Issue #2 February 2022

DN 2.0 #2

NATIONAL POWERSPORTS DEALER ASSOCIATION DEBUT AT AIMEXPO

CONTENTS 06 WORLD’S LUCKIEST MAN 08 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 LETTERS+ 14 NEWS+ 18 SHIFTING GEARS+ 22 DEALER PROFILE+ 24 CHANCE HYMAS 26 OEM UPDATE: CFMOTO 30 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 34 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 36 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 38 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 41 SHOWTIME! 42 EICMA RETURNS 45 NPDA DEBUT 49 WHY NPDA 54 TOP 100 WOMEN IN POWERSPORTS Bob Althoff On Do The Right Thing

Robin Hartfiel On EICMA Vs. AIMExpo The Industry On Dealernews Headlines & Blurbs

Who Is Working Where Pocatello PowerSports

Dealership Ambassador

Putting The MOTO into CFMoto

Don Musick On What You Really Want, Part II Dr. Paul Leinberger On The Watchword For 2022

Lenny Sims On J.D. Power Valuations NPA’s Jim Woodruff On Pre-Owned Welcome Back Adrenaline!

Motorcycling On The World Stage

National Powersports Dealer Association AIMExpo Debut Bob Althoff On Dealers’ Need For A National Association Alphabetical Order: Nicole Allen

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OUR TEAM Bob Althoff World’s Luckiest Man

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PROFILES IN COURAGE The Class Of 2022

BTR IS BACK FOR AFT

Royal Enfield Doubles Number Of Women Racers

STERN WORDS

Mark Rodgers Conversations With Dan Stern, Part 1

63 eDEALERNEWS 64 CURRENTS+ 68 MIC RIDE REPORT 70 ADVOCACY+ 72 PERSONNEL FILES 74 CONFESSIONS OF A CUSTOMER 76 A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 80 PRESS PASS 82 GEAR+ 86 VALE+ 87 AD INDEX 88 BACKFIRE++ Watts Up?

Triumph’s eMotorcycle Charges Ahead, Volcon Increases Head Count What Does The MIC Do For You?

Don Amador On The Front Lines

Alex Baylon On Customer Service Vs Customer Experience

Eric Anderson On 10 Tips To The New Economy Charlie Williams Explores The International Motocross Museum

Groundbreaking News From KTM

SW-Motech Packs It’s Bags And Visits AIMExpo

Ave Atque Vale Preston Petty & Junior Dreyer This issue Brought To You By…

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

Frank Esposito’s Gift To You

The All-Electric Triumph TE Set To Light Up The Market!

ADVERTISING Robin Hartfiel Publisher (949) 489-4306 robinhartfiel@gmail.com Blake Foulds Account Executive (760) 715-3045 Blakefoulds@dealernews.com Brenda Stiehl Production Manager brendastiehl@dealernews.com John Murphy Publishing Consultant johnmurphydn@gmail.com

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Dealernews Magazine 3250 Knoll Dr. Columbus, OH 43230 www.dealernews.com

© Copyright 2022

FEBRUARY 2022

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Hester and Bill Bagnall launched the original Dealer Expo to support our “industry” during its formative years. In the 1980’s, a time of great peril for our industry, my predecessors Don Emde and Don Brown called for an industry retreat in Palm Springs. That weekend produced the DTM program and results for a decade that followed.

This past year, Dealernews acted as a sherpa in the long overdue formation of the National Powersports Dealer Association. (NPDA). Early indications are that much good will come of that.

Appropriately the industry wide debut took place at AIMExpo, the industry’s trade show. But the work is just beginning.

World’s Luckiest Man

By Bob Althoff

DO THE RIGHT THING

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n often heard description of Dealers is that we are strong-willed “independent” types.

Or perhaps you have heard that trying to get us in sync is like “herding cats”? If there is any truth to that, perhaps it extends to our entire industry. As such, the same may be said of the institutions that serve us (think MIC and AMA) as well as the manufacturers who build our product.

We often define ourselves as an “industry” — a word that has some connotation of cohesiveness.

But in truth, industry is an activity, not an association. And that distinction is an important one — one that each of us should reflect on.

Peter Drucker once observed that, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

Dealernews has an almost six-decade track record of doing things right. And on more than several occasions, we have done the right things. Larry

Several weeks ago, we assembled our entire team to talk about what we achieved in the past and what we should focus on next. These are advisors, artists, editors, observers, thinkers, writers, etc., who share a passion for Dealers; who understand the vital contributions we make. But the topics we covered (and will focus on in the months ahead) went well beyond our “industry” as we attempted to vector on the future of retail and how it will impact Dealers.

What is a Dealer? And, what does she need? What are the threats and opportunities for our entire industry? In other words, we were attempting to go beyond doing things right to get to doing the right things.

Most of what ails this industry comes back around to our need for cohesiveness. Remember, industry is an activity, association is the unifying factor.

Dealers all need to belong to the NPDA for it to operate optimally.

Just as our OE’s need to all belong to the MIC (Harley?).

Just as riders all need to belong to the AMA. And, finally, we all need to find the ways to grow this industry; expand this community and share all the fun, friendship, freedom and adventure that powersports offer!

Now, to paraphrase Mark Rodgers, go do the right thing!

Bob

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industry. We take this obligation seriously, however we also have to remember that we are covering the most fun industry in the world.

“Great job on the TOP 100 Women. And the Yamahauler image is epic! Thank you for all of it.” Rod Lopusnak, General Manager – Triumph North America.

Even though Rod is the GM of a major OEM and a fellow MIC Board Of Directors member, deep down I think we are still kids remembering the sights, sounds, smells of our first motorcycle, our first ride, our first race and yes, even our first Trade Show.

Editor’s Note

By Robin Hartfiel

STOP AND SMELL THE CASTROL R

D

ealernews has been on the gas, running WFO since the EICMA show in Milan, straight through the holidays and into Las Vegas for AIMExpo.

Along the way we witnessed the emergence of National Powersports Dealer Association, launch of the Top 100 Women In Powersports program and experienced our first glance of the “new” normal in a post pandemic era.

Supply chain issues persist, customer retention concerns are worrisome to the dealers and the OEMs alike and our entire industry is starting to ping from running so lean for so long.

In addition to our biggest issues of Dealernews 2.0 with December, January and February all pushing 100 pages, we also have a couple weekly e-blasts to try and stay on top of everything that is happening in the powersports

All I have to do is see an image like this and I can instantly smell the 2-stroke oil and sagebrush at the USGP in Carlsbad the day Marty Moates won, the “unique” odor of Lake Elsinore wafting in while watching Malcolm Smith and Harvey Mushman at the Elsinore Grand Prix in 1969, the stale beer of the Industry Party at the Oldenburg Brewery during the Dealer Expo… Apparently Rod remembers, too.

With the paradigm shift brought about by the pandemic, it is particularly important to stop and smell the Castrol R sometimes. For all the hard news, industry issues, supply chain SNAFUs, industry research and global event coverage we cram into every issue, every newsletter and every day social media channels, it is the simple things like this that still bring a smile to our audience and is Dealernews’ raison d’être in my view.

But we can’t live in the past. Dealernews needs to continue to be a leader ensuring future generations will have the ability to reflect on their experiences in this epic industry.

To that end, Bob Althoff convened a call with industry leaders and our extended list of contributors (AKA the Bad Idea Club) to have everyone on the Bad Idea team weigh in with some good ideas on what we can do to further elevate, educate and expand the powersports industry for the next 50+ years.

Appropriately enough, we shared the love on Valentine’s Day, February 14 which would have been the 55th anniversary of the Dealernews Dealer Expo.

The consensus was now is not the time to roll off the throttle for anyone in this business.

But before you dump clutch and launch into this issue, close your eyes and think for a second about what this industry has meant to you!

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Former Editor-in-Chief and publisher of Dealernews circa 1990-2003, Robin returns to the magazine. In addition to having been instrumental in creating the Dealernews Top 100 program (still the industry’s ultimate accolade for a motorcycle dealership), Hartfiel has worked for most of the B2B publications in the Powersports arena. Prior to the trade side, he worked as a beat reporter for a local newspaper and was an editor of publications ranging from All About Beer to VW Trends.

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CONNECTING AT AIMExpo I saw the AIMExpo show issue, and it looks great! Thank you so much for adding our press release to your site and e-blast. It was great to connect in person at the show.

All the best,

A RIVAL TO ROYAL ENFIELD & THREAT TO TRIUMPH? As you already know BSA is back. I am very interested in this unit. Hope it comes to the U. S. market. It will be a big hit if priced right. Under $6,000. Could compete with Royal Enfield, Triumph and others.

Joe Iribarren, Owner & Founder Beyond Creative Growth Agency www.gobeyondcreative.com

Ron Stimac. Dealer Principal R3 Powersports LLC Mosinee, WI

Joe was kind enough to join us for a Dealernews LIVE segment at the show. Stay tuned.

STERN WORDS In his third installment of Conversations, Dan Stern tells Mark Rodgers that far too many Dealer principals have forgotten what it’s like to work for a wage. If you’re serious about performance you’ve got to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

This is how I lead. I sometimes have been criticized for this style of leadership.

Really good video, it made me feel good.

David Gustin Via YouTube We agree and felt that the “Stern” words should be shared beyond the weekly eblasts.

Mark Rodgers’ usual Performance column in this issue gets replaced with Part 1 of his Conversations with Dangerous Dan Stern.

VALE CLYDE THE GLIDE! Well done Robin. Clyde Fessler was the guy who hired me to work at HarleyDavidson. I’m sure glad he trusted this young kid, right out of college, to join his marketing team.

Wishing you the best, Steve Piehl, Principal Authentic CX, LLC Communications & Customer Experience Brookfield WI

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ACCOLADES FROM AMADOR Great issue again and I am reading thru it.

Just a comment that there are a growing number of political folks I work with that think “Federalism” combined with more people pushing back on government overreach may help us in California with CARB etc. Will have more thoughts later about OHV et al pushing back harder in 2022.

Donald Amador, The Quiet Warrior Recreation HQ & OHV Strategy And Stewardship Conference Center Cottonwood, CA https://quietwarriorracing.blogspot.com

UNDER THE HELMET WITH ELI TOMAC It’s funny he started on the same little PW 50 bike as a million other kids — but his parents were both world champion level athletes. It’s all in the genetics and the upbringing!

AV zeolla Via YouTube

SOUND OFF! Dealernews is indeed back. Join in the conversation via e-mail: Editor@dealernews.com Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dealernews/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DealernewsFan/ Follow along on Dealernews.com Tune into the new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ Dealernews50/featured

Holy Moly and Wahoo!

Hello Fellow Dealers, Over the last 18 months, we have seen a great many changes. There have certainly been some positive changes, but the Motor Company also continues to take actions that many question. Under the circumstances, and given the last series of events, the DAC thought it was important to communicate some of our positions on the most recent HDMC announcements and actions. The DAC has continuously worked to be a compelling voice for the entire dealer network. Every DAC member fields numerous calls and emails daily from dealers voicing their concerns on the actions of the Motor Company and how it impacts business. The theme of these calls are all common ones, “how much more does HDMC take from us and when will it stop.”

The most recent action of a margin reduction has been a hard pill to swallow by all of us. The DAC was informed about the reduction in margins only the night before it went on to HDNet. We had no say in the Motor Company’s decision, and our concerns weren’t considered whatsoever. Last week, the service parts announcement was yet another adverse economic impact on our business. This program was brought to us a week or so before launch, and overwhelmingly the DAC disagreed with this program. Program managers and senior management on the call were told that this would not solve the problem of aftermarket shops going away but would now create more competition among them and us. We made very intelligent requests and ideas to the program to soften the blow for the dealer network; however, little to no DAC suggestions are part of the current program. We feel these actions further create a void between the Motor Company and us. These actions continue to erode trust and profitability for all dealers. The DAC supports an Omni Channel strategy, but it must be fair, balanced, and applied as an equal partnership with the brick-and-mortar distribution network. Despite statements by the motor company that we should not be competing, we only serve to increase and intensify H-D Dealer competition as we compete for a smaller and smaller pie. The solid profits of the dealers from last year may or may not continue. Therefore, the Motor Company must quickly learn that the dealer network is their #1 customer, trust us to be the best in retail as we have been for decades, give us the tools and education to continue to be the best. We will succeed, which ultimately makes the Motor Company succeed!

To summarize, here are several items having a significant, adverse economic impact on dealers with direct bottom-line reduction of 10’s of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars: · SIP Winter Flooring assistance eliminated · HDU Subscription Fees Increased $50 per quarter in 2022 · HDDS Support Fees Increased in 2021 · Talon increased by 2.5% FEB 21, 2022 · CO-OP eliminated · Certified Out of Policy (COOP) Funds Removed · Motorcycle Margin Reduction of 1.5% (FEB 2022) · E-commerce dealer participation reduced 60% · Increase in Surcharges & Freight There also have been other items removed or dramatically changed with adverse effects: · Unrealistic Retail Targets for Parts increases of 25+% of target and 26% increase over actual, making HD1 rewards illusory when no one knows the certainty of supply chains · Service parts on HD1 rendering aftermarket and competitive brand shops (such as Indian) to draw service labor away from HD Dealers with much higher cost structures shop · Service Parts Added to eComm · H-D1 VIP, removing VIP and transferring it to an HD Dealer competition award · Dealer Shows Eliminated · Dealer Incentive Trips Eliminated · Only (1) Security Fob with bikes instead of (2) · Heel Shifter Removed from Touring & Softails · Saddlebag Liners Removed from Touring Bikes · SOAR Role Eliminated · HD Dealer Data. All dealers collectively spent millions of dollars collecting customer data etc. HDMC ACQUIRED it for free without our consent. Retail polling was used to get into our systems. The data was being taken long before the digital partners were presented.

There are also likely to be additional programs requiring significant dealer investment. Several dealers have asked DAC members about such in connection with potential facility requirements and what those might look like. While the DAC is not able to comment currently, we encourage dealers to ask your HDMC representatives and look for announcements in the future.

You will also note that just the other day, HDMC announced launching a clothing line in collaboration with Todd Snyder, a designer: As noted in the link: “The collection will launch on Feb. 25 and will retail from $58 for caps and $68 for T-shirts to $298 for the trucker jacket, $398 for the motor jacket and $498 for the coveralls. It will be sold at Snyder’s retail stores and his e-commerce site as well as on the Harley-Davidson online site in the U.S.”-- Clearly, it appears this line or lines will not be available in HD Dealers’ brick and mortar stores. The DAC fails to see how this collaborates with omnichannel distribution and how it has bypassed the dealers.

You also may be aware that at least one dealer and we believe others have filed lawsuits against HDMC in connection with its e-commerce policy. https://www.gmtoday. com/oconomowoc_enterprise/business/oconomowoc-harley-davidson-dealer-sues-manufacturer-over-changes-to-internet-sales/article_f4b161c0-919911ec-86e1-33443bfd5585.html Also, you may have seen copies of letters from Regional Dealer associations sent into HDMC, raising some of the issues. Finally, many of you in the DAC roundtable forums asked whether there is a National Dealer Association. If you are not aware, there is a National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA), which has its own Harley-Davidson Council in place. There are five Harley Dealers who were among the Founding Board of the NPDA, and any or all are available to answer your questions. You can go to www.npda.org for their contact info and your one-page online membership application. Membership appears to be $395 per year ($195 for each additional affiliated Dealers).

The DAC has tirelessly tried to represent the dealers and the interests of all dealers. We, unfortunately, do not seem to be making much headway, and we believed it was necessary to communicate with you all that the programs above were not supported by the DAC. We welcome any thoughts, comments, or perspectives we can share. We believe deeply in this brand and that the dealer network is the cornerstone of the brand even more deeply. But we, unfortunately, see a more significant gap between the dealers and HDMC developing.

Regards, The Dealer Advisory Council

FEBRUARY 2022

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THE YEAR THAT WAS

MIC Says Sales Up “This is the second consecutive year of significant growth across powersports,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council. “Many new motorcyclists are joining the riding community, both on and off road. We continue to work to inspire, welcome, and integrate them so they enjoy riding for decades to come.” Excluding UTVs, but including ATVs and scooters, 2021 sales were up 9.1%. Even better, sales of all on-road motorcycles (including scooters, onhighway, and dual-purpose) finished up 14.2% for 2021.

Additional insights from the MIC Retail Sales Reporting System: • Across all categories of motorcycles (scooters, on- highway, dual and off-highway) sales are up 21.8% since 2019.

• Scooters sales are up 19.6% over 2020 and 31.4% over 2019.

• On-highway motorcycle sales are up 12.9% over 2020.

• Dual-purpose motorcycles sales were up 18.6% over what was considered a monster year of sales in 2020, where we saw a 46.2% increase in sales over 2019.

• Off-highway motorcycles continue to do well with a two-year increase of 42.9%.

The MIC Retail Sales Reporting System gathers new-motorcycle and scooter retail sales data from 14 leading manufacturers and distributors in the U.S., providing a strong indicator of sales trends.

“In addition to strong sales, we are seeing strong demand for rider training and education,” added Pritchard. “The Motorcycle Safety Foundation saw an estimated 48% increase in enrollment in 2021 over 2020. The MSF Basic RiderCourse and MSF DirtBike School are great places to start if you are new to motorcycling.

For more experienced riders, there are numerous more advanced options.”

Did you know the MSF Basic RiderCourse is used in 46 states and by the U.S. military? The complete MSF portfolio spans the entire journey for riders, from introductory experiences to advanced skill development. For more information, click here: www.msf-usa.org

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NPA BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE!

The first walls of the future National Powersport Auctions Lakeland campus are going up! This premier facility is scheduled to open Fall 2022… but building future platforms isn’t limited to the physical world as NPA has launched the first AI-driven virtual valuation tool. NPA Value Guide Pro is the powersport industry’s first AI-driven valuation tool to project estimated values for a major powersport vehicle in real-time, based on dealer inputs.

“We are very excited to launch NPA Value Guide Pro to our dealers, which has been in the works for over two years,” explains NPA CEO Jim Woodruff. “Value Guide Pro is the first of its kind and delivers an entirely new level of performance over our traditional Value Guide. It uses machine learning and a proprietary algorithm built by NPA to provide dealers with more complete and more precise actual cash value estimates, not just an average of auction transactions. This allows dealers to have more complete and current values each and every time they use it.”

Value Guide Pro is a subscription-based product available to NPA members, and dealers can subscribe through their NPA dealer account for the low price of $25 a month. Dealers are billed monthly and there is no long-term commitment.

For more information, click: https://www.npauctions.com/cp/NMValueGuidePro

17% to $8,198 million. Full year 2021 reported net income was $7.88 per diluted share; adjusted net income was a record $9.13 per diluted share. This increase marks the 27th consecutive year Polaris increased its dividends.

“Marking a strong finish to the year, we delivered record sales and earnings in 2021, propelled by the Polaris team’s dedication and tenacity as they capitalized on opportunities while navigating the macroeconomic-related headwinds. Innovation remained the cornerstone of our culture, supported by the introduction of several new category-defining vehicles this year,” CEO Mike Speetzen told the Wall Street types. He anticipates more of the same for the coming year.

POLARIS PILING ON PROFITS

Polaris closed the books on 2021 with a solid Q4 and record revenue. PG&A was up 24% for the year and sales increased a whopping 34%. Full year reported and adjusted sales increased

“With interest in powersports continuing to grow and new customers increasingly entering our industry, we expect 2022 to be another record year for Polaris. Leveraging the Company’s strengths and scale as the global leader in powersports, our refreshed strategy and new strategic objectives will guide our path forward to create a greater competitive advantage, welcome new customers and grow the market, drive profitable growth, and deliver value for all our stakeholders,” concludes Speetzen.

Continued on page 16

Continued from page 15

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

2021 HIGHLIGHTS Harley-Davidson delivered a strong finish to the year, in which we have seen proof points on all elements of our Hardwire Strategy.

Looking ahead, we are fully committed to achieving our long-term Hardwire Strategy, as the most desirable motorcycle brand and company in the world.

39%

$4,540M REVENUE (FY 2021) UP $1,276M

MOTORCYCLE SEGMENT REVENUE (F Y 2021)

Jochen Zeitz Harley-Davidson President and CEO

HARDWIRE HIGHLIGHTS •

Entered the Adventure Touring market with Pan America™, named “2021 Motorcycle of the Year”

by Motorcycle.com Released Sportster® S, powered by the new Revolution® Max engine and Electra Glide® Revival, the first motorcycle in our H-D Icons collection Brought to market LiveWire ONE™ and announced LVW will become the first publicly traded EV motorcycle company in the US Tapped into the pre-owned motorcycle market with H-D Certified™ and H-D1™ Marketplace Deepened our connection with customers through an enhanced digital experience

• • • •

H-D: THE MOST DESIRABLE MOTORCYCLE BRAND IN THE WORLD.

$409M

$415M

OPERATING INCOME (FY 2021) MOTORCYCLE SEGMENT

OPERATING INCOME (FY 2021) FINANCIAL SERVICES SEGMENT

The H-D community can be proud of the strong financial results we achieved in 2021.

We are well positioned to advance our Hardwire strategic priorities in the year ahead.

Gina Goetter Harley-Davidson CFO

This document includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks that could cause actual results to be materially different. Those risks include, among others, matters we have noted in our latest earnings presentation and filings with the SEC. Harley-Davidson disclaims any obligation to update information in this document.

HARLEY HARDWIRE PAYS OFF

“Today we shared our Q4 and year-end 2021 financial results,” says Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson. “I am very pleased with our performance, especially in light of the many challenges that 2021 brought us.” Motorcycle Revenue was up 39% for the fiscal year, courtesy of the Hardwire strategy, claims Zeitz.

“The H-D community can be proud of the strong financial results we achieved in 2021,” adds Harley-Davidson CFO Gina Goetter. “We are well positioned to advance our Hardwire strategic priorities in the year ahead.” She notes The Motor Company closed the fiscal year books on 2021 with $409M in operating income coming from the motorcycle segment and an additional $415M coming from financial services.

“Harley-Davidson delivered a strong finish to the year, in which we have seen proof points on all elements of our Hardwire Strategy,” statess Zeitz. “Looking ahead, we are fully committed to achieving our long-term Hardwire Strategy, as the most desirable motorcycle brand and company in the world.

“Stay tuned for more product and company news to come this year.”

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DEALER NEWS: HOT METAL GOES COLD

Retirement has resulted in the closure and sale of Hot Metal Harley-Davidson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The dealership was established in 1964 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania as HarleyDavidson Motors. After moving a number of times and undergoing several name changes, Hot Metal Harley-Davidson finally made its home at the Frito-Lay distribution center on Route 885 in West Mifflin where it operated since 2004.

Dealer principal Toby O’Brien split his customer base between George Gatto of Three Rivers Harley-Davidson, Pokey Weiss of Steel City Harley-Davidson and Jim McMahan of Z & M HarleyDavidson. “George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services was able to identify multiple buyers, but ultimately, we negotiated a buy-sell with the Verackas,” said O’Brien. “Unfortunately, Harley-Davidson Motor Company decided to exercise their Right of First Refusal and assign the Asset Purchase Agreement to the three surrounding dealers and close the location. It was not what I had intended for my legacy of 18 years as a dealer, my amazing staff, and loyal customers.

“I am hopeful that my employees will be able to get jobs at the surrounding dealerships and that my customers will get the exceptional customer service that they have grown accustomed to,” he adds. “Hot Metal Harley-Davidson has been a huge part of my life, and this was not an easy situation to go through. I appreciate George Chaconas and his Associate, Courtney Bernhard, for helping me navigate this very difficult, challenging, and emotional situation for myself and my family. I want to extend a sincere thank you to my dedicated staff and customers who have become like family to me. Hot Metal Harley-Davidson will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The dealership has closed its doors, and its customers will now be served by Three Rivers Harley-Davidson in Glenshaw, Steel City Harley-Davidson in Washington, and Z & M Harley-Davidson in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Mechanic School Leader. “Service is the foundation of a dealership, and to have a strong foundation you need to have highly skilled technicians. This school provides an affordable, local option for people interested in this exciting career.”

Successful completion of the course will prepare the students to start their career in this in-demand and growing field. “I highly recommend this class to anyone looking towards motorcycle mechanics as a career,” said Randy, a member of the inaugural Midwest Motorcycle Mechanic School class. “Great instructors.

Modern motorcycles to learn on. You’ll be turning wrenches on the second day.”

CLASS IS NOW IN SESSION

Can’t find techs? Create a college for them! Midwest Motorcycle Mechanic School, a joint effort between Windy City Motorcycle Company and McHenry County College, launched with its inaugural class on January 10, 2022. Offering a 12-week class taught by Certified Master Mechanics at a state of the art facility MMM features 360 hours of instruction blending hands on training, classroom sessions, and job shadow opportunities.

“This has been a dream of mine for some time now,” explains Doug Jackson, a 40+ year industry veteran, Woodstock HarleyDavidson/KTM/Triumph General Manager and Midwest Motorcycle

“This class is perfect for learning the ins and outs,” added Amber, another member of the class. “I learn something every day and the environment is very supportive.” She is joined by classmate Dustin who said, “The information I’ve learned in a few short weeks has been more beneficial than I could have ever thought possible. Taking this course was the best possible decision I made for my career.”

Through McHenry County College in Woodstock, Illinois, students can access financial aid opportunities to assist with class enrollment for Midwest Motorcycle Mechanic School. Send potential techs to the following link for scholarship and student loan info: www.mchenry.edu/ncscholarships For more information on the Midwest Motorcycle Mechanic School, please visit: www.mchenry.edu/motorcycletech

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Now hear this! Rugged Radios is sounding off on record growth in 2021 and the corresponding expansion the communications company has experienced. “We are excited to add Tim Calhoun to head up our sales expansion efforts,” exclaims founder and CEO Greg Cottrell. “His experience in powersports, leading sales organizations and creating sales growth is well known. We look forward to the strength and experience he brings to the Rugged Radios organization.” Calhoun brings more than 35 years of sales, marketing and operational experience to the Rugged Radios Team. “I recognized the opportunity from the time I walked in the door and began to speak with the team at Rugged Radios,” adds Calhoun, the new director of sales.

“This company has continually shown itself to be the leader and innovator in the radio communications sector.”

Calhoun notes, “It will be expanding its product offerings to include more products for the two-wheel sector in 2022 introducing Bluetooth Moto headsets that offer radio connection and much more. Greg started Rugged Radios in his garage 17 years ago and has proven to be an exceptional entrepreneur. His leadership and vision have driven the company to be the top performer in its sector, greatly outpacing many well-established companies along the way.”

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With Mike Chrzanowski being named President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Corp USA, (see the current issue: https://issuu. com/dealernews/docs/issue _1 _ january/16) comes word of a couple corresponding promotions within the ranks. Mike Martinez, formerly VP of the Motorsports Division has been promoted to President of Motorsports.

Martinez will be supported in the role by Kaz Abe, VP of Motorsports Operations; Chas Caraway, VP of Business Planning & Strategy; and Mike Doughty, General Manager of Sales. Martinez led the relocation of the Motorsports Group to its current base in Marietta, Georgia. Since this move, the Motorsports Business Unit has returned to strong profitability while navigating the recent challenges brought on by both COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions. Martinez says his vision for the future, “prioritizes building a profitable business foundation, strengthening dealer network partnerships and ensuring that the Motorsports Division exceeds the needs and expectations of the next generation of Yamaha customers.”

Martinez began his career with Yamaha in Cypress, California, in 1994, after relocating from Boston following the completion of his MBA from Bentley University. He started in product planning where he worked on products like the first Raptor and Grizzly 4x4 ATVs and original Rhino side-byside.

Yamaha also announced Craig Hewitt has been promoted to President/CEO of Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, U.S.A. Hewitt joined Yamaha in 2020 to support the company’s continued growth in the powersports and marine segments.

Prior to joining Yamaha, he served as CEO of Carfinance.com 25 years experience in consumer finance spanning 25 years with GM Financial, HSBC Auto Finance and Capital One Auto Finance.

He plans to make it easier for both consumers and dealers to engage YMFUS and invest in the core competencies— Loan Origination, Loan Servicing and Risk Management. “I am truly honored to be named President and CEO of Yamaha Financial Services,” said Hewitt. “Our business has changed and evolved dramatically during the past two years and I couldn’t be more excited to lead our Team at YMFUS during this time of truly great opportunity and expanding engagement with our customers.”

Meanwhile, Jeff Young moves up to Chairman, YMFUS and concurrently has been named Executive Officer at YMC. In his new role as Executive Officer, Young will be responsible for creating and leading a global finance company responsible for all YMC group finance Continued on page 20

Brought To You By MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com Continued from page 18

companies in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Young joined YMFUS in 2014 as EVP, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and was promoted to President in 2018. He led the company’s growth to over $2.5 billion in assets and has built a team of nearly 200 employees.

In 2020, Young was appointed Deputy Executive Officer of YMC and Vice Chairman, Financial Services Global Execution Transformation (GET).

Octane Lending, the outfit that made headlines when they purchased Cycle World, is on the gas announcing key appointments to support its rapid growth in the powersports and Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) markets and drive its expansion into the RV and marine markets. Octane has achieved considerable success in powersports, almost doubling loan fundings in 2021.

To build on this momentum, Stacey Pray steps in as Director of Consumer Business Development.

Pray held senior positions at Ally and AppOne before becoming Octane’s Director of Consumer Operations in February 2021. In her new role, she will lead dealer development for Octane’s consumer products, build the company’s consumer go-to-market strategy alongside dealer and OEM partners

Heads up Dealers deep in the heart of Texas: Parts Unlimited announces a new rep is riding the range for the Southwest Region covering South Texas. Joe Nava’s industry experience includes plenty of time in the parts department at several Texas dealerships as well as previous racing in the TORCS Texas Off Road Championship Series for several years. He owns a 2015 YZ250F and 2020 ZX6R for his weekend riding.

Outside of motorcycling, Joe enjoys playing basketball, trying new restaurants and traveling… perfect for that windshield time between dealer calls.

To support Octane’s entrance into the OPE sector, Justin “Jay” DuPrey is now National Sales Manager OPE. He has 20 years of powersports sales, finance and business development experience, and has successfully built relationships with over 350 multi-line dealerships across the South and Mid-Atlantic. Before joining Octane in 2017 as National Sales Manager Powersports, DuPrey was with Coleman Powersports, ADS Inc. / MAR-VEL Int., and the US Navy.

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In preparation for the company’s entrance into the RV and marine markets later this year, Octane also added Joe Butvin as VP, New Verticals, and Josh Norton as National Sales Manager, New Verticals.

Butvin invented two patented financial services products during his tenure at Alliance Data Card Services and joined Octane from Klarna, where he was Head of Enterprise Sales. In his new role, Butvin is responsible for taking Octane into new verticals, beginning with the marine market. He will work cross-functionally to establish entry strategies, then build teams to deliver successful launches.

A results-driven manager with 20 years of experience, Josh Norton is skilled at cultivating new business, having successfully grown Octane’s market share on the West Coast as Regional Sales Manager, Powersports. He previously held sales leadership roles at Chase, Yamaha Motor Finance and Exeter Finance.

In his new role, Norton is responsible for developing and implementing sales strategies for the RV and marine markets.

“With the appointments of Stacey, Jay, Joe and Josh, we have the right team in place to build on our remarkable success in Powersports and OPE, and bring our faster, simpler digital buying experience to the RV and marine markets,” concluded Mark Davidson, Chief Revenue Officer.

POCATELLO POWERSPORTS Putting Pocatello On The Map

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t one point, Pocatello, Idaho was known as the “Gateway to the Northwest” and pioneers passed through the area on the Oregon Trail through the Portneuf Gap south of town. Although it is still the 5th largest city in the state, Southeastern Idaho has dropped off the main traffic routes as stage lines and rail were replaced by super highways… but that is about to change for the local dealership.

Turns out rural Idaho is good for raising racers as well as potatoes. The store’s brand ambassador Chance Hymas, was just signed to ride for Team Honda’s new inhouse amateur program (see sidebar). In fact, we caught up with his dad, Chris at the HRC racing team intro. In

addition to having a supporting role in the moto world’s version of “my three sons” Chris Hymas is the dealer principal and GM at PPS, and has owned the store since it was founded nearly 25 years ago. He had a career path in engineering but was sidetracked by racing and restoring motorcycles and raising kids.

“We have all worked in the dealership for almost 25 years,” says Hymas. “Being a Honda dealer and just happening to have a kid that rides well enough to catch HRC’s eye, gave us a great opportunity.” Chance was actually a Team Green rider growing up riding just about everything. “He rides everything pretty well. He is doing cross country, Supercross, motocross — the whole gamut.”

And this comes from where? Idaho? Actually, the adjacent county is appropriately Power County… you can’t make this stuff up.

“We have a lot of great off-road riding in the area, so he grew up riding trails, mountain trails, desert, that kind of stuff. He races WORCS series, so he’s familiar with offroad racing. And then he kind of had a knack of motocross so we did Loretta’s starting with the minis… That’s kind of what put the dealership on the sponsorship map.

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“It’s been good. It’s fun and it’s a great way to spend time with the kids growing up and spending weekends at the races and know what they’re doing. And yeah, that’s kind of what we did growing up.” The youngster, Chance is the third of three boys. Chase, the middle son is a tech at

the shop when he is not in class at ISU. Chase is currently in college working on a degree in Unmanned Aerial Systems, sounds like a chip off the old block? “Yes, Chase is 21. He works in the dealership, but all of them have grown up working in the dealership. So they’re familiar with bikes, how the business part of it works… and how the fun part works, too.”

“All three of my boys grew up racing dirtbikes but Chance was really good at a young age. And I learned a lot with my older boys, so that helped him.”

Did you ever think 25 years ago that you would be in this position today?

“No… Well, I guess you always dream of something like that, you know. Somebody asked Chance about it in an interview, and he’s like, “I think this is a dream come true for my Dad!” But yeah, I grew up in a small town that had a Honda dealer. I didn’t know there was anything besides Hondas until I was probably 10 or 11 years old, so I guess a Honda Factory ride really is a dream come true.”

Jackie Carlson

Of course you can’t chase the dream without a great team back at the store that makes it possible for you to go out to the races.

Jess Burry

“I have a great crew at the store. You know, 15 years ago, I couldn’t do what we do now. But the guys that are there, Brian, Jackie, Jess and the crew, all run the store in a way that allows me to be gone, especially as much as I have in the last two and a half months! Jackie is our Office Manager and also helps with Marketing. She is an enthusiast and earned her degree in Workplace Training & Leadership at ISU.” Jess Burry has been the Operations Manager at PPS for 10 years. “Professionally, Jess will tell you one of his greatest accomplishments was getting out of the car business. His real job is serving as chauffeur for the store Greeter, Rusty,” jokes Hymas. Rusty is the best shop dog around and we love the energy he brings. His goal in life is to make people smile. His hobbies include following the staff around (supervising), playing in the parking lot, and taking a nap from time to time. More days than not, Rusty shows up for work.

Rusty Continued on page 24

FEBRUARY 2022

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Continued from page 23

Brian Jablonski

Parts Manager Brian Jablonski has been with PPS even longer than Burry and Rusty combined. “Brian is our Parts Manager and has been with PPS for 20 years, which is an incredible accomplishment. His goal is to make everyone happy and live life at least half-throttle!”

Chase Hymas

And then there is the collection of motorcycles stashed in the store… “I actually have more streetbikes than dirtbikes in the collection, but I do have an aluminum frame CR 500 that was built by Pro Circuit for Jeremy McGrath. It has titanium bolts, magnesium case covers and kit suspension on it! But it is not for sale, my eldest son has already claimed it.”

2523 Pole Line Rd. Pocatello, ID 83201 (208) 232-8100 pocatellopowersports.com 24

PPS AMBASSADOR CHANCE HYMAS

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ast fall, American Honda announced the signing of 16-year old Chance Hymas to ride for Team Honda’s in-house amateur program. Hymas enjoyed a respectable 2021 amateur season, taking titles at Spring A Ding Ding (Open Pro Sport) and the James Stewart Spring Championship (250 Pro Sport), and finishing second overall at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship (Open Pro Sport and 250 Pro Sport) and the Scouting Moto Combine West. He also added Pro 250 wins in WORCS and NGPC rounds to his resume.

“I’m very excited to be joining Team Honda, and to be a part of such a legit program,” said Hymas, whose riding buddies include SLR Honda owner Mark Samuels and Team Honda HRC riders Hunter and Jett Lawrence. “It’s an honor to be an in-house amateur rider with American Honda, and it’s going to be an absolute blast! I’m looking forward to the future, and I’m going to make the best of this opportunity!”

For 2022, Hymas is taking part in the Supercross Futures series and Amateur National motocross events, as well as the latter part of the AMA Pro Motocross series. Through his family’s Pocatello PowerSports dealership, Hymas will also continue to compete in select off-road races. Hymas is then scheduled to move to Team Honda HRC for the 2023 and ’24 seasons.

“I’m thrilled to bring Chance to the Honda family,” added Brandon Wilson, Manager of Sports & Experiential at American Honda. “We already have a strong connection with his family through their dealership, and he’s just a great person to work with. The fact that he works on his own motorcycles also speaks volumes about his character. We look forward to a long, successful relationship together.”

Lai’s son, Junior, who succeeded his father in 2015 as CFMoto’s CEO. “My father started his business while facing many hurdles, and now, following in his footsteps, it is my responsibility to position CFMoto at a higher level in the long term. I don’t think that CFMoto will be the same in 10 years from now.”

Partnership with KTM ensures a different look for the future, courtesy of Kiska’s design influence.

CFMoto recently started manufacturing 790 Adventure and Duke models for sale in the Chinese market—CFMoto already manufactured many of KTM’s engines, including the 799cc LC8c parallel twin, for sale worldwide, and complete KTM bikes for Asian markets.

PUTTING THE “MOTO” IN CFmoto Celebrating 10 Years With A Surprise

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or the past decade, a growing number of dealers have had success with CFMoto ATVs and more recently the UTVs. Each year the top dealers were taken to see the factory in Hangzhou and provide direct feedback for what would make the brand an even better performer in the U.S. The 2021 Dealer Meeting was going to be even better as CFMoto intended to surprise its dealer network with a full range of motorcycles….

Then came pandemic.

Instead of hosting dealers in China, the Dealer Meeting was brought to the Mystic Lake Casino near the company’s U.S. HQ in Minnesota. Before the Delta variant surged, CFMoto hosted a good old-fashioned dealer meeting in a casino ballroom as the dealers were treated to not only a first look at the new product, but a chance to ride everything in the range. Dirt was brought in for an ATV track and a section of the pavement was reserved specifically for the new motorcycles.

Two 700s, two 650s, two 300s and even the little Papio 125 (think Grom or Z125 Pro). Top of the range are the 700CL-X and 700CL-X Sport (differentiated by clip-on bars, rear sets and Brembo Stylema binders) powered by a 693cc parallel twin in a steel chassis. Our pick to click, and popular with the dealers we spoke to was the 650 Adventura (there is also a 650NK sportbike variant with the same spec, just different bodywork and controls). But the price point for the 300SS and 300NK is going to put plenty of new riders into dealership showrooms.

Back Story According to the company lore, CFMoto began with one part— the engine. Founder Guogui Lai left the farm and created trademarked liquid-cooled 4-stroke engine in Hangzhou, China, which launched the company in 1989. ATVs, Side-bySides, Motorcycles, Scooters and more stemmed from those humble beginnings. We even saw EVs and eBikes under the CFMoto Pavilion in Milan… and the eATV was already on display at the U.S. Dealer meeting.

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However, some CFMoto dealers remember the first time CFMoto brought a motorcycle to the U.S. market on a limited test basis with the 650NK/TK models in 2014. “It wasn’t very good,” admitted a veteran dealer friend who shall remain nameless but having just ridden the new bikes in the test area, it is a night and day difference even with the very limited constraints of the demo area. “And the fit and finish is as good as anything I have on the showroom floor right now.”

Despite CFMoto’s primary port Ningbo being closed because of the pandemic, VP of Sales Derek Jordahl’s team has worked freight forwarders and “managed to catch is what catch can.”

In fact, anecdotal comments from dealers as well as a review of the shipping reports confirm CFMoto has been doing really well this year and ramping up dramatically since FY2019.

Two additional U.S. warehouses help. “The warehouses were already in the works before the pandemic, but you have to have containers coming in to fill warehouses,” says Jordahl.

The annual dealer trip wasn’t the only COVID cancellation, and the ongoing supply chain issues are threatening to delay the launch of the motorcycle line until mid-year. But the plan as of the dealer meeting was to expand the U.S. Dealer network of approximately 500 and have +/-150 become motorcycle dealers... thereabouts. “We don’t want to arbitrarily assign a number, we want to do what the market is asking for... and in a timeframe when we can supply our dealers,” he notes.

The longer the inventory issues remain, shipping containers remain stranded in ports and a myriad of detrimental factors, Jordahl admits there may have to be robbing Peter to pay Paul in order to get the motorcycle line launched in 2022.

“The motorcycles are intended for a more urban market and totally different demographic than our ATV/UTV dealers and we realize it may not be a good fit for a dealer. That being said we have great coverage in the northeastern tier and quite a number of open points in the southwest,” he adds.

“As Mr. Lai said when the brand was first introduced to America: CFMoto is here to stay!”

Click here to learn more about becoming a CFMoto dealer: https://cfmotousa.com/become-a-dealer

WHAT THEY SAID

You never know what you’re going to get with that first throttle twist on an unknown bike from an unfamiliar brand, but right out of the gate, the CL-X felt like a legitimate contender.

Smooth fueling, a ride-by-wire throttle, and a light clutch pull go a long way toward settling any unease, especially when they get you off the line quickly and without fuss. The parallel twin feels lively, and a good hit in the bottom part of the rev range delivers ready acceleration when you ask. All in all, you’ve got to take your hat off to CFMoto; the 700CL-X is a well-equipped, nicely balanced, and appealing addition to the middleweight category. Based on our short time with it, we think it’s a lot of machine for the $6,499 asking price ($6,999 for the Sport), and one way or another, it’s sure to move the needle for the company. ~ Andrew Cherney, Cycle World With CFMoto when people first heard the name for Australia some 15 years ago. Nowadays, not so much, it is now a household name. Their involvement on a commercial level with KTM factory has given them recognition world-wide that is fairly hard to ignore. CFMoto has taken advantage of this technology and engineering. If this bike had another band name on the tank — a more wellknown commonplace brand — you wouldn’t even question it. This is an incredibly well built, well finished motorcycle at any price point. ~ Dale Schmidtchen, Living For The Ride Is it a cafe racer? Is it a naked sportster? Who cares! There are more important things than games of spec sheet top trumps. The most important thing is how it makes you feel when you are riding it. Flinging it around corners is a proper laugh! It’s got a bit of a Rolls Royce feeling, but not at the Rolls Royce pricing spectrum. I was a bit worried about the brakes, but in actual fact, the brakes are reasonably strong. The horsepower and torque figures are directly in line with the competition, Yamaha’s MT-07… and it comes with a warranty, NICE! ~ Mike Booth, 44Teeth The Chinese manufacturer has produced a good basis for a family of bikes with the Sport slotting into the cafe racer sector with its clip-on bars and bar-end mirrors. Like many CFMoto bikes, this is styled by Kiska Design House in Austria and the subtle paintwork and trim creates a fresh and sporty look. My main gripe is the KYB rear shock. Its compression stroke is too harsh and non-adjustable. My other gripe is the instruments. While they show a lot of information, they lack fuel range, a second trip meter and ambient temperature, while having some other information that isn’t even explained in the manual. These are minor gripes for what is a handsome, well-appointed motorcycle that will put a smile on your face without causing you a pain in your hip pocket. ~ Mark Hinchliffe, Motorbike Writer

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Dealernews Research

By Don Musick

WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT! Part II So Tell Us What You Want!

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articipants were also asked to comment on any additional features that they would like to see or enhancements to existing features.

Of the 120 respondents, 31 voiced opinions/concerns. Since the responses were free-form, they’re presented as such in the table on page 29 (in no particular order).

As highlighted on the next page, 10 of the 31 comments cite “integration “, referring to the need for improving existing features as well as adding new functionality for web and mobile support. Notably, there were no requests for lead management/ CRM functionality. Although this might be a reflection of the back-end centric feature prioritization of the DMS/BMS stakeholders interviewed, the next two tables from the survey suggest that they have more than a passing familiarity with CRM applications. Add to the mix the fact that CDK Lightspeed products already have CRM capabilities available suggests that lead management is lower in priority to other DMS/BMS functionality.

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WHO’S YOUR GODADDY REVISITED While we conducted a comprehensive survey of powersports industry web site providers a few articles back, this DMS/ BMS survey also asked the same question. The next figure shows a side by side comparison of the top 3 website providers from both surveys. Table values represent percentages of total website providers surveyed followed by dealer counts in parentheses.

Continued on page 32

FEBRUARY 2022

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Continued from page 31

While the sample sizes are vastly different, the same 3 website providers top both surveys (although not in the same order).

The motivation for including this question was to examine the landscape of dealer CRM providers in the context of DMS/ BMS providers. While a good two thirds of the respondents confirmed that CRM systems were in place in their dealerships, approximately half said they employed 3rd party service providers. Of course that leaves the other half where CRM is purportedly supplied by their DMS/BMS (again, why no CRM-related comments?).

So who are these 3rd party CRM providers? The sample size is getting really small, but it shakes out like as follows.

Yup…. the same three vendors appear near the top! So it appears that powersports dealers might be farming-out lead management/CRM services to their website providers! Of course, that places the responsibility of providing CRM integration services to DMS/BMS systems with these vendors.

This is not unlike the auto industry where 3rd party systems provide most CRM capabilities as well as integrating with dealer DMS/BMS systems. A link to the top automotive CRM providers can be found here (link).

It’s also worth noting that most of the OEMs in the target list provide some level of basic lead processing from their corporate web sites through their respective Dealer Communication Systems (DCS). However, since these services are OEM-centric their utility in multi-line dealerships is limited at best. Dealers need to manage leads generated from a variety of sources including in-house, OEM websites and lead generation services (eg. NADA Guides, Cycle Trader, PowersportsTV).

THE DMS IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE DMS! Hopping into the Wayback Machine, we find that many of the features discussed above have endured in the DMS space for decades. Sure, technology has improved exponentially but, core functionality has seen little change. So where does it go from here? Since DMS evolution in the powersports industry has followed in the footsteps of the auto industry, how do they see the future? This recent Blog posting from Motive Retail titled “The DMS Is Vanishing… And Why It Matters To You” (link) provides an eye-opening preview of how rapidly evolving customer expectations and connectivity will drive the future of the DMS. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the dealers have spoken and told us what they want!

From his first motorcycles (a Honda S65 and an S90) when he was 16 to 50 years later, Don Musick has never stopped twisting the throttle. Although his accomplishments in the research arena have surpassed his MX career Don has over 25 years experience with major manufacturers in the Powersports and Automotive industries specializing in e-business solutions for retail distribution networks. His solution portfolio includes the development and implementation of manufacturer/dealer extranets, consumer-direct commerce portals, manufacturer/dealer e-channel integrations as well as development of web-based sales force automation tools. For most of his career, Don has been fascinated (his wife would say obsessed) with geographic market analytics, dealer location planning and sales territory optimization.

He founded Genesys Technology Solutions (GenesysTech) http://www.genesystech.com/ to develop new tools and market intelligence products to help manufacturers understand the competitive landscape of their industries, recognize opportunities and grow their businesses. A Spartan to the core, Don earned a B.S. in Physiology and PhD in Biochemistry from Michigan State University. Contact: dmusick@genesystech.com

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The only time things have been worse was at the start of the pandemic, when the dissatisfaction rate hit an alltime high of 87%. Now 62% of Americans say they feel “fearful” and 55% say they feel “angry” when thinking about the state of the nation.

Consumer sentiment fell throughout January, dropping to its lowest level in over a decade (November 2011).

The Index of Consumer Sentiment, as measured by the University of Michigan’s long-running Survey of Consumers, dropped from 79.0 in January 2021 to 67.2 in January 2022, a year-over-year change of -14.9%. The University of Michigan economists blamed the decline on a combination of two forces: the Delta and Omicron variants and supply chain issues that triggered the rise in inflation. Further, overall confidence in government economic policies is at its lowest level since 2014 and “major geopolitical risks may add to the pandemic active confrontations with other countries.”

Dealernews Research

By Dr. Paul Leinberger

TREPIDATION IS THE WATCHWORD Consumer Outlook For 2022

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n incredible 68% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer purchases, so as the consumer goes, so goes America. That is why it is so important to understand how consumers are feeling about the year ahead.

We started the year on a high note. On January 26th, the Commerce Department announced that the economy grew by 5.7% in 2021, the largest annual increase since 1984. The last time the economy grew at about the same rate, President Ronald Reagan was in office. More good news came on February 4th when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a surprisingly strong January job market. The U.S. economy added 467,000 new jobs in January, far better than most economists had predicted.

Despite the good news, consumers still view the year ahead with some trepidation. The pandemic continues to linger and the worst inflation in decades has them worried about their economic prospects. Can you blame them?

The public enters 2022 largely dissatisfied with the current state of the nation. Just 21% say they are satisfied with “the way things are going in the country,” while 78% are dissatisfied, according to the Pew Research Center.

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Richard Curtin, the Survey of Consumers chief economist, also worries that “consumers may misinterpret the Fed’s policy moves to slow the economy as part of the problem rather than part of the solution.” (Most economists expect the Federal Reserve Bank to use its policy tools in the coming months to try and rein in inflation by gradually raising borrowing costs). The fear is that consumers may overreact to the Fed’s moves.

When interest rates go up, consumers are less likely to spend, and that can slow GDP growth.

There is, however, another side to the story. A majority of U.S. adults (61%) are optimistic about the year ahead and (46%) say they feel “hopeful” about the year ahead.

How is it possible for consumer confidence to be down while at the same time personal optimism is up?

The data suggests that when consumers feel in control, they are optimistic about the future. On the other hand, when they are confronted by conditions they cannot control – like inflation and the pandemic — they feel anxious.

Consumers’ lives have been turned upside down for more than two years. Now, more than anything, they yearn for the normal rhythms of life – going to school, going to work, going to church, going shopping, going out to eat, and going to family gatherings. They want a return to normal - to normal routines, normal rituals and normal celebrations. They long for the routines they had pre-pandemic.

With the pandemic still lingering and inflation not yet tamed, it remains unclear whether a return to “normal” life will happen anytime soon.

What does all of this mean for you and your dealership?

First of all, watch closely what the Federal Reserve Bank does in March. If they raise the federal funds rate at their March meeting, begin to monitor how consumers respond. If consumers respond by slowing their

purchases, begin to watch closely what is happening in your store. Are your customers beginning to put off big-ticket purchases (like that new bike they have been eyeing for a few months)? Are they making more BNPL (buy now pay later) purchases? Are your overall sales beginning to slow? If so, ease their economic fears by offering discounts and running more specials.

Second, feed their optimism. After the lost years of 2020 and 2021, your customers are eager to reconnect with friends and family. Organize more special events

and weekend rides to support that desire. (Remember how good it felt to see old friends at AIMExpo 2022 in Las Vegas? Your customers are longing for a similar experience).

Finally, since your customers want to return to their prepandemic routines, think about what you stopped doing because of the pandemic, and bring those programs and activities back. Signal to them that you understand their desire to return to normalcy. They will thank you for thinking of them!

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

Dealernews Research

By Lenny Sims

BY THE BOOK

J.D. Power Valuation Guide Powersports Market Industry Overview

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he powersports industry continued to surge in 2021. And despite all the craziness of the new year, momentum seems to be holding so far. The increase in demand and the lack of supply saw values for the most recent 10 model years of cruisers average 15.2% higher in calendar-year 2021 compared to 2020. Better yet this was 17.7% higher than 2019.

Sportbike values saw a bump of 18.2% in 2021… up 23.9% more than 2019! A rising tide does indeed float all boats!

Additional insights from the MIC Retail Sales Reporting System:

J.D. Power/NADAguides valuations are mirrored by Motorcycle Industry Council reports. “This is the second consecutive year of significant growth across powersports,” said MIC CEO Erik Pritchard. “Many new motorcyclists are joining the riding community, both on and off road. We continue to work to inspire, welcome, and integrate them so they enjoy riding for decades to come.” Excluding UTVs, but including ATVs and scooters, 2021 sales were up 9.1%. Even better, sales of all onroad motorcycles (including scooters, on-highway, and dualpurpose) finished up 14.2% for 2021.

• Dual-purpose motorcycle sales were up 18.6% over what was considered a monster year of sales in 2020, where we saw a 46.2% increase in sales over 2019.

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• Across all categories of motorcycles (scooters, on-highway, dual and off-highway) sales are up 21.8% since 2019.

• Scooter sales are up 19.6% over 2020 and 31.4% over 2019.

• On-highway motorcycle sales are up 12.9% over 2020.

• Off-highway motorcycles continue to do well with a two-year increase of 42.9%.

With trucker’s strikes and continuing supply chain issues, look for new vehicle shortages here to continue throughout Q1, 2022. Fingers crossed the Feb figures out how to slow the recession and people go back to work as the pandemic restrictions are lifted Bottom line: Don’t discount anything! Prices should reflect value and the demand for key markets should stay strong… for now.

J.D. Power Specialty Valuation Services (formerly NADAguides) is a leading provider of specialty vehicle valuation products and services to businesses.

The team collects and analyzes tens of thousands of wholesale and retail transactions per month, and delivers a range of guidebooks, web service data, analysis and digital data solutions. J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world’s leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

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The MOTO Pro covers all major manufacturers from Europe, Asia and North America. Furthermore, PWC, or personal watercraft is also covered, as are recreational vehicles, such as ATVs and Side-by-Sides.

DECEMBER ‘21 VS AVG OF PRIOR 3 MONTHS AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE CHANGE

15%

-15%

-6%

-1%

-59% SNOWMOBILE

2%

PWC

-3%

SIDE X SIDE

-2%

ATV

-10%

2%

MX

-5%

-3%

DUAL SPORT

0%

METRIC CRUISER

5%

SPORT

10%

DECEMBER ‘21 VS DECEMBER ‘20 AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE CHANGE

30%

27%

25%

25% 20% 15%

13%

14%

12%

12%

10%

3% -2%

SNOWMOBILE

PWC

ATV

SIDE X SIDE

-10%

-41% MX

0%

DUAL SPORT

5%

-5%

*All data provided by National Powersport Auctions includes live and online transactions from all NPA locations. Closed OEM auction data is excluded. For more info visit NPAUCTIONS.COM

17%

SPORT

Seasonality Returning As we close the book on another eventful year, seasonal pricing trends in 2021 exhibited more normal behavior. While AWP remains up 20-25% versus 2020 in most major categories, it’s good to see the market trend back towards more typical behavior.

With spring around the corner, dealers will begin to source and stock inventory in anticipation of another strong selling season. Riders will be looking to get out and ride with December now in the rear-view mirror; expect consumer interest and pricing to climb into the first half of 2022.

20%

METRIC CRUISER

On-Road Model Age Declined In all On-Road categories model age has decreased approximately a full year over the last 60 days. This makes sense as the newer models have been arriving later in the year and consumers trade-in and trade-up. Sport Bikes are also taking up a bigger percentage of overall product mix as the year ended.

25%

DOMESTIC CRUISER

Solid Pricing Through Winter As we close out 2021, December Average Wholesale Pricing (AWP) varied 2-3% in most major categories from the prior 3-month average. In the On-Road segment, Metric Cruisers bumped upward ~2% while other categories showed decreases of 2-3%, indicative of normal seasonality. Off-Road segments showed more variance in category level pricing with ATV AWP decreasing by 6% and Side-by-Side’s staying relatively flat.

Compared to last December, AWP remains up over 10% for all major categories except Cruisers, which came within 3% of prior year levels.

DOMESTIC CRUISER

DECEMBER AWP IN REVIEW

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+

BENTORNATA ADRENALINA! EICMA Welcomes Back Adrenaline Page 42

A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

International Motocross Museum Kicks Off Page 76

KTM ALMOST READY TO RACE Groundbreaking New Campus Page 80

and communication professionals (35% from abroad), took advantage of the exclusive press day on the Tuesday leading into the show, new for this year.

“In the end it was passion that won, the great desire by the public to experience the event, the determination of the exhibitors to have a presence and the desire by the trade to go back to doing business in person,” added Chairman Meda, “This statement, after the forced stop last year, also takes on great symbolic value and confirms that the model of trade fair implemented by the historic Milanese show is up to date.”

BENTORNATA. ADRENALINA.

EICMA Welcomes The Return Of Adrenaline

T

he 78th Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo e Motociclismo Accessori (EICMA) rolled into the Rho Fiera show grounds outside of Milan at the end of November with a tank full of passion. Since 1914, EICMA has been the motorcycle world’s version of Mecca and continues to draw the faithful from around the globe. Bentornata Adrenalina “welcome to the return of adrenaline” proclaimed ANCMA, the trade association which promotes the wold’s largest motorcycle trade fair.

Despite the extreme COVID restrictions, including online ticket sales, mandatory testing for overseas attendees and caps on the consumer count during the public days, EICMA was indeed back, with a tank that was at least 2/3s full.

“We experienced pre-pandemic enthusiasm and confidence for EICMA,” said ANCMA Chairman Pietro Meda, “It was a testament to the strength of the industry that rekindled fans dreams.”

Max capacity was reached on each of the consumer days for a total of 342,644 motorcycle people coming through the gates.

An additional 28,841 trade professionals (43% foreign) were on hand during the dealer days while 45,127ournalists, influencers

42

Although the number of exhibitors was curtailed by COVID and the number of show halls was reduced to 5, the outdoor Moto Live area was increased substantially, hosting the exclusive tribute to Valentino Rossi (see sidebar) and including more performances, races and test ride opportunities than ever.

“I want to underline that we concentrated our efforts to apply the rules on the control of the accesses very strictly, which entailed a major organizational effort in collaboration with Fiera Milano and with the approval of the exhibitors,” claimed Media. “We strongly promoted the correct behavior during visits, relying on the common sense of all attendees and exhibitors during the fair. In light of the restrictions, we achieved the best result possible.”

COMING TO AMERICA

“It is a test of strength made possible thanks to the trust of the exhibitors and their loyalty to the public, who responded with great enthusiasm,” EICMA CEO Paolo Magri. “Our sincere thanks go to them for enabling EICMA to channel the great desire for two wheels coming from the market in a unique timeframe.

Global opportunities and the industry’s investments make for a strong future of mobility on two wheels.”

EICMA 2022 is set for November 8 to 13. Click here for galleries of the last show and updates for this year’s event: https://www.eicma.it/en/

T

he goal of our hosts at the Italian Trade Association and ANCMA is of course to drive business. One of the displays we checked out at EICMA was Bitubo S.r.l — world champion race suspension experts since 1963. At the trade fair they announced plans to bring their suspension line to North America. Bitubo USA LLC, located in Miami, Florida, is now up and running just in time for Bike Week.

Owned by the Mardollo family and successfully managed by the thirdgeneration CEO Gianni Mardollo, “With the birth of our American branch, we complete the first cycle of goals that we set ourselves,” he explains. “Now we are embarking on a 5-year development plan that will see us firmly committed to one of the world’s most important markets, where we expect to grow thanks to the undisputed quality of our products and the rapid delivery and service. Americans will be able to buy a product of the highest quality, entirely produced in Italy and turn to an American technical service network for set up and custom adjustments, maintenance, overhaul and spare parts.”

To that end, a highly qualified US-based staff will provide immediate assistance and optimized delivery times despite the currently supply chain and logistical issues many manufacturers are experiencing.

To ensure success, Bitubo has combined years of experience with a state-of-the-art warehouse to develop a process that ensures first quality raw materials and production on a consistent basis.

US management is headed by industry veteran Tom Owens in his role as Director of Operations - Bitubo USA. Owens comes to Bitubo with 30+ years of industry experience, most recently as Sr. Director of Sales, Marketing & International Strategy with Tucker Powersports.

“I am very excited to help bring such an incredible brand to the US market. They have experience in Off-Road, Street and all aspects of Racing including providing World Champion race product to Superbike and MotoGP teams. The US suspension market is ripe for a new player and we are excited to provide that.” Owens will lead Sales, Operations and Logistics while coordinating with Marketing to drive overall brand strategy in the US. Supporting Owen’s efforts will be Sean Delshadi, Marketing Director - Bitubo USA. “I am excited to develop and execute strategies that will build Bitubo’s position as a leading-edge motorcycle suspension brand in the US market.” said Delshadi, “It’s a privilege to be part of a passionate group of suspension experts with generations of world champion race experience since 1963.” With 15 years of experience, Delshadi was formerly with Performance Machine, Progressive Suspension and Burly Brand. Delshadi will lead marketing, product innovation and advertising, as well as the brand’s digital marketing initiatives while working closely with operations to drive sales.

The high-performance race motorcycle suspension products will debut in Florida at the 2022 Daytona Bike Week, March 4. The Bitubo Race Suspension line will also be featured at select events throughout the season. Available to order through select dealers early 2022.

PICKS TO CLICK

F VALENTINO ROSSI’S LAST LAP!

rom the rather unassuming little display of the QJMotor brand and the Royal Enfield 120 Anniversary Twins (and SG 650 Concept hidden in plain sight) to the massive pavilions from hometown heroes like the Piaggio pantheon of brands, new bikes were the focal point for EICMA. Depending on who you ask, the order seems to vary, but everyone seemed to discover MV Agusta’s Lucky Explorer 5.5 and 9.5 ADV machines, Bimota’s KB4, Moto Guzzi’s V100 Mandelo, Aprilia’s Tuono 660 Factory, Kawasaki retro range and cutting edge H2 SX SE, a tasty Tenere Raid prototype and pair of MT 10 at Yamaha, the return of the Hornet and a 30th Anniversary Fireblade CBR1000RR-R…

O

n November 25 Valentino Rossi rode off into the sunset, sort of… just days after the MotoGP race at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, the last official race of his legendary MotoGP career, Rossi took a turn around EICMA and then rode out onto the MotoLIVE stage where racing enthusiasts were able to greet their hero at a special event organized by Yamaha.

Yamaha Motor celebrated its partnership with Rossi with ‘One More Lap’ — the legendary MotoGP hero from nearby Tavullia was invited to take one more lap of honor at the Milan event.

The Doctor’s fans were able to meet him live and look back with him at the crucial moments of his career as well as relish the anecdotes and trivia from his 16 years of challenges and successes.

While it may have been his final lap as an active MotoGP competitor, Milan marked the debut of multiple VR46 businesses. Seemed like everyone of the 5 show halls at EICMA had a bright Yellow pavilion hawking Rossi’s myriad range of branded businesses. There were three VR46 Apparel displays alone, including a dedicated MX gear line. There was also the VR46 race school and Flat track academy and his four teams for 2022 — a total of four racing teams for the 2022 season as the 9-time champ will be fielding one MotoGP team, two Moto2 teams and a Moto3 feeder team.

The Doctor may be gone from the starting grid, but he is not about to be forgotten by the faithful any time soon!

44

Rather than making the tough call, we shot them all! Here is what the consumer outlets thought were the true show stoppers.

Cycle News Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello Yamaha MT-10 and MT-10 SP Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory Kawasaki KLX 230 SE Honda Fireblade SP 30th Anniversary Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX XE

Cycle World Royal Enfield 120th Anniversary INT650 & GT 650 Bimota KB4 Yamaha Tenere 700 Raid Prototype Suzuki Katana Honda Fireblade SP 30th Anniversary Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX XE

New Atlas Bimota KB4 Yamaha MT-10 SP Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX XE Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello Honda Fireblade SP 30th Anniversary MV Agusta/Lucky Exploer 5.5 % 9.5

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DEALER ASSOCIATION DEBUT

NPDA Launches At AIMExpo Page 48

STAND WITH US

Bob Althoff On Why NPDA Page 49

ARROWHEAD ON POINT Steps Up As NPDA’s Strategic Partner Page 52

Npda update

NATIONAL POWERSPORTS DEALER ASSOCIATION MAKES DEBUT AIMExpo Provides For Face-To-Face Introduction

D

id you hear? The National Powersports Dealer Association was sounding off at AIMExpo. The stated goal of the powersports industry’s first trade show in more than two years was to connect, engage and unite the industry. Coincidentally that message aligns closely with the PURE (Promote, Unite, Represent, Educate) efforts of the newly formed NPDA. AIMExpo provided the perfect platform for the group to present the concept to their fellow dealers.

“A national organization for dealers and by dealers is something our industry has clearly needed for a long time,” says NPDA Chair Bob Althoff, Farrow Harley-Davidson, Columbus, OH. “With a goal of promoting retail excellence, NPDA will provide leadership, research, training, group purchasing benefits, legislative affairs, benchmarking and more. We are so excited to finally offer dealers a lifeline to so many aspects which retailers in other industries have had for a long time.”

To help explain the value proposition to fellow dealers, NPDA Board Members did booth duty in Las Vegas, explaining their PURE message in person. Vice chair and founding board member Bob Kee notes the acronym works for the aims and objectives NPDA presented at AIMExpo:

48

PURE PROMOTE – To work together to promote to consumers and media the powersports industry and the amazing lifestyle that vehicle ownership and dealers provide.

UNITE – To unify the efforts of the nation’s powersport vehicle dealers, of all brands and products, into a common, powerful voice.

REPRESENT – To work together to represent, advocate for and protect the interests of powersports dealers with government, manufacturers and others.

EDUCATE – To educate powersports dealers and their staff on how to achieve retail excellence, sustainable profitability, a professional environment, happy and welltrained employees, and satisfied customers.

“For NPDA to become a productive and powerful force in the industry, we need to bring all of the franchised and independent dealers in the country together,” adds Althoff.

“We are better together… all together.”

If you missed seeing the bright red Bimota in the NPDA booth at AIMExpo and want to learn more about the association, click here: https://www.npda.org/

NPDA STAND WITH US! Bob Althoff, Executive Director

B

ob Althoff has a family of dealerships in the Columbus, Ohio, area — Farrow Harley-Davidson. Coincidentally he is also part of the Dealernews team and was the unanimous choice by the founding members to be the first Chairman of the National Powersports Dealers Association.

For those who missed out on getting the message in person at the AIMExpo, Althoff recaps the raison d’être for the NPDA here: “It is a little bit of a historical accident that we are not among the 15,000-30,000 trade associations in the United States. Some people say there are as many as 70,000 trade associations in America, representing folks who are in industries that are smaller and less important than ours.”

However, NPDA is here to correct this historical oversight by providing real value to the nation’s Dealers.

From SEMA and RVIA to MRAA and NADA, similar trade associations have all been generous in their advice and support. “It’s really wonderful to know that we can learn from those who are providing Dealers with great goods and services and helping pursue retail excellence,” he explains.

“You know, the great thing is we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We can learn from a lot of generous folks that we’ve consulted with, and I think we’re going to have great success!”

“As we know, all of us Dealers are part of our community.

We have all been involved in charitable organizations and religious organizations, so we know what associations do for their members. It ranges from advocacy to training and education to the procurement of goods and services on a more efficient basis.” Ultimately associations provide access to greater resources, but Althoff believes NPDA has a higher calling than an “ordinary” association.

“What I’m most excited about is the fact that if we can keep a focus on how to help our brother and sister Dealers be better, crisper at retail, i.e. retail excellence, NPDA can help us exceed the expectations of our consumers and we can grow this industry.” Timing couldn’t be more critical with COVID literally changing retail around the globe during the past 24 months.

It’s really important that we are focused on Retail Excellence because as they say, if you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying! We’re in a position of being the creators of final demand for these wonderful products.” COVID be damned, Althoff wants NPDA to go viral.

“I just want to spread the contagion of powersports. I know what it’s meant in my life, all the friends and all the adventures… and maybe a few misadventures… that being a dealer has afforded me. That’s what this is all about.”

Bottom Line: “To you, my brother and sister dealers, I say, having gone to work pretty much seven days a week for the last several decades doing what you do, I have an incredible appreciation for the enormous good work you do in your communities.

Dealers are the soul of their local communities.

“Join us. Let’s get this done. Let’s help one another, become better at what we do…

And let’s spread this contagion!”

FEBRUARY 2022

49

NPDA IS PRICELESS

M

ark Rodgers kicked off AIMExpo’s Dealer Education tracks by hosting a panel discussion with the world’s top 20 Group moderators. Some amazing insights were presented along with a poignant moment for Rodgers.

“I love the history and legacy of our dealer network. For those who couldn’t make it to AIMExpo, here’s a short clip of my wrap-up of the panel talk. In it, I talk about the importance of dealers coming together.

“I share an early experience of mine with Carl “Pap” Schaeffer who was at the time the Eastern Dealers Association President. Unbeknownst to me, his 25-yearold great-granddaughter, for whom she is named (Carleigh) was in attendance. Her mother said the look on her face was priceless.”

Look Out For #1?

An insider recently confided in me claiming it’s all about kill or be killed for dealers. You know what? It can’t be.

That can’t be what happens. We have to stick together.

I’m not suggesting anything like collusion… don’t misconstrue my comments. But we’ve got to stick together.

I was a kid just starting out in this industry one cold January day in a Sheraton outside of Redding, Pennsylvania. As a 22 year-old, I found myself at the Eastern Harley-Davidson Dealer Association meeting. And the contentious topic of the day was should dealers charge one another for delivery when trading bikes? There was heated debate on both sides.

50

“Finally, the association president, Pap Schaeffer said, “Enough. Now I’m going to tell you how it’s going to be: We’re dealers and we stick together. We’re not charging one another for delivery, if we can help one another out by trading a bike, that’s what we do. That’s just the cost of doing business.”

You know, I really learned a lot. And that left an indelible impression on my 22 year-old mind. I think for us to be successful this year, and in the future, dealers have to stick together. Our beef shouldn’t be with the dealer across town. Our issue should be with any activities that take discretionary dollars and time away from powersports.

It can’t be kill or be killed… or what’s going to die is all of us. I condone healthy competition. However, I don’t support cutthroat win-at-all-cost competition.

Now, I’m saying we’ve got to come together if we’re going to grow new riders, not destroy each other fighting over the ones that we have. This event seems to me to be all about coming together. You just watched three different 20 Group moderators come together and share freely ways to help improve your business.

Here at the show, we have the Motorcycle Industry Council and the NPDA coming together to help improve your business. So whether we come together virtually or in real life, we’ve got to stick together for our future success. I want to thank our panelists. I want to thank our organizers. And most importantly, I want to thank you, our dealers!

Now, go make this year… Legendary!

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GARAGE COMPOSITES PARTNERS WITH NPDA

E

ven before AIMExpo and joining Mark Rodgers on stage for the 20 Group panel presentation, the Garage Composites crew was onboard with NPDA’s mission to elevate powersports retailers through training and education. The industry leading 20 Club provider was an early adapter, stepping up as the first strategic partner of the recently announced National Powersports Dealer Association. “ A national organization for dealers and by dealers is something our industry has clearly needed for a long time,” notes NPDA Chair Bob Althoff. “Garage Composites grasped our mission immediately and asked what they could do to help.”

In the process of interviewing three of NPDA founding board members — Althoff, Gail Worth and George Gatto for one of their wildly popular Garagecast segments — Garage Composites principals Sam Dantzler and Tony Gonzalez sold themselves on the concept of a national body looking to elevate all dealers. Dantzler literally stopped the interview mid-stream and announced “we’re in, where do we send the money?” Thus NPDA had its first strategic partnership.

True story, check out the podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/205564/9353974 “NPDA’s goals of providing leadership, research, training and benchmarking are perfectly aligned with Garage Composites efforts,” adds Gonzalez. “We are excited to assist dealers with the tools to compete in an increasingly difficult environment.”

“We weren’t looking for just another sponsor, these relations will be strategic partnerships,” explained Althoff after the original announcement. “Being a Partner with NPDA is a commitment to the long-term excellence and success of dealers… A healthy industry requires a healthy dealer channel.” Supporting NPDA’s mission as a Partner allows Partners to grow their own business by supporting the growth and excellence of the industry’s dealers.

“Thanks to Garage Composites’ vision and support, NPDA is better positioned to become a productive and powerful force to bring all of the franchised and independent dealers in the country together,” Althoff adds. “The Association wants to hear from you. It is imperative that we work together to protect, serve and grow our industry.”

Interested in becoming a strategic partner with NPDA? More information is available at: https://www.npda.org/partners

52

NPDA PARTNERS UP WITH ARROWHEAD AT AIMExpo

F

ostering the belief that the industry is better together, the National Powersports Dealer Association continues to bring dealers in under its PURE banner (Promote, Unite, Represent, Educate). This belief is shared by a number of the industry’s leading service providers to dealers, so a Strategic Partnership program was created. At the recent AIMExpo, Arrowhead Engineered Products, the parent company to All Balls Racing, Vertex, Hot Cams, Pivot Works and most recently Western Power Sports, announced it was stepping up as a strategic partner.

“A healthy industry requires a healthy dealer channel with a common voice,” says Chera Gibb, VP of Marketing for Arrowhead Engineered Products. “It is our intention to continue providing the network with outstanding product, service, and delivery supporting NPDA’s vision to exceed the expectations of a growing powersports customer base.

Arrowhead and NPDA’s common goal is retail excellence of the industry’s dealers.”

“Arrowhead Engineered Products is showing its dedication to dealers and the industry by joining both the Motorcycle Industry Council and now the National Powersports Dealer Association,” adds NPDA Chair Bob Althoff. “Partnering with NPDA is a true commitment to the long-term excellence and success of powersports dealers and dealers are the best way for consumers to explore, engage and purchase powersports products and services.”

NPDA is not just a pipe dream, but a unifying force for the entire industry. The Articles of Incorporation are finalized, the 501c status has been issued, bylaws have been adopted and more than 75 Dealerships are dues paying members.

“We are grateful that Arrowhead Engineered Products shares the vision and supports the mission of NPDA,” concludes Althoff.

stand with THE WE DO! Bob Kee, Vice Chairman, NPDA Destination Cycle

Kim Harrison, Sec/Treasurer, NPDA Coleman PowerSports

Bob Althoff, Executive Director, NPDA Chairman, Farrow Harley-Davidson

Gail “Harley Chick” Worth, Founding Board Member - Gail’s Powersports

George Gatto, Founding Board Member - Gatto Harley-Davidson

Dia Matteson, Founding Member - Harley-Davidson

Mark Peterson, Founding Board Member - Southwest Superbikes

Robert Kay, Founding Board Member Star City Motorports

Maurice Slaughter, Founding Board Member - Bayside Harley-Davidson

“Looking forward to seeing us as members!”

“Together is better: We’re NPDA. Join us!”

“This is a great time and a great place to get the ball rolling and really make a difference!”

“Join the National Powersports Dealers Association and find out what we’re all about.”

“It’s just something you got to do. I can’t imagine not not being part of this organization.”

“Join NPDA and climb every mountain!”

“Join us. Let’s get this done. Let’s help one another, become better at what we do…”

Board

“Having more females feel comfortable working in the industry would also result in more women feeling comfortable purchasing and participating.”

“It has to be a passion, and it has to be a joy.”

Joining NPDA will help keep the passion and joy in this business.

Do you dream of a simpler path to success?

Associations do for us what we can’t do alone. Take the next step and www.npda.org

JOIN NOW

When asked about her board member position at the Motorcycle Industry Council, it comes down to her passion for the motorcycle industry and her desire to be a voice for the entire industry, not just one aspect of it. Her goal is to get all parties to work together, her being a neutral party yet an advocate for the entirety of the industry. Before her election to the MIC Board, Allen had already been participating in the annual fly-ins to Washington, an event that provides an opportunity for MIC member company representatives to meet with their Members of Congress.

The program helps make Congress members aware of the size and scope of the powersports industry, as well as show a unified front on issues affecting our industry.

By Alisa Clickenger

NICOLE ALLEN

B

orn and raised riding a motorcycle, Nicole Allen attributes her success in the motorcycle industry to the many life skills she learned growing up riding.

A decade at Akrapovič helped her make connections throughout the industry, and expertise in growing a brand.

Now Senior Manager Business Development at Comoto, those early years of riding, falling, picking up the bike and keeping on riding gave Allen the grit she needed to make her indelible mark on the Powersports industry.

“Riding motorcycles gave me confidence, it gave me grit.”

She says. “Riding developed life skills growing up that greatly contributed to my successful career path. When I would fall over, my dad didn’t rush to pick me up. He would say, ‘pick up your bike before it floods. If you don’t pick it up, you can’t get back.’ If there was a really challenging hill, I would crash and I’d go back down and be encouraged to try it again. And when I translated that as an adult, I realized that I didn’t give up and I tried even harder, with new focus and drive, ultimately giving me the confidence that I could accomplish anything,” says Allen.

54

“I want to make sure that motorcycles, electric bikes and riding areas continue to exist. I want to make sure powersports are there for children to engage in safely to build those life skills because these are skills you don’t get in the classroom.” Other volunteer work Allen does within the industry includes mentoring young women to become more involved in the industry and to grow personally and professionally. Allen has also served as a mentor in the MIC’s Gas Tank Program, a one-on-one mentoring program open to individuals and groups with a new product or service idea.

Allen’s son is five years old and races BMX. He’s currently the #14 kid in the country. His life lessons are starting there. When the kids fall over racing, she watches the other five year olds cry and wait for their parents to come get them. Just like Allen was taught when she was growing up, her son picks his bike up and finishes the race.

“So how does that translate to life? He doesn’t always win. When he gets to the finish line and he doesn’t win, we make him congratulate everybody, and we ask him if he tried his best and ask him how he can improve upon that performance next time. It’s the same thing with motorcycling. It gives you the determination to keep trying, to not give up, and to believe in yourself.”

Luckily for us, Nicole Allen is paying it forward for future generations.

Lori Armistead Director of Marketing and PR at Road 2 Recovery Foundation Lori found her calling as a charter member of the Road 2 Recovery Foundation, a 501(c) nonprofit organization founded in 2000 to help AMA-licensed professionals and action sports athletes with financial assistance after sustaining career-ending injuries. R2R provides motivational, emotional and spiritual support to these individuals and their families. Before Road 2 Recovery, Lori was Director of Marketing at National Powersport Auctions. She’s passionate about the people, the community and the overall feeling of support the powersports industry has for each other.

Cam Arnold Cam spent almost 20 years at the American Suzuki Motor Corporation, initially running the marine business, then later in the motorcycle, ATV and automotive sides of the business. She then worked with the industry associations MIC, MSF, ASI and ROHVA. She loves giving back to the industry by focusing on education, research, training and programs to encourage and enhance the riding experience. During her time with the Associations she was able to develop Women In Powersports, a professional network for women in the industry focusing on professional development, education and leadership activities. Cam recently retired as VP of Training Operations for the MIC and goes for long rides on her BMW F650GS.

Krys Brown HardDrive V-Twin Segment Director at Western Power Sports 23 years ago, Krys was fresh out of MMI with a toolbox, her motorcycle, and an unquenchable thirst for all things v-twin. The independent performance shops she worked for gave her an incredible wealth of knowledge and she was able to hone her skills in V-twin OE to aftermarket. This included product fitment, designing and building bikes from the ground up, motors and tuning from old to new, managing the day-to-day, and understanding the importance of true and accurate service for the riders she shares her passion with. Her current ride is a custom-built, frame up, Wishbone Softail Frame, Hi-Output EVO Motor, HD 5-Speed Trans, 2” Open BDL, 50’s Hinged Rear Fender mounted to the Swingarm, FL Front-end & plenty of old HotRod/Harley Military accents.

Joy Burgess Managing Editor, American Motorcyclist Magazine Joy Burgess came to the motorcycle industry with more than 15 years of editorial and marketing experience under her belt. Widowed at age 35, she fell in love with motorcycles — finding home and family in the motorcycle community — and turned her focus to the motorcycle industry. First working as Editor-atLarge for Thunder Press, she went on to become the Editor of sister publication Woman Rider. In 2021, she joined the American Motorcyclist Association as Managing Editor of American Motorcyclist magazine.

Joy has spent much of her time in the industry focusing on women who ride (including a history-making “Women in Motorcycling” issue for Thunder Press and “Girls On Fire” issue for American Motorcyclist) and writing features and cover stories for the newly reimagined American Motorcyclist magazine. Most of all, Joy is passionate about giving back to an industry that’s given so much to her.

Lynda Clarke Lahman Author Lynda is a mental-skills coach for athletes, an avid motorcyclist, and the first person to finish the 11-day Iron Butt Rally twice as a pillion and then twice on a solo bike. She is the author of five books, including two that are motorcycle-themed and one on strengthening mental skills in athletes, and was a regular columnist for the Iron Butt and WomenADV magazines. When not traveling, she divides her time between the Pacific Northwest and the Southern California desert, always on the hunt for new roads and fun adventures.

Alisa Clickenger Diversity Editor Alisa is a motorcycle traveler, author, speaker, and moto mindset coach. She started her company Women’s Motorcycle Tours in 2011, and the Women’s Motorcycle Conferences in 2020. She’s led two epic cross-country motorcycle rides for women under the Centennial Ride banner. Alisa’s first book Boost Your Confidence Through Motorcycling: A Woman’s Guide to Being Your Best Self On and Off the Bike became an Amazon.com #1 Bestseller. In 2021 Alisa published her second book, Get Started Riding Motorcycles: The Definitive Guide for Women and continues her long-running Diversity column in Dealernews.

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adds Zaria Martens of Germantown, Wisconsin. “The BTR program is such an amazing opportunity for women racers.

I’m so glad that I am able to be on the team this season.”

BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Royal Enfield BTR Returns To AFT

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hen we first spoke to Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas, about her plan to introduce women to American Flat Track Racing with the innovative Build. Train. Race.

Program, Dealernews said she was crazy. Now in its third year, Royal Enfield’s groundbreaking BTR is back at AFT and bigger than ever with 15 women leading the charge into 2020… and crazier still, Poland not only added a BTR Roadracing effort in 2021, she has doubled that series to 6 MotoAmerica races and 15 more women. The hook for dealers is the fact that all 30 of the “Builds” will be done in conjunction with a Royal Enfield dealer or local shop.

“The Build. Train. Race. program fosters a class of women riders in building their own unique Royal Enfield race-ready motorcycles and provides guidance and training throughout an entire race season,” she explains. With a full field of 15 riders and a total of seven rounds in the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season, Royal Enfield BTR will have a larger presence than ever in the classic American motorcycle racing circuit.

2022 BTR Flat Track Roster Jaycee Jones, 23, Fallbrook, California Lana MacNaughton, 32, Nampa, Idaho Gabrielle Hughes, 24, Akron, Ohio Nean Kiskela, 41, Portland, Oregon Jillian Deschenes, 33, Otsego, Minnesota Malary Lee, 31, Buda, Texas Erin Ferris, 31, Graham, Washington Anna Serena, 36, Miami Beach, Florida Stephanie Pietz, 35, Mesa, Arizona Kaiela Hobart, 28, Bremerton, Washington Zaria Martens, 18, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin Alex Bumpus Mcdonald, 33, Murfreesboro, Tennessee Makenna Hiatt, 22, Camano Island, Washington Moriah Hummer, 35, Fort Collins, Colorado Mia Reese, 28, Woodstock, Illinois “I want to give more women more bikes to build and race,” says Royal Enfield’s Breeann Poland explaining how the BTR program is doubling up with flat track and roadracing in 2021. “Our dealers were super psyched about BTR last year, so the women selected to go racing will be located close to a participating dealer and that dealer can help them with shop space or tools and help guide the builds because I’m not going to be there to mentor so many new women.

“It will also help get the dealers engaged... when we do identify the women with both flat track and roadracing, we will identify the dealers to work with those women.” We caught up with Bree at Royal Enfield’s Slide School last fall when she hinted at some of the big things coming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXA4Vyi2bmE

“Following our success of the last two seasons with the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program, it only made sense to go even bigger for 2022,” claims Poland. “We continue to be overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm from fans, sponsors and the entire American Flat Track paddock and we’re so excited to have an even larger presence this season.”

After a true Cinderella story debut, Royal Enfield expanded BTR into roadracing in 2021. “Participants had the opportunity to learn from world class racer Melissa Paris, which is not a chance many people get,” note Poland. “The ladies were also some of the first people in the world to race the Continental GT 650 platform last year.”

THE RIDERS “We have an incredible group of women and a full race schedule ahead — this is going to be a big year for Royal Enfield at American Flat Track.” Seven returning riders will be joined by eight new participants, growing the Royal Enfield BTR presence in the Progressive American Flat Track paddock to 15 racers over last season’s nine.

Build. Train. Race. participants each receive a Royal Enfield INT 650 motorcycle which they design and modify into their own unique race bike. This twin-cylinder classic-style motorcycle is an ideal platform for flat track racing. Crew Chief Erik Moldenhauer will work with the women, providing technical advice and support throughout the build and race portions of the program while Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfield racer Johnny Lewis will help provide on-track training.

Front runners Jillian Deschenes and Jaycee Jones return and will likely continue their battle for dominance. “I learned so much through the program that I apply to my daily life on and off the track,” said returning rider Jaycee Jones of Fallbrook, California. “I am beyond excited to be on the team again. It’s going to be a good year making new friendships and having more competition.”

Lana MacNaughton, Gabrielle Hughes, Nean Kiskela, Malary Lee and Erin Ferris are also back and hungry for more in 2022, along with eight newcomers, “I can’t explain how stoked I am to be part of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. team this year,”

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THE SPONSORS Royal Enfield is thrilled to welcome back a generous host of sponsors for BTR Flat Track. Returning to the team are S&S Cycle, Maxima Racing Oils, BOXO USA and Öhlins USA Suspension while new sponsors Arai Helmets and AGV come on board for the 2022 season.

THE 2022 AFT SCHEDULE

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long with the team roster, the BTR Flat Track schedule increases in scope, as well. On the heels of last season’s four-round circuit, the BTR program will visit seven Progressive American Flat Track venues in 2022. Racing will begin at the Mission Foods Volusia Half-Mile in Barberville, Florida, March 10, for “BTR Select,” which will invite returning riders, and new participants who have their builds complete, to compete in an exhibition race. The first BTR Flat Track fullgrid event will be the I-70 Half-Mile in Odessa, Missouri (April 23), after the entire field have completed their race bikes and training.

2022 Royal Enfield BTR Flat Track Schedule Mar 11 (Rnd 1) Mission Foods Volusia Half-Mile I, Barberville, FL

“The support of these outstanding sponsors is key to the success of Royal Enfield BTR,” concludes Poland. “We couldn’t do it without them. Sending the Royal Enfield BTR women out onto the track with the confidence of premium parts, support and protection means the world to us. Our continued thanks to everyone backing our 2022 BTR Flat Track program.”

Apr 23 (Rnd 2) I-70 Half-Mile, Odessa, MO Jun 11 (Rnd 3) Laconia Short Track, Loudon NH Jul 16 (Rnd 4) Mission Foods Port Royal Half-Mile, Port Royal, PA Aug 6 (Rnd 5) Black Hills Half-Mile, Rapid City, SD Sep 24 (Rnd 6) Cedar Lake Short Track, New Richmond, WI Oct 15 (Rnd 7) Mission Foods Volusia Half-Mile III, Barberville, FL

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THE BEST HARLEY DEALER IN THE NATION Mark Rodgers Conversation With “Dangerous” Dan Stern

By Mark Rodgers

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ou may not know my guest because he often operates behind the scenes. He’s been in the motorcycle business for over 40 years. But it’s his accomplishments and not his tenure. That makes him fascinating. In the mid 80s, after college and his stint working for Joe Foster Performance Cycle Center in Hammond, Indiana, he went to work for K&L Supply, doubling their sales from $1.8 million to $3.6 million.

He also increased their inventory turns from nothing to three. He not only hired and trained the staff, but he was responsible for all the creative work on the catalogs and the ads. And he taught himself how to use a new device, a Macintosh computer. By the way, that’s now in the Smithsonian… the computer, not my guest.

He spent the majority of the 1990s leading Custom Chrome to world domination: CCI went from $22 million to $44 million to being publicly traded. By the time his tenure as the VP of Marketing and #2 person in the organization ended, they were approaching $100 million, with margin estimates at roughly 40%!

When Wall Street analysts asked him who are your competitors, my guest today famously replied, “We don’t have any.”

The trucks, the catalogs, the delivery, the warehouse trade event — which was dubbed “the greatest show on earth” — the price guarantees, taking the talent from a handful to hundreds. My guest today had his

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thumbprint on it all… and he even created a 6-speed Harley-Davidson transmission conversion to which he holds the patent on to this day.

After the Custom Chrome buyout, a friend suggested he open a Harley-Davidson dealership. With his reputation preceding him, Harley-Davidson executives immediately flew out to speak with him. And in 2000, House of Thunder Harley-Davidson was born with his stated objective to run the best dealership in the country… and that’s exactly what he did. Racer, rider, builder of businesses, bikes and perhaps most importantly, people — and that’s what I want to speak with him about today, building world class dealership talent. My guest has been described by George Smith Jr. of S&S fame as the most dangerous man in the motorcycle business: “Dangerous” Dan Stern.

Dan, why do you think that George Smith called you “the most dangerous man in motorcycles?”

My first job in the motorcycle industry was working as a mechanic for Joe Foster Performance Cycle Center, who at the time was dominating motorcycle drag racing in the Chicagoland area. Both Joe and I were racing inline four cylinder Japanese bikes at the time and around 1983 S&S approached Joe to test inline carburetors that S&S was looking to develop. They had rented Union Grove Dragaway for us to use. So, on a cold fall day we met George in the S&S crew up at Union Grove to test their carburetors while they were testing cams… let me tell you, if you’ve ever seen how fast George could change cams in a Harley, you will never forget it. Anyway around 1995

I’m working for Custom Chrome. Myself and two other CCI employees were meeting with George and his brother Ken and brother in law Sam to discuss the possibility of Custom Chrome distributing the S&S line. In that meeting I reminded George how we had met years before and he laughed. He said, “You’re a hands on guy, and you’re educated… and you’re running CCI? You’re the most dangerous guy in the motorcycle industry! In fact, you’re Dangerous Dan.” It kind of stuck.

I love it: “Dangerous” Dan. Did Custom Chrome ever carry S&S then?

You know, a limited amount. There was bad blood between the two companies before I got there. And we ended up taking it on after Custom Chrome acquired Chrome Specialties. So kind of in a roundabout way.

When you decided to get into the Harley-Davidson business, you set out to be the “best Harley- Davidson dealership in the country” — And in 2010 you achieved that goal. What was the validation? How did you know that you were the best dealership in the country?

I knew I had a great staff. I had hired and trained a great staff, but you never really know until an outside third party does an evaluation. In 2010, Harley hired the Gallup Poll people to analyze what Harley had determined or identified as the 50 best run dealerships in the country.

And I was included in that group. The focus for the Gallup poll was on customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. Gallup conducted research interviewing our employees and going into our database to conduct a sampling of our service customers. Both employees and the customers were told their answers would be confidential and I would never know who said what. After the research was completed, the results were shared with each individual dealership. The fun part was upon opening the envelope with our results, the Gallup rep was stunned, having never seen scores so high. Our scores were in the Gallup Polls’ 92nd percentile. They shared the entire results with all the other dealerships, but they didn’t name names. So we were #1 by a long shot. Nobody was even in our quadrant! The other scores, the best scores, were in the 50th percentile, almost half of what we were. The end result was Gallup showed me that I ran the best damn dealership in the country.

Good for you. And you should absolutely be so proud of that.

It was cool. A side note: Gallup Poll actually came out to our store, because they wanted to study it. They came out for two weeks to see just how we had scored so high.

So what may I ask, why did you get out of the business?

A number of reasons. But mostly after 15 years, honestly, I was a little bored. And again, my staff was so well trained, and they were running it so well. I kind of put myself out of business. I didn’t have a job anymore. I tried acquiring other stores, and it didn’t work out. I just needed a new challenge, I think really is what it came down to,

I have never seen a business that had happy customers, and unhappy employees. Here you were rated number one in terms of blending both employee engagement and customer engagement. One of your hobbies is that you like to visit stores to this day? You’ve been in hundreds of motorcycle dealerships… What have you observed?

I love going to stores… I was in two stores last week. I kind of hate to say it, but they’re all the same. The parts department hates the service department, the service department hates the sales department, the MotorClothes girl doesn’t know the product at all. Here’s the worst part, the employees are trashing each other to the customer base. Why would anybody allow that to continue? I don’t get that, yet it’s happening all the time. Right now, at this very moment, there are employees and stores trashing each other to customers…that’s a really dysfunctional family. In my store we didn’t tolerate that kind of talk whatsoever. None. We’re all in this together. We’re all a team, and it takes all the departments to make a profit.

But it’s sad that almost every store I’ve been in lately, the same thing is happening.

So why do you think that that’s the current state of things? Why do you think that that is more the standard?

I think it’s pretty simple. I view the word “manager” as a verb, not a noun. So sitting in your office is not managing.

Your employees are asking each other, “What is he doing here all day?” If the general manager or the owner doesn’t have first-hand knowledge of each department, how can they manage their problems? Observing a job is not the same as doing a job. If you actually know the job, then you know how long it takes so you know how to evaluate that employee when their review comes around. Truly managing is really going back to those departments regularly.

Just so our readers understand, you’re suggesting that the managers actually work in the department?

Not just the managers, but I think the ownership, too.

I would wear team shirts all the time and go incognito in my own store. I could get firsthand knowledge objectively right out of the customer’s mouth. So this particular day just sticks with me, I’m working at the parts counter, and a customer who had just bought a brand new bike from another dealer comes in. I asked why didn’t you buy the bike from us? And he points directly at one of my salesmen and says, “because he wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

That’s real feedback. Obviously I took action after that. But if you’re not out on that floor, you miss this type of honest feedback… You have to be there and hear it firsthand.

Firsthand knowledge is everything. You don’t need office, you need to be on the floor.

Continued on page 60

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Continued from page 59

“But Dan, you don’t know. I mean, you’ve been out of the business for years now. It’s completely different.

I’m so busy. I don’t have time for that.” How would you respond to an owner or manager who said something like that?

I have heard that! And the answer is the single most important product in that store are those employees because they make or break the business. They can cost you money, or they can save you money. Honestly if you’re doing anything other than developing people, you’re going to end up working too hard because you’ve got to manage them constantly. Whereas if you’re out there training and working with them, it’s going to run a lot smoother.

The most important thing to me is being out there with the staff and hearing it firsthand. So I can take corrective action when things don’t go as planned.

There’s an incredibly high churn rate out there right now with employees. As a matter of fact, some are suggesting that the churn rate in sales and F&I might be somewhere between 120%-125% I believe that and it is very scary. I know this really smart guy named Mark Rodgers, he did a podcast very recently called “Manager Damager” — and he hit it right on the head.

Employees don’t leave businesses, they leave people. That Rodgers guy is kind of smart. Studies have shown money is not what retains employees, its environment. Here’s the secret: The #1 thing an employee wants to know is are they appreciated? Wow, what a concept. I’m not talking about going around and patting everybody on the head.

It is about recognizing them out loud in front of other staff members when somebody has gone over and above. I’ve been in plenty of stores where managers don’t do this.

Instead, they’re quick to yell and criticize somebody, but they’re not applauding successes. Why would you work in a place where it’s just negative… where everybody’s talking trash about the other department or the other guy? You got to put an end to that! Get off your ass, and listen to what your employees are saying, listen to how your managers are talking to each other and then ask yourself, would you work there?

Let me let me get your reactions to some manager statements that I have heard firsthand. A manager said, I don’t fire my people, but I’ll make them want to quit. Here’s another one: As a salesperson, you’ll never sell 25 units a month here. I’ll put so many salespeople on the showroom floor, you can’t. And another: My people exist to make me money — a dealer principal actually said this. Here is what a consultant said to a group of dealers: your employees are liabilities, not assets. Wow, all you are is a number. People don’t matter, numbers are all that matter.

Unfortunately I would have to say that is the overriding attitude I see when I’m going into stores, no question about it. The absolute opposite of that was, when I would

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be in my office with the door open, I would hear employees laughing and I would hear customers laughing. The trick is, if you have that kind of toxic environment, your employees do not have smiles on their faces. Let’s go back to the core here. Motorcycles are fun, and people are coming in there because they want to have fun. They’re spending money to have fun. You can’t have fun in an environment that ‘s downtrodden, where everybody is kind of angry and snapping at each other. I don’t want to be in a place like that. I want to work in the most fun environment I possibly could work at. My dad told me this: “money will come, just work hard.” So, if you think that by beating them down, it’s going to make you more money you’re wrong. It’s the opposite. I would pump them up, then they make tons of cash and we all benefit.

With these turn rates, what they are now we have our least experienced, our least trained, our least compensated people are the first people — and very often the last contact — with our most precious resource, our customers. That is a terrifying proposition.

Just a few weeks ago, I’m standing in front of a store and I’m listening to a couple customers exiting the store. And they say to each other, “every time I come in here, there’s

somebody new.” Customers don’t have a comfort level.

They want to be comfortable spending money, but they’re coming in and meeting strangers every time. That doesn’t lead to long term business. You want that guy to come back and back again... and bring his friends!

I hope you enjoyed this episode with my friend, Dan Stern. Stay tuned for next time. There may just be some dangerous curves ahead. Now, go sell something will you.

Be sure to tune into: SALES SUCCESS IN 60 SECONDS OR LESS as sales expert and award-winning Dealernews columnist Mark Rodgers shares how to accsellerate® your sales. Watch Mark explain the guiding principle of how to succeed in the motorcycle business even in these stormy times.

(FYI, Mark only counts the content after the whizbang video open in his time limit, so start your stopwatches then!) Mark Rodgers is an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and soughtafter consultant, who has spent 33 years working in the Harley-Davidson industry. Check out his 60-second sales tips twice a week at Dealernews social media channels or contact him via e-mail: Mark@RodgersPC.com Copyright ©2022 by Mark Rodgers. All Rights Reserved.

e SEeING IS BeLIEVING Update On Project TE-1 Page 64

ELECTRIFY EXPO HAS AN “IMPACT” Adds Additional Venues Page 64

HEATING THINGS UP

Brawley Undergoes Cold Weather Trials Page 66

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ELECTRIFY EXPO HAS AN “IMPACT” SEeING IS BeLIEVING

Update On Project TE-1 The official end of the “collaboration stage” of Triumph’s TE-1 electric motorcycle project has wrapped with the completion of the prototype demonstrator. Now it is time for phase 4 — the live testing program!

“It has been truly exciting to see the progress made during phase 3 of Project Triumph TE-1 with the final prototype motorcycle now going into real life testing. Everyone involved at Triumph are proud to have been part of this innovative British collaboration,” said Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO. “Personally, I am thrilled with the results we have already achieved with our partners, and the exciting preview of the potential electric future to come.”

The unique collaboration between Triumph Motorcycles, Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd, and WMG at the University of Warwick funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles through Innovate UK, was set up to create ground-breaking developments in specialist electric motorcycle engineering and innovative integrated technology design.

At the completion of the live testing phase, estimated to be Summer 2022, the prototype demonstrator will be updated with its final body panels and paint scheme, in preparation for active track demonstration, and media engagement. At this time, the full results of the project including the final specifications and testing outcomes will be published, as well as insights and key facts on how the TE-1 delivers on the project targets for innovation and sets new standards for the motorcycle sector overall, including final battery and range performance. This will be supported by an opportunity for the media to talk to the team, see the prototype in action on track and hear from the development test riders.

“We look forward to continuing the ambitious and innovative work on the TE-1 demonstrator prototype through the live testing phase and sharing the outcome with Triumph fans across the world,” concludes Bloor.

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Electrify Expo, North America’s largest electric vehicle festival, has received the 2021 IMPACT Award for Expo of the Year. The IMPACT awards exemplify best-in-class creativity, expertise and results achieved by the top practitioners across various business segments and disciplines. The awards were given out during a special feature of the annual IMPACT Conference, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in Las Vegas.

Electrify Expo addresses the most challenging barriers to mass adoption of electric vehicles through a unique style of event production delivering meaningful hands-on experiences. It also meets the soaring demand from other forms of electric transport including e-motorcycles, e-bikes, e-skateboard, e-surfboards and more with similar experiences. Consumers leave Electrify Expo with a better understanding and appreciation for e-mobility and then share that fanaticism with others. All of this is done in a large, fun, festive environment making it a fun for all ages festival weekend.

“We are very proud to receive this prestigious award from IMPACT,” said Electrify Expo Founder, BJ Birtwell. “Recognitions like this confirm that we are on track to fulfilling our mission of being the world’s experiential launchpad for all things e-mobility. We look forward to our expansion in 2022 and bringing all types of electric transportation to the masses.”

Electrify Expo’s inaugural event kicked off on September 1819, 2021 in Southern California at the Orange County Great Park, followed by the 2nd stop in Miami on October 16-17 at the Miami Marine Stadium. Electrify Expo wrapped up their nationwide tour on November 12-14, 2021 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX. In total, all three expos produced over 37,000 product demos on Electric Vehicles (EVs), e-motorcycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, e-surfboards and more.

Each stop showcased over 500,000 square feet of exhibit and festival space with the World’s leading brands gathered to display, educate, and demo the latest technology and products.

The events are designed to be family-friendly providing demo experiences for all ages with additional opportunities via interactive displays, EV education, and more.

Electrify Expo’s schedule for 2022 will be announced shortly.

Brands interested in participating as well as consumers interested in attending can inquire/visit: www.electrifyexpo.com

DAMON SHOCKS CES SHOW

Between the Electrify Expo end and the start of AIMExpo was the world’s largest eTrade Show, the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Shocking the world was the fact that Damon Motors was a CES Innovation Awards Honoree. The company was honored in the Vehicle Intelligence and Transportation category for its proprietary HyperDrive, the world’s first monocoqueconstructed, 100 percent electric, multi-variant powertrain.

Damon was selected for a CES Innovation Award from a record high number of more than 1,800 submissions.

“The HyperDrive is in an elite class of its own and boasts some incredible numbers,” said Jay Giraud, founder & CEO, Damon Motors. “With 200 horsepower, 200 miles per hour, 200 mile range, 0-60 in three seconds, and virtually no maintenance, no other powertrain comes close. We have built the motorcycle of the future for today and are proud to be honored by CES for our innovation.”

Damon has rigorously focused on optimizing HyperDrive’s final form factor, which plays a crucial role in the motorcycle’s overall performance. The company’s focus on aerodynamic design, using extensive wind tunnel testing to reduce drag, enables Damon to deliver more speed, acceleration and range than its competitors. To further reduce weight, HyperDrive is engineered to act as a structural component of the motorcycle itself and serves as the nucleus upon which a wide range of future Damon models and submodels can be built.

The CES Innovation Awards program is an annual competition honoring outstanding design and engineering in 27 consumer technology product categories. Those with the highest rating receive the “Best of Innovation” distinction. An elite panel of industry expert judges, including members of the media, designers, engineers, and more, reviewed submissions based on innovation, engineering and functionality, aesthetic and design.

CES Hyper Colossus teaser here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNrS88fuLR4

eMARKET EXPANSION

The North American electric scooter and motorcycle market value is expected to grow from $164.7 million in 2020 to $590.4 million by 2025, at a 25.1% CAGR between 2021 and 2025 according to a new report from ResearchAndMarket. com. A growing acceptance of EVs by the private sector and substantial support from the government is driving this growth according to the research firm.

Powered by things like California’s rebate of up to $900 for buying electric motorcycles in the state, under the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (and starting in 2017 a 10% tax credit on the purchase of electric motorcycles costing up to $2,500); the U.S. Postal Service $6 billion fund for procuring electric delivery vehicles; the Canadian government’s $1,524 (CAD-$2,000) rebate being offered under the British Columbia Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive (SUVI) Program on the purchase of low-speed electric motorcycles are all benefitting the North American electric scooters and motorcycles market.

Bottom line: In the near future, the U.S. will generate higher revenue for the companies in the North American electric scooters and motorcycles market on account of the strong government support for electric vehicles, to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Additionally, the rising prices of diesel and gasoline are impelling individuals to purchase or share electric two-wheelers, at least for shortdistance commute.

For more information about this report visit: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3ya5lc

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CURRENTS+

eSHIFTING GEARS VOLCONIC ACTIVITY

BRAWLEY UPDATES

Cold enough for you? Actually things are heating up as the production version of the Brawley EV UTV gets closer to roll out. Check out this video of Vanderhall putting their new UTV through cold weather testing. The latest proof of concept models are undergoing final trials with the Utah-based innovator.

What’s the eQuation? The GTS Model (with the $5,000 extended range battery pack) should deliver some shockingly good numbers: 404 horsepower, 480 lb./ft. torque and 200+ miles on a charge. Four individually controlled electric motors transfer that power to the 35” tires. The electronics package also enables 4 separate off-road modes: eCrab™, eSteer™, eTank™, and eCrawl™.

Even in standard trim, the Brawley is set for an estimated range of 140 miles. With DC fast charging, an onboard 6-kilowatt charger and regenerative braking, the Brawley provides a gamut of convenient charging methods, according to Vanderhall Motors. Powertrain positives include 300 volt architecture, which Vanderhall says is more efficient than 48V or 96V powertrains; the motor, inverter, geartrain, brakes and cooling system are housed in a single unit; and use of advanced lubricants and materials means zero maintenance for up to 10 years.

“In short, the Brawley provides exceptional recreational motoring, modular customization, with an extremely powerful, yet environmentally quiet and clean battery-electric powerplant,” claims the company. While the EV technology is the unique selling proposition for potential Vanderhall dealers, they haven’t skimped on the creature comforts.

Current specs call for seating for four adults, a fully enclosed heated and air-conditioned cabin with optional sky roof. Other features or options include windshield wipers, Bluetooth Kicker sound system, heated seats and even future ViDAR system capabilities.

Updates surrounding the Vanderhall Brawley can be found at:at: http://vanderhallusa.com/Brawley

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Volcon closed out the calendar year by hiring a couple of industry veterans who immediately brought in about 20 dealerships to bolster the fledgling network in the final month. Dave Auringer was named National Sales Director and Kenneth Cook accepted the role of Regional Sales Manager, Southeast. “The official launch of our dealership program has been nothing short of incredible as we keep quickly adding influential dealers to the network,” said Melissa Coffey, Director of International Sales & Business Development. On top of this, we are thrilled to bring on two industry leaders to help us determine who best fits our brand for the future. Dave Auringer and Ken Cook represent the cream of the crop when it comes to building out a dealer network. Their contacts in the industry are unparalleled, which gives us great confidence in their ability to take our brand to the next level in 2022 and beyond.”

Dave Auringer will oversee Volcon’s US regional markets with a team of Regional Sales Managers. Auringer, a lifetime powersports enthusiast, has extensive experience in bringing new and revived brands to market. In the past 10 years he has worked to establish and turn around dealership networks for brands like Sea-Doo, Indian Motorcycles, ROXOR, CFMOTO and even ExcelsiorHenderson. Additionally, Auringer has recruited and placed a wealth of top talent in the powersports industry over 17 years with his personal business Dave Auringer & Associates.

As Volcon’s Southeast Regional Sales Manager, Ken Cook will be responsible for establishing business in some of the most critical powersports territories in the US. Cook, with a strong history of sales and distribution, brings an incredible rolodex of contacts to Volcon in the Southeast. After many successful years working for Linhai — a manufacturer that makes some of Yamaha’s engines, generators and scooters — Cook went on to head up one of the most successful regions for Mahindra, signing some of the biggest powersports dealers in the South.

After a 6+ year stint as a design engineer with HarleyDavidson (and formerly a sales associate with Cycle Gear) David Drakes is now Technical Program Manager for Volcon ePowersports. “Well, looks like I’m finally where I belong… back in the dirt,” says Drakes. “It’s been a great few years working with one of the most iconic bike brands, but I’m ready to be where my real passion is. The future looks bright with Volcon | ePowersports and I’m amped to be involved with the growth. Get ready Texas, here we come!”

“The US powersports dealer base is the backbone of distribution within the space. At Volcon, our aim is to build a sales team our dealers love to work with, not to mention a team with the knowledge and experience to take us to the next level of sales and distribution,” said Jordan Davis, Volcon’s Chief Executive Officer. “We see the mix of innovative technology, transformative product design, and superior human talent as the recipe for our success.”

Kenneth Cook

Dave Auringer

David Drakes

Motorcycle sales among leading brands are up 21.8 percent since 2019.

And MIC members can access reports that detail motorcycle sales – including sales in the on-highway, off-highway, dualpurpose, scooter, and ATV categories. MIC reports cover new-retail-unit sales among leading manufacturers by brand and segment – across the nation and also by state. The MIC also summarizes manufacturer and distributor shipments of motorcycle and scooter replacement tires – in total and by market segment.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS NHTSA Shines More Light on Motorcycle Safety

During a recent conference call between the MIC’s Government Relations Office and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the government agency highlighted its Cross The Line video against drinking and riding, as well as its new interactive motorcycle database.

“We continue to maintain and develop our relationship with NHTSA staff,” said Scott Schloegel, senior vice president at the GRO in the Washington, D.C., area. “And NHTSA continues to focus attention on motorcycle safety and awareness among all motorists. We have a common goal of reducing rider injuries and fatalities across our nation’s roadways.”

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OUR INDUSTRY’S MARKET EXPANSION INITIATIVE. JOIN THE MOVEMENT. HELLO@RIDEWITHUS.COM

As many of you know, our Competition Bill was killed by the CA legislature last year at the stroke of midnight.

The Coalition for Public Access (AMA D36 LAO/CAL4WD Lobby Group) continues to work with Senator Jones and the California Motorcycle Dealers Association, along with other partners to address the chaos created last year’s bill fail.

LINK TO SB 894 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/ billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB894 It remains our goal to get model 2022+ competition bikes registered and titled by the DMV and to ensure that owners of these vehicles are allowed to compete at sanctioned competition events held on local, state and federal lands.

DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL!

Advocacy Schedule Picked Up For 2022 Season

By Donald Amador

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Last but not least is the optimism noted after talking with, or watching post-show videos of, those who attended the 2022 AIMExpo where that in-person event reenergized dealers, industry and aftermarket by rekindling those all-too-important relationships with the Spirit of Community.

Being an eternal optimist is the credo of this production and we look forward to a great year for our community of dedicated off-road recreation enthusiasts.

s The Don Show — a popular and long running offroad advocacy program — starts its 32nd season, its producers have selected “community” as the theme for 2022. After suffering through two years of reruns of public and private sector shutdowns and cancellation of in-person meetings, the producers are calling for fresh content. Finally! Watch for field trips, volunteer efforts and recreation events for the greater motorsports community to resume. With “community” as the watchword, we will focus on the important pursuit of relationship maintenance and development.

The first episode of the new season saw this year’s American Motorcyclist Association District 36 Awards Banquet where hundreds of local amateur competition champions gathered with their family, friends, and sponsors to be honored for their outstanding achievements at the few COVID-compliant events that ran – under difficult circumstances - in 2021.

Community building began with discussions between riders and sponsors. These conversations were all positive and included a challenge to those of us in OHV advocacy arena to help reopen riding areas and to find new recreation sites for casual trail use and permitted events.

Another indicator is that land agencies that manage offroad trail programs on public lands are now scheduling in-person field trips to review current OHV opportunities and to look at potential new riding areas that will help provide for the significant post-COVID demand for powersports-based recreation.

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Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for almost 29 years.

Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting.

Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018. Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. Don currently serves as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California. He may be reached via email at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

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

Remember, Respected Access is Open Access.

THIS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT IS POWERED BY

Airlines, Apple, Trader Joe’s, Chick-Fil-A and many others that have invested more than other companies in its training of employees to provide exceptional customer service. The bottom line is that most of the time customer service is reactionary for most dealers. If a client is upset, you handle it, you react, you solve using phrases like “I feel your pain, I’m sorry you went through this, etc. it can be apologetic and reactive rather than proactive.

However, customer service is very real and necessary to your day-to-day operation. “Did you find everything you were looking for today? Here is your receipt, thank you so much and have a great day…” These examples and more are all very important and very much part of customer service.

Customer service needs to start the moment people walk in through your doors. Greeting your customers with a cookie cutter greeting, like “Can I help you? is basic, but to be exceptional, come up with a better greeting. Or better yet, grab the opportunity to connect with your customers.

Here is an idea:

Personnel Files

By Alex Baylon

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

Customer Service Vs Customer Experience

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ost dealerships and companies in our industry are aware of customer service and do their best to offer it to their customers. However, it is rare that powersports people focus on Customer Experience.

Companies outside of our industry actually prioritize customer experience and are seeing a higher level of growth than those who don’t. So whats the difference… and how can you start the transition from offering customer service to offering a customer experience?

Let’s start with Customer Service, the definition is simple: The assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services.

Digging deeper, it is so much more. Everyone offers some level of customer service, but not all customer service is created equal. It can range from bad to great… and everything in between! Have you ever heard of the story about Nordstroms accepting a return for shoes they never sold? Some would call this great customer service… others would just say that it was a bad business decision.

What if the decision to take back those shoes created a huge loyal following from hundreds of other customers who heard the story… Who knows? Costco, Zappos, Southwest

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Welcome them to your dealership and immediately ask them “Excuse me, we are asking our customers what kind of motorcycle do you own?” It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep this data anyway to see what kind of customers you have at the same time as you’re creating a small connection.

Maybe when your customers walk in, you offer a coat, bag and helmet check. Doing little things like this increases your overall customer service points.

Let me use the parts department as an example as this is where most of my experience is, but I’m sure the example can be translated to other departments as well. Let me paint a picture: A customer purchased a helmet communication system a couple of weeks ago and now has some issues with it. The customer has a big ride coming up in a few days and can’t afford to wait and go through the manufacturer’s warranty process of sending it in.

What is your dealerships policy? Do you give the customer a new one right away and “hope” the manufacturer takes care of it? If they don’t, you are out a few hundred dollars, but you have supplied great customer service. Or do you just say “I’m sorry” but there isn’t anything you can do and it must be processed by the manufacturer?

For dealers selling online maybe it’s a lost shipment that needs to be re-shipped. Do you risk shipping another via an expedited method and risk not getting the old one back?

These things happen every single day and businesses need to make the decision of taking care of the customer or risk losing money for the business.

Lastly even customer errors can be a great opportunity to be turned into an excellent customer service experience. If your customer shows up with tires purchased from another company, don’t turn them away. Kill them with kindness and teach them the value of purchasing the tires through you.

Maybe they would have received a discount on mounting if they purchased thru you, and you will apply that discount for them as long as they promise to come back? Little things go a long way.

Providing Support: Different communication channels can support customers that have busy schedules or want flexibility in how they connect with businesses. Your employees need to be prepared to offer support through email, phone, live chat and social media.

Examples of good customer service are more often than not the result of a kind, customer-centric staff who are good at the following things: Responding Quickly: A customer will appreciate fast response times when they want to ask a question or highlight a problem.

Acting On Feedback: When an employee acts on the feedback they received from a customer, it shows the customer that their opinion mattered.

Having Empathy: Employees that try to understand a customer’s point of view make a customer feel valued.

Maintaining Customer Self-Service Options: When customers want to find their own answers without having to deal with staff. Proper signs with product or service information and pricing are helpful.

Going The Extra Mile: When an employee delivers value beyond the customer’s expectations or adds a personal touch to the service experience, it can leave a positive impression and increase customer loyalty.

At the end of the day we need to put ourselves in the customer’s shoes more often and treat our customers how we would like to be treated. Stay tuned for the next issue when we will cover creating a customer experience.

MIJ Industry #PROfiles

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

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

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

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

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

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business’ lifecycle — are you going to pick yourself up by your bootstraps and finish the race or lay there stunned and waiting to DNF? Nobody trained for this eventuality — the rules changed.

The course isn’t what you thought it’d be. So, you may need some spit, baling wire, duct tape and new energy to patch things together like you never imagined. Think of it as “trail engineering” for your business. Like riding a PWC, you can’t change directions until you get on the throttle again. Get back on and ride forward… even if it’s in the wrong direction! Once moving, like a GPS, the correct navigation will become clearer.

Confessions Of A Customer®

By Eric Anderson

LOOK UP! LOOK OUT! 10 Tips For Readjusting To The New Economy

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icked off. Mad as hell. Under-capitalized. Shortstaffed. Micro-managed. Outgunned. Budgetarilysqueezed. OE-pressured. Floor traffic challenged…

How the hell are you, the brick-and-mortar dealer, supposed to survive this onslaught? You will… somehow, but more than likely you are hitting the “wall” of your endurance race now. Admittedly, there is no true finish line in retail, but with a combination of crisis management tactics and new forms of customer prospecting, you’ll make it to the next checkpoint, and the next and…

Meanwhile that little voice at the back of your head is telling you every negative thing it can at this point. You’re weak. You’re insecure. You’re off the pipe. Your customers have abandoned you. Your OEMs and local bank aren’t helping, etc. The nagging voice is simply representing “flight” instinct while your other long-term, logical voice, is saying “fight.” This is truly a moment of choice in your

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Your toughest choice will be changing your previously proven business formula because it definitely ain’t the same out there as it used to be. Baby Boomers, a seller’s market, free money, never-never terms and a pandemicdriven sales surge made it all happen in spades back then.

But now your clutch lever is broken, the rear tire has a slow leak and it’s started to rain. If you’re an enduro rider, you know you can still win this thing!!

Get your mojo on and consider this list of 10 inexpensive solutions for you to keep moving forward on.

More Social Media (or now CycleTrader) Zuckerbergmania is chilling right now so look to newer platforms.

Instagram is an obvious choice, but TikTok may not be our age demographic yet. Blogs, photos, YouTube channels, pop ups, shopping carts and eBay connections will all get your brand name out there and make you more “discoverable.”

More Special Events Digital events, Sportbike Night, ADV Prep class, Family Event, SxS Days, Scavenger Hunts, Poker Runs, Open House Nights and Special Weekends.

You know the drill. Give people an excuse to ride, visit your store and hang out. Does it really cost that much to promote everything you do on Instagram, Facebook and in your eBlasts? Don’t take anything you do for granted. A few hot dogs and sodas can result in a big increase in floor traffic… and sales.

Texting & eBlast Campaigns Some are doing this, and some aren’t. The more creative and engaging promotions get much higher click-throughs and text responses.

Remember how “urgent” a text message appears… which is why these response rates are so high. Include a time-

Frequent Buyer & Loyalty Programs Frozen yogurt, coffee bars, barber shops, car washes and grocery chains use them. Why not you? Use simple business punch cards or fancy plastic ones with $20, $35, and $50 increments on them. Even a unique rubber stamp will do. Every $250 spent in parts and accessories earns a 10-15% discount on the next single purchase. Place an expiration date on the card next to your initials. It encourages customer allegiance, builds re-visit urgency and keeps those bigger, planned purchases in your house.

sensitive coupon with oil change reminders, new product arrivals or special event announcements. Keep the message simple and bold with compelling images or even linked and embedded videos.

Consider Shopify Or Shopping Carts Don’t leave it up to the big e-comm giants to have the only shopping carts in the industry. Why not drive your customers to shop local?

Why? They can easily exchange it if they order the wrong size. They can save freight charges by picking it up inside your store. If you are out of stock, they can order it at a kiosk in the store and save the hassle of a Second Trip covered in #5 below.

Avoid The 6 Evil Words, “We Can Order It For You!” This should evolve into a new call to action: “Let me order it for you and ship it to your house. Do you have your credit card with you now?” That is the assumptive close technique on the end. Get the commitment now and save the dreaded Second Trip to pick it up — that is so 90s! It’s extraneous in this day of daily package deliveries of food and products to my doorstep. If you don’t have it in stock when a walk-in customer wants it, take his money, and have your distributor ship it to his house directly. Anything else is a waste of fossil fuels, cross-docking calories and time, especially since you likely already educated that customer.

Smiles, First Names & “Yes’s!” It’s really that simple. It works better than probably anything on this list and takes less time and money too. Make everything about being inside your store a “yes!” It happens by default once you remove all the negativities and nos. And I don’t mean “yes” to discounts — I mean “yes” to providing courtesies, professional sales techniques and extra added values.

Shop Tours For Every Customer... whether they buy anything or not. Have you toured your customers around and introduced them to your staff one at a time? Make sure everyone carries business cards in their shirt pocket and hands one to each customer getting the tour. Service dept.Parts dept. Apparel dept. Sales dept. Finance dept. Suddenly your customers feel like it’s the Cheers Bar where everyone knows your name.

Reach Beyond Your Regular Market Scooters and eBikes are big opportunities with fuel prices skyrocketing.

Your problem is attracting the non-motorcyclist to your powersports store. You likely are not even on their nonmotocentric radar. Get over the non-rider “intimidation factor” with special scooter and e-bike promos outside your normal PR box including college campuses, train and bus stations, pizza delivery services, carpool lots and companies with huge parking lots of gas guzzlers. Look up www.msf-usa.org/scooterschool.cfm or call 800-446-9227 to coordinate with new rider training courses nearest you. With gas prices approaching $5.00 a gallon, it’s gonna be huge!

Get Out More If you haven’t left the store in months to look around, you may not be seeing the opportunities other businesses are trying. Cure “rectal myopia” and let the sun shine in with some new input from industries like RV, Outdoor, Bicycle, Action Sports and Marine.

I trust some of these real world “concepts” either confirm you are already heading in the right direction or assist you in “looking up” at new horizons rather than down at your feet. Now, get moving!

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I’m always nervous when walking into a room full of people, even when I haven’t been admitted under false pretenses, so I popped a breath mint… well the first one I swallowed like a pill, nerves I’m sure, or habit. Mint 2 and 3 dropped in my lap, the 4th I absentmindedly ground up in a spoon and snorted. That hurt! Meanwhile mint 2 and 3 then started dissolving in the humidity of my crotch causing more discomfort and the beginning of an embarrassing stain.

A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

By Charlie Williams

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ast October, The International Motocross Museum took one more step to becoming a reality. It kinda started backwards, first the contents were gathered THEN a building. Actually, it all started 40 years ago when MX enthusiast Terry Good started collecting bikes.

Not just bikes, but THE bikes. Championship winning bikes, prototype works bikes, bikes with deep heritage and pedigree. Terry estimates his collection and dream needs 100,000 square feet of building.

And there is the catch. Good has assembled the bikes and related memorabilia… the actual bricks and mortar, not so much.

A small selection of bikes were on display at the fundraiser I attended October 3 2021. It was a fancy affair, $500 a seat and up. Bit rich for my blood, but the room was filled to capacity. Somehow I had begged my way in by making wild promises and steep boasts. Fortunately the evening was so good and entertaining that my claim to being able to deadlift a 1959 BSA never came to surface.

Legs crossed, eyes crossed and sneezing incessantly in a COVID-paranoid crowd of old geezers… um, legends and heroes from around the motocross world, I poured the rest of the mints in my mouth and chewed manically creating a white foam. Overkill perhaps, but short of Sno Bol extra strength toilet cleaner, there is no better way to cut through the cheap Cuban coffee, root grade tobacco and the off-gassing of dying organs, blood and life’s internal barnacles.

I spent the afternoon mingling and struggling to make small talk with strangers. Remember, I sweat like a soaker hose and I’m foaming at the mouth. It’s the hormone injections Dr. Mengele gives me that causes the sweating or rather “sheeting.” When I walk near a blue light, the radioactive chemo shows up green and I glow. The hormones have caused huge swelling and inflammation to the point I don’t have any wrinkles and the glowing green water just rolls over me like I’m the Michelin Man, but not the pure white one. Instead, picture cold bacon grease with a fountain of Monster Energy with armpit warts.

A brave or lonely patron asked what I flew?

“Stand by or Stowaway” I replied.

Not the answer he was looking for. Turns out this group owns airplanes, one guy has a B-25 or something giant, old and expensive, John Gregory and Bob Hannah have both landed in a tree, add my friend Al Youngwerth of Rekluse fame and I know three people who parked planes in trees! Vic Krause, aka Mr. Know it All then showed up and ran down a list of planes he owned. Visiting Vic was a great treat for me, he had been a fixture in the magazine business during my most formative years, so I’ve naively looked up to him and he’s always complimented my ramblings which is what old buddies do for each other especially when you’re the lowest rung on the ladder.

My new friend walked off during a shower of F bombs and lip foam and left me staring at the very bikes I had studied in the old magazines as a kid. The actual bikes!

With the guys who wrote the magazines! The guys who built the bikes and the fans. There were about 30 bikes on display for the evenings show, plus lots of old memorabilia and riders!

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Two notables were Sir Geoff Smith 1964 and 1965 World Motocross Champion — What a gracious guest, he arrived early with his wife and was approachable and welcoming all day — and Barry Higgins. He is an AMA

Hall of Fame member and I’ve always considered him an off-road guy, even though he got some National MX wins in 1972 on a CZ.

Another unheralded hero is Sel Narayana from KTM, his job, well, he’s been with KTM for decades, and the best I can tell, his job is: what do you need? If you get a chance, shake his hand, he has the best stories, tall tales and he even remembers the secret Maico handshake!

who couldn’t make the trip, their willingness to try and attend is an endorsement at some level (see the sidebar for the update).

Eventually Bob Hannah made it up on stage and any order or direction was lost as he and anyone else with a microphone laughed and told stories and jokes, really good stuff. $500 ticket<10 minutes of unrehearsed ad lib about the good old days, priceless!

The evening wound down with Roger being lowered from the ceiling with angel wings on. No not really, but he sure is idolized by his fans. Hannah even mentioned it during his stint. The evening really wound down with all the T-shirts being sold, all the autographs collected, all the posters and programs were sold, last man standing at the bar. It would all be a nod of encouragement that Terry Good and the International Motocross Museum are going in the right direction.

The big names were Ricky Johnson, Roger DeCoster and Bob Hannah. They, and many others, worked hard to put on an entertaining show. There were some European riders who had airline tickets in their hands yet couldn’t get the “papers” to travel abroad without extended quarantine situations on both ends. Bummer, everyone was disappointed the museum was stuck with several non-refundable airline tickets... We are in fluid times, but the show must go on, and boy did it!

Ricky Johnson was the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, across the stage “Mr. Red Bud” Larry Whitmer played second fiddle. Old bikes would be brought up on stage and the personalities of that time were interviewed

by Rick and Larry. It made for a good show. Of course Roger DeCoster was on stage more than anyone, he and Terry Good have been friends for years and the entire DeCoster collection went to Terry and the museum.

My point, if Roger is behind the museum, I’d think it’s headed the right direction. Same with the Europeans

Continued on page 78

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Continued from page 77

Of course they have a website, it’s full of cool old bikes and history, as well as all kinds of stuff for sale to support the IMM. Even I am not naive enough to think T-shirt sales are going to finance a 100,000 square foot facility, but each item sold is a vote of confidence that we the people want a museum. I bought an Ake Johnson shirt and can’t wait to wear it to the races.

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All your questions can be answered on the IMM website or it seemed like every magazine, real or made up was in attendance so the topic has been written heavily on.

In a nutshell, good time for a good cause, I hope the museum can open someday, to strengthen our future, we need to preserve our past and this group might just be able to make it happen.

MUSEUM UPDATE September 18, 2022 Save the Date!

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ark your calendars! An Evening With The Champions 2 is happening! “Because many of our Champions were not allowed into the U.S. last October and because our event was so successful, we have decided to schedule another event, including all the riders that were at the first event and the riders who couldn’t make it,” says IMM founder Terry Good. “We have booked Pinstripes in Northbrook, IL again for September 18th — the Sunday before the 2022 MX des Nations at Red Bud — and promise to bring you an event even better than the first.”

According to the update from Good, Pinstripes has been remodeling to provide even more space to bring even more bikes and memorabilia. Heikki Mikkola, Jaroslav Falta and Hakan Andersson are just a few of the guests that will be here. We have already booked their plane tickets. Event ticket sales will be limited and on sale very soon. Keep watching the website for more info.

In the meantime, a little about the museum itself.

Well, it’s not a place quite yet, but a collection of bikes like no other is ready, Terry Good has been collecting exotic bikes and memorabilia for 44 years and this isn’t just a collection of old bikes, these are bikes of pedigree. The actual works bikes Heikki Mikkola rode, the enormous DeCoster collection, pedigree and provenance. Trick, rare, unobtainable bikes... enough to require a 100,000 square foot facility.

A home in Chicago is being created and it will be a mecca for Motocross fans. Along with the bikes, there will be a 100 seat theater, lecture and meeting rooms, a vast collection of print media that will be open and available to the public. As a lifelong dirt bike guy, I’m very excited to see a brick and mortar to celebrate our past, no one else will preserve it for us, it’s up to us.

Visit the revamped website to learn more about the museum and the party. They also have a link to their Facebook page and post the coolest bikes and stories every day: https://www.internationalmotocrossmuseum.org

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Since that time the foundations have been laid, walls tilted up and roof tops constructed for the project’s three building campus. Eventually the complex will cover 150,000 sq./ft. housing corporate offices, state-of-the-art technical facilities, warehouse spaces, and the racing departments for KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas. Some 300 workers will be employed once KTM North America moves in later this spring.

KTM RACING AHEAD Groundbreaking New HQ Goes Up

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“ t’s a very exciting and emotional day for me,” said KTM

AG CEO, Stefan Pierer back on November 17, 2021.

“Exactly 30 years ago, I started on a very small scale in the U.S. with a total of 12 people and now we are by far the biggest European motorcycle producer and we employ 5,000 people.” Herr Pier was in Southern California for the ground breaking ceremonies of an all-new $50 million North American Group Headquarters project in Murrieta.

“The key success factor behind KTM, I can tell you, is racing. Racing is basically the driving force that we created throughout the 30 years and it brings us to this – the biggest single investment I ever made – with a $50 million project here in the U.S. Now, let’s look ahead and let’s set up new targets for the future,” Pierer added.

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With local and regional dignitaries on-site, along with members of the media and global racing athletes from KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and GASGAS, attendees were treated to an exclusive first-look at the property.

Additionally, the very first brick laying ceremony was conducted by KTM’s Global and North America Board of Directors.

“Our group of brands have an incredibly storied history here in the U.S. and in North America, and we are honored to carry this legacy forward into the next generation,” noted John Hinz, CEO, KTM North America, Inc. “This celebration marks another incredible milestone in our history with this new campus, which is an incredible tool for us to deliver our service to our dealers as they truly are the lifeblood of our company.”

“To commit to an investment like this requires bravery, and I want to thank Mr. Pierer and the Board of Directors for their continued commitment to the business here in the U.S. and in North America,” Hinz concluded. “Our goal is to grow the sport of motorcycling and the sport of bicycling, and these new buildings are going to be an incredible asset to continue delivering that service to our dealers across America.”

PIERER POSTS PROFIT

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ith global headquarters based in Mattighofen, Austria, KTM is Europe’s leading highperformance street and off-road motorcycle manufacturer. Since John Penton first started bringing “ready to race” bikes into the U.S. in 1967, KTM has been a player in the North American market. With the acquisition of former rival Husqvarna Motorcycles in 2013 and most recently GasGas Motorcycles in 2020, KTM has seen significant increases in demand for its products around the globe.

Now with PIERER Mobility racing into the fast growing eBike sector, including picking up Felt Bicycles, the company looks ahead to a bright future in sustainable two-wheel transportation. This rapid acceleration accounts for the $50 million investment into a new California campus. And they can afford it!

in the 2021 financial year, PIERER Mobility achieved its 11th record year in a row. Total sales volume increase of 23%. In Europe, approximately 120,000 motorcycles were sold, which means two thirds of the Group’s motorcycle sales came from markets outside Europe, primarily North America, India and Australia (approx.

210,000 units).

In addition, the bicycle division with the HUSQVARNA, R RAYMON and GASGAS brands achieved a sales growth of more than 40% and sold 102,753 bicycles (previous year: 73,277), of which 76,916 were E-bicycles (previous year: 56,064).

Pierer Mobility AG — better known for its family of brands including KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas — had another record year in 2021. The Austrian-based OEM posted increases in revenue in motorcycles and eBikes.

Year end tallies were positive in all business branches: • Motorcycle sales 332,881 (+23%) • Bicycle sales 102,753 (+40%) • eBikes: 76,916 (+37%) Expected revenue for 2021 is estimated to be in the neighborhood of EUR 2,040 million, up +32% over 2020.

Expected EBITDA margin could be as much as 9.5%. With sales of 332,881 motorcycles (previous year: 270,407)

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PACK YOUR BAGS, SW-MOTECH’S 2022 ROAD TRIP How do you celebrate a positively crazy first year in operation? Road trip! After celebrating with a Bikes & Brats Brouhaha at their Portland facility, the crew from SW-Motech USA packed their bags — literally as well as figuratively — to present luggage innovations at EICMA in Milan and closer to home, AIMExpo last month.

New U.S.-focused product offerings are coming for the Harley-Davidson Pan-America, BMW R18 and the new generation 3 Kawasaki KLR to name a few. All of these important bikes will have a full complement of luggage, protection and ergonomic products offered for them in early 2022.

“SW-Motech’s design engineers in Germany have been busy developing new products for 2022,” says U.S VP Sarah Schilke. “Press and dealers attending the AIMExpo in Las Vegas were the first in line to see and feel the new products.” But wait, there’s more! Immediately after AIMExpo was a wrap, SW-Motech rolled out a range of exclusive new offerings specifically for the HarleyDavidson Pan America. For those dealers who missed AIMExpo and EICMA, here is a look at the latest.

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IT’S IN THE BAG

With a whopping 40-liter storage capacity, the “L” side bag is the largest of the new SysBag waterproof soft luggage line. Specifically designed for off-road use when metal panniers won’t do. The strap buckles of the front compartment are deliberately placed on the upper side, so branches won’t get caught there on narrow trails. The outer edges of the bag are covered with robust Hypalon material, which provides additional abrasion and impact protection. The four compression straps on both sides allow the bag to be lashed down into a compact unit, even with a smaller load.

MSRP $319.95

TRAX TOOLBOX

Bigger and more practical than ever, the TRAX Toolbox is the perfect storage space for travel essentials. Whether a set of keys, warming vest, first aid kit or smaller spare parts, everything has its place in the TRAX Toolbox. Better yet, it is easy to reach if the worst comes to pass. Made of aluminum, the box has a capacity of 3.3 liters. Like the TRAX side cases, it is available in two colors: silver anodized or black powdercoated. MSRP $179.95

MIRROR, MIRROR…

With AIMExpo fading into the rearview mirror, now is a good time to remind you that SW-Motech makes mirror kits in addition to innovative storage solutions. In fact, they offer 8 variations of the Sport mirror set.

All Sport mirrors are fabricated from fully forged aluminum. The mirror arms can be extended by 30 millimeters. This allows the height and length of the mirrors to be adjusted to the riders’ specific ergonomics.

MSRP $319.95

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PAN AM TAKES FLIGHT

Tapped by Harley-Davidson to manufacture bespoke hard luggage for the Pan America, SW-Motech had to wait for the bike to be produced, purchase one and get it into their R&D workshop in Germany to commence the prototyping process for its own parts. Despite this delay, dealers in America can expect to see product for the Pan Am take flight this summer, starting with ingenious PRO Tank Ring System. The model-specific tank ring will enable riders to mount a selection of the new PRO Tank Bags to the Pan America, including the new fully waterproof PRO Yukon WP or the larger upcoming PRO City WP. U.S. MSRP TBD

ALWAYS USE PROTECTION

To protect the critical components of the Pan America and make sure riders don’t become stranded, SW-MOTECH has developed their proven crash bars for the bike. The robust bars are bent and welded from highquality steel with a beefy 27 mm (1 inch) outside diameter for the main bar and 22 mm (7/8 inch) for the support arms. The bars have been designed to blend seamlessly into the Pan America’s lines, protect critical components and provide a convenient attachment point for additional accessories such as the DryBag 80 or EVO lighting upgrades.

HITTING THE SKIDS…

Skidplates, headlight covers and a host of ergonomic addictions will be arriving this summer. SW-Motech will be offering everything from handlebar risers and adjustable shift levers to a sidestand foot extension and easy to install centerstand to offer improved footing for the bike.

SW-MOTECH USA LP 1910 NW 23rd Place Portland, OR 97210 tel. 503-744-6686 www.sw-motech.us

FEBRUARY 2022

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VALE PRESTON PETTY 1941-2022 Courtesy American Motorcyclist Association

T

he AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame offers its condolences to the family, friends and fans of Preston Petty, a leading offroad and motocross racer of the late 1950s through the early 1970s and the owner of Petty Plastics, a ground-breaking plastic motorcycle component business that changed the face of motorcycle racing. Petty passed away on Jan. 16. He was 81.

Petty was born in Los Angeles on Feb. 19, 1941. He was raised in an affluent and strict Mormon family. His father, a successful attorney, tried to keep the young Petty off motorcycles.

Growing up on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains, Petty was already one of the top scrambles and off-road racers in Southern California by the time he was 16. He became known as a thinking-man’s racer and was uniquely skilled at reading terrain and knowing how to get the most out of his bikes. He earned a solid reputation for winning a lot of races on smaller-displacement machines, against the more popular big bikes of the day.

To try to dissuade him from motorcycle racing, Petty’s father sent him to Brigham Young University where the required Sunday church service did not mix with a racing schedule. After leaving BYU and returning to Los Angeles, Petty went headlong into racing. He was one of the first to race Hondas before they had an American footprint and then became the first rider the company backed after they opened a U.S. headquarters.

In the early 1960s, Petty began racing novice and amateur flat track events and won numerous races at Ascot Park, a highly competitive and legendary racetrack.

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With his reputation as a top-notch racer, Petty went on to race on the American team for ISDT competition in 1969, 1970 and 1971.

He earned a Silver Medal in 1969 but was plagued by mechanical problems in other outings.

It was during one of these European trips that Petty introduced his newly invented plastic fenders. Months later, Petty got a call from British custom motocross builder Eric Cheney raving about the durability and popularity of the fender. With Cheney’s endorsement, the fenders became huge sellers in Europe and soon after in America as well.

The idea for the fender came after a ride where the aluminum front fender of Petty’s Maico racer broke off and he drew inspiration from a five-gallon bucket of paint. Utilizing his programming skills in computer machining to fashion a mold, he eventually came up with the optimal plastic formula for fenders.

In 1972, Petty opened a factory in Oregon and expanded his line of products. During this period, he scaled back his racing efforts to concentrate on his growing business.

Business unfortunately took a turn for the worse, as Petty lost it all after the sale of his company on a long-term payout basis flopped when the group that purchased the rights to Petty Plastics went bankrupt in 1980.

Petty was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

He will always be remembered for his rare combination of racing skill and technical innovation that helped revolutionize off-road motorcycling.

Celebrating 60 years as a Honda dealership back in 2019. From left, Junior Dreyer, Mike Dreyer, Missy Dreyer, Jackson Dreyer Heuchan, and Pop Dreyer (pictured in the painting). Honda’s all new 2019 Super Cub is on the left, and a 1960 Super Cub from the shop’s museum is on the right.

GODSPEED JUNIOR 1932-2022

F

loyd Dreyer Jr, better known as Junior, passed away January 31, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He, along with his father Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, co-founded the family dealership in 1959. They were one of the first Honda motorcycle dealerships in the USA and Dreyer Honda is now the “Oldest Honda Dealer” in the nation (and still in the same family).

Since his father raced Indian motorcycles in the 1920’s and was a master of the Flxi sidecars, Junior was drawn to racing and retailing. In addition to the storied Honda connection, Junior also sold brands like BMW and BSA over the years. He loved racing in all categories. He worked on Indy 500 pit crews and

American Landmaster.................................................. 62 Bobcat.............................................................................. 9 CanDo Diagnostics, Inc................................................ 37 CDK/Lightspeed .......................................................... 79 CycleNews................................................................ CVR4 Digital Lead Performance (DLP)................................ 17 DX1................................................................................. 39 Find It Now GPS Security............................................ 11 Get Started Riding Motorcycles........................61 & 89 LS2 Helmets......................................................................25 MAD Maps...................................................................... 12 MBA Insurance.............................................................. 67 Monimoto...................................................................... 40 Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)............................. 69

built and restored many race cars. He was a life member of the Indy 500 Oldtimer’s Club. He also was a Master Mason with the Lynhurst Lodge being an AWG member for over 68 years.

He passed along his need for speed and the dealership to his sons Duane and Mike, who along with his granddaughter Missy, established Dreyer Motorsports selling Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Can Am. The dealerships continue on the Westside of Indianapolis.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be shared at www.conklefuneralhome.com

Motorcycle Industry Jobs (MIJ)................................... 19 National Powersport Auctions (NPA)........................ 46 National Powersport Dealer Association (NPDA) ... 53 Royal Enfield................................................................... 7 Sullivans........................................................................ 29 Torque Off-Road........................................................... 45 Tread Lightly................................................................. 71 Triumph Motorcycles America.................................... 15 Tucker Powersports..................................................... 33 Twisted Throttle...............................................................27 Unfiltered Marketing.......................................................35 Vanderhall..................................................................... 21 Vroom Network............................................................ 51 Western Power Sports............................................... 2-3

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

FEBRUARY 2022

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Take a short walk every day.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Be on time every time.

Don’t make excuses.

Don’t argue.

Get organized.

Be kind to unkind people.

Let someone cut ahead of you in line without getting mad.

Take time to be alone. It’s important to know yourself.

Cultivate good manners.

NOT ANOTHER NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION A Personal Resolution

By Frank Esposito

T

Be humble.

Realize and accept that life is not fair.

Realize that YOU CAN BE FAIR. Get Inspired and Inspire Others. The only thing more

he New Year and Ricky Carmicheal’s keynote on the mind of a champion at AIMExpo had me thinking.

We can’t all be the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) but we can all resolve to be greater each and every day. I offer this to all of you as not another New Year’s Resolution, but a Champion’s way of life that can lift you far above wherever you are at this present moment in time.

powerful than finding inspiration is giving it.

I find it a very good recipe for personal and professional growth… and living a Championship Life! And remember, you can make a New Year’s Resolution any day of the year.

Take your own personal “Oath of Office” with a witness.

Faith is a living thing. If you don’t nurture it, it will die.

Nurture your faith more than ever.

Return everything you borrow.

Stop blaming other people.

Admit it when you make a mistake.

Learn to own it all. This means you never ever make excuses. Whatever happens, you own it Give clothes not worn to charity.

Do something nice… and try not to get caught.

Listen more; talk less.

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Commit and invest your own time and money to your continuing education. Learning is a lifetime job!

Avow to become a Precisionist. It’s a good way to live.

Put your core beliefs in writing.

Champions do the little things with great love.

Don’t say the word “COVID” for the entire year Never resist arrest. It always ends poorly.

Never drive slow in the passing lane.

May 2022 be your year of inspiration and personal and professional growth. It is up to you.

FRANK ESPOSITO HAS FACED THE IMPOSSIBLE – from a nearfatal racing accident to leading a business from high risk of failure. Frank will share the profound lessons of tragedy, challenge and success. His miraculous story will help YOU activate a new inner strength, enabling you to survive and thrive through challenging times. You will learn how the impossible becomes possible.

WWW.CHAMPIONSHIPMENTALITY.COM PHONE: 408-832-0200 EMAIL: FRANK.ESPOSITO@ATT.NET LINKEDIN: WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/FRANK-ESPOSITO-SPEAKER

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