Motorcycle & Powersports News

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

Feb

. 2

013

V

OL. 39 N

O. 202.2013

Plus!Top Street Helmets

>

4 February 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Volume 39 Number 2

EDITORIAL

Editor – Colleen Brousil [email protected]

Associate Editor – Gina [email protected]

Senior Editor – Brendan [email protected]

Columnists & Contributors

Ricky BeggsHeather BlessingtonAlisa ClickengerC.R. GittereRobin HartfielSteve JonesMark Rodgers

ART

Sr. Graphic Designer –Tammy House

[email protected]

UTV Market OverviewSxS Segment Stays on the Gasby Robin Hartfiel

38

Gear To GoTop Luggage Picks ................................................................................ 60

Helping HandsService Tool Focus ................................................................................ 62

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

Product Focus

Dealership Operations

Combat Price With Service ...........................................................................................8The Road Ahead by Colleen Brousil

2012 Year-End Analysis...................................................................................................14Best Operators Club by Steve Jones

Values Hold Steady.....................................................................................................................20Black Book Market Watch by Ricky Beggs

Clutch Service Pointers ..................................................................................................22Tech Tips by Cyclepedia Press

Insurance and Ethanol.......................................................................................................26The Service Manager by C.R. Gittere

The Reality of Social Media ROI...................................................................30Web Savvy by Heather Blessington

Bounce Back From Rejection..................................................................................32Peak Dealership Performance by Mark Rodgers

NPS Enacts Two-Stroke PWC Ban ........................................................34PWC Update

BMW of Denver: It’s All About Service .......................................36Destination Dealership by Alisa Clickenger

Image by Rick Menapace,courtesy of Arai Helmets

Your Guide To 2013’s Top Street Helmets


Mega-retailer Target recently announced the extension of its holidayprice-matching policy in an attempt to go head-to-head with online

goliath Amazon all year long. Target isn’t the first big box to match onlineprices — both Wal-Mart and Best Buy have similar policies in place.

While these price-matching strategies may work for retail giants, theycan quickly shutter small businesses like many traditional powersportsdealers. But the question remains, how can you combat showrooming?

If you’ve not heard of showrooming, it’s the practice of using a retailshowroom as a place to touch and feel products as you price shop forthem online. Apps like RedLaser let consumers simply scan the barcodesof the products on your store’s shelves, and find the lowest available on-line price. There’s a good chance your customer will buy that helmet before he leaves your store — the question is, will he buy it from you?

I have to admit, I’ve engaged in this practice in small brick and mortarshops. The thing is, the staff let me do it. I was either not greeted, or thesalesperson took my “just looking” at face value. If a customer has takenthe time to drive or ride to your very niche retail location, they are likely“just looking”for something specific. Be more engaging. Service is one ofthe few unique value propositions you can offer your clients. If you andyour team present yourselves as engaged, enthusiastic experts that actu-ally care about your customers, at the end of the day, more times thannot, your customer won’t even have the chance to pull out his phone andprice shop.

That process starts with well-trained employees, and keeping yourstaff up to snuff continues to be core to our mission. Our team of industryexperts is here to help your team shine and keep your cash registerringing. Got a specific issue? Let me know. Drop me an email at [email protected] to tell me what we should write about next. This isyour magazine, and we want our print publication and digital content tobe your go-to guide for business intelligence. t

Combat Price With Service

AHEADTHERoad

ADVERTISING SALESPublisher - Greg Cira [email protected]

(330) 670-1234 ext. 203

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(330) 670-1234 ext. 206

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

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

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

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

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Advertising Services Valli Pantuso [email protected]

(330) 670-1234 ext. 223

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Circulation Manager –Pat Robinson [email protected]

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(330) 670-1234, ext. 242

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CORPORATE

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

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

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

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

By Colleen Brousil

IndustryInside the


> ARI Set To Unveil Two New

Products At Dealer Expo

ARI is set to unveil AccessorySmart and Ac-cessoryStream at the Dealer Expo in Indi-anapolis this month.

AccessorySmart allows dealers to savemore time and increase sales by permit-ting them to quickly and easily look upPG&A products across all leading distrib-utors from a single online application.The program provides dealers with aview of availability and pricing across allsuppliers and in-store stock through inte-grations with leading Business Manage-ment Systems and participatingdistributors. Offering dealers the oppor-tunity to filter products by attribute, Ac-cessorySmart implements adealer-centric search and navigation withoptional consumer-friendly views to pro-tect sensitive information. Advancedsearch with auto-complete for fitments,brands, categories, subcategories andproducts is another feature of the pro-gram. AccessorySmart also gives dealers

the chance to create, save, load, print,email and export Customer Pick Lists.

ARI’s AccessoryStream helps dealersquickly and easily add catalogs from lead-ing distributors by providing plug-n-play af-termarket parts, garments and accessory(PG&A) e-commerce for existing or new

websites and shopping carts. The programcan be customized to match a particulardealer’s website or branding and can alsoquickly filter products by attribute, includ-ing size, material and color. With Accesso-ryStream, flexible pricing andmerchandising combine with high level

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 11

shopping features, including productbrowsing, quick views and model fitment.AccessoryStream also offers an advancedsearch capability with auto-complete for fit-ments, brands, categories, subcategoriesand products along with a submission ofconsumer product, store reviews and peerreview.

Visit ARI at Dealer Expo booths 5841 &5844 for more information on these newproducts.

> Blackwell Resigns From

LeMans Corporation

Greg Blackwell, vice president of sales forWisconsin-based LeMans Corporation, resigned on Jan. 25 to take the helm at bicycle and component distributor SeattleBike Supply.

Blackwell has worked with LeMans for14 years, but is ready for a change of pace.Wanting a chance to get back to his WestCoast roots and grasp a new opportunity,Blackwell accepted the offer to becomepresident of this smaller company in the bi-cycle industry.

In a recent interview with MPN, Black-well made it clear that his decision to switchindustries was a difficult one and has no

reflection on LeMans. “It’s hard to leave because it’s family

here, but certainly a big draw is the WestCoast,” he said.

Blackwell added that he feels fortunateto work with two separate industries that heloves.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” he said. “Iget to go into another industry that I’m pas-sionate about, and I don’t have to competewith LeMans.”

Looking back on his position at Le-Mans, Blackwell thinks that his experiencewill ultimately help expand the bicycle company’s growth.

“I believe LeMans does things in thedistributing and branding business betterthan anyone else, and if I can model my ca-reer after LeMans, it should be successful,”he said.

> BMW Motorrad Achieves New

Sales Record

BMW Motorrad USA reported a 14 per-cent increase in sales for 2012, nearlydouble the gain posted the previousyear. Retail sales of 12,057 motorcycleswere made in 2012 compared to 10,572sold in 2011. In December, BMW Motor-

rad USA posted a 2.2 percent increase insales of 918 motorcycles compared to898 sold in December 2011.

The double-digit increase was fueledby sales of the popular S 1000 RR super-bike, which had a 20.9 percent increasein sales of 1,934 compared to 1,600 in2011. Consumer response to the first fullyear of the award-winning six-cylinder K1600 GTL and K 1600 GT spurred 1,601deliveries of the GTL (+58.7 percent) and697 of the GT (+87.9 percent) in 2012,boosting K-series volumes by 40.9 per-cent to 2,647 units.The introduction of the entry level G 650GS Sertão contributed to a G-Series salesincrease of 31.3 percent with sales of 994compared to 757 sold in 2011. The product offensive continued with the re-lease of the C 600 Sport and C 650 GTmaxi scooters in late fall with 223 GTs delivered to consumers at year-end.

“BMW has gained significant momen-tum in recent years,” commented Mac Mc-Math, national sales manager, BMWMotorrad USA. “Now, with improved mar-ket conditions, a strong dealer network,and new and updated models, we arepoised for continued success in 2013.” t

Inside the Industry

Zero Motorcycles has launched an all-new promotional pro-gram to support its popular 2012 model line. “Cash for Carbon”is designed as a consumer trade-in bonus, with $2,500 in addi-tional trade value on top of whatever amount the dealer offersthe consumer available toward the purchase price of a new 2012Zero motorcycle. This incentive is presented in addition to therecently announced 10 percent federal tax credit available aspart of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, offering up to an addi-tional $2,500 in incentives for new Zero Motorcycle consumers.

“Similar to the ‘cash for clunkers’ government promotion in2009, Zero aims to entice traditional internal combustion en-gine motorcycle owners to make the switch to electric,” said

Scot Harden, vice president of global marketing for Zero Mo-torcycles. “In offering a $2,500 trade in bonus for new cus-tomers, we expect this promotion to be a great sales tool forour nationwide dealer network.”

In addition to the $2,500 trade bonus and federal tax cred-its, Zero customers can also take advantage of the company’sfinancing. Current financing options offer no down paymentand zero percent interest for 12 months, plus 4.99 percent fi-nancing options, both with approved credit.

“Cash for Carbon” runs through March 31, 2013. Con-sumers must print a “Cash for Carbon” voucher for presenta-tion at their local dealership to receive $2,500 bonus.

Zero Launches ‘Cash for Carbon’ Consumer Trade-In Bonus

This month, we’ll analyze the year-enddata from our groups. As you can

see from the last article, things weretrending steadily upward. In this article,we’ll review the overall store data, aswell as key department performance in-dicators. As in past articles, we’ll com-pare a good-performing metric 20-groupwith the National Norm (NN) numbersand the averages for the Top 5 dealers ineach category.

I’m not going into a ton of detailhere, since the numbers pretty muchspeak for themselves. I have tried to select the most pertinent data for each department, as well as most of the com-parisons with last year. The primary focusis on what happened with sales andprofits.

As you can see here, everyone in-creased total store sales and gross prof-its for 2012. Note that the Top 5 dealersselections can change from month-to-month since these figures are based onthe top performers by line item bymonth. The difference between thegroup’s total sales increase for Novem-ber (4.7 percent) and their year-end totalsales of 18.4 percent doesn’t necessarily

indicate that they sold the heck out ofstuff in December. However, it doesseem that December was strong acrossthe board since all three groups showedhealthy increases.

Total store gross margins remainedrelatively flat, but dealers had a lot moredollars to work with and, more impor-tantly, net profits were up significantly.

The rest of the total store data chart

is made up of some key performance in-dicators you can use for comparison withyour store. Door swings and loggedworking contacts were up significantly,reflecting increases in traffic flow and im-provements in sales processes.

New and preowned unit sales vol-umes were up significantly, as was thenet profit for the sales department.Check out the increases in preowned


By Steve Jones

BESTOperators

CLUB

2012 Year-End Analysis

Total Store Stats – Part 2

CHART 1

Total Store Sales YTD (millions) 8.0 13.2 8.2

Change in TS Sales from PY 13.7% 18.4% 6.5%

Change in TS GP from PY 12.6% 19.1% 8.3%

TS Gross Margin 24.8% 27.4% 25.9%

Gross Margin Percent for PY 25.1% 27.6% 25.5%

Total Store NOP 4.2% 7.1% 4.3%

Total Store NOP % from PY 3.3% 3.1% 3.5%

Selling Exp as a % of Total Sales 4.6% 2.5% 2.4%

Personnel Exp as a % of Total Sales 8.7% 6.4% 10.2%

Admin Exp as a % of Total Sales 3.2% 2.3% 5.2%

GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORMTotal Store Stats – Part 1

CHART 2GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM

Contribution to TS GP: New Sales 27.4% 21.1% 27.7%

Contribution to TS GP: Used Sales 13.9% 35.0% 13.1%

Contribution to TS GP: F&I 11.3% 14.3% 13.5%

Contribution to TS GP: P&A 28.5% 34.5% 27.2%

Contribution to TS GP: Service 18.7% 22.4% 18.2%

Average TS Staff Headcount, YTD 15.66 23.49 16.14

Gross Profit $ per Employee, YTD 119,663 149,451 125,812

Door Swings: % of Chg from PY 29.8% 89.4% 32.4%

Logged Wrkg Contacts: % of Chg from PY 23.5% 67.4% 15.8%

Cost per Door Swing $28.67 $43.29 $24.52

Definitions:TS: Total Store GP: Gross Profit DGP: Department Gross Profit NOP: Net Operating Profit PY: Prior Year PVS: Per Vehicle Sold; National Norm: Average for all

metric 20-groups

sales volume. This is a result of the shiftin focus from new to preowned thatmany dealers made last year. This waspartially driven by a lack of available newproduct in some cases, but it was alsodriven by the obvious high margins andincreased turns they could achieve withpreowned. The preowned-to-new ratiosshow that the group and National Normdealers were selling more than one pre-owned to every two new units (0.59:1).The Top 5 were selling at a one-for-oneratio.

F&I is back with significant increasesin gross profits over last year. Grossprofit per vehicle sold and per vehicle fi-nanced are much improved. Not fabu-lous, but better. Again, these numbersare generally much higher for the H-Ddealers. Per vehicle sold and per vehiclefinanced measurements provide youwith realistic, attainable targets for yourF&I department. The key here, as it iswith every department, is having theright staff and providing them with high-

16 February 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

CHART 3Sales Department Stats GROUP TOP 5 NATIONAL

NORM DEALERS NORM

% of Chg. in Total Unit Volume from PY 14.6% 39.0% 15.1%

% of Chg. in Sales Dept NOP from PY 2.7% 6.7% 1.3%

New Units Sold % of Chg. from PY 13.9% 42.5% 20.1%

Total New-Units Gross Margin % 13.0% 15.4% 14.3%

New Inventory Turn 2.2 3 2.7

Preowned Units Sold % of Chg. from PY 16.4% 43.1% 21.0%

Total Preowned Units Gross Margin % 21.2% 24.9% 19.5%

Preowned Inventory Turn 6.6 11.7 5.4

Preowned to New Ratio 0.58 1.09 0.59

Finance Gross Profit Chg from PY 29.1% 80.9% 22.1%

Gross Profit $ PVS $261 $370 $422

Gross Profit $ PVF $660 $911 $785

% of Finance Penetration 55.4% 68.2% 54.0%

% of Service Contract Penetration 32.1% 40.5% 29.9%

% of Prepaid Maintenance Penetration 5.3% 14.4% 14.0%

% Financed with GAP 11.2% 21.9% 15.0%

CHART 4GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORMF&I Department Stats

quality training on an ongoing basis. It’snot rocket science, just practical wisdom.

PG&A sales are motoring right along.Considering the unit volume increases,the per vehicle sold numbers look prettygood. Net operating profit remained flat,but the margins are decent. If your mar-gins aren’t this good, eliminate any dis-counting to other departments (e.g. salesor service), make sure your escalators areset up correctly, make a commitment tohold margins, and train your staff to sellinstead of discounting.

Accessory inventory turns could bebetter, but they are average from whatwe see in dealerships. Parts turns aregood, but seem high for the Top 5. Myguess is that these dealers may have ac-cess to reduced-rate overnight or two-day shipping with their suppliers. Thismight also reflect proximity to the OEwarehouses. Regardless, we recommendyou keep it above four but under sixturns. This generally indicates adequatestocking for service parts as well as for

customer needs. Wow, we are seeing good improve-

ments in service. This was a focus for thisgroup as well as for many dealers in ourother groups. Gross profit dollars wereup as was the gross profit margin and netoperating profit. Billed hours per repair

order were somewhat anemic for thegroup and the National Norm dealers.The target is two hours or more. I sus-pect that this may be due to not havingenough service writers at peak times.This means they do not have the time tofollow the proper diagnostics, walk-


P&G Dept. StatsCHART 5

GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM

PG&A Sales - % of Chg from PY 7.4% 21.3% 10.1%

Total PG&A Gross Profit PVS $800 $1,087 $847

Chg in Dept’s NOP % from PY -0.6% 0.9% 0.1%

Parts Margin % 36.5% 41.5% 35.0%

Accessories Margin % 33.1% 35.4% 31.7%

Parts Inventory Turn 5.33 8.75 4.52

Accessory Inventory Turn 2.19 3.18 2.67

Chg in Dept’s Selling Margin % from PY -0.4% 1.4% -0.1%

% of Chg in Invoice Volume from PY -0.5% 18.1% 0.2%

% of Inventory Obsolete 11.7% 0.9% 10.0%

around and sales process necessary tocapture the additional service sales.

Productivity, efficiency and proficiencynumbers are much better than in prioryears. This is a reflection of better servicemanagement procedures.

Overall, 2012 was a very good yearfor most of these dealers. I hope it wasfor you as well. If you haven’t already, getwith your managers and establish goalsfor your store and the departments now.Share them with your staff and hold man-agers accountable. Let’s make 2013 evenbetter!

Have questions? Feel free to contactme for information, explanation or to dis-cuss how GSA can help you grow yourbusiness profitably. t

Steve Jones, GSA senior projects man-ager, outlines dealerships’ best businesspractices to boost margins, increase prof-itability and retain employees. His monthlycolumn recaps critical measurements usedby the leading 20-group dealers. Access tothe new Voyager 5 data reporting and

analysis system is available for any dealer-ship for nominal fee. For more informationon GSA’s management workshops, data re-porting system, dealer 20-groups, on-siteconsulting or training, send Steve an emailat [email protected] or visit www.gart-sutton.com.


% of Chg from Last Year’s GP 17.7% 40.3% 16.5%

Labor Margin % 73.1% 79.9% 69.6%

% of Chg in Dept Margin from PY 3.0% 7.3% 1.3%

% of Chg in RO Volume from PY 9.7% 23.9% 12.7%

% of Chg in Dept NOP from PY 0.5% 2.4% 0.3%

Parts Sold to RO Ratio 0.83 1.02 0.14

# of Billed Hours % of Chg from PY 7.6% 22.8% 4.6%

Billed Hours per RO 1.8 2.2 1.78

Dept Productivity % 74.0% 89.1% 72.6%

Tech Efficiency % 100.3% 110.2% 99.0%

Dept Proficiency % 73.5% 88.4% 72.1%

GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORMService Dept. Stats

CHART 6

By Ricky Beggs

Values Hold Steady

MarketWatchBlack Book

Percent December January Change

ATV $3,741 $3,724 -0.50%

Cruiser $8,608 $8,607 -0.02%

Jet Boat $17,217 $17,124 -0.50%

Off-Road $2,518 $2,498 -0.80%

On/Off-Road $4,886 $4,854 -0.70%

Scooter $2,002 $1,911 -0.60%

Snowmobile $4,718 $4,749 0.70%

Street $7,003 $6,962 -0.60%

Utility $6,998 $6,979 -0.30%

Watercraft $5,236 $5,211 -0.50%Av

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As Black Book completed the dataanalysis within the motorcycles and

powersports products, we found the mar-ket remains largely unchanged once againthis month. There is not a single segmentthat has changed in value by even one fullpercentage point. Here are the individualsegment changes:

ATVs, jet boats and personal watercraftare all down by .5 percent.

Street bikes and scooters are down by .6 percent,while off-road bikes are down .8 percent.

Dual-sport bikes are down .7 percent, while utilityvehicles are down a mere .3 percent.

Snowmobiles are up .7 percent, but at this timeof year increases of 3 percent to 5 percent would bemore typical.

For the most interesting segment this month,cruisers are showing no change at all with a net ad-justment of zero percent, though in dollar figuresthey are down by an average of $4 per unit. Thoughit is not reflected in the overall averages for the seg-ment, there are two distinct trends among the cruis-ers. First, the metric units are all down by around halfa percent just like the rest of the street bikes, but thedomestic V-Twins are up by about half a percent.

This is the second month in a row that we haveseen a little bit of relative pricing strength for thesedomestic V-Twin units. Normally, the small amountof the change would not be noteworthy, but with therest of the market stagnating, the domestic V-Twinsare definitely some of the strongest performers rightnow. Keep in mind that Bike Week in Florida is notthat far into the future, which might be driving thedomestic V-Twin’s current strength. t

December 2012 to January 2013Used Unit Value Change

-

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

Amotorcycle comes into the shop with complaints of a draggingor slipping clutch. Before jumping in and replacing the clutch

plates, quickly check the clutch cable free play and any other clutchadjustment features on the particular model. Many new or non-technical riders end up riding around with clutches far out of adjust-ment. Not only can this make for a poor performing clutch, but itcan also accelerate the wear of the clutch components.

If all of the adjustments are within specification, and the clutch isstill failing to behave correctly, the clutch components need to beinspected. In most cases, the bike will require a new set of clutchfriction plates, but there are other components that should be inspected while working with the clutch.

Measure the length of the clutch springs to check for fatigue.Replace all of the clutch springs as a set if one is out of the service


Clutch Service Pointers

TipsTECH

Check the clutch cable free play


Make sure special components are installed in the properplace

Note the position and orientation of special components

Broken lifter shaft splines

Soak new friction plates in oil

Submitted by C.R. GittereEvery so often, I get a CRF450 or CRF250

that comes in that is experiencing a lean

operating condition. If the customer has

been riding it or working on it on a regular

basis, try looking at the hot start plunger.

Make sure the cable running up the left

side of the frame is zip-tied onto the

frame in the right location. If this cable

has broken free from its mount, it can slip

under the tank and cause a lean running

condition. Since you have to remove the

tank to pull the carb, this might solve your

issue before you get all the way into a

carb clean. t

SecretsSERVICE

BAY

CRF450/250 RunningLean Condition


limit or the lengths vary dramatically acrossthe set.

A typical motorcycle wet clutch pack con-sists of around six steel discs and the samenumber plus one friction disc. However, spe-cial clutch plates and/or judder springs mayalso be included. These special plates mayhave a different inside diameter to fit over ajudder spring and seat, or a different frictionmaterial, different tangs or special markings.Pay attention as the clutch pack is disassem-bled. Note the placement and orientation ofany special clutch plates or judder springs.

Look for signs of damage on the clutchplates. Check the steel plates for warp anddiscoloration. Usually there is plain evidenceof the need for new clutch plates; however,the service manual will have specifications forinspecting the clutch plates as well.

Check the clutch basket and hub for wearand damage. If the basket or hub becomesoverly pitted, the pack will not be able to ex-pand and contract smoothly. Also, check thecondition of the clutch lifter/pusher compo-nents and bearings.

Be sure to soak the new friction plates inoil prior to installation. Repeat the processwith the steel plates if they are dry or new. Awet clutch is sensitive to the type of oil uti-lized, so use the correct motorcycle oil for theapplication. Install the clutch pack into place,alternating friction and steel plates. Makesure that all of the steel plates are installedwith the same orientation.

If the clutch has multiple clutch platetypes, or special components like a judderspring, be sure to install them in the specifiedorder and orientation so the clutch can func-tion as it was intended. Do not assume theseadditional parts always sit in the same spot inevery clutch pack. Check the service manualto see how these special components are in-stalled, as this can vary between models.

Tighten the clutch spring bolts evenly andin a crisscross pattern until the correct torque

spec is reached. A heavy hand can easily break these bolts. Assemble the rest of the machine and follow any clutch adjust-ment procedures for that model. t

Winter is a great time to complete regular maintenance.

CYCLEPEDIA PRESS LLC has been publishing interactive, Web-

based service manuals for ATVs, motorcycles and scooters since

2006. Every CYCLEPEDIA manual includes step-by-step repair pro-

cedures, color photos and videos, specifications, diagnostic data

and tech support. Mobile device-friendly and easy to use. Browse

the full library at: WWW.CYCLEPEDIA.COM or call 828-645-0017.

26 February 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

Over the course of the last several years, ethanol has be-come a real problem for motorcycles. It clogs carbs, ruins

fuel lines and rusts gas tanks. The question I have for most serv-ice departments is, “Can you fix these problems efficiently?”

One of the best shops I have visited in a long time is TeamCharlotte Motorsports in Charlotte, N.C. The heat and humidityin the South seems to cause the group to run into rusty gastanks almost weekly. They first started to fix these tanks by pur-chasing cream and applying it into the tank themselves. How-ever, this process was time consuming and had the potential ofruining the customer’s paint, causing the service department tohave to pay for a tank repaint. After several mishaps, theysourced a local radiator repair vendor that picks up the tanks at

their shop, coats them and returns them when they are finishedwith the job. They treat the billing for this just like they wouldfor any outsourced labor job — add a few dollars to it and let itroll. Outsourcing the repair of these tanks reduces their liabilityfor repainting a tank and allows the technicians to move on toother jobs during the busy summer months.

Team Charlotte Motorsports also purchased a Safety-KleenImmersion parts washer. This little device is perfect for cleaningcarbs. All they have to do is disassemble the carb and all thejets, drop them in the little basket, turn it on wash and let it go.The process is pretty similar to your washing machine at home.It just sits there and spins until everything comes out clean. Ihave watched this little washer save them tons of time com-

MANAGERService

By C.R. Gittere

THE

Insurance and EthanolBest Practices from a Shop That’s Doing it Right


pared with the process of cutting open aCoke can and boiling the jets in brakecleaner with a propane torch.

I have heard recently that several serv-ice department managers boast thatethanol has been the greatest thing fortheir department because they makemoney cleaning carbs, but how long dothink your customers are going to con-tinue to pay for these carb cleans? Whensomeone comes in with a stuck carb,your service writers and manager shouldbe educating them on how to drain the

gas from their tank and drain the fuelfrom their float bowls when they are notusing the unit. There are also severalgood ethanol fuel stabilizers on the mar-ket, which may be good items to displayon your service counter or even to stockin your parts department. Educating yourcustomers on how to take care of theirunit will keep them up and riding and inthe industry for many more years.

The other thing that Team Charlottedoes an excellent job of is negotiatingwith insurance companies. Over the last

five years, insurance companies havebeen busy developing solutions to helpthem process collision claims more effi-ciently internally. While I think this is agreat plan because it allows them to re-duce the cost of the insurance for riders,it sometimes leads to problems for deal-ers and the consumer. Some of these es-timating platforms have inaccurateinformation because they do not keeptheir labor times or parts prices up-to-date. Some of them are not even devel-oped by powersports experts and cangenerate inaccurate estimates.

Team Charlotte Motorsports staffmembers understand that just becausean insurance company develops theirown estimate, it doesn’t mean they haveto do the work for the insurance esti-mated price. Many times when I talk withservice writers and managers, they feellike they have to take whatever estimatethe insurance company provides. TeamCharlotte Motorsports generates an esti-mate for every bike that arrives for colli-sion repair. They balance the negationbetween the insurance company, theconsumer and the dealership very well.They justify any cost differences betweenthe two estimates by pulling up a currentlabor guide and explaining to the ad-juster that parts prices can change every30 days from certain OEMs. This leavesany system vulnerable to errors. It is thejob of the service writer and servicemanager to negotiate with the insurancecompany to try and get the best solutionfor the dealership and the insurancecompany. Ultimately, this can put yourcustomers in the middle and can cause asticky situation. Make sure you explain toyour customer that, with most policies,they have the right to choose where thatrepair gets done.

Insurance work can be profitable ifyou do it right and keep a good relation-ship with the local adjusters. t

C.R. Gittere and the Service ManagerPro team specialize in service depart-ment efficiency, elevating customer serv-ice and increasing departmentprofitability. His monthly column focuses on best practices and uniqueways to get the most out of your servicedepartment. More information aboutService Manager Pro can be found atwww.servicemanagerpro.com.


I’m going to level with you; there reallyisn’t some magic way to get the social

media ROI you want (and think youneed) as a dealer. Sure, all the data maybe there in one form or another, but itcan take one heck of a lot of mergingand purging to attribute that one sale tothat one click on Facebook. Truth is, it’s aprocess that requires everyone involvedto be all in. Yes, I am pointing directlyand squarely at you.

And therein lies the problem. Most

dealers want to slap down the moneyand see results. They like the hands-offapproach, but in the social media worldit doesn’t work that way. Even when Iland that dream dealer who is totallytech savvy, flexible when campaignsdon’t exactly pop, willing to work with usthrough trial and error, and committedto actually tracking all the way throughto sale on the dealership floor, it takestime, energy, involved communicationand a real budget to make it happen.When it does happen, it’s like magic. Ifind it absolutely thrilling to see when adealer “gets it.” Thus far, it’s a rare oc-currence, but I have my sights set highfor 2013.

I am telling you this for my own san-ity, but also for yours. Stop looking forsomething that doesn’t exist without

your dedication to the marketing strat-egy and plan. Put your money whereyour mouth is and commit to doing whatit takes to collect ROI stats for your business.

Afraid to experiment?

A look back at history is usually a goodindicator of the future. Anytime a big,new phenomenon arrives on the adver-tising scene, it’s hard to know what tocount as our success metric. Let’s takethe dot-com bubble in the late ‘90swhen investors insanely threw billions atInternet start-ups that promised to de-liver targeted ads to millions of viewers.But eyeballs didn’t produce dollars, andthe high flying Web world crashed andburned. Many naysayers gleefully con-cluded that the Internet itself had failed

By Heather Blessington

The Reality of Social Media ROI

SAVV

YW

eb


(which is as silly as saying now that socialmedia is a fad). The infancy of the Webopened the door to many industries thatare directly at the center of our universe,such as search engine marketing, andour all-encompassing social media crushthat has us updating our Facebook status even before we crawl out of bed.

Valuable influence

When it comes to social media, serverfarms are jam-packed with data, but it’shard to determine what and how tomeasure that information. What’s thevalue of a Facebook “Like” or a Twitterfollower? What ultimately is going to sellproduct?

IBM ran reports on Black Friday salesand concluded little to no sales were di-rectly attributed to social media power-houses such as Facebook and Twitter.The number indicated very few shoppersclicked directly from a social network tobuy a specific product, but this conclu-sion did not take into account that some

may have seen ads that later led to a pur-chase online or in retail stores. If so,“valuable influence” went unmeasured,according to Dan Neely, the chief execu-tive of Networked Insights, a marketinganalytics company. Neely’s team followedMacy’s Black Friday campaign on Twitter,which started weeks before the big day.They say the campaign generated a viralflurry on the network, and the flaw in IBMtracking is they just looked at a singlepoint in time. This example captures theessence of why finding the ROI in thatmountain of data we are sitting on is likefinding a needle in a haystack.

“It’s hard to measure influence,” saysSteve Canepa, IBM’s general managerfor media and entertainment, which isthe entire point — the impact of newtechnologies is invariably misjudged be-cause we measure with yardsticks fromthe past.

Whether you’re a fan of social mediaor not, the reality is these are communi-ties of real people with real relationships

who are quickly weaving an amazingweb of personal connections far beyondanything that could be achieved in reallife. Regardless of how this impacts mar-keting and advertising, this newfoundhuman behavior, our natural new way offunctioning with one eye on our tabletand another on the real world in front ofus, will inevitably lead to new industriesin market research, online products andservices that have yet to be imagined.It’s time for you to dedicate some seri-ous mind power to your social mediastrategy and ROI tracking, and I am con-vinced that once you take the dive, therewill be no turning back. t

Award-winning blogger and CEO ofDuo Web Solutions, Heather Blessing-ton is a nationally-renowned speaker onsocial media marketing and a digitalmarketing veteran. Her company pro-vides MPN monthly columns focused onbest practices in Web marketing forpowersports dealers.


Not to get all “California Woo-Woo”with you, but the following ideas could

fall under a category of psychology calledcognitive therapy. This means participatingin activities, exercises and conversationsthat improve your “self-talk” (your ongoinginternal dialog) and therefore impact every-thing from your emotional state to your on-the-job performance. And it’s powerful stuff.

A study conducted by researchers at theUniversity of Pennsylvania and Vanderbiltstudied 240 depressed patients. They wererandomly placed in groups where some re-ceived anti-depressant medication, othersparticipated in cognitive therapy and othersreceived a placebo.

After 16 weeks, both the anti-depressantgroup and the cognitive therapy group im-proved at about the same rate. The real dif-ference was that the cognitive therapygroup was found less likely to relapse in thetwo years that followed the therapy. Why?They had acquired the skills and behaviorsto think better. This is the key to becomingmore resilient.

Dealing with Defeat

It’s not me … it’s you: In Martin Selig-man’s seminal work, Learned Optimism:How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, hedescribes his “explanatory” theory; basically,how you mentally explain an event — like acustomer saying “no” to you — to yourself.

People who are pessimistic and there-fore less able to bounce back from defeatthink along the lines of, “I’m not goodenough.” Inherently optimistic people(who, by the way, regularly and dramati-cally outperform pessimists in the realm ofsales) think, “Well that other person waseither having a bad day, or didn’t take thetime to carefully consider my offer. Theirloss.” They realize there is nothing theycan do about it and then move on to the

next challenge. This is not to say thatthese people didn’t realize there were as-pects about themselves that they couldimprove. It simply states that resilient peo-ple have the mindset that “I bring terrificvalue to this situation. If the other persondoesn’t realize it, that’s their problem.”

Your locus of learning: Seligman alsodid a lot of work with something called“learned helplessness”. The sufferer be-lieves that they’ve suffered a setback, andthere’s nothing they can do about it. Thosewho thought they knew all they needed toknow, when faced with a setback, sufferedwhat could be categorized as depression.Those who readily accepted outsidesources for help (e.g. books, coaches, work-shops, articles and trusted advisors) wereable to bounce back very quickly becausethey knew there was hope for other actionsthey could try.

Victor, not Victim

What follow are some of my favorite meth-ods for establishing resiliency in myself andmy coaching clients. They are in no particu-lar order or priority.

Forget unsolicited feedback. Unso-licited feedback is for the sender, not foryou. Accept as valid only that feedback thatyou seek from those you trust and respect.Everything else is just noise.

Create a personal skills assessment.Create a private list of what you think youdo well and what you don’t. Exploit likecrazy the things you do well. For things youdon’t, only improve those that create dys-function. Don’t dwell on your weaknesses,leverage your strengths.

Be present. We all have a running men-tal dialog. The challenge is that most don’tfocus those thoughts well. As a matter offact, many people’s thoughts are almost en-tirely consumed with thinking about the re-

grets of the past or living in anxiety over thefuture, and we sacrifice the most importantthing there is — the present moment. Sothrow yourself into what you are doing rightnow, and if your thoughts start to wander,tell yourself, “Back to work.”

Be convinced of your value. Ask your-self these questions and write down yourpositive responses. Do people ever compli-ment your work? Do others ever ask foryour advice? Have you ever contributed anidea at work? Have you ever sought addi-tional education? Can you produce testimo-nials and references? Can you list bestpractices that you employ to be successful?Have you ever participated or contributedto a professional organization? Do peopleever ask for you by name?

You may not have positive responses toall of these, but you probably have morethan you imagined. These are the accom-plishments you should pass through yourmind in the moments immediately after asetback.

Immediately after defeat, do some-thing at which you are incredibly profi-cient. Whether it’s making phone calls,helping plan a promotion or responding toInternet leads, if after a drubbing you setabout doing something you know you’regood at, your mind will quickly move fromvictim to victor.

Go for success, not perfection. Mymentor taught me this long ago. Perfec-tion takes way too much energy, and mostpeople don’t notice the difference. I’veseen people spend all day trying to figureout why their F&I menu is three cents dif-ferent than their DMS (legally, it doesn’tmatter; the menu is a glorified brochure).I’ve seen others stew for hours over whythey couldn’t hold another $300 on a mo-torcycle deal. Don’t worry about that non-sense. Life is about success and not

By Mark Rodgers

PEAKDealership

PERFORMANCE

Bounce Back from Inevitable RejectionBuilding Resilience: Part 2


perfection. Get back to meaningful work. Get comfortable being uncomfort-

able. You know that awkward feeling youget when you try something new? Like anewborn fawn, struggling to stand, youbring up some new aspect of a motorcycle,or try a new response to the age old, “I’mgoing to have to talk it over with my wife”,and you feel a bit nervous and uncomfort-able. This means you’re pushing yourselfand growing your skill set. Seek out thatfeeling. If you don’t hear “no” regularly,you’re not trying hard enough.

Never get too high or too low. Re-ally successful people understand that novictory is permanent and no sales setbackeverlasting. Enjoy your victory and then getback to work. Acknowledge you took a hitand then get back to work. So basicallywhat I’m saying with this article is, “Getback to work.”

Always have options. Confidence isall about having high quality options. Haveyou ever noticed your negotiating de-meanor is vastly different if you’ve had fivepeople ask you about a particular motorcy-cle in a week than if this is the first inquiryon that bike in three months? This holds

true for everything. Never have just oneprospect, never have just paycheck in thebank, never have just one skillset, neverhave just the prospect for one job. Havehigh quality options for everything you do,and it will transform your mental state whenit comes to setbacks.

Write down three daily successesbefore bed every night for six months.I know this sounds crazy, but this is one ofthose cognitive therapy ideas that Selig-man and others (most notably Dr. DavidBurns) have studied. Many people are pre-disposed to magnify setbacks in their mindand minimize success. By forcing yourself toreflect on your day and capture three posi-tive aspects (especially in the crucial mentalperiod right before REM state), you can re-verse this dynamic. This takes incrediblediscipline, but if you can do this, it’s beensaid to have the same mood improving im-pact as anti-depressant drugs.

Understand that not every deal isthe deal. Sometimes when people re-flect on their careers, they think there isone pivotal moment that made it forthem. There isn’t. Just like there is neverone play that wins the game or one

referee’s call that loses it, there is not onedeal that irreversibly throws you in theculvert of failure forever.

Use these ideas, because on the ride toyour personal and professional success, theroad to “yes” is often paved with “no.”

Author’s note: This article is about howto deal with the everyday vicissitudes ofthe sales profession and dealership life. It isnot intended to serve as medical or psychi-atric guidance. If you or someone youknow needs help, get it. It does, however,serve as a terrific guide to help you workthrough most professional challenges. So ifyou’ve suffered a normal rejection at workfrom a customer or colleague, follow thisadvice … then get back to work. t

An award-winning author, top-rated trainerand founder of Peak Dealership Perform-ance, Mark Rodgers holds a master’s degree in adult education and the Na-tional Speakers Association CertifiedSpeaking Professional designation —only 500 people in the world have thiscoveted recognition. [email protected] toimprove your performance.


The National Park Service (NPS) is finallylowering the hammer on older, carbu-

reted two-stroke PWC. The agency announced in December that, as of Jan. 1,2013, personal watercraft operating onpopular Lake Powell must meet 2006 emis-sions standards established by the Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA). The NPShad previously delayed the implementationof this regulation to lessen the impact topersonal watercraft owners who use thelake, as well as provide time for lake usersto plan for the requirement.

The move may have taken some PWCusers by surprise, but in fact the fate of thetwo-stroke models in question was decidedalmost a decade ago in the “2003 Recordof Decision for the Environmental ImpactStatement for PWC,” aimed at reducingwater and noise pollution in the GlenCanyon National Recreation Area. “AfterDec. 31, 2012, no one may operate a PWCthat does not meet 2006 emission stan-dards set by EPA for the manufacturing oftwo-stroke engines,” reads a portion of the2003 ruling. The exception? Craft with two-stroke engines that meet the 2006 emissionstandards through the use of direct-injec-tion. Four-stroke models are not affected bythe ban and will continue to be welcomedon the lake.

The NPS has similarly banned carbu-reted two-stroke models not meeting the2006 emission standards from two otherpopular Western lakes, Lake Mead andLake Mohave. The Associated Press quotedPark Superintendent Bill Dickinson saying,“concerns about the amount of fuel theold-model engines spew into the water”was the primary reason behind the ban onthe two Colorado reservoirs. Lake Meadhappens to be the primary source of drink-ing water for the city of Las Vegas.

Though established years earlier, thedelay granted by the NPS has resulted in

some surprise concerning the ban. Powellsuperintendent Todd Brindle says the NPSis actively reaching out to the boating pub-lic to inform them of the new restrictionsand will take the opportunity to educatepark visitors about the change come sum-mer. To avoid confusion, the NPS plans topost a listing of personal watercraft thatmeet the standards online and make the in-formation available at park entrances, visi-tors’ centers and marinas. The Glen CanyonNational Recreation Area website features aprominent advisory to PWC users with a listof frequently asked questions. Perhaps themost interesting aspect is how park rangerswill determine if a craft isn’t compliant. Ac-cording to the FAQ page, rangers will takeinto account “operator knowledge, themodel of the vessel, the engine type andwhether it’s carbureted when determiningcompliance with the regulation.”

Though there’s no argument this daywould eventually come, the fact that thesignificantly larger population of two-stroke outboards are exempt from theruling doesn’t sit well with many PWC en-thusiasts, nor the American WatercraftAssociation (AWA). “It’s exhibit A in theintellectual and ethical bankruptcy of theenviros,” argues executive director ChrisManthos. “At the time, they didn’t careabout outboards or huge inboard speedboats; it was all about persecuting per-sonal watercraft owners. It demonstratesthey don’t actually care about waterquality or any other aspects of the envi-ronment; it is always about control andgetting legal fees.

“At the time, the National Park Servicejust wanted some resolution to the lawsuit(brought by environmental group Bluewa-ter Network). They were completely un-aware of the technology at the most basiclevels. They refused to take technical inputof the very people who created and build

personal watercraft. Some things just neverchange.”

Manthos says the AWA is currently wait-ing to hear if two-stroke outboards will berestricted on the lakes in question morethan a decade after PWC were singled out.“Again, it shows the utter hypocrisy andnon-existent ethics of mega corporate envi-ronmental organizations.”

While the AWA has successfully de-feated two-stroke bans in other areas, andhas been educating riders about the Pow-ell, Mead and Mohave restrictions for some

time, Manthos unfortunately notes the as-sociation has few resources to reverse anoutcome decided a decade earlier.

“AWA was the only organization stand-ing up to these people,” he recalls. “Mypredecessors did the best they could have,given the limited resources at hand.

“This should serve as a wake-up callas to what happens when the PWC com-munity fails to stand as one. The entiremotorsports community needs to recog-nize what they face, and organize ...now! Keep customers informed and getthem involved. If we don’t, there won’tbe any customers left.” t

National Park Service Enacts Two-Stroke PWCBan On Three Major LakesTen-Year-Old Legislation Goes Into Effect On Lakes Powell, Mead and Mohave

PWCUPDATE

It’s All About ServiceBMW of Denver


DealershipDESTINATION

By Alisa Clickenger

Service. All too often it’s used as a buzzword, a witty idea or a cleverposter put up in the employee lounge. At BMW of Denver, however,

service is not only the way they look at customers, but it also happens tobe its business model.

BMW of Denver has been around since the 1970s, as Colorado’s old-est and only exclusive BMW motorcycle dealer. Now a part of the Pio-neer Centres Holding Group, BMW of Denver has been at its presentlocation in Aurora, Colo., for 13 years. Its purpose-built building was de-signed for the single-brand dealership with extensive input from BMWcorporate, and it’s proven to be a good location. Located within sight ofthe Front Range, the dealership has a million dollar view.

Yet location isn’t the only thing going for BMW of Denver. Top-notchservice is the mainstay of its success. The dealership’s original bow-tie-wearing founder, Clem Cykowski, built the business to service the BMW

touring crowd. Even after he sold the dealer-ship in 1999, Cykowski remained on staff asan integral part of the service department.Clem Cykowski’s passion for the brand and hisexpertise with the older bikes makes the deal-ership both a destination and a resource forowners of old airhead BMWs.

What is Mr. Cykowski’s secret to excellentservice? Great follow-up. It served him well asowner of the dealership, and BMW of Denvercontinues to this day to follow up its repairservice calls to ensure its customers arehappy. The dealership has always focused ondelivering great service, on and off the work-bench. “Treat them like family. Enjoy havingthem as a customer. Treat them well. They’rehere, supporting the dealership, and weshould be supporting them as well,” saysCykowski.

Dedicated service talent like that isn’t al-ways easy to come by. BMW of Denver’s gen-eral manager Bob Creger has been workingat it for almost a decade. He says they recruit


talent on their website, through Motorcycle Mechanics Institute,and through online advertising. “It’s been tough over the years,”says Creger. “We’ve seen fewer and fewer people wanting to getinto the service industry. We’ve been lucky and get a lot of referrals.I think one thing that makes it easy for us is that a lot of peoplewant to move to Colorado. It’s a beautiful state, there’s good ridingand there’s lots of things to do year round, so oftentimes it’s easy toentice good people.”

It’s also the quality of management that makes BMW of Denverthrive. Mr. Creger has an open-door policyfor his office, and he works hard to create afriendly, service-oriented atmosphere. Thecustomers are comfortable coming into thedealership even just to chat, and it’s easy tosee why. The general manager himself hasthe laid-back charm of a Californian com-bined with the down-home approach of aMidwesterner.

The affable approach isn’t a façade, norshould it be confused with complacency.BMW of Denver had sales of more than fivemillion last year, which is remarkable in amarket where there are four competingBMW dealers. “The key to any good dealer-ship is good service, good staff and goodtraining,” says Creger. “I think we’ve alwayshad a good crew, especially the last four to five years. We’ve beenable to offer that top-notch service, and we really work on trying notto have any repeat service issues.”

In addition to focusing on a friendly, service-oriented approach,BMW of Denver also knows when to follow the market. They realizethat what’s come into sharp focus is adventure riding. “The adven-ture market has grown immensely,” says Creger. “It seems to be themajority of our sales right now — the adventure stuff. Regular streetriding apparel has even kind-of gone over to the adventure apparel.I think everybody wants to live that dream of taking off and riding abike to Alaska or to South America.”

In addition to selling adventure bikes and apparel, BMW of Den-ver also carries adventure motorcycle accessories for bikes and forthe adventure lifestyle. The dealership provides everything for thecomplete experience — hard and soft luggage, tank bags, maps,mounts, gadgets, accessories. It’s a one-stop shopping experiencefor the customers, with thoughtful displays throughout the show-room floor, lining the halls and in the waiting area.

Even as BMW of Denver sells the bikes and the gear that’s pop-ular right now, for them it still all boils back down to service. “Onething I’ve instilled in my employees over the years is taking care ofthe customers. We want it to be a friendly atmosphere, low pres-sure. A place where you don’t have to worry about the used carsalesman approach. It’s stressful buying any vehicle — a car, boat ormotorcycle, and we want to make it as simple and as satisfying aspossible for both parties.” t



Call them UTVs, side-by-sides, ROVs or cashcows, the market for these machines has

never been stronger. At a time when many mo-torcycle manufacturers have slashed R&D andslowed new model introductions to a standstillin order to help dealers get out from under non-current inventory, more innovative new producthas entered the SxS scene in the past 24months than ever in the history of the marketsegment. In fact, Polaris posted 20 percentgrowth in UTV sales for Q2 2012, and this wasbefore unveiling the all-new 2013 Jagged Xmodels! Not to be outdone, normally agrarianminded John Deere looked to take a big biteout of the sport UTV market with its GatorRSX850i, and then Can-Am took the wraps offits new Maverick 1000cc machine at the SandSports Super Show last fall.

While the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)does not include UTV sales in its quarterly re-ports, the numbers have historically mirroredATV sales and recently, industry estimates havethe UTV market selling as many, or more, totalunits. With that caveat in place, it is relativelysafe to say UTV sales continued to increase in2012. The most recently reported MIC salesnumbers show ATV sales up 3.1 percent for Q3,following a 5.6 percent gain in Q2. Using thisbenchmark, total UTV new unit sales should bepushing the 175,000 mark.

Anecdotal aftermarket numbers augment theOEM sales gain. “We saw same-store sales blowthrough last year’s total numbers as early as Au-gust,” reports DragonFire sales manager Brice

Ginn. “We kept the heat on through the holidaysales season, and I can say we exceeded ourown ambitious sales goals for 2012. Honestly, itlooks like the market will be even better in2013.” This is certainly good news for dealersselling into this market niche.

While the big bore sport-oriented machinerysuch as Arctic Cat’s 1000cc Wildcat and theCan-Am Maverick (which shamelessly touts its101 horsepower) grabs all the enthusiast maga-zine covers and makes for exciting video clipson YouTube, the sales increases have a solid un-derpinning in their utility roots. This fact is notlost on the aftermarket like the aforementionedDragonFire, which unveiled its RockSolid line ofSafari racks, winch mounts and other accessoriesto cater to their utility customers. Some of theOEMs see the value of this strategy as well, no-tably KYMCO’s UXV series, Kawasaki with the re-lease of the Teryx 4 750 and Yamaha withsomething new pending for 2013.

“It is no secret to our dealers,” says YamahaATV/SxS group marketing manager Steve Nessl.Last September, Yamaha announced to its deal-ers that a new SxS is coming in 2013 at thesame time as the wraps were coming off theirstealthy “Tactical Black” special edition Rhinos.“Yamaha is more involved in the outdoors thanany other manufacturer and has developed thenew Tactical Black Special Edition Rhino modelsbased on the fast growing tactical enthusiasttrend,” explains Nessl. However this is just ahint of what is coming later this year. “Remem-ber, the meat of the market is in the

SxS SegmentStays On The Gas!

By Robin Hartfiel


hunting/fishing/farming/utility aspect of aUTV,” he quips.

Of course, Yamaha is no stranger to theperformance side of things. The racing sideof UTVs was pioneered by Cory Sappingtonof Desert Toyz Motorsports in Peoria, Ariz.,when he prevailed upon Best In The Desertrace promoter Casey Folks to let him enterhis wife’s race-prepped Rhino in the annualVegas To Reno race back in August of 2005.Although the Desert Toyz entry played outbefore the finish line, the die was cast.

By 2008, Polaris had created the RZRplatform for more sporting applications,and in 2009, Matt Parks from Polaristeamed with Scorpion Helmets founder EricAnderson to win the UTV class at SCORE’sBaja 250. This was the first time in historythat any side-by-side had finished a majoroff-road race and marked a turning point inthe sport. With the added excitement camethe inclusion of UTV classes in CORR, BestIn The Desert, LOORS and King Of TheHammers. Most recently, Robby Gordon’snew stadium series will feature UTV classes,and SCORE has added Pro Stock UTV for2013.

After several years of running a Sports-man UTV class, SCORE is adding the ProStock UTV for 4-wheel, two-seat and four-seat (maximum two occupants) OEM UTVvehicles. The vehicles must use stock UTVmotors with a minimum production of 500units. “Our goal was to respond to the rac-ers’ requests for these classes that will givea fairly level playing field for what will be ex-citing classes to watch and to race in,” saysSCORE tech director Bill Savage.

“While we understand the bulk of theUTV sales are for their OEM-intended utilityapplications, you have to remember it ishuman nature to go racing,” adds ChrisMoore, DragonFire’s marketing go-to guy.“Our own company roots are in racing, andour RacePace competition-oriented acces-sories are still very popular. DragonFire isalso proud to have SFI-approval for its five-point competition harness restraints, whichmake them legal for virtually any major rac-ing series.”

Regardless if it’s racing, recreation, hunt-ing, farming, fishing or actual utility applica-tions, the bottom line is that all these formsof usage can contribute to your bottomline. If you aren’t already exploring the UTVmarket, you might be missing out on therace to bolster your bottom line. t

After more than a decade in the import/export industry and a player in the UTV fieldsince 2009, it might not be fair to call XYPowersports a “rookie” in the game, but theycertainly offer a different perspective than themajor leaguers like Yamaha and Polaris. Theyalso have bucked the trend of many off-shoresourced UTV brands by not only surviving,but thriving. We had an opportunity to get the

view from the other side of the fence from com-pany president Steve Claybourn.

“The idea to launch XY Powersports originated in 2006 with the commitment to produce high quality UTVsin China and distribute them through high standard licensed dealers serving the U.S. powersports market,” ex-plains Steve. “I don’t know of another company like ours that can make the same claim.” He points out the se-cret to XY’s success has been to go in its own direction.

“We focus on the walk-away business those customers who give up shopping for the major branded prod-uct. Because those brands are so expensive, the industry states that only about 20 percent of the shoppers ac-tually buy. That leaves a huge opportunity for those who will focus on this walk-away business.” Of course if itwas easy, why isn’t everyone succeeding with this strategy?

“It is more challenging,” Claybourn concedes. “Partly because of the stigma of Chinese quality concerns.”However, rigid quality control standards and an evolving manufacturing mentality in China has helped changedthe negative perception. “We add substantial value due to our commitment to quality, our factory collaborationto produce quality and the fact that we inventory a large supply of spare parts.” Of course, the other half of thebattle has been waged in the trenches on the dealership level.

“We are expanding our dealer base carefully,” Steve says, noting the operative term is “expanding.” “We’retrying to secure more established dealers, and they like the margins we offer. We recognized 10 years ago andare convinced today that there is opportunity to succeed if we can deliver quality product and support based onthe demands of dealers and consumers here in the U.S. We’ve always known that we needed to work in part-nership with a manufacturing resource that recognizes the opportunity in the U.S. market and with the dealersto help to guide our progress. We have cultivated that relationship with our manufacturing partner addressingthe weaknesses in previous production practices, and we are now partnered with many dealers of differing pro-files that are having success with our products.”

This ability to see what the market needs and how to get the product to fill the niche gives Claybourn agreat perspective. So what will the market see? He tells dealers, “The trend we see is that the major brands aregoing to continue to build expensive machines but they are also continuing to offer models in the 400cc and500cc range to capture the lower end market.” Does that leave a gap in the middle for XY? Absolutely! Espe-cially in the utility end of the industry.

“Our hardcore, purpose-built “Big Iron” UTV is a no frills utility machine. Most customers love it for justthat reason,” notes Steve. “Its practical for hunting, farming and all sorts of utility applications. And, It is well-priced at around $11,000.”

Price it right, develop a solid dealer network, resolve any quality control issues and live up to customer ex-pectations sounds pretty simple when Steve explains the XY Powersports game plan, doesn’t it?

Working Or Playing? XY Powersports Offers A View From

The Other Side Of The Fence


This year’s full-face helmets are morelightweight than ever,but they certainly don’tskimp out on protection.With cushy, washablecheek pads, UV-resistant visors and multi-point ventilation systems, thesehelmets strive to give your customer the most comfortableride possible. Plus, integrated Bluetooth capabilities and bold graphics add a little extra flair — that never hurts, right?

Image by Rick Menapace, courtesy of Arai Helmets


Defiant HelmetAraiThe Defiant full-face model contains Arai’s Facial Contour System cheek pad de-sign, a patented HyperRidge reinforcing band, micro-fitting interior padding andArai’s patented fully-removable Dry-Cool liner material. The new IR front-spoileredge trim is flared along the bottom of the helmet, designed to create a stabiliz-ing down force while reducing wind noise. The Defiant also features IC-4 upperfront intake vents, a Pin-Lock SAI Max-Vision face shield and an anti-fog lens in-sert. The Defiant comes in sizes XXS-XXXL and a variety of colors. The helmetalso meets both Snell 2010 and DOT standards. The manufacturer’s suggestedretail price ranges from $619.95 to $759.95.

For More Info: www.araiamericas.com

Speedmaster Carbon HelmetJoe RocketJoe Rocket’s Speedmaster Carbon helmet features a lightweight, ad-vanced shell and wind tunnel-engineered aerodynamics. Containing adual density EPS impact absorbing liner, the Speedmaster Carbon isSnell and DOT certified. The Speedmaster Carbon also includes aCAD-spec interior sculpture for enhanced fit, an anti-fog 3-D shield anda Quadport 2.0 ventilation system that ensures a comfortable, dry ride.The Speedmaster also offers a fully removable and washable interiorand a removable internal air guide for enhanced fog resistance. Astreamline extrusion molded bottom edge gasket and integrated frontchin bar air intake and side exhausts are also among the helmet’s keydetails. The retail price is $399.99.

For More Info: www.joerocket.com

RS-1Bell HelmetsThe new RS-1 from Bell Helmets is made of a lightweight Kevlarfiberglass composite shell intertwined with Bell’s Velocity FlowVentilation system, providing comfort and an aerodynamic pro-file. The Bell RS-1 contains a ClickRelease shield system for fastshield swaps. Additional comfort is provided from the contour-cut cheekpads and a silver-lined anti-microbial liner. Bell’s Mag-nefusion magnetic strap keeper also stabilizes any unwantedflapping strap ends. The Bell RS-1 features an array of tints andcoating choices appealing to a wide variety of customers. The retail price is $349.95.

For More Info: www.bellhelmets.com


Insight HelmetVegaThe 2013 Vega Insight is a full-face helmet designed forsophisticated functionality, superior comfort and safety.The lightweight, fully-loaded Insight features a smoke-tinted interior drop-down sunshield to provide a quick andeasy defense against the sun’s glare, while the exteriorclear shield offers a six-position, optically correct andscratch-resistant UV protection. Smoke, Light Smoke andAmber replacement sunshields are available, as well as re-placement outer shields in nine different tints, mirrors andanti-fog options. Rider comfort is further ensured withample venting at the chin, forehead, cheek and rear formaximum airflow and with a removable/washable ComfortFit liner made of super-absorbent Wick-Dri fabric. The In-sight is available with the sharp Razor graphic and comesin a variety of color options. Two specialty advanced ther-moplastic shells serve a complete size range from XS-2XL.The MSRP ranges from $119.99 to $139.99

For More Info: www.vegahelmet.com


Thunder R2 GlobeMotovanThe new Thunder R2 Globe helmet offers a comfortable liner and usesa quick-release visor fastening system. It comes equipped with Zox’sHigh Integrity Chin Bar for additional security. This helmet is DOT cer-tified and is available in colors ranging from silver to pink. The retailprice is $99.99.

For More Info: www.motovan.com

FF396 Carbon HelmetLS2LS2’s FF396 Carbon helmet is contrived from a carbon Kevlarshell and features a double D-ring closure system. The anti-scratch/anti-fog, 3-D, optically-correct visor allows for maximumvisibility. The helmet also contains an anti-odor, anti-bacterial,removable and washable liner and meets DOT and ECE stan-dards. The retail price is $349.95.

For More Info: www.ls2.com

S2 Full Face HelmetSchuberthThe new Schuberth S2 Full Face Helmet is the world’s first motorcy-cle helmet with an internal dual antenna, strengthening the recep-tion of the Bluetooth Schuberth Rider Communication Systemoffered as an option if your rider wants in-helmet sound and wire-less communications. The lightweight S2 helmet contains a back-spoiler molded into the shell to reduce drag and a “trim spoiler,”which reduces wind noise. The internal sun visor, Thermo Cool linerand Air Extraction System enable maximum comfort to your cus-tomer. The S2 also features Schuberth’s patented Anti Roll Off Sys-tem. The retail price is $699.

For More Info: www.schuberth.com


338-B HelmetGLX HelmetsThe 338-B helmet features an advanced fiberglass reinforcedplastic shell. It also includes a removable liner and an anti-fog,anti-scratch face shield. Containing a double D-ring retentionsystem, the 338-B helmet includes an advanced channelingventilation system and a soft interior to provide additional com-fort to your rider. Replaceable shield options make it very light,weighing in at about three pounds. This helmet meets SnellM2010 and DOT standards and retails at $289.98.

For More Info: www.glxhelmets.com

FS-6 HelmetZamp HelmetsThe FS-6 model is comprised of a composite fiberglass lightweightshell and contains chin and scalp vents with rear exhausts. It is Snell M-2010 and DOT certified and also comes equipped with a Z-19 shieldwith lock. The helmet comes in a variety of colors and sizes to suit yourcustomer’s personal style. The suggested retail price of a solid FS-6helmet is $119.95, while a graphic helmet rings in at $134.95.

For More Info: www.zamp-racing.com

RPHA 10HJC HelmetsThe HJC RPHA 10 (formerly the RPS-10) is a high-performance/street helmet designed with input from MotoGPstar Ben Spies. Its Premium Integrated Matrix (PIM) constructioncombines carbon fiber, aramid fiber, fiberglass and organic, non-woven fabric for a strong, light blend. The helmet is fine-tunedfor high-speed aerodynamic performance and minimum vibra-tion. The center-locking shield system produces a secure shield,while an ultra-plush, breathable interior makes for a comfortableride. In addition, its Advanced Channeling Ventilation System of-fers full front-to-back airflow to flush out heat and humidity.

For More Info: www.hjchelmets.com


FX-120 HelmetAFX HelmetsThe FX-120 air pump street helmet utilizes a patented fullperimeter air bladder final fit comfort system that can be ad-justed for a comfortable custom fit. The composite FRP-alloyshell creates a lightweight yet durable product. An oversized earcavity is also implemented in the helmet to make room for com-munication speakers. For additional comfort, a hypoallergenicand anti-microbial nylon liner and cheek pads are included in thehelmet’s construction, both of which are removable and wash-able. Other key features of the helmet consist of a multi-pointventilation system and an optically correct, compound-curved,scratch-resistant shield. A one-touch, drop-down inner sun shieldalso protects your rider from UV rays. The helmet is finished offwith a protective clearcoat and an adjustable cam buckle-style,quick-release retention system. This helmet meets DOT andECE-22.05 standards and is available in sizes XS-XXL in solid andgraphic designs. The suggested retail price ranges from $149.95to $159.95.

For More Info: www.afxhelmets.com


EMGODealer Expo Booth #1459For 2013, EMGO has all its catalogs online at www.emgo.com. The updated,expanded line of aftermarket parts and accessories is now available for retaildealers of EMGO classic, custom and OE-type replacement parts for motorcy-cles, ATVs and scooters. EMGO, your one-stop shop supplier for replacementparts.www.emgo.com

Booth Preivews

The final February iteration

of the Dealer Expo will be

held Feb. 15-17 at the

Indiana Convention Center

in Indianapolis. Be sure to

visit these select MPN

advertising partners while

you’re at the show!

Cardo SystemsDealer Expo Booth #1204Cardo’s Scala Rider continues to be at the forefront of providing the most popularBluetooth helmet communication systems for motorcycles. Cardo focuses on motor-cyclists to pioneer many firsts for its customers to enjoy while riding. www.cardosystems.com

Carlson CompanyDealer Expo Booth #5342Since 1972, The Carlson Com-pany continues to be a lead-ing provider of serviceequipment to the powersportsindustry. We offer the rightequipment to fit our industry’sspecialized needs. COATSTire Changers, CEMB Com-puter Wheel Balancers,DYNOJET Dynamometers,INC Dyno Rooms, HANDY AirLifts, DELTRAN Chargers andother quality brands. www.carlsoncompany.com


K&L SupplyDealer Expo Booth #5163K&L Supply manufactures and distributesspecialty tools, shop equipment and hardparts to independent and franchised deal-ers. Visit K&L Supply at Dealer Expo to ex-plore their entire product line for 2013. www.klsupply.com

MBA InsuranceDealer Expo Booth #5541MBA Insurance has beeninsuring rental operatorsfor more than 30 years.MBA’s programs coverboth the rental operatorand the customer for vehicles including motor-cycles, scooters, ATVs andmore. MBA offers competitive rates and various programs to meet your operation’sneeds as well as rental contracts and other forms. MBA also offers personal insuranceproducts to insure the toys you sell. www.mbainsurance.net

HJC HelmetsDealer Expo Booth #1201At the Indy show this year, HJC unveils a new line of helmets—the FG series—aswell as an expanded offering of HJC's sophisticated RPHA series helmets, includingthe all-new Jorge Lorenzo replica HJC RPHA 10 helmet.HJC is the world's leading helmet manufacturer and offers a complete line of high-value, high-performance street and off-road helmets. www.hjchelmets.com


Booth Preivews

MTADealer Expo Booth #1357 &1365Come explore MTA’s wide line of powersports brands includingSupersprox, Avon Tyres, Slasher Products, Bel-Ray Lubricants, STITire and Wheel and many more. www.mtadistributing.com

National Powersport AuctionsDealer Expo Booth #5341National Powersport Auctions is a leading providerof auction and remarketing services in the power-sports industry. Created more than 20 years ago byfounders from the industry, NPA serves lenders anddealers throughout the nation with a completerange of auction-related services. NPA is dedicatedto providing their customers with the tools and first-class service they need to be successful.www.npauctions.com

Race TechDealer Expo Booth #1234Race Tech's friendly and experienced staff welcome your questions and inquiriesabout suspension, Gold Valves, Emulators, our line of G3-S Custom Shocks; or anyother motorcycle or suspension related topics!www.racetech.com

Samson Motorcycle ProductsDealer Expo Booth #1283Samson announces the development oftheir new High Performance 2-into-1 ex-haust “Thunder Pro”. The Samson teamsays that this pipe is unequalled in purepower for your customer’s Harley-David-son Motorcycle. www.samsonusa.com

ProX Dealer Expo Booth #1617The complete ProX Racing Parts product line consists of over 3,000 part num-bers. Prox Racing Parts are mainly manufactured in Japan by reputable Origi-nal Equipment Manufacturers. The latest, state-of-the-art CNC equipmentmachines ProX Racing Parts to the company’s exact specifications and highquality standards. ProX Racing Parts can be considered the leading brand inthe engine part replacement market for motorcycles (dirt & road),moped/scooter, ATV, PWC and snowmobiles. www.pro-x.com


Booth Preivews

Service Manager ProDealer Expo Booth #5829Do you need ATV, motorcycle or scooterflat rate repair times? Take all the guess-work out of estimating repair times. If yourbusiness depends on accurate repair billingthen Service Manager Pro product will helpyou save and make money!The labor guide covers a staggering15,000 ATVs, motorcycles, scooters, side-by-sides, snowmobiles, generators, PWCsand boats. Subscribe to Service ManagerPro and get comprehensive Flat Rate LaborTimes in addition to the newly added Fac-tory Service Intervals. Stop by for a demo!www.servicemanagerpro.com

Schumacher ElectricDealer Expo Booth #5250Since 1947, Schumacher Electric Corp.has been leading the charge and drivingperformance to exceed its customers’ ex-pectations. Visit their booth to see theBattery Extender, which promises to ex-tend battery life two years longer thanstandard battery maintainers. www.batterychargers.com

SudcoDealer Expo Booth #2245Keihin FCR Carburetors are acknowl-edged as the leading carburetors in 4-stroke motorcycle racing thanks to theirprecise metering high flow, flat slidethrottle design and adjustable acceleratorpump. Sudco International, America'smotorcycle carburetor experts, offer a fullline of Sudco Keihin FCR PerformanceCarb Kits for almost all 4-stroke singlecylinder Dirt Bike and ATV applications.Stop by the Sudco booth at Dealer Expoto see them firsthand!www.sudco.com


Booth Preivews

Vega Dealer Expo Booth #803Visit Vega at Booth #803 and exploreits family of products for 2013, in-cluding the latest models and hotgraphics for its two helmet brands —Vega and Stealth. Head-to-toe cover-age continues with an expansiverange of apparel, boots and acces-sories from Vega Technical Gear anddistinguished European brand Richa.Discover why Vega is known for func-tion and style at an affordable price.www.vegahelmet.com

Throttle ThreadsDealer Expo Booth #1234Have your staff looking sharp with"Wash and Wear" uniforms that caninclude the brands you sell. Help your

customer identify who they should talk to by having us personalize each shirt withyour employee's name and what department they work in. Have us make yourdealer logo into embroidered patches and then we make the completed uniformshirts only as you need them. We keep the extra patches in stock for your futureuniform needs. Don't have a logo? Let us help you!www.throttlethreads.com

Walker ProductsDealer Expo Booth #5075With 65 years experience serving the automotive aftermarket, Walker Products hasexpanded its coverage to non-automotive O2 sensor applications including motor-cycles, ATVs, PWCs, industrial lawnmowers, marine power plants and much more. www.walkerproducts.com

Vee RubberDealer Expo Booth #965Vitorn Sukanjanapong and his fatherstarted Vee Rubber in 1977 makingbicycle tires. Vee Rubber has grownto be one of the largest tire manufac-turers in the world Vee Rubberstarted business in the US in ‘05 witha small warehouse in Atlanta. VeeRubber has become a major player inthe U.S. with distributors throughoutthe country selling scooter, motorcy-cle, Harley-Davidson and ATV tires. www.veerubber.co.th


Booth Preivews

Wiseco PistonDealer Expo Booth #1711After nearly 70 years in the business, the name Wiseco has become synonymous withpistons, especially pistons for off-road racing and riding. Wiseco has attained that in-stant brand recognition by being one of the few manufacturers of forged pistonswithin the USA. They carry a full line of performance products including forged pis-tons, precision forged clutch baskets and hubs, crankshafts, camshafts, forged con-necting rods, calves and other accessories for just about any motorcycle, ATV,snowmobile, PWC, outboard marine or automobile on the market.www.wiseco.com

Wizards ProductsDealer Expo Booth #538Because it’s your passion your baby deserves the best. For over26 years, Wizards has produced a complete line of professionalgrade products to “Make It Shine.” Nothing produces a betterslick, high-gloss shine to show off all your hard work and makeyou stand above the crowd like Wizards new nano-technologyMystic Spray Wax. www.wizardsproducts.com

Yuasa Battery Dealer Expo Booth #1261Yuasa Battery, Inc. manufactures bat-teries that not only last longer, but alsorequire minimum maintenance. Con-tinuous research and development,along with unwavering standards ofmanufacturing quality have madeYuasa Battery the largest Americanmanufacturer and largest distributor ofbatteries for powersports vehicles ofall types. www.yuasabatteries.com

Essentials: Luggage

Adventure Touring Tank BagNelson Rigg USAMade from a top quality UV-treated Tri-Max ballistic nylon, this bag is contoured to fit on most tanks, including

sloped Adventure models, and features a protective base material that prevents slipping or marking.

Mounting is quick and extremely secure using new adjustable low profile hooks that attach to the

bag, while webbing soft ties anchor to or around the bike’s frame. Each bag maintains

shape when empty and includes reflective piping, a lined interior and an office

organizer under the lid. It also features a convenient clear map

pocket and an integrated GPS/smartphone pouch on the

lid. When more room is needed, the bag is fully

expandable, adding an extra 4 inches of height

and increasing the capacity to more than 21

liters. This product includes a lifetime "no has-

sle” warranty, an expandable waterproof rain-

storm cover with clear top, and is available in

black and hi-visibility yellow.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.nelsonrigg.com

Covered Hard TrunksMustang Motorcycle ProductsMeasuring a spacious 22 inches wide by 18 inches

long and 13 inches high, these covered hard

trunks are large enough to accommodate two

full-face helmets. Not only do these matching top

boxes add to the overall carrying capacity, but

they also incorporate a padded backrest to keep

passengers comfortable for the long haul. Made

from reinforced fiberglass and covered in the

same durable expanded vinyl as Mustang’s seats,

the covered hard trunks come in plain or with a

choice of chrome studs and conchos to match the

brand’s seats and saddlebags. A chrome latch

keeps things securely stowed, and the lid is dou-

ble-sealed for additional protection from the ele-

ments. The skirted lid also features a braided

edge trim for a finished look.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.mustangseats.com

Siskiyou Panniers Giant LoopThe Siskiyou Panniers require no luggage rack and

are lightweight and trim. They secure to the passen-

ger’s footrest mounts and ride on the rear rack

and/or pillion seat. They mount and dismount in

minutes and fit virtually any motorcycle designed to

carry a passenger. This product has a volume of 70

liters and includes two waterproof inner liners, two

heat shields and two large bellowed pockets.

The retail price is $649. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.giantloopmoto.com



Essentials: Luggage

Four-in-One Tank BagsHeld USAThese four bags have identical appear-

ances and features but differ in shape

and size. The bags are shaped to fit

round top tanks, angled tanks, wedge-

shaped tanks and odd-shaped/dual

sport tanks. They are available in multi-

ple attachments, including Velcro-base

pad/front strap, magnetic or four-corner

strap-on. All tank bags feature a clear

map holder, front external pocket, hard

shell glass case, rain cover rear exter-

nal pocket, carrying handle and all-

around zip expansion for additional

capacity.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.heldusa.com

Two-Piece PVC Travel BagHot LeathersThis waterproof motorcycle bag features zip-off

side pouches and quick release buckles. It of-

fers a universal fit, reinforced sidewalls and a

padded backrest. It can also be used as a

small sissy bar bag and retails for

$119.95. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.hotleathers.com

Sport RackSHAD USASHAD’s new Sport Rack is the equivalent of a mount-

ing kit needed to mount a luggage case. This innova-

tive fastening method turns sport bikes into touring

and vice versa, all in a matter of seconds just by re-

moving the passenger seat. Sport Racks are available

for select Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki models

and retail for $165.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.shadusa.com

S3200DE Deluxe Sissy Bar BagSaddlemenThis large bag offers 3,200 cubic inches of stor-

age space and expands by 2.5 inches to fit just

about any cargo. It has a fully adjustable sissy

bar mounting system that installs in seconds

over any size and style sissy bar pad. The rigid

construction holds bag shape even when it’s

empty. An R850 roll bag is included for extra

cargo capacity. It also features a top carry han-

dle, backpack straps and shoulder strap for easy

toting off-bike, an internal office organizer, and

lockable zipper pulls and buckles. Made tough

for years of travel on the road, the S3200DE

deluxe sissy bar bag is constructed of UV-,

water- and weather-resistant 1200-denier Sad-

dleTuff and leather-like, maintenance-free Sad-

dleHyde panels.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.saddlemen.com

Solid Carbide Valve GuideReamers

Goodson Tools & Supplies for Engine BuildersThese reamers feature a longer pilot area and multi-fluted

design for perfect guide sizing. Goodson recommends using

these reamers at 300 to 400 rpm with Bronze Reaming Oil for best

results. At the recommended speed, it should take three to five sec-

onds to ream one guide. Sizes are available from 4 millimeters to 9.6 mil-

limeters. The retail price ranges from $179.99 to $239.99 each.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.pitposse.com


Essentials: ToolsBattery Lift ToolDrag Specialties/Hotop DesignsThe Battery Lift Tool was designed to work on

touring models and other bikes where the battery

is removed vertically. It allows the user to easily

remove and install a battery without the worry of

damaging their bike or injuring themselves. This

tool grips the battery in the case seam on each

end and works on most sealed brands. An all-

metal construction with a durable powdercoat

finish resists battery acid damage and ensures

years of reliable service. It is not recommended

for use as a battery carrier, and the user should

always support the battery weight after it is ac-

cessible. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.dragspecialties.com

Sprocket Shaft Bearing ToolPaughcoThis tool, designed for 1955 and later Big Twins,

allows you to pull the crankshaft through the

Timkin bearing with precise accuracy.

Manufactured from heat-treated tempered steel,

the Sprocket Shaft Bearing Tool retails at $127.95. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.paughco.com

MarketPlaceFind out more about the classified advertisers in this issue online at www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/resourcecenter.

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


Distributors forArai and NolanHelmets

www.janddwalter.com800-833-3503

We take pride in what we sell and stand behind it with excellent support.

Ad IndexFREE

ONLINE RESOURCE

CENTERFind out more about

advertisers in this issueonline at

www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/resourcecenter

Adran Tie Downs ..........................................50

AFX North America Inc.................................51

AIMExpo .................................................Insert

Amrep Inc.....................................................25

Arai Helmet Americas Inc. ...........................30

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

Bendpak.......................................................27

Cardo Systems, Inc.......................................43

Carlson Company.........................................28

Cheng Shin Rubber U.S.A. Inc. .....................56

Crampbuster................................................30

Emgo International ......................................29

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

Helmet House .............................................6,7

HJC America............................................12,13

Lonski and Associates, LLC. ...................50, 58

MBA Insurance.............................................31

MTA Distributing ..........................................16

National Powersport Auctions .............Cover 2

nizeX, Incorporated......................................17

Pacific Sportswear & Emblem Co.................18

Promoto Billet..............................................63

Race Tech .....................................................26

Samson Motorcycle Products Inc. ................53

Schumacher Electric Corp. ..........................10

Service Manager Pro....................................26

Short Block Technologies .......................22, 35

Sudco International Corp. ....................Cover 4

Sullivan's Inc. .........................................23, 47

TAW Performance Distribution LLC..............19

Team Charlotte Motorsports ........................28

Throttle Threads ..........................................65

United Engine & Machine .............................57

Vee Rubber America ....................................33

Vega Helmet Corp. .......................................49

Walker Products, Inc....................................41

Wiseco Piston Inc....................................15, 55

WIX Filters ...................................................21

Wizards Products/RJ Star Inc ......................45

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

Yuasa Battery Inc. ..........................................9 ww

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YOUR

AD HE

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TO ADVERTISE

IN CLASSIFIED

MARKETPLACECALL

Roberto Almenar

330-670-1234 ext 233

[email protected]

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

What Type of Direct MarketingInitiatives Do You Have

in Store for 2013?

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

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