u Exhuast Tech Tips & New Products u Winter Gear Guide u Helmet House Honors
August 2012 VOL. 38 NO. 8
WWW.MOTORCYCLEPOWERSPORTSNEWS.COM
TABLE OF
Contents
August 2012 Volume 38 Number 9 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
24 It Only Looks Old The New Vintage BY MARGIE SIEGAL
54 Not Lost In Translation
Associate Editor – Gina Kuzmick gkuzmick@babcox.com Senior Editor – Brendan Baker bbaker@babcox.com ART Sr. Graphic Designer – Tammy House thouse@babcox.com
BY BRENDAN BAKER
Columnists & Contributors Ricky Beggs Heather Blessington Greg Friend C.R. Gittere Steve Jones Mark Rodgers D. J. Stringer ADVERTISING SERVICES
.............................
34
Advertising Services Director – Cindy Ott cott@babcox.com (330) 670-1234 ext. 209
12 Top Helmets
2012 Exhaust Roundup
.................
CIRCULATION SERVICES
38
Maximize Your Muffler Sales
Winter Preview
Editor – Colleen Brousil cbrousil@babcox.com
Kymco Unveils 2012 Off-Road Models
Product Focus Off-Road Lid Lineup
EDITORIAL
..................................................
Circulation Manager – Pat Robinson probinson@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, Ext. 276
56
Circulation Specialist – Star Mackey smackey@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, Ext. 242
Cold Weather Gear Guide
Dealership Operations How Does Your OEM Stack Up?.......................................................................6
The ART of Rebutting Rejections ..................................................................18
The Road Ahead by Colleen Brousil
Peak Dealership Performance by Mark Rodgers
June 2012 Sales Department Performance...........................8
The Masters, Birdies and F&I........................................................................20
Best Operators Club by Steve Jones
Finance & Insurance by D.J. Stringer
Values See Seasonal Dip.........................................................................................10
A Renewed Focus On Safety .............................................................................22
Black Book Market Watch by Ricky Beggs
PWC Update
Exhaust System Installation ............................................................................12
Black Hawk Customs .....................................................................................................24
Tech Tips by Cyclepedia Press
Destination Dealership by Greg Friend
Two Tricks To Increase Service Revenue................................14 The Service Manager by C.R. Gittere
Engage Followers With Facebook Campaigns .............16 Web Savvy by Heather Blessington
4 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
ON THE COVER MPN senior editor Brendan Baker puts Kymco’s newest MXU ATV to the test at the new product introduction held in Charlotte in late June.
THE
Road AHEAD ADVERTISING SALES Publisher Greg Cira gcira@babcox.com (330) 670-1234 ext. 203 Associate Publishers Dean Kelly dkelly@babcox.com (608) 523-4271
By Colleen Brousil
Sean Donohue sdonohue@babcox.com (330) 670-1234 ext. 206 DISPLAY ADVERTSING SALES
Rate Your OEM MPN Launches OEM Report Card
Roberto Almenar ralmenar@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 233 Tom Staab
tstaab@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 224
Bobbie Adams
badams@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 238 dbasford@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 255
Doug Basford Dean Martin
s students prepare to return to school and the sweltering summer temperatures finally begin to dip, MPN is asking you to sharpen your pencil and rate your OEMs. If you sell new units, we want to hear from you! We know there’s a lot more to working with an OEM than taking delivery on this year’s latest models, and we want to hear it all: the good, the bad, the ugly and the outrageous! Questions on the survey cover: • New Unit Quality • Consumer Demand • Product Innovation • Warranty Support • Service Training • Sales Training • In-Store Promotional Support
A
We want to get the real low-down on your impressions of your OEMs. We’ll publish our findings in a special report due out in November. Watch our newsletter for a link to the survey, or you can visit http://bit.ly/MDUNZl to start grading your OEM suppliers today. If you don’t get the MPN newsletter, there’s no better time than the present to get on our list. We push our newsletter out twice weekly. Our Tuesday Essential Update edition covers the hottest product trends in the industry, and our Thursday eNews keeps you up-todate on what’s happening in powersports. As always, we want to hear from you! What other issues facing dealers would you like our research department to explore? Just drop me a line to strike up a conversation. Your feedback helps us deliver the business intelligence dealers need to get the job done. Colleen Brousil is the editor of MPN. Her monthly column “The Road Ahead” explores issues facing dealers across the country. Got a question or a comment for Colleen? Drop her a line at cbrousil@babcox.com or (330) 670-1234 ex. 272. Praise and criticism are equally welcome. t
6 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
dmartin@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 225
Jim Merle
jmerle@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 280 Glenn Warner gwarner@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 212 Dave Wooldridge dwooldridge@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 214 John Zick
jzick@babcox.com (949) 756-8835
Don Hemming dhemming@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 286
AFTERMARKET MEDIA NETWORK Babcox Media Headquarters 3550 Embassy Parkway Akron, OH 44333 (330) 670-1234 Fax (330) 670-0874 Babcox Media California 18004 Skypark Circle, Suite 260 Irvine, CA 92614 (949) 756-8835 Fax (949) 756-8836 CORPORATE Bill Babcox, President Greg Cira, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Stankard, Vice President Beth Scheetz, Controller Copyright 2012 Babcox Media, Inc. MPN (ISSN 0164-8349) is published monthly by Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, Fax (330) 670-0874. Periodical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MPN, P.O. Box 13260, Akron, OH 44334-8660. A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 242, to speak to a subscription services representative. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69 for one year. (OH residents add 5.75% sales tax) Canada/Mexico: $89 for one year. Canadian rates include GST. Other foreign rates: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mail payment to MPN - Circulation, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755.
BEST
Operators CLUB
June 2012 Sales Department Performance By Steve Jones
I
n this article, we’re going to look at June 2012 performance data from the sales departments of our 20-group members. We’ll compare one of our metric 20-groups against the National Norm numbers (overall averages for all our metric 20-groups) and the average of the Top 5 performing dealers in each category. I always like to include a snapshot of some pertinent numbers for the overall store. This helps set the stage for the individual department data. In looking at the Total Store Stats, you can see that the average dealer size for both this group and the National Norm dealers sold around 4.5 million through the end of June. The Top 5 dealers did just over 7 million in total sales during the same period. While total store sales dollars increased nicely for the group and the National Norm dealers, the sharp operators in the Top 5 continued to exceed industry averages considerably. They excelled in maintaining higher gross margins while doing this. They also continued to increase door swings — up over 57 percent from last year! As you can see, they paid more for them, but they got a good return from the investment. It was worth it. More importantly, they are obviously capturing the customer’s information so they can follow up. They undoubtedly have a prospecting process based around the log. Do you? While the group and the National Norm dealers are increasing their percentage of financed deals, the Top 5 have increased much more here as well. Capturing the financing is critical to capturing the add-on sales of F&I products, and it can also heavily influence accessories sales. Check out the numbers for unit sales.
Total Store Stats Total Store Sales YTD TS Sales Change from Prior Year
GROUP NORM
TOP 5 AVG.
CHART 1 NATIONAL NORM
$4.5 mill
$7.2 mill
$4.5 mill
18.7%
42.2%
15.4%
Total Store Gross Margin
24.1%
27.3%
23.7%
Gross Margin for Prior Year
24.4%
27.9%
24.3%
Contribution to Gross Profit: New Sales
29.6%
23.0%
29.6%
Contribution to Gross Profit: Used Sales
14.4%
38.4%
13.2%
Door Swings Change from Prior Year
16.6%
57.4%
13.9%
Logged Working Contacts Change from Prior Year
29.1%
93.8%
22.8%
Financed Deals Change from Prior Year
21.1%
53.1%
17.2%
Cost per Door Swing
$26.76
$43.45
$24.78
GROUP NORM
TOP 5 AVG.
CHART 2 NATIONAL NORM
New & Used Sales Department Stats – Part A New Units Sold YTD New Units Sold Change from Prior Year Pre-owned Units Sold YTD
272
468
282
12.3%
42.0%
9.9%
116
180
109
Pre-owned Units Sold Change from Prior Year
24.9%
75.4%
16.3%
Total New-Units Gross Margin
13.0%
15.7%
12.7%
Total Pre-owned Units Gross Margin
20.8%
26.0%
20.1%
Change in Dept. Selling Margin from Prior Year
-0.1%
5.7%
-1.0%
Total Unit Volume Change from Prior Year
15.3%
44.6%
11.2%
Dept. Operating Profit Change from Prior Year
3.7%
9.4%
2.7%
The group and National Norm dealers are averaging around 280 units through June. The Top 5 average is 468. While there were healthy increases in both new and used sales, you can see all the dealers are getting more aggressive about used. This is where the unit sales profit is, folks. The Top 5 dealers are amazing in their ability to acquire used product and get it sold. Look at the difference in the unit sales margins for the Top 5 dealers versus the group and National Norm numbers. These are not your big-volume discount
8 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
houses — these dealers work hard to grow volume while maintaining exceptional profitability. If you’ve ever been told this can’t be done, read the statistics. Show them to your dealer friends who still insist you can’t sell volume while holding margins. This kind of profitability requires dedicated, hard-working managers with a well-trained staff that’s being held accountable for its results. Part B of our new and used sales department stats shows us key expense per vehicle sold (PVS) and other significant sales
New & Used Sales Department Stats – Part B Total Advertising & Promotion PVS
GROUP NORM
TOP 5 AVG.
CHART 3 NATIONAL NORM
$54
$15
$57
Flooring Expense PVS
$98
$44
$98
Sales Personnel Expense PVS
$348
$197
$362
Pre-owned to New Ratio
0.59
1.11
0.46
Pre-owned Inventory Turn
6.6
12.6
5.8
New Inventory Turn
2.2
3.1
2.2
Average Number of Customer-Facing Staff, YTD
4.0
6.2
4.2
$116,615
$167,970
$108,408
Gross Profit per Sales Employee, YTD
department stats. The Top 5 manage to get more customers though the door, while spending less on advertising PVS. They are making better use of non-traditional media by doing things like working shows and events or getting involved with community promotions and charities. I can almost guarantee that they are investing time and effort into social media. The group and National Norm dealers are selling around one used unit to every two new units, while the Top 5 are doing better than one for one. They are also
turning them twice as fast. It is interesting to note that they are doing this with only slightly more people. I would bet they are all “A” quality folks. It pays to hire the best you can. How many of you are holding on to people who are costing you sales (and profits) instead of making sales? Look at the personnel expenses — Top 5 dealers are doing it for $150 less PVS than the other dealers. The last number is a real good measurement that can be compared by all sizes of dealers. This is what it boils down to
when looking at your personnel. When all is said and done, how much gross profit is your staff making for your dealership? Take a purely analytical look at the performance of the sales department in your dealership. Compare your data with the numbers provided in this column. What does your store look like in comparison? As always, feel free to contact me for information, explanation or to discuss how GSA can help grow your business profitably. t Steve Jones, GSA senior projects manager, outlines dealerships’ best business practices to boost margins, increase profitability and retain employees. His monthly column recaps critical measurements used by the leading 20-group dealers. GSA is recognized as the industry’s No. 1 authority on dealer profitability. Access to the new Voyager 5 data reporting and analysis system is available to any dealership for a nominal fee. For more information on GSA’s data reporting system, dealer 20-groups, on-site consulting or training, email steve@gartsutton.com or visit www.gartsutton.com.
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 9
Black Book MarketWatch
Values See Seasonal Mid-Summer Dip By Ricky Beggs ATV
Cruiser
Jet Boats
Off Road
On/Off Road
Scooter
Average Used Values
June To July Used Unit Value Change
ATV Cruiser Jet Boat Off Road On/Off Road Scooter Snowmobile Street Utility Watercraft
June $3,785 $9,014 $20,122 $2,462 $5,275 $1,997 $4,330 $7,378 $6,820 $6,062
10 August 2012 motorcycleproductnews.com
July $3,729 $8,896 $19,782 $2,421 $5,201 $1,973 $4,221 $7,234 $6,727 $5,966
Percent Change 1.49% 1.31% 1.69% 1.68% 1.39% 1.23% 2.52% 1.95% 1.35% 1.59%
Snowmobile
A
Street
Utility
Watercraft
s we headed into July auctions, every segment went down versus June. This is normal for the time of year as the riding season is in full swing. Dealers are past the prime retail selling season and are beginning to let inventory levels drop. The average decline among the late model street bikes, dirt bikes, ATVs and utility vehicles is around 1.5 percent, as you can see from the changes by segment chart. Usually, personal watercraft and jet boats maintain their values a little longer into the summer than the bike and ATV segments, but they have also seen similar declines in value, and are down a little less than 2 percent versus last month. Snowmobiles, which see very little activity at this time of year, have also decreased in value by another 2.5 percent as well. No surprises here for sure. One area of relative strength is Harley-Davidson. Sales for used bikes from The Motor Company are only down .7 percent this month, compared with a decline of 1.3 percent for the cruiser segment as a whole. Perhaps this was a sign of a final push to get those bikes on the road for the annual Sturgis extravaganza? t
TECH
Tips Exhaust System Installation
By Cyclepedia Press LLC
E
xhaust systems often need to be removed for vehicle service. The components of the exhaust system may be few and simple, but installing and removing them can be frustrating. Repla Be prepared for the removal and ince g stallation of the exhaust system. Allow asket exhaus t s the components plenty of time to cool before touching them. Make sure to have all the necessary replacement exhaust gaskets. If a gasket fails, it will be glaringly apparent when the engine is started. Plan on running into a snag or two along the way. Exhaust clamps are often rusted and seized. Have a penetrating lube on hand to help deal with these. Stripped and seized threads are common on exhaust fasteners. Tools such as taps, dies, easy outs and drill bits are great to have ed d seiz on n in a pinch, but be sure to work a d m e Stripp s are co m carefully, or you can make a d a thre small problem an expensive mistake. If the exhaust system is for an off-road vehicle, check for a spark arrestor. The spark arrestor should be removed, inspected and cleaned or es t according to the service manual. r r a Sometimes the spark arrestor also rerk a p s quires a gasket. t he t c Some other items you may have to deal pe with are valves in the exhaust system and Ins oxygen sensors. The valves may have cables or electrical connectors that need to be disconnected before the exhaust pipe can be removed. Oxygen sensors should be unplugged prior to exhaust system removal. Be sure to reconnect these components when the exhaust system is installed. When installing the exhaust system, make sure to fit it all the way into place before tightening the fasteners. If you jump ahead and start tightening before the fit is established, you may end up with Disco n exhaust leaks or a system that just won’t fit together. Once the valve nect exha s u s t pi system is fitted correctly, tighten the fasteners in order as indipe cated by the service manual. Often, the tightening procedure is to start from the head and work back towards the muffler. 12 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Aftermarket exhaust systems are popular accessories for powersports vehicles. These systems can present their own set of problems. The first item to to address is model fitWait ment. You need to have the correct exhaust system and mounting hardware for the desired vehicle. When an aftermarket exhaust system is installed, it may change the running condition of the engine. An owner expecting a throaty roar and a bit more engine power may be greeted by a bike that doesn’t run very well and may even lose A jet power. The engine fueling may need to be adjusted to compensate
fas ten n e t h tig
ers
ki t ma y be r equire d
for the difference in exhaust gas flow. Check if the exhaust system manufacturer has a recommended adjustment. This may be a jet kit for carburetors or a new fuel map on fuel injected vehicles. Not only will a tuned engine run better, but the work will also bring additional money into the service department.
Brought to you by the people at WWW.CYCLEPEDIA.COM, Cyclepedia Press LLC painstakingly publishes online service manuals for many popular ATVs, motorcycles and scooters. Our full-color, online product is the first of its kind in the powersports industry. We provide our customers with service information now, not in 3-5 days shipping time. Our time and money saving, online manuals are a great compliment to an Authorized Factory Service Manual.
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 13
THE
Service
MANAGER
Clean Up Service Profits
Two Tricks To Increase Service Department Profitability
By C.R. Gittere
S
ervice departments are like pit stops at the Daytona 200. Pit stops require every team member to have a specific job, and they have to do it right the first time, or the whole team loses. When I was racing, I always looked for ways to shave tenths of a second off my pit stops. I always hunted the small stuff, because tenths of a second would build to whole sec-
onds. It always seemed like it was the small stuff that slowed down a pit stop or got one of my mechanics hung up. Service departments can only bill one thing and that is time. So like a race, service departments only have a finite amount of time they can bill during the day. Your department is in a race against the clock to complete as much work as possible during any given day. Every
minute not billed is lost forever, so you need to concentrate on billing as many minutes as you can. Minutes build to hours and hours build to dollars. One of the most common issues I see in service departments is a lack of organization. Usually there are tons of used parts laying around and piles of stuff that have not been used in years. I have three simple clean shop rules. If it is not: 1. A tool that you use to work on units … 2. A part that is about to go onto a unit … 3. A part that just came off a unit and is waiting to be tossed in the trash that night … … Then why is it in your shop? When I see mechanics having to move junk around just so they can get at things like the tire machine or bench grinder, I cringe. Every second they take to move something is a second they could be doing something else. The only time a mechanic is making your shop money is when their wrenches are turning. If you have a nice clean shop and everything is organized, you might be losing some time if your technicians aren’t focused on the job at hand. During one consulting job, I was called over to assist a mechanic in diagnosing an engine fault code. The mechanic had just reassembled an engine and the fault code indicated a camshaft position sensor error. I asked the mechanic if that error was present before the complete tear down and he said no. I informed him he should take the cams out and put the
14 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
exhaust camshaft back in the exhaust side and the intake camshaft back in the intake side. His response was unforgettable to me. “I know these cams are in right because Sammy was over here talking to me while I was putting them in.” I knew right then what the problem was. In the end, the mechanic spent four hours chasing down an electrical problem and then decided to take my advice and swap the camshafts back into their proper position. If your shop has problems like the example above, try building some walls between the mechanics. Many times there is a specific process to repair a vehicle, and when you interrupt a mechanic, you interrupt that process. When a mechanic gets distracted, they can get lost in the process and forget things. Your service manager and other employees should not interrupt a tech at all costs. A clean shop and a focused team will go a long way towards increasing your shop productivity. Here are some concrete methods to measure your success: 1. Purchase a time clock that punches in military time and tenths of an hour. Require every technician to punch in and out on every job, including when they take breaks or if they need to break off the job to do something else for a minute. You can have them use the back of the R.O. to start or purchase time clock flag sheets. 2. The time you billed the customer divided by the time it took your mechanic to complete the job will give you a proficiency rating. Proficiency is used to de-
termine how well you priced each job. This will also tell you how low you can price standard jobs and still be profitable. This will also tell you how well each mechanic did on each particular job. 3. The next step is to take the amount of time the mechanic is on premises during the week and divide it by the amount of hours he turns in a week. This will give you their efficiency rating. Efficiency is used to determine if a mechanic should have a job. A typical “A” mechanic doing “A” level work should be in the 40 to 50 hours per week range. The typical good “B” mechanic doing service work to “B” level work should bill 45 to 55 hours per week. The reason a “B” level mechanic can outturn an “A” level mechanic is due to the difficulty of the work. If you have a mechanic that is well above these numbers, you should determine if they are really doing the work, or if you might be over-charging a little. If they are well below these numbers, you might need to ask yourself if they are right for the job. Measuring your techs can also be fun. Try starting a monthly competition among techs with a spiff for the winner, like $100 towards his bill on the tool truck.
If you keep your department clean and measure your techs, you will have a good foundation to building profit. t C.R. Gittere and the Service Manager Pro team specialize in service department efficiency, elevating customer service and in-
creasing department profitability. His monthly column focuses on best practices and unique ways to get the most out of your service department. More information about ServiceManager Pro can be found at www.servicemanagerpro.com.
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 15
Web
SAVVY
Get Tuned Into Google Watch Your Marketing Efforts Soar By Heather Blessington
I
f you could have dinner with anyone on the entire planet, who would it be? I suppose other women would say Brad Pitt or Ryan Gosling, but they bore me to tears. My response would be Sergey Brin. Don’t know him? You must. Brin is the visionary behind Google. In 2011, he stepped back into a leadership role in order take the brand to the next level which will bring to us technology that is unfathomable. Today, I am going to convince you that utilizing Google tools and applications will improve your online marketing results, and, dare I say it, bump up your search engine rankings.
that find you on the Web get there through the use of Google search. Is this enough to make you focus the majority of your efforts on Google? Definitely, particularly since the remaining 25 percent or so are broken up among several other contenders such as Bing, Yahoo, Ask (and yes, even DogPile), so the efforts you make with Google will likely impact results with these engines as well. Chrome Browser Google’s Web browser is called Chrome. As of June 2012, Chrome leads browser usage stats garnering 41.7 percent of the market followed by Firefox, and distantly by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Apple’s Safari. This is an amazing achievement, seeing as Chrome launched in 2008 and Internet Explorer is still the default
should, too. Gmail Google’s email service is branded Gmail. Gmail currently serves 350 million users and offers businesses an enterprise version through Google Apps that integrates other business tools like Google Drive (think MS Office but free and in the cloud). Currently, 5,000+ businesses per day migrate to Gmail. Can you imagine the scrambling going on at Microsoft to save their tired, old Outlook product?
Ad Platforms Most of us are familiar with Ad Words, the pay-per-click ad platform that functions as a bidGoogle Search Engine ding system on keywords for The fact that I even search. On the publisher side, have to title this there is Ad Sense, a platform Google section “Google that provides bloggers, for exsearch Search Engine” ample, the ability to earn money engine shows the brand for their work by placing ads on has grown way their site. I’ve utilized the platGOOGLE+ social past their form and found it simple to use network roots of just with superior tools for targeting GOOGLE YOUTUBE search. your demographic. It doesn’t MAPS & PICASA Powerpay much, but hey, it’s better GMAIL locations & video & email directions photos sports than nothing. The real point platform dealhere is Google’s got it covered ers on browser on — whether you want to ADROID AD SENSE mobile average & ADWORDS computers place ads or buy ads, ad DRIVE operating see 75 purchased platforms cloud based they’ve got a solution for system documents you. to 80 pertoday. This cent of their total Web traffic means Chrome is so driven by Google. Think about good that users go out of YouTube CHROME that for a minute — more than their way to download it on For some reaweb three quarters of the people to their machines, and you son, dealers
browser 16 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
tend to forget that Google owns YouTube. At face value, don’t you think that utilizing YouTube for your 30 second walk-around videos of your vehicles would help your overall search rankings? I’d bet on it. Here are a few insider secrets I learned when I was invited to visit YouTube in Chicago as part of its Director Program: Use annotations in your videos to reiterate the specifications on the vehicles for the viewers. This text overlay is heavily optimized for Google search. Next tip: the description field in YouTube has NO character limit, so you should be filling this space with every detail you have on the vehicle, and be sure to add your dealership name, address, phone and email address at the end of each listing for good measure. The more content you plug into the description field, the more Google love that will come your way. Google+ Launched in the fall of 2011, Google+ is just picking up steam. What I love most about it is it is sneaking up on Facebook so quietly, no one is noticing – and then BAM, it’s going to flatten Zuckerburg’s empire (mark my words here, or read What the Plus! by Guy Kawasaki). All you need to do to get started is go to
Browser Statistics Month by Month 2012 Internet Explorer June 16.7% May 18.1% April 18.3% March 18.9% February 19.5% January 20.1% 2011 December 20.2% November 21.2% October 21.7% September 22.9% August 22.4% July 22.0% June 23.2% May 24.9% April 24.3% March 25.8% February 26.5% January 26.6%
Firefox 34.4% 35.2% 35.8% 36.3% 36.6% 37.1%
Chrome 41.7% 39.3% 38.3% 37.3% 36.3% 35.3%
Safari 4.1% 4.3% 4.5% 4.4% 4.5% 4.3%
Opera 2.2% 2.2% 2.3% 2.3% 2.3% 2.4%
37.7% 38.1% 38.7% 39.7% 40.6% 42.0% 42.2% 42.4% 42.9% 42.2% 42.4% 42.8%
34.6% 33.4% 32.3% 30.5% 30.3% 29.4% 27.9% 25.9% 25.6% 25.0% 24.1% 23.8%
4.2% 4.2% 4.2% 4.0% 3.8% 3.6% 3.7% 4.0% 4.1% 4.0% 4.1% 4.0%
2.5% 2.4% 2.4% 2.2% 2.3% 2.4% 2.4% 2.4% 26% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5%
http://plus.google.com and sign up. If you have a Gmail account, you’ll need to use it, and if you don’t have one, you’ll need to create one. First, set up your circles. Think of circles just like “friends” on Facebook, except ten times better. On Google+ you can organize your circles into groups such as business, family, friends, co-workers, enemies (i.e. competitors), etc., so you don’t end up with this massive pool of people that receive all of your posts. Circles allows you to send specific messages to certain groups of people in your life. But by far, the most incredible part of Google+ is Google Hangout. I call it video Brady Bunch because you can video chat with up to nine friends, and it actually works! I use it for internal business meetings, since we work remotely and Hangout is an amazing way to connect a team for collaboration.
All The Rest I haven’t even touched on Google Maps, Google Analytics and the latest and greatest Google Glass, scheduled for release in 2014. However, I think I’ve demonstrated, without a doubt, Google has done an amazing job integrating all of its amazing, free services together, positioning the company for even more greatness than it has already achieved. I personally can’t wait to see what comes next. t Award-winning blogger and CEO of Duo Web Solutions, Heather Blessington is a Web technology veteran and a certified PMP with the Project Management Institute (PMI). Her company provides monthly columns focused on best practices in Web marketing for powersports dealers.
References https://plus.google.com/109813896768294978296/posts http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp http://investor.google.com/corporate/2012/ceo-letter.html http://www.guykawasaki.com/what-the-plus/ http://www.techradar.com/news/video/project-glass-what-you-need-to-know-1078114
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 17
PEAK
Dealership PERFORMANCE
The ART of Rebutting Objections By Mark Rodgers
I
t’s as enjoyable as hitting your finger with a hammer. Your heart races faster than the paparazzi’s camera flashes at a Lindsey Lohan court appearance. The red in your face exposes your discomfort. Your mouth feels as dry as the Mojave. This is it the sum of your fears. You’ve just been hit with an objection you don’t know how to handle. We’ve talked in previous columns about how general strategies like leveraging intrinsic/extrinsic congruity, using persuasive psychology like reciprocity and ingratiation, and employing language devices like permission questions, provocative questions and reducing your use of absolutes can go a long way down the road to helping you handle objections. We’ve also talked about how the use of what I call “sales aikido” can help you capture the momentum of the conversation and use that energy to help move you closer to an agreement with the customer. Now, let’s look at our tried and true communication pattern that has the enduring qualities of a Yamaha V-Max. It is what we call the “ART” of communication. This is simply an acronym for: acknowledge, respond, transition. Acknowledge When you get a tough question
or objection, the first thing you can do is let the customer know that you’ve heard his position. The next thing you want to do is regain control of the conversation and psychologically prepare your customer to hear your response. You can do all of this with a simple acknowledgement statement. Some examples: • “I hear you, I thought the same thing, but I found out some things that changed my mind …” • “I understand completely. That’s exactly why I’m making this suggestion for you …” • “I know how you feel, I felt the same way, but I found out some things that changed my mind, and they might change yours …” Pick two and drill them until you have achieved unconscious competency. This means so you can act without thinking. You want to have these down so well, being struck by a comet couldn’t take you off point. Putting you in control, preparing your target (your customer) mentally and buying you time to think, acknowledgement statements are key to your rebuttal success. Respond In this part of the model what you want to do is really form your “argument” with logic, reason and examples of why the customer should take you
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up on your suggestions. I like using just a handful; three is the perfect number, and organizing them in ascending order of importance. For example, if responding to someone who says, “I can get it cheaper somewhere else …” after your acknowledgement statement, you might say something along the lines of: • “I can guarantee that if all you’re looking for is a cheap price; you will be able to buy this motorcycle for less somewhere else. But if you’re really looking for a great dealership experience, there’s no better choice than our store.” • “We’re a gold star and shield award winning dealership, so you know when we say we’re good it’s not just a matter of opinion.” • “We’re open seven days a week, so we’re here when you need us.” • “And finally the most compelling reason to do business with us is that our salespeople give their customers their personal cell phone so you always have a contact, whenever you have a question.” For me, those responses form a solid argument as to why to do business with this store. Responses to objections are really subjective, meaning you might find some more desirable than me, but here are some things to keep in mind.
Your objection rebuttals should be: • Pithy: defined as concise and full of meaning. • Including a customer value statement, i.e. it should answer the question, “What’s in it for them?” • Did I mention pithy? Here are some other great ideas for building compelling responses. You won’t use these with every point you make, but like ingredients in a terrific marinara sauce, you’ll be able to pick and choose to your taste. Use numbers and statistics whenever possible: “The 2.3 pound counter balancers remove 90 percent of the primary shaking forces from this engine. So you can feel the heart and soul of this V-Twin, while not becoming vibration fatigued.” Numbers have the magical ability to skyrocket your credibility. I’m not saying motorcycle and their related stuff should be sold only by the numbers. I’m saying that by adding these sorts of responses to your rebuttals, you will enjoy improved credibility and will move customers to your position. Use third party references: Another way of making a sound argument is to cite a qualified third party. Another expert (service manager, long-time rider or racing figure) or a third
party, well-regarded, consumer publication (Motorcycle Consumer News). This leverages the persuasion principle of authority and the judgmental heuristic (mental shortcut) that we defer to experts. Use information that can’t be found in the brochure: Anyone can read the brochure, and customers crawl through those things, so if you really want to mount an effective objection rebuttal, use information not found in the brochure. Use information from your conversations with other customers, your experience, conversations with service personnel or your reading outside high quality publications. When a customer says to you, “That’s interesting, I’ve never heard that before!” you’re in. Transition statements These statements move the conversation on to the next part of your conversation. Not using a transition statement will ensure you’re caught in the quagmire of your objection. You need to control the conversation and move it to its next meaningful point. Some examples might be: • “What else would you like to know?” • “Do you have any other questions?” • “Another thing you should consider is …” My favorite transition statement; however, is simply, “What do you think?” The reason is that it is really a trial close. When you ask this question, you’re really asking for the customer’s opinion. If they really reply in the negative, you know you have more work to do or that this motorcycle or product isn’t right for them. If they respond in the affirmative, “I like it!” I’m taking a swing and asking for the business. Communication and objection handling are art forms, and you’ll be like Picasso when you master the ART of objection rebuttals. t An award-winning author, top-rated trainer and founder of Peak Dealership Performance, Mark Rodgers holds a master’s degree in adult education and the National Speakers Association Certified Speaking Professional designation — only 500 people in the world have this coveted recognition. Contact Mark@peakdealership performance.com to improve your performance. motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 19
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Finance Insurance
The Masters, Birdies and F&I By D.J. Stringer
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s I write this article, I’m participating in what most golfers would consider the opportunity of a lifetime. I am playing in The Masters. It was a beautiful, sunny day today. The wind was light, and I was decked out in the latest golf fashions with Ping as my sponsor. I had the best gear money could buy and the attitude to go with it. I just finished my third round, and I am the leader at eight under with an eagle on the first hole today! Pretty impressive, huh? Let’s talk about how I earned this score. It was not luck. It took a lot of work on different parts of my game. Early on, my coach taught me the importance of tracking the stats of my game so that I would know what to work on. The key indicators that she wanted me to focus on were fairways in regulation (FIR), greens in regulation (GIR), and pars. She said if I could get those stats up, the birdies would come and so would the wins. She was right, again. I kept a notebook with my FIRs, GIRs and par stats and made sure to write them down on every hole. When I practiced, I concentrated on getting those stats up. First, I worked on driving the ball down the fairway, but with enough control to land on the short grass consistently.
Then, I worked on my short game, and my GIRs improved as I worked to perfect it. Once I was two-putting every green, I began to master the putt, and here I am, one round away from my first green jacket. Only two behind my coach, my 13-year-old daughter. Yes, this is a Tiger Woods golf game on Playstation 3, but the story and the lesson are still true. These same lessons can be applied to your F&I performance. If you keep the stats on the different specific components that make up your game, it allows you to focus your practice on the deficiencies and to fine-tune your game. Think of your FIRs as your customer interview. The short game to hit the GIRs is your menu pitch. I consider a deal where we only sold one product a par, an eagle is two or more, and a hole-in-one is a full meal deal with all the products and some reserve. Of course, a bogie is when we as an F&I professional do the paperwork for free. The first question is, are you keeping up with the stats at all? My caddie is constantly making notes in his little notepad on the specifics of every shot I make, and I can go back and review them after each hole. He makes notes on distances, club choice, conditions, and I think he even
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writes down what I’m wearing. Do you keep an up-to-theminute F&I log with notes on the interview and what you could have done differently to improve your game in retrospect? Do you review that log yourself? Do you review it with someone who can coach you on what they see in your numbers? Are you willing to do the work to track those things? Are you open-minded and willing to accept coaching? The drive off the tee is the beginning of everybody’s game. Everybody wants to knock the heck out of the ball and put it 300 yards down range, but that doesn’t help if it’s out of bounds when it lands. Your customer interview is your opportunity to set yourself up for an easier approach to the green by getting information out of the customer that makes selling them something easier. Take the time and concentrate when you step up to the customer and consider where you want them to land. Pay attention to the conditions and ask questions accordingly. When you do a customer interview, do you consistently walk away with information that will help you convince them to take advantage of one of your offerings? Every hole in golf is designed to be a two-putt for par, so reaching the hole with an opportunity for a two-putt
par is a GIR. To get there, you have to have a consistently good short game. For us, that’s our menu pitch. It is proven over and over to produce the most consistent positive results. If you are not producing the penetrations you would like on your products, ask yourself these questions: Do you use a menu consistently? Do you use a menu correctly? Do you have a smooth and consistent presentation? If most golfers could go out and hit a par round consistently, they would be very happy at the end of the day. You should be as well if you can sell at least one product with each deal. From there, you can concentrate on the fine points of your putting (overcoming objections) that will have you scoring a few eagles and hole-in-ones here and there. t RPMOne is a leading provider of F&I products and dealer development services dedicated to serving the powersports market. Due to its comprehensive experience with dealerships, lenders and insurance companies, RPMOne has created toptier F&I programs, web-based tools, training programs, and sales and marketing systems to meet the unique demands of the industry. RPMOne’s mission is to increase client profit to its fullest potential.
PWC UPDATE High-Profile Accidents Seen As Call For Renewed Focus On Safety
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everal recent highprofile media reports are serving as a reminder that PWC dealers need to be increasingly proactive when it comes to stressing rider safety. Following years of negative publicity surrounding issues such as the loss of steering control without thrust or manufacturer’s escalating horsepower wars, recent times have seen a more positive flow of news as solutions, like offthrottle steering enhancements, entered into the mix and manufacturers entered into a handshake agreement to cap top speeds. All that positive momentum may be threatened, however, by a series of recent high-profile accidents. As promptly reported by numerous media outlets, a PWC-related accident recently left Kyle Glover, the 11-yearold stepson of pop singer Usher, brain dead. Glover’s accident was followed only days earlier by the death of retired astronaut Alan Poindexter, a one-time pilot of the space shuttle Atlantis. In May 2011, pop singer Sean Kingston sustained lifethreatening injuries after colliding with a bridge support in Miami Beach. Ron Sarver, deputy director for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), was quoted
in a Fox News report as calling the news something of “a perfect storm.” “There’s been a number of accidents together here,” noted Sarver, “so we have a lot of people saying, ‘What’s happening?’” While the higher profile of the recent victims has obviously led to increased coverage, a quick look at nationwide statistics reveal that as of mid-July, 238 PWC accidents have been reported, resulting in 212 injuries and 16 deaths. In 2011, 44 people were killed on PWC, a slight increase from the previous year. Those very same statistics also reveal the most-likely cause. In an extraordinarily high percentage of accidents, the fault can be traced not to the PWC, but to the careless driving of an operator. Though tragic as these accidents may be, according to the reports, Glover was actually floating in an inner tube and was struck by a family friend who was driving the PWC. In the Poindexter case, the former astronaut was riding with his 22-year-old son on one craft when a 26-year-old son on a different vehicle crashed into him. Kingston was at the helm with a passenger when he crashed into the bridge in Miami. One obvious answer to the
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problem is increased boater education. Though mandatory education has always been perceived as a touchy subject, PWC manufacturers have in fact long stood at the forefront as proponents of requiring PWC operators to learn safe boating practices. “The Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA), which represents personal
accidents can happen.” While boater education courses are an obvious suggestion to consumers, dealers may also wish to emphasize the one simple concept that could have prevented almost all of this summer’s high-profile accidents — basic operational awareness while on the water. That includes staying a minimum of 100 feet from
In an extraordinarily high percentage of accidents, the fault can be traced not to the PWC, but to the careless driving of an operator. watercraft manufacturers, stands by a long history of advocating for mandatory boater education and safe boating practices for those riding the more than 1.29 million jetpropelled watercrafts registered across the nation,” reads the official statement. “PWCs are like all boats and require a certain level of expertise for safe operation. PWIA urges states to adopt laws including minimum operator age of 16, mandatory education, mandatory life jacket wear and other safety practices. As with any sport, if safety is not a priority, then
other PWC operators, boats, swimmers and structures to avoid collisions, looking over your shoulder before making a turn so that you’re aware of traffic that may be overtaking from behind, and avoiding that temptation to treat a PWC as a toy. After all, there’s a certain level of responsibility that comes with operating a motor vehicle, whether it be on land or water. For information on free boating safety courses, contact Boat U.S. (www.boatus.com) or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (www.cgaux.org). t
DESTINATION
Dealership
m o t s u C k w a H k c Bla By Greg Friend of Gearhead, Inc.
here diversification is commonplace, rare is the small business owner focused on any single portion of the market, let alone a fraction of a small segment. On the other hand, there are opportunities for the few who understand a particular subsection of a market, especially when there is little or no competition. Such was the situation with military powersports enthusiast James Campbell, owner and founder of Black Hawk Customs. “When I was serving in the military, I noticed a dire lack of the on-base required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for ac-
tive duty members. At the time, the exchanges on-base didn’t sell the required gear and neither did the surrounding private stores. Plus, the private shops weren’t aware of what the required riding gear consisted of. Everything was ‘special order,’ which of course raised prices to beyond what a junior enlisted person could afford and therefore excluded many people from riding a motorcycle on base. No company focused on the enlisted or their dependents, so I decided to take care of them myself,” Campbell said. Shortly after leaving the military, he did just that and started Black Hawk Customs in 2003. Never designed to cater to the public; every aspect of Black Hawk Customs’ business model works in the favor of a currently active member of the military or direct associate. Completely staffed by former
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service members, Black Hawk Customs features worldwide shipping to all APO, FPO and CONUS locations (acronyms that mean a lot to military types). They accept the military STAR card (a credit card that only the military can use that doesn’t charge interest when the holder of the card is deployed). That same card is only accepted by certain companies that have special approval that are associated with a military contract — it’s not accepted off bases, and then only through the Army/Air Force Exchange service. While that may sound like a foreign language of restrictions to most people, it’s a tongue his demographic wants to hear. John Q. Public can’t even order from Black Hawk Customs’ website — the only way a civilian can purchase products from them is to personally visit their brick-andmortar building in Santa
Clara, Calif. Beyond the sale, helping out service members is an outspoken Black Hawk Customs policy that they prove with their actions. Campbell and his associates visit a multitude of military bases and regularly support base functions. They never hesitate to donate products for on-base raffles for charities and help promote other charitable events on their website and social media pages. There’s also a long list of foundations that they sponsor, including the That Others May Live Foundation, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, the Green Knights, the Santa Clara County Police Foundation, the Semper Fi Injured Marine fund and more. Plus, Black Hawk Customs continues to spend tens of
Providing PPE for the People Protecting Us
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thousands of dollars each year on donations for motorcycle safety events and safety days at military installations throughout the world. “There’s no sense in surviving the battlefield overseas only to come home and die in an accident because of insufficient protective gear,” Campbell said. “And I want to help the families of the people who fell or were injured in the line of duty, too. I have kids, and I’d want them to be provided for if I hadn’t been lucky enough to make it out alive.” The company’s portion of the powersports market pie may be relatively small, but it sits heavy in the belly. Nine years after its inception, Black Hawk Customs is now the sole provider of PPE inside every exchange store on all Army and Air Force installations — yet they continue to expand and diversify within the strict military parameters. This year alone, they’ve up-
dated their website with a new look and a better search engine. Shipping was sped-up through new drop shipment abilities for online sales. OEM products were added this year that complement their already extensive parts catalog that now includes replacement parts from Honda, Kawasaki, Sea-Doo, Polaris, Yamaha and more. Plus, serious expansion has taken place in their instore assortment of cruiser, sport bike and women-specific apparel and PPE. “Black Hawk Customs has been fortunate in this business because we stand behind the people that stand up for us. As always, many thanks to our retired and currently serving brothers and sisters,” Campbell concluded. t
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 25
It Only Looks Old
By Margie Siegal
28 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
The New
T
he staff at Munroe Motors in San Francisco have to spend a lot of time washing the windows of the dealership. The problem is not the famous San Francisco fog. It’s the people on the sidewalk, leaning on the glass, staring at the bikes. Although Munroe floors a lot of eye candy — MV Agustas, Ducatis and high-end Triumphs — one of the bikes that stops passers-by in their tracks isn’t either pricy or powerful. It’s a Royal Enfield: a close replica of a 500 cc single cylinder motorcycle designed in England more than 50 years ago. “We started off in 2011 with two,” says Samson Ng, general manager at Munroe’s. “We sold out immediately. Every time we get one in, it disappears. People love the way they look. They are easy to ride and easy to maintain. They sell themselves.” “The classic motorcycles are like classic cars,” says Jeff Saunders of Z1 Enterprises. “People in their 40s and 50s associate them with their youth. They were the desire of our youth, and a classic looking bike reignites those memories.” Motorcycle dealers have long known that one of the best ways to increase foot traffic is to put a vintage motorcycle on display. In fact, many retailers whose wares have nothing to do with bikes, vintage or otherwise, will put a Harley Panhead or a Triumph Bonneville in the window as a way to add excitement to face cream or work boots. “One of our bikes is a traveling parade,” says Jon Bekefy, director of strategic marketing communications for Ural. In the last few years, it has become possible to not only display classic bikes, but to sell new bikes with that classic appeal. Customers who prefer old-school styling and simple, comprehensible mechanics now have several alternatives to buying an old bike with an uncertain history. With increasing interest in classic motorcycles, manufacturers large and small are building updated replicas of vintage two-wheelers. Properly handled, an added line of vintage-look bikes can have many benefits for a retail dealer. These motorcycles share much of the crowd-pleasing appeal of the real thing. Although the motors are built to close tolerances and don’t leak oil, the lights are bright and the brakes work. That pleasing old bike aura is definitely there. “We deliver a timeless look and feel, but with a two-year warranty,” says Ural’s Jon Bekefy. A classic bike in every price range New bikes built with a vintage design come in a wide variety of configurations and price ranges, allowing you to choose a line of machines that will be most appealing to your customers. The resurrection of one top of the line motorcycle took place recently at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, which has been called the Pebble Beach of antique motorcycle shows. Michael Schacht, president of the new Crocker Motorcycle Company, started up the first new Crocker in 70 years and drew a crowd four and five deep. The original Crocker company was a small factory that built speedway racers and very fast sport twins in Los Angeles during the ‘30s and ‘40s. With the passage of time, Crockers have become legendary, and surviving Crocker twins change hands for the price of urban real estate. motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 29
The new Crocker company has a prototype finished and is in the final stage of the testing process. It is visually identical in appearance to the original twin, with a threespeed, hand-shift transmission and kick-start. However, the bike has benefited from modern alloys, CAD design and machining to close tolerances. “We are dialed in, with the bike engineered front to back, and are extremely pleased with the results thus far,” says Michael Schacht. “We are planning to sell a limited number of these very special motorcycles, and like the original Crocker, the customer can choose color, the type of electrical system, and displacement to some degree. Our stock Crocker engine displace-
ment will continue to be 61 cubic inches, as were the originals. The prototype Big Tank is 80 cubic inches, as were their fastest examples of the day.” The Crocker company plans to market to “very knowledgeable motorcycle enthusiasts who want a special bike.” Schacht is working with one Southern California dealer at this time and is willing to consider working dealers in other parts of the United States. Unlike the owners of the new Crocker, Ural riders will never have to explain themselves to an agitated Highway Patrol officer, but their bikes stir just as much emotion. Originally a Russian reverse engineering of a World War II BMW, the Ural has evolved into a reliable mount with a lot of low-end torque. “It’s a living, breathing bike,” says
Jon Bekefy. It usually comes hitched to a sidecar, although a solo Ural has recently become available. Bekefy continues: “It’s a combination of the classic BMW Airhead engine architecture with modern brakes [Ural uses Brembo] and suspension. Both the ride and the emotions delivered are fantastic.” An interest in the Indian motorcycles built in America between 1901 and 1953 is often a family tradition. The brand has been successfully revived, and now Indian enthusiasts have two versions to choose from. The Indian Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Polaris, powers its Chiefs with a 105 cubic inch overhead valve V-Twin engine built in Osceola, Wis. However, purists who want their ride powered by a sidevalve engine, like the one that graced the classic Indians, gravitate to the motorcycle built by Kiwi Indian of Riverside California. “We have a different market and a complimentary product,” says Mike Tomas, president of Kiwi. Interestingly, the ups and downs of the economy have not affected Kiwi at all. “Every time there is a recession, the more my business grows,” says Tomas. “Guys find value putting money into something they can ride and enjoy.” The Kiwi Indian is a custom-built machine with a lot of options, including an electric start. The vintage look side covers hide a modern four-speed synchromesh transmission. “Although our bikes are made on modern machinery, we put old-time craftsmanship into our bikes,” says Tomas. Kiwi prides itself on the reliability and maintenance-free operation of its motorcycles. Replica demographics The different types of vintage motorcycles appeal to different customer demographics. The Enfield is bought by a variety of urban riders, many of whom are younger than most vintage bike enthusiasts. “We get guys coming off scooters, and folks who wanted one in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” says Ng. “One big market for us is people coming back from tours to India. Indian motorcycle tour operators put the tour group on Enfields and ride up the foothills of the Himalayas. Guys are impressed and want to buy one when they get back.” Up until last year, the market for Urals was at first, older people and disabled veterans who want to ride but can’t hold a twowheeler up; second, hunters and farmers who live in remote areas; and third, enthusi-
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asts who are interested in riding and camping off-road. Recently, with the update of Ural’s Web site and a foray into social media, younger people who have become interested in a vintage look and feel are buying Urals. Bekefy has been surprised by the number of women who have specifically searched for Ural on the Internet. “We have two women we know of who are touring the country on Urals.” Another classic-look motorcycle that appeals to women is the SYM Wolf Classic, a 150 cc air cooled single cylinder job that evokes the Honda 125 of the ‘70s. Light, inexpensive and easy to ride, it has been estimated that 80 percent of buyers are women looking for an affordable, easy-to-handle vintage look bike with cafe racer styling. Both the Crocker and Kiwi Indian appeal to a sophisticated audience who often own classic motorcycles. “Our customers are between late 30s up to 70s,
and middle to upper income. They are discriminating buyers who are very particular. They want something unique they don’t have to work on often. They like Harleys, but want something different,” says Tomas. Managing expectations It’s not possible to make a bike that has both the simple mechanics and classic appearance of a vintage machine and many of the advantages of modern technology. There’s more maintenance, and top speeds are lower. Drum brakes may look cool, but they don’t stop like ABS triple discs. As Ng says, “It’s up to the salesman to set expectations, to be up front with limitations. Each bike has its own purpose. If a customer buys the wrong bike for the wrong purpose, the bike will get a bad reputation, and it’s not the
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bike’s fault at all. “The Royal Enfield is a fun bike, but you have to remember it’s a 500 pushrod single,” continues Ng. “You can get 75 to 80 mph out of it by wringing its neck. The owner also has to remember that the bike is handbuilt in India. Quality control is OK, but little things need to be checked for — just like on bikes from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Someone who knows how to spin a wrench, who enjoys tightening bolts and adjusting the chain, will really like the Royal Enfield. It’s such simple technology. Someone who wants a turnkey motorcycle, who doesn’t want to spend 10 minutes checking it over won’t.” Classic bikes lure customers Classic bikes are different and interesting, and will create interest and excitement for your dealership. “The Guggenheim Museum said the Crocker was one of the most beautifully designed motorcycles ever, and we agree,” says Michael Schacht of Crocker Motorcycles. “We give customers the ability to own the Dusenberg of motorcycles with the identical look to the classic bike, but modern CAD design of parts, close tolerances and long dis-
Crocker Motorcycles www.crockermotorcycleco.com (323) 306-0690 Kiwi Motorcycle Company www.kiwiindian.com (951) 780-5400 Ural Motorcycles http://www.imz-ural.com Royal Enfield www.enfieldmotorcycles.com 1-800-201-7472
tance reliability.” “Some of our best success stories are primarily BMW or European motorcycle dealers,” says Bekefy of Ural Motorcycles. “People will go to the dealership just to see the bike. A Ural offers a dealer a chance to show something different. Further, Ural’s don’t compete, they add sales. People will buy the bike of their dreams and then come back and buy a Ural. Return customers buy a Ural. It’s a symbiotic relationship.” “Displaying classic bikes and selling retro bikes brings a sense of nostalgia to a dealership” says Saunders. “The bikes reignite an interest in motorcycles. It’s an attraction, the look more than anything. By rekindling that interest, you may end up selling to a person who had no intent to buy another motorcycle.” t
Off-
R d Li up oa e d n i L F2 Carbon Acetylene Helmet
RAW International The MX 630’s quad rear exhaust vent allows for ultimate heat dissipation. Other features include an injection molded 3-D visor with anti-scratch coating, a fully removable washable liner system, luxury-fitted cheekpads and a micrometric buckle. This helmet is available in white or black in sizes small through XXL for $119.95.
FLY Racing The F2 Carbon's outer shell utilizes lightweight carbon/Kevlar construction. It has two layers of EPS liner for progressive impact absorption for different levels of impact. The multi-port air induction cooling system creates massive airflow to keep your rider's head cool. Three air intake vents above the goggle eye port draw air from the goggles to help clear away fog. It includes a washable and removable plush liner and cheek pads, and a custom molded rubber trim with a nose guard. The F2 is constructed using super-strong, lightweight machined aluminum screws, rivets and D-rings for extra strength. An optional carbon fiber intake vent wing can be added to the helmet for increased direction of airflow on the front vents. This helmet retails at $279.95.
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MX 630 Helmet
34 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Velocity Helmet
Lidup e n i L
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FX-17 O-Road Helmet AFX AFX continues its commitment to designing and producing top-of-the-line, economical helmets with the FX-17 off-road helmet. The aerodynamic shell with its advanced poly-alloy plastic construction provides a perfect combination of a lightweight design and strength. The inside of the helmet comes with a hypoallergenic and anti-microbial nylon liner and cheek pads that are removable and washable, and ear cavity space for speakers. Additional features include 11 points of ventilation with chin, side, rear and forehead vents; a removable screw-on vented visor; a fully molded eye port trim with an incorporated goggle grabber and a square D-ring style retention system. This helmet is available in youth and adult sizes in a variety of colors, designs and themes with a suggested retail starting at $84.95. ------------
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UX-25 O-Road Helmet Cyber This helmet features a sculpted, lightweight poly-alloy composite painted shell with a UV clear coat and an aerodynamic visor. The liner is fully removable and washable. The UX-25 offers a high airflow mouthpiece and ventilation channels that move fresh air from front to back to keep your rider cool. It meets or exceeds both Snell and DOT standards and retails for $109.95. It is available in Freedom, blue/black, orange/black, white/black and red/black. ------------
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36 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Lidup e n i L VRX7 Helmet
Vemar The VRX7 features a mid-oval shell shape, which offers a more generous fit frontto-back and a snug fit ear-to-ear. The exterior shell is constructed of a lightweight yet strong carbon fiber/aramidic/fiberglass blend. The VRX7 includes a double density high impact inner EPS shell and removable/washable, ultra-plush, non-deformable, high density, expanded polyurethane cheek pads and liner. It also has a padded chinstrap with a double D-ring closure system and an adjustable visor with a wide range of motion. This helmet features the exclusive “Vemar Klima” adjustable full ventilation system with three intake vents on the top and front of the exterior shell and two exhaust vents in the rear. The Vemar VRX7 exceeds the ECE 2205 standard while also meeting the USA’s DOT standard. It includes a five-year warranty from the manufacturing date and retails at $395. This helmet comes in four colors in sizes XXS to XXL. ------------
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38 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Gamma Helmet One Industries The Gamma helmet has an engineered shell for optimal strength-to weight ratio. Progressive energy-absorbing dual density inserts provide impact protection. There is increased cooling from flow-through ventilation, and the removable inner liner and cheek pads are easy to clean. The moisture management liner provides plush comfort. This helmet has large peripheral visibility and great goggle fitment. The Gamma Helmet comes in sizes XS to XXL and retails between $260 and $270. ------------
For More Info: www.oneindustries.com
Rush Star ZOX The Rush Star helmet by ZOX is a new graphic for the 2013 collection. The helmet shell is fiberglass composite. The interior is equipped with comfort padding which is hydrostatic and bacteriophobic treated and is also removable and washable. The Rush Star has airflow directed by integrated ducts and rear air extractors. The chin bar has additional impact resistance for added security. This 3.1-pound helmet meets or exceeds DOT and ECE standards. It retails at $104.99. ------------
For More Info: www.nitrohelmetsusa.com
40 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Lidup e n i L MX442 Jump CS-MX Off-Road Helmet HJC This helmet features a polycarbonate composite shell with lightweight, superior fit and comfort using advanced CAD technology. Full front-to-back airflow flushes heat and humidity up and out of the rear of the helmet. Other features include a removable and washable Nylex interior and a maximum range adjustable visor for optimal visibility and goggle fit.
LS2 The MX442 features a tricomposite fiberglass shell with an “in & out” ventilation system. It includes a double D-ring retention system and a removable liner that’s moisture wicking, anti-bacterial and anti-odor. This helmet features laser cut foam padding for a superior fit. This ECE and DOT-certified helmet has a retail price of $119.95. ------------
For More Info: www.ls2helmets.us
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For More Info: www.hjchelmets.com
Carbon Fiber Pro-Style Flyte Helmet Vega This helmet was created for the offroad market with a radical new shell design, offering aerodynamic styling for motocross performance. The new carbon fiber composite shell provides more durability and less weight. All Flyte models are dual-certified to meet the European ECE 22.05 standard and meet or exceed DOT standards. High-volume forehead intake vents and a rear multi-port exhaust maximize airflow to the Flyte interior, while a Coolmax removable, washable comfort fit liner offers interchangeable components for a customizable fit. A large eye port easily accommodates goggles and side traction plates secure straps in place. Vega’s Flyte is available in six sizes (XS-2XL) and a broad range of colors and graphics. The MSRP is $309.99. ------------
For More Info: www.vegahelmet.com 42 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
VX-Pro3 Arai One of the Pro3’s main features is the emergency-release cheek pad system designed to allow easier access to an unresponsive rider. Other features include a top-mount diffuser ventilation system and a smooth, rounded shell design to dissipate impact energy. The VX-Pro3 comes in sizes XS to XXL. The suggested retails range from $549.95 for solids to $679.95 for the new “Pride” and other graphic designs. ------------
For More Info: www.araiamericas.com
Get Packing! Muffler Service Check-In By Michael Rigdon
Sound issues affect both on and off-road motorcyclists today. Urban sprawl and loud four strokes created issues for the off-road crowd, and now new EPA 80 decibel regulations raise issues street riders have to contend with. MPN’s rounded up some of today’s top exhaust systems and mufflers over the next few pages, but even if your customer isn’t in the market for new pipes, his mufflers may need some attention. While there are some mufflers out there utilizing mechanical mufflers, the majority of them come with packing. Blown out packing in the muffler affects both performance and sound compliance. Repacking sales and service is yet another way for dealers to increase their margins. Dyno tests have shown an increase of almost two horsepower between 7,000 and 8,000 rpm, plus a foot pound of torque across the powerband for a modern day 250F four stroke MX machine. Whether your customers are interested in sound compliance or top performance, if your service advisors aren’t discussing repack options with your customers, you’re missing the chance to increase sales. You’ll also be doing your part to keep motorcycling a tad quieter. t
2 1 20 Upsweep Headers for Shovels 1970-1984 Ultima This 1 3⁄4 inch diameter upsweep header exhaust set will fit Shovel swingarms 1970 through 1984, and will fit FXE type battery boxes. Includes mounting bracket. ------------
www.midwest-mc.com
44 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Fishtail Dual Exhaust Python Made for the very latest 2012 FXS and FLST models, this dual system features 1 5/8 inch headpipes wrapped in 2 1/4 inch heat shields that flow into extra-long 2 1/8 inch mufflers. It is protected by full-coverage 2 1/2 inch heat shields. The entire exhaust is finished in a show-quality chrome. The suggested retail price is $804.95. ------------
www.dragspecialties.com
46 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
RS-4 Muffler Yoshimura The RS-4 muffler’s design shape helps centralize mass. Its poly-resonant duplex chamber increases overall power while reducing sound. It is available as a full system, in either titanium or carbon fiber, or as an aluminum slip-on. The RS-4 features an ultra-lightweight carbon fiber end-cap, and 2 meter max, 94 decibel and spark arrestor inserts are available. The RS-4 is available for most late model 250 and 450cc MX bikes. ------------
www.yoshimura-rd.com
Powerflow III Samson Exhaust This powerful 2-into-1 exhaust is made for all 2010-2012 Harley-Davidson dressers and Road Kings. The power is generated through a series of chambers that help condense and intensify exhaust flow, resulting in a 20 percent increase in both horsepower and torque. The O2 sensor ports accept OEM and aftermarket sensors. Each exhaust includes removable baffles, full coverage heat shields and a limited one-year warranty. The Powerflow III is available in chrome and Sinister black ceramic for $599.95. ------------
www.samsonusa.com
American Outlaw Dual System Freedom Performance Freedom Performance announces the newest addition to its line of aftermarket performance exhausts, the American Outlaw Dual System. This 100 percent American made-system is designed to replace the stock system with more horsepower, more torque and increased heat reduction. The system comes with a 4.5 inch megaphone for that deep throaty V-Twin rumble. Other features include a 2.5 inch O.D. one-piece full-length 220-degree heat shield, removable baffles and stainless steel hardware for strength and rust resistance. The American Outlaw is available in show quality chrome or ceramic black, and comes with oxygen sensor ports. Quiet baffles are also available. Includes a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. ------------
ww.freedomperform.com
48 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Kawasaki ZX-6 HMF Performance The Kawasaki ZX-6 is a slip-on elliptical exhaust system. It is available in 14 different colors and finishes, and end caps are available in polished red, blue and black. ------------
www.hmfracing.com
Black Series Slip-on Exhaust System Two Brothers Racing Available with a polished aluminum, carbon fiber or titanium canister, this slip-on system ensures a perfect fit for the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR. At the end, the Teflon coated, blunted, cast magnesium M-2 end cap allows for various inserts such as the P1 PowerTip. Also included is a lower side cover for a finely finished appearance. Other specs include an 8-horsepower increase, a gain of 11 footpounds of torque and a 9-pound weight loss. This system retails starting at $519.98. ------------
www.twobros.com
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 49
EVO Street Series Full System Big Gun Exhaust The Big Gun EVO Street Series exhaust for the Honda CBR 250 was designed to deliver maximum horsepower and torque gains throughout the RPM range. Made from .049 stainless steel tubing and an aluminum muffler canister, the EVO “S” exhaust system is much lighter than stock units. The sleek muffler design allows for maximum clearance and ease of installation. The muffler is coated black and wrapped in a high temp EVO “S” decal, then coupled with an aggressive black end tip for a sharp look. This system retails at $569.99. ------------
www.biggunexhaust.com
50 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
RCX 4.0” Slip-On Mufflers RCX-haust These mufflers showcase a deep and throaty sound with a straight-through louvered core to help increase horsepower. There is no tuning required if using the factory air cleaner. Choose from 12 different CNC billet end caps or a go with a slash cut design. Made in the USA. ------------
www.rccomponents.com
Road Rage 2-into-1 System Bassani Bassani now has a performance exhaust for Harley-Davidson’s 2012 Dyna Switchback. This system increases flow and improves performance with 1 3/4 -inch stepped headpipes that flow into a large 4-inch collector with a removable spiral-core louvered baffle. Available in either a chrome or black ceramic finish, the system is completed with a billet end cap with machined contrasting flutes. Heat shields protect the finish and rider’s legs. This American-made system retails from $699.95. ------------
www.dragspecialties.com
Stainless Hi-Output Duals Vance and Hines These duals are available for 2009-2012 Harley-Davidson Touring models and are engineered to extract maximum horsepower from high output engine modifications. They feature an all-stainless steel construction with TIG welding and contoured laser cut heat shields. Features include tapered head pipes, an inlet to megaphone, a baffle with an anti-reversion cone, a stepped muffler body and oxygen sensor ports for wideband tuning capability. The retail price is $1,749.95. ------------
www.vanceandhines.com
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 51
R304 Silencer for 2012 Cobra 65 Pro Circuit This popular “full race� silencer is constructed from lightweight aluminum and stainless steel and offers increased durability. Its compact design offers optimum performance gains and makes it easy to re-pack when needed. This silencer is made for closed-course racing only and accompanies the Pro Circuit pipe. It retails at $119.95. ------------
www.procircuit.com
GP Corsa LeoVince USA This full system is made for Kawasaki 250R and Honda CBR250R owners. It is designed with a striking resemblance to earlier MotoGP designs from LeoVince. This system allows the 250 owner to shed more than 13 pounds in weight. Its design replaces the complete factory system including the header, mid pipe, canister and bracketing. The GP Corsa is manufactured with a carbon fiber canister and a stainless steel header with options for an aluminum canister. It offers a classic throaty sound and additional horsepower for $299. ------------
www.leovinceusa.com
Power Tune Duals Header with Black Heat Shields S&S Cycle The S&S Power Tune Duals header is now available with black heat shields and a Jet-Hot black finish. The heat shields have 220-degree coverage, and the hidden crossover and pipe routing takes the heat off the passenger while increasing horsepower by eight. ------------
www.sscycle.com
52 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
P
roducts with the “Made in Taiwan” label have not always enjoyed the best reputation in America, but Kymco seems to be proving the skeptics wrong with how they have performed in the U.S. market. While some Asian manufacturers continue to run their operations like a roadside stand, pulling up and changing names whenever it’s convenient, Kymco has done just the opposite and is now setting the bar for some of the big OEMs. Kymco, a Taiwan-based manufacturer, has been making ATVs for the North American market since 2003 (or earlier, if you count their private label deals with brands such as Kawasaki and Arctic Cat). The company has been known for making lower-priced, smaller displacement ATVs, but with the release of its 2013 quads and UTVs, it is clear they have made a leap forward in quality without changing the fact that they’re still a value brand. Back in February of 2011, KYMCO USA made a fairly low-key announcement that they were being bought out by parent company, KYMCO of Taiwan. While it didn’t make headline news, the significance of the event was that the Taiwanese company was showing confidence in its brand and throwing its full weight behind their subsidiaries’ effort. KYMCO’s roots in the powersports industry go back to 1963 when it was founded as the Kwang Yang Motor Company Ltd. Almost 50 years later, KYMCO is the largest scooter manufacturer in Taiwan with exports to more than 80 countries worldwide. KYMCO manufactures scooters, motorcycles and ATVs at its five plants in Asia, including its main facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. KYMCO’s dealer network currently includes more than 600 U.S. locations, with plans to expand that number in the near future, says Bruce Ramsey, vice president of KYMCO USA. He says that they’d like to grow their dealer network by as much as 40-45 percent in the next couple of years. KYMCO USA has realized the importance of introducing new models and recently unveiled its 2013 off-road vehicles to the media on the grounds of the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. As an official sponsor of the speedway, KYMCO was given permission to develop an offroad track around the famed NASCAR facility’s property. The area that was chosen was once to be used as golf course and condominium community in the early ’80s. The ground has sat vacant for many years until KYMCO was given the green light to turn it into an ATV playground. The latest models that were introduced to the press were the MXU 500i LE, MXU 700i and 700i LE and the UXV 500i SP. Kymco also had other models that were previously introduced that included the unchanged for 2013 Maxxer 450i and the UXV 500i. Riding Impressions Kymco rolled out several new models at the Charlotte event, including their new MXU700i, which features their new engine. The 695cc SOHC with electronic fuel injected powerplant is the largest engine that Kymco has offered in any of its ATVs to date and is a stellar performer. We think you’ll see this engine in future UTVs. The engine is almost 20 pounds lighter than the 500cc, and it produces almost more 10 horsepower, coming in at 45 hp compared to 36 hp for the 500cc mill. Ramsey says that they will probably look at a multi-speed gearbox to power any future sport ATV. The 700i was able to eat up the terrain and power through any of the obstacles without difficulty. The only real noticeable issue was a hint of bump steer on the 700i LE, which company officials said would be straightened out before production. The new engine was installed on the same chassis as the 500i LE and therefore made the smaller engine feel sluggish in comparison, but still adequate to rip through the terrain in Charlotte. The new 2013 UXV 500i SP features all the bells and whistles the company could throw at it except the bigger 700cc engine. These UTVs were very impressive as rock crawlers and seemed to have just enough power to pull you out of any rut or hill climb. We also found some water obstacles that proved to be no problem other than puncturing a tire on a hidden fence post. On hand for the event were the executives and engineers from Kymco Taiwan, and even though they didn’t speak much to the press, they were more than happy to let their 2013 machines do the talking. And it’s a good bet that dealers will be happy, too. t
54 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Not Lost
KYMCO Unveils
2013 Off-road Models
By Brendan Baker
KYMCO ATV/UTV 2013 Specs:
in Translation:
UXV 500i SP (MSRP $10,499) The 499cc DOHC, 4-stroke, 4valve engine comes with EFI and electric start. The transmission is a CVT automatic with differential lock and on-demand 2wd/4wd. It’s shod with Kenda Bounty Hunter 14-inch tires. This UTV weighs in at 1,325 lbs. and features a cargo rack with a spare tire and light rack with replaceable bulbs as well as a tow hitch that comes standard.
MXU 700i LE (MSRP $9,399) The 695cc SOHC, 4-stroke, 4valve engine comes with EFI and electric start. The transmission is a CVT automatic with differential lock and on-demand 2wd/4wd. It’s shod with Kenda Bounty Hunter 14-inch tires and adjustable shocks with dual rate springs. This ATV weighs in at 786 lbs. and features a standard front and rear cargo rack as well as a tow hitch.
MXU 700i (MSRP $8,599) The 695cc SOHC, 4-stroke, 4valve engine comes with EFI and electric start. The transmission is a CVT automatic with differential lock and on-demand 2wd/4wd. It’s shod with Kenda Bounty Hunter 14-inch tires and adjustable shocks with dual rate springs. This ATV weighs in at 786 lbs. and features a standard front and rear cargo rack as well as a tow hitch.
MXU 500i LE (MSRP $8,299) The 499cc DOHC, 4-stroke, 4valve engine comes with EFI and electric start. The transmission is a CVT automatic with differential lock and on-demand 2wd/4wd. It’s shod with Kenda Bounty Hunter 14-inch tires. It weighs in at 806 lbs. and features 5 position adjustable shocks and a front mounted winch.
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 55
Cold Weather
Gear Guide Taos Jacket
River Road This ¾ length, heavy-duty textile riding jacket has a snap down, external storm flap to keep water and cold air out and includes a full-length, zip-out, insulated liner. Other features include venting, high quality, flexible CE-approved armor in the shoulders and elbows, as well as an upgradable EVA foam back pad and reflective tape for increased visibility. The Taos is equipped with four external pockets that are protected by waterproof zippers and attaches to the Taos Pants using the integrated zipper attachment system. Available in both men’s and women’s sizes, the Taos Jacket includes a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. ------------
www.riverroadgear.com
Men’s Mech 5 Jacket Arctiva The Men’s Mech 5 jacket from Arctiva has all the advanced features required to keep a person warm and dry in a wide range of winter temperatures. This jacket is the all-in-one favorite for any type of winter recreation, from mountain powder riders, long distance touring riders, or for just plowing the snow off the driveway. ------------
www.arctiva.com
MK3 Winter Jacket Vega The new MK3 by Vega offers durability, warmth and versatility in a lightweight jacket. Ideal for cool to cold weather riding, the MK3 has an insulated, full-sleeve liner that is easily removable with shoulder and back vents to ensure comfort from 50 degrees to below freezing temperatures. The 100 percent Amphitex shell is breathable, windproof and waterproof, with 600-denier strength for abrasion and stain resistance. The fit of the MK3 is fully adjustable with Velcro closures at the collar, cinches and snaps at the sleeve, as well as expandable waist panels and a Lycra hip gusset with a zipper. Ergonomically designed, articulated Comfortect Armor is certified to stringent European CE standards and molds to the wearer's body shape for maximum comfort at the shoulders, elbows and back. Retro-reflective patches and piping and an array of convenient pockets add to the useful details of this jacket, and a back zip connects to every Vega Technical Gear pant. The Vega MK3 comes in seven sizes (small to 4XL) and has an MSRP of $169.99. ------------
www.vegahelmet.com 56 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Alter Ego 3.0 Jacket Joe Rocket The Alter Ego 3.0 features a three-layer system comprised of a CE armored, FreeAir mesh inner jacket that easily transitions to a fully waterproof zip-on outer layer and a warm removable fleece vest liner for extra cold rides. Keeping everything in place is the multipoint SureFit custom adjustment system on both inner and outer layers. Other details include an articulated high-density back protector, hand warmer pockets, an inner face shield with an eyeglass storage pocket, reflective striping, belt loops for jacket-to-pant attachment and a self-contained storage pouch for the outer layer. The Alter Ego 3.0 is also available in a ladies’ cut. This jacket comes in sizes small through 3XL. Available colors are black/black, black/blue, black/red, black/Gunmetal, and black/Hi-Vis. This jacket rings in between $259.99 and $274.99. ------------
www.joerocket.com
Tactile Jacket FLY Racing This jacket has a windproof and waterproof shell with a fullfront zipper and snap-closure storm flap. It includes a mesh material lining and an attached fleece hood with adjustable drawstrings. This jacket also features two chest pockets and two lower/side hand pockets, each with a security snap. The Tactile Jacket retails for $89.95. ------------
www.flyracing.com
Heated Waterproof Jacket Firstgear The newest addition to Firstgear’s line of heated riding apparel, the Heated Waterproof Jacket is a stand-alone jacket that heats to keep your rider nice and toasty. It’s ideal for long rides on cold days or even spectating at a favorite outdoor event. This jacket is compatible with all Firstgear HeatTrollers and accessories, including the new stand-alone battery pack. It is fully seam taped to make it both waterproof and breathable, and includes sealed front and pocket zippers. The women’s version contains a built-in, under helmet hood that easily stows into the collar. The back of the jacket features screened reflectivity for increased nighttime visibility. This jacket is available in both men’s and women’s sizes, and the suggested retail price is $289.95. ------------
www.firstgear-usa.com
Cortech Cascade Snowmobile Jacket Helmet House This jacket features a 600-denier Carbolex outer shell and a 1,680-denier ballistic overlay in the shoulders and elbows. A removable neck gaiter seals the neck area from wind and cold. Other features include a fleece-lined collar, Aqua Barrier fleece under the helmet hood, a 100 percent waterproof and breathable membrane, Phoslite reflective material and an insulated zip-out liner with snow cuffs at the wrists. This jacket is available in a variety of colors for $179.99. ------------
www.helmethouse.com motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 57
National Vendor Presentation
T
he annual Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties National Vendor Presentation is set to return to the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis., Aug. 25-26. The event kicks off with a dealer preview Saturday night from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., immediately followed by the Meet & Greet on the Monona Terrace rooftop. This not-to-be-missed event will be packed with dealers, vendors, sales reps, athletes and dignitaries. On Sunday, dealers can peruse more than 200 vendor displays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Be the first to see new products and take advantage of special show discounts. Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties dealers are encouraged to talk to their reps to RSVP and for more information.
Vendor List
Accel (Prestolite) Acerbis USA Inc. AFX North America AGV Helmets Akrapovic Alpinestars American Kenda Rubber AMS Andrews Products Arctiva Arlen Ness Avon Grips Avon Motorcycle Tyres Badlands Motorcycle Ballistic Performance Batteries Barnett Tool Bassani Manufacturing Battistinis Bel-Ray Company, Inc. Belt Drives LTD Biketronics, Inc Boyesen Engineering Bridgestone Caliber, Inc. Camoplast Carl Brouhard Designs Castrol North America Chris Products Cobra Engineering Cometic Gasket Continental Tire Covington Cycle City Custom Dynamics CV Products Cycle Care Formulas, Inc.
Cycle Shack Cycle Visions Cycra Cylinder Works D.I.D Chain Dakota Digital Danny Gray Daytona Twin Tec Deltran Corp / Deltona DP Brakes & Clutches Drag Specialties Branded Products Drag Specialties Seats Driven Performance Products, LLC Duro Tire & Wheel DWT Racing Dynatek Dynojet EBC Brakes USA Inc Emgo International EPI Performance Factory Effex Feuling Parts FMF Racing FPS Frogg Toggs Goodridge Goodyear Dunlop Hammerhead Designs, Inc. Hinson Clutch Components Hogtunes Inc Hoppe Industries Hot Bodies Racing Hot Cams Hot Rods Icon
58 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Industrial Tire Products Inoue Rubber (IRC) International Engineering (Woody’s) J & M Corp. James Gasket Jardine (Summit) Jay Brake Jim’s Machining K & L Supply Co., Inc. K & N Engineering K & N Engineering K & S Technologies KG Clutch Khrome Werks Kibblewhite Klotz Koronis Parts Koso North America Kryptonite Kuryakyn USA LA Choppers Le Pera Legend Air Suspensions Lindby Custom Lyndall Racing Brakes Magnum Shielding Matrix Concepts Maxima Racing Oils / Pro Filter Memphis Shades Metzeler Meyer Products Michelin Tire Moose Plows Moose Racing Moose Utility Division
Motion Pro Moto Brackets Motor Trike Motorex USA Motul USA Mustang Seats Namz Custom Cycle Product Nelson-Rigg NGK Spark Plugs Noco Company Nolan Helmets NRA by Moose Parts Unlimited Seats Performance Machine Permatex PIAA Pirelli Pivot Works PJH Brands Powermadd / Moti-vation Powerstands Racing Precision Performance Pro Pad, Inc. ProX Racing Parts Python RC Components Regina USA Renthal LTD Revolution Performance LLC RIVCO Products, Inc. Rivera Primo Inc. RK Excel America Roland Sands Design Russ Wernimont Designs Russell Edelbrock
S & S Cycle Saddlemen SBS Sena Technologies Inc. Setrab USA Silkolene Slippery Slipstreamer Smith Sport Optics Star Brite Distributing Sunstar Engineering Americas Supertrapp Symtec Inc Technical Touch USA, Inc Tecmate Thor ThunderMax / Zipper’s Performance UFO Plastics Uni Filter Vance & Hines Racing Vertex Vesrah Company, Inc Vision Wheel, Inc Vortex Racing Warn Industries Wild 1 Inc. Wiseco Performance Products Yoshimura R & D Yuasa Z1R Zan Headgear / Bobster Eyewear (Current as of 6/21/12)
Inside the Industry > Helmet House Honors Sales
Achievement Helmet House honored achievement at its annual awards banquet and product training sessions held June 28-30 in Agoura Hills, Calif. The event’s theme was “Winning Attitudes”, and the group assembled matched it well. Award winners included: Top Luggage Sales Jim Atchison Top TM/Cortech Apparel Sales Greg Haserot Top HJC Helmet Sales Greg Haserot Top Shoei Helmet Sales Rick Choate Top Fieldsheer/Pokerun Sales Greg Haserot Top Sales Program Sales Tim Schmidt Most Improved Sales Territory Scott O’Connor Most Improved Sales Rep Whitney Williams Rookie of the Year Jon Moist 2011 Top Helmet House Sales Rep Greg Haserot
After a very successful 2011, Helmet House intends to stay on the gas. Training reps are committed to building an understanding of the new and changing market. My conversations with various reps throughout the banquet lead me to believe these are very dedicated people who really enjoy the industry and have a good grasp of what it takes to be successful not only for themselves, but for the company and the dealers they represent. Dedication, enthusiasm and an understanding of the ever-changing marketplace will continue to add to the success of everyone at Helmet House. — Dean Kelly t
> Western Power Sports
Partners With Divas SnowGear Western Power Sports Inc. has announced its partnership with Divas SnowGear for distribution of its line of attractive, functional and fashionable women’s snowmobile riding apparel. “Previously, when I would visit a snowmobile shop, I couldn’t find a large enough selection of women’s snowmobile riding apparel to satisfy both of my passions: snowmobiling and fashion,” said Wendy Gavinski, founder of Divas SnowGear. She took matters into her own hands and created a line of women’s snowmobile apparel in hopes to one day fill that void in snowmobile retailers. “Now, our commitment to this goal is finally paying off with our WPS partnership,” she said. WPS immediately identified Divas SnowGear as a line that added tremendous value to their offering. “Aligning ourselves with an up-and-coming brand of snowmobile apparel based in Madison, Wis, fit perfectly with our goal of gaining more market share in the Midwest and offering a strong women’s line to support the growing women’s snowmobile segment” said Ron Bentzinger, snowmobile product manager for WPS. “Of course we are just as excited about the partnership knowing WPS’ potential to reach customers we do not have the physical capacity to reach,” said Gavinski. “With their help, we can keep our focus on manufacturing the most fashionable yet functional outerwear for women. We are super confident the dealers and end consumer will see the passion both parties put forth in keeping up with the evolution of this new, exciting niche market we are creating.” t
> Brammo’s $13 Million Closing of $45
Million Series C Funding Drives Growth Brammo Inc. announced it has closed the first $13 million tranche of a $45 million Series C funding round designed to accelerate the company’s development plans. The first tranche of the financing was led by Polaris Industries and included contributions from other undisclosed investors. Polaris, a recognized leader in the powersports industry, is a strategic partner for Brammo, bringing both investment and opportunities to integrate Brammo Electric Vehicle (EV) drivetrain technology into multiple powersports platforms. “This $13 million round of financing puts Brammo on strong footing to continue to execute, deliver and expand distribution of our electric motorcycles to our customer pipeline,” said Craig Bramscher, CEO of Brammo. “This funding will ensure we continue to accelerate production to capitalize on the growing demand for electric motorcycles.” t
60 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
> Honda of South Carolina Hits Production Mile-
stone with Two Million ATV Engines The Honda of South Carolina (HSC) manufacturing plant has reached a production milestone after producing its two millionth ATV engine. HSC is a 536,150 square foot facility that sits on 625 acres, and it is dedicated solely to the production of Honda ATVs. Opened in 1998, the assembly plant added engine production in the year 2000. HSC is one of nine major plants in the U.S., and has the ability to produce 266,000 ATVs and 310,000 engines annually. Since 1998, HSC has manufactured more than two million Honda ATVs. “I would like to thank all of our associates for helping us achieve this major milestone,” said Brian Newman, president of HSC. “This facility is unique among all Honda plants in the U.S. as it is dedicated solely to the production of Honda ATVs that are sold not only here in the U.S. but also around the world. This is American manufacturing at the highest Honda quality level, and we take great pride in this milestone.” t
> Schuberth Helmet Insurance Program Extended to
New S2 Full Face Helmet Schuberth’s Mobility Program is now available for the recently introduced S2 full face helmet. This “helmet insurance” program is free and enables customers to replace an accident-damaged helmet with a new one for one-third of the retail price. “Through the ECE safety compliance testing, each of our helmets has a unique serial number and customers can use this number to register it for the Mobility Program,” said Randy Northrup, Schuberth North America’s vice president. “No other helmet company offers a replacement program like this.” The Schuberth Mobility Program is also available for the C3 and C3W flip-up helmets. The program is free and valid for the first three years of helmet ownership. Schuberth encourages customers to read through the program details and register their ECE/DOT Schuberth helmets. Registration must occur prior to an incident. “We value our customers and want to ensure they are always wearing the best protection available. Through the Mobility Program, registered customers won’t have to replace a damaged Schuberth helmet with a cheap substitute,” said Northrup. t
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 61
Inside the Industry > Chrome Capital Expands Harley Leasing Program Chrome Capital has announced national expansion of its Harley leasing program. Operating in 35 states, Chrome is advancing its goal to sign the top 200 Harley dealers. Chrome welcomes: • Adventure, Mad River and Rubber City • The Creek Group • Revolution Motorsports Group • RideNow Powersports • Rommel Motorsports • Scott Fischer Enterprises • Seacoast, Boston, and HD Shop of Rochester • The Veracka Group • And more... Chrome’s TestRide is an authentic vehicle lease designed exclusively for new and pre-owned Harley-Davidsons. Lease terms are two or three years with no mileage restrictions, and no further obligation. When the TestRide period comes to an end, the customer can renew the lease, purchase the bike or simply return the bike to the dealer and ride another Harley. “We solve the problem for those potential riders that would not or could not buy a Harley. They are doorswings that can be
> PowersportsU Adds Video Elective Courses, How-To Videos to Curriculum PowersportsU, sponsored by Renthal, has introduced new video elective courses and several how-to video series to its curriculum. The how-to videos include the dialing in a Fuelpak system from Vance & Hines, shifters from DragonFire and a seat-install from Mustang. Renthal has posted the latest videos at the PSU YouTube channel. Hosted by master technician Jay Clark, these self-
converted to sales because of the TestRide lease structure,” says Brian Cramer, Chrome’s vice president of dealer development. “We are getting folks on Harleys who were otherwise walking out the door without even a T-shirt.” Chrome Capital’s CFO, Stephen Swain, adds, “The caliber of people we work with is a complement to the very American brand that is Harley-Davidson: professional, smart, and authentic. We are having a great time building a world class business and the future is very bright.” Peter Wasmer, Chrome Capital’s CEO, explains, “Our team is executing on our business model which is designed to add new Harley brand enthusiasts to the Motor Co.’s very successful customer retention record. We complement their mantra of designing, building and selling the world’s best heavyweight motorcycle by delivering a very straightforward riding solution for their incremental customer. Our portfolio consists entirely of Harley riders that became dealer sales solely due to the TestRide lease program.” Chrome Capital’s dealer relationships stretch coast to coast from Maine to Florida and as far west as Oregon. The company aims to sign on the top U.S. 200 Harley-Davidson dealerships by the end of 2012. t
contained segments feature installation of Renthal products. Each video walks viewers through the entire installation process for several of Renthal’s top-selling products. Clark adds his insights, which include many tips and tricks used by factory mechanics to offer the best results. There are seven Renthal videos posted to PowersportsU’s YouTube channel covering installation of 7/8” handlebars, Twinwall and Fatbar handlebars, grips,
chain and sprockets, brake pads, hand guards and Intellilevers. t
> Motorcycle Riders Club of America Grants Seal of Approval to Leather Infusion Products The Motorcycle Riders Club of America has granted its “Tested and Recommended” seal of approval to Leather Infusion’s leather laundry products as well as to the Leather Therapy topical leather and vinyl care treatments. One tester attested to the quality of the products and said, “Not only did I use the product on my leather jackets, but also on the leather couch and love seat — couldn’t believe all the grime that the cleaner picked up! Used the UV protectant and conditioner after that and boy, what a difference. I thought the leather looked great before, but now it glows!” t
> Malcom Smith Named Motorcyclist of the Century Motorcyclist Magazine has named Malcom Smith, owner of Malcom Smith Motorsports in Riverside, Calif., Motorcyclist of the Century. A six-time winner of the Baja 1000, Smith’s talents scored him a role in the film ‘On Any Sunday,’ which also starred Steve McQueen. According to Motorcyclist Maga-
62 August 2012 motorcyclepowersportsnews.com
Inside the Industry zine, the award wasn’t merely granted to Smith for his number of wins. Rather, Smith is recognized for his fun and endearing spirit. At 70 years old, Smith still rocks the roadways. He leads an annual ride to the Baja peninsula to raise money for the El Oasis Orphanage, and he competed in the Catalina Grand Prix in 2010. His dealership is one of the largest in southern California. t
> California and Illinois Legislations Oppose Motorcycle-Only Checkpoints California and Illinois are taking stands against motorcycle-only checkpoints, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. California’s governor signed a bill into law on July 13 to ban motorcycle-only checkpoints, while Illinois’ governor recently signed a bill into law that prohibits the use of federal funding for law enforcement to set up motorcycle-only traffic checkpoints. Virginia and North Carolina also recently put laws on the books banning motorcycle-only checkpoints, and New Hampshire prohibits the use of federal dollars for them. “Officials say they set up these motorcycle-only checkpoints to pull over motorcyclists to check for safety violations,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “But if officials are really concerned about motorcyclists’ safety, then they need to stop discriminating against motorcyclists with these checkpoints and start supporting programs that prevent motorcycle crashes, such as rider safety training and driver awareness programs.” The AMA opposes motorcycle-only checkpoints and has been tracking the discriminatory practice since it first appeared in New York several years ago. t
> Black Book and AMA Launch
Motorcycle Value App The American Motorcyclist Association and Black Book have developed a Motorcycle Value app for Android and iPhone. For $1.99, it offers a quick way for the general public to get an idea of what their vehicle is worth. The app is updated monthly and includes the current retail value, the original MSRP and the trade-in value of powersports vehicles manufactured since 1981. It is available in the iTunes store and the Android Marketplace under the search term “AMA Values.” t continued to evaluate the major needs of our customers,” said Bob Hange, president of Performance Motorsports Inc. (PMi), the parent company of JE Pistons. “We are excited to relocate the JE Pistons manufacturing center to Ohio, and believe this move will afford us even greater efficiencies that we can pass along to our customers through competitively priced product, lower shipping costs, critical speed of delivery and expanded internal coating capabilities. We’re also appreciative of the financial support we’ve received on both the local and state level to help make this move possible.” The relocation will occur in stages from July through November 2012 and will involve moving more than 75 of the company’s modern CNC machines and supporting equipment. JE Pistons will make additional investments in research and development, product design and lead-time reduction systems. To maintain its commitment to building high-quality products, the company has made a capital investment of more than $1 million to the Mentor, Ohio facility. In addition, JE Pistons will retain a
strong presence in Southern California, establishing a new sales and engineering center to maintain all sales, customer service and product engineering roles. The sales team will remain in place, so JE customers will continue to utilize their existing contacts to conduct business in the same manner. For more information, visit www.jepistons.com. t
> AMA Urges Riders to Vote The American Motorcyclist Association encourages riders to make their voices heard on Election Day. Throughout the past few years, the motorcycling community has faced numerous legislations that have threatened or hindered the sport, such as motorcycleonly checkpoints and the introduction of E15 fuel. The AMA hopes that riders will consider their candidates’ stance on riding issues when making their voting decisions. To facilitate the education process, riders can gather candidate and voting info at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com Election Day is Nov. 6. t
> JE Pistons Relocates Manufacturing To Ohio JE Pistons is relocating its advanced manufacturing center to Mentor, Ohio. The decision to relocate is part of an ongoing effort to be closer to the majority of JE customers, improve delivery and expand capabilities. Earlier this year, JE Pistons announced the company was expanding its manufacturing capabilities east of the Mississippi to reduce lead times and shipping costs for customers. “After successfully meeting our goal of launching Midwest piston production in the second quarter of 2012, our team
motorcyclepowersportsnews.com August 2012 63
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Tomorrow’s Rider
Make Some Noise By Gina Kuzmick
otocross racer Ashley Fiolek is a firm believer that anything is possible. As a competitor in a sport that’s extremely predicated upon sound, it’s hard to believe that she’s been deaf since birth. But as a threetime AMA Women’s Motocross champion with two X Games gold medals under her belt, her disability certainly hasn’t hindered her riding abilities. “My family was always very supportive of me,” says Fiolek, who races for Honda and Red Bull. “I found something that I loved to do, so they were just behind me 100 percent.” Fiolek’s interest in the sport ignited when she was about three years old. Her father, a former racer, took her to a Supercross race and the rest was history. “I just fell in love with it!” she recalls. A combination of the 21-year-old’s aptitude and affinity for the sport has ultimately fueled her career. In 2008, she became the youngest WMA champion in history when she defeated five-time champion Jessica Patterson. The following year, she earned her first gold medal at X Games 15 and went on to win her second in 2010. Overcoming obstacles is definitely a key theme for Fiolek. She was unable to compete in the past two X Games due to injury, but she still managed to bounce back. Her most recent ailment didn’t stop her from placing first at this year’s Red Bull RedBud National race in July. “I had to sit out of [the] X Games again because of a concussion that I suffered at the beginning of June,” says Fiolek. “I got back on the bike a couple of days after the X Games ended to see if I could race Red Bud, and my symptoms were gone! I was pretty stoked that I was able to ride.” Fiolek’s also garnered a significant media presence over the past few months. In addition to appearing in a Red Bull commercial last year, she was featured in the April 2012 issue of Vogue and she appeared on Conan two months later with her dad as her interpreter. She will also star in a few episodes of ABC Family’s drama “Switched at Birth” this fall. Despite her rising celebrity status, she still finds time to enjoy activities typical of a twenty-something — including traveling, hanging out with friends and eating. Despite her remarkable list of achievements, Fiolek says that the most rewarding part of racing has been her ability to give back. She serves on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation and has taken part in a few inspirational tours. She also acts as an advocate for the deaf community by visiting deaf schools and encouraging students to believe in themselves. “Taking time for my fans and doing things to help other people out… is what I like the best,” she says. As a driven and talented young rider, it seems that this is only the beginning for Fiolek. As she continues to gain momentum in the motocross world and the media, perhaps she’ll inspire more young riders to pursue their dreams. “I think if you want to ride and become a pro, you should never give up and always believe in yourself.” t
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