggsHeather BlessingtonC.R. GittereSteve JonesLee KlancherMark RodgersMargie Siegal

ART

Sr. Graphic Designer –Tammy House

[email protected]

Best Of The WebCheck out the Top 25 mostclicked products fromour website in 2012. 36

Road ReadyThree Hot V-Twin Jackets Prime For the V-Twin Expo .......................... 46

Tread Trends Street Tires To Stock Now ........................................ 47

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

Product Focus

US HighlandBack On Track | BY LEE KLANCHER

Dealership Operations

On The Road Again............................................................................................................................6The Road Ahead by Colleen Brousil

Sales Department Department Performance ..........12Best Operators Club by Steve Jones

Strength In The Four-Wheel Sector .................................................14Black Book Market Watch by Ricky Beggs

Where Rubber Meets The Road ..................................................................16Tech Tips by Cyclepedia Press

Wheel Lacing Tips ........................................................................................................................18Service Bay Secrets

Service Department Review ................................................................................20The Service Manager by C.R. Gittere

The Future Of Digital Media ..................................................................................22Web Savvy by Heather Blessington

Bounce Back From Rejection..................................................................................26Peak Dealership Performance by Mark Rodgers

FlyBoard Looks To Sign U.S. Dealers ............................................28PWC Update

Smokey Point Cycle Barn............................................................................................30Destination Dealership by Marilyn Stemp


One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity it has given me totravel the world meeting with dealers and manufacturers and

attending the events that help shape our industry. In November, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the EICMA

Show in Milan, Italy, as a guest of the Italian Trade Commission. The scaleof the event was stunning, and the OEM new model releases were noth-ing short of cinematic.

While the show has a distinct European flavor, I would absolutely en-courage any American who loves powersports — especially dealers — toattend this show at least once in their lifetime. Two-wheels are a way oflife for so many Europeans, and in addition to the amazing new units, ac-cessories and apparel on the show floor, Milan itself served as an inspira-tion on how the future face of powersports might look in the U.S. market— smaller displacement transportation-based units just might be yournext big profit center.

You can check out our website and Facebook page for my snapshotsfrom the show and archived live coverage from the event. I also encour-age you to flip to page 8 of this issue to get the full scoop on the agree-ment the Italian Trade Commission inked with the AIMExpo at the show.

When the AIMExpo was first announced last year, Larry Little told mehow the EICMA show was his team’s inspiration for the creation of a com-bined trade, consumer and media event in the U.S. After seeing EICMA, Iabsolutely understand that a show that uses the European model willwell-serve our industry, and we can expect quite the shakeup in the U.S.show landscape over the next few years.

In addition to the launch of the AIMExpo in Orlando set for Oct. 16-20, 2013, the annual tradition of the February Dealer Expo comes to aclose this year. In a move called reactionary to the AIMExpo, the Ad-vanstar team originally announced October 2013 dates for the next itera-tion of the show, but that date has since shifted back to September of2014, leaving the 2013 AIMExpo the prime buying event for powersportsdealers going into the 2014 selling season.

While the industry has voiced strong reactions to all of these shifts, thetrue measure will come in units of vendors and attendees who make it tothe shows in the coming year. So, where will I see you in 2013? t

On The Road Again

AHEADTHERoad

ADVERTISING SALESPublisher - Greg Cira [email protected]

(330) 670-1234 ext. 203

Associate PublisherSean Donohue [email protected]

(330) 670-1234 ext. 206

Display Advertising Sales

Roberto Almenar [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 233

Tom Staab [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 224

Bobbie Adams [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 238

Doug Basford [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 255

David Benson [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 210

Dean Martin [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 225

Jim Merle [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 280

Glenn Warner [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 212

John Zick [email protected] (949) 756-8835

Don Hemming [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 286

ADVERTISING SERVICES

Advertising Services Valli Pantuso [email protected]

(330) 670-1234 ext. 223

CIRCULATION SERVICES

Circulation Manager –Pat Robinson [email protected]

(330) 670-1234, ext. 276

Circulation Specialist –Star Mackey [email protected]

(330) 670-1234, ext. 242

AFTERMARKET MEDIA NETWORKBabcox Media Headquarters3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333(330) 670-1234 Fax (330) 670-0874

Babcox Media California18004 Skypark Circle, Suite 260, Irvine, CA 92614(949) 756-8835 Fax (949) 756-8836

CORPORATE

Bill Babcox, PresidentGreg Cira, Vice President, Chief Financial OfficerJeff Stankard, Vice PresidentBeth Scheetz, Controller

Copyright 2013, Babcox Media, Inc.MPN (ISSN 0164-8349) is published monthly by Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 Embassy

Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, Fax (330) 670-0874. Peri-

odical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMAS-

TER: Send address changes to MPN, P.O. Box 13260, Akron, OH 44334-8660. A

limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who

meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 242, to speak to a

subscription services representative. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-

qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69 for one year. (OH residents

add 5.75% sales tax) Canada/Mexico: $89 for one year. Canadian rates include

GST. Other foreign rates: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds.

Mail payment to MPN - Circulation, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755.

By Colleen Brousil

IndustryInside the


Marketplace Events and Italian

Trade Commission Join Forces for

AIMExpo

The American International MotorcycleExpo (AIMExpo) added significantly to itsstrong foundation with a formal agreementbetween Marketplace Events (MPE) and the

Italian Trade Commission (ITC) at the open-ing day of Esposizione Internazionale CicloMotociclo e Accessori (EICMA) 2013 inMilan, Italy, Nov. 13.

The partnership positions the ITC asMPE’s sales agent to Italian powersportscompanies that wish to strengthen their

American reach by exhibiting at next Octo-ber’s AIMExpo in Orlando, Fla. In turn, AIM-Expo will showcase Italian products to theNorth American marketplace by workingwith ITC’s Los Angeles office to create an“Italian Pavilion” at the inaugural show.

“It makes every sense to announce ourcollaboration today at EICMA, as EICMAhas very much been the inspiration for AIM-Expo from day one,” said Larry Little, vicepresident and general manager of MPE’sMotorcycle Group. “The agreement withITC to showcase AIMExpo to Italian indus-try is as exciting as the creation of the Ital-ian Pavilion at AIMExpo to showcase Italianproducts to U.S. retailers and consumers.The American consumer has a clear appre-ciation for Italian design, evident in thestyle and beauty of Italian motorcycles andrelated gear, which will be on full display atthe Italian Pavilion.”

The ITC is the government agency thatpromotes the internationalization of Italiancompanies all over the world with offices in80 countries and more that 1,000 events

AIMExpo’s LarryLittle shakes on thenewly inked dealwith Italian TradeCommissionerPierpaolo Celeste.

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 9

per year. “ITC is becoming a brand-new govern-

ment agency that helps create the condi-tions to develop and gain strong roots forItalian businesses across the globe,” saidRiccardo Maria Monti, chairman of the ITC.“The key to doing so is in finding theproper platform where Italian companiescan present themselves in the best possibleconditions to the greatest concentration ofpotential customers, and AIMExpo in Octo-ber 2013 is the perfect scenario for the Ital-ian motorcycle industry. The agreementthat has been signed with MarketplaceEvents, combined with the Italian Pavilion,which is being organized by ITC in Los An-geles, will enable Italian companies toshowcase their products in the most favor-able sense.”

EICMA, produced by AssociazioneNazionale Ciclo Moto Accessori (ANCMA),is the premier motorcycle trade show in Eu-rope and the only not-for-profit event of itskind in the world.

The EICMA template has driven the de-

velopment of AIMExpo from its beginningstages, inspiring the vision that will lead tothe launch of the first combined consumer,trade and media powersports event inNorth America. It will bring the entire indus-try together in a celebration of all thingspowersports.

“America is a very important market forItalian companies, and we are looking for-ward to the fresh approach in North Amer-ica of AIMExpo,” said Pier FrancescoCaliari, managing director of EICMA andANCMA. “It is important for the growth ofItalian industry to have a show in the USAthat mirrors EICMA, and we lookforward to a strong col-laboration with AIMExpoas they create the idealNorth American platformfor the promotion of allthings two-wheels.”

AIMExpo will be heldOct. 16-20, 2013 at theOrange County ConventionCenter in Orlando, Fla. t

Yamaha to Produce 2013 Red Utility

ATVs at Georgia Facility

Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. is rounding outits utility ATV line with the addition of 2013red utility ATVs produced at its Newnan,Ga., manufacturing facility. Red versions ofYamaha’s popular utility ATV models, in-cluding the Grizzly 700 FI EPS, Grizzly 550FI EPS and Grizzly 450 EPS, started arrivingat dealerships at the end of the year.

“Yamaha has strong demand from a va-

Inside the Industry


riety of customer groups — including farm-ers and recreational users alike — for thered utility models, and we’ve seen ourdealer partners ask for them this fall,” saidSteve Nessl, Yamaha ATV/SxS group mar-keting manager. “All of Yamaha’s 4-by-4ATVs now come from its U.S. manufactur-ing facility in Georgia, which allows thecompany to respond more quickly to cus-tomer demands while also streamlining dis-tribution. It’s exciting to see that process inplace.” t

Erik Buell Racing Secures Financing

for Dealer Network Expansion

Erik Buell Racing has secured financingfrom GE Capital to help fuel the growth ofits dealer network.

Through the deal with GE Capital’sCommercial Distribution Finance, EBRdealers will get floorplan financing, allow-ing them to stock, market and sell themanufacturer’s inaugural lineup of motor-cycles. The lineup thus far includes the1190RS, the company’s first sportbike

model.“As we ramp up our production capa-

bilities and introduce other models, it’sgreat to know that we have a finance com-pany that can support us as we expand,”Erik Buell said in a recent press release.“I’m pleased that GE Capital, with itsdecades of experience in the motorsportsindustry, continues to support emergingmanufacturers like EBR.”

Buell founded EBR in 2009 shortly afterHarley-Davidson dropped the Buell Motor-cycles brand. The 1190RS is the first pro-duction bike produced by the company,which plans to build only 100 of the units.

EBR reportedly has about 30 dealer-ships in the United States. t

Vega Issues Safety Recall on XTS

Half Helmets

Vega Helmet Corporation has voluntarilyinitiated a recall of XTS Half Helmets insizes large through XXL manufacturedbetween May 2011 and October 2012.The company has been working closelywith the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration after four of these hel-mets in the XL size were found not tocomply with one of the performance re-quirements set forth in Federal Motor Ve-hicle Safety Standard 218.

In order to exercise the utmost caution,Vega is recalling all potentially affectedhelmets that have entered the market andhas ceased distributing any existing inven-tory. Less than half of the potentially af-fected helmets have entered the market.

“Safety is of paramount importance tous at Vega, and we made a swift decisionto voluntarily recall the entire populationof helmets in question,” said Jeanne De-Mund, vice president of Vega Helmet.“We will be replacing these helmets asquickly as we can for both our dealersand end users.”

The large shell for the XTS Half Hel-met has been redesigned to ensure com-pliance and are available in the U.S.

Contact Vega at [email protected] for more informationon the recall. t

Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice

Appoints New President

Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice has appointedDan Courtney as president, effective Jan. 7,2013. He will succeed Steve Johnson, whohas agreed to advise Courtney through theintegration process.

Courtney brings more than 20 years ofstrategic leadership experience to thebrand. He most recently served as presi-dent of FinishMaster Inc., the largest inde-pendent distributor of automotive paints,coatings and accessories in the U.S.

“Dan is relentlessly customer-centric,”said J.A. Lacy, chairman at Tucker Rocky.“He is a proven leader with an exceptionaltrack record delivering innovation, qualityand value to both retailers and suppliers.We couldn’t be happier to have him joiningour team.”

Added Johnson, “I have no doubt[Dan] will continue to build on the foun-

Inside the Industry


dation of our customer-friendly culture and accelerate our sup-ply chain and dealer support initiatives.” t

Baylon Joins WPS

Western Power Sports (WPS) hashired Alex Baylon as its new South-west regional sales manager.

Baylon brings more than 20 yearsof motorcycle industry experience tothe WPS team. You may be familiarwith Baylon as the owner andfounder ofMotorcycleIndustryJobs.com.

“WPS is a perfect fit for me,” hesaid. “We have had a long history ofworking together, and this opportunity will allow me to help WPSgrow the distribution efforts of MIJ, while managing the Southwestregion. This will also allow me to get some valuable insight into theretail end of the powersports market.”

“Alex Baylon was a perfect match for us as we already had aworking relationship for the past few years,” said WPS NationalSales Manager Doug Riipinen. “He will be based out the heart ofthe region in Carlsbad, Calif., which will create a lot more growthopportunity.”

For more information about WPS and its expanding list ofbrands offerings, visit wps-inc.com. t

ARI Closes Acquisition of 50 Below’s Retail Division

ARI Network Services Inc., a leader in creating, marketing, andsupporting SaaS and DaaS solutions that connect consumers,dealers, distributors and manufacturers in selected vertical mar-kets, announced that it has completed the acquisition of the re-tail division assets of Fifty Below Sales & Marketing Inc.

“This acquisition solidifies ARI’s position as a premierprovider of dealer websites in the powersports and automotivetire and wheel aftermarket, in addition to our market-leadingposition in the outdoor power equipment and marine industries.Combined, ARI’s solutions now power more than 5,000 dealerwebsites,” said Roy W. Olivier, CEO and president of ARI. “Forour customers, employees and shareholders, this acquisitionmarks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Together, wecan look forward as a stronger organization; focus our energyand attention on delivering innovative new products; extendcore capabilities and provide exceptional customer service thatwill help our customers generate more service and sales.”

Customers will soon hear about new ways ARI can help themincrease sales. PartSmart and PartStream, search engine mar-keting and new merchandising solutions will be shared withARI’s customers immediately. Two new aftermarket parts, gar-ments and accessory products are currently in development,and ARI’s customers will get a first look at these solutions overthe coming months.

“This acquisition is a game-changer for ARI. It increases ourportfolio of equipment dealer websites by 270 percent and ac-celerates our opportunity to drive organic growth through thecross-selling of new products,” said Darin Janecek, ARI’s CFO.

“It also provides entry into new, high-growth markets, includingautomotive aftermarket and durable medical equipment.” t

Tucker Rocky and Scorpion

Helmets Part Ways

Steve Johnson, president and COO of Tucker Rocky and Biker’sChoice, has announced that, after a successful sales relation-ship with Scorpion Helmets, Kido Sports has decided to discon-tinue selling Scorpion-branded helmets through multipledistribution channels and return to a strategy of direct salesthrough Scorpion Sports Inc. (SSI), the brand’s U.S. headquar-ters and sales office.

“Though Tucker Rocky has shown to be an effective salespartner for Scorpion and has exhibited the type of professional-ism and success all vendors have come to expect from TR, ulti-mately the path of dual distribution did not fit in with SSI’snewly restructured organization and Kido’s U.S. sales strategy,”said John Kim, VP of SSI’s business operations. “We are gratefulto TR for their passion and effort in support of the Scorpionbrand, and we wish them continued success.”

This severing of ties allows Tucker Rocky to further focus ondriving sales of exclusive brands, including Speed and Strength,River Road, and Firstgear, to name a few. This diverging of pathsalso allows SSI to focus on its own brand of both Scorpion ap-parel and Scorpion Helmets. t

Inside the Industry

Alex Baylon

In this article, we’ll review November 2012year-to-date total store and sales depart-

ment numbers. Since December’s year-enddata is not yet available, this will provide asnapshot of how 2012 is turning out ascompared with last year. We’ll compare agood-performing metric 20-group with theNational Norm (NN) numbers and the aver-ages for the Top 5 dealers in each category.

As you can see from these numbers,total store sales were up for 2012 versus2011. Both the Top 5 and the NN dealersshowed around a modest 5 percent in-crease over 2011, while the group aver-aged a healthy 12 percent increase.All-in-all, the NN number was consistentwith the slow but steady growth pattern wehave observed for the last couple of years.

Note the improvements in gross marginfor the group and the NN dealers. The tar-get benchmark is 25 percent in order tocover expenses and show a net profit. TheTop 5 dealers stayed pretty flat with a veryrespectable 27 percent-plus margin.

More significantly, net operating profit(NOP) was up considerably across theboard. This is partly a reflection of theircontinued efforts to control expenses.However, this is even more attributableto their ability to improve the perform-ance and output of their employees.They have eliminated non-performers,hired better people and provided themwith quality training. We are seeing evi-dence of this in the increased attendanceat our management workshops and thedemand for on-site staff training. Thesuccess of your business is directly re-lated to the abilities of your employees.Invest wisely in your staff, and you willreap long-term rewards.

Part 2 of our total store stats shows usthe average percentages that the variousdepartments contribute to the gross profitof the dealership. It is interesting to notethe flip-flop in new sales versus used sales

contribution between the group and NNdealers as compared with the Top 5. I sus-

pect this had a lot to do with the highertotal store gross margin for these dealers.


By Steve Jones

BESTOperators

CLUBNovember 2012 Sales Department Performance

Total Store Sales YTD (millions) $7.3 $12.0 $7.7

Change in Total Store Sales from Prior Year +12.3% +4.7% +4.8%

Total Store Gross Margin 24.6% 27.5% 25.8%

Gross Margin for Prior Year 23.2% 27.7% 24.9%

Selling Expense as a Percent of Total Sales 4.7% 2.5% 2.4%

Personnel Expense as a Percent of Total Sales 8.2% 5.2% 9.9%

Admin Exp as a Percent of Total Sales 3.2% 2.4% 4.9%

Total Store Net Operating Profit (NOP) 4.6% 7.5% 4.9%

Total Store NOP from Prior Year 2.9% 5.7% 4.0%

Change in Total Store NOP from PY +37.0% +24.0% +18.4%

Total Store Stats – part 1

CHART 2Total Store Stats – part 2 GROUP TOP 5 NATIONAL

NORM DEALERS NORM

Contribution to Gross Profit: New Sales 28.2% 21.6% 28.1%

Contribution to Gross Profit: Used Sales 14.0% 37.4% 12.9%

Contribution to Total Store Gross Profit: F&I 11.2% 14.1% 13.7%

Contribution to Total Store Gross Profit: P&A 28.0% 34.3% 26.4%

Contribution to Total Store Gross Profit: Service 18.6% 22.4% 18.5%

Average Total Store Staff Headcount, YTD 15.2 23.5 16.1

Gross Profit Per Employee, YTD 112,556 139,971 116,732

Door Swings: Change from Prior Year 32.4% 103.6% 22.6%

Logged Working Contacts: Change from Prior Year 24.2% 74.8% 19.5%

Cost Per Door Swing $26.88 $42.73 $24.54

CHART 1GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM

CHART 3November 2012 Sales Department StatsPart 1

GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM

New Units Sold YTD 433 745 355

New Units Sold Change from Prior Year 13.2% 40.6% 23.1%

New Inventory Turn 2.2 3 2.6

Preowned Units Sold YTD 183 280 178

Preowned Units Sold Change from Prior Year 17.6% 52.0% 25.4%

Preowned Inventory Turn 7.6 14.5 5.7

Preowned to New Ratio 0.59 1.15 0.57

Total New-Units Gross Margin 13.1% 15.7% 14.1%

Total Preowned Units Gross Margin 20.9% 24.9% 19.4%

Change in Selling Margin Change from Prior Year 0.4% 5.3% -0.6%

% of Chg. in Total Unit Volume Change from Prior Year 14.7% 40.7% 18.3%

% of Chg. in Sales Dept NOP Change from Prior Year 2.7% 7.3% 1.4%

The Top 5 dealers are obviously largeroperations, as you can see from the stafflevels. However, note how much morethey average in gross profit per em-ployee than the other dealers. These arethe dealers who have a low tolerance forpoor-performing employees and tend tobe more proactive when it comes to in-vesting in training.

The sales department numbers show usthat sales have continued to improve, butselling margins have remained flat for allbut the Top 5 dealers. Properly trainedsalespeople with proper incentive pro-grams will fight harder for your profit. Un-trained salespeople with no gross profitincentives become order-takers who dropto the lowest price quickly so they can closethe deal. Spend some time on your salesfloor listening to what they are saying toyour customers. It could be enlightening.

The Top 5 dealers are continuing tofocus on preowned. The margins tell thereason why. Check out the number ofturns. This is huge. Frequent turnover in-creases profits dramatically. The reallygood news is that NOP for this depart-

ment is also increasing. Gross profit paysthe bills, but net is what keeps the busi-ness going and growing.

Sales – Part 2 reveals some good num-bers you can use for comparison. What areyou spending in advertising per vehiclesold? How about flooring? The last numberon this chart really points out what can hap-pen when you have well-trained salespeo-ple and you focus on turning high-marginunits. The Top 5 dealers are averaging$80,000 more in gross profit per salesper-son than the NN dealers. Multiply that bysix average salespeople. That’s $480,000 inadditional gross profit for the sales depart-ment. Wow. Think about it.

Have questions? Feel free to contact mefor information, explanation or to discuss

how GSA can help you grow your businessprofitably. t

Steve Jones, GSA senior projects man-ager, outlines dealerships’ best businesspractices to boost margins, increase prof-itability and retain employees. His monthlycolumn recaps critical measurements usedby the leading 20-group dealers. GSA isrecognized as the industry’s No. 1 authorityon dealer profitability.

Access to our new Voyager 5 data re-porting and analysis system is available forany dealership for nominal fee. For moreinformation on our management work-shops, data reporting system, dealer 20-groups, on-site consulting or training, sendme an email at [email protected] orvisit www.gartsutton.com.


CHART 4November 2012 Sales Department StatsPart 2

GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM

Total Advertising & Promotion Per Vehicle Sold $54 $25 $88

Flooring Expense Per Vehicle Sold $98 $50 $115

Sales Personnel Expenses Per Vehicle Sold $353 $214 $247

Average Number of Customer-Facing Staff YTD 3.9 6.0 4.5

Gross Profit Per Sales Employee YTD $190,357 $262,385 $177,978

By Ricky Beggs

Strength In Four-WheelSector

MarketWatchBlack Book

Percent August September Change

ATV $3,644 $3,780 3.80%Cruiser $8,815 $8,642 2.00%Jet Boat $18,129 $17,373 4.20%OffRoad $2,625 $2,554 2.70%On/OffRoad $5,020 $4,936 1.70%Scooter $1,982 $1,941 2.10%Snowmobile $4,528 $4,655 2.80%Street $7,160 $7,069 1.30%Utility $6,837 $7,058 3.20%Watercraft $5,496 $5,280 3.90%Av

era

ge

Us

ed

Va

lue

s


creased use these vehicles see byhunters, farmers and outdoorsmen in thefall, it was unusual to see their valuesoverall merely hold steady, rather than in-crease significantly over the past fewmonths.

As for units that see decreased usageas the weather turns colder, street bikesare down 1.3 percent, cruisers are down2 percent and off-road bikes are down2.7 percent, which represents normal ad-justments for these segments as we headinto winter weather.

Snowmobiles are continuing to inchup in value as winter approaches. Theyare up by 2.8 percent this month, and ac-tion at auctions is likely to accelerate overthe next few months.

Personal watercraft are down by an ad-ditional 3.9 percent versus last month,while jet boats are down an additional 4.2percent. Combined with the drops invalue we have seen over the last twomonths, these segments are down a littlemore than 13 percent from their summer-time highs. If you have the space, thiscould be a great time to stock up a fewunits on the cheap for next spring. Exportsfrom some buyers at auctions are also hav-ing an impact within the market, so if youhave a few old carryovers, this might be agood time to remarket a few at the auc-tions. t

ATV Cruiser Jet Boats Off-Road 0n/Off-Road Scooter Snowmobile Street Utility Watercraft

October to NovemberUsed Unit Value Change

In the powersports market this month, theATV and utility vehicle segments have fi-

nally shown the pricing strength we expectfor this time of year. This is in marked con-trast to last month, where these segmentssaw only minimal increases in value, whichis highly unusual for the time of year.

ATVs are up by 3.8 percent and utilityvehicles are up by 3.2 percent. With the in-

Afunny thing happened at the bike shopone day. We were all hanging out in

the back, telling lies like a bunch of dirt bik-ers do, when a guy came up to the backdoor pushing his bike. He had a tire overone arm while he pushed his XS650Yamaha into the shop.

“Time for new rubber,” he said, “Ed’sbringing the front.”

Ed was the owner of the shop. We couldhear him bustling around in the back find-ing a tire that would fit and hurrying out tomake the sale. Ed, like most shop owners,was eager to sell this customer a set oftires. It was just amazing that it took himthis long to do it.

I walked around the back of the XS, andcould see four distinct bands of nylon cordshowing, maybe five if I looked really hard.“You got your money’s worth out of thisone,” I said, knowing that the joke was adry one — the customer was proud of hisfrugality.

“Yep,” he said, his rejoinder a classiccase of one-up manship, “I was ready to letit go ‘til fall, but my girlfriend said she won’tride on the back unless I get a new one.”

By this time I had made my usual 360around the bike, stopped at the front,where the tire was merely bald, but notshowing any cords. “This one’s still gotplenty of life in it.”

“I know,” the customer said, plainly dis-appointed. “She wants me to change thatone, too.”

By this time Ed had made his appear-ance and was barking orders around theshop, things we’d of course already startedin motion. The job at hand was getting thetires on while the customer waited, get thesale paid for and the job out the door, andthen we could get back to whatever it waswe were doing before the XS was rolledinto the shop.

The question roiling around in anyone’smind might be, “Why did the customerwait so long to get new tires?” The answercould be simple, considering where welived. Northern New England is the homeof some of the proudest, cheapest people

you’ll ever meet, and riding up with a com-pletely skinned tire is a point of pride forsome. Hard to say if they realized exactlyhow bad a safety hazard a bald tire is on atwo-wheeler, especially one that’s beingwailed around on local streets in unpre-dictable weather. Nobody really goes outintending to risk their life on a motorcycle,but without a doubt, riding on worn outtires is a great way to do it.

The second great question would be,why did Ed wait so long to sell this guy aset of tires? Easy. I’ve watched Ed and histeam of mechanics work for quite sometime. Their modus operandi was simple:wait inside, at the counter or in the shop,until somebody comes in needing some-thing.

This kind of thinking is great for keepingyou out of the weather, but does it bring inextra sales?

Here’s a better approach that wouldwork in any bike shop. When a customercomes in for parts, why not have your partsguys go out and check their VIN number,just to make sure they’re ordering the rightone? While they’re writing down the all-im-portant VIN, they could take a quick walkaround the bike, and possibly spot anynumber of potential sales. “Hey, this tire’sgetting a little thin, did you know we havesome special deals going on tires thismonth?” Or how about, “You know, thattaillight lens is pretty cloudy, we can fix youup with a new one.”

It’s also a great time to suggest acces-sories. If you customer has a bag of gro-ceries lashed down to the passenger seat,you might suggest they look at the tailbagsyou have in stock, or maybe they want a setof saddlebags that’ll get the job done instyle.

You’re all familiar with the customer whorides down to the shop on a nice Saturdaymorning just to hang out with some othermotorcycle guys. You know they have theirbike, they wouldn’t be carrying a bug-cov-ered helmet otherwise. This creates theperfect opportunity to say something like,“Hey, you’ve got your bike here? Let’s go

take a look at it, I need to get outside...”Customers love to show off their bikes, andlove to talk about them. Why not steer theconversation toward possible upgrades aswell as new parts that might be needed?

If you want to get scientific, have yoursalesmen carry a tire tread gauge in theirpocket and get right down and check cus-tomers’ tires. “You know, that tire won’tpass inspection next time, you might thinkabout something new on there.”

Tires have a lot of other potential prob-lems other than wear. Your service andsalespeople should be trained to be able tospot dry rot, odd tire wear patterns as wellas tread depth, and even look for nails inthe tire. I’ve seen a number of customerscome in carrying nails, and they never hada clue.

The bottom line is this: Your customerscome in because they’re interested and en-thusiastic about the product you’re selling.Go outside and look at their ride; show alittle enthusiasm in return, and you mightalso find that you’re opening up a new avenue for sales while you’re at it. t

CYCLEPEDIA PRESS LLC has been publishing interactive, Web-based service manuals for ATVs,motorcycles and scooters since 2006. Every CY-CLEPEDIA manual includes step-by-step repairprocedures, color photos and videos, specifica-tions, diagnostic data and tech support. Mobiledevice-friendly and easy to use. Browse the fulllibrary at: WWW.CYCLEPEDIA.COM or call 828-645-0017.


TipsTECH

Where the Rubber Meetsthe Road


One of the hardest jobs in any repairshop is lacing a wheel quickly. Some ofthe manufacturers will use two to threedifferent size spokes on one wheel. Hereis a quick tip I use when re-lacing awheel:

1. Start with the wheel on a flat surface.

2. Mark the first spoke on the up side of the

rim to the left and right of the valve stem.

Trace those spokes back to the hub and

make the same marks on the hub. We

made those marks here in black.

3. Then mark the next spoke to the right

and left of the spokes you marked in

black during the previous step. Follow

those spokes back to the hub (we

marked them in yellow.) Now you should

have four spokes marked on the rim and

four spokes marked on the hub.

Lacing Wheels

Submit Your Tip to Win $100!Got a Service Bay Secret you want to share? Email yourtip to [email protected]. If your Service Bay secret runs inthe pages on MPN, you’ll win a crisp $100.

Submitted by Chris BroomeTeam Charlotte MotorsportsSecrets

SERVICE BAY


4. Now label the rim so you know what side is the rotor side. If it

is dual rotor rim just mark it side “A” and side “B”.

5. If the spokes will not come off easily, take a grinder and cut themin half.

6. Now take the rim you removed and place it over the new rim.

7. Make the same color marks on the new rim. Pay special atten-

tion to street bike rims that use different size spokes. Make sure

you have the same side facing up on the new rim and the old rim.

Adding this quick and easy step should help to eliminate the

spoke that does not fit after you have laced almost the entire

wheel. t

� ��


Depending on your location in theU.S. and the makeup of your busi-

ness, January can be a very slow monthin the service department. However, hav-ing a slow month or two can be veryhelpful. It is a great time to review thelast year and make any necessary adjust-ments. Adjustments might be the num-ber of people on staff, developing newpolicies and procedures or a completedepartment reset.

This is a great time of year to reviewyour staff and the numbers your depart-ment produced during 2012. Did yourservice department carry its weight in2012? If not, why? Did you have enoughwork coming in the door? Did your tech-nicians produce enough hours per monthto make them worth keeping on staff?Did you have more work than you couldhandle?

If you have more work than you canhandle during the busy time of year, thennow is the time to fix that problem andstreamline your department. Try lookingat the type of work your department wasperforming during those months. If youwere performing a significant amount ofmaintenance work, then try setting up agreen lane. Developing a green lane, orservice lane, is a great way to turn thoseservice jobs quickly and efficiently. If youchoose to set up a green lane, be sure tospend some time working with your partsdepartment to ensure it can handle deliv-ering parts to service quickly. Restructur-ing your departments to accommodate agreen lane will take some time for yourtechs and service writers to get used to.Making these types of changes mid-sea-son generally creates chaos. If you makethese changes over the winter whenthings are slow, you will reap the benefitswhen spring rolls around.

MANAGERService

By C.R. Gittere

THE

Service Department ReviewSet 2013 Up for Success


If you had an overwhelming season, then maybe you needto look at hiring another tech or two. There are some great re-sources in our industry such as Henry Lonski and www.motorcy-cleindustryjobs.com. It will take several interviews to findsomeone that can fit into your current culture. Take the timeand start now, so they are up and ready to roll by spring. It is al-ways good to have a mix of technicians. Every shop shouldstrive to have at least one “A” level technician and oneyounger, hungry kid that can turn the service work. Having theright mix of the senior mentor and the young hungry kid willkeep your department stable year over year, but this can taketime to organize.

Taking time to do a yearly review of your technicians is al-ways a good idea. Sometimes it takes looking at the number ofhours they produced over the course of six to eight months todetermine if they have been performing well. If one or two ofyour techs have sub-par hours, then it might be a good idea tohave a chat with them and find out why. They might need a lit-tle more training or a new direction in life. If all your techs havesub-par hours, it might be a service selling issue. This time ofyear is a great time to review pricing and selling strategies for2013.

One other significant reason all your techs might be produc-ing low hours is shop layout and organization. It can be hard foranyone to work in an area that is a disorganized mess. I con-sider the winter to be reset time. Take some time to cleaneverything up. Throw out all the old parts and junk layingaround that doesn’t need to be there.

Make sure you have your lifts, tire machines and parts wash-ers up to snuff. Take a minute and oil up your compressors, reor-ganize the manuals room and most of all,clean up, reset and put away all the spe-cial tools that are laying around on workbenches. Having your equipment readyto go when the weather breaks will makespring easier and more profitable.

Proper preparation in the off seasonis key to getting a running start on thespring. Just because the amount ofwork coming in the front door hasslowed down doesn’t mean it’s slowdown time! t

C.R. Gittere and the Service ManagerPro team specialize in service depart-ment efficiency, elevating customer serv-ice and increasing departmentprofitability. His monthly column focuseson best practices and unique ways toget the most out of your service depart-ment. More information about ServiceManager Pro can be found at www.ser-vicemanagerpro.com.


Here comes some digital media fun facts — I am going tofire them at you fast and furious in an effort to allow you

walk away from this article a bit smarter, wiser and more focusedon the digital space for 2013. If I had compiled this data myself,I would have the distinct right to call myself Wonder Woman …but in truth, I derived this content from BusinessInsider.com, anamazing resource for Internet intelligence led by Henry Blodget.

Digital Media Today

The digital medium is nearing 20 years old (yet I am regularlyasked if this Internet thing is some kind of fad). This fact shouldput an end to the nay-sayers, wouldn’t you think?

More than 2 billion people are online — but that still leavestwo-thirds of the world left to go. Even with those figures, mostof the world’s income is online with statistics showing that thetop 30 percent of global income earners make up 82 percent ofonline users.

Smartphone sales blew past PC sales as soon as they wereintroduced in 2005. Today, tablets are driving all growth in thePC market; led by the release of the first iPad in 2010. Whowould even consider buying a laptop over a tablet these days?And what exactly is a “desktop” anyway? The future, no doubt,is mobile.

Online Media Versus Television

Viewing habits are swinging away from prime time television to-ward recorded TV, video games and streaming online video.Think about your family’s activities. Where do your kids and

grandkids spend their time? I am going to guess it’s headsdown on their mobile device.

Satellite and cable TV subscriptions are trending steadilydown, while “over-the-top” or OTT video has become a realplayer in the space. OTT includes third party providers such asNetflix, YouTube and Hulu. Live events are increasingly garner-ing eyeballs with the action being viewed either on televisionsor video gaming consoles (all of which are equipped with Wi-Fi).

Digital media advertising is growing rapidly — in fact, at thelargest U.S tech and media companies, nearly 40 percent of therevenue is digital. Google now generates as much ad revenue

By Heather Blessington

The Future of Digital Media

SAVV

YW

eb


as newspapers and magazines (all of them combined).Digital media content ad revenue is exploding with iTunes,

Netflix and Kindle leading the pack, but keep your eye onZynga, Spotify and Dropbox (if you haven’t the slightest clueabout these companies, this is your cue to get Googling).

However, even with that bright and shiny outlook for digital,TV remains the far and away leader in U.S. advertising spend-ing. It continues to grow, but user behavior is changing. For themoment, TV remains king … but history has taught us thatwhen user behaviors change, the money follows.

Social Media

It seems that the entire world is on Facebook (humans and petsincluded!), yet the statistics show only one-seventh of theworld’s population utilizes it — which translates to approxi-mately 500 million daily users and 1 billion monthly users.

When it comes to online advertising, Google is far and awayNo. 1, with Facebook blowing past Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo andall others combined for second place. The pace of Facebook’sgrowth makes one wonder: will it ever be bigger than Google?Highly unlikely. Blodget puts it this way; “Google is like adver-tising at a store. Facebook is like adver-tising at a party.”

E-commerce

Big box stores aren’t just online to selltheir wares; there’s big business in adssales. Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart arenow building ad businesses, modelingtheir sites after Amazon with online adrevenues already exceeding $1 billionannually.

As e-commerce continues to takeshare, new brands such as Groupon, GiltGroupe and Living Social blend market-ing and commerce.

Mobile

When it comes to mobile phone usage,people are using their phones as they dotheir PCs, spending the majority of theirtime playing games, surfing social net-works, catching up on the news, visitingthe bank and shop, shop, shopping.

Truth is, the vast majority of the human population is deter-mined to burn up every spare second of its waking hours ped-dling far away from any form of solitude whatsoever. Good forcapitalism, but a bit scary for relationship building and socialskill development — such as the all-important ability to makeeye contact with your loved ones at the dinner table. But I digress.

Images (mostly “selfies”) fill up our mobile devices, andvideo is created and consumed at a mind-numbing rate (checkout Dude Perfect on YouTube to burn up a solid hour of yourlife you will never get back — or download his brand new appto impress your friends).

I find one of the more interesting new behavioral habits isthe habit of watching television while dialing into a social net-work on a smartphone. There’s something about this dual view-ing activity that our brains crave and many find the ability tointeract with others on mutual topics of interest quite satisfying,hence the draw of Twitter.

In-store price checking is a technical advance that haschanged the way we shop and ultimately make buying deci-sions. Today’s retail shopper is savvy. He cares about getting


the best price or a killer “deal,” and retailers need to bowdown to this reality if they are going to survive in this ever-changing climate. Price matching has become core to retailsales strategy with same-day shipping being the latest gamechanger to be considered by any industry wanting to be aplayer as detailed by WIRED magazine in “Death by a BillionClicks.”

Mobile is driving Internet usage through the roof, creating a24/7 data stream direct to the consumer, so the question is: willmobile ad revenue follow?

The space to watch is localized mobile ads, which allow re-tailers to reach their core demographic for the lowest of lowspend. The ability to target consumers in the digital world islike never before in the history of media, and these savvy con-sumers are hungry for local offers, deals and information.

Apps

Apple App store downloads are on track to hit 60 billion bymid-2013, with smartphone users spending more time withapps than mobile Web activity. “Freemium” is still the domi-nant model, with games being the area generating the mostpaid app downloads across the board.

Google Android is the leading mobile platform. This is at-tributed to the fact Android owns China, and the fact that An-droid is an open platform that is distributed through manyphones including Motorola, HTC and Samsung. The Apple iOSplatform runs only on the iPhone, iPad, iPod and iTouch, whichlimits growth potential.

Now that you are armed with a clear perspective on digitalmedia, it’s up to you what you do with this newfound intel. Myhope is you will review your marketing budget for 2013 andshift dollars to this growing frontier to allow you to start gather-ing data on what form of digital media delivers the highest ROIfor your business. t

Award-winning blogger and CEO of Duo Web Solutions,Heather Blessington is a nationally-renowned speaker on socialmedia marketing and a digital marketing veteran. Her com-pany provides MPN monthly columns focused on best prac-tices in Web marketing for powersports dealers.

View the entire slide deck from BusinessInsider.com here:

http://www.businessinsider.com/future-of-digital-slides-2012-11#


The greatest salespeople aren’t greatbecause of their ability to handle

when customers say “yes.” They aregreat because of their ability to handlewhat happens when they hear the word“no.”

The difference is that successful sales-people either consciously or subcon-sciously have methods for bouncing back.Like a brand-new tennis ball ready for thenext serve, they want back in the game.Unsuccessful salespeople respond likethat old flat basketball that was alwayslast on the rack in gym class. They hit thehardwood with a thud and are immedi-ately kicked to the side of the court.

The notion that sales success is oftenfound in rejection can be a fairly depress-

ing thought. But what if:• You were able to more easily over-

come rejection? • You could hear the word “no” and

not take it personally?• There was a method scientifically

proven to have the same antidepres-sant effects on your mental conditionas pharmaceuticals, but didn’t re-quire you to take a pill?

When you make an “ask” (requestingsome commitment or decision of some-one), you are putting yourself out there.You are taking a risk. For some, thismakes them as nervous as Lindsay Lohanat a meeting with her parole officer. Thefollowing will help you minimize that risk,

calm your nerves and steamroll throughthose inevitable times of rejection.

Minimize Rejection

Start with less risky situations and set-tings. If you want to experimentwith a 99.9 percent ex-tended service plan logicargument and you’venever done

By Mark Rodgers

Imposter Syndrome

In 1985, Dr. Pauline Rose Clance published a bookcalled The Imposter Phenomenon in which she de-scribed how highly successful people battle with feel-ings of inferiority. Successful executives, professionalathletes and others of note, all at one time or anotherfeel as if someone will find out they aren’t as good asthey are made out to be. This is a mental condition,which hinders talent and contributions.

If you were to compare your belief about your per-formance to your actual performance you may makesome interesting discoveries. (See Imposter Syn-drome Chart, Right) If you think your good at some-thing and you’re not, that might classify a person asdelusional (not necessarily in the One Flew Over the

Cuckoo’s Nest sense). If you are not good at some-thing and you don’t think you’re good at it, you’ve gota self-inflicted impediment. If you’re good at some-thing, but walk around on eggshells as if someone’sabout to play the ace, you’re experiencing the Im-poster Syndrome (which most people have felt thisway at least once). If you’re good at something and you know you’re good at something, this can create a healthy confident mindset (there’s a difference be-tween confidence and arrogance). t

DELUSIONAL HEALTHY

OBSTRUCTIVEIMPOSTERSYNDROME

PEAKDealership

PERFORMANCE

Building ResilienceBounce Back from Inevitable Rejection: Part 1


it before, don’t try it out on your mostcantankerous customer, an off day orwhen you really need to make the salebecause your mortgage is due. Practiceit on friends and family first and then findthat customer with whom youhave a great relationship andsay, “Let me run somethingby you …” A rookiepitcher’s first game is neverin the World Series.

Always go into every “ask” with op-tions. It’s best to avoid a take-it-or-leave-it stance. Always have a good, better orbest option. This way, it’s not whethersomeone takes you up on your offer, it’show they take you up on your offer. Itdoesn’t matter if you’re talking motorcy-cles, jackets or an employee perform-ance review, you can come up withoptions for everything.

Start with your more extreme offer. Ifyou do they may just take you up on it.And if so, that’s frosting on the beer mugfor you. If they don’t, you can leverage aconcept known as rejection, then retreat.When someone says “no” to your offer,you simply retreat within your offer toyour next option. Studies prove peopleare much more likely to say “yes” to yournext option because they feel you’vemade a concession to them by making asmaller subsequent offer.

Don’t ask for the business. Yep, youread that right. The reason 62 percent ofall retail sales aren’t consummated is be-cause the salesperson doesn’t ask for the

sale. Why don’t they ask for the busi-ness? They’re afraid they will get turneddown. So, don’t ask for the business. Askfor the customer’s opinion first. It’s easy,much less threatening and will tell youwhether you should move forward inyour sales progression. At an appropriatemoment simply ask the customer, “Whatdo you think?” If they hesitate, keepworking. If they say, “I like it,” ask for thecommitment.

Practice these tactics to minimize re-jection and stay tuned for next month’sinstallment where we’ll dig deeper intodealing with rejection. t

An award-winning author, top-ratedtrainer and founder of Peak DealershipPerformance, Mark Rodgers holds a mas-ter’s degree in adult education and theNational Speakers Association CertifiedSpeaking Professional designation —only 500 people in the world have thiscoveted recognition. [email protected] improve your performance.


In today’s world of social media, there’s a good chance you’ve al-ready seen video of a guy channeling his inner IronMan, blasting

above the water as jet thrust seemingly comes out of his feet andhands. It’s no computer-generated effect. The product is the Fly-Board (flyboard.com), and its North American distributor, FlyBoardInc., has been signing up dealers since early 2012. Interested? Con-sider this. Compared to its primary competition, the FlyBoard isvery competitively priced. And the product it relies upon for thesource of its propulsion is one you’re likely already selling … a per-sonal watercraft.

Water-jet-propelled human flight is kind of a hot topic in recentyears. Perhaps the best known example is the JetLev, a waterjet-powered backpack that is linked via a hose to what is essentially adriverless PWC hull below. It’s cool, certainly, but pricey, costing up-wards of $100,000. Rentals have proven popular at select resorts,but obviously only the wealthy have added one to their personaltoy collection. FlyBoard aims to be different by keeping the pricedramatically lower at $6,495. One way in which that is possible isthat the FlyBoard uses a customer’s existing PWC.

Designed by French PWC racer Franky Zapata and his company,ZAPATA RACING, the FlyBoard relies not on a driverless PWC-likehull towed below, but instead on an actual, functional personal wa-tercraft. Thrust generated at the PWC is redirected to a wakeboard-like, plastic platform attached to the flyer’s feet, as well asadditional stabilizing thrusters in the hands. Setup is surprisinglyquick and simple. Users remove their craft’s existing thrust nozzleand bolt in its place a U-shaped pipe that redirects the PWC’sthrust up the supply hose attached to the FlyBoard. A swivel con-nection at the board enables the rider to spin and twist withoutkinking or twisting the supply hose. Plastic ball bearings eliminateworries of rust.

One catch? In its standard setup, the FlyBoard’s flyer lacks anycontrol over the intensity of the thrust. That’s left up to a partneraboard the PWC, who determines just how much power to deliverby control of the throttle. For obvious safety reasons, FlyBoard re-quires the PWC operator be a FlyBoard Certified Operator. De-pending on the dealer, certification may be included in the purchaseof the board; additional operators can be certified after a $350course. This “team-like” concept keeps things simple, but I imaginemost flyers would prefer control over their own destiny … especiallyconsidering the FlyBoard can reportedly send the user as high as 40feet. An optional Electronic Management Kit ($1,850) gives the ridertotal control by linking the flyer to the PWC’s throttle through a fin-ger trigger, although a spotter is still required aboard the PWC.

The vast majority of the product’s thrust (90 percent) comes out

of cast-iron jets attached to the bottom of the board. The remain-ing 10 percent is directed to aluminum thrusters at the hands,which are used to stabilize the flyer as well as provide some direc-tional control. Much of where you go in the air is accomplished byleaning the board wake or snowboard-style, toward the toesideedge to go forward, toward the heelside edge to go back. Fly-Board estimates customers will be able to fly the board after lessthan 10 minutes with a certified instructor, and be proficient in lessthan three hours.

According to FlyBoard’s director of operations Matt Tutton, thecompany currently has 15 dealerships, with many more applica-tions currently waiting for approval. Those dealerships aren’t justlimited to the obvious PWC dealerships. “Anybody can apply,”says Tutton. “We’ve got independent operations that just sell Fly-Board. Some are boat dealers, some PWC dealers, some do kite-boarding. It’s all over the spectrum, anything to do withwatersports.”

All are required to have a representative take a one-day instruc-tor’s course ($1,000) at the company’s corporate facility in Florida,where they learn safe operation of the board, as well as how to in-struct customers. t

FlyBoard Looks To Sign UpNorth American Dealers

PWCUPDATE

People find all sorts of things in oldbarns. Old bike enthusiasts dream of

the antique motorcycle waiting for themunder a dusty blanket. Few people imaginethat a profitable business is waiting forthem under the hayloft, but that’s whereCycle Barn’s owner, Jim Boltz, found hiscalling.

Jim started selling Kawasakis — some ofwhich are now the kind of serious collector’sitems that people hope to find in barns —in a wooden barn near Lynnwood, north ofSeattle, Wash., in 1972. The barn had previ-ously contained a big machine shop, somaking it over into a dealership was not theproject it might seem at first glance. It was,however, short on amenities. The bath-room, for example, was in another building,

necessitating a cold trudge outside in winter.

In 1977, the owners of the barn sold it,and the building was torn down. By thistime, the Cycle Barn business had grown tothe point where Jim could buy nearby landand build his own building. He built big. “Ifyou are going to build something, build itas big and as best you can,” he says.“Other local dealers thought we were crazyand would soon be out of business.” In-stead, the dealership soon ran out of room.

Over the years, Jim worked to createa “one-stop shop,” a place where cus-tomers could come for anything andeverything motorcycle, and his businesscontinued to grow.

In 1998, Cycle Barn built another

building to contain thedealership on the Lyn-nwood property. Thisstructure was threetimes bigger than theprevious one, but CycleBarn was not throughexpanding. A seconddealership at Smokey Point, 26 milesnorth, was opened in 2000, sellingHonda and Yamaha. Shortly afterwards,Cycle Barn Smokey Point added Polaris,then Kawasaki and finally Suzuki, in addi-tion to Husqvarna power equipment.Cycle Barn-Smokey Point is now in a30,000-square-foot freestanding buildingeasily visible from Interstate 5.

In line with the one-stop concept, Cycle

Smokey Point Cycle Barn


DealershipDESTINATION

By Margie Siegal

Barn tries to cater to all groups of motorcy-clists in Northern Washington State. Thearea is home to many gentleman farmersand small ranchers who want ATVs andside-by-sides for ranch work and hunting.Some of the best roads in the United Statesencourage the sportbike and adventurecrowd, and there are plenty of trails for off-roading families. “We get a lot of blue col-lar workers from the nearby Boeing plant,”says Gregg Anderson, general manager.“We have a strong clientele from the areamilitary bases.”

The growth and continued viability ofCycle Barn is due to a strong focus on thecore business and on customer service.“Wants, needs and desires — we find andfulfill,” says Gregg. “We try to make eachcustomer that comes in the door a cus-tomer for life.” The effort has paid off in themany positive reviews posted by cus-tomers, who praise the ‘going the extramile‘ attitude of the Cycle Barn staff, includ-ing the four-legged store greeter, Lucy.

One excellent source for customers is

the in-house motorcycleschool. “We had a customerfrom England who hadtrained motorcyclists in Eng-land. He didn’t like the waymotorcycle training wasdone here, and wanted toset up his own business. He

needed a classroom, and we had a room inour facility,” Gregg explains. “We also pro-vide motorcycles for the program.

“The school means we have excited,motivated new riders coming to our dealer-ship for training every week. On average,we have 20-24 students coming throughevery week in the summer and 10-12 in thewinter, trying to get permits or improve

their skills. Washington State MotorcycleSafety Training has been a great programfor us, with all the brand-new excitement inthe store, all that anticipation of getting a license and getting out on the road. It’s likeChristmas every day. “

The dealership has found that one of itsbest sources of publicity is the easily seenbuilding near the freeway, where more than80,000 vehicles roar by daily. Cycle Barnmakes sure that its employees are at theannual Seattle International MotorcycleShow with a large stack of business cards.

However, in its day-to-day publicity,Cycle Barn tends to concentrate on onlineinitiatives. “We embrace social media,”says Gregg. “We are learning to maximizeour impact and stay significant.”

The dealership puts out an emailnewsletter and has a presence on Face-book. The Smokey Point website featuresonline shopping, online OEM fiches and aparts finder. Parts that have been sitting onshelves get moved to eBay.

Financing applications are available on-

line, as are prices for prior year and usedbikes. The website also incorporates an ex-tensive resource list, including riding andrace instruction, contact information forlocal bike clubs, online motorcycle forumsand nearby motocross parks.

In line with the emphasis on maintainingexisting customers, the website includes acustomer satisfaction survey, which is takenseriously by staff. All comments are readand responded to as quickly as possible.“We understand that people in our areahave lots of choices on how to spend theirdiscretionary income,” says Gregg. “Wewant to make sure they continue to enjoyspending it with us.

“Our key mantra for serving our cus-

tomers is: ‘Shop slow, pay quick!’ We keepa lot of knowledgeable staff on hand —more than most dealerships,” he continues.“There are plenty of people to help cus-tomers at all times. We also have fivecashier locations. The goal is no lines, evenon Christmas Eve.”

The past five years were very difficult forNorthwest dealers, and several nearbydealerships closed. “I believe we have seenthe worst of it, but there is still much dam-age to overcome,” Gregg explains. “The fi-nancial holes dug during the downeconomy are deep and will take manyyears to fully recover. We had a phenome-nal 2012 and are looking for much biggerreturns for 2013.

“Cycle Barn has been very fortunateto have a seasoned, long-term staff andmanagement team to carry us through.All of the people working for us are fa-natics. We like what we are doing. As PatNeland, our general sales manager says,‘I earn my living in a toy store. Whatcould be better?’” t


Cycle BarnSmokey PointMarysville, Wash.www.smokeypointcyclebarn.com

OEMs: Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, Kawasakiand Suzuki

Major Brands: Cobra, Fox Racing, MarseeMotorcycle Luggage, Helmet House, Ogio,Teknic, Alpinestars, Parts Unlimited, HJC,Tucker Rocky, Gerbings’ Heated Clothingand Western Power Sports.

Number of employees: 23


By Lee Klancher

When current US Highland CEO John Fitzpatrick III first un-locked the storage facility that contained the remains of

the company in Tulsa, Okla., he found row after row of well-fin-ished prototypes — a 950 adventure bike, a street tracker and astring of dirt bikes — all coated in dust.

An enthusiast would see them as an invitation to go riding.An investor might see millions of development dollars idling.The polished Fitzpatrick held executive positions with Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard and Indian, and is the newly ap-pointed CEO of US Highland. When he first confronted the rowof dusty bikes on the floor, he saw both overwhelming choicesand a great opportunity.

The line of bikes was created due to the efforts of MatsMalmberg, a man who was part of the group of Swedish engi-neers who created the technology for Husqvarna as well asFolan, Cannondale and others. He founded Highland AB in1997 and used a Folan-designed 950cc V-Twin engine to createthe Outback 950 adventure bike, selling a few units worldwide.

Oklahoma-based entrepreneur Chase Bales purchased oneof the Outback 950s. He and Malmberg crossed paths whileworking with ATK. Bales proposed to move Malmberg to Tulsaand build an entire line of new motorcycles. Malmberg agreed,and US Highland was born in 2009.

Malmberg and Bales worked together to create an enthusi-ast’s dream. Their idea was to create engines and frames thatwere modular and customizable. Buyers could order a street-oriented dirt tracker, adventure bike, dirt bike or street bike. Engines could be single or V-Twin, each available in a range ofdisplacements and states of tune. Dealers would have demobikes, and customers would order through the dealer. In a videointerview, Malmberg called the US Highland bike “a works motorcycle for the consumer.”

On Feb. 23, 2010, US Highland opened a new 33,000-square-foot facility in Mounds, Okla., in anticipation of building700 units that year and 1,500 in 2011. The company announced

a tentative agreement with a major OEM to custom build brandedbikes. The Tulsa World reported that 200 to 300 people would beworking at the facility by the year’s end. Journalists were put onthe prototypes, and the early reviews of the light, powerful bikeswith high-dollar componentry were enthusiastic.

On July 10, 2010, Malmberg, Bales and Damian Riddoch, USHighland CFO, were killed when their multi-engine Cessnacrashed on the way back from a business meeting. An interimCOO was appointed three days after the crash, and the 30 em-ployees maintained their jobs, while management looked to se-cure financing.

Interim management did its best to raise the funds needed tocontinue on course, but new investors were reluctant to jump onboard without the founders. In December 2010, the facility’s doorswere locked, most of the 30 employees let go, and the line ofbikes sat idle and gathered dust as the company continuted tostruggle to maintain the resources needed to put US Highlandback on track. A Tulsa-based advisory group located new financ-ing and began the search for a new management team. In Sep-tember 2011, Fitzpatrick was hired. That’s when he opened thedoors and let the sun shine on the line of motorcycles in storage.

Fitzpatrick was a key manager for Harley-Davidson, and helpeddevelop and ramp up production at the Kansas City plant. He inti-

New Investors and


mately understands production systems and how to quickly pro-duce a large number of machines. Hired by a revitalized US High-land, Fitzpatrick was tasked with picking up where the founders leftoff. Malmberg and Bales had let their enthusiasm for motorcyclesand innovation drive their company. The two built anything andeverything that seemed interesting, and the dusty facility inMounds contained enough machinery to power the companythrough a dozen product launches.

“These guys were ahead of their time,” Fitzpatrick said. “Theywere completely passionate about everything they did. They wereprobably on the cusp of making their dream come true.”

The US Highland team included several members who hadworked with the original founders. Deborah Engles ran the officefor the company before and after the crash, and former racer/mo-torcycle designer Martin Lind of Rollox AB was one of the key de-signers for the entire line of motorcycles.

“They know. They were there all along,” Fitzpatrick said.“There’s this thread of continuity.”

Lind’s perspectives on the history of each bike has been invalu-able to Fitzpatrick and his new team, as has his technical expertiseand development work. The heart and soul of the engineeringteam lives on with Lind.

“[Martin] was the magnet that drew me into this,” Fitzpatrick

said. “Thank God he wasn’t on that plane.” As Fitzpatrick began to understand his new product line, he also

began adding team members. One of the first hires he made washis friend and neighbor, James B. McCoy. McCoy brought a blendof experience with sales, franchising, licensing and start-up compa-nies. Nearly equally as important, he’s a hardcore enthusiast, withexperience racing off-road, riding adventure motorcycles andmore. He and Fitzpatrick had discussed their thoughts on US High-land long before any discussions about working together. In Febru-ary 2012, Fitzpatrick hired McCoy as vice president of sales.

“We thought we were walking into a company where we wouldbe manufacturing bikes immediately,” said McCoy. “As soon as wesaw the bikes, we realized we had some R&D to do.”

In fact, McCoy made a conscious decision not to ride the bikesfor several months. He knew that as an enthusiast, his reactionwould be to want to finish the motorcycles. Producing motorcycleswas not, however, the first priority in the US Highland mandate.

“We could see that the first product we were going to createwas an OEM motor,” McCoy said. “We knew the motors were veryclose to being done.”

The motor concept has been refined and clarified by the addi-tion of Josh Whitaker, who has been the director of marketing forKTM and Red Bull and directed the off-road segment for Tucker

Management Set to Introduce New Motor and Bike in Q1 2013


Rocky. He approached Fitzpatrick in August2012, who immediately brought him on tohelp the company define and communicateits vision.

The motor was what attracted the in-vestors to purchase US Highland. I sat withFitzpatrick, McCoy and Whitaker in a coffeeshop in downtown Tulsa, where Fitzpatrickexplained his group’s vision.

“How can we … not just build some-thing, but change the face of the power-sports industry?” he said. The V-Twin andthe single-cylinder engine have been well-tested, are designed to be easily customiz-able, and the manufacturing systems andsuppliers are on hand.

That makes it simple for the company tooffer the same engine for any OEM. USHighland offers an off-the-shelf powerplant— similar to an S&S motor — that can beused in nearly any configuration imaginable.

They are currently pursuing partnershipswith chassis builders that range from streetcustoms to off-road vehicles. The productwill be the motor, set up to match theOEM’s requirements.

Need a 120-horsepower 1050cc V-Twinfor your sand rail? A 950cc V-Twin tuned fortorque for your ATV chassis? A 507cc sin-gle-cylinder for your custom-built motorcy-cle? US Highland can supply those.

The idea is to work with the growingnumber of custom manufacturers and sup-ply this engine. The machines will bebadged “Powered by US Highland”.

As the two men talked excitedly abouttheir vision, the sound of a barely-muffledV-Twin rolling down the street rattled thewindows as it parked out front. Steven“Posie” Pfaff, director of manufacturing forUS Highland, stepped off a US Highland950cc V-Twin-powered Street Tracker. He’sa V-Twin performance guy who cut his teethbuilding high-performance Harleys.

“I come out of the trenches, brother,”he later said to me, flashing a toothy grin ashe showed me the rapid prototyping ma-chine in the US Highland shop. Posie joinedus in the coffee shop, adding some bikercred to the khaki and button-down of therest of the team.

“Powered by US Highland” took a newmeaning during quick test rides of severalof the bikes. I sampled the single on an off-road bike with a 450cc engine, which CoreyGreen rode in the 2010 Summer X-Games.The bike had a number of innovative fea-tures and looked as polished and finishedas a production bike. Riding the bike was

shockingly seamless. The power wassmooth, clean and strong, with a strong hitdown low that flattened out into the topend. The chassis felt as tight, comfortableand sorted as a Japanese motocross bike.

I also rode an updated version of the950 Outback. The adventure bike is incredi-bly tall, and feels light and agile. The seat-ing position is well sorted and natural, witha plush ride. The motor is a torque monster,and the bike would loft the front wheel inthe first two gears with ease.

I also rode the V-Twin-powered streettracker that Posie piloted to the coffeeshop. The bike is tiny and vicious. The fuelinjection mapping left a flat spot off idle.The exhaust note was tuned, tight and loudenough to set off car alarms. Feather theclutch to rev the engine past the spot, andthe bike accelerates savagely. The stiff rearlets the rear tire slip a bit, which probablyprevents wheelies at every input.

The engine stars in the Street Tracker,and even with the V-Twin detuned to aclaimed 80 rear-wheel horsepower, is theoverwhelming feature of the bike. TheStreet Tracker to be introduced this comingspring will be a single-cylinder, which I sus-pect will be a much more rideable, fun ma-chine. But a portion of the public will wantthat vicious little V-Twin — and will eventu-ally be able to get it.

Fitzpatrick and McCoy have gone awayfrom the founder’s vision of high prices, andhope to price their bikes very competitively.They also intend to offer consumers the op-tion of saving more money by ordering abike that is partially assembled.

US Highland intends to offers dealers acompetitive margin so they can sell cus-tomized bikes, parts and provide service.Dealers also have the option of creatingtheir own brand by specing a motorcyclebuilt to suit their customers and finishedwith whatever graphics and componentsthey see fit.

The facilities in Tulsa are gleaming andclean, with racks and parts and stationswhere engines can be manufactured. Fitz-patrick told me his team is fielding ninesales leads a day from people interested inthe new engines.

US Highland promises to offer enthusi-asts and dealers alike an American-madeoption in the powersports area, built by vi-sionaries and now in the hands of experi-enced motorsports professionals with apromising blend of motorcycle enthusiasmand industry seasoning. t

On-Board Wheel Balancersfor Harley-Davidsons

CentramaticAlready popular with Honda Goldwing owners, Centra-

matic Balancers are now available for Harley-David-

sons. They provide improvement in stability, handling,

safety and increased tire life. They're made of the

highest quality materials and carry a five-year unlim-

ited mileage warranty. They mount between the brake

disc and wheel hub and require no service whatsoever.

Centramatic Balancers will balance the tire and wheel

every time the bike is ridden, and lead weight counter

balancing is no longer required at tire change.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.centramatic.com

Each week, we present ourreaders with the best newproducts on the market.While all the gadgets, apparel and tools we shareare valued by dealers, some simply stand above the rest.

We’ve rounded up the mostclicked items on our website,presenting you with the

top 25 products of 2012.


1.


Adventure Track SeatSaddlemen Saddlemen’s 25 years of seat making has led to the 2012 re-

lease of what Saddlemen calls the most advanced adventure

touring seats on the market. The Adventure Track Seat fea-

tures a hybrid design that combines Saddlemen’s exclusive

SaddleGel and patented Gel Channel design to provide comfort

and control by reducing shock, vibration and pressure. A

weather-resistant synthetic microfiber cover for the driver and

a rubberized “gripper” seat cover for the passenger/cargo pil-

lion further emphasize control. Optional heating elements are

incorporated into the design, and desired heat level is main-

tained by a five-level LED remote control. This product retails

between $399 and $749.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.saddlemen.com

Vemar Eclipse Night Vision HelmetMotonationThe 2012 Vemar Eclipse Night Vision helmet is graced with an

improved visor gasket and enhanced ventilation. The Night Vi-

sion feature is activated by absorbing UV radiation from sun-

light — the longer the exposure to sunlight, the longer the

helmet emits an afterglow. This EC- and DOT-certified helmet

features an aerodynamic, high impact, mid-oval shaped shell

and a padded chin strap with a double D-ring closure system.

Other features include removable/washable polyurethane

cheek pads and an adjustable full ventilation system. The retail

price is $475.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.motonation.com

BT Next Bluetooth Stereo IntercomMidland Radio Corp.The BT Next is Midland's newest Bluetooth stereo intercom for communica-

tion on two wheels. With one of the longest distance ranges available in the

U.S. (up to one mile), the BT Next combination headset offers Bluetooth con-

nections to smartphones, MP3 players and GPS devices. The device allows

the user to converse with up to four riders, while VOX technology allows for

voice-activated dialing and call answering. Other features include an aerody-

namic, compact design and automatic, hands-free volume control.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.midlandusa.com

2.

3.

4.

1100LED Powersports Driving LampsPIAA Corp.PIAA's 1100LED driving lamps offer high output illumi-

nation for optimum sighting and visibility but draw sig-

nificantly less power than H.I.D. or halogen lamps. They

require only one amp per light at 12 volts, and each lamp

includes three 4-watt high output LED bulbs. Innovative

computer-controlled Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

technology provides optimal thermal protection for

longer life and greater performance, while a 3-millime-

ter high-impact clear glass lens illuminates road sur-

faces with a brilliant bluish-white color.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.piaa.com

Hot Licks FlamethrowerKitsHot Licks ExhaustHot Licks Exhaust allows riders to embrace their

wild side with the simple installation of these ex-

haust flamethrowers. Hot Licks kits are typically

installed on a variety of motorcycles with carbure-

tors and without catalytic converters. The

Flamethrower kits come 100 percent complete

and ready to install with some small adjustments.

The standard kit shoots up to 4-foot flames, while

the Hot Licks Mega Flames kit blasts 5-foot-plus

flames. The flames will not damage the engine,

paint or tires of the vehicle. Each kit comes with a

lifetime warranty and tech support.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info: www.hotlicksexhaust.com

USMC Motorcycle GaugesMedallion Instrumentation SystemsThese officially licensed United States Marine Corps motorcy-

cle gauges are designed for 1996-2012 Harley-Davidson tour-

ing models. The Marine Corps dress uniform and famous

“Eagle, Globe and Anchor” trademark are the inspiration of the

graphic design. The gauges are a showpiece during the day and

feature stunning backlighting at night. The gauges can fit all

touring models with and without fairings with few exceptions. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info: www.medallionis.com

5.

6.

7.



Series II Expedition TentRedverzThe new Series II Expedition Tent shelters

riders, motorbikes and gear out of the elements

and under one roof. It has two inches more head-

room than its predecessor, nearly double the original

square vestibule footage and convenient J-door entries.

Its expedition-grade ripstop nylon ground cloth, fly sheet

and floor offer superior protection, while the double wall

design of the sleeping bay helps eliminate condensation.

The double D-door entries to the sleeping bay simplify

entry and exit, and a spacious garage bay serves as a

sheltered utility area for cooking, lounging and storage.

This product comes in two color options. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info: www.redverz.com

Arthur Fulmer OriginalFulmer HelmetsFulmer Helmets has released the Arthur Fulmer Original, a V2 helmet

with a vintage flair and true colors. This DOT-approved helmet features

smooth graphics and a modern design. Other features include a D-ring

retention system and plush interior with leather trim. Three style pat-

terns and optional shields and visors complete the look of this helmet.

It retails for $159.95.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.fulmerhelmets.com

ForceFlow Cylinder Head CoolerJimsThe patent pending Jims ForceFlow literally forces

the heat away from the engine by pushing high ve-

locity air through the cylinder fin pack in a wide

flow pattern, directed at the head gasket surface.

It’s capable of lowering head temperatures up to

100 degrees, and can either be activated by a ther-

mostat (included), or wired for a manual on/off

switch. This product includes all hardware and

wiring, and is available in black or silver for $420.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.jimsusa.com

8.

9.10.


Macna Chameleon JacketTwisted ThrottleA waterproof and breathable textile shell integrates

with a core leather jacket for dual layer protection in

a lightweight design. The core leather jacket is

made from 10-12-millimeter cowhide and includes

CE armor, arm vents and a detachable thermal

liner. The separate outer shell has a laminated

membrane that resists soaking and allows quick

drying while keeping moisture away from the core

jacket.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.twistedthrottle.com

LED Low-Profile TaillightsDrag SpecialtiesThese super-thin-profile taillights are even lower than

a laydown lens and feature a 56-LED board. The DOT-

approved design offers the choice of top, bottom or no

tag light. These lights are designed for easy installa-

tion on most ‘99-‘12 models with conventional

"Squareback" taillights. They are available with red or

smoke-tint lenses and include mounting adapters. The

retail price is $99.95.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.dragspecialties.com

MS30 StereoJensen Heavy DutyThis 160-watt MS30 stereo is perfect for someone looking for a

space saving, high performance system built to be able to with-

stand the rigors of a rough environment. It features conformal-

coated circuit boards and is able to fit a 3-inch gauge hole.

An included USB input is perfect for MP3 music on a thumb

drive or for charging any USB device. An auxiliary input and a

line out audio (RCA) offer maximum flexibility and expansion,

while the large, daylight readable LCD display and blue backlit

controls create a user-friendly interface. It also features elec-

tronic bass, treble, balance and fader controls, a full four-

channel output, and a UV/corrosion-resistant finish.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.jensenheavyduty.com

11.

12.

13.

Big Iron UTVXY PowersportsThe Big Iron UTV sports a SOHC single cylinder, 4-stroke engine with 33.3

horsepower. It also features 29.5 foot-pounds of torque, a towing capacity of

1,000 pounds and a fuel capacity of 9.2 gallons.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.xypowersports.com

Rocker JacketRoland Sands DesignCombining classic styling cues with functionality, the Rocker is

billed as the ultimate black leather motorcycle jacket. It fea-

tures satin poly lining, zip pockets and side adjust buckles to

tailor the fit to any waistline, along with rider-specific fea-

tures including rotated pre-curved sleeves, relaxed race

collar and a dropped back length. It’s constructed of 1.1-

millimeter naturally distressed, top grain cowhide, and

perforated ventilation panels help riders stay cool. It is

offered in classic black with armor-ready pockets for

$500. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.rolandsands.com

14.

16.


15.Lucky Sucker Softail Conversion KitCustom ChromeThis easy-to-install kit from Custom Chrome turns a run-of-the-mill Softail into something cool

that will turn heads and grab attention. The kit consists of a custom gas tank,

tank adapter, a solo seat kit, swingarm mounted "rigid-style" rear fender

and fender struts. Starting with a standard Twin Cam Softail, the kit requires

minimal modifications to the stock frame. Each part was designed to work

together or can be used as stand-alone components. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.customchrome.com


Pilot Road 3 Trail TireMichelinMichelin's Pilot Road 3 Trail tire is ideal for such motorcycles

as the Triumph Tiger 800, Suzuki V-Strom, Yamaha Super

Tènèrè and the BMW GS series. It features Michelin’s latest-

generation 2CT dual-compound technology, and the all-new

“XST” X-Sipe technology offers full-depth sipes that evacuate

water underneath the tire by allowing additional draining ca-

pacity of the tread while breaking up water film. The tire also

features a soft rubber compound on the tread shoulders and a

wear-resistant compound down the middle.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.michelinmotorcycle.com

RS-1 HelmetBellThe Bell RS-1 bridges the gap between the top-of-the-line Bell Star and

the value-minded Vortex with a blend of mid-line price and performance.

It features a Kevlar/fiberglass composite shell, while the Velocity Flow

Ventilation system provides cool comfort. It’s equipped with the versatile

ClickRelease shield system for fast, easy shield swaps, and also features

contour-cut cheekpads and a plush, removable, washable liner for addi-

tional comfort. Finally, the Magnefusion magnetic strap keeper makes

flapping strap ends a thing of the past. The retail price starts at $349.95. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.bellhelmets.com

LED Rim LightsFreyMotoThis is the motorcycle industry's first completely round LED

lighting disk designed specifically for adding accent lighting to

motorcycles' wheels or rims. Fusion color-changing LEDs

shining outward in a perfect cylindrical pattern give an even

spread of light on the entire rim.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.freymoto.com

17.

18.

19.


Turf Tamer ClassicITPThe ITP Turf Tamer Classic is made in the USA and returns in

two models. Both utilize a strong, lightweight, 2-ply carcass

that's been re-engineered to accommodate the characteristics

of today's 4-stroke sport quad models. It features a dimpled

knob design, and an advanced tread compound delivers excep-

tional traction and long life. The Classic MX model features a

pre-grooved tread.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.itptires.com

Lawndale Leather JacketTour MasterThis classic, three-quarter length design is made of top grade buffalo leather.

Chest vents combine with underarm sleeve vents and a rear exit vent to provide

flow-through ventilation. Other features include ample pocket space, a zip-out

insulated liner with removable sleeves, and external foam padded shoulders. A

durable main zipper closure with a dual wind flap seals out the elements, while

adjustable waist straps help fine-tune the fit for a customized look and feel. It in-

cludes an 8-inch jacket/pant zipper attachment with the pant side included.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.tourmaster.com

The Fork SaverMoose RacingThis product is an inexpensive and easy way to increase fork seal and spring

life. Priced at $19.95, the Fork Saver adjusts to four different lengths to fit both

minis and full-size bikes. The unique arch design hooks the Fork Saver to the

knobby while the rubber top grips to the fender bolts, keeping it in place while

transporting.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.mooseracing.com

20.

21.

22


Hardcore Wheel SetPro-Wheel Racing ComponentsThe Pro-Wheel Hardcore Wheel Set comes complete with all

the necessary components, such as spokes, tires, tubes, rims,

billet hubs and more. All components are interchangeable with

OEM products and are available individually. These wheel sets

are also available for YZ/RM 85s and CRF150s (standard size

and big wheel) for $795/set.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.prowheelracing.com

Classic Motorcycle GuideOctane Press"Classic Honda Motorcycles" by Bill Silver presents an overview of Honda

motorcycles produced from 1958 through 1990. Based on the "Illustrated

Buyer's Guide to Classic Honda Motorcycles," this revised encyclopedic

guide offers more than 400 additional photos — one for every single col-

lectable Honda built. Enthusiasts will find a bounty of useful and inter-

esting information about which bikes are likely to suit an individual

rider's needs, which models are most collectible and how to find parts

for rare Honda motorcycles. The book retails at $40.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.octanepress.com

eCaddy Diamond GPS Mount with Ultra-SwivelLeader Motorcycle AccessoriesThe cornerstone of the eCaddy Diamond is the new Ultra-Swivel

feature. Ultra-Swivel gives the rider unlimited positioning ability

in not one but three ways (rotational, left-right/up-down and

clockwise). This mount features a sleek, slim design and fits

Garmin Nuvi, Tom Tom and Magellan Maestro GPS units. It re-

tails starting at $94.99.

. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.leadermotorcycle.com

23.

24.

25.


Essentials: V-Twin Gear

Fifty5 JacketFLY RacingThis jacket features removable CE-approved armor in the shoulders and

elbows with a comfort pad in the back. Its abrasion-resistant Stretch-Tech

material allows the jacket to mold to your rider's body, while dual Velcro

adjustable waist straps provide a custom fit. Two shoulder intake vents and

one large rear exhaust vent provide flow-through ventilation. Other features

include a lightweight, removable liner, high visibility reflective piping and

four pockets. This product comes in sizes small through 4XL and retails at

$259.95.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.flyracing.com

T-Fuel WaterproofJacketAlpinestarsThe style of the T-Fuel Water-

proof Jacket is accentuated by

the bespoke leather trimming

and bold, clean lines. The 100

percent waterproof and breath-

able membrane keeps your rider

dry and comfortable in all

weather conditions, while gener-

ous storage and CE-certified

protection deliver an all-weather

riding jacket that is both stylish

and versatile. This product also

comes in a women's model and

retails for $219.95.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.alpinestars.com

Dancing Skeleton JacketRiver RoadThis special edition jacket features quality,

medium-weight leather for protection and

comfort. The vintage finish gives that broken-in

look and feel, while two front intake chest vents

and one rear exhaust vent keep your rider cool

in warmer temperatures. The jacket and the

fully sleeved, removable liner have built-in

pockets for storage and most mobile devices.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.riverroadgear.com

Speedway JacketSullivans Inc.The Speedway features a rugged 1.2-

millimeter premium natural cowhide

chassis and is backed by resistant

double stitching throughout. The

Speedway also offers road-worthy

comfort by combining subtly inte-

grated VariableFlow ventilation at

the biceps with underarm grom-

mets. Keeping everything in

place is a 4-point SureFit adjust-

ment system at the sleeves and waist combined

with reliable YKK zippers. A classic mandarin cut collar, re-

movable full sleeve quilted comfort liner, two outside hand

warmer pockets and one inside utility pocket give the Speedway an added

level of comfort and versatility, while subtle laser etched logos and ample

reflective striping provide the finishing touch.

For More Info:

www.sullivansinc.com


The TravelerVee RubberThe Traveler’s tread is designed to disperse

water from the surface for excellent wet

weather riding. It has a specifically formulated

deep tread design for extended mileage. The

Traveler has an advanced compound for both

center and sidewalls to create even wear

throughout tire life. The weight carrying capac-

ity is designed for 2-up riding and all the nec-

essary luggage for extended trips.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.veerubber.co.th

K676RetroActiveKenda TireThe RetroActive is a V-rated sport bias belted tire

for classic '70s and '80s bikes. Its tread pattern is

designed for all-weather riding conditions. It fea-

tures a new rubber compound for improved dura-

bility and mileage, and also an improved crown

radius for larger footprint in corners. This product

is not recommended for high load-carrying

vehicles.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.kendatire.com

777 Series TireShinko Motorcycle TiresThis tire features a heavy-duty

Kevlar belted carcass for high

speed stability under heavy

loads. Its directional tread

pattern offers excellent trac-

tion in both wet and dry con-

ditions. This tire is available in

white wall or blackwall in

multiple sizes for numerous

Harley-Davidson and metric

cruiser models. It retails be-

tween $64.95 and $157.95.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.shinkotireusa.com

Essentials: Street Tires

MarketPlace Find out more about the classified advertisers in this issue

Same Day Shipping • Huge Inventorywww.sammytanner.com909-350-2727 888-258-0369

48 November 2012 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

NeedReprints?

CallValli Pantuso at330-670-1234

ext. 223

online at www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/resourcecenter. Ad IndexFREE

ONLINE RESOURCE

CENTERFind out more about

advertisers in this issueonline at

www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/resourcecenter

Adran Tie Downs..........................10

Amrep Inc ....................................20

Arai Helmet Americas Inc. ...........23

Automatic Distributors ........Cover 3

K&L Supply Co. ..............................3

MBA Insurance.............................19

MTA Distributing ..........................13

nizeX, Incorporated......................25

Race Tech.....................................11

S & S Cycle...........................Cover 2

Samson Motorcycle

Products Inc. .............................34

Schumacher Electric Corp. ............9

Service Manager Pro ...................21

Short Block Technologies.......18, 29

Sudco International

Corp. .................................Cover 4

Sullivan's Inc. .........................17, 35

Team Charlotte Motorsports........21

V-Twin Expo by Easyriders ..........27

Vega Helmet Corp. .......................41

WIX Filters...................................15

Wizards Products/RJ Star Inc ........8

XY Powersports .............................5

Yuasa Battery Inc...........................7

ww

w.m

otor

cycl

epow

ersp

orts

new

s.co

m/r

esou

rcec

ente

r


YOUR

AD

HERE

!

TO ADVERTISE

IN CLASSIFIED

MARKETPLACECALL

Roberto Almenar

330-670-1234 ext 233

[email protected]

Simply the Best Lists:Automotive Aftermarket Truck Fleet & Powersports Markets

What Type of Direct MarketingInitiatives Do You Have

in Store for 2013?

Don Hemming, List Sales Manager, Babcox Media, Inc.Phone: 330-670-1234 x286 Fax: 330-670-0874 [email protected]

Direct MailEmail MarketingTelemarketing

New Business ProspectingDrive Web Site TrafficDatabase Enhancement

Catalog MailingPromote Upcoming

Tradeshows


Samson ExhaustV-Twin Expo Booth #760

Samson is a world leading manufacturerof exhaust systems, mufflers and acces-sories for Harley-Davidson and Metricmotorcycles and offers a vast selectionof styles that produce maximum horse-power, torque and awesome sound!Samson always has and will continue toset a standard for the motorcycle industry.www.samsonusa.com

S&S CycleV-Twin Expo Booth #717

The S&S Cycle booth #717 should topyour list as a must see destination at theshow. Highlights will include severalmajor new product introductions of in-terest to any shop or business servicingHarley-Davidson and other American V-Twin motorcycles. The Viola V-Twin lineof quality service parts will make lifeeasier for independent repair shops,the new S&S brand of drive train lubri-cants provides a source of premiumsynthetic and petroleum based motorand transmission oils at reasonableprices, and you won’t want to miss ourexciting new exhaust offerings.www.sscycle.com

Wizards ProductsV-Twin Expo Booth # 571

Wizards offers a unique line of polishes,compounds, and detailers targetingquality-minded shops as well as theshow perfectionist. Our goal is to offerour customers the best possible prod-ucts to create a lasting, show-winningshine. Each item is unique, performs ex-cellently and offers great repeat saleswith excellent profits.www.wizardsproducts.com

Yuasa Battery V-Twin Expo Booth #621

Yuasa Battery, Inc. manufactures batter-ies that not only last longer, but also re-quire minimum maintenance.Continuous research and development,along with unwavering standards ofmanufacturing quality have made YuasaBattery the largest American manufac-turer and distributor of batteries forpowersports vehicles of all types. www.yuasabatteries.com

V-Twin ExpoBooth PreviewsThe 13th Annual V-Twin Expo by Easyriders will be held Feb. 2-3 at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Besure to visit these select MPN advertising partners while you’re at the show!

Crane CamsV-Twin Expo Booth #717

Crane Cams invites anyone who does performance work on Harley-Davidson andother American V-Twin motorcycles to visit their booth at the V-Twin Expo. See thenew line of bolt-in ChrisRivas “Rocket Cams” forlate model big twins, andcheck out the Crane HI-4Nmultifunction ignition. The“Rocket” cams are the result of a collaboration between Crane Cams and enginebuilder and Bonneville record holder Chris Rivas of Rivas V-Twin. The HI-4N is thenext generation ignition that replaces all the previous HI-4 ignitions for 1970-’99big twins and 1972-’02 Sportster models.www.cranecams.com

Motorcycle & Powersports News

Documents

Transcript of Motorcycle & Powersports News