Dealernews Issue#1 January 2020

DN 2.0 #1

What’s In Store For 2020?

CONTENTS

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06 EDITORS NOTE 08 10 LETTERS+ 12 NEWS+ 16 SHIFTING GEARS+ 20 DEALER PROFILE+ 26 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 28 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 30 OEM UPDATE+ 35 eDEALERNEWS 36 eNEWS 40 INDUSTRY eresearch 43 SHOWTIME+ 44 INDUSTRY WEEK WEST RACING INDUSTRY SHOW 46 PERFORMANCE 48 MIPS HEADS UP

WORLD’S LUCKIEST MAN

Bob Althoff On 2020 Predictions Robin Hartfiel On New Year, Same Old Dealernews?

The Industry On Dealernews News Dealers Can Use New Year, New Gigs

Hawkeye Harley-Davidson

Dr. Paul Leinberger On Top 4 Mega Trends In The Crystal Ball Lenny Sims NADAguides On Q3 Kawasaki Teryx KRX 1000 Covering The eVolution Currents

Don Musick On Where’s Waldo?

From Long Beach IMS To PRI In Indy IMS & MIC Launch In Long Beach

Going Gonzo At PRI

Safety Symposium Draws Crowned Heads

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Northern exposure

Marq C. Smith On To Rehire Or Not To Rehire?

52 OPInION+ 54 PERSONNEL FILEs 56 DIVERSITY+

William Douglas Little On Strokers, Chain-Yankers & Be-Backers Alex Baylon On Hiring Right Alisa Clickenger On What’s In Store For 2020… And Beyond?

58 ADVOCACY+ 60 CONFESSIONS OF A CUSTOMER Scot Harden On Life Without Motorcycles

Eric Anderson On 7 Gateways To Motorcycling

62 MIC RIDEREPORT 64 ADVOCACY+ 66 WÜNSCHISMS 68 GEAR+ 72 PRESS PASS+ 74 PRESS PASS+ 76 ANONYMOUS DEALER 80 PARTING SHOT+ 81 AD INDEX 82 VALE+

What Does The MIC Do For You? Don Amador On Solving OAS Issues

Uncle Paul On Winterization, Texas Style Post Holiday Wrap-Up

Fox/STACYC/Fox Super Grom Challenge Kurt Caselli Ride Day Distributor Doings

Charlie Williams Mea Culpa This issue Brought To You By… Ave Atque Vale Gary Bryson

On The Cover: Iconic Motorsports Artist Hector Cademartori cut his trip to Argentina short in order to take a glance into the crystal ball for a glimpse at what 2020 has in store for us.

OUR TEAM Bob Althoff W.L.M.

EDITORIAL Robin Hartfiel Editor Gus Stewart Creative Director Brenda Stiehl Production Manager CONTRIBUTORS Don Musick Genesys Technology Solutions Dr. Paul Leinberger Denny+Leinberger Strategy Eric Anderson Vroom Network Lenny Sims NADA Appraisal Guides Scot Harden AMA Hall Of Fame/Harden Offroad Hector Cademartori Illustrations William Douglas Little Unique Powersports Charlie Williams Off Road Editor Marq Smith Holeshot Motorsports, Canada Alisa Clickenger Women’s Motorcycle Tours Don Amador Quiet Warrior Racing Joe Bonnello Joe B Photography Uncle Paul Wunsch Love Cycles The Anonymous Dealer Dealer Advisory Board Bob Althoff Chairman Joey Belmont Big #1 Sports Jim Boltz Lynnwood Cycle Barn/WMDA Jim Foster Killeen Power Sports George Gatto Gatto Harley-Davidson Malcolm Hunter Deeley Harley-Davidson Robert Kay Star City Motorsports Bob Kee Destination Cycle Jerry Lenz Beaverton Motorcycles Kurt Mechling Performance PowerSports Don Owens Dothan Powersports Mark Peterson Southwest Superbikes Sandy Stroope Boat World Honda Polaris

ADVERTISING John Murphy Publishing Consultant johnmurphy@dealernews.com Tigra Tsujikawa Sponsorship Manager (949) 861-0863 tigratsujikawa26@gmail.com Blake Foulds Account Executive (760) 715-3045 Blakefoulds@dealernews.com

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Dealernews Magazine P.O. Box 73640 San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone (949) 463-4319 www.dealernews.com © Copyright 2020

W.L.M.

By Bob Althoff

GAZING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL What To Look For In 2020

W

hen Robin informed me that this issue would attempt to broadly anticipate the year ahead as it relates to our industry, I thought… “well, that will be easy.” With absolute certainty I can predict the following:

1) More Of The Same — What we do; what we have done in some cases for decades, will surely consume much of our collective time. This is Retail. There are long days and many hours in which we will serve our public, present our wares, attend to the administrative details. Our days will be filled with meeting friends and making new ones, working “in” and “on” our business.

This is what we signed up for…

2) Big Government — We have an election coming up. It is sure to be a love-fest, full of cheery optimism about our economy. The dialogue will so inspire our customers that they will want to rush down to our stores and sign on the dotted line… or not.

Our local government will be there to serve us; to expedite our building permits, event permits, surely they will be lowering our tax and regulatory burdens... or not.

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3) The Tariffs — Will either kick in and kick us in the chops… or they will be negotiated away, remaining only as the memory of a bad dream.

4) The 4 Ws — A long time ago I learned that there are four things I cannot control:

Weather

Washington

Wall Street, and the

World

So, while each will certainly deal us their hand, none of us should waste much time worrying about them.

Focus instead on the things that we can change.

So, what can we control? Our industry is made up of wonderful institutions and more wonderful individuals.

We are big enough to be unwieldy, but small enough to be at least known to each other. Can we put the latter to use in 2020 to reach some consumers about how to reignite the way we market ourselves to the public?

A coherent and widely supported “New Rider” action plan with significant financial underpinnings is the only must for 2020.

Get that right and 2020 will be one for the record books.

Get it wrong and 2020 won’t treat us very well.

Bob

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For the big picture Dr. Paul Leinberger gives us four Mega Trends that will be influencing the “real world” beyond our own insular powersports market. “Make a conscious effort to bring your customers together and invite others in your community to join you,” says Dr. Leinberger.

“Make 2020 the year of meaningful connections. You’ll be happy you made the effort – and your dealership will benefit.”

Alisa Clickenger adds ‘Minorities” are now the new normal, and in many places are actually the majority. All the moto-manufacturers are already looking for ways to court them. But even before the OEMs move, your dealership needs to change. “The next decade will see the numbers of female riders continuing to rise, and women becoming even more outspoken about the products and services they desire on a retail level,” says. “Those stores not taking the quantum leap towards anchoring these loyal lady customers within their communities will suffer.”

Editor’s Note

By Robin Hartfiel

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2020?

A

new decade has us all wondering what’s coming.

From eVolution of eBikes at AIMExpo to the roll out of the beginnings of a comprehensive strategy to get more riders riding more at the MIC Communications Symposium, the powersports market is facing a paradigm shift of epic proportions. From cover artist Hector Cademartori to Diversity columnist Alisa Clickenger and industry Advocate Scot Harden, we asked the team to take a look into their respective crystal ball and share some their 2020 vision.

Note Hector’s cover features the Phoenix wings symbolizing an industry rebirth. The rider/customer in the helmet is a woman… a nod to the growing percentage of women riders that are changing the face of retail.

And the image in the crystal sphere is a little hazy, but could be the Harley Pan America... or maybe it is the new V-Strom 1050? What is clearly not is an unridable custom bagger with a 23-inch front wheel or some of the other fads from the recent past. Seems like the market is now looking for function as well as form?

From a dealer’s perspective Bob Althoff said it was easy to see what is coming… or not. “What we do; what we have done in some cases for decades, will surely consume much of our collective time. We will be working “in” and “on” our business. This is what we signed up for…” he says. However he does offer a strategy on how to deal with the 4Ws we can’t control… or not!

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Scot Harden starts with a hypothetical question: imagine life without motorcycles. While bikes have taken him on some amazing adventures to all around the globe, it all starts close to home for all of us. We can face the crisis in the coming decade by bringing in a new rider… Plus 1. “Plus 1 is about capturing the collective experience we’ve all shared through motorcycling and presenting it in such a way that others want to be a part of it as well,” says the AMA Hall of Famer. “I believe practically everyone is looking for the types of peak life experiences motorcycling delivers. Let’s get out there and light the fires!”

Speaking of lighting fires, special thanks to sales manager Jon Garrett and the entire Hawkeye Harley-Davidson team. I have to say you aced the Dealernews’ pop quiz! This operation is a model of efficiency, customer engagement and a cool place to hang out! Even after 25+ years of doing dealer profiles, I still get a kick out of dropping into dealerships and seeing the guys in the trenches killing it!

Better news, the Top 100 bylaws state a Dealernews Grand Prize winner can’t re-enter the competition, however Hawkeye Harley came into being two years after the original McGrath Powersports 2013 Top 100 Dealer of The Year win, so that means you go to the head of the class for the next Top 100 contest…

Oops, was that my out-loud voice?

The vision in my crystal ball is still a little hazy, but it could be that the Dealernews Top 100 Contest makes its comeback in 2020. Stay tuned!

Former Editor-in-Chief and publisher of Dealernews circa 19902003, Robin returns to the magazine. In addition to having been instrumental in creating the Dealernews Top 100 program (still the industry’s ultimate accolade for a motorcycle dealership), Hartfiel has worked for most of the B2B publications in the Powersports arena. Prior to the trade side, he worked as a beat reporter for a local newspaper was an editor of publications ranging from All About Beer to VW Trends.

ALEXA, ASK ANDERSON ABOUT THIS… Alexa, call local motorcycle shop, I need my bike serviced.

Dealership: sorry your bike is 10 years old and we don’t work on that brand.

We only work on brand x.

Alexa, call another motorcycle shop and inquire.

Alexa: I’m sorry, there isn’t another moto shop for 50 miles...

That’s got to change.

Young people do NOT understand the kingdom/tribalism that is rampant today.

They only know they need their bike fixed.

And the dealership that understands this concept will be the dealership of the future.

ERIC ANDERSON NAILED IT Eric Anderson certainly hits the nail on the head here (Confessions Of A Customer, Issue #13, December).

The opportunity exists for change.

Breaking the mold will be difficult but we will see who is up for the challenge.

Brian FiXit Croft Dealership fiXit Podcast Hillsboro, OR EXPERIENCE THIS! It is going to be all about the customer experience, period. The dealers who adapt to the expected ownership experience will be ahead if the curve.

When the next dip comes and it will come, who will offer a different experience? The dealer who makes it effortless for the customer to spend money AND be treated like royalty will be the one standing in the end.

Customers are less loyal than ever to a poor experience. Learn to be great or suffer the consequences.

Jeremy DeFelice, Manager Of 30 Clubs/Manager Of In Dealer Training Garage Composites Denver, CO

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Unfortunately a lot of these dealers have their heads “in the sand”.

I CONFESS I CAN’T POINT OUT A NEGATIVE I loved Eric Anderson’s article in December… Dead on target in every way. I wish I could point out a negative but, Alas, there isn’t one!

As a side note, the “white coat” makes you look thinner and younger, Eric!

I miss working with you…

Neil Frame, Founder Channel Ideas www.channelideas.com

Society has changed and the dealership experience for both employees and customers needs to. After working at 10 powersports dealers, I believe most will not pivot to save themselves.

It’s my belief a new service centric business model will rise from the ashes of the current system.

I’m ready.

I know you are as well..

Michael Jones, Sr. Motorcycle/Powersports/OPE/ Automobile Master Mechanic Service Dept. Savant and Servant Of Righteousness Charlotte, North Carolina P.S. The dealership must become the focal point for all things motorcycle in its area. A place where anyone with any brand can find what they need and want.

Like a trading post on the road to a new frontier.

INDIANA MOTORCYCLE & POWERSPORTS EXPO? Nice to e-meet you. This is Gloria, a former event organizer. Are you in charge of organizing Indiana Motorcycle and Powersports Expo? I heard of your organization and have been seeing multiple events you organized. I was not sure if you’re the right person to speak with. I’m an event consultant at Whova, a company started by former researchers from the University of California, San Diego.We provide the Whova event app for tens of thousands of events.

Organizers such as IKEA, US Bank, and Harvard said Whova helped them save time and boost attendee engagement.

Here is how: 1) It removes the hassle (and cost) of printing agendas, directions, and presentations. 2) It provides a faster, easier way for last minute changes.

Your attendees will have an amazing experience that will ensure they

remember your event. Please email me back and I can explain more on how this can be done in just 1 day! If you are not the appropriate person to contact, who do you recommend I talk to?

Gloria Park Whova, Inc. San Diego, CA

DEALERNEWS TUNED IN YouTube says folks have viewed more than 820 hours of Dealernews’ video programming... that is certainly a testament to the power of the brand and the compelling stories in our Dealernews Live! interviews.

Dealernews Your 2019 Year in Review

Sorry Gloria, Dealernews is a trade publication serving the powersports industry. As such we list a variety of industry related events on our website and social media channels. However we do not promote or organize any of these events.

The Indiana Motorcycle & Powersports Expo is hosted and organized by: Renfro Productions 6405 Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd.

Anderson, IN 46013 (765) 641-7712 https://renfroproductions.com/contact-us/

You uploaded a total of 140 videos and gained 52 subscribers.

823 Total Watch Hours Fans can’t take their eyes off you!

If those were US dollars, you could become the ultimate VSCO girl and buy 24 Hydro Flasks. And 1 oop.

SOUND OFF! Dealernews is indeed back. Join in the conversation via e-mail Editor@dealernews.com Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ dealernews/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ DealernewsFan/ Follow along on Dealernews.com Tune into the new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/ UCZE6q4gQ5EIz0nOX4WaXw1w

Call it whatever you like.

Tax season. Riding season.

All we know is folks are itching to ride.

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JANUARY 2020

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HONDA HITS 400 MILLION MARK

Unless you are a Honda dealer, news of 400-million-unit milestone on December 20th might have been lost in the holiday shuffle. Since the very first Dream D-Type in 1949, Honda has successfully been cranking out motorcycles for 70 years… very successfully. Based on its belief that “the purpose of technology is to help people,” Honda tapped into the global markets early, beginning mass-production of motorcycles at its first overseas production facility in Belgium in 1963.

As a result, Honda achieved its 100 million-unit milestone in 1997, and its 300 million-unit milestone in 2014. In 2018, Honda exceeded an annual production of 20 million units for the first time in its history. “For 70 years, Honda has provided to customers worldwide motorcycles that make life easier and enjoyable,” said Takahiro Hachigo, CEO, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. to commemorate the occasion. “As a result, we have achieved our 400 million-unit milestone.”

Hachigo says Honda will continue to construct its development and production structure to meet rising demand. And, Honda will strive to realize is 2030 vision, to serve people worldwide with the “joy of expanding their life’s potential.”

“I am grateful to all of our customers, and everyone involved in development, manufacturing, sales and service of our products. We will continue to do our best to provide attractive products that meet the needs and dreams of our customers worldwide.”

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YOU MEET THE NICEST PEOPLE AT THE ROSE PARADE

After announcing its 400-million-unit milestone, American Honda kicked off 2020 by being the lead float in the 131st Rose Parade. Honda’s “Our Hope for the Future” float celebrated the optimism created by the spirit, dreams and vitality of children. “Honda believes everyone, especially children, should follow their dreams,” says Steve Morikawa, VP of Corporate Relations & Social Responsibility at American Honda. “By nurturing children’s passions and encouraging them to achieve their dreams, there is hope for a bright future.”

Decorated with roughly 30,000 flowers, the 55-foot long float featured six children pursuing their dreams through a variety of activities. Each child expresses a different passion: space exploration, environmental stewardship, medical science, the arts, and scientific research. Float riders will include the 2019 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge national champions from Spelman College and Rachel Garcia, the winner of the 2019 Honda Cup which is awarded by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.

Honda has history with the Rose Parade: They started collaborating with the Tournament of Roses in 1961, providing two-wheeled vehicles for the 1962 Parade.

Honda has also been a float participant since 1977, and has provided the official Tournament of Roses vehicles since 1994. Honda continues to supply two-wheeled vehicles and side-by-sides for Rose Parade operations to this day.

Although Honda had holeshot on the parade route, they could not win. As a presenting sponsor, Honda could not compete in the judging process. However, before becoming presenting sponsor in 2011, Honda floats had won awards in 15 of the previous 16 years.

MANA’s Service Aftersales Director Justin Prann and VP of Marketing Richard Ansel presented the ROXOR to foundation staff members President Amy Jo Osborn and Director of Industrial Arts Jonathan Myren.

ROXOR HELPS AUSTIN HATCHER FOUNDATION

STI POWERSPORTS ROLLS INTO 2020

STI Tires & Wheels rolls into 2020 by announcing a new distribution partnership with Parts Unlimited. Effective immediately, Parts dealers can offer STI’s mix of top quality UTV/ATV tires and wheels, as well as their range of off-road motorcycle tires.

“Parts Unlimited has been the powersports industry’s distribution leader for many years,” says STI’s Craig Petersen. “Their logistics and order-fill capabilities are the best in the business. STI’s dynamic growth required that we find a distribution solution that could meet our potential as we continue to deliver innovative products that bring value for powersports dealers.

“The addition of STI strengthens our UTV tire and wheel offering,” adds Jeff Derge, VP of Sales at LeMans Corporation, parent company of Parts Unlimited. “Our team couldn’t be more excited, and we’re working hard to ensure that we deliver great service right out of the gate. Thank you to the STI team for this opportunity.”

“We’re excited about the opportunity to partner with Parts Unlimited and its high-performance dealer network,” concludes Petersen. Curious dealers can contact their Parts Unlimited rep for more details, or click on: https://stipowersports.com/

Christmas came a little early after the theft of two therapy vehicles at the Austin Hatcher Foundation. Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA) put a bow on a new ROXOR and donated it on December 18 at the Austin Hatcher Foundation’s Education Advancement Center.

“This is such a special opportunity for our patients to work on a unique type of therapy vehicle,” said Foundation President Amy Jo Osborn. “We’ve never had an off-road vehicle like the ROXOR, and it’s going to provide incredible new learning opportunities for our children. We’re extremely grateful to Mahindra for hearing our story and being so energized to make a difference for the families we serve.”

The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship. The Foundation provides services to children with cancer as well as their families through its four major divisions; Industrial Arts Therapy, Diversionary Therapy, Psycho-Oncology, and Healthy Lifestyle Education.

With throttle therapy being provided by ROXOR, the Austin Hatcher Foundation can expand its industrial arts program which allows pediatric cancer patients and their family members to outfit stock vehicles with new parts while learning valuable life skills, practicing occupational therapy, and bond with family and friends. Once the patients and families complete the modifications and thematic styling, the ROXOR will be auctioned to raise much-needed funds that allow the foundation to offer all services at no cost to patients. https://www.hatcherfoundation.org/

JANUARY 2020

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2019 WALL OF FAME

GEORGIA ON WPS’ MIND

Western Power Sports Inc., is excited to announce the completion of a new 245,000 square foot warehouse in Midway, Georgia. Scheduled to open in late January 2020 (two weeks ahead of schedule), this state-of-the-art facility is part of an ongoing effort to increase support for its vast dealer network across the Southeastern United States.

Designed and built from the ground up, this new WPS distribution center combines the latest in warehouse automation and the industry leading service WPS is known for. This new location will fundamentally change how WPS is able to serve the entire southern region. This opens the door for one day shipping to a greater number of dealers.

“This new warehouse is a great opportunity to better serve the powersports dealer network and the future growth of the company. It delivers on the latest in automation and allows us to properly facilitate dealers who need products quickly.

The building is complete, the four-story pick module and racking are close, and we have started filling the warehouse with product and plan on shipping soon.” WPS CEO Craig Shoemaker explained. “This has been in the works for several years and we are excited to start shipping orders out as soon as possible.”

To maintain maximum efficiency, the current 109,000 square foot warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee will be integrated into the new Georgia location. All shipping operations from the Memphis facility will switch over to Georgia.

The new warehouse is a vital component of the continuous growth WPS has experienced and shows our continued commitment to supporting our industry and dealer network. With recent expansions at two current WPS facilities in California and Idaho, as well as an additional warehouse in Pennsylvania, WPS will continue delivering its dealer network with the ultimate in service and speed – all while offering more brands than ever before.

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Yamaha closed the books on 2019 by announcing the latest round of “Wall Of Fame” inductees. “This past year was an exciting one for the Yamaha bLU cRU,” said Yamaha Motorsports Marketing Manager Steve Nessl. “Boasting multiple championships and podium appearances, we are thrilled to welcome these racers to the 2019 Wall of Champions.”

According to Nessl, the Wall of Champions not only represents the success of talented riders and drivers, it showcases Yamaha’s commitment to racing and producing world-class products. “From all of us at Yamaha, congratulations to the 2019 Wall of Champions inductees. Thank you for representing Yamaha with professionalism and competitive enthusiasm.”

The class of 2019 includes: The 2019 AMA 250 Supercross West Champion Dylan Ferrands; who won three rounds on his way to the championship.

Cameron Beaubier – 2019 FIM/AMA MotoAmerica Superbike Champion riding the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing YZF-R1. Beaubier won six races during the series and became a four-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion.

Cory Texter – 2019 American Flat Track (AFT) Production Twins Champion who rode his G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT to the top spot in the 2019 AFT Production Twins championship.

Walker Fowler – 2019 Grand National Cross Country XC1 Pro ATV Champion… the reigning GNCC XC1 Pro ATV champ, Fowler earned his fifth-straight title and the $10,000 Yamaha bLU cRUchampionship bonus on his WFR GBC Fly Racing-backed Yamaha YFZ450R.

Traci Pickens – The 2019 GNCC WXC ATV Champion added to her alltime leading women’s ATV racing record with her 12th championship.

Aboard her GBC Motorsports Fly Racing Yamaha YFZ450R, Pickens beat all contenders – male and female – to be named GNCC’s ATV Rider of the Year for 2019, as well as AMA’s ATV Athlete of the Year.

CJ Greaves – 2019 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Midwest Pro Stock SxS Champion Greaves captured his third SxS title and the $15,000 Yamaha bLU cRU bonus in the Pro Stock SxS class with his Monster Energy Maxxis Yamalube GYTR Greaves Motorsports Yamaha YXZ1000R.

Robert Stout – 2019 Production 1000 Lucas Oil Off-Road Champion Stout earned the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series championship in Magic Dry Yawpower Yamaha YXZ1000R, receiving the $15,000 Yamaha bLU cRU racing bonus.

Scott Wasz – 2019 Chasing the Triple by SXS Sports Pro Stock Champion: Featuring ice, short course, and cross-country SxS racing, Wasz won the first and second rounds of the series, and although finishing fourth during the final race, was still able to earn his first major SxS championship.

Brought To You By MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com proven executives in roles where they can assume broader responsibilities and deliver greater impact,” Wine added.

“These leadership changes leverage existing talent, and add vital capability, as we further our efforts to be a customercentric, highly efficient growth company.”

Andy Lung is back in the saddle with the motorcycle industry in a new gig with Virtual Marketing Consultants.

“The addition of Andy contracting with us to help with the local Kansas City area will provide me the time needed to cover ground outside the metro area,” says VMC founder Jon Kluiter. “I am stoked to be contracting with Andy!

I’ve witnessed firsthand how well he handles clients. He set the bar very high. He is armed with samples and catalogs!” Kansas City area dealers can click on https://vmcpros.com or e-mail a.lung@hotmail.com to schedule a personal visit… if Andy hasn’t already called on you, that is!

Polaris shifting gears: Several changes to its senior leadership team including moving Indian Motorcycles president Steve Menneto to president of its Off Road division and moving Mike Dougherty to take over as president of Motorcycles in addition to his role as president of International. Chris Musso, formerly president of the Polaris Off Road group, has been named to a new role as senior VP of Electrification Strategy. All three leaders will continue to report to Polaris Chairman and CEO Scott Wine. “These leadership changes leverage existing talent, and add vital capability, as we further our efforts to be a customer-centric, highly efficient growth company,” claims Wine. “Winning the competitive battle requires us to allocate and utilize our resources optimally, and that begins with placing our most seasoned and

“Steve Menetto is a terrific leader who will build on the solid strategies that Chris and the Off Road team crafted over the last two years,” said Scott Wine. “With decades of experience in powersports, Steve has proven to be a staunch customer advocate and a successful leader who understands the industry from every angle. His leadership of our Motorcycles business disrupted giants and I am confident in his ability to deliver even greater results as he reaccelerates growth in our Off Road business.”

During his four years as president of Motorcycles, Menneto successfully cultivated a customer-first approach across the business. As the result of his leadership, Indian Motorcycle has been the fastest-growing motorcycle brand in the industry, gaining market share every year and leading the industry in owner satisfaction ratings. Menneto joined Polaris in 1997, following two years as a Polaris dealer. During his tenure at Polaris, Menneto has served in various leadership roles including VP of Motorcycles and director of ORV Sales.

Michael Dougherty succeeds Menneto as president of Indian Motorcycle. Along with responsibility for the motorcycle segment, Dougherty will remain president of the International arm. “Throughout his two decades with the company, Mike has played a significant role in fostering our powersports leadership on the global stage. He is a talented leader who has demonstrated an ability to conquer the multifaceted challenges commensurate with developing new markets and driving profitable growth over the long-term,” said Wine. “With Indian Motorcycle, our largest brand outside of North America, Mike’s rich international experience will prove invaluable to a business that is expecting continued growth from international consumers.” Dougherty was named president of International in 2015 and under his guidance the company has grown international sales to more than $800 million and established a direct presence in 13 countries around the world, the most recent one being Japan.

During his time at Polaris, he served as the VP of Asia Pacific and Latin America, VP of Global New Market Development and VP/general manager of the ATV division.

Chris Musso is now senior vice president of Electrification Strategy for Polaris.

In this newly created role, Musso will coordinate across Polaris’ Powersports portfolio to advance the Company’s electrification strategy and expand on the groundwork established by Polaris’ current electric vehicle product offerings, which include GEM, Goupil and the RANGER EV. Musso joined Polaris in 2017 as president of Off Road.

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Brought To You By MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com Continued from page 16

Sherco has been making some major offseason moves, signing some of the offroad realm’s top talent including Quinn Wentzel to the FactoryONE Sherco Enduro Team onboard a 2020 Sherco SE 300 Factory. “I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the FactoryONE Sherco USA team,” says Wentzel. “I started my Trials career back in 2010 with Team Sherco RYP (Ryan Young Products) and have had amazing support from them throughout my career, so I am stoked to reunite with them in Enduro. The SE 300 Factory is an awesome machine and I can’t wait to see what I can do on it. I want to thank the guys at Sherco USA for giving me this opportunity and look forward to what the season has in store.”

Sherco USA continues to show it is serious about changing its trials-only reputation by announcing both Steward Baylor Jr. and Grant Baylor for the FactoryONE Sherco team. The South Carolina natives signed a multi-year agreement to ride the SEF 450 Factory Sherco in both the GNCC and NEPG series starting in January 2020. “I’ve got some big changes here in 2020 as I am switching to FactoryONE Sherco,” says 2019

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NEPG runner up Grant, who lost the title by a few points to his brother. “I am excited to get on this new bike and see what we can do with it and put it on the box.” The 2019 National Enduro Champ and ISDE gold medalist Steward says, “With the new team, I feel like these guys are putting everything in and I am ready to go win some races on these new amazing machines.” “I am honestly still in a bit of shock,” added FactoryONE team owner Ron Sallman. “First Cody Webb, now Steward and Grant Baylor?

The brothers provide FactoryONE Sherco with an immediate opportunity to chase championships and be on the box often in two prestigious off-road series. Stew is fresh off winning the NEPG championship, finishing only a few points ahead of Grant in second place. They both had strong showings at ISDE. I am really looking forward to seeing what they will do in 2020.” The Baylor brothers will be racing the full GNCC and NEPG series as well as a few select other sprint enduros. See the Dealernews Live! Interviews with Sherco’s Bryan Kraham here: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAO_ JSpgqg4&t=93s

FactoryONE Sherco also welcomed 3X Junior EnduroCross champion Ty Tremaine and 6X AMA Mototrails champ Louise Forsley to the team.

They finished out their respective 2019 seasons on Sherco Motorcycles with Tremaine finishing 4th overall at the Donner Hare Scramble onboard a 2020 SEF 300 Factory while Forsley raced the last round of the AMA EnduroCross series in Idaho on a Sherco SE 125 Racing model.

“Sherco USA and RYP have always supported me in my trials career so I’m really excited to be brought on to the new EnduroCross team. I love the brand and the people and I am really looking forward to the 2020 season!”

Tremaine is equally impressed: “The support from Sherco USA and Team Manager, Wayne Dickert, has been beyond my expectations. The Sherco 300 is an absolute weapon and I am excited to go try to put this thing on top of the box!”

On top of building a powerhouse team of riders, FactoryONE Sherco has partnered with FXR Racing for the 2020 season... and beyond.

The multi-year agreement will see FXR the official apparel company for the team and outfitting riders in AMA Endurocross, Hard Enduro, GNCC, NEPG, Trials and more.

“This is a great opportunity for FXR to get involved in the off-road world with Cody Webb, Pat Smage and Sherco USA,” says Andy White, FXR Moto Brand Manager. “Cody and Pat are multi-time champions and contenders wherever they compete and we look forward to a long-term relationship with Cody, Pat and the

rest of the FactoryONE Sherco team.”

While racing MX and snowmobiles out of his dealership in Morris, Manitoba, FXR founder/CEO/Creative Director Milt Reimer recognized a need for high-performance racing apparel.

Working out of the basement of his house, Reimer began bringing revolutionary designs to market in 1996. “FXR is the perfect fit for FactoryONE Sherco,” adds Bryan Kraham, marketing lead for the team. “We are both poised for tremendous growth based on our forward-thinking approach. You will see some fun creative content and promotions from our partnership.”

FXR Racing will also be producing a full line of FactoryONE Sherco branded gear for the Sherco dealer network available to consumers.

MotoAmerica mover and shaker Richard Varner is now chairman of the Petersen Automotive Museum’s board of directors, effective January 2020.

Having served as treasurer since 2013, Varner brings more than 40 years of experience as a respected business leader, car collector, vintage racer and professional motorsports series co-owner to his new role. “Richard Varner brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our board of directors,” says Executive Director Terry Karges.

“He has proven his business acumen over a career that spans racing and energy trading to the creation of MotoAmerica, one of the rare success stories in modern American motorcycle racing.

Varner will now carry the torch, as the museum seeks to inspire the next generation of enthusiasts

worldwide.” Varner adds, “To be tapped as the next chairman of Petersen is very humbling in several ways. From following Peter Mullin’s capable and outstanding leadership, to having the board vote

their confidence, and most of all to be associated with the Petersen, what it has become and what it will continue to evolve to be.” To learn more about the Petersen Automotive Museum, visit www.petersen.org

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HAWKEYE HARLEY-DAVIDSON A Winning Playbook & A Legacy Of Success

By Robin Hartfiel

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n Ace, with five or more confirmed kills, is always a force to be reckoned with. Not only was McGrath Powersports in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an Ace with five Top 100 wins, but owner Mike McGrath was featured on the August 2012 cover and the family-owned operation was named the 2013 Dealernews Dealer of the Year! McGrath has since added three Harley-Davidson franchised dealerships to the mix over the years.

Normally when a dealer profile is featured in the magazine, it takes a couple months of logistics time to get a photographer out, do the interviews and go back and forth with a series of rough drafts. From the time a store becomes a Top 100 winner and it can be featured, it could take years… not the case with Hawkeye Harley! Seems that Sales Manager Jon Garrett asked Dealernews to share Steve McQueen’s FIM License from the ISDT Six Days (see last month’s “Letters” page)… in a case of “be careful what you ask for” we dropped everything and dropped in totally unannounced just before Christmas!

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To the credit of Garrett, General Manager Brody Meier and the entire team… they didn’t miss a beat. In fact, the sales team closed a deal while Jon was giving me the grand tour.

As is the case with every sale, business does get disrupted for a new bike sale as the entire dealership gathers in front of the giant scoreboard and personally welcomes new riders to the family.

“This is just the beginning,” noted Garrett as the fanfare died down. “The sales person then takes the customer to meet Matt, the Service Manager: the other Matt, the Finance Director: Chelsea and her MotorClothes associates and Brody the GM. We treat them like family, because they are!”

That includes going above and beyond, picking up bikes for service, maintaining a gift wrapping station during the holidays, dropping off Christmas presents (for real... Gary, the Hawkeye Harley porter, may be the busiest guy in the powersports industry), hosting a very active HOG chapter and running a full schedule of events… the secret of their original Top 100 success (see sidebar).

This secret works, but the real success comes from training and superior customer service. The McGrath family of dealerships even has its own McGrath University on the automotive side. But Garrett is quick to note their processes and performance benchmarks are better than the car guys, “we have a higher standard… and we have to answer to Mike McGrath.” He is only half joking, while there is a good natured rivalry with the automotive side and the other powersports dealerships in the family, Hawkeye Harley is justifiably proud of their in-house training.

“All our employees are well-versed in customer service,” explains Garrett. “New associates start with a week-long orientation to better acclimate them to the Hawkeye HarleyDavidson family. We start with daily department meetings and weekly staff meetings to address ongoing training, new business and upcoming events. Our employees are also involved in a business and leadership book club.

Then there is a quarterly Idea Day where we bring staff together to brainstorm how to improve procedures, plan events and more. Outstanding staff members are recognized with a ‘Show Stopper’ trophy.” That is straight from Mike McGrath’s playbook. And as the first Harley franchise in the family, Garrett and the team feel an obligation to set the standard for the other stores.

In addition to owning the two McGrath Powersports locations, Mike McGrath has a couple other Harley-Davidson franchises. McGrath is the owner and operator of McGrath Harley-Davidson in Dubuque and McGrath Quad Cities Harley (formerly Wiebler’s Quad Cities Harley-Davidson in Davenport). The McGrath name may be familiar to folks in Wisconsin and Iowa: Patriarch H.B. McGrath first opened his Buick dealership in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, back in 1952!

Continued on page 22

JANUARY 2020

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Continued from page 21

Over the years, the family-owned business grew to become the largest family owned automotive company in the state.

In 1974, Bruce McGrath became the dealer and constructed the current Pontiac dealership. In 1979, Pat McGrath joined the company, followed shortly thereafter by Mike McGrath.

By 2015 the McGrath family featured 10 OEM franchises, 7 locations in 5 communities and 4 Used Car Superstores.

The McGrath family expanded its interest into motorcycles and formed McGrath Motorcycles, LLC in 2013, purchasing a Harley-Davidson store in Coralville and renaming it McGrath Hawkeye Harley-Davidson, managed by Mike McGrath. On June 29th, 2015 Hawkeye Harley-Davidson opened their newly-constructed 46,000 sq./ft. building and their previous location on Commerce St. in Coralville was sold.

The purpose-built facility has everything you can imagine, including ride in service department for inclement weather (like during Dealernews’ impromptu visit), climate controlled winter storage area (reached via elevator), massive showroom, HOG chapter room and the whole nine yards.

However it you are not from Iowa or a college football fan, you are missing the true design story.

From the facade facing the Interstate to the big score board, the dealership mimics Kinnick Stadium, home to the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. There is even a press box overlooking the playing field… um, showroom floor. But wait, there’s more. Just ask Jon about the Pepto-Bismal pink restrooms.

“Iowa’s Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry was a psych major.

When he coached the University of Iowa from 1978-1998 he had the opposing team’s locker room painted pink… a nice soothing color to limit their aggression on the field against the Hawkeyes.” True story and the legend of Hayden Fry is posted in the restrooms for out-of-towners like me wondering why the pink walls.

To Jon Garrett and the entire Hawkeye Harley-Davidson team, we have to say you aced the Dealernews’ pop quiz!

This operation is a model of efficiency, customer service and a cool place to hang out! Better news, the Top 100 bylaws state a Dealernews Grand Prize winner can’t reenter the competition, however Hawkeye Harley came into being two years after the McGrath Powersports win so that means you go to the head of the class for the next Top 100 contest…

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120 Westcor Dr. Coralville, IA 52241 Phone: (319)-545-7495 https://www.hawkeyehd.com/ https://www.facebook.com/mcgrathhawkeyehd/

Dealernews 2013 Dealer Of The Year McGrath Powersports “Where Fun Begins!”

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o provide a fun experience that creates loyal riders — This simple, concise mission statement and McGrath’s ability to execute its fundamental tenets propelled the Midwestern dealership to the Top 100 Dealer of the Year honors back in 2013 and a cameo on the March cover. The shop also had its own stand-alone cover story in 2012. Guess what, the formula still works! The original Harley store in the McGrath family of dealerships, Hawkeye Harley-Davidson may even be better at delivering fun to its loyal riders!

Back to 2013 and the secret to McGrath’s success: This dealership is an event machine! Owner Mike McGrath and his team spend a great deal of billable hours planning and executing events designed to make customers stop on by — and return, over and over again. Case in point: the “Summer in January” party. Not only did it boost morale of employees and customers suffering from winter cabin fever, but it also fueled a 200% increase in major unit sales, according to the McGrath record books.

McGrath Powersports’ two showrooms house more than 200 new and 200 used units — the used sales operation located in a 6,000 sq. ft. space. McGrath also boasts the largest selection of helmets in the entire state of Iowa — more than 450 on display at any given time.

In the Service department, a dyno window and flat-screen monitor allow inquisitive customers to safely watch the results as they are generated. The service department also features a separate room for quiet consultations. The thoughtfulness continues with a rental service for soon-tobe riders, where those who need to take the State-required motorcycle test can rent a little bike to test with.

It is no wonder McGrath Powersports is “Where the fun begins.”

goes the economy (the University of Michigan’s consumer confidence index rose to the upper end of the favorable range for December at 99.2, indicating that consumers remain bullish about the near future). Consumers represent over 70% of the economy and if they become pessimistic, the economy will turn down. Pre-recession jitters could trigger a back-to-basics mentality and if that happens, as it did just prior to the 2008 recession, you can expect interest in new motorcycles to slow and the used bike market to expand.

My advice don’t plan on on the second coming of the Great Depression; however, monitor the monthly consumer confidence numbers and take action as necessary.

Dealernews Research

By Dr. Paul Leinberger

TOP 4 MEGA-TRENDS 2020 Consumer Trends

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an you believe it?! It is 2020! Trend watchers around the world have been waiting for it forever. Why? No reason, really, except that it sounds kind of cool to say it and because it looks like a date so very far in the future — that sci-fi future of the Jetsons and their flying car.

Now it is here and as it turns out, it could be quite a year.

There are four powerful mega-trends to watch closely.

Each one represents a significant opportunity for you and your business. All of them are the merger of important consumer trends with important demographic shifts.

However, before I get to them, let’s talk for a moment about the economy and what might happen this year. According to Blue Chip Economic Indicators, 38% of economists believe the country is headed for an economic recession in 2020, while 41% believe a recession will hit in 2021. Sounds grim…

Fortunately economists don’t have a very good track record when it comes to predicting recessions. However you should monitor the situation closely. Watch the consumer confidence numbers because as the consumer goes, so

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Now, let’s get to the four consumer mega-trends to watch in 2020. The first, and perhaps the most important, is Consumer Fatigue or “stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off” syndrome. Our always-on digital culture is burning through our mental and physical reserves and our stress levels are going through the roof.

As horrible as this is, it could represent a significant opportunity for you. Can you think of a better way to relieve stress than getting on your bike and heading out to that open road? Take advantage of a difficult situation by telling your customers and prospects that there has never been a better time to ride. Buy a new bike: the ultimate stress-reliever.

The second mega-trend is Sustainability Now. Sustainability has been a major trend for over a decade, but it is only now that the attitudes and behavior of two younger generations, Millennials and Generation Z, are moving it from a trend to a mega-trend. Two trends are coming together here: Sustainable alternatives are now widespread and affordable, and eco-consumption is now a given for Millennials and Gen Z. If you want to attract consumers under the age of 40, you must be able to demonstrate that the environment is important to you. In what ways can you demonstrate that sustainability is an important value to you? We saw the signs at AIMExpo: 2020 could be a break-out year for electric motorcycles and e-bikes.

Mega-trend number three is the coming together of technology and consumer attitude changes. Let’s call it EP: Extreme Personalization. Consumers have come to expect a level of personalization unheard of in the past.

Consumers now live in a multi-device, on-demand world and they expect you to understand their personal needs.

They are not part of a demographic; they are a market of one. And since they now spend over 10 hours a day on their digital devices, they expect you to meet them where they are – on their smartphones.

“According to ValueWalk studies, 63% of consumers expect companies to offer customer support via social media.” Not email, not phone calls, not dealership visits; social media delivered on smartphones. You need to shift your attention away from selling and instead focus on the customer experience. That is the path to success in 2020 and beyond.

What’s the opposite of Extreme Personalization? Megatrend No. 4: The search for Meaningful Connections.

Our increasingly digital lives have turned us all into digital narcissists. The more time we spend on our devices, the more isolated we become. We may be getting what we think we want – customized products and services, faster customer service, and more and more ways to communicate via social media – but in the process we are becoming lonelier and more anxious.

As human beings we have a deep-seated need for affiliation and meaning. Our sense of self and our happiness comes from our relationships and doing things together. What might this mean for us? Think of your dealership as a community. You probably already sponsor different kinds of rides and events designed to get people together.

That’s great. And in 2020, you should do even more. Make a conscious effort to bring your customers together and invite others in your community to join you. Make 2020 the year of meaningful connections. You’ll be happy you made the effort – and your dealership will benefit.

My wish for you: Track the trends and make 2020 your very best year ever!

A perennial keynote speaker for the Motorcycle Industry Council's annual Communications Symposium, Dr. Paul Leinberger has become the powersports industry's de facto futurist/strategist. Dr. Leinberger is an expert in market/brand strategy and research with more than two decades of social trend forecasting, market strategy and strategic planning. Prior to joining TTD, he was Senior VP of GfK NOP, where he ran the company’s flagship consumer trend services, Roper Reports, as well as the company’s groundbreaking Global Visual Database. His client list reads like a Who’s Who of corporate America: Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Disney, Nordstrom, Microsoft, Levi Strauss, E.& J. Gallo Winery and Toyota, among many others. Prior to his global responsibilities at GfK NOP, Dr. Leinberger was the Corporate Manager in the Product Planning and Market Strategy department at Nissan North America. Dr. Leinberger holds a Ph.D. in organizational and social psychology and a Masters of Urban Planning (Highest Honors). He lives in Irvine, California, and his work can be seen at www.dennyleinbergerstrategy.com

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Dealernews Research

By Lenny Sims

BY THE BOOK

NADAguides Market Insights Power The Market Values

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nteresting to note that while the market remained stable for the first three quarters, and the values were solid, number of amount of traffic in all categories seemed to stumble at the end of September. Anecdotally we can tell you that Q4 was softer than Q3, but overall the year trended positive. The number of pre-owned unit sales continue to outpace new units by nearly 3:1.

What does this mean to you at the dealership level? UTVs remain rock steady… even sport side-by-sides. The values that could be found in cruisers and sportbikes, not so much. Both categories were up by 4% or more through September, but the bloom is off the rose as they say. At least for the winter months.

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Still the cruiser sector did deliver 4.1% more money in the first 10 months of 2019 compared to the same period of 2018. Sportbikes also edged out year-prior results in the most recent period, with this segment bringing 4% more money year-to-date, so if you got in early and soldthrough by September, count yourself 4% to the good!

In fact, month-by-month retail values for cruisers averaged up $500 compared to 2017. The category has consistently been at $8,500 for the first three quarters.

Sportbike values surpassed strong 2017 values in Q2 and are holding steady through the September slump.

While the utility side-by-side segment did dip slightly compared to 2017 and 2018, the look-up traffic is still there. Sport UTVs almost reached year-prior pricing

and the traffic didn’t drop nearly as much as the other categories starting in September. This segment is on par with 2018 in terms of average pricing, but should edge up as new Kawasaki KRX 1000 (see page 30) and Honda Talon (featured last issue) come to market.

Everything seems to slow in an election year. However, looking employment figures remain strong and average wages continue to tick upward. Because of the new models and affordable late models. Demand for certain product should remain consistent in the near term.

About NADAguides.com NADAguides.com, the largest publisher of the most market-reflective vehicle pricing and information available for new and used cars, classic cars, motorcycles, boats, RVs and manufactured homes, offers in-depth shopping and research tools including a broad range of data, products and service and informational articles as well as tips and advice. NADAguides. com also produces electronic products, mobile applications, raw data, web services, web-syndicated products and print guidebooks. NADAguides.com is operated by National Appraisal Guides, Inc., a division of J.D. Power.

J.D. Power/NADA Guides, Inc. 3200 Park Center Drive, 13th Floor Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (800) 966-6232 Fax (714) 556-8715 www.nadaguides.com/Motorcycles JANUARY 2020

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ADD-ON PROFITABILITY Teryx KRX 1000 Looks Like The Color Of Money

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awasaki may have taken a long time to get into the sport UTV market, but when they finally gave the Teryx KRX 1000 the green flag, they did it right by treating dealers to demo rides in Palm Springs and taking select media to Moab just after that. Positive buzz and a pent up demand has made the first production run a hot commodity! But the real beauty of the green machine is that it becomes a true profit center for the dealers. In fact, simultaneously to the development of the engine and suspension spec, the accessories department was creating a wealth of high margin, dealer-installed accessories. Call it the color of money!

Ranging from basic “necessities” like a Hifonics sound system ($1,099), front ($179) and rear ($255) bumper upgrades, windshields ($679) and cab heaters needed for this time of year, there were literally hundreds of accessories… “too many to point out,” notes Kawasaki Senior Product Specialist Paul Golde. “We borrowed a page from the fast food industry playbook and created combo deals. For example, there is the ‘Mud Package’ with 11 essential components from a full windshield and polycarbonate rear panel, flared fenders, mud flaps and a Warn VRX 3500 winch all included in the value menu for $3,000.”

There are five other groupings: the Recreation Package ($1,904.95); the Lighting Package, complete with cool K-Glow LED light bars ($1,514.95): Cab Package, with

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the aforementioned heater ($2,676.95); the Protection Package, a.k.a. the rock crawler special because of the HMW (High Molecular Weight) skid plates, A-arm guards and HMW rock sliders ($1,776.95) all the way up to the I Want It ALL Package for $8,888.95.

“Believe it or not, customers do want it all and the package makes it easier for them to get what they want,” says Golde. “We combined 31 high demand part numbers into a single, simple ordering number… which can be rolled into the finance package at the time of purchase.”

Golde was kind enough to give Dealernews an exclusive walk-around of the KRX accessory display vehicle after we put it through its paces on the infamous King Of The Hammers course out in Johnson Valley, California.

While the keyboard warriors are already quoting horsepower numbers, or the lack thereof from the 999cc parallel twin, and the 1,900 lb. weight, we would suggest spending some time in the saddle to see how well the machine works. In the really rugged downhills, the diff locks and low power setting almost made the descent down Chocolate Thunder easy. Unlike some competitors, the centrifugal clutch works well with no overheating or slipping issues in the tough stuff… And proving its versatility, we transitioned straight onto some high-speed washes heading to Giant Rock.

Having just spent a couple days with the new Talon 4, we found the KRX handled the high-speed sections quite competitively. The longer wheel base tracked well and the Fox 2.5 Podium LSC shocks did not bottom out over high speed G-outs. While it was not as fast out of the hole as the Honda, once up “on plane” gliding over the sand up to the 68-mph rev limited top speed, it was a match for the Honda by seat of the pants reckoning. Rumor has it K&T’s aftermarket turbo kit will soon to be available to push the ponies from 114 hp up around 200 hp. Dealers were shown a prototype turbo kit at the dealer meeting, but it will be strictly an aftermarket offering.

The stock 31-inch Maxxis tires and wheels are bigger than the Honda set-up, and the 19” front/21” rear wheel travel leaves plenty of room in the wheel wells, so the Kawasaki can run even taller tires. One more plus Golde points out are the true beadlocks on the rims. “Those are not just decorative rings.” Fortunately, we didn’t have to test the beadlocks. Golde did note that a complete spare tire/ wheel assembly is now available for $418.95 MSRP and the accessory mounting rack leaves room for storage in the bed and can accommodate a tire up to 2-inches over the stock 31- inch rubber.

We will leave the spec sheet comparisons to the “experts” and the proof will be in the dealerships… and out on the trail. What will really count for Kawasaki will be the bottom line, especially when the $8.8K “I Want It All” accessories package is tacked on at the point of sale!

Now that is the definition of “winning.” Let the good times roll!

JANUARY 2020

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WHAT THEY SAID The 2020 Kawasaki Teryx KRX 1000 exceeds our expectations for the first foray into the world of sport side-by-sides. It ticks many of the boxes consumers are asking for, and is built to withstand a serious beating, so we just have to wait and see how it holds up over time. It handles great, looks awesome, and offers something new for UTV enthusiasts to be excited about. All that’s left to do now is to climb in, hang on, and let the good times roll. ~ Ken Hutchison UTV Driver

The KRX 1000 is a heavy side at 1900 lbs. Extra weight affects performance and I felt this when testing acceleration, etc. But on the plus side, the KRX 1000 is built like a tank. I’d have no problem running any trail at the Hammers with a stock unit except for the addition of skid and roof. I also believe the entire chassis and drivetrain will last for 1000’s of miles without worry and without additional gussets, plates or shock bracing. ~ Jon Crowley UTV Guide

It doesn’t feel like you just flick it into a turn like a Can-Am X3 or a Yamaha YXZ, but it feels plenty nimble. The steering box does require more revolutions to turn than some machines. Engine performance felt good, though we need a chance to have other normally aspirated machines along. As we perused the KRX we were continually impressed with the size and strength of every part we saw. This is a robust machine. ~ Staff Dirt Wheels

Whether I was hammering it over whoops, sliding through gravel, or inching down a boulder field with a 45-degree incline, I didn’t feel the KRX get pushed around by the terrain. It may be the heaviest UTV in its class, but that weight brings structural confidence. The last of the big players expected to join this battle, Kawasaki waited to learn the weaknesses of the opposition, then brought a straight-up tank to the fight. ~ Bryan Campbell Robb Report

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Continued from page 31

IF SO, THEN GET WITH THE TIMES. A lot of Powersports DMS providers claim they’re keeping you strong, but older features and integrations can make them feel a little weaker. It’s hard to find new leads when the technology doesn’t recognize that flexibility and agility are what keep businesses moving forward. If you’re looking for a DMS that’s ready to pump you up, then schedule a CDK Lightspeed®EVO demo. We’ll provide a workout you won’t forget.

READY TO LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND?

Call 800.521.0309 or visit cdkglobal.com /anewera-powersports

© 2019 CDK Global, LLC / CDK Global and Lightspeed are registered trademarks of CDK Global, LLC. 19-5254 © 2019 CDK Global, LLC / CDK Global and Lightspeed are registered trademarks of CDK Global, LLC. 19-5254

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DAMON MOTORCYCLES SHOCKS CES Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

Page 36

SEGWAY’S BALANCING ACT Electric Extension Lines Page 3X

LET THEM HAVE CAKE Kalk & Ösa eMotos Page 3X

CURRENTS+

CES SHOCKER

DAMON MOTORCYCLES “200” Safety, range and performance were the goal, the “200” is Damon Motorcycles’ answer. Unveiled at the giant Consumer Electronics Shows (CES) in Las Vegas in early January. The “200” stands for: 200 horsepower, top speed of 200mph and a 200-mile real-world range. Oh yeah and a price tag target under Harley’s LiveWire halo product.

Then there is the CoPilot. “We’ve come at this and the motorcycle problem in a way that no other company has,” notes Jay Giraud, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re trying to change the industry by addressing the issues of safety and handling and comfort and the problems that have persisted with everyone in the industry, including all the e-moto companies today.”

The CoPilot system uses sensors, radar and cameras to detect and track moving objects around the motorcycle, including blind spots, and alert riders to danger via haptic vibration in the handlebars. Billed as the first AI-enhanced warning system for motorcycles, Damon patented it’s “Advanced Warning System for Motorcycles” (AWSM).

Equally awesome is the electronically adjustable ergonomics unique to Damon Motorcycles is capable of accommodating diverse road conditions, providing a safer, smarter and more adaptable motorcycle for two-wheel commuters. “We built what every rider dreams of: a motorcycle that can adapt to the changing road conditions, perfectly suited for inner city commutes, winding back roads and everything in between,” said Giraud, “Having a Damon Motorcycle means having an upright commuter bike, a forgiving touring bike and an exhilarating sportbike, all-in-one.”

Click here for details: www.damonmotorcycles.com

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NINEBOT-SEGWAY AT CES

Segway-Ninebot expanded its lineup of electric vehicles right before the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The “A-Pod” baby stroller notwithstanding, headlines went to a new scooter and a moped joining Segway’s Ninebot series (on top of the UTV shown at EICMA and the motorcycle concept seen at SEMA last year.

The Ninebot eScooter intends to push the envelope as a longrange vehicle that can reach between 31 and 62 miles-perhour depending on the model. They are equipped with distinct batteries that provide the scooters different travel ranges. The E80C has a lead-acid battery that can reach a claimed maximum range of 56 miles, the rest have lithium-ion batteries that can reach 62 miles or more.

Customers will be able to choose from five different models, including the E80C, E90, E100, E125 and E200P. Additionally, the eMoped will feature a digital dashboard, two operating buttons and a braking system with both front disc and rear drum brakes. Speaking of choices, there will be 100,000 body panel colors and seat cushion options for the eScooter or eMoped.

Although the Segway APEX was presented as an electric motorcycle, the Ninebot eScooter T is a self-balancing and semiautomatic electric scooter. Unfortunately, these concepts will not be hitting the market anytime soon.

MORE CAKE LET THEM HAVE CAKE

CAKE, the Swedish supplier of lightweight electric off-road performance motorcycles, has its flagship Kalk OR on display as part of the Petersen Automotive Museum’s permanent collection.

Back in April 2019, the Petersen Museum featured the Kalk OR in its “Electric Revolution” temporary exhibit. The Kalk OR now extends its presence by becoming a perennial part of the museum’s collection.

“We are honored and proud to announce that the CAKE Kalk OR is now a part of the permanent collection at the Petersen Automotive Museum. We would like to thank Bryan Stevens and everyone at the museum for recognizing our development of a new category of lightweight electric motorbikes and supporting our vision to accelerate our society toward a zero-emission future,” remarks Stefan Ytterborn, Founder of CAKE.

“It’s a spectacular artifact and a fantastic representation of this moment in the history of motorized transport,” adds Bryan Stevens, Director of Exhibitions at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Gates belts generated big buzz at EICMA, Europe’s most important motorcycle show, when Cake introduced a new electric two-wheeler and eMobility took center stage. The launch of Cake’s Ösa was a media highlight from Milan (covered last issue), Publications from the mainstream media, including Cycle Volta, Electrek, Popular Mechanics and Car And Driver wrote about the new belt driven eMotorcycle from Cake. Ösa is designed to combine sustainable electric transportation with a mobile work station that can power electric tools, instruments or electronics, and apparently the belt drive is a key factor in meeting this mission.

“Our belt drive systems are ideal for both consumers and manufacturers across many performance metrics including noise, total cost of ownership, durability, and maintenance,” says Joe Menzel, General Manager of Gates Global Mobility Business.

Check out the Gates blog for more: https://blog.gatescarbondrive.com/2019/11/13/gatesunchains-milan-motorcycle-show/

JANUARY 2020

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CURRENTS+

STRAIGHT FROM DAKAR, STREET LEGAL RALLY BIKE READY ELECTRICITY AND WATER DON’T MIX?

Taiwanese energy company United Renewable Energy (URE) has dropped a bomb on the alternative fuel sector with a hydrogenpowered electric scooter. Classified as a 125cc motorcycle, URE’s scooter is said to have a 110-kilometer range and refuel in just 3 minutes. Top speed is 90 km per hour. URE believes these factors will help it win the fierce battle for scooter sales in Taiwan.

Power comes from a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, and the resulting “emission” is water. The extra power is then stored in secondary lithium batteries. Who says electricity and water don’t mix?

URE was established as a producer of photovoltaic products when three top Taiwanese firms, Neo Solar Power, Gintech Energy, and Solartech Energy came together in 2018. URE is now Taiwan’s top solar energy company. “The goal is to maintain energy production while also bringing a product diversification strategy online,” states URE president Sam Hong. The new business unit is focused on electric scooters running on hydrogen and portable energy storage systems for offices and homes.

More details here: https://www.urecorp.com/us/Product_MovingPower.php

“Today we are announcing a big milestone for the Rally and Motorcycle fans,” said Tacita co-founder Pierpaolo Rigo from the Dakar Rally bivouac in Saudi Arabia. “We will be producing a street legal version of the T-Race Rally. This street legal version was specially created to conquer the work commute and win for the weekend.”

The 2020 TACITA T-Race Rally SL features a lighter, more flexible chassis and a completely new T44 electric motor. In addition to generating more power, engine weight has been reduced 14 kilograms. A Rally-spec slipper clutch was created

by TACITA R&D, specifically for this bike. The rear battery boxes have been relocated 12 centimeters toward the center of the motorcycle in order to make the T-Race Rally SL even easier to ride.

The TACITA R-Race Rally SL will come with an integrated 3.5or 7.0-kW charger with Type 2 socket to give the freedom to recharge on a 10, 16 or 32 A socket. The T-Race Rally SL version will come with an 18-kWh battery pack that will extend range up to 220 km.

“The TACITA T-Race Rally SL with the 44-kW engine and 18kWh battery pack will be priced at $27,580,” added Axel Heilenkotter, CEO of TACITA USA Corp. “The New TACITA T-Race Rally SL is planned to be available on the second quarter 2020 for both Europe and the USA.” Tacita USA Corp 601 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 700 Miami, FL 33131 +1 (305) 775 4526 ah@tacitausa.com

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Dealernews Research

By Don Musick

WHERE’S WALDO? Geographic Data Is No Joke!

Dateline: April 1st 2018… s part of its annual April Fool’s program, Google brought the “Where’s Waldo World Tour” to Google Maps. Launched for a week on Desktop, IOS and Android platforms, Waldo would randomly appear in Google Maps beckoning users to follow him. Clicking on Waldo popped-up an info window with the option to find Waldo in the location shown. Successfully finding Waldo would lead to new locations around the world to continue the search.

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So, with a fresh new year at our doorstep, the search for new customers (the elusive Waldos) begins once more.

Acronym Soup You’ve heard the buzzwords DAT, AOR, PMA, SEA and others from most of your OEM representatives. Translation: “Dealer Assigned Territory,” “Area Of Responsibility,” “Primary Market Area” and “Statistical Evaluation Area.”

In other words, the geography each OEM assigns to their dealers based on their market share objectives.

Wait, your market area, but their objectives? How does that work? If your dealership carries more than a single OEM, are territory assignments consistent from one to the next? Are they county-based, zip code-based, crowfly distance or drive time based? Are they even defined at all? Are they the same for all of the product lines you carry?

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Because of the multitude of OEM methodologies for determining dealer territories, it makes sense to get a handle on it yourselves first. There’s an old Mark Twain quote that goes, ”First get the facts, then you can distort them at your leisure.”

The facts that define your market geography and potential opportunities are what we’re after in this series of articles.

To answer the last question first, let’s take a look at heat maps of motorcycle and scooter retail distributions in the two largest U.S. markets: Los Angeles and New York. This analysis, requisitioned by Piaggio a few years back, examined MIC (Motorcycle Industry Council) data for patterns in spatial distribution for both product lines. Of course, MIC data is limited to reporting member OEMs only and does not include non-member data.

Figure 2a shows the relative distribution of motorcycle retail in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CBSA (Core Based Statistical Area-white outline) while 2b shows the same for scooters (retail hot spots follow a white>yellow>orange>red>purple color ramp).

For reference, Piaggio dealers are indicated by blue P while other powersports dealers by black stars.

The first thing that jumps out from these two images is that motorcycle and scooter product lines have completely different geographic distributions!

Figure 2a

Figure 2b

SAVE THE DATE

NOrth AMerica’s Most Important Powersports Tradeshow October 1-4, 2020 | Columbus, OHIo

AIMEXPOUSA. com

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SHOWTIME

INDUSTRY WEEK WEST

IMS Kicks Off In Long Beach PAGE 44

PRI IN INDY

Going Gonzo On The Car Guys PAGE 46

HEADS UP!

MIPS Technology Trunk Show PAGE 48

While the MIC Communications Symposium was presenting a strategy playbook for developing more riders across the street from the Convention Center, the show team was busy putting butts on seats all weekend!

INDUSTRY WEEK WEST IMS Long Beach Launch

By Robin Hartfiel

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ith the International Motorcycle Shows season kick-off happening in conjunction with the annual Motorcycle Industry Council’s Communications Symposium (featured last issue), the late November date provides a good reason for the industry to gather in Southern California for what has become Industry Week West. According to our friends from the show, attendance was up, more new models made their North American debuts and more importantly more new riders were brought into the family by the Discover The Ride feature.

“We are proud to report that the kick-off for the 2020 IMS season was a success,” says Senior VP Tracy Harris.

“The Long Beach Convention Center saw a 7% increase in attendance from last year with great weather greeting riders in nearly always full motorcycle-only parking lot.”

OEM demo riders were similarly busy all weekend but it was contesting new riders that was the measure of success IMS staff was looking for.

“The Discover The Ride feature saw hundreds of participants on the first-time riders course with more than 1000 adults participating in all of the activities,” claims Harris. “Add in the 200 kids who rode on STACYC powered balance bikes and it just goes to show that IMS is hosting the audience that this industry is looking for! I personally met most of the DTR participants over the weekend with female and younger riders dominating the mix.”

Launched last year, DTR is billed as the only approachable motorcycling experience designed to give non-motorcyclelicensed consumers the experience of riding in a safe and controlled environment. The interactive program includes the New Rider Course, The Kids Zone, educational seminars within New To 2, and a dyno and wheelie experience that was specifically designed to introduce riding motorcycles to consumers of all ages in an effort to counteract the industry’s high barriers of entry.

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“It is important for the motorcycle industry to recognize there is a deep pool of potential riders, especially within the younger generation, as Discover the Ride’s data suggests,” Harris explains. “Discover the Ride does a fantastic job providing a quick and accessible opportunity for nonriders to experience the rush of two wheels. The program additionally takes the next step in converting non-riders by providing continued education and resources to those interested.”

Speaking of crossing over to non-motorcycle people, Piaggio previewed the Sean Wotherspoon Vespa Primavera at EICMA and IMS Long Beach. A partnership between one of the most creative designers in the fashion world and the iconic Vespa, a special and limited series of Vespa is born.

Along with the Sean Wotherspoon Primavera, Vespa has released the Elettrica 45mph, the Primavera (RED) and the Sprint Limited Speed, along with the new MotoGuzzi and a couple tasty Aprilia’s complete with a “dealers wanted” sign.

Triumph’s tour de force with the world’s biggest production bike and a Bud Ekins commemorative model were personal highlights… as were the tasty vintage bikes in the Moto Doffo collection (don’t tell anyone, but the media was also allowed to sample some of Doffo’s wine) during the press day scrum. Hanging with Eddie Lawson and a gaggle of extreme athletes at the Giant e-Bike pavilion was a treat, too.

Industry Week West was a positive way to kick off the 2020 season, for sure! To learn more about Discover The Ride, click here: motorcycleshows.com/content/discover-ride

Following the success of their solo “World Premiere” event just prior to EICMA, Ducati offered several North American unveilings at their pavilion in Long Beach. DNA capo Jason Chinnock took the wraps off several models intended to inspire riders of all levels, including revealing of the highly anticipated Streetfighter V4 S and the new Panigale V4 S. The latest Panigale V2 Superbike and the Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour were also highlighted. The Scrambler Icon Dark and the North American debut of the new Monster 1200 S in “Black on Black” styling were the newest “residents of the Land of Joy,” as Ducati calls their Scrambler line-up.

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I thought I had scored headline news when word broke on Friday that OMP Racing, a leading motorsports safety equipment company with 2,000+ products in its portfolio, had acquired control of the majority shares in Bell Racing Helmets Group! It was a huge deal, but Bell Racing US facilities in Champaign, Illinois; Speedway, Indiana; and Mooresville, North Carolina had split off from Bell powersports years ago and this had nothing to do with motorcycle helmets… scratch that scoop.

I was fresh off our own AIMExpo and still had that electric vibe going. I can’t recite square footage and numbers of either show, but where one is light, open and airy, the other was heavy, busy and choked. I’m talking the vibe not just numbers. The AIMExpo was filled with excitement and play, the aisles were wider and electric gizmos zipped in every direction. Even the most serious vendors are ultimately selling fun.

GOING GONZO AT PRI 2019 32nd Performance Racing Industry Show

By Charlie Williams

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ven before the old Dealernews Dealer Expo took over town, Indianapolis was known as the racing capitol of the world in honor of the of America’s third oldest speedway. The track itself is nicknamed the “Brickyard”, as the racing surfacing was paved in brick and still has a yard of brick remaining exposed at the start/finish line to this day… it has remained a Mecca for go-fast guys and gals since the fall of 1909, which makes it the perfect place to play host to the annual Performance Racing Industry trade show. With 1,100 exhibitors and 3,300 booths PRI showcases more new racing products than anywhere on earth!

PRI is an integral part of the automotive racing marketplace, but they have seen a blurring of the lines with the powersports industry in recent years. Having the epicenter of new racing technology in Dealernews’ Off-Road Editor’s backyard (plus the rumors of free lunch in the press center) drew my attention to last year’s show… where I witnessed the world premiere of Hoosier Tires moto rubber, saw Simpson’s safety helmets and a couple dozen more crossover exhibitors. So, with stomach growling and camera at the ready, I ventured back to the Indy Convention Center to check out the 2020 PRI Trade Show, December 10-12 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

We were not alone! Like last year, more than 40,000 industry leaders, go-fasters, go-karters, car legends and yes, powersports industry brands were packed into the show hall. The sheer size of the crowd made it easy for a certain unwashed motorcycle off-road editor to mingle with the mass of humanity.

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PRI had a serious vibe Friday afternoon and the GIANT Convention Center was a very busy place. A very busy and serious place. How serious? I only remember two people holding beer cans.

I had gotten the BOOK of 1,100 vendors and had targeted any motorcycle brethren so it took hours to walk the show… if I were really interested it would have taken days.

Two rooms, each the size of our AIMExpo, are filled with so much stuff I can’t understand or explain. Every hallway is filled with racing. Dozens of extra rooms are filled, and even the blocks long hallway to Lucas Oil Stadium is lined with propaganda and displays.

Instead of quitting while I was behind or feigning a flashback to the Dealer Expo days, I continued my moto-tirade. “From 2008 to 2015 FIM saw fit to allow Indy to host MotoGP. And furthermore, PRI was founded by a motorcycle guy!

You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Steve Lewis and the decade he spent learning the ropes at the William Lawrence Corporation, which produced the Motorcycle & Accessory Trade Show, and published Motorcycle Dealer News Magazine.”

True story! Before Steve Lewis launched the Action Sports Retailer show in 1978 and created Performance Racing Industry magazine and trade show in 1986, he was the protege of Bill Bagnall and Larry Hester There is a giant footprint by tool builders. Machining tools at Dealernews (William Bagnall & Lawrence Hester, hence run and buzz all day and I wonder how much more an the original name of the parent corporation). Unfortunately, electrical cable as big as your wrist costs over the standard security moving my way lead to a much-abbreviated history $200 extension cord rental... lesson. However, you can look it up on PRI’s own website if

you don’t have two gorillas dressed in polyester uniforms Trailers and haulers have a huge area, too. What I’m trying to chase you out of the convention center… the very angling at is, both the tools and trailers are kinda offshoot same convention center where Steve Lewis had originally industries pulled in under one tent. Maybe like what we held the Indy Motorsports Expo in 1986-87. are doing at AIMExpo with the electric revolution? What other fun industry could we pull in under our tent?

Somehow Steve’s Midas touch failed the Indy Motorsports

Expo consumer show in Indy. But at the close of the second I visited the Hoosier Tire booth, they have added dirt track show, Lewis told the racing companies exhibiting that tires to the lineup of knobbies they are producing. I’ve there would not be a third consumer show in Indianapolis, heard good things about the Hoosier knobbies, but still and asked if there was any important feedback that he have little hands-on experience. More info when possible. should hear, (or so claims PRI lore).

Lucas Oils, another Indiana company has introduced a new spec UTV oil that meets Polaris requirements. Lucas “It was unanimous. The exhibitors told us they did not need also has a wide range of motorcycle oils and I’ve had good another consumer show, but really needed a true trade luck using them over the years. Lucas also offers a two- show specifically for racing, and they wanted us to produce ounce container of gun oil; they didn’t flinch when I asked it,” said Lewis. There was a need in the marketplace for a if it came in 55 gallon drums. “Of course Sir.” racing trade show, though. “We launched PRI magazine, then nine months later, the first PRI Trade Show was held at the Kentucky Commonwealth Center, the first week of December, in Louisville, Kentucky.”

Fast forward to 2012 when the SEMA folks bought PRI lock, stock and barrel. SEMA then purchased the IMIS Show in Indianapolis and consolidated it into the PRI Trade Show, returning the PRI Trade Show to the racing capitol of the world — Indianapolis — in 2013.

And that is the true story of how come the PRI guys should be treating Dealernews Off-Road Editor with dignity and respect… not setting the goons loose to chase me out! For more details, click here: http://www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow/general_info.html

As the day drew on, and the free lunch failed to materialize, some of the car guys started making snide remarks — well, I couldn’t actually hear what they were saying over the noise of the crowd, but I didn’t like their look and I was cranky.

So, I decided to remind them loudly that motorcycles were what made Indy famous. “In fact, the first motorsport event at the Brickyard was seven motorcycle races sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM), on August 14, 1909!” People who hadn’t been looking my way before were now blatantly staring.

JANUARY 2020

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For those looking to cut to the chase, MIPS can be defined in four simple sentences: • MIPS is a Brain Protection System (BPS).

• Rotational motion can cause brain injuries.

• The low friction layer allows a sliding movement of 10-15mm in all directions, reducing rotational motion to the brain during impact.

• MIPS adds protection.

HEADS UP!

MIPS Technology Trunk Show

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n the days before giant trade shows and the Dealer Expo, various industries relied on the “trunk show” to get new products and technical innovations out to store personnel. The Swedish Scientists from MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) brought their traveling road show to Anaheim to highlight the latest technology and developments in rider protection for members of the media. CEO Max Strandwitz, and CoFounder/Chief Science Officer, Peter Halldin, shared insight into what MIPS is, the history of the brand, the technology itself, and its reach across a wide array of applications.

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The longer version is that 24+ years of research with the Stockholm Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and more than 27,000 individual tests have helped drive MIPS’ technology, enabling it to become the leading protective element in helmets for the equestrian, cycling and snow sports marketplaces. MIPS is also seeing an increased presence in the sport of hockey, and even helmets utilized by construction workers.

“MIPS has become synonymous across a variety of enthusiast-driven helmet sports and our expansion into motorcycling was a natural progression for the technology,” explained Strandwitz. He also offered a bit of pertinent history that at one point they attempted to make their own helmets, something they were not very good at. Now the technology is available through some of the leading helmet producers in the world instead.

“While we’ve had the privilege of partnering with many of the motorcycle industry’s most recognized and wellrespected brands, we are still working on bringing awareness to not just MIPS, but rotational protection as a whole,” he added. “This symposium is a great opportunity to do exactly that.”

The Swedish helmet protection technology innovators welcomed several of its partner brands and key members of the two-wheeled media to its first motorcycle safety symposium in Southern California. In just a few years, more than 20 different brands have adopted MIPS as the technology of choice for rotational protection, including

Alpinestars, Bell, THOR and Troy Lee Designs, who were on hand to showcase their newest helmets utilizing MIPS.

The subject of rotational impact protection has become a focal point in the two-wheeled space. That is evident in the new helmet safety standards introduced by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). These new standards, which currently focus on roadracing and will soon expand to include off-road racing, should push the evolution of helmet safety to not only recognize, but also emphasize, rotational protection, believes Strandwitz.

“While many people are now becoming more aware of rotational protection, this is a subject we’ve continually researched and developed for quite a long time at MIPS,” Halldin added. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure consumers around the world are equipping themselves with the most effective helmet protection possible, and new safety standards like the ones now implemented for the world’s premier roadracing series are hopefully the first step in that process.”

Each of the attending brands took a turn to speak to the audience, bringing special attention to the newest and most innovative MIPS-equipped helmets available in the marketplace. Alpinestars featured its Supertech M10 MX helmet, and invited Team Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger to introduce his custom-painted design for the upcoming season. “I don’t know the science of how it works,” admitted AP. “But I have ended up on my head enough times the past two seasons to know that it does work.”

In addition to Alpinestars, Bell showcased its diverse range of MIPS-equipped helmets, including the Star and Qualifier street models, the Moto-9 for motocross, and the MX-9 for adventure riding. Bell’s Luke Brady showed the ins and outs of MIPS used by Bell, literally.

Troy Lee Designs and THOR used the trunk show format to show off TLD’s SE4 and the THOR Sector. THOR’s belief is that the MIPS technology should not be limited to high end lids, so even their entry Level Sector comes with MIPS built-in.

For more of the MIPS science, click here mipsprotection.com

JANUARY 2020

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Northern Exposure

By Marq C. Smith

To Rehire, or Not to Rehire

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n last month’s edition, both Alex Baylon and Eric Anderson wrote about keeping employees happy and staying in your employ. As dealer principals, we have to create a culture where the employee is happy and having the sense that they are welcome and part of the team. I couldn’t agree more. It’s something that is always strived for, and some businesses actually achieve it.

However, as I’m sure all of you have experienced, employees can move on, thinking that another dealership, or even another industry, will give them whatever they think they need; something that you are not providing them. Often, they say its money. Or it may be that they aren’t getting enough praise. Or there is some friction between themselves and other employees. Maybe your culture isn’t quite as all-encompassing as you thought?

Sometimes you’ve done nothing wrong. Things happen.

It’s often about that greener grass. In any case, the final outcome is that they move on, looking for new opportunities, whatever that may mean to them.

Then, months later, you get the phone call, or the visit.

“Can I come back now?” Things weren’t as green as they thought, or they realize that your shop was better after all. What to do in that case?

My rule generally is never to hire that person back. Often the employee in question has been kept on all winter, taking a paycheck when dollars are tight, and work is scarce. You are perhaps putting money back into the shop, and trying to keep everyone employed so that you’ll be ready for the next season. Then, just as things start to get busy, and maybe, just maybe, black ink starts to appear on the ledger, someone decides to depart.

Just when you really don’t want to be looking for a new

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team member at the same time every other shop is also searching for people to work at their shop.

Sometimes it works out for the better. Perhaps you are secretly glad that that particular employee is gone. By them leaving on their own, it saves a lot of grief later on.

But what of a good employee? One who you relied on, and left when it was inopportune? This is where the difficulty lay. If you hire them back, what will your current employees think? Will they now see that they can leave, knowing that they are welcome back if things don’t work out?

Sometimes, employees leave because their husband or wife gets transferred to another city. Or something else happens where they really have no choice but to move on. In this case, it’s probably a good idea to keep the door open if they want to return.

On the odd occasion, of course, I’ve had to fire someone — those people are always on my naughty list, and will never be welcome back!

I know a dealer with an employee who comes and goes, moving on to some project of his own, only to reappear at a later date, as his convenience, to resume his job.

This particular employee is all right, but is not, in my estimation, a star. However, the owner says that this fellow has a lot of knowledge, and he doesn’t want to lose that knowledge. This employee is, indeed, knowledgeable, but every time he leaves and returns through the revolving door, it causes some turmoil in the shop.

Generally, for myself, I will not hire an employee back. I do look at it case by case. I had one employee leave a few

years back; he was led astray by another shop. They never did give him everything he was promised, and eventually went under. When the employee returned, asking for his old job back, I was understandably reticent to do so.

However, the other employees got together and asked me to have him back. They all liked him and felt that he had been sold a bill of goods when he left to work at the other shop. I had a “Come to Jesus” meeting with him and laid out the rules. He came back in a lesser position, and worked his way back up. In this case, it worked out.

I’m sure it happens to all of us, and while I still believe that when you leave, you will not be invited back onto the island; there may be times that it can work out. I guess it’s up to the owners of the shop. But to do so is always a risk.

As our English Lit Major editor might say, To Rehire Or Not To Rehire… there’s the rub!

Marq C. Smith has been involved in motorcycles since he was 17 years old. He worked for Canadian Harley-Davidson importer Trev Deeley as well as being the dealer principal for his dealership Western Powersports (not to be confused with the American Distributor Western Power Sports) for 21 years. He currently works at Holeshot Motorsports, in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. He taught rider safety courses for 10 years, and still is involved in making sure new riders get proper training. When he is not working in a dealership, he tours all over North America by motorcycle. He does plenty of dirtbiking and ATV riding as well. Famous Last Words: “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

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CHERRY PICKING!

Strokers, Chain-Yankers & Be-Backers

By William Douglas Little

The next thing I knew, I was sitting at a small desk in a hidden, back-corner cubicle at the area’s most popular dealership — Dealernews readers may remember this operation since J&W was the only 25-time Top 100 Winner. Check your old Top 100 Yearbooks, it is true!

J&W Cycles already had a top notch, long-term three-man Sales Team in place. By all appearances, I wasn’t needed there and the other salesmen definitely didn’t want me there. The fact that I grew up racing with the dealership’s logo on my jersey gave me enough credibility to get their respect, but behind my back a storm was brewing.

An “Ups System” was established to ensure that everyone had a chance to make money. Basically, anyone who walked through the door that looked like he could buy more than his mother’s love, the original three guys took turns on. The rest were all mine. I got my fill of what they called “Strokers, the Chain-Yankers and the Be-Backers.”

Fortunately for me, I liked to talk; and back then, I still liked people. And so, that’s what I did! I talked to people.

Anyone who came through that door that the other guys passed on, I would jump at like a cat in a yarn factory!

I loved bikes and I learned everything I could about every model we sold. Polaris ATVs, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki… there wasn’t a feature on a single unit that I didn’t know about and I would point them out to anyone who would listen as though it was the coolest thing ever. Even the stuff that every bike had — a fuel petcock, for example — I would proudly describe in detail. “You can turn the fuel off when you’re not riding it for awhile so it doesn’t gum up in the carb!” In my mind, if I was the first guy to point out a feature, then my bike owned it. Sure, they may see

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hen I first started selling in the powersports industry, I was 20-years old and between fulltime radio gigs. It was that point we all come to in life… you know, 2-years after you throw-away college and a chance to eventually take over the family business because you thought you’d be the next big thing to hit radio; only to find yourself working 2 late-night weekend shifts at a St. Louis station as a lowly board-op and your dream career seemed to have completely stalled out?

(Phhfffttt… come on. Like I’m the only one with that origin story?)

Anyway, a buddy of mine was the Sales Manager at J&W Cycles in Washington, Missouri, back then. He had decided that my racing background and my personality might combine to make a good salesman… “just until that big radio break came along,” he assured me.

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Throwback to Jim and Bob Jones of J&W Cycles recieving the Dealernews Top 100 distinction for the 20th consecutive year.

it on another bike later, but by God, they saw it first on the bike I showed them, so mine was better.

By the end of the first month, I’d written up more than 100 deals! A little over 50% of them got turned-down in credit, (the other salesmen were cherrypickers, but they were pretty good at picking); one wasn’t even a US citizen; and one turned out to be 16 years old — not old enough to buy a titled motor vehicle, nor to get financed. (Oops!)

But, my buddy turned out to be a genius. He’d brought in a hungry guy who had no clue what he was doing, (and thereby didn’t know his supposed limitations), and increased his dealership’s take by 46-units that would’ve otherwise been unsold Ups walking back out the door!

And of course, I was on the proverbial Cloud 9. Mel, the most successful salesman at the dealership back then, had put up over 60-units; Luke, the typical runner-up had posted 48 to the board and I came in at 46 … my first month! On scraps! (I don’t recall the other salesman’s name at this point, but I do recall that he quit shortly thereafter).

It didn’t take long for me to challenge Mel for top honors each month, and Luke stepped up his game, too. The three of us were an unstoppable force for more than a year and, over time, I developed a pretty close relationship with those two guys. In fact, when that full-time radio gig did eventually come along, I was sad to leave Mel and Luke behind. After all, we’d shared a lot of laughs, more than a few beers, and much of what I learned from them about selling powersports products, I later applied at my own dealership.

Of course, some of what I learned from myself during that time also served me well down the road. Strokers and Chain-Yankers may come in to spend their free time talking about bikes and kicking tires and the Be-Backers may seem like they’ll never pull the trigger on a deal. But, if you invest the time with each one and really paint that mental picture of them riding that new Bike/ATV/Side-by-Side, you’ll find that the most cautious among them can turn into paper on the desk.

Most importantly, not every guy who walks in wearing dirty bluejeans is doing so because that’s all he can afford. Get out of your rolling chair and walk along with him for a bit. Sometimes you’ll find that he’s a farmer who needs a whole fleet of new ATVs every couple of years, or maybe he’s a union construction guy on his lunch break who, with a little attention, might just jump at financing that fully-equipped unit that nobody else could sell.

Remember, as a salesman, it’s your job to write paper; it’s F&I’s job to get it bought. So half of your deals end in TD? So what? Did you waste the time you spent with those customers? The answer is NO. You were there anyway — you spent that time talking to a living, breathing customer instead of mopping the floor or dusting bikes. Be happy. As my buddy Hoot Daugherty always told me, “Don’t Fight it — Write it!”

Who knows, a couple of those turn-downs might show back up with a rich uncle, or daddy to co-sign, or maybe they hit a lotto ticket the next day.

The point is, you are honing your skills with every up you take and teaching yourself how to perfect those skills with every paper you write. Something you did got that guy to commit. If you can repeat that every time, you’ll be rich.

You’re a salesperson. Sell. It’s what you do.

William Douglas Little is a former radio personality, stand-up comic, an auctioneer, a former multi-line dealership owner an author and a father of three. He lives on his farm in rural Missouri with his wife Beth. Find William’s book, “Mexican Bowl Fishing: And Other Tales of Life” on Amazon.

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Personnel Files

By Alex Baylon

WHY DO WE WORK? Why Do We Get Up And Go To Work Instead Of Doing What We Want?

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recently went on a very much needed vacation to Hawaii and I did a really good job of not working (mostly because my computer wouldn’t power on during my 9 day stay… true story). While it did stress me out that my computer might be broken, all I could do is leave it until I got home — not having an Apple Store with a Genius Bar on the Island helped make that decision a fairly easy one. But my brain is always spinning about something that has to do with work, business, investing, self improvement and life in general. Wow! I just realized I covered just about everything. Well, on this particular day at the beach I started wondering why do we work?

Having the sun on my back, the ocean breeze in my face and the sand between my toes, I decided to dig deeper. This is a combination of research and personal opinions. So why do we work? The “go to” answer is always going to be money for the majority of the people, but that’s not a good enough answer... right?

What inspires us to get our of beds in the morning?

Why don’t we just do what makes us happy? I’m sitting there watching my kid surfing away and enjoying life carefree of any responsibilities. Before he went out we rented a surfboard from a local surf shack rental place, which is exactly what your picturing. A cozy little shack across the street from the beach that’s painted bright orange with palm trees, surfboards, and of course a hammock. As I was sitting there pondering the balance of work and life the guy that rented us the board was out in the water surfing and teaching a few tourist how to surf. Every time one of his students would catch a wave he would cheer, clap and be genuinely happy for them; his customers.

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One of the first of many things that popped my brain is how do we bottle that? How we apply this to our work life? How can a motorcycle dealer apply this kind of excitement to his customers? I sat there thinking, “this guy really enjoys his job and his life. He is working and living his passion and is enjoying the heck out of it!”

Well, if you’re like me, you have to look at all the angles. I don’t like being a Debbie Downer / Pessimist but I have to think to myself that his life can’t be as perfect as it seems. I sure wish I would have thought about interviewing him for this article.

Anyway I wonder to myself if he stresses about money? What are all his responsibilities? How does he market his lessons?

Does he market his business? Or is he just happy eating teriyaki chicken and rice bowls, surfing and watching sunsets? Either way, there was a part of me that envied him and his seemingly carefree job and lifestyle.

So why do the rest of us work?

When you ask people who are fulfilled by their work why they do the work they do, money is almost never comes up. Satisfied workers are engaged by their work, they lose themselves in it.

Of course this is not the case all the time, but its safe to say the majority of the time. Now don’t get me wrong, if a raise was presented, they would take it, appreciate it, and most likely it would be well earned. The money is just a cherry on top.

For some of us work is meaningful. There are people motivated and fulfilled by helping others or a cause — look at all the volunteers and employees with Greenpeace International or who have joined the Peace Corps. More than 235,000 Peace

Corps volunteers serve in 141 countries around the globe. An additional 15,000 volunteers are in Greenpeace. These people get up because their work makes other peoples’ lives better and they are motivated by making a difference in the world.

For some its the motivation to succeed and have recognition from others, for either their achievements or move up the corporate ladder. These people are just driven for a title and recognition, but also might enjoy always learning and developing.

I believe that there are a lot of people out there that get up in the morning to go to work because their co-workers become part of their social engagement, they are friends, they are part of a team and part of a culture. This is particularly true in some of the better dealerships I visit. These people feel a sense of passion for their work and they spend their days helping to move their organizations forward.

Others work to play. People go to work so they can have some money to do the things they like. Vacations, golfing, travel, and like many people from this industry race or just ride Motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, Snowmobiles and even personal watercraft in the warm Hawaiian waters.

As I was writing this article, I had an opportunity to tour the Dunlop motorcycle tire factory in Buffalo, NY. While touring the plant I met production line workers. Now that got me thinking what makes those guys wake up in the morning. It could be any of the reasons listed, but it got me thinking about the recent Gallop survey that found that only 13% of factory workers feel engaged by their jobs.

That means an astonishing 63% of these workers are not engaged. They are checked out, sleepwalking through their days, putting little energy into work. Worse than not being engaged are those who are actively disengaged, actually hating their jobs.

I’m not saying that is the case for these factory workers, but I can see how a repetitive job can easily allow you to sleepwalk through your days.

Last but not least as I’m sure there is probably about 100 more reasons to go to work that I’m not coming up with. Of course there a very few jobs that feature 100% of the reasons that are important to you.

So why do you get up to go to work?

MIJ Industry #PROfiles

Dealernews is honored to work with Motorcycle Industry Jobs to recognize the people who make up this great industry.

“When you start reading the Industry #PROfles, you will notice that 80-90% of them get their start at a motorcycle dealership,” says MIJ founder Alex Baylon. “The dealers are on the front lines and have always been the heart and soul of the industry. Without motorcycle dealerships, most of us wouldn’t be where we are today, so part of our message is always going to be ‘support your local motorcycle shop.’”

In addition to recognizing industry pros, Dealernews is also working with MIJ to create a job ticker tape of the latest positions opening in the industry at the Dealernews.com site. Check it out at: www.dealernews.com/Industry-Jobs “Tell us your story,” adds Baylon. “We would love to feature you! Click here to fill out the questionnaire: www.motorcycleindustryjobs.com/industry-profiles/

MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com founder Alex Baylon has been hiring and firing people in the powersports industry for 25 years.

Currently with a major distributor, he has also been with Dragon Alliance, Ceet Racing, MX GP Services in Europe, Acerbis USA, Motonation/Sidi Boots and Scott USA. He started MIJ as he saw a need in the industry for people who are passionate about the motorcycle industry to have an employment outlet. The motorcycle industry like many others has always recycled employees from one company to another and it has always been done by word of mouth. MIJ allows companies in the industry to post their openings and give others in and out of the industry a chance to apply and insert new blood and fresh ideas in the many opportunities in the motorcycle industry.

JANUARY 2020 55

By Alisa Clickenger

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2020…

And Beyond?

I

love the beginning of the New Year. It’s a time to reflect upon and take pride in all our accomplishments from the prior year. It’s also time to chart a new course for the coming year… 2020 is significant because it not only opens up a significant next twelve months, but also heralds in the start of a new decade.

One hundred years ago this year, women gained the right to vote. A major step in the democracy of our great nation, the passage of the 19th Amendment was a hardfought battle for women of the time. One hundred years later, women are once again rising up, making their voices heard for social change, and this time inside the motorcycle industry.

No longer content with the lack of products, services and events the motorcycle industry once offered, women are stepping forth and creating their own companies, creating female-focused businesses, and most of all, creating a community for themselves they’ve always wanted, yet found lacking in the male-dominated industry.

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The next decade will see the numbers of female riders continuing to rise, and women becoming even more outspoken about the products and services they desire on a retail level. We’ll be watching successful stores stepping out onto the cutting edge of this rapidly growing demographic and shifting their focus from one-size-fitsmost to individualized consumer retail journeys through their retail offerings. Those stores not taking the quantum leap towards anchoring these loyal lady customers within their communities will suffer. They never catch up with the other retailers in the area who’ve already blazed the path.

The coming decade will also see the rise of powersports ‘experiences’ with experiential marketing becoming the new normal. We’ll see more stores offering motorcycle rentals inside the dealership. With EagleRider’s new and expanded subscription plan for motorcycle access, we’re going to see shifts in the internal structures of dealerships.

We’re going to see stores embracing the changes in the marketplace and adapting to new ways of doing business.

We are going to see management styles that are stuck in the old paradigm of doing business losing business if they don’t adapt to the new customers’ wants, needs, desires, and most importantly, if they do not see themselves represented in the marketing materials and within the four walls of the building.

‘Minorities” are now the new normal, and in many places are actually the majority. All the moto-manufacturers are already looking for ways to court them. We’ll be seeing the smart companies becoming lighter on their feet, exploring new and innovative ideas in marketing, and reinventing the way they talk to their customers.

What’s in your store for 2020 and the coming decade?

Will it be business as usual, or will you crush it with your customers and build a community that’s light on its feet and quick to serve?

Alisa is a two-wheeled world traveler, author, tour operator, and event producer. She has been featured in a variety of media outlets as a woman pursuing a life of adventure and helping others to access their inner wisdom and be free to lead lives they are passionate about. Her book Boost Your Confidence Through Motorcycling: A Woman’s Guide to Being Your Best Self On and Off the Bike became an Amazon.com #1 Bestseller. In 2019 Alisa was also named to Dealernews TOP 100 People in Powersports. Her personal mission is to empower women through motorcycling and adventure while being a strong advocate for the powersports industry at large. Alisa’s motorcycle touring company is www.WomensMotorcycleTours.com.

HOST A WOMEN’S MOTORCYCLING EVENT CONTACT ALISA TODAY FOR A BOOK SIGNING AT YOUR DEALERSHIP ALISA@WOMENSMOTORCYCLETOURS.COM

In last month’s column, I shared my impressions after attending the MIC Communication Symposium, where they shared their vision and progress towards the development of a strategic campaign to attract new riders. And while I’m sure the MIC campaign will be a great addition, I realized in its wake that the Plus 1 initiative I launched two years ago still has merit. Therefore I am encouraging others to pick up the torch and help me carry the banner forward.

Judging by the large number of responses I received in response to my latest appeal, it’s clear now more than ever; our industry is looking for leadership and direction on the topic of how to grow ridership. Over the past month, I’ve received dozens of great suggestions and ideas on how to advance the cause of attracting new riders. Here are just two:

WITHOUT MOTORCYCLING… A Resolution Worth Keeping In 2020

By Scot Harden

H

appy New Year, and welcome to the new decade! As 2019 ends and 2020 begins, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on all our many blessings. Like you, I have much to be grateful for and much to look forward to.

One gift has been Dealernews providing me this platform to share my opinion on just about any topic of interest without fear of censorship or editorial oversight. They’ve allowed me to pontificate on a wide range of issues.

Some articles highly personal; others focused on what I feel are timely issues relevant to our sport and industry.

And no other topic is more personal or relevant than new ridership.

Long-time motorcycle dealer and industry pioneer Bill Brokaw shared, “I taught myself to survive riding in Los Angeles traffic at the tender age of 14 and 15. Restricted licenses were available way back then. I succeeded and rode there for 18 years. What I learned in those years I distilled into a slide show and talk that took under 2 hours. For 4 1/2 years, I gave the presentation a couple of times a year at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.

“Then the Air Force came up with their own whiz-bang audiovisual presentation and put me out to pasture. However, the safety officer, on my dismissal, informed me that over that time, there was a total of one broken arm suffered by an airman who had seen my presentation. I sold the fun and pride of wise motorcycling. I even explained how to go fast safely. After all, I knew they would go fast at times. I did. It was not unusual for fellows to come by the shop and thank me for what to them was a very unusual safety presentation”.

American Honda’s Ben Hoang’s remarks encapsulated a sentiment expressed by many, “Loved your ideas about just exposing people to all the great things around motorcycling, like the movies or the events, but the thing that got me most interested was the 6th one on your list about sharing your experiences. That’s going back to what I think most of the industry has stopped doing in our marketing. So many of us have talked about our products for so long, we forgot about what our customers get them, unforgettable experiences with friends, family, or just themselves.

“So many of us in the industry have found friendship, support, love and solace in Powersports, and I think we’ve gotten so far away from it. I agree 100% about “Cracking the Code” and that we need to just start getting our asses off the couch and get out there and get butts on seats and get them riding. BTW — I’ll be taking some of my nieces riding this season for the first time.”

Ben’s feedback struck a chord with me. It made me wonder what my life would be like without motorcycling? If I never sat on a bike, twisted a throttle, felt the speed and power, the sense of freedom and possibility. What if I had never gone where a motorcycle has taken me, had never crossed path with some of the truly amazing people I’ve met along the way? Thanks Ben, here is just some of what I realized.

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Without motorcycling… I would never have crossed the Sahara, Mojave, Sonora or Atacama deserts, the Alps, Andes, Atlas, Rockies, Pyrenees or the Sierra Nevada mountains. I would never have seen a sunrise on the Bahía de los Ángeles or a sunset off Agadir on the East African coast.

I would never have had lunch in Laconia on Elba Island (5 times), crossed the mountain highlands in Lesotho, ridden to the very end of the Pan American road in Chile. I would never have visited some of the most beautiful and remote corners of this fantastic planet, been exposed to so many diverse cultures, or ate so much great food.

Without motorcycling… I would never have had the unique challenge of haggling with a shop owner in the central bazaar in Marrakesh; eaten fresh seafood as it came off the fishing boat in Scorpion Bay; entered Libya by mistake in the dark of night while competing in a rally in Tunisia. I would never have seen the lights of La Paz shimmering in the distance after riding 425 miles through the night in the Baja 1000, sat in a laundromat in Colorado waiting for my clothes to dry only so I could ride some more. And without motorcycling I would have never marched in a parade of nations representing my country at Six Days!

Without motorcycling… I would never have been a part of amazing teams of designers and engineers, passionate businesspeople who take the enterprise of building motorcycles very seriously, that for whom their job was more than just a paycheck but an opportunity to truly make a difference in the way an entire sport is experienced. I would never have been part of a race team as a rider, a manager, or a support person. I would never have chased some massive dreams like winning Baja, earning 3 ISDE medals, or seeing Lac Rose at the end of the Dakar Rally and sharing in it with others as a team.

Without motorcycling… my life would be much different than it is now, and I suspect much poorer in so many meaningful ways.

I could go on for pages about what motorcycling has meant to me, but the point is what does it mean to you?

Better yet, what could it mean for countless others if they just gave the sport a try. This is precisely the point of Plus 1. Plus 1 is about capturing the collective experience we’ve all shared through motorcycling and presenting it in such a way that others want to be a part of it as well. I believe practically everyone is looking for the types of peak life experiences motorcycling delivers. Let’s get out there and light the fires!

I’d like to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and ideas. I’d like to see this column become a melting pot of ideas and success stories about how our industry has risen to the challenge and brought in that next generation of riders. All it takes is for each of us to convert one new rider in the coming year. Make it your resolution. It’s one worth keeping.

Looking forward to hearing back from each of you. In the meantime, Happy New Year and Good Riding in 2020!

Without motorcycling… I would never have met Tom White, Casey Folks, Rod Bush, Jack Johnson, Brent Wallingsford, Malcolm Smith, John Penton, Lyle Lovett and many other close friends, heroes and many other truly remarkable human beings that all played a major role in my life, people who enriched me 1,000 times over with the quality of their character, their passion for life, their shining spirits and their friendship.

Without motorcycling… I would never have had the experience of riding and racing with my sons, our first camping trips to the desert, pounding laps together on a track, watching my oldest grandson take his first ride.

I would never have shared the excitement of winning my first Baja 1000 with my grandmother, who supported me and helped make all my youthful dreams possible. I would never have had the pleasure and satisfaction of a shared familial experience, unlike any other.

Without motorcycling… I would never have met my wife, my soulmate and partner, the woman who is my better half times ten and who has saved me countless times from myself and in spite of myself, who helped bring out the best in me no matter how many times I deferred to my worst.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Scot Harden has enjoyed a nearly 40-year career as one of the world’s top offroad racers and compiled a set of records that few can match. From 1971 until his final professional race in 2007 — at the age of 51 — Harden mastered a wide range of off-road disciplines. He also has compiled an impressive executive management resume within the motorcycle industry as a brand builder, race team manager, sales professional and product planner with such companies as Husqvarna, KTM, BMW, Zero Motorcycles and Best in the Desert. Harden also is owner of Harden Offroad, a business consulting practice. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2008.

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Confessions Of A Customer®

Then came a new wave of even smaller Japanese motorcycles initiated by Soichiro Honda’s 50cc “Nicest People Super Cub” making way for even more common Americans to join the 2-wheeled on-road and off-road mania. Two-stroke machines were introduced as “racers” because they were even lighter than 4-stroke motorcycles with increased power-to-weight ratios.

Somehow we never woke up one morning and wanted to buy a motorcycle — I don’t think anyone ever did (or does) that. Instead it starts slowly with an “experiential seed” which is planted early on stemming from that feeling of unbounded freedom which no virtual reality video game will ever provide. Experiencing a motorcycle ride for the first time cannot be placed into words, pictures or music— it can only be felt by actually riding a powered vehicle through open space at faster than walking speed. It feels like magic… in case you have forgotten.

It is time for the “pump to be primed” once again with a larger and more convenient offerings of the following “7 Gateways To Motorcycling” in no particular order:

By Eric Anderson

1) Scooters, mopeds

7 GATEWAYS TO MOTORCYCLING

2) Borrowed machines (rental, subscription or ride share now) 3) Used motorcycles

What Can You Do To Open The Gates?

4) Bicycles—especially mountain bikes

otorcycle manufacturers selling into the America marketplace have historically focused on big street bikes (700cc and up). That’s because we have a big country to get around — one where the Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers have focused their riding.

Big! But the size of motorcycles which sell well today seem to be shrinking rapidly, both in size and quantities.

Today, smaller machines are showing well in the sales reports. Take for example the Kawasaki 300, Yamaha R3, KTM Duke 390 and Honda CB300. MIC’s data shows relatively positive sales in 0-500cc motorcycles, but negative growth in 501-750, 750+, 900cc+ and 1000cc+ categories.

Dual sport sales (including the emerging ADV sector) are up too, but is that because most are small and easier to ride?

Americans have always thought “big” first. Harley and Indian continued to build “V-Twin land yachts” well into the 1950s when the British began importing more competitive “lightweight” vertical twins for general riding, but also for off-road scrambles, TTs, desert and hill climb events.

The point here is that surges in motorcycling’s societal popularity have historically been brought about by offering smaller and lighter “starter machines” to the general public as “gateways” to the bigger ones. Triumph, Matchless and BSA were considered “small bikes” by comparison and sold rapidly as “motorcycling” became more mainstream into the 50s and 60s.

6) Skate & Surf

M

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5) E-bikes—Pedal-assisted or e-motorcycle

7) Mini bikes/balance bikes (STACYC and Strider now)

Why?

Scooters and mopeds are innocent and unassuming, thus are more attractive to the population which needs simple, economical and fun transportation for a very low purchase price. They look at their investment as a transportation tool and not a recreational purpose like many of us experience.

But…once the new-found scooter rider “feels the thrill” it can turn into the desire for more power and more thrill.

Borrowed motorcycles are everywhere it seems. This is how I got hooked—when an un-mechanical friend of mine asked me to repair his Yamaha 80, then said “ride it all you want if you get it running.” The rest is history. With today’s ride sharing apps and Club Eagle Rider rental plans, getting one’s hands on a set of handlebars is now easier and likely cheaper than owning for today’s modern riders.

Used motorcycles are available anywhere from Cycle Trader to Facebook Marketplace or from Craigslist to classified search engines. OEMs are still figuring out how to encourage customers to buy new when the little-used pre-owned units come at such a bargain. We need more riders… riding more… no matter whether it is a new or used bike.

Bicycles are an addiction just like motorcycles, but more health provoking, of course. You know the whole pedals vs. motors argument. No matter, getting on 2 wheels of any kind stirs one’s inner soul unlike anything than could happen inside a “cage.”

E-bikes are the best thing to happen to motorcycles since mini-bikes of the 70s. There is no reason to split hairs on e-powered scooters and electric-assist bicycles — they all provide the thrill of moving forward with minimal effort.

Purist bicycle riders and independent bicycle dealerships (IBDs) don’t seem to see the opportunity here to move into higher-priced goods which Wal-Mart won’t carry. Like AIM Expo has embraced, you should too since they feed directly into motorcycling.

Skate & Surf might be a stretch to some, but think about the feeling of speed we all have in common. These boards are powered by waves, paddling and gravity, but the concept is the same. Electric skateboard and wakeboards are also fueling more “wind-in-the-face” addicts which are likely to be attracted to motorcycles.

Balance bikes are HUGE! Did your children or grandchildren receive them for Christmas? They should have. They teach motor skills, increase strength, build independence and self-confidence in children of all ages… until they need or want a motor. And we don’t care if it’s an electric or gasoline motor on their velocipede, as long as it moves forward at the twist of a throttle.

What do all 7 have in common? Answer: Wind-in-the-hair and a feeling of freedom moving through space. Once experienced, the brain will welcome motorcycling and encourage riders to seek out more, and more… and more!

Now we have an addiction pending and a motorcycle enthusiast in the making.

Open the gates!

JANUARY 2020

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Tariff Update: Beef is Done, But Airplane Tax is Circling Some good news: The U.S. Trade Representative published a formal notice effectively advising that the beef tariff is over. Some bad news: The USTR also proposed adding motorcycles, parts, and accessories back into the airplane tariff dispute.

The beef tariff cancellation notice follows a deal signed by the U.S. and the European Union on August 2, which allows for more U.S. beef exports. The MIC government relations team worked closely with potentially affected motorcycle companies to achieve this successful resolution, and the USTR’s action on this issue will be official on January 1.

But a large-civil-aircraft dispute again threatens tariffs on certain motorcycles, parts, and accessories from the EU. The MIC’s government relations team has renewed its opposition and submitted comments to the USTR. The MIC also is reaching out to members of Congress to urge them to oppose these tariffs.

EVENTS Forget Shark Tank!

Enter the MIC Gas Tank Competition So, you’re a powersports entrepreneur and you got a big idea. The MIC can help. Imagine getting one-on-one guidance and coaching from an industry leader, the opportunity to talk about your vision in front of enthusiast and mainstream media, and a free booth for your business at North America’s largest powersports trade and consumer show, AIMExpo presented by Nationwide.

Sounds amazing, right? The MIC Gas Tank Competition will award all this to as many as five talented finalists. It’s open to ambitious individuals and groups, women and men, and anyone with a great new powersports product or service idea.

“The MIC launched this program to help accelerate new businesses in the powersports industry,” said Cam Arnold of MIC Programs. “The mentoring portion of this program is perhaps the most valuable aspect. Entrepreneurs are paired with an industry mentor who helps them build a business plan and craft an eight-minute pitch. Mentors also actively support their professional development and networking opportunities.”

Applications for the 2020 program are available at mic.org under the MIC Programs tab. Deadline for applications is Feb. 28.

Please contact Arnold at carnold@mic.org with questions.

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Preserve Protect, Promote You take care of business.

We take care of the business environment.

Strong, effective representation in Washington, D.C. and state capitals • Vigorous media outreach • Industry statistics source Sales data • Educational symposiums and networking opportunities Join MIC’s 650 member companies and strengthen the industry.

Visit the MIC Business Center on the AIMExpo show floor at Booth #141 to learn how your company will benefit from membership, including how to get $200 or more off your 2019 AIMExpo Booth.

mic.org

QUIET TRAILS INCREASE SALES

Making Cents Out Of The OSV Segment

by Donald Amador

T

he legislative landscape is changing, including some decisive wins. On November 21, 2019, the Superior Court of the State of California rendered a jury verdict in favor of managed OHV recreation at the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). This gives us a great launching pad for 2020 and hope for the future of properly managed land use.

To recap the Carnegie case, the jury’s verdict found the California Department of Parks and Recreation Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division’s environmentally sound OHV program – for both casual trail use and permitted motorized events – at Carnegie SVRA did not substantially interfere with the Connolly Ranch’s use or enjoyment of its land.

That legal decision proves that having common sense “sound” regulations in place makes it easier to defend managed summer motorized use in court against antiaccess litigants who had historically cited “loud bikes” as a major complaint in their lawsuits. But what about sledders in the winter time?

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For many powersports dealers, the sales and service of Over Snow Vehicles (OSV) during the winter season is an important part of their marketing strategy. The good news is that the same less sound, more ground strategy that helped win the Carnegie case can serve as a blueprint for the OSV sector.

As the Forest Service and other local/state jurisdictions engage in OSV-specific travel planning, I believe that powersports dealers and other members of the winter motorized community should be proactive in the development of reasonable OSV sound laws for both casual use and racing.

In 2013, the New York State Snowmobile Association supported a new state OSV sound law based on SAE J2567. That measure was enacted because some private property owners were closing trails due to excessively loud snowmobiles. The New York law is mirrored by similar legislation in Michigan, Wisconsin and Colorado.

History shows that OSV litigation will continue to be a growth industry for anti-winter motorized recreation groups looking to stifle more land use plans as they are finalized and implemented. Sound off or shut-up and have your right to ride restricted severely in the future.

I believe it is time for powersports dealers in states that do not have current OSV sound regulations to work with various stakeholders in crafting sound-related legislation that helps protect the sport and shows respect for other trail users. Get out in front of it and, as the Carnegie example proves, properly managed programs can keep customers riding year-round.

Adopting a “quiet ethic” at the dealership should be an important component of the shop’s business model. In today’s marketplace it makes sense… and cents. It will help ensure a bright future for the OHV and OSV customers we all serve.

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for almost 29 years. Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing/ Consulting. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018.

Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000.

He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award.

Don currently serves as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California. He may be reached via email at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Please tread lightly and travel only on routes and in areas designated open for motor vehicle use.

Remember, Respected Access is Open Access.

THIS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT IS POWERED BY

Wünschisms

By Uncle Paul

Winterization: Texas Style T

he following “Brain-Drizzles” come from some 35 years of racetrack and wrench spinning experience.

“The only people that predict Texas weather are fools or foreigners,” Wünschism #19*. I have to admit, many of us Gulf Coasters are pretty much sissies when it comes to winter weather riding. “Winter weather” here is defined as any weather excluding cut-offs, T-shirts and sunblock. Let the thermometer drop below 50° or get a little rainy and we park the bike, cover the boat, hunker down and glare at the sky.

Since Wünschism #19 negates any possibility of weather prediction, the big question becomes, “when will it hit?”

It’s best to figure on the weather crudding up sometime between November and February, and never lasting more than 90 days. We’re not talking Fargo, North Dakota folks, so Texas-style winterization consists simply of keeping the machine in a decent state of tune, covered and a little battery and fuel system maintenance.

A Profit Thing Customers are always looking for gadgets for their toys, so you might as well make winterization “a profit thing,” in addition to serving the customer. Stock up on four items: snap cords (remote battery terminal leads), battery maintainers such as the SuperSmart Battery Tender), some fuel stabilizer (products like PJ1 Octane Plus or Sta-Bil) and a few motorcycle covers (such as Dow or Ga-Zee-Bo).

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Beginning in about September, generate a flyer or handbill that will instruct motorcyclists on what to do for winter (and when to purchase), and start handing these out to everyone who walks through your doors. The following outline should help you with the design and format of your own shop flyer:

Inform your customer of what will happen if he doesn’t prepare for winter weather. Include the extra service costs of fuel system “clean and make run.” Also mention the backlog of work your service department experiences with the “Spring Rush.” You might want to mention how lonesome he will be if his bike is in the shop while his friends are out riding!

Explain good battery maintenance; i.e., water levels topped off, vent tube attached and unkinked, terminals tight and snap cords in place. Go over the features of a battery tender as opposed to a trickle charger (which may over-charge a battery).

Let the customer know what since you don’t know exactly when they will store the bike (due to winter weather), it is important to top off the fuel tank regularly and dab a little fuel stabilizer in with each fill up. By the time he reaches the house, the stabilizer has worked its way through the system and the fuel system is protected. Sta-Bil comes in a small 4 oz. or 8 oz. containers that are easy to stash under the seat or in the tank bag… think of it as a liquid condom for your carburetors.

Instruct your customers on the importance of covering the bike to protect it from airborne crud and critters after riding.

Nylon covers can be used wet and they won’t mildew (like canvas). Some of the better covers even have a coating on the lower panels so the bike can be covered hot and not melt the exhaust system.

Personalize your flyer with shop name, address, phone and FAX number. Also, mention that you’ve got ideas and goodies such as fogging oil, silicone spray, etc., in case your customers anticipate storing the bike for periods longer than 90 days.

Epilogue These Winterization techniques also apply to farm equipment, watercraft, lawn mowers, chain saws, generators and snowmobiles (summarization?). Don’t limit your target audience to motorcyclists. Farmers buy stuff too! That’s it on Winterization: Texas Style… “Just like kissing your sister, nothing to it! Wünschism #43.

*Paul Wunsch was the owner of Love Cycles, a serviceonly shop located in Houston, Texas. “Wunschisms” are truisms that, according to the author, are often plagiarized or modified clichés – statements quoted so often that the employees of Love Cycles have numerically designated the most popular. Paul passed away November 21, 2003 but his wit and wisdom live on in the pages of Dealernews.

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NEW YEAR’S GEAR

D

id the fat guy in the red union suit fail to deliver the goods to your customers? Ring in the New Year on your registers with what your customers really wanted! We rounded up the trickest tires, tuned into the thickest sound system, saw a bright idea from PowerMadd and got a grip on the coolest stocking stuffer from our friends at Phoenix on our way to finding picks to click for a profitable New Year!

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Photo by Jason Gearld

JANUARY 2020

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STI WHEEL TACKLES TALONS

Now in stock at Parts Unlimited, STI rolls into 2020 with a full range of ATV/UTV wheels and tires, as well as select motorcycle applications. Rounding out the UTV wheel line-up are its Baja-tough HD9 Beadlock wheel line for Honda’s red-hot Talon.

The HD9 4+3 rear application sets up the Talon with the same track width front and rear. The HD9 Beadlock uses a 10mm thick beadlock ring secured by 5/16-inch Grade-8 hardware for extra strength. Plus, each wheel includes a bolt-on center cap and pre-installed valve stem with black sleeve and matching cap. Available in 14x7 and 15x7 sizes, the HD9 Beadlock comes in Matte Black and Matte Black / Machined, along with a variety of color ring choices. Suggested retail prices: $178 for 14-inch and $198 for 15-inch HD9 4+3 wheels. See your Parts Unlimited Rep or direct dealer inquiries here: https://stipowersports.com/customer-service/dealer-inquiry/

CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?

Light up the New Year with PowerMadd’s hi-viz turn signals for the Sentinel line of Handguards. Maximize visibility to approaching vehicles by adding the highpowered LED Turn Signal Light Kit. Featuring super bright amber and white LEDs (the white LED light is a running light and turns off when the turn signals are activated) for better visibility. They operate in conjunction with your OE turn signals. Simply snap out the vent covers and snap in the LED turn signal light kit. Easy four wire installation (power, ground, left turn signal, right turn signal). Note: Motorcycles without OE LED turn signals will require a fixed rate turn signal flasher and it requires Sentinel Handguards and Mount Kits. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue =3&v=BBeJNisjYRQ&feature=emb_logo www.powermadd.com

WIRED!

Phoenix Handlebars has a grip on the new year! A key point of contact on your motorcycle are the grips. Clutching, braking, turning, wheelieing over rocks, and twisting the throttle all the live-long day are all contingent on a good set of grips staying solidly in place on the bars. The Phoenix 50/50 grips are wired for success... literally. Three grooves can be found for riders who prefer the security of safety wire. But here is the twist, old safety wire grooves didn’t always work right... You know the one that is too close to the inside flange? Yeah, the one that the pliers hit the flange with every revolution. This groove has been moved 5mm away from the flange so there is no interference when twisting it up.

Click here for details: www.phoenixhandlebars.com/grips

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RYKER OWNERS, YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW!

SSV sounded off at the SEMA show with a new 2-speaker audio kit for CanAm’s Ryker. “Our new audio kit adds to the excitement of the Can-Am Ryker with a compact audio system that features two full range, four-inch speakers and Bluetooth® integration that mounts on the front fairing stylized to match the bike’s body lines and doubles as a windscreen,” explained Trevor Kaplan, SSV Works CEO. “Plug and play wiring for a 15-minute install, the RKR-2K is manufactured out of multiple weatherproof materials, including ASA plastic, aluminum, and silicone gaskets to help make this product a great all-weather premium upgrade solution for the Can-Am Ryker.” Product details: https://www.ssvworks.com/product/Can-Am-Ryker-2-Speaker-Audio-Kit

KANINE SET TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF SPYDER MARKET

As Kenda’s powersport guru Jason Baldwin told us in his Dealernews Live! interview, Kenda has released the Kanine KR20, the first and only aftermarket replacement tire designed specifically for the Can-Am Spyder. The highperformance pattern of the Kenda Kanine reduces the rolling resistance while maintaining maximum lateral traction, and is engineered with increased siping to evacuate standing water for excellent wet weather performance.

The result is a Can-Am Spyder tire that provides higher mileage than stock while offering better handling than passenger car replacements. The Kanine KR20 is mc-spec, DOT, and E-Mark approved. Tucker Powersports now has the Kanine in stock: https://www.tucker.com/kenda-rolls-out-kanine-kr20-tiresfor-can-am-spyder/ or see the exclusive video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7fgPd9tVXw

HARLEY RIDERS, SOUND OFF

Loud pipes save lives, but a fully functioning 120 decibel horn can be a life saver, too! Twisted Throttle now has an Inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing upgrade for the popular Denali SoundBomb air horn: a housing designed for Harleys. They say the decorative cover attaches with a metal bracket and makes a great dress-up item for cruisers, retro and standards. Available exclusively through Twisted Distributing, dealers e-mail dealers@twisteddistributing.com

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“Everyone thinks motorcycles are cool,” says CEO & CoFounder, Ryan Ragland. “I built the first STACYC for my son because I wanted him to feel the same excitement for motorcycles as I had and I wanted it to happen sooner.

As an industry, if we can get more people, young or old on two-wheels sometime in their life, we can create more motorcycle riders.”

It was certainly cool to see racing legend Ryan Villipoto shepherding a crew of kids, including his twin threeyear-old boys Gage and Brax. Gage took the win in the 12 Beginner class. Other moto celebrities like Christian Craig were on hand as well. Craig brought his boy Jagger to his first race, where Jagger finished second in the 16 Beginner Class. The level of the 16 Advanced class was off the charts and again, another MX personality, KTM’s Mike Sleeter, brought his son Mason out to win the “open pro class” — well, actually the 16 Advanced Class.

STACYC TEAMS WITH FOX RACING Super-Grom Challenge

By Jason Gearld

E

ven before STACYC signed up to become “The Official Youth Electric Bike of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross season” they partnered with Fox Racing to throw down the Super-Grom Challenge — a big event to kick things off for 2020. The challenge was accepted by the SoCal moto community… and beyond as kids from all over flooded into Fox HQ in Irvine, California, to compete in the inaugural event (even before the morning heat races had concluded, plans were already in the works for round 2).

“We partnered with STACYC because they share our values, our love of riding, and our commitment to creating the next generation of riders,” says Fox CEO Jeff McGuane.

“That is why we kicked off our partnership with the very first ever STACYC-FOX RACING Super-Grom Challenge right here at Fox Headquarters.”

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For the kids who couldn’t make it out for the Super Grom Challenge, VP of Sales & Marketing, Mike Dettmers says, “Come out to Supercross and ride with us. There is finally something for just about all ages in the pits now. Our Kids Ride Zone gives the little guys and girls a place to engage in riding right at the most exciting party on two-wheels.”

Anaheim 1 was the first event of the year and the STACYC booth was packed the entire time. More than 200 kids had a chance to twist the throttle and rip around the track prior to the races. Check out STACYC’s website to get a bike, get signed up, and to stay up to date on other upcoming race challenges and events throughout the country: https://stacyc.com

JANUARY 2020

73

at American Honda. “Kurt was obviously a great racer and a worthy opponent but, more importantly, he was also a good man off the track. I’m sure he would be proud of the achievements made in his name by his family and friends, and we appreciate having the opportunity to be a part of the Riders 1st Responders project.”

RIDE FOR KURT

Honda’s Chris Cox hands the keys over to KC66/FMF’s Donnie Emler

Industry Supports Safety

By Jason Gearld

T

he entire off-road community gathered at Fox Raceway on December 14, 2019 to pay tribute to Kurt Caselli during the 7th Annual Ride Day. In a fitting tribute to the fallen racer, the event concluded with everyone taking a final lap around the track together.

“The Kurt Caselli Foundation wouldn’t be here without the great support of the fans, off-road community and powersports industry,” said Donny Emler, President of the Kurt Caselli Foundation. KTM stepped up as always donating a special Kurt Caselli Edition 2020 KTM 500 EXC-F that the Foundation gave away at the event.

Congratulations to the lucky winner Marcus Erickson, who came from Washington to win.

Also making a statement for safety, American Honda was on hand with the consumer event semi rig (fresh from their 2020 ATV roll out in Tucson coming next issue) and a very special presentation. “Having American Honda step up this year to support the Foundation with our ‘Riders 1st Responders’ program will help us take our safety program to the next level,” exclaimed Emler. “When riders show up to events and see that safety is the number-one priority for them and that the Kurt Caselli Foundation has helped raise the bar, it’s an incredible feeling.”

The donation of two new Pioneers from American Honda was what had everyone fired up. “We’re big believers in the goals of the Kurt Caselli Foundation, and we’re excited to be able to support them with their important work,” said Chris Cox, Manager of Experiential Marketing & PR

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Phoenix Handlebars’ Jason Gearld with skate legend Steve Caballero

Jeff Emig in the house!

Protecting And Supporting The Lives Of Off-Road Riders

T Established in honor of the late off-road legend Kurt Caselli, the Foundation focuses on the safety of off-road racers. Since its 2013 inception, it has raised over $1 million and will have spent over $700,000 on safety initiatives.

Its safety and scholarship budget for 2020 is $120,000.

Last year’s Ride Day brought in nearly $85,000 but the great attendance by a generous industry should blow the number away.

In the meantime, The Foundation plans to modify the Pioneer 1000 side-by-side vehicles with emergencyresponse equipment, and to use them to simplify access to injured riders for first responders as part of The Foundation’s Mission Statement (see sidebar).

“Thank YOU to each and every person that came out to support The Kurt Caselli Foundation at the Ride Day and who help us keep Kurt’s legacy alive each and every day,” said Emler. “Also, thank you to our Board of Directors and team who generously donate their time to keep Kurt’s memory alive, plan events like this, and continue to create safety initiatives to make our sport of racing safer. The offroad community is FAMILY! Thank you EVERYONE for your support, we couldn’t do any of this without your donations and support!”

he Kurt Caselli Foundation was established in 2013.

The focus of the foundation is the safety of riders and racers in the off-road motorcycling industry.

While we understand the inherent elements of danger in this industry, we aim to help minimize this danger to the best of our ability. The foundation has a three-part mission that encompasses safety precautions for riders before, during, and after a racing career.

Before racing, we are committed to encouraging, developing, and standardizing safety precautions that will help minimize risk outside of the rider’s control.

During racing, we are committed to developing, establishing, and encouraging the use of safety equipment and policies to increase the safety of the riders.

After racing, we are committed to providing a safety net that allows and encourages former racers to further their education and reach career goals for themselves and their families.

100% of all donations will go to The Kurt Caselli Foundation to be used for Protecting and Supporting the Lives of OffRoad Riders. The Kurt Caselli Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation. The Foundation was granted 501(c)3 tax-exempt status effective December 17, 2013. All donations made to The Foundation are tax deductible.

More details on the KC66 Foundation can be found at: https://www.kurtcaselli.com/

JANUARY 2020

75

Anonymous Dealer

PARTING SHOT

The Bigger They Are…

T

ucker Rocky/MAG, Motovan/MTA… What the hell is going on? Each of these companies has been at the top of their game for years, yet lately, they have all seemingly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Is our industry so volatile that these companies cannot function properly? Are they all so poorly managed that they can’t see trends, and can’t keep ahead of their obligations?

When the depression of 2008/2010 happened, things went downhill fast for all of us. Thousands of dealers closed their doors, but I don’t remember any distributors having big problems. I’m sure some of them did, but never to the extent they have in the past few years.

But in the last while, many of them have had calamitous problems. Motovan/MTA is $60 million in debt. MAG was reorganized. Tucker Rocky, now Tucker Powersports, went through the same problems.

Then I look at the catalogs. Each of them has catalogs inches thick. They have five different manufacturers of this, and 10 different manufacturers of that. Many times these manufacturers are making the same type of items of the same quality. Often, these distributors all have the exact same items in their catalogs. And often, what we get comes down to ordering from the distributor who actually has the item in stock.

76

As a dealer, I don’t need ten different types of chain to sell. I don’t need 15 different brands of tires to sell. I need a good, better, best situation, with items priced accordingly.

It’s up to us, as dealers to feel out our customers, and sell them the items they can use. I’m never going to tell him that I have ten different brands of chain to choose from. There lies madness. I’m going to offer the best, most expensive chain there is. If she cannot afford it, she will certainly tell me. At that point, I can show a less expensive chain, or sprocket, or tire, or oil. I will always try to upsell, but I should always have something of lesser quality and price, if that’s what they want.

So, what does it matter to us how many items there are in a catalog. It seems to me that any self-respecting distributor would have fewer items in their catalog. Not more. If there were less lines of helmets and clothing, oil, widgets, or whatever else in these catalogs, could the distributors not get better deals on the goods they do carry through sheer buying power? Maybe less IS more.

If I carried three different oils at three different price levels, and trained my staff how to sell them, would that not be to everyone’s benefit? Maybe the distributors can do more training than they are currently. It seems that every single company and every single catalog has many of the same things in it. Each of these companies seems to be afraid that one of the others will get some of the business, so why not have every single item made by every single manufacturer in every single catalog. They all now have catalogs that require two people to carry. Or worse, five different smaller catalogs.

And no one does well... as is happening now. It’s greed, pure and simple. Maybe it’s time for them all to get together and decide who will carry which products in which catalog. It will mean smaller catalogs. It will mean fewer catalogs. Perhaps sales for each corporation will be less, but I’d be willing to bet that everyone would have more profit.

It’s like when one of the OEMs, in their infinite wisdom, put two dealers of the same product in the same small town.

At least one of them goes down. Sometimes both. But once things settle down, one dealership can do a great job and make a profit. This is in everyone’s interest.

The same goes for accessories. If everyone sells the same things, no-one will be able to make a profit. That’s what has been happening in the last few years. I would rather carry a few types of a particular part or accessory, and know that the distributor will always (and there’s the rub!) have that item in stock.

It’s time to back off, rethink the whole process, and get back to a business where all of the distributors can make a good living. And we can get back to having a stable supply.

Yes, our international man of mystery is a real dealer; no we are not going to tell you who he is. Saying the things that you are thinking, without risking getting the franchise pulled.

The Anonymous Dealer has more than three decades experience at the dealership, in every position from porter to dealer principal.

HARDEN & ASSOCIATES

Bringing a Unique Perspective to the Powersports Business

Specializing in Adventure, Dual Sport, Off-Road and EV market segments.

Delivering solutions in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.

Over 35 years of senior level executive management experience.

• • • • • •

Brand Development Advisory Services Strategic Planning Product Development Motivational Speaking Advocate for the Sport

INDUCTED 2008

FOUNDER

Scot Harden scot.harden@harden-offroad.com

harden-offroad.com

MEA CULPA

What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

By Charlie Williams

W

help, I done it again, wrote something stupid and pissed off a friend, Kevin Renfro from the Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show, Indiana Deer, Turkey & Waterfowl Expo and the Indiana Motorcycle & Powersports Expo. I attended his event in February 2019 and reported what I saw, but my shoot from the hip, ask for apologies later approach put me square in the crosshairs…

Never a good thing to do with a guy who promotes a gun show!

In my defense, Robin who has edited my stuff since 2005 didn’t catch anything that should raise a flag. My friend Paul Clipper who has edited my gibberish since 1994 and knows full well I’m an idiot, didn’t offer any words of caution, he thought the article was funny. But my words aggravated Kevin, and for that I’m sorry.

I wrote him a personal apology with an explanation of my opinion. I received no reply. Since no action is an action, I’m at a loss, first, I’m not exactly sure which statement he felt was unfair. So I worked backwards through the article dissecting every facet.

There it is, third paragraph: “However, it is not all beer and skittles. This year’s show only had 14 motorcycle dealers (down from 50) that’s my report on the State of the Union. Oh, the Expo building is still full, but it’s becoming more of a HarleyDavidson flea market swap meet. The new organizer doesn’t seem to care as long as the aisles are full.”

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Well, of course I could have put that more delicately, Robin and Paul should have caught that. But that is what I saw...

Dealership attendance down from 50 to 14 in 28 years. As a motorcycle dealer in the US, you remember we lost something like 50% of the dealers in 08. I didn’t say that in the article, I assumed you could remember. So yes, 14 is a drop in dealer attendance, but it’s not a bad number after the decimation our industry has taken during the past 28 years.

But “the aisles are full” — this line was meant to be congratulatory, but I don’t think Kevin appreciated that way.

Somehow Renfro manages to pack the aisles — isn’t that a show promoters goal? Aisles and booths full? I find myself asking where is his finish line? What is the goal line for a show promoter?

Sure, Renfro would benefit from a strong motorcycle industry, but he has adapted to what is available and still manages to put on a successful show. He’s already singing up exhibitors for the next show, to be held February 14-16, 2020, so he is obviously doing something right.

I ask myself, where is my finish line? As Dealernews‘ Off-Road Editor what and to who are my allegiances? Well, that’s a tough question since I only have a brief miserable history of being involved in the motorcycle industry. My wife and I opened an accessory shop in the summer of 08, picture a grumpy dyslectic fighting part numbers and no return policy’s during the worst economy ever and watching my pitiful fortune being pissed away. I am one of those 50% of dealers that folded. I empathize with the dealer, so when I report what I saw and experienced, it is in the dealer’s best interest, on that you have my word.

See, we have two entities, Sport and Industry. Sport is riding the bike. Industry sells Sport stuff. What came first? Sport did.

Remember this.

I represent Sport. I do not listen to the Industry radio station, I listen to the Sport radio station. I don’t tune into the Tokyo Rose, downhill dronings of corporate propaganda. “Five-year forecasts, marketshare, propaganda benefiting upstairs, Big Brother says we all must sacrifice now for a brighter tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, over on the Sport radio station, what I see and hear is: 18,488 people follow the Indiana Cross Country Racing Facebook page.

6,972 people follow the Cross Roads Racing Series, 1,569 follow the Southern Indiana Grand Prix Series, 2,132 follow the Stoney Lonesome club page And those are just cross country style racing going on in Indiana every weekend. We also have 2 GNCC races in Indiana, they can have 800 riders show up! We have MidAmerica Speedway hosting an excellent Flat Track program pulling

135 riders on a Saturday night! We have a street bike club called the 317 Ryders with 4,121 Facebook followers: the Midwest Motorcycle Club has 3,223 followers…

The list goes on. Two National Enduros with 600 riders showing up! Local Enduro, Family Enduro, Dual Sport. We have at least 5 Hare Scrambles series going on in Indiana! It’s happening here in Indiana! You can race and ride motorcycles more than ever, yet, all indicators say things are tough, tough, tough.

Well I suppose, if I’m trying to sell $15,000 bikes in an area with a 3-month riding season and the absolute worst roads in the hemisphere, I might have a different attitude. But as a dirtbike rider in Indiana, times are fat.

My neighbor, he’s a high school music teacher and a great guy. He can tell stories about all sorts of music history, I’ve learned so much from him, he is a fantastic story teller. Jimmi, Janice, Jerry. Then one day, he got a new job, he went to work for one of the major instrument manufacturing corporations.

His fascinating stories about rock and roll hero’s became fiveyear trend predictions, marketshare, downturn economy doom doom doom.... He had switched over to corporate radio.

It’s a fine line between lick and bite the hand that feeds us.

Sport needs Industry, Industry needs Sport. We work hand in hand, so be sure, as a dealer, a middleman, a bridge between Sport and Industry, you need to listen to both sides of the radio dial.

So sure, I’m sorry I pissed off a friend, but the more layers I peel away, the harder I look at the situation, the more raw I get. Sport has its motivators, Industry has its motivators, Expo Producers have their motivators. What’s the chance that all three share the same motivation?

As a dealer, you are playing with your own money, that’s a pretty powerful motivator. I don’t have answers, not even for my own finish line, all I can do is report what I saw.

AIMExpo........................................................................42 CDK Global....................................................................33 Find It Now...................................................................19 Fuel Capital Group, Inc...............................................11 Harden & Associates...................................................77 MBA Insurance.............................................................23 Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)............................63 Motorcycle Industry Jobs (MIJ)..................................17 MOTOTV.........................................................................34 National Powersports Auctions (NPA)..............CVR 4 Piloteer Agency...........................................................67

Red Torpedo...........................................................78-79 Rolling Thunder.....................................................24-25 Sherco............................................................................. 7 STACYC..........................................................................39 STI.................................................................................... 9 Sullivans......................................................................... 7 Tread Lightly................................................................65 Trilobite........................................................................83 Tucker Powersports....................................................15 Western Power Sports.............................................2-3 Women’s Motorcycle Tours........................................57

Shameless Plug – For the most up to date dealer news, check on the news feed at Dealernews.com, be sure to like us on Facebook and click on Dealernews’ monthly digital editions: www.dealernews.com

JANUARY 2020

81

Photo by Joe Bonnello

Ave Atque Vale Gary Bryson 1936-2019

T

he Latin phrase ave atque vale stands for “hail and farewell.”

Vale was a traditional send off for high ranking officers and citizens of the Roman Empire. The Vale salute was sadly used more often than we would have liked for 2019 starting in January with the legendary performance engine builder Jerry Branch, followed by race promoter Gavin Trippe in February, March cover tribute to Arlen Ness, April’s untimely passing of bike builder Jesse Rooke, racing legend Gene Romero, Speedway rider Sarge Fiesler, Pike’s Peak then claimed Carlin Dunne, Easy Rider Peter Fonda, Cobra’s Dick Kryder, another engine building icon Ron Wood and land use advocate Clark Collins.

Not featured were the passings of motocrosser Ron Sun, trials pioneer Marland Whaley, racer/race promoter/ dealer Dick Klamforth, exhaust industry icon Luigi Termignoni and Van Leeuwen’s Mr. Bill Cooper, among other friends, heroes and legends.

Goodyear’s Gary Bryson (left) showing off the tires that Kenny Roberts used to Skip Van Leeuwen (center).

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Sad to say our long-time Motorcycle Industry Council Aftermarket Committee stalwart and industry consultant Gary Bryson passed away back in November (but the private service was held in January). Gary’s legacy lives on in his son, MotoAmerica’s Lance Bryson, who he was extremely proud of.

industry starting at Johnson Motors Triumph working with Dealernews’ own Don Brown. He left JOMO for an upstart Yamaha, then went on to Goodyear Tires in the 1970s. It was part of his “role” at Goodyear to support Kenny Roberts’ World Championship winning racing program.

“Gary was a dear friend to me and many in the motorcycle sport and industry,” says former Dealernews publisher and motorcycle historian Don Emde who worked with Bryson, 83, on the Trailblazers executive board for decades.

He was also an enthusiast to the core. A 21 year Colorado 500 Road Ride Veteran, he never missed a year between 19902010. He was chosen for the Helmet Award in 2000. He had many friends in the CO500 crowd.

A long-time member of the Trailblazers board of directors, as well as Trailblazers Hall of Famer in his own right, Gary was just recently honored as a Director Emeritus. Following his years of military service, Gary worked in the motorcycle

He later formed a business to do marketing consulting with K&N Engineering as a long time client. A tireless worker and friend to many, Gary leaves behind his wife Jeanne and son Lance.

Godspeed Gary.

Trilobite is a new in the USA, premium brand of serious, yet relaxed look street/ adventure riding apparel.

Founded in 2011 in the Czech Republic, a country with a rich history of quality engineering, Trilobite was named after all the trilobite fossils in the local gravel pit where the company founder, Martin Solar, learned to ride.

Unlike most of the other premium brands the Trilobite collection is engineered and tested by riders then turned over to designers to refine vs. the more widespread industry practice of designers creating an item and then directly sending it to the costing department and then straight into production leaving you, the dealer, and your clients, to test it.

Using many proprietary materials combined with unique-quality materials Trilobite is a stand out brand. Whether it is Dyneena®, Raw denim, Kevlar®, Aramid, Cordura®, Cool-Max®, Wax Cotton, 3M® Scotch-Brite™, top grain goat and cow leather, Velcro® or Lycra®, Trilobite products are built using only the best and with a sharp tailored fit! Plus many items come standard with CE2 level protection.

1 . 8 7 7.7 8 9.4 9 4 0 | m o t o n at i o n .c o m

2020

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