MPN July 2013

07.2013

July 2013 VOL. 39 NO. 7

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

Volume 39 Number 7 MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

EDITORIAL Editor – Colleen Brousil cbrousil@babcox.com Associate Editor – Gina Kuzmick gkuzmick@babcox.com

The Buzz About Electric Motorcycles

Assistant Editor – Matthew Bemer mbemer@babcox.com

By Robin Hartfiel

Senior Editor – Brendan Baker bbaker@babcox.com Columnists & Contributors Ricky Beggs Heather Blessington Cyclepedia Press Sam Dantzler Steve Dodds II C.R. Gittere Robin Hartfiel Jeff Hemmel Steve Jones Mark Rodgers

Dealership Operations Fuel For Thought

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6

The Road Ahead by Colleen Brousil

12

ADP Lightspeed

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Inventory Report ART

Does Your Dealership Hire Experienced, Sales-Focused Counter People?

Sr. Graphic Designer – Tammy House thouse@babcox.com

14

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Best Operators Club by Steve Jones

Powersports Values Show Predictable Seasonal Shifts 16 ....

Black Book Market Watch by Ricky Beggs

Scooter Maintenance

Official Publisher of the AIMExpo Show Daily, Directory and Souvenir Program

18

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Tech Tips by Cyclepedia Press

Nothing Like a Good Deal: Skills and Plans to Pefect Your Negotiating Style

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20

Peak Dealership Performance by Mark Rodgers

What’s Your Unique Value Proposition?

22

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Web Savvy by Heather Blessington

Dealership Tour: Why Should F&I Care

24

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Finance & Insurance by Steve Dodds II

F&I in the Service Department?

Not as Crazy as it Sounds

26

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The Service Manager by C.R. Gittere

Yamaha Wraps Up Trade-In Program Aired to Garner More Buyers

Product Focus Essentials: Touring Apparel

28

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Stylish and Functional ................................................................... 40

PWC Update

212 Degrees: A Business Concept

30

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Dealership Priorities by Sam Dantzler

Capital City Scooters: Community’s Passion is Contagious Destination Dealership by Matthew Bemer 4 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Essentials: Cleaners Wash, Polish and Protect .............................................................. 44

Essentials: UTV Products

32

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Hot Part and Accessory Options for Side-by-Sides .................... 50

THE

Road AHEAD

By Colleen Brousil ADVERTISING SALES Publisher - Greg Cira

Associate Publisher Sean Donohue

gcira@babcox.com (330) 670-1234 ext. 203

sdonohue@babcox.com (330) 670-1234 ext. 206

Display Advertising Sales Roberto Almenar Tom Staab

Fuel For Thought

T

he American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in partnership with the SEMA Action Network (SAN) hosted the Fuel for Thought Rally on Capitol Hill last month in an effort to raise awareness of the corrosive effects of ethanol-blended gasoline on motorcycle engines and the dangers of consumer misfueling.

Ethanol’s chemical property poses a risk to older cars and motorcycles, as these vehicles weren’t constructed with ethanol-compatible materials. Ethanol absorbs water, which can lead to metal corrosion. It can also dissolve plastics and rubber.

The EPA has made it illegal to fuel pre-2001 vehicles and motorcycles with E15; however, the EPA only requires a warning label on the pump. E10 fuel has been labeled as safe for use in motorcycles, but the debate continues as to its long-term effects on powersports units.

In response to the Fuel for Thought Rally, Renewable Fuels Association's director of market development Robert White held a teleconference to discuss ethanol fuel and motorcycles. In the teleconference, he stressed that motorcyclists should not use E15 fuel and went on to explain that E10 is the approved ethanol fuel for motorcyclists.

On the call, a service advisor for an award-winning auto shop and de facto technician for the Iron Order International Motorcycle Club, Bryan O'Neill, claimed that in his 20 years of industry experience, he has seen zero problems with E10 in motorcycles, "from brand new engines to older, classic engines."

That claim sparked skepticism from one MPN reader. “With 20 years experience, he has not seen any evidence of trouble with E10?” said reader Tony in an online post. “We see the bad experiences of using ethanol blended fuels everyday. From corroded out carbs to overheating from phase separation of ethanol fuels. And when you get into smaller engines the troubles are even worse. We get better fuel mileage and better performance with non-ethanol fuels. To believe that there is no difference is absurd. We have done our own experimentation, not in a lab, but with everyday vehicles, and the proof is there.”

The debate over ethanol isn’t likely to simmer down anytime soon, nor can we expect to see less of the mix in our fuel in the future.

So how best can dealers handle the question? Education is key. Your service advisors can lead the charge and engage in a conversation about fuel choice during service check-in to ensure that your riders are making the best decisions for their personal riding situation. t

6 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Bobbie Adams Doug Basford David Benson Dean Martin Jim Merle Glenn Warner John Zick Don Hemming

ralmenar@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 233 tstaab@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 224 badams@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 238 dbasford@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 255 dbenson@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 210 dmartin@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 225 jmerle@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 280 gwarner@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 212 jzick@babcox.com (949) 756-8835 dhemming@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 286

ADVERTISING SERVICES Advertising Services Valli Pantuso

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CIRCULATION SERVICES Circulation Manager – Pat Robinson Circulation Specialist – Star Mackey

probinson@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 276 smackey@babcox.com (330) 670-1234, ext. 242

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 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. 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 nonqualified 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.

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Inside the Industry > Suzuki to Participate in Inaugural AIMExpo The American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), in collaboration with Suzuki Motor of America, Inc., has announced that Suzuki will be a founding OEM participant in the inaugural event, scheduled for October 16-20 in Orlando, Fla. Suzuki will introduce new 2014 motorcycles and ATVs, host its dealer body with exclusive VIP functions and conduct demo rides on select products.

Suzuki has long been one of the most recognized names in powersports, thanks to its full lineup of high-performance products for on- and off-road enthusiasts. Additionally, Suzuki is currently enjoying a year-long celebration of 50 years in the USA. “Suzuki recognizes the exclusive opportunities that are offered by AIMExpo’s ground-breaking platform,” said Mike Webster, president, Trade Show Division of Marketplace Events.

“The ability to introduce 2014 products to their dealers as well as consumers and media is precisely what we intended when developing the AIMExpo vision. We’re thrilled to welcome the Suzuki brand and look forward to this important partnership.”

Suzuki offers the best-selling GSX-R sport bikes, one of the most successful lines in all of motorcycling, as well as the championship-winning RM-Z motocross models that have helped make the brand a household name. The latest iterations of these motorcycles along with Suzuki’s full lineup of Boulevard cruisers, DualSport models, scooters, and KingQuad ATVs will all be present at AIMExpo this October.

8 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

In addition to its display in the Main Hall at the Orange County Convention Center and its demo presence at AIMExpo Outdoors, Suzuki will also use AIMExpo as an opportunity to conduct VIP activities with dealers where they will not only have a chance to be educated on the new performance capabilities, but also experience these enhancements firsthand. Suzuki sees the event as an ideal way to connect with both current and prospective dealers.

“We are very excited to be a founding participant at the first ever AIMExpo event,” said Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. Motorcycle/ATV vice president, Larry Vandiver. “The unique format and location of the AIMExpo gives Suzuki the opportunity to showcase our class-leading product to not only the public and the media, but it also gives us an opportunity to host our dealer network and invite them to share in some VIP experiences with us while attending the show.”

AIMExpo will be held on October 16-20, 2013 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit the AIMExpoUSA.com website, and stay tuned to MPN for more AIMExpo news. t

> Yamaha Motor Corp. Raises $60,000 for Feed the Children Oklahoma Relief Fund Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. recently raised $60,000 through generous donations from its dealers at a charity auction to benefit the Feed the Children Oklahoma Relief Fund.

Inside the Industry Feed the Children is one of Yamaha Motor Corporation’s official corporate charities. Due to the recent tragic events in Oklahoma, Yamaha spurred its employees and dealer network to action at its recent national dealer meeting in Las Vegas.

Racing memorabilia, including helmets, leathers, gloves, autographed racing bodywork and more, was auctioned off to attending dealers. All of the money raised will go to the relief fund.

“Yamaha is proud to support the Feed the Children Oklahoma Relief Fund, and honored to work with such a great network of dealers who are ready and willing to help those in need,” said Bob Starr, general manager of national communications for Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. “Yamaha dealers are huge racing fans, and they generously opened their wallets to bid on some very special memorabilia — all with a focus on helping provide relief to the victims of the terrible devastation that resulted from the tornadoes in Oklahoma.”

Yamaha has worked with Feed the Children for more than 10 years, raising several hundred thousand dollars and feeding tens of thousands of children. Feed the Children is an international and nonprofit relief organization that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack those essentials. t

“Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice gets it. They clearly see this as the future platform for the motorcycle industry,” said Larry Little, Marketplace Events motorcycle group VP and general manager. “We sincerely appreciate their comprehensive participation and admire their creative, thoughtful utilization of this new show platform.”

Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice Announces Strong Presence At American International Motorcycle Expo American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) has announced that Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice has committed to a strong presence at the inaugural AIMExpo.

The distributor will take advantage of the opportunity to meet with media and dealers during the show’s dedicated trade days. Texas-based Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice will showcase several of its key brands including Speed and Strength, Firstgear, Twin Power, Answer, ProTaper and others.

“We’re all pretty excited here about having the opportunity to take the plunge into something truly new that has the potential to have a profound positive effect on the industry. We really need this,” said Hank Desjardins, VP marketing, Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice. “We think the timing of the show will give dealers a valuable jump on 2014 in terms of planning their product assortments well in advance of the season. There’s even time to take advantage of what the dealers see at the show for the upcoming holiday season.”

In addition, Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice will connect its brands to consumers through national retailer and AIMExpo exhibitor Cycle Gear. The retailer will stock an ample inventory of Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice leading brands, ensuring consumers have the opportunity to purchase from the lineup during the consumer days of the show.

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 9

Inside the Industry Added Desjardins, “We see the AIMExpo model as the true future for the industry. The opportunity to highlight our key brands by revealing new products to the assembled media; interacting with and educating dealers and consumers about our product lines; and doing it all in one place at one time, at the right time of the year shouldn’t be revolutionary, but it is! And best of all, the show concept is sure to energize both powersports dealers and consumers in a way that we’ve not seen in North America.” t

> Gart Sutton & Associates Announces Fall Schedule of Management Courses Gart Sutton & Associates Inc. (GSA) has announced its fall schedule of two-day management workshops. As part of the In-Depth Dealership Education, Accountability & Leadership education system, these classes are designed for department managers, general managers and dealer principals.

“Learning a process does nothing unless it gets implemented and maintained,” said Steve Jones, course developer and trainer.

Students will learn the latest best business processes to increase productivity, profitability and customer retention. They will analyze actual dealer 20-club data composites to gain knowledge of the measurements required for effective management and employee accountability. GSA provides current dealer and industry benchmarks as baselines for goal-setting

10 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

and performance tracking.

The workshops also cover personnel management components such as recruiting, hiring and motivating employees. Participants receive comprehensive workbooks and CDs containing forms and job aids.

“We’ve worked hard to bring together some of the best training materials and combined them with the latest thinking of topperforming dealers,” said Steve Dodds, a GSA trainer and consultant. “We did this because you don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel, but you need to make it better every time.”

Interested dealers can view the Fall schedule and learn more at www.gartsutton.com. t

> Suzuki Motor of America Hires PR Coordinator Suzuki Motor of America Inc. (SMAI) recently hired Frankie Garcia for the newly created position of PR coordinator. In this role, Garcia will work closely with motorcycle journalists covering both the off-road and street motorcycle markets.

“Suzuki has a great opportunity right now to share its new products with the media,” said Garcia. “I’m excited to get started and help communicate all the great features and performance of the Suzuki product line to the media.”

Garcia began riding motorcycles when he was just two years old. He’s raced everything from motocross events to the famed Daytona 200 road race. Garcia most recently worked for MotorcycleUSA.com as a writer and test rider. t

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 10

ADP Lightspeed Dealer Management Solutions are designed to help manage dealer operations by tracking and storing data from every department and delivering information that will assist dealerships in making successful business decisions.

Every night, more than 1,600 Lightspeed powersports dealers automatically transmit their information to a collective database held at the ADP Lightspeed offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. Summaries and aggregated reports are available to dealers for both current tracking and historical research.

This helps you know how your dealership is performing compared to other dealers across the country.

Parts and major unit inventory information is gathered and used in the highly successful Lightspeed Dealership Locator program. This program is designed for dealers to post obsolete inventory, allowing other dealers from across the country to locate hard-to-find parts and units.

ADP Lightspeed stands ready to work with all parties and move the industry to new levels of understanding, and ultimately to more efficient and profitable operations.

For questions regarding this report or to inquire about a custom report, please contact Lightspeed Data Services at (800) 521-0309.

Powersports Dealer New Units in Stock

June 2013 1,646 Lightspeed Dealers, Distribution of Units by Type and Model Year Prior to 2012 Model Year

2013 Model Year

10% 14% 76% ATV 4% 10% 86% Utility Vehicle 12% 22% 66% Off-Road Motorcycle 10% 22% 68% On-Road Motorcycle 12% 22% 66% Snowmobile 18% 16% 66%

www.adplightspeed.com

Scooter

12 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

2012 Model Year

BEST

Operators CLUB

By Steve Jones

Does Your Dealership Hire Experienced, SalesFocused Counter People?

I

know it sounds like a broken record, but the best keep getting better. The Top 5 keep growing sales year-over-year. They are also holding a strong 26 percent gross profit margin for the overall store.

It is good to see that margins have increased for the group and the National Norm as well.

The parts, garments and accessories (PG&A) department is a very important part of your overall business. As you can see, it provides between a 1/4 and 1/3 of the overall store gross profit. Having well-trained staff with the proper attitude and aptitude for their positions in this department is critical to maximizing your return on investment. Do a little analysis of your own operation. Has your parts manager been through parts management training? Is he or she implementing all the processes necessary for this department such as printing reports on slowmoving inventory and monitoring margins and turns by category? Is there an open-to-buy process for maintaining and controlling inventory levels? Is PG&A properly categorized in your computer so you can track sales by category effectively?

In part one of the department numbers, we see some reduction in volume for the group and the National Norm dealers. However, the Top 5 have increased sales as compared with last year. The number for PG&A per vehicle sold seems low, but keep in mind that it is relative to unit sales. As unit sales go up, the average PG&A per unit tends to decrease and vice versa.

Margins are something you should continuously monitor. They look good for the group and National Norm until you see how much better they are for the

CHART 1 Total Store Stats Total Store Sales Year to Date

GROUP NORM

TOP 5 DEALERS

NATIONAL NORM

$2.7 mil.

$4.0 mil.

$3.7 mil.

0.2%

20.2%

-3.4%

Total Store Gross Margin Percent

23.8%

26.3%

25.6%

Gross Margin Percent for Previous Year

21.2%

26.2%

24.2%

27.9%

33.9%

25.3%

Total Store Sales Change from Previous Year

Contribution to Total Store Gross Profit: PG&A Department Logged Working Contacts: Percent of Change

-9.1%

19.4%

1.1%

Door Swings: Percent of Change from Previous Year

-11.5%

17.0%

-8.5%

Gross Profit per Employee Year to Date

$47,493

$61,190

$54,764

GROUP NORM

TOP 5 DEALERS

NATIONAL NORM

-2.4%

8.8%

-3.9%

from Previous Year

CHART 2

Part 1

PC&A Dept Stats – Part 1 PG&A Sales Change from Previous Year

$801

$1,085

$768

Parts Margin

35.3%

41.2%

34.7%

Clothing/Access. Margin

30.6%

35.7%

30.5%

Gross Profit

38.7%

22.2%

34.6%

Change in Department Selling Margin from Previous Year

-0.1%

1.6%

-0.4%

GROUP NORM

TOP 5 DEALERS

NATIONAL NORM

-9.9%

12.7%

0.5%

Operating Profit Percent Change from Previous Year

-0.7%

1.2%

-0.5%

Percent of Inventory Obsolete

15.5%

1.9%

8.9%

Parts Inventory Turn

5.1

7.8

4.5

Clothing/Access. Inventory Turn

2.2

3.2

2.6

Total PG&A Gross Profit Per Vehicle Sold

Personnel Expense as a Percent of Department

CHART 3

Part 2

PC&A Dept Stats – Part 1 Invoice Volume Percent of Change from Previous Year

Average Number of Customer-Facing Staff, Year to Date Gross Profit per PG&A Employee, Year to Date

14 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

3.6

5.4

4.6

$49,920

$66,752

$50,540

Top 5. Part of this is due to the Top 5 taking advantage of volume discounts and special purchase programs. Part of it is enforcing discounting policies. Part of it is minimizing slow moving inventory so you don’t have to discount it when it turns obsolete. By the way, these dealers do not discount parts to sales or service.

Otherwise, they would be unable to be compared with the rest of the dealers. If you want to compare with these numbers, you will have to adopt the same policies.

As I have said in the past, personnel expense as a percent of department gross profit is an important tool to determine your staffing levels and compensation programs. Check out the huge difference in this number between the group and National Norm compared with the Top 5. Anytime you can get good volume with high margins and keep personnel expenses under 30 percent for this department, you are doing good. 22 percent is phenomenal. Now,

look at the gross profit per employee in part two. The right people with the right training are what allow them to have low personnel expenses as a percent of department gross profit.

Part two shows a good increase in invoice volume for the Top 5. Part of this is due to the effectiveness of the counter staff. However, I suspect these dealers also market and promote their PG&A departments.

The obsolete inventory numbers are always somewhat flakey as they may have large quantities of product that has been written off for tax purposes.

However, you should be targeting 15 percent or less as a realistic figure for PG&A that has not turned once in 12 months. Once it hits this point, get rid of it — send it back, discount and sell it, donate it, or write it off and dumpster it.

Are you hiring minimum-wage counter people, or do you have trained salespeople in those positions? Look at the numbers for gross profit per employee —

how do you compare? This is where the rubber meets the road. Are they able to do the job? Do they need to be replaced? If they have the aptitude for the job and the proper attitude to do it well, consider providing ongoing training to keep them at their peak. 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. Access to the new Voyager 5 data reporting and analysis system is available to any dealership for nominal fee. For more information on GSA’s management workshops, data reporting system, dealer 20-groups, on-site consulting or training, send Steve an email at steve@gartsutton.com or visit www.gartsutton.com.

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 15

Black Book MarketWatch

By Ricky Beggs

Powersports Values Show Predictable Seasonal Shifts

T

he motorcycle and powersports market picks up right where we left off last month with numbers that look very similar to what we’ve seen in the previous couple of months. Values are up where they should be, but by very small amounts. Most segments (cruisers, off-road, on/off-road, scooter, street and utility bikes) are up between .5 and 1 percent with the following exceptions:

ATV

Cruiser

Jet Boats

Off-Road

0n/Off-Road

Scooter

Average Used Values

May to June Used Unit Value Change ATV Cruiser Jet Boat Off-Road On/Off-Road Scooter Snowmobile Street Utility Watercraft

May $3,561 $8,880 $18,232 $2,578 $5,067 $1,988 $4,109 $7,243 $7,117 $5,541

June $3,563 $8,973 $18,486 $2,582 $5,098 $2,008 $3,999 $7,316 $7,169 $5,616

16 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Percent Change 0.10% 1.00% 1.40% 0.20% 0.60% 1.00% -2.70% 1.00% 0.70% 1.40%

Snowmobile

Street

Utility

Watercraft

Personal watercraft and jet boats are up by 1.4 percent, reflecting the arrival of warmer weather. As expected, snowmobiles currently are non-players at the auction level, dropping another 2.7 percent this past month, and there’s even less activity on the retail side.

ATVs, which have been declining in value over the past several months, have risen slightly by .1 percent. While this is not a very large increase, and represents no change from last month, that is a major deviation from the large drops we have been reporting recently.

Even though they are not broken out individually from the street segment, sport bikes have also seen higher than average upwards changes in price, especially for clean, latemodel units.

The larger domestic V-Twins have also seen a bit higher than average price appreciation this month, while the smaller displacement units (think Sportsters) are only up slightly. t

TECH

Tips

Cyclepedia Press LLC

Scooter Maintenance

H

igh gas prices and a wider range of model types have elevated the scooter in American eyes. Large displacement maxi scooters like the Suzuki Burgman 650 have given scooters the power and comfort to be at home on American interstates and high-speed highways. Small displacement scooters are more efficient than ever with MPG ratings reaching into the triple digits.

With more and more scooters on the road racking up miles, there is a greater need for service work on these machines.



Scooter Maintenance Items Scooters need oil changes, air filter replacements and valve clearance inspections just like motorcycles — beyond this, they also have their own set of specific maintenance needs.



Accessing Components Scooters are usually covered up with bodywork. Often there will be built-in maintenance covers for accessing items like carburetors, batteries or spark plugs. Removing the cargo box under the seat often gives great access to the engine from above.



Servicing Exhaust On many scooters, the exhaust system must be removed to take off the rear wheel. Have new exhaust gaskets on hand, especially if you work on the same scooters often.





CVT and Centrifugal Clutch The centrifugal clutches wear over time. The clutch-shoe linings and drum inside diameter need to be inspected periodically and any time the clutch is slipping or failing to disengage.

Most scooters use a belt and pulley CVT system for an automatic transmission. The belt condition should be inspected regularly. Often there are specifications for minimum belt width and maximum deflection. Pay particular attention to the direction of the belt rotation. Make sure the pulley faces are clean and smooth. Check for oil, water and dirt contamination of the belt and pulleys.

18 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News





Final Drive Lubrication The CVT on the scooter doesn’t directly drive the rear axle. A final reduction gear set transmits the power from the CVT to the rear axle. This gear set must be lubricated with gear oil, which oil should be changed regularly. Hypoid gear oil is often the specified lubricant for these gear sets.





Oil Injection System Scooters are some of the last remaining street vehicles that use 2-stroke engines. The 2-stroke scooters do not have recirculated engine oil; they use a total loss oil injection system. The oil tank must not be allowed to run dry. If the oil tank runs dry, or if the oil lines are disconnected, air can get in the oil injection system and block the flow of oil even if the tank is refilled. The oil lines need to have the air bled out any time the lines are disconnected or the tank is run dry.





Brakes Scooters brakes have about as much in common with ATVs as they do motorcycles. Unlike a motorcycle, scooters often have parking brakes that need periodic adjustment. Linked brakes are very common in scooters, and these systems can have specific air bleeding instructions. In addition, scooters have a brake switch to prevent the engine from starting if a brake is not applied. If the scooter engine refuses to start, this switch should not be overlooked. Consult the service manual for the particular model for brake system inspection and maintenance information. t

 Cyclepedia Press LLC authors powersports service manuals, a specification database and training modules to help technicians efficiently service ATVs, motorcycles, scooters and side-by-sides. Each month, Cyclepedia examines real life shop scenarios with recommended tech tips for handling the problems encountered. For more information about Cyclepedia manuals and professional products, visit www.cyclepedia.com.

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 19

PEAK

Dealership PERFORMANCE

By Mark Rodgers

Nothing Like a Good Deal Skills and Plans to Perfect Your Negotiating Style

M

y last article covered several key negotiating concepts including the price/value customer continuum, tactics to avoid, and ways to link the relationship to price and customer experience. Here are a few more components to consider before getting into specific tactics.

Design, Develop and Articulate Your Inimitable Marketplace Superiority Why should someone do business with you and not another dealership? I go through this exercise with hundreds of dealerships every year, and you’d be shocked at how many dealers can’t answer that question.

Incidentally, having a “great selection,” “friendly staff” and a reputation as a “dealer who cares” don’t count as three reasons.

Understand Your Product Mix I always like to sort motorcycle inventory conceptually into three categories: fastmovers, high-potential and at-risk. The fastmovers are the bikes I know are going to sell at full-margin without any additional incentive. High-potential units are ones I think can sell at a great margin without additional incentive, and at-risk refers to those units that cost me flooring space and often require additional incentive to move.

Build Value; Don’t Discount Price What’s valuable to a customer? Well, customers have different triggers. But if you can save them time, energy, effort and stress while teaching them something or making them feel important, you’ve created value adds.

I’m also a fan of packaging additional products and services that will enhance the customer’s experience: same-day service turnaround, gear or accessory packages, or promotional pricing on eligible back-end protection such as service contracts or maintenance plans. What about a two-year

service contract for $1?

I know that your accountant would call this a price reduction in that the cost of these items need to come from the gross margin of the motorcycle, but this is the lesser of two evils; it preserves the brand and price integrity, plus it makes doing business with you more distinct and harder to compare with other buying experiences.

Get Off the Floor and Into Your Office Your office should be a bastion of professional persuasion. Awards, certificates and diplomas must be displayed. Pictures and testimonials from deliriously happy customers should be seen. Keep the place neat, organized and show you know what you’re doing.

That way, the moment a customer asks, “What’s your best price?” you can reply, “I don’t know, let’s go talk about it.” And start walking toward your office.

Attempts at so-called “track-switching” can be problematic (as can any aspect of negotiation). “What’s your best price?” the customer growls. “Price is easy,” you smile.

“Finding the right bike is the hard part.”

“Great,” sneers the customer. “Then the hard work is over. How much for the Super Glide?”

You need a substantive contingency plan once you get into that office.

Keep the Bike in the Picture It’s important for the motorcycle to be a real entity and not an abstraction. For motorcycle people — both buyers and sellers — bikes are works of art. A constant reminder of that for both of you isn’t a bad idea.

Place the motorcycle in direct view of both of you, or pull out the biggest brochure beauty shot of the bike that you have, crease the brochure, and position it where you and the customer can see it. Keep the focus on that gorgeous motorcycle.

20 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Build Emotional Attachment Say something like, “Tell me what you really like about that 2013 Harley-Davidson Super Glide Custom — an excellent choice, by the way.”

Much like when your waiter tells you that you’ve made an excellent choice after ordering the salmon, you’re using flattery as a persuasion tool when you tell your potential buyer that the bike he or she is considering is an excellent choice. Everyone, even when they know it is being used, is powerless against it.

By asking customers to reiterate their attraction to a specific bike, you’re actually asking them to sell that motorcycle to themselves. When they publicly proclaim what they like about something, they’re going on the record. And, according to research, that means they’re less likely to change their minds.

Ensure the Fit: Physical, Aesthetic and Financial Your job as a salesperson is to make sure the motorcycle fits the customer physically, aesthetically and financially. At this point in the negotiation, you want to reiterate the conversations you’ve already had, ensuring that you have conceptual agreement on the bike and the purchase specifics.

If you haven’t had these conversations or taken these actions yet, go back and do so. In sales, as in cooking, sequence matters. Here’s how to move to the next sequence in the negotiation process: “OK, so you’ve sat on the motorcycle, taken it for a ride and are certain that this bike fits you physically. Is that correct?” If the customer’s answer is no, there might be customizations needed to make the seat, handlebars or pegs fit.

“I’ve already mentioned that our savviest customers put 20 to 25 percent down ... ” Always use substantial down payment figures. It’s better for customers

because they will build equity quicker, and even if they don’t have 25 percent to put down, they might have 15 percent. That’s heaps better than zero percent.

“As I explained earlier, a real-world, fully-protected monthly payment estimate, including approximates for gear, accessories and typical coverage on a purchase like this, would be between $430 and $450.” It’s imperative that you disclose any monthly payment estimate that includes items besides the motorcycle.

“Finally, you understand that we require a good faith deposit of $1,000?

And if everything works out, you’re prepared to do that today, correct?”

Here’s why these expectation framing financial conversations need to be had during the purchase process: You don’t want any surprises. Service consultant Galen Royer likes to say, “If you have to go ugly, go ugly early.” He’s right. You don’t want to get five customer visits into the sales process with a $25,000 motorcycle and then have that customer think he can get away with a monthly payment of $110.

State your price simply and confidently.

Don’t refer to it as an asking price. That just invites drama.

For a fast-moving or high-potential bike: “This motorcycle is $14,999, plus freight and setup. As we discussed, a real-world, fully-protected monthly payment estimate, including approximates for gear, accessories and typical coverage, would be between $430 and $450.”

For an at-risk motorcycle: “This motorcycle costs $14,999, plus freight and setup.

As we discussed, a real-world, fully-protected monthly payment estimate, including approximates for gear, accessories and typical coverage, would be between $430 and $450. You should also know that this week on this motorcycle we are offering your choice of a $750 value package. You can choose $750 of gear, accessories or protection packages.”

Stuttering and stammering your way through this process indicates that you’re not sold on your position.

Be prepared for your customer to say, “I can do better somewhere else.” Ask this of the potential buyer who says that: “Are you looking for a cheap price on a motorcycle or a great all-around buying experience?”

The buyer will most likely respond that he or she wants a great experience.

Cue your next line: “That’s exactly why people do business with us! We’re ranked

in the top 10 percent in the country for customer satisfaction. We provide same-day service, and when you buy from us, you get not only my personal cell phone number, but also our dealership principal’s cell number. So if you have questions, you always have someone to call for answers.

“If all you’re looking for is a cheap price, I can guarantee you that you’ll be able to buy this motorcycle for less somewhere else. But if you really want a great dealership experience, there is no place better than right here.”

And if the customer insists that you match someone else’s discounted price or threatens to walk if you don’t, let him walk.

You can’t afford that person’s business. And I don’t mean financially; I mean psychologically. This person is going to grind you on everything. Why? You taught him to.

Leverage Quid Pro Quo Offer to waive the freight charge but tell the customer it involves a quid pro quo – a Latin term meaning “this for that.” Say something like this: “We’ll waive the freight and setup fees, and you write us a testimonial about how much you enjoyed

doing business with our store. Fair enough?” Feel free to substitute “referral” for “testimonial.”

Never give without getting. Be willing to respond to tough negotiators like: “You’d like a lower price? What included in the value package are you willing to forego?

The roadside assistance? The tires for life?

Having the dealership principal’s phone number?”

You won’t win every battle, but it’s unacceptable not to be prepared. So lose the “What do I have to do to put you on this bike today?” vibe, and develop the skills and plans to negotiate strongly. Your accountant, your employees and your customers will be glad you did. 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@peakdealershipperformance.com to improve your performance.

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 21

WebSAVVY E

very dealership has a quality that’s uniquely its own. In some cases, this trait is a specialty service or product; in others, the business culture makes the dealership stand out from the rest. Whatever your unique value proposition is, you need to capitalize on it in all of your sales and marketing efforts.

Dealers come to our marketing team for help with strategy, and they begin rattling off a bunch of information about their business, which generally includes the percentage of sales in new and pre-owned vehicles, service and PG&A. This is need-to-know information; however, it is likely that a competitor has a similar business model.

In order to help the dealer define who they are, we ask them to “tell us what is unique about your dealership.” If that question stumps you, this article will help you answer the question and provide you with ideas on how to execute marketing initiatives that promote your unique qualities.

Let’s start with these questions: • Does your dealership have an interesting history?

• How do your customers perceive your dealership?

• Are you known for your wide selec-

By Heather Blessington

What’s Your Unique Value Proposition? tion of a particular brand, vehicle or product?

• What do you sell or service that can’t be easily found elsewhere?

Next, let’s focus on the types of dealerships which are common, so you can see where you fit in: Family-Owned: Many dealerships are handed down through the generations and include employees that are family members.

Oftentimes, these dealerships bear the family name. There is a great upside to marketing longstanding family businesses; they tend to be committed to the industry and have loyal customers because they have established a business reputation over decades that drives repeat business.

Event-Driven: Are events a core part of your marketing strategy? Dealerships that regularly organize rides, host holiday parties and throw wild events starring bikini babes have established a social culture for their customers. These dealerships are giving their customers what they want. And when they sell a bike, they are selling a lifestyle that they help nurture and support.

Local Destinations: Some dealerships are designed to be showcases with amazing ex-

terior architecture, interior displays or by virtue of their massive square footage. The attractive appearance of these dealerships makes them a destination for riders near and far. A showcase doesn’t mean that the dealership has to be bright, shiny and new.

We have all seen and heard about businesses that have been built around the culture of the city or state in which they reside.

Often, the exterior is “down home,” which draws customers in based on its welcoming, approachable appearance.

Charismatic Leadership: Some dealers are successful because the leaders and/or staff have genuine charisma. These individuals make others feel at ease by entertaining or humoring them. As a result, people naturally gravitate and trust them. When a dealership is led with the charismatic charm of a particular person, that leader is essentially the dealership. They are the brand. They are what drives customers through the door and keeps them coming back for more.

Specialty: Examples of dealers capitalizing on specialty markets would be ones that exclusively sell pre-owned vehicles, one-of-a-kind customized bikes or unique brands that are not readily available. In the right market, building a reputation around

a specialty is usually very successful and lucrative when marketed strategically with a consistent message.

Market It: Once you’ve defined your unique value proposition — exploit it in every way possible! Model your marketing strategy around it, and you will reap the rewards of success. Here are a few examples of dealerships that have made the most of their unique value proposition.

Laidlaw’s Harley: This dealership kicks out a monthly event calendar to promote its daily specials (yes, I said daily), promotions and happenings. Their MVP membership program allows customers to take advantage of special rewards weekly. The service center offers gift cards for customers who bring in their bikes for regularly scheduled service, and they organize weekend rides to keep their customers connected. Customers are accustomed to their packed calendar of events, which drives them to the website to check out what they can take advantage of each month, or to their Facebook page, which has garnered 4,000-plus fans.

Woods Cycle Country: One specialty of Woods Cycle Country is custom ATVs, which tend to sell before they hit the showroom floor. Good for business, but not great for marketing. An idea here is to utilize a blog and YouTube channel to show the work in progress, educate ATV fans on the specialty parts they utilize, and showcase the features they build into their machines.

This strategy ultimately perpetuates their marketing message: when it comes to custom ATVs, no one does it better than Woods Cycle Country.

Another unique strategy is this dealership’s presence on social media channels, particularly Facebook and Pinterest. The sheer volume of images shared with their fans is amazing, and the high-level of inter-

action on their posts is what every dealer should strive to achieve. It is common for a simple image of a racer or muscle car to receive 40-plus likes, not to mention steady shares and comments. Woods Cycle Counrty doesn’t even sell cars, but the dealer has tapped into common interests. Customers regularly talk about what they saw on the dealership social media channels when they visit the dealership — how’s that for ROI? Road Track and Trail: The tagline accompanying this dealership’s name is central to their marketing strategy since it states their unique value proposition plain and simple: The World’s Largest Pre-Owned Powersports Dealership.

Road Track and Trail is located in a small town outside of Milwaukee, Wis., but this

doesn’t deter Chicagoans from taking a drive up to check out their inventory — precisely because the tagline promises that the trip will be worth their while.

I hope these examples have provided you with some new ideas to ponder for your dealership’s marketing strategy.

Keep yourself focused on what makes your dealership unique and you are sure to achieve success. t

Award-winning blogger and CEO of Duo Web Solutions, Heather Blessington is a nationally-renowned speaker on social media marketing and a digital marketing veteran.

Her company provides MPN monthly columns focused on best practices in Web marketing for powersports dealers.

&

Finance Insurance

By Steve Dodds II

Dealership Tour: Why Should F&I Care?

A

customer’s mood and perception of the deal has a huge effect on what they buy in the finance office. The question becomes, “How can we best control a customer’s mood and perception while they are in the dealership?”

The most important thing is to keep the customer from waiting around without knowing what’s going on. A couple of things happen when they stand around. First, your customer tends to ask your sales staff, “How much longer is this going to take?” When that happens, the salesperson will usually reply, and I quote, “About five more minutes.” It’s never just five more minutes, is it? About the third time the salesperson gives some variation of this answer, the customer gets upset. This gets the salesperson upset. This gets the sales manager upset, and he or she will hurry the customer into finance. As I am sure you would agree, when finance is rushed and the customer is hurried it costs money.

I am here to tell you there is a better way.

The most profitable dealerships in the nation keep the customer occupied while finance is getting the customer approved, loading the deal and prepping paperwork (which takes time). They do this by giving them a dealership tour.

A dealership tour is the simple process of having the customer visit all departments in the dealership. Here is how it should go down.

As soon as a customer agrees to make a major unit purchase, the customer file goes to finance to pull the customer’s credit file. After finance has checked the customer’s debt ratio and looked over the finance application for legibility and accuracy, etc., the finance manager meets the customer, and they make small

talk for a minute or so. Next, the finance person verifies the information on the credit application. In order for the application to be processed quickly, you must have information that is accurate and complete. The last thing finance does is give the customer a realistic estimation as to how long it will be before he or she will be ready to complete their paperwork. This timeframe should give finance enough time to get an answer back from the bank, load all information into your DMS and generate the needed paperwork.

As soon as the finance manager is done with his or her first meeting with the customer, the salesperson introduces the customer to a member of the parts department. After the parts person has shown the customer everything that is available for their vehicle, planted a seed for your priority maintenance program and hopefully sold some parts, they deliver the customer to the service department.

A service writer or dedicated delivery person goes through all break-in procedures, vehicle operation and maintenance required. This is the perfect time for them to mention the maintenance program and/or service contract. (They plant the seed, but they don’t sell the program, finance will do that.) After service has gone over the customer’s new machine, they bring the customer back into the showroom and return them to the salesperson. The salesperson lets the finance manager know the customer is ready.

When finance is ready for the customer, they bring the customer into the office. At this time, finance sells their products and completes all paperwork.

24 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Now, instead of your finance manager rushing through the paperwork trying to make sure the customer doesn’t leave, he or she has: • Eliminated possible time-costing mistakes by verifying the customer’s information • Given the customer a realistic time expectation so he or she doesn’t ask the salesperson • Occupied the customer’s time by sending them to parts and service to buy accessories and go over the bike • Helped the customer take more mental ownership by having them buy gear and parts • Delivered the bike while waiting on finance to create more mental ownership • Planted seeds for maintenance and service contract sales through the parts and service departments After dealerships adopt this process, I usually hear that there are even more unforeseen advantages to the added communication and teamwork than they would have imagined. t

Steve Dodds II is a moderator, trainer and consultant for Gart Sutton and Associates with experience in every position in the sales and finance departments. Dealers rave about his ability to identify areas for improvement and implement the changes that produce superior results. If you have questions about what he or one of our other talented consultants can do for you, contact us at info@gartsutton.com.

THE

Service

MANAGER

By C.R. Gittere

F&I in the Service Department?

Not as Crazy as It Sounds

I

talk with service managers and dealer principles all day, and one common thread I hear this year is that business is slow in all departments and that the recovery seen in other industries is not happening yet in ours.

I pondered that thought the other day while I was out on my dirtbike and realized that we need to look at who our competition is. Some OEMs stay focused on each other as their main competitors, and while this is a valid thought process, I think the market has changed. After 2008, the amount of household disposable income plummeted. We need to reevaluate who our competition is, how they affect each one of our departments and how we can compete more creatively.

The reason why the powersports industry has not seen a recovery like many other industries is because, as a general rule of

26 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

thumb, we are not a necessity.

In the first quarter of this year, in certain regions of the country, people were spending money on guns because they were scared of losing them. Now that we are in the summer months, it is housebuying season as the country’s mortgage rates are at an all-time low. Consumers are spending their money on other items, and those items are our main competition. We are competing for each consumer’s disposable income.

As the economy tries to sputter back to life, many Americans are trying to strike that balance in their budget between perceived necessities and “toys.” Many of their toys are getting older, and with age comes higher repair bills. Higher repair bills mean more service sales, but more pain for your customer. As the price of new units keeps going up every year, the jump from old reliable to new

and flashy keeps getting bigger. That leaves our industry in a little bit of a conundrum. How do we put up the good fight for their money, keep the customer happy, keep them riding and not lose profit by lowering our prices?

Many consumers come into the service department tight on cash, or they simply do not want to open their wallets to fix their units. I think many times our service departments take the easy way out and reduce the number of hours they bill the customer on a specific job. I think it’s because they just want to make the customer happy, and it’s easier to say, “I know this seems like a lot of money, Mr. Customer, so we can probably do it for this.”

I find this most troublesome in departments that are not commission-based.

This, of course, ultimately leads to an unprofitable department and the dealer principle losing his shirt.

I do consulting work for a dealer whose clientele fall into the low-to middle income range. This particular dealer has found a nice solution for the “I can’t

pay that much” conversation. Instead of just giving in and lowering their price, they call their F&I department.

F&I in the service department? Yup, they are working with Regional Finance Lending, a company that will do small, individual loans to help pay for needed repairs. Regional Finance specializes in personal loans and focuses on the automotive vertical.

Regional Finance can help the consumer with a serious auto repair bill like a transmission or engine overhaul that can amount to thousands of dollars in repairs. After having a few chats with the regional manager, the dealer in question struck a deal that allows their service department to stop giving in to the customer and do what’s best for the business while saying, “We can help you get back on the road this summer.”

There are several national companies that offer this kind of lending, such as Spring Leaf Financial and One Main Finance. These companies specialize in small, personal loans that are geared to-

ward short-term financing. There might be other regional companies in your area doing this type of lending, so go ask your F&I department the next time your customer winces at a repair bill. You might be surprised how they can help.

This type of personal loan is not the cheapest option for your customer, but instead of rolling over and lowering your price, give this a shot. You never know what resources people can come up with given a choice. If we don’t find a way to help them fix their unit, they may get disenfranchised with our toys and spend their money on something else. t

C.R. Gittere and the Service Manager Pro team specialize in service department efficiency, elevating customer service and increasing department profitability. His monthly column focuses on best practices and unique ways to get the most out of your service department.

More information about Service Manager Pro can be found at www.servicemanagerpro.com.

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 27

PWC UPDATE Yamaha Wraps Up Trade-In Program Aimed to Garner More Buyers

Y

amaha continues to head into the 2013 season in aggressive fashion. In late March, the brand announced a certified pre-owned program that promised to both encourage owners to upgrade and help dealers capture a chunk of the expansive used market. Shortly after that news, Yamaha announced a financing program that targets rental operations. The latest? In June, the manufacturer launched a rather unique, one-month-long trade-in allowance promotion aimed at encouraging owners of any brand of personal watercraft to trade up to a new 2012 or 2013 WaveRunner.

Yes, Yamaha wants Sea-Doo and Kawasaki owners to trade in their crafts for a shiny new Yamaha. Now they’re offering a cash incentive to do so.

Like previous initiatives, the “Trade Up to a New Yamaha WaveRunner” program was designed first and foremost to drive repeat buyers to dealerships and to provide those dealers with a pool of used watercraft that can be used in the certified pre-owned program. The program allowed dealers to provide customers between $300 to $500 trade-in allowance on any brand of watercraft when they purchased a new Yamaha WaveRunner. The full $500 credit was reserved for 2012 and 2013 FZR, FZS, FX

SHO, and FX Cruiser SHO models. The $400 credit was given for ’12 and ’13 VXR, VXS, FX HO, and FX Cruiser HO models, and the $300 credit reserved for the ’12 and ’13 VX Sport, VX Deluxe, and VX Cruiser.

The process was relatively straightforward. Interested customers first logged in to a designated website, www.tradeupwaverunner.com, where they filled out a serialized coupon form, including the model and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the craft they planned to trade. The coupon could then be printed out to take to the dealer. There was no need for the customer to tell the dealer up front; they were free to negotiate their best deal, including the trade-in, on a new 2012 or 2013 WaveRunner, eliminating any concerns that a dealer would just factor the incentive into how low they were willing to drop on the new model. Once the deal was agreed upon, the customer could then present the coupon to receive the additional $300 to $500 trade-in credit. The bill of sale clearly showed that the $300 to $500 trade-in credit had been deducted from the purchase price. The trade-up allowance was limited to one trade-in unit per new unit purchased.

28 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

As to the dealer’s requirements, they needed to mail in a claim form, along with the customer’s serialized coupon and bill of sale. The dealer then received a corresponding trade-in credit on the dealer parts account. Of note, the trade-in allowance was offered in addition to all current Yamaha national sales programs.

According to Jimmy Wallace, general sales manager at Clearwater, Fla.’s Cycle Springs Powersports, the added incentive works. “The program definitely appealed to customers with trade-ins,” he noted. “And it did close deals for us, mainly where trade-in value was an objection.”

As of press time, Yamaha has not indicated whether they planned to extend the program, which ended on June 30. t

Dealership PRIORITIES

By Sam Dantzler

212 Degrees: A Business Concept

A

t 212 degrees, water boils. Boiling water creates steam,

and steam can move a train across the country. The average steam-powered passenger locomotive runs between 65 and 80 mph. Question: How fast can it go at 211 degrees? Answer: 0 mph. It doesn’t just go a little slower, it simply doesn’t go at all. This may be my favorite concept in business.

In a 20-club about 10 years ago, we had a member who was consistently putting up big numbers in F&I. Her dealership had PUS (per unit sold — this is all units, not just per vehicle financed) that ran north of $2,300 on a regular basis. This was attained when the nation’s average was just above $1,000 PUS. For a variety of reasons, she had three different F&I managers in the seat in the same year. It was a high-volume dealership, and all three people were brand-new to F&I. During that time, her F&I numbers never dipped below $1,800 PUS. When I asked her how she maintained such a high PUS with that kind of turnover, her response was, “A freakin’ monkey can get $1,800!” You can imagine the response in the room particularly when some of the other attendees had average numbers at best.

She had figured out a way to get $1,800 PUS from every contract that went across the desk, no matter the talent level in the chair. It was 100 percent process-driven, to which we had a significant conversation about talent versus process. Her process started with the planting of seeds for F&I products on the floor, long before an offer had come in. The deal was then penciled to set up F&I for success. Prior to signing the papers, the customer was taken to the service department, where a technician, not a typical salesperson, was plugging the priority maintenance plan. By the time the customer got back to the F&I office, the system had taken that deal to a $1,800 PUS average, and the employee never said one word. The talent of the individual could escalate that number a few hundred bucks, taking it up to the store’s comfortable average of $2,300 PUS. We’ve watched many stores get to 211 degrees with talent alone. We’ve also seen plenty of them get to 211 solely with process, lacking a single dynamic individual in the entire store.

If you’re dependent on the person to get the store to 211, what happens when the person leaves? Profits are lost, inventories pile up, and departments crumble until that next person comes to pick up the pieces. A store running at 211 with process and the right person; however, is prime to explode in a good way.

That right person outperforms the benchmarks with profits and

30 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

inventory turns. When that person leaves — and they ultimately will — the department then returns to a very good process, running comfortably at 211 degrees until the next talent is found.

Examples of good process include: • Compliance with a traffic log • Customer contact and follow-up in sales • Tracking of traffic log to transaction ratios • Turnover from sales to F&I • Menu selling in F&I • Customer path or “ticket to ride” coming out of F&I • Tracking upsells and add-ons in PG&A • Open to buy systems tracking inventory turns • Green lane work in service • Inspect and report in service • Filing warranty claims • Pre-delivery inspections • Customer follow-up from service work The only way to perform at 212 degrees is to have very good people complimenting a very good, pre-existing process. Remember that it’s much easier to put a person into an existing process than to attempt to drive a process into a person. t

Sam was brought on board to Lemco as a sales and F&I trainer in 2001, where he quickly became the director of training and ultimately became a partner in the buyout of 2005. He went solo in early 2009 and now moderates seven 20-Clubs, and also consults and conducts in-dealership training. He continues to do contract work with Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Polaris, Club Car and Arctic Cat as well.

DESTINATION

Dealership

By Matthew Bemer

Capital City Scooters A Community’s Passion is Contagious I

n 2008, Capital City Scooters in Columbus, Ohio, opened its doors despite a lack of scooter inventory.

Instead, it opened to service scooters and sell tiki items, shop memorabilia and apparel. This may not seem like a solid start to a business, but to Capital City Scooters co-founder and owner Caitlin Didier, this was big news. Weeks before the shop opened its doors, Caitlin’s husband and business partner, Gary Didier, suffered a fatal heart attack.

“To be totally honest, I was ready to go with him. He was the absolute love of my life,” said Caitlin. “It didn’t even occur to me that we would open.”

All Things Scooters Two years earlier, in 2006, Caitlin and Gary purchased their first scooter and fell in love with all things surrounding the two-wheeled vehicle. Like many of Capital City Scooters’ customers, the choice to buy a scooter came from a need for an efficient way of commuting around town.

And, like many of Capital City Scooters’

customers, owning a scooter looked like tons of fun.

“My husband purchased a scooter for work, and I wanted one, too, because they looked so fun,” said Caitlin. “So, we bought a pair of scooters for our fifth wedding anniversary.”

The Didiers took a 700-mile scooter trip to Kansas after they purchased two Honda Metropolitans, and soon after the trip, the two discovered a local enthusiast group in Columbus called the Columbus Cutters.

It was there that they met fellow scooterists and attended the Scoot-AQue scooter festival. The Didiers immersed themselves in Columbus’ scooter culture, and after meeting lifelong friends through scootering, Gary and Cailtin founded their own scooter enthusiast club, the Easy Peasey Scooter Posse.

It Takes a Community Gary was working at a scooter shop in Columbus when the owner approached him with an opportunity to set him up

32 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

with a scooter franchise. Gary and Caitlin jumped at the chance and began plans to start a scooter shop with a focus on the scooter community and lifestyle.

Caitlin began looking seriously for a place to open Capital City Scooters and quickly drew up a business plan — the store would sell Sym Scooters first and then expand to Genuine Scooters and eventually Vespa.

“We found a great space about a mile from our house,” said Caitlin. “We spent two or three months renovating the inside to get everything ready to open.”

One week before the shop’s slated opening date, Gary passed away and Caitlin found herself in a tough place.

During that time, the scooter community stepped up and joined Gary and Caitlin’s family to help support Caitlin and Capital City Scooters.

The Columbus Cutters and the Easy Peasey Scooter Posse both attended Gary’s funeral, and in the weeks after, pitched in to help Caitlin and Chris open the shop.

“Scooterists stopped by in those weeks and helped put up a wall or paint or do whatever we needed help with,” says Caitlin. “The show of support was astonishing.”

Additionally, Chris Dieder, Gary’s son, offered to move to Columbus to help Caitlin open and run the shop’s service department.

“Chris has an automotive technology degree,” explained Caitlin. “Four days after the funeral, Chris got in his car and moved up here. He’s been pivotal to the success of this shop and the service department. He’s really helped build our clientele here. He’s a saint.”

On Dec. 22, 2008, Capital City Scooters had its soft opening, but the shop

had no scooters to sell “We weren’t able to sell scooters until May 2009 when we were able to show that we were signed on as a dealer,” said Caitlin.

That didn’t stop the scooter community from supporting the newly opened shop.

“A lot of people came out and bought T-shirts, tikis and toys or anything else we had to sell around the shop,” said Caitlin.

More Than a Shop Capital City Scooters is currently a SYM and Genuine dealer and carries GMax helmets and Fly Race gear. The shop also carries goggles, balaclavas, scooter covers, trickle chargers, locks, chrome accessories and more.

“When we designed the shop, we wanted it to be a destination for scooterists and embody the scooter lifestyle,” said Caitlin. “So we have a little sitting area with coffee, and on Saturday mornings it will be filled with scooterists hanging out before going on a ride.”

Capital City Scooters is also active within the local community and supports local businesses, festivals, clubs and events. The Scoot-A-Que opening meetand-greet is being held at Capital City Scooters, and this year marks the event’s 16th anniversary.

Community is everything for Capital City Scooters. In the winter, the shop shows movies to combat cabin fever. During riding season, the shop encourages riders to play scooter tag, a game that involves taking pictures of your scooter at a local landmark, posting the image to the shop’s Facebook page and challenging others to replicate the picture.

Capital City Scooters also partners with local businesses such as Mikey’s Late Night and Jeni’s Ice Cream, who both rely on vehicles that Capital City Scooters services. The shop also partners with the Columbus Crew fan club and Ohio Roller Girls. Word of mouth drives the majority of sales, and Caitlin points out that the shop receives a lot of word of mouth support from the LGBT community in Columbus.

Beyond marketing through word of mouth, Capital City Scooters advertises in locally owned businesses and has a strong social media presence on Facebook, Yelp, Foursquare and Google+.

Early on, the shop marketed to Ohio State University’s campus, but found that the market wasn’t there. “I don’t know if it’s because so many of the students are transient or cash-poor, but we just haven’t had a whole lot of luck marketing towards students thus far,” said Caitlin.

Capital City Scooters even extends beyond the scooter community. “I actually have customers that come in to town once a month to see a local band playing next door at Rumba Café, and they’ll always check to see if I have new tiki.

They’re not scooterists — I’m they’re tiki destination. It’s not paying the bills but it’s a lot of fun,” said Caitlin.

don’t know if I would.”

Caitlin and the Capital City Scooters team go beyond the sale to complement the scooterist’s lifestyle and build relationships with the passenger scooter community. “I don’t think I’ve met a more amazing type of person than a scooterist. They’re just so fun and adventurous and loyal.”

It’s those feelings about her customers that drive her dealership’s business. “Be honest and passionate about your work,” said Caitlin. “Our customers feel that when they bring their scooter in for service or repair, they’re not going to be taken advantage of or charged for unnecessary work. I’m also a low pressure sales person and encourage people to buy what they love.” And, when customers love what they buy, business repeats and in Caitlin’s case, a community forms. t

Capital City Scooters Today Capital City Scooters has recently hired a third employee because things have been busy around the shop. “We’ve pretty much doubled our sales every year since we’ve opened,” said Caitlin. But, sales are only one way that Caitlin measures her success. “Sometimes I stand back and think, ‘Would I ever know this person if I didn’t have scooters?’ and I

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 33

By Robin Hartfiel

Is It Time to Crank Up the Rheostat at Your Dealership?

F

or more than a decade, we have heard the chatter about the emerging electric vehicle market, but it seems that battery technology and the challenges of distance and time between charges led to more short circuits than a real EV revolution. Would-be players have come and gone, but the corner has finally turned and electric motorcycles are now a viable alternative for powersports dealers. “It all comes down to building real-world bikes for a realworld marketplace,” says Scot Harden, VP of global marketing for Zero Motorcycles. “We are doing the best we can to deliver on the promise and to convince the world of the concept.”

There is no question of the potential EV market. Ride To Work, the non-profit organization that coordinates the annual “Ride To Work Day” in early June, indicates more than 80 million cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting, yet only 200,000 motorcycles and scooters add to this mix on a good day. This is despite the fact that studies prove a commuting rider can reach their destination up to 20 percent quicker than those using automobiles. Ride To Work also notes two-wheelers require less resources per person per mile, and they take up less space on roads.

Even with Ride To Work’s grassroots efforts, the number of motorcycles on the road any given day remains a staggering minority … and the expansion of electric motorcycles into

34 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

the mix is still in its infancy. “That means almost unlimited potential for growth,” says Ron Luttrell, global sales director for Brammo (www.brammo.com). “The nearterm future is very exciting.

“For example, the Empulse is the first purpose-built electric motorcycle … and by this we mean all the key components — motor, controller, batteries — are all specifically designed for that motorcycle,” he continues. “Nothing is an off-theshelf repurposed part, which was the case with first generation products. This is only possible because of our confidence in the market. The result is an outstanding motorcycle that just happens to be electric.”

There’s no slight intended to electric scooter pioneers like Vectrix (www.vec-

trix.com) or the emerging electric bicycle operations such as Optibike (www.optibike.com) looking to cross over into the motorcycle dealership channel.

For the sake of apples-to-apples comparison, we will save the electric bicycle and scooter discussion for another time. Even with this distinction, there is some shocking growth opportunity in the electric motorcycle market.

Scope of the Market According to a recent report from Navigant Research, sales of electric motorcycles will multiply tenfold in North America by 2018. Currently, the vast majority of electric motorcycles and scooters are sold in China, but that will

begin to change in the next several years, claims Navigant’s principal research analyst Dave Hurst. “Sales of e-motorcycles and e-scooters in North America will grow from a little more than 4,000 units in 2012 to more than 36,000 in 2018.”

Hurst explains the growth will come because of companies ranging from Brammo to Zero. “The North American market is still very much in its infancy, but the United States will see strong growth, with a compound annual growth rate of greater than 50 percent through 2018.

The market for e-motorcycles and e-scooters will grow as manufacturers provide more robust features, including longer range capability, better perform-

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 35

Zero Sum Game?

Win-Win for the EV Motorcycle Industry

ance and, in the case of e-motorcycles, higher speeds,” he says.

Speaking of speed, MotoCzysz (www.motoczysz.com) just demonstrated how far e-technology has come and how fast electric motorcycles can go at the historic Isle of Man TT. Once the ultimate proving ground for gaspowered motorcycles, the TT has become a great benchmark for electric bikes. “There is no clearer illustration of the extraordinary progress of the electric motorcycle than the first five runnings of the TT ZERO electric motorcycle race at the 105-year-old Isle of Man TT motorcycle racing festival,” claims Gizmag.com founder Mike Hanlon.

The winning time for the electric motorcycle class in 2009 was just 87.434 mph, roughly the same as the lap record in 1936, set by a Norton Manx Special. “One year later, Mark Miller’s MotoCzysz won at an average speed of 96.8 mph for the 37.7-mile mountain course,” notes Hanlon. “Then, in 2011, Michael Rutter took the race on a new MotoCzysz at 99.6 mph, and in 2012, Rutter and MotoCzysz again triumphed at 104.056 mph.”

This year, MotoCzysz pushed speeds close to 110 mph.

Speeds have increased every year, and the 109.7 mph electric lap record created by Rutter this year is the equivalent of Mick Grant’s 109.8 mph mark set on a Kawasaki 750cc three-cylinder two-stroke in 1975, according to Hanlon. “At this meeting just 48 months ago, electric racing bike technology was at 1936 levels (compared with conventional bikes). Now it is at 1975 levels at least, measured by the only thing that counts: the stopwatch!”

However, hand-built prototypes to race the Isle of Man or the limited edition Lighting Motorcycle (www.lightningmotorcycle.com) that set a Bonneville speed record of 218 mph and is built-to-order at prices starting at $38,888 are a bit much for the average retailer looking to test the EV motorcycle market.

What’s In It for the Average Dealer?

Not every dealer is looking to set a land speed record, but winning over some new customers on the sales floor

36 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Regarding the state of the EV motorcycle industry as it exists today, no story would be accurate unless it depicts Zero Motorcycles as the early leader in the field. Why? “By any measurable statistic, we are the leader,” says Zero Motorcycles VP of Global Development Scot Harden.

“We have brought more new models to market than any other EV motorcycle manufacturer (eight including military and police versions), and we’re homologated and available for purchase in the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia.”

Because the EV motorcycle market is in its early stages, sales numbers are hard to come by, but industry estimates indicate Zero has outsold the competition by a substantial margin. Following General George Patton’s philosophy; “a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week," Zero has adopted a three-prong strategy that includes consumer, fleet and powertrain initiatives.

With the release of the radical new 2013 models, consumer sales have started to take off while fleet sales to both law enforcement and military special forces have proven fruitful as well. “Were we totally ready to tackle these niches? Maybe not, but we saw the opportunity and put together a good plan that we are executing effectively.” That includes recently signing up the Hong Kong police, airport authority and park service; and even more recently, the announcement that 100 units were purchased by the Bogota, Colombia, police department. This comes in addition to the Monterrey, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley police departments, who have been using the bikes for several months.

“We are in a very dynamic industry with great opportunity for growth over the next decade,” Harden says. “Anyone who chooses to ignore electrics does so at their own peril. Fleet applications are particularly interesting and exciting. Every metropolitan police force will feature EV motorcycles as part of their fleet system in the years to come.”

Police and special ops personnel are only the beginning. “Other businesses that use two-wheel vehicles for business applications — from delivery services to rental companies, to resort and recreation facilities — will all adopt electric motorcycles at some point in the near future.”

All work and no play is not part of Zero’s plan, and they understand the potential of the recreational rider. “We were the first to complete a transcontinental U.S. EV motorcycle run,” claims Harden. “Terry Hershner was the first rider to ride from California to Florida completely unassisted in early June on a streamlined 2012 Craig Vetter Zero S to help demonstrate that we have the most range of any EV motorcycle on the market. We are also the 2012 TTXGP stock class champions and recently competed in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.”

This is not a zero sum game, but rather a win-win deal for Zero and its dealers. “We were selected e-bike of the year at the prestigious Zolder awards in Europe the last three years running and our dealer network is growing in both the U.S. and Europe,” claims Harden. “There are very few, if any, statistical categories where we aren’t the clear leader.”

What’s in it for the dealers if they make the cut for a Zero franchise?

“They can not only be an early entry into the EV market, but they can offer their customers one of the most unique riding experiences in the world today,” says Harden. “Riding one of our new 2013 models is a very unique and exhilarating experience. With torque comparable to most liter-bikes packaged in an ultra-lightweight chassis, the acceleration and lack of heat, sound and vibration make for an awesome riding experience.” t

is another matter. “Dealers can get in on the ground floor of what will only become a much larger percentage of the overall motorcycle business,” asserts Zero’s Harden. “They can have the opportunity to engage with many new customers — prospects that they don’t currently engage with.”

Nor will it cost an arm and a leg to kick the tires of the EV bike biz. “Dealers can get involved at a low entry cost. Our inventory, parts and special tool requirements are quite low,” explains Harden.

“Dealers aren’t required to stock large amounts of inventory. Currently, they can have the rights to significant new market territories. They have the opportunity to grow with us when it comes to fleet sales and the adoption by police and authority entities who are looking to add sustainable, low maintenance vehicles to their fleets.”

Brammo’s Luttrell agrees that it is a great time for dealers to consider flipping the switch on electric motorcycles.

“Brammo offers the dealer network an opportunity to partner with the fastest

growing electric motorcycle company in the industry. Brammo strives to provide the dealer network with support and programs that are dealer friendly, unique and more importantly, drive sales for the dealer. At Brammo, we believe the dealer network to be one of our greatest assets.”

Better yet, Brammo wants dealers.

“Brammo is currently developing our dealer network in key markets and seek-

38 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

ing Tier One dealers in those markets,” says Luttrell. In fact, Brammo recently signed up San Diego BMW Motorcycles in San Diego, Calif.; Unique Superbikes in Miami, Fla.; Foothills BMW Triumph in Denver, Colo.; and Polaris of Portland in Portland, Ore. Zero is also looking for dealers. “We aren’t setting up dealers on every street corner, but we are looking for dealers in key markets,” adds Harden. “We are closing in on 60 dealers in the U.S. and Canada and should be at 75 total by the end of the year. We have approximately 30 dealers in Europe as well.” At the time of this interview, Harden was in the airport heading to Holland to do some more international dealer development work.

Zero is ready to crank up the rheostat on the EV motorcycle business. “We expect to see continued internal growth, aggressive product development, expansion on a global basis, continued success in fleet sales and, last but not least, don’t be surprised if our powertrain starts popping up in other products on a worldwide basis,” says Harden. t

Spidi Netforce Jacket Western Power Sports Designed for hardcore touring riders, this jacket offers comfort and protection in both warm and chilly climates. The external shell is comprised of high resistance mesh fabric and two inner liners, which are wearable as standalone jackets once off the bike. The design incorporates CE Force Tech protectors and is compatible with various back and chest protectors. The retail prices is $599.95.

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For More Info: www.wps-inc.com

Terén Jacket Dainese The Terén offers great versatility through its modular construction with removable waterproof D-Dry lining, detachable thermal padding and closable air inlets on chest and back.

Made of Elasticated Cordura Comfort and distinguished by thermoformed inserts on the shoulders and anti-floating sleeves with drawstrings, this jacket offers exceptional ergonomics and fit using the numerous adjusters. Terén has removable composite protectors, reflex inserts and numerous internal and external pockets, and has been designed to be combined with Terén D-Dry pants. This jacket rings in at $599.95.

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For More Info: www.dainese.com

Street Terra Trek 3 Jacket FLY Street Gear A waterproof and breathable membrane makes this jacket a fit for the touring market. Removable CE-approved armor in the shoulders and elbows offers protection, while a comfort pad in the back reduces body stress. Other features include plenty of pockets, reflective piping and an adjustable design for best fit. This jacket is available in five colors, as well as tall sizes (black only) and retails for $199.95.

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For More Info: www.flyracing.com/street

40 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

DryKewl Evaporative Cooling Vest TechNiche International This lightweight, pullover vest features mesh ventilation and a scoop neck. Its HyperKewl material creates a cooling effect due to the evaporation of water in the insert.

To activate the cooling insert, the user removes it from the carrier and soaks it in water for a few minutes. After soaking, the rider squeezes out excess water from the insert, then replaces it in the carrier. The retail price is $119.99.

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For More Info: www.techniche-intl.com

Heat Demon Heated Vest with Controller Drag Specialties This vest is made from durable, water-resistant Taslan fabric and features a snug-fitting, lightweight design to fit comfortably under any shirt or jacket. The high-tech carbon fiber heating elements draw less than 3.5 amps and are located where heat is needed most — on the chest and back. The water-resistant controller features a selectable level of comfort from five temperature levels, indicator lights and microprocessor circuitry for accurate temperature control.

Two sizes are available: small to XL and 2XL to 4XL. The suggested retail price is $199.95.

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For More Info: www.dragspecialties.com

Desert Jacket RAW International/Akito USA With an outer shell constructed from 600D polyester and an interior polyamide liner, this versatile jacket protects all season long. The three-in-one modular skin system comes with a detachable thermo-lining and waterproof membrane, providing an adaptable fit that’s also breathable, windproof and waterproof. CEapproved protectors at the shoulders and elbows offer protection, while ARD air ventilation systems throughout keep your rider cool. The retail price is $219.95.

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Spirit Jacket Vega The Spirit jacket offers climatereactive breathability, stain resistance and wind/waterproof features. A removable softshell inner liner can be styled to wear as a casual jacket on its own, while a flexible membrane expands and contracts depending on the outdoor temperature. The jacket is offered in black, hi-vis yellow and grey, and comes in men’s and women’s sizes. It rings in at $699.99.

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For More Info: www.vegahelmet.com

For More Info: www.akitoUSA.com

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 41

T ou r ing Appare l Andes Jacket Alpinestars This versatile jacket offers 100 percent waterproofing and high levels of breathability.

The jacket’s advanced construction offers impact protection with removable CE-certified armor at the elbows and shoulders, as well as reinforced texturing in critical areas for added resistance. Zippered shoulder air intakes and back exhaust vents enhance riding comfort, while integrated reflective graphic details improve rider visibility. The suggested retail price is $249.95.

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For More Info: www.alpinestars.com

Survivor Suit Joe Rocket The Survivor’s weather resistance starts with a double stitched waterproof outer chassis, backed by a removable, full body, quilted warmth liner and adjustable storm flaps. A massive air intake and two exhaust vents ensure plenty of ventilation, while CE-approved armor and a high density back protector offer impact protection. This suit rings in at $399.99.

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For More Info: www.joerocket.com 42 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Newspoke Spoke Cleaner and Brightener Drag Specialties Newspoke cleans brake dust, dirt and road film from areas that have been previously unreachable. Aluminum, stainless steel and chrome spokes are left bright and clean after use.

Newspoke is safe to use on brake rotors, calipers, pads, tires and all metals. The suggested retail price is $14.95.

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For More Info: www.dragspecialties.com

Spray Wash Kit

Miracle Wash Waterless Wash & Wax

Bike Brite Inc. This kit includes a 32-ounce bottle of Motorcycle Spray Wash, handy sponge and super foaming action trigger sprayer. Bike Brite’s triple action formula washes, cleans and degreases, and special brighteners help keep rust and grease from forming. This product is biodegradable, non-acidic and pHcontrolled. The MSRP is $12.99.

AMSOIL This quick and convenient wash protects against the sun’s UV rays, repels light dirt and dust, and leaves vehicles with a shiny, tough, protective finish. When applied, specially formulated surfactants lift dust and dirt and hold them in suspension. Miracle Wash then acts as a shield, protecting the surface from abrasion as it’s wiped clean.

This product rings in at $9.40.

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For More Info: www.bikebrite.com

Original Bike Spirits Cycle Wash Amrep Inc. Cycle Wash’s fast-acting foam quickly attacks grease, oil, dirt, bugs and other contaminants. When used as directed, it’s safe for use on paint, chrome powdercoat, plexiglass, plastic, rubber and alloys. This product retails for $8.56.

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For More Info: www.amsoil.com

For More Info: www.originalbikespirits.com

44 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Wash Wax ALL

BioWash

Trivium

Aero Cosmetics Wash Wax ALL is an all-purpose cleaner/wax that cleans and protects.

It can be used as a waterless cleaner when it’s sprayed on and wiped dry, or it can be used after wet washing. This water-based, alcohol- and ammoniafree product rings in at $9.95.

Maxima Racing Oils This biodegradable, all-purpose cleaner lifts away dirt while scrubbing grime and oil based deposits.

It’s gentle enough for everyday use on paint, plastic, chrome, anodizing, rubber, carbon fiber and more.

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For More Info: www.maximausa.com

BoneHead Products This product is formulated to remove road grime while polishing and protecting. It is scientifically designed to first break down, then emulsify dirt and grime to be safely wiped away without scratching. Trivium contains no VOC or petroleum and is 100 percent biodegradable. It’s safe for virtually all surfaces and retails for $21.95.

For More Info: www.washwax.com

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For More Info: www.boneheadproducts.com

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 45

Air Force Blaster SideKick Metropolitan Vacuum Cleaner Company The SideKick is compact and portable, designed to offer high performance drying. It features a powerful 1.3 HP motor that pumps out 18,000 feet-per-minute of warm, filtered air that can dry a full-size road bike in minutes. It retails at $99.99.

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For More Info: www.motorcycledryer.com

Pro-Shine Kal-Gard Lubricants Developed to aid in the maintenance of today’s high-end Lexan bodies, Pro-Shine is formulated with a special blend of polymers that applies an even, high-gloss coating without attracting dirt or dust. This water-based product is great for cleaning vehicle and transporter wraps. A 16-ounce spray bottle retails at $14.95.

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For More Info: www.kalgard.com

46 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Pro-Prep 2 Hard Surface Conditioning Clear Coat Silkolene Pro-Prep2 is a high-quality, hard-surface coating specifically formulated for motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs. It helps restore the color and finish of plastics and painted surfaces while leaving a clear film that makes subsequent cleaning much easier by inhibiting the adhesion of dirt and mud.

The fine mist spray tip applies what the company calls an elusive “factory-finish” appearance with a limited amount of silicone for a grease-free residue. A 12.5-ounce can retails for $11.50.

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For More Info: www.silkoleneusa.com

Premium Motorcycle Wash Spectro Oils This aqueous-based spray-on/rinse-off product lifts the toughest dirt, grease, grime, bug splatter, brake dust and road film off bike surfaces, leaving a sparkling, streak-free clean surface. It’s gentle enough for daily washing, yet effective even for the dirtiest build-up. This product contains no petroleum solvents or harsh chemicals, and does not spot-blanch metals if thoroughly rinsed. The MSRP is $14.23.

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For More Info: www.spectro-oils.com 48 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT

Dealership Superstars show innovation in their field, great compassion for their dealership and its customers, and remarkable salesmanship.

Five Dealership Superstar finalists in the following categories will win $300 each: • New and Used Unit Sales • Finance and Insurance • Riding Gear and Apparel Sales • Parts and Accessories Sales • Service and Repair One of these finalists will be selected by our readers through online voting as the ultimate Dealership Superstar and will win double their prize pot and be honored at our Dinner With The Stars, October 17, 2013 in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with the AIMExpo.

Visit www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/superstar to nominate a Dealership Superstar today!

Sponsored by

Nominations are open until August 16, and self-nominations are accepted.

Finalists will be announced on August 23, and online voting will be open until Sept 27.

V T U

o r p

s t c u d

Side-by-sides continue to grow in popularity. Tap into this growing marketplace with these hot part and accessory options.

UTV & ATV Aluminum Wheel Spacers Durablue These UTV and ATV aluminum wheel spacers are built to give quad riders a safer ride. The addition of these aluminum wheel spacers improves stability and decreases the chances of rollover. The spacers retail at $204 and include a lifetime warranty.

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For More Info: www.durablue.com

UTV Steering Rack Tie Rod Assemblies All Balls Racing These UTV steering rack tie rod assemblies have oversize shaft diameters for improved inner rod assembly strength. Each kit includes heavy-duty inner and outer rod ends with replacement boots, clamps and any required lock washers. Outer tie rod ends and boot kits are available individually. Depending on application, these tie rod assemblies price from $69.90 to $90.28 per side.

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For More Info: www.allballsracing.com

50 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

s

75 mm LED lights Trail Tech These 75 mm LED lights are built with the off-road vehicle in mind. LED technology results in a tight, concentrated center beam, with minimum energy waste, which allows for high visibility in a variety of night-time conditions. The lights are enclosed in a hardened glass lens, internal silicon seals and machined aluminum body to keep them weather-tight, durable and sturdy. These LED lights retail at $439.95 and include a one year factory warranty.

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For More Info: www.trailtech.net

Heavy Duty ATV Inner Tubes Marshall Racing These heavy-duty rubber inner tubes come in a diverse range of sizes from 15.5.00-6 thru 25x8.00-12 with TR13, JS2 and TR6 valve stems.

Priced from $9.50 to $27.50, these racing ATV inner tubes are sure to step up the competition. The tubes retail at $20.95.

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For More Info: www.marshalldistributing.com

Polaris RZR 800cc to 900cc Grip & Rip Kit L.A. Sleeve Co. This ‘Grip & Rip’ kit includes Moly200 sleeves, Laps piston kit and Big Bore gasket set to modify the Polaris RZR 800cc to a 900cc quad. The kit requires a machinist to bore out the OEM cylinder, install sleeves, fit pistons and assemble. A standard break in period is to be expected after installation. The entire kit retails at $729.95.

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For More Info: www.lasleeve.com

Zipperless UTV Gun Scabbard Quad Boss This 52-inch long gun scabbard holds a 50-inch gun and has reinforced attachment straps and strap anchors allow for secure attachment to all UTV bulkheads. The scabbard is padded and lined to absorb shock and vibrations and has quick and easy side-release buckles on both sides. Shells and other gear can be stored in one of three large pockets. The scabbard is 12 inches tall.

Retail starts at $69.99 for black and $79.99 for Realtree AP. ------------

For More Info: www.quadboss.com

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 51

WANTED Distributors in the USA!

MarketPlace

Elite Products will be shipping an Australian designed Camper Trailer to the U.S. to showcase to potential distributors.

Demonstrations Available from July 20 - Aug. 30 2013 If you are U.S. based, preferably West Coast, we will be in the U.S. to demonstrate our trailer and discuss potential agreements to distribute.

For first contact, email: steve@eliteproducts.com.au View camper details at www.eliteproducts.com.au

AD E!HE YORUR AD HER YOU

Camper Trailer

RTISE TO ADVE IED SIF IN CLAS PLACE MARKET

CALL

Roberto Almenar 330-670-1234 ext 233 ralmenar@babcox.com

Ad Index FREE ONLINE RESOURCE CENTER

www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/resourcecenter

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

Find out more about advertisers in this issue online at www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/ resourcecenter

ADP Lightspeed.................................13 Adran Tie Downs ...............................21

AIMExpo..............................................7

Aloha Motorsports ..............................9 Amrep Inc..........................................48

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

Same Day Shipping • Huge Inventory

www.sammytanner.com

909-350-2727 888-258-0369

Autodata Publications .......................42 Automatic Distributors .............Cover 3

Competition Chemicals .....................46 Fulmer Helmets..................................9 K&L Supply Co. ...................................3 Kandi USA Inc......................................8 MBA Insurance..................................38

Motor Trike .......................................31

MTA Distributing ...............................15

Need Reprints?

Call Valli Pantuso at 330-670-1234 ext. 223

Namura Technologies ..................22-23

National Powersport Auctions ..........39

Nelson-Rigg USA Inc. ........................27

nizeX, Incorporated...........................26 Platinum Air Suspension...................28

Protective Asset Protection..............47 Race Tech ..........................................19

Service Manager Pro.........................26 Short Block Technologies ............10, 29

Sudco International Corp ..........Cover 4 Sullivan's Inc. ................................5, 43 Tucker Rocky - Cardo ........................17

United Engine & Machine ..................37

Vega Helmet Corp. ............................11 Wizards Products/RJ Star Inc ...........45

XY Powersports ........................Cover 2 Zurich................................................25

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 53

Gear Essentials

Chest Protector Pro Junior Leatt Corp.

The Chest Protector Pro Junior is the first youth chest protector certified at the highest level of chest impact protection to protect young riders from serious injury or death. The protector is designed for children age six to 12 that weigh between 70 and 120 lbs. The design is meant to allow junior riders freedom of movement while riding off-road motorcycles, BMX-style bicycles, mountain bikes, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and other powersports vehicles. The product retails at $129.

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For More Info: www.leatt-corp.com

Primary Covers Paughco Paughco’s primary covers selection addresses any application from 1936 through 1988, and can aid in any direct replacement, restoration or unique custom project. Paughco now offers chrome inner and outer primary cover replacements for ’89 to ’03 Softails, in addition to their primary covers finished in black. Inner primaries start at $107.95, outers $130.95, Derby covers $21.95 and Inspection covers at $9.95.

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CL-855 Touring Saddlebags Nelson-Rigg USA Each pair of CL-855 Touring Saddlebags are made from UV-treated Tri-Max polyester, and the Fibertech faux carbon fiber accents gives the CL-855 a classic, yet sophisticated look. The saddlebags include reflective piping, coil-over zippers, heat resistant underpanels and a universal quick-release mounting system. The heavy-duty top straps can also independently mount directly to most OE and aftermarket saddlebag racks and grab rails. The entire outside panel opens for easy side loading into the fully lined interior, while front panel mesh pockets allow storage for water bottles, etc. Each CL-855 saddlebag comes with waterproof rain covers and a lifetime no-hassle warranty. Each bag measures 15”L x 9”W x 13”H, holds 28.76 liters per side, and the CL-855 retail at $149.95 per pair.

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For More Info: www.nelsonrigg.com

54 July 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

For More Info: www.paughco.com