Issue #4 April 2023

INDUSTRY RESEARCH Back To The Future?

NPDA CALLS FOR CAP EX MORATORIUM

NPDA DEALER NEWS

Dealer Association Exceeds 300+ Members!

NPDA MEETING MINUTES

National Powersports Dealer Association: Board Members Wanted

NPDA PARTNER PROFILE Octane Powersports

IRON LILLY Lilly Farrow’s Legacy Lives On MIC RIDE REPORT Ride With Us In 2023

CONFESSIONS OF A CUSTOMER

Eric Anderson On Car Guys Don’t Know Squat

ADVOCACY+ Don Amador On Rights

ADVOCACY+ Scot Harden On The 39th Nevada 200

TRAVAILS WITH CHARLIE

Charlie Williams On Ron Ribolzi’s Ride

PRESS PASS+

Gus Goes To The Grand National Roadster Show

GEAR+ Editor’s Choice, What’s Old Is New Again

VALE+ Ave Atque Vale Jim Rasmus

AD INDEX This issue Brought To You By…

BACKFIRE

NPDA Calls For Cap Ex Moratorium

OUR TEAM

EDITORIAL

Robin Hartfiel Editor/Publisher

Bob Althoff World’s Luckiest Man

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

Mark Rodgers Performance Consulting

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

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

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

© Copyright 2023 80

World’s Luckiest Man

By Bob Althoff

WIN-WIN

Beating The Zero Sum Game?

As a Dealer, it is paramount to focus on the very detailed metrics we use to determine our sales effectiveness. At least weekly we dissect “the process”; and in doing so, we hope to maximize every “opportunity.” Refine, analyze, train… rinse and repeat. It can call for a dedicated, granular level POV laser focused on the bottom line.

In our role at  Dealernews, we tend to take a more macro approach sifting through the bigger picture. Mergers, acquisitions, new players and programs, government relations, who is shifting gears, what’s working… and what’s not. To paraphrase former GE CEO Jack Welch — The Man Who Broke Capitalism — “We try to see around corners.” However also we try to recognize and reward retail excellence by the dealers on the front lines striving to maximize every opportunity.

Working with a truly dedicated, smart and passionate group of Advisors; Board and Council members, and the 300+ ”early adaptor” NPDA Dealer members provides yet another “big picture” perspective.

Here is the take away: At every level from the dealer in the trenches up to the 30,000 ft. view from the magazine, there is passion for our sport, our community, our industry. People truly care about this industry; its health; its sustainability; its growth.

The folks I interact with respect our customers.  They respect the history of our sport. They respect authenticity, collaboration and results.

Here is what they hate: The posers. The “do as I say” experts. The loss of autonomy in running their businesses. The wokeness in the rush to electrify (or at least to exclusively electrify). Wall Street. Bouncing from feast to famine in a macro economic national game of whack-a-mole.. to name a few. The dysfunction of an all too “siloed” industry that seems content to keep trying to win the “zero sum” game.

But this Zero Sum Game must stop. Together, we must make this industry grow.

Growth cures a lot of ills. Growth brings more Americans to the “richer and fuller lives” our sport provides. Growth will lead to more respect and less back-biting amongst our industry’s participants.

But where will this significant and more consistent growth come from?

If it is true that a brand is a story, then we must be better storytellers. We have compelling stories, but where can they be consistently told to the American public? When we inspire, excite and invite, they will come! An Industry Growth Initiative must include us all. On and Off Road; agnostic as to badge; celebrating the widest diversity of our offerings, our people and our collective contributions to our communities.

We can, should and must grow. Now is as good a time as any to start shouting our stories from the mountain tops.

Bottom line: Everyone wins in a Win-Win game.

Bob

Editor’s Note

By Robin Hartfiel

BUCKING THE NUMBERS

As Mark Twain so astutely noted, “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.” No secret that the looming (or ongoing) recession, run on the banks (or not), facilities/Cap Ex coming from a couple OEMs, channel stuffing as two years worth of vehicles are arriving all at once, pre-owned demand drying up and it is tax time. Powersports may be well on its way to becoming a $50 Billion industry, but it seems like pretty long odds of making any sort of short term profit.

Even one of our two resident Ph.D.s is already looking beyond our current customers and suggesting that it is time for all of us to focus on the future. Dr. Paul Leinberger says to leapfrog over the Millennials completely and plan for the following generation. “Gen Z now accounts for 20.67% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census data, 2023). They are known as “digital natives” because they were the first generation to grow up with the Internet as a part of their daily lives. Gen Z has no recollection of 9-11 and no memories of a world before the Internet. Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Zers span a wide range: many of the oldest are married with jobs and mortgages while the youngest are still in their preteen years.

Yet something doesn’t add up! Even Dr. Leinberger admits, “Gen Zers like bricks-and-mortar stores (good news for you) but they also want a great online shopping experience. You must have both. Bottom line: Generation Z is your future, and they look forward to doing business with you. Give them reasons to do so!”

The odd melding of Internet and brick & mortar experiences for future customers is at least being addressed by dealers, according to Pied Piper’s annual Internet Lead study. “Powersports dealers were quicker to respond to their website customers this year than ever before,” said Fran O’Hagan, CEO of Pied Piper. Overall the powersports industry has substantially improved dealer treatment of website customers. As an example, five years ago a powersports website customer’s inquiry would be answered only 31% of the time on average, compared to 52% of the time in 2023.

Great news… wait, what? Only half of the Internet leads are even being addressed in 2023? And that is good news? At a time when online look-ups are slowing according to J.D. Power/NADAguides Lenny Sims, we can ill afford to leave any stone unturned. “In the motorcycle segment, values for the most recent 10 model years of cruisers averaged 4.6% lower in the first four months of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022. This was 1.9% lower than late 2022. Sportbikes averaged 3.2% lower in the current period than year-prior, and 1.3% lower than late 2022.”

NPA’s CEO Jim Woodruff has been sounding the alarm since September. “Values dropped precipitously and continue to slide,” he cautioned in a two part series. “Things are definitely slowing down at this point in time with both seasonality and some of the macro headwinds. But there’s just a lot of doubt and uncertainty out there right now. I think dealers have quite a bit of inventory on hand and that they don’t need more at this time...” If you missed his prescient commentary, do yourself a favor and review it now:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMAPhh4si_M

The statistics all paint a pretty damning picture of Q1 2023 and a worse prospect for Q2. However we have been here before, says Bob Althoff… some of us several times going back to the early 1980s when the ATC ban precipitated a 50% drop in powersports sales almost overnight! “The dysfunction of an all too ‘siloed’ industry that seems content to keep trying to win the ‘zero sum’ game,” notes the Chairman of NPDA’s Board. “But this Zero Sum Game must stop. Together, we must make this industry grow.” And by we, he means you, Mr. Dealer!

Here is a chance to make liars out of the statistics. Any accountant will tell you powersports numbers don’t add up on a ledger… where’s the ROI on the blood, sweat and years you invest? The lack of dollars really doesn’t make sense… but most dealers didn’t jump in the saddle to make a fortune!

“We are a passion-based industry,” says this month’s cover dealer Greg Ditus. “We never got into this for money. We all hoped at some point we could make a living. But passion is what feeds this industry. Having great people in your dealership that share this passion is a recipe for success.”

I’m with Greg, Bob, NPDA and all the dealers! When I started with Dealernews in the 1990’s, new unit sales were at a decade low. Joining an industry that was in terminal decline didn’t make sense, but I jumped at the opportunity and have rarely looked back!

Of course as Bob notes in his column this month, success cures all concerns. Check the sales records as the powersports industry went on a 13-straight year run of double-digit growth from 1991 on… those statistics are no damn lie!

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.

STOP CONCEDING YOUR BUSINESS

Continues to amaze me how many dealers are turning over the management of their dealerships to the OEMs! “Here you go, here are the keys to the front door and the username/ password to my banking account, go have fun!”

We are now seeing the second OEM marketplace coming online. Not only are new vehicles being listed on these sites, but requests are being put in to display used inventory. Here are all the things dealers don’t seem to have considered:

• OEMs are going to prioritize new over used, and their brand over others

• When a lead is submitted for another brand’s product, those customers will be carpet-bombed with offers to buy new vehicles from the market host

• OEM lenders might not offer reserve payments to dealers (and are probably paying kickbacks to the site owners)

• OEM F&I products are going to be pushed in place of aftermarket programs that are often cheaper and more comprehensive

• Accessory options will be promoted in the market, thus whittling away another profit center for dealers

• Since consumers can compare pricing between dealers, it will soon be a race to the bottom in seeing who can give away a vehicle the cheapest

• Many OEM executives have never worked in retail and have no idea what it takes to close deals. When you sell on the web, the primary closing tool is discounting and that just cheapens the brands

• How many marketplaces and websites does our inventory need to be displayed on?

• There’s the monthly cost

• The list goes on…

Continue to let the OEMs manage your business and in a decade you’ll be receiving token payments for doing the delivery to the customer. Dealers will be nothing but a subcontracted warranty facility.

Have you really thought this through? Are you playing checkers when the OEM is playing chess?

Mark Sheffield, Strategic Advisor  Woods Cycle Country

NPDA Board Member, TMDA Board Member

New Braunfels, TX

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

In our experience with BMW this can be a great asset for the dealers and the consumers… or a nightmare! I’ll share a little of what has been discussed in my world for the past five or more years. First, you must assume (I do hate to use this word) that the MFG. will now own the customer data that would have been all yours under other circumstances. No data ownership = no direct dealer relationship to those who would normally be your customers. They get enough data as it is via retail reporting and warranty service work now.

100% AGREE

I’m 100% with Mark Sheffield on this. I’ve never liked sharing data with OEM’s. It’s always to their benefit, not ours. Not to mention $500 a month for another lead service! When does it stop?

Chris Watts America’s Motor Motor Sports Nashville, TN

COUNTERPOINT

I’m personally pleased to see an OEM understand that pre-owned is an important part of their ecosystem and willing to support their customers and  dealers. That last part is key — if they do it right I think it will be great for dealers, but if they don’t it obviously won’t (and I believe would eventually fail as a result).

We’ve seen these types of things over the years in various forms by various folks, and none have actually amounted to much due to lack of acceptance by both consumers and dealers. There are several other similar OE and non-OE efforts underway now as well, which could create consumer confusion. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds - market forces will ultimately pick the winner(s).

Jim Woodruff CEO  National Powersport Auctions Poway, CA

SOUND OFF!

This is the trend that they are all working on embracing so one day, maybe very soon, they will communicate directly on everything they offer through dealers. That could include their own fleets of demo and executive pre-owned or used machines. Of course. they’d also be in a position to offer them new models as well and essentially turn us into delivery centers for a “delivery fee” far, far less than we currently earn. As they’d believe that it was their sale and that they had already arranged the financing one has to imagine that we’d get some very small fee for doing the final paperwork too.

This has been talked about in the automotive industry for a good while and we hear about it from BMW often –but the dealers are holding their shields high and strong for now. Consumers wanting a demo ride, more information, a fitting, etc. will still come by the brick and mortar locations and request these services …but how will we get paid, if at all for providing that Apple Genius experience?

Stepping off my soapbox,

Bob Henig, Owner, Rider, Enthusiast, Spouse, Parent, Community Member & Collector

MIC Member, NPDA BOD Member

Ride safe, ride often, dress to ride, share the road and practice your skills!

Jessup, MD

Join in the conversation via e-mail: Editor@dealernews.com

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DEALER NEWS: Black Hills Harley-Davidson Under New Ownership

When the biker world returns to Sturgis this August, the landscape will look a little different… and we’re not talking about all the things going on at The Buffalo Chip. Anchor dealership Black Hills Harley-Davidson has changed hands. Fortune 500 Car dealer Sonic Automotive bought Black Hills Harley-Davidson while many in the industry were at AIMExpo. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, Black Hills has long been known for its pre-Rally events leading up to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

“We are thrilled to welcome the team from Black Hills HarleyDavidson into the Sonic Automotive family,” said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. “The team is deeply committed to the Harley-Davidson brand promise, providing a world-class guest experience, and fostering a strong teammate culture, which aligns with the values we uphold at Sonic Automotive.”

“At Black Hills Harley-Davidson, we have always understood that teamwork makes us unbeatable,” said Al Rieman and Jim Burgess, Co-Owners of Black Hills Harley-Davidson. “Our culture values the power of teamwork, and it has allowed us to grow beyond what anyone could do individually. Joining the Sonic Automotive team will allow Black Hills Harley-Davidson and our teammates to grow, set new goals, and achieve even greater results than we could have ever imagined, and we’re excited to be on board.”

Black Hills Harley-Davidson is western South Dakota’s only fullservice Harley-Davidson dealership and is best known for hosting “The Rally at Exit 55” during the Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, an iconic destination for approximately 500,000 Harley-Davidson enthusiasts each year.

“This is a big day for Sonic Automotive,” said Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive. “We are excited to add Black Hills HarleyDavidson to our powersports team and provide an exceptional experience to powersports enthusiasts with our diverse manufacturer portfolio.”

This latest acquisition brings the Company’s powersports portfolio to 13 locations by combining Black Hills Harley-Davidson with the 2022 acquisitions of Mancuso Powersports, located in Houston, Texas and Horny Toad Harley-Davidson, located in Temple, Texas. The Company expects the powersports segment to add approximately $200 million in annual revenues in 2023.

DEALERSHIP 101

“I wrote my first book!” Dealer Principal and longtime GM at Great Western Outdoor in Marion, North Carolina, Brandon Prokupek was not satisfied with the school of hard knocks approach to running a dealership, so he decided to create a Cliff’s Notes for aspiring powersports dealers. Navigating The Powersports Industry is a guide for dealers. “This book breaks down the three fundamental things I have used over the last 15 years to help build and grow dealerships.”

Along the way, he also launched a consulting firm, specifically for dealers. “As a General Manager at a dealership, I found myself partnering with marketing firms that just did not understand the needs of the powersports dealership or how to integrate properly into the sales department to actually make the marketing effective,” he notes. “It was because of this that MMG (Motorsports Marketing Group) was founded. We’ve spent the last 4 years dialing in the most effective marketing strategies for the powersports dealer. As a General Manager or owner, I know how many things are on your plate day in and day out between your employees, customers, processes, returns, bank accounts, managing inventory, hiring/firing, advertising, bookkeeping, relationships with manufactures and reps, as well as the hundreds of other things that pop up in a day.”

Back to the book: “I started in the powersports industry in 2008 at which time the statistic was that 70% of all dealers went out of business between 2008-2011. This is a staggering statistic but an all too real one,” concludes Prokupek. “That being said, with the uncertainty of the economy right now, it’s important that dealers are doing everything possible to retain current customers, reach new ones and deliver an experience that keeps customers coming into the dealership.”

Check it out on Amazon: lnkd.in/eQwT_dUX

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS?

Bell/Giro HQ Closed, Workforce Reduced

Vista Outdoor issued pink slips to a number of Bell Helmets/ Giro employees last week and announced the Scotts Valley campus was closing. In a regulatory filing, the group explained more than $50 million in cost cutting was coming, including eliminating Bell/Giro headquarters, spending cuts and headcount reductions across brands and corporate teams.

“The changes are being implemented in response to elevated retail inventory levels, rising interest rates and inflation, which have pressured our top and bottom lines and impacted our

outlook for Fiscal Year,” claimed Vista Outdoor. “The changes will help the company compete in the current challenging economic environment and prepare for the separation of its Outdoor Products and Sporting Products segments into two independent, publicly traded companies, which is expected to occur in calendar year 2023.”

Vista Outdoor added it is accelerating the merger of the Bell, Blackburn, Copilot, Fox, Giro, Krash and Raskullz business units through “consolidation” of leadership and facilities. As part of these measures, Bell/Giro HQ will close effective September 1, 2023, with affected employees relocating to a revamped Innovation Center at its Fox Headquarters in Irvine, CA.

“These changes will drive efficiencies in the deployment of corporate services and enable more results from our supply chain, E-commerce, licensing and M&A Centers of Excellence,” claimed Vista in the filing. “The cost reductions bring Vista Outdoor’s Fiscal Year 2024 strategic priorities into focus and help prepare the company for the separation this year.”

The restructuring efforts come as Vista Outdoor announced on February 6 the voluntary resignation of CEO Chris Metz due to Vista’s “board’s loss of confidence in his leadership.” Gary McArthur, a board member since 2015, was named interim CEO. As noted in our February Shifting Gears column, Fox head Jeff McGuane is overseeing the restructured cycling, snow and powersports portfolio:  issuu.com/dealernews/docs/ issue_2_february_c1530f945b4a2f/18

Continued on page 14

Continued from page 13

ATTURO TIRE TAKES OVER

“It’s a big year for Atturo Tires,” said Atturo Tire Corp. Powersports Category Specialist, Collin Mikottis. “Our Trail Blade X/T SxS tires are arriving at Tucker dealers nationwide, soon to be followed by our Trail Blade BOSS SxS.” Earlier this year, Atturo announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Tucker Powersports. Tucker’s network of powersports dealerships now have immediate access to a full inventory of Atturo Trail Blade SxS tires.

Atturo also announced that they have been named the official tire of the UTV Takeover 2K23 Tour. Billed as “the most extensive community-focused UTV events in the United States,” UTV Takeover is the perfect place to roll out the Trail Blade line of tires and Atturo’s “Trail Hazard” protection plan. Atturo will display its new Trail Blade SxS lineup at the Coos Bay, Oregon, and Hurricane, Utah, tour events.

“Through our partnership with the action-packed UTV Takeover Tour, we’ll take our tires and exclusive Trail Hazard protection directly to the Side-by-Side community at the tour events,” said Mikottis. In the meantime, talk to your Tucker rep to get the holeshot on Atturo’s tires.

The convenient kits are designed and constructed to meet the toughest riding conditions, offering an expectational range of fitments, including models dating back to 1971.

“We look forward to working with Motovan again, their distribution of Arrowhead products strengthens our Canadian footprint and helps us reach passionate riders looking for exceptional powersports parts,” said Kari Grogg, director of sales, Arrowhead Engineered Products.

For more information about All Balls Racing north of the border, visit: www.motovan.com

OH, CANADA? MOTOVAN NEW POINT OF ARROWHEAD

Powersports distributor Motovan Inc will be offering Arrowhead Engineered Products to dealers coast-to-coast in Canada. This includes well known industry brands such as All Balls, Cylinder Works, Hot Cams, Hot Rods, Pivot Works and many more. “We are pleased to partner with Arrowhead in order to help them continue their growth of brands our sales team and valued Canadian dealers know very well,” said Mike Paladino, VP at Motovan. “We will begin with the All Balls Racing product line and then integrate all other Arrowhead brands in the very near future.” All Balls Racing offers the most comprehensive product line of bearing & seal kits, driveline and suspension kits for ATVs, UTVs, street and off-road motorcycles and more.

HEY TEXA… CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Hands-free diagnostic solutions from TEXA should make your techs more efficient… and profitable. AXONE VOICE is billed as the first hands-free multi-environment diagnostic solution. Think Google or Alexa for wrench-spinners. The portable diagnostic device is made in Italy by TEXA, featuring advanced IDC5 software which will improve workshop efficiency, according to Senior Marketing Manager Daniel Bemiss.

“The Axone Voice is equipped with a 13.3” capacitive screen with 2560×1600 resolution, protected by a robust Gorilla Glass,” notes Bemiss. “On its insides, the Windows 10 Enterprise operating system is powered by an Intel®Core i5 processor with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. The connectivity, another essential element for a display unit like AXONE VOICE, is possible thanks to an advanced dual-channel Wi-Fi system and to a Bluetooth 5.1 module.”

With the voice assistant everything becomes quicker and easier. Simply say “Hey TEXA” and the command you need — AXONE VOICE will spontaneously guide you through the diagnostic activities after the selection or after the vehicle scan, AXONE VOICE directly suggests the services available, making the diagnosis work easier and quicker.

“The TEXA AXONE VOICE was built to become the most powerful and high-performing advanced diagnostic display unit on the market,” concludes Bemiss. “Looking at its new software foundation and enhanced equipment, it surely seems that the goal has been reached.”

Get more details here: www.texausa.com/products/axone-voice

TAX TIME!

It is tax time, which means it is QuickBooks time! It was also perfect timing for a timely announcement that Blackpurl has teamed up with Intuit to bundle QuickBooks Online as a financial module for their next-generation dealership management platform. With support from Intuit the global financial technology platform that supports TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp, QuickBooks Online will be bundled as the financial module of the Blackpurl offering, providing a complete solution for dealerships and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

“We’re excited to become a QuickBooks Solutions Provider and we’re now including QuickBooks Online as the financial module of our platform,” said Mike Wyrzykowski, CEO of Blackpurl. “Blackpurl’s unique, real-time integration with Quickbooks Online allows dealership staff to perform their tasks faster and more accurately. Blackpurl is best in the world at point-oftransaction for dealerships and QuickBooks is the best in the world at accounting. This combination allows dealerships to become more successful and durable in a variety of economic scenarios.”

The collaboration with QuickBooks Online will enable Blackpurl users to manage their financials seamlessly within the platform, reducing the need for manual data entry and ensuring accuracy and efficiency. By joining the QuickBooks Solution Provider program and reselling QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Payroll, and QuickBooks Time, Blackpurl is expanding its offerings to support the evolving needs of dealerships and manufacturers.

“We are thrilled to work with Blackpurl and help them integrate QuickBooks Online more thoroughly into their dealership management platform,” added Kevin Zavaglia, VP of US Sales for Intuit’s Small Business and Self-Employed Group. “This move will help dealerships save time and improve their financial workflows, allowing them to focus on what they do best – serving their customers.”

For more information about Blackpurl and its new offerings as a QuickBooks Solution Provider, click on: www.Blackpurl.com

RICKY CARMICHAEL

Iconic Italian motorcycle brand Moto Morini continues to make like Columbus and discover the American market. Joining the voyage of discovery is new National Sales Manager John Griffin. Most recently with Red Line Synthetic Oil, 5-time Baja champ Griffin brings 35-years of industry experience including management positions with several OEM’s and largescale aftermarket brands. However he also knows what dealers need, having started out as a wrench spinner at Yamaha Suzuki Lemon Grove and working his way through the ranks to become GM. “I am thrilled to join the Moto Morini Team,” says Griffin. “Once I saw and rode all the beautiful Moto Morini models with their exceptional performance, highend components, Italian styling and top notch fit and finish, at such a great value, I knew I needed to be a part of this dynamic company. The bikes handle great, are powerful, visually stunning and in every way provide a great rider experience. I know dealers and riders are going to want a Moto Morini motorcycle.” CEO Chris McGee adds, “Our goal at Moto Morini USA is to build strong and long-lasting partnerships with dealers nationwide. John’s extraordinary background in the market, vast industry knowledge and welcoming personality will further help connect dealers and riders with Moto Morini.” Highlighted by premium quality components including Brembo ABS brakes, fully adjustable KYB and Marzocchi suspension, Pirelli tires, large hi-def TFT displays with

Bluetooth connectivity, all Moto Morini models feature a full 3-year warranty. Become a dealer today by contacting John Griffin at johng@MotoMorini.com calling (949) 620-5025. See the full line of Moto Morini motorcycles at: MotoMoriniUSA.com

Ahoy PWC dealers! Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit has promoted Mark Tracy to VP just in time for selling season to set sail. “Mark continues to play a key role in defining our outboard motor goto-market strategy and positioning our brand as one of the best and most reliable in the industry,” said Ben Speciale , president, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “Mark’s ability to build strong relationships and deliver value to our customers earned him the respect and admiration of not only boat builders and dealers across the U.S., but also the marine industry as a whole.” A 25-year veteran of Yamaha Motor Corp., Tracy was most recently GM of sales and marketing for Yamaha’s Marine Engine Systems Company , overseeing sales and marketing for outboard and related systems and products in the U.S. In November of 2001, Tracy became the Eastern regional manager for the Dealer Sales Group , responsible for managing nine district marketing managers and all dealer activities along the eastern seaboard. During that time, his team won the Yamaha Region of the Year award twice.

In another OEM Update, Triumph has a new race manager. Industry vet Zach Lurie joins the team to manage future off-road models and support racing activity in North America. Lurie has a combined 25 years of experience as a racer, riding coach and industry expert. As a child, he competed in BMX in the Grand National and World BMX events. He transitioned into motocross at the age of 12 where he competed in national amateur events before going pro in Motocross, Arenacross and Supercross. “Whether it was chasing my personal dreams as a racing athlete, coaching new talent to new heights or building a training facility from the ground up, I’ve dedicated my life to the racing industry,” Lurie said. “I see true passion in every employee I’ve met at Triumph Motorcycles. Mixing that passion with the iconic team we are putting together is a recipe for greatness when we go racing. I feel incredibly blessed to join the team on a journey to build the next generation of racing.” Lurie’s appointment to this newly created role reflects Triumph’s commitment and growing investment in the Off-Road and Dual Sport segments. “We have an incredible focus on continuing our drive to build a team of Industry Leading professionals committed to the Triumph Brand, our dealers and customers,” said Rod Lopusnak, GM, Triumph North America. “Zach brings a competitive and winning attitude to the organization, along with the experience to back it up… I look forward to the growth that Zach will bring to Triumph North America.”

Continued from page 16

A couple of real cards are stacking the deck in the V-Twin world as Lon Nordbye’s new YATZY Marketing, LLC. agency has secured a strategic partnership with Jeff Holt’s V-Twin Visionary , the nation’s premier source for custom & performance happenings. As part of the partnership, YATZY Marketing will bring expertise and direction to V-Twin Visionary’s already strong suite of digital advertising, content and event marketing solutions. “We’re excited to partner with Lon and his newly created agency, YATZY Marketing,” noted V-Twin Visionary Co-Founder & Editorial Director Holt. “Lon has built some of the motorcycle industry’s most successful partnerships, promotions and events, so it was a no-brainer to bring him into the mix and make him part of our talented, committed executive team.” Nordbye adds, “V-Twin Visionary has taken the lead in expanding digital and experiential opportunities to OEMs, parts manufacturers, builders and non-endemic brands alike. With the tidal wave of smaller motorcycle models coming to market, the timing is ripe for the exposure, publicity, lead generation and conversions that V-Twin Visionary has to offer.” YATZY also plans to add to the blue chip roster of brands already participating in the VTV USA Tour , which has over 25 US stops, coast to coast in 2023. See more of the VTV portfolio here: vtwinvisionary.com

Speaking of the V-Twin market, former Vance & Hines VP John Potts has shifted gears. V-Twin distribution dreadnaught Drag Specialties welcomes Potts to their sales team roster. He is now repping the brand’s Southern California area. “John comes to us with extensive H-D industry background in sales, marketing, support and product development for major powersports aftermarket manufacturers as well as race team involvement on the professional level.” His riding experience includes a Harley XR1200 and touring models. “In his free time, John enjoys spending life on two wheels and in the dirt with his family through mountain biking and racing cross country and is a photography enthusiast. Welcome to the team, John!” The last employee personally hired by the legendary Terry Vance in June of 2002, Potts had been with V&H in a variety of roles, including VP of Sales & Marketing and most recently head of Sales, Marketing & Support since 2019.

high school and never had a job that did not involve motorcycles and Honda. I have worked with so many great people that made every day interesting and mostly fun. I have had the fortune to work in many positions at Honda in a few different locations. How lucky is that for a dumb farm kid from Darke County Ohio. Most folks know my love of off-road motorcycles This, I am not retiring from so hopefully I will see you on the trail or at an enduro or another off-road event. I will be the old fat guy finishing mid pack with a large smile on my face thinking of the next place I can go ride and who I can talk into going with me. It has worked for the last half a hundred years, why not go a few more.”

Time to take the checkered flag? Honda’s Chris Cox is calling it a career so he can spend more time racing. “Well, the day has come to announce my retirement from Honda after 30 years. I really don’t know what to say, other than it has been a ‘hell of a ride.’ I started in a Honda shop in

Tex Mawbry is back in the saddle again. “I am happy to announce that I have accepted a position as Country Manager for Merlin Motorcycle Clothing & Accessories. I am looking forward to going back to my roots in motorcycle apparel and building and sharing the great culture this British brand has created, and growing their dealer base throughout North America.” “Over the past ten years Merlin has grown based on the British firm’s mission of providing the best protection in motion while ensuring every rider receives amazing bang for their buck, notes Patrick Franklin, Sales Operations Director at Merlin. “This position has seen Merlin generate almost three quarters of our revenue outside our home market in the UK. Merlin has been supplying into the US since 2016 with an amazing consumer response, so it was the right time with the interruption of COVID-19 behind us that we stepped on and formed a Merlin North America subsidiary to meet the increasing demand from our North American customers.” Mawby has vast motorcycle industry experience, having previously served as President of Gerbing Motorsports , Director of Sales & Marketing with TCX Boots and Eastern US and Canadian Sales Manager with REV’IT! Sport USA. Prior to joining Merlin, Mawby was the Director of Sales & Marketing for H&H Sports Protection, parent company of Just1, Torc, Nitek and Origine Helmets

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INTERSTATE HONDA

A John Elway Dealership

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.” —

Ihave modeled my life after this quote from President Truman,” says Greg Ditus, GM of Interstate Honda. “Do the job because of your love for it and success will follow.” From learning how to ride in his Z50 around Colorado’s High Country to his current passion for ADV riding, Greg has been able to combine his avocation with his vocation for the past 34 years. He has worked every job in the dealership from lot boy and wrench-spinner to sales manager and GM, but his most recent challenge of becoming part of the Elway Powersports team has really broadened his horizons.

“Once you change your mindset from competing with everyone and open yourself up to the idea that there is power in numbers, support in positions that you never had before and being part of an organization that truly wants to change the customer experience in a positive way… I find it hard to imagine doing business any other way now.” Not everyone can be part of the Elway team, but Ditus is convinced everyone can better their business by keeping an open mind… and listening to your customers — that is where he received his Ph.D in Dealership Arts!

“Take the time to listen to your customer,” he explains. “It’s amazing what you can learn. And remember, the reason you learn is so you can teach… and by teaching you get to learn twice.”

This lifelong learning began at a small Honda Kawasaki dealer in 1988. “I grew up riding motorcycles in the mountains every weekend… and loved being part of it. He was part of the launch team for Top 100 winning Loveland Motorsports which later moved to Fort Collins, expanded from 4,000 sq./ft. to 12,500 sq./ft. and evolved into the “new” Interstate Honda Powerhouse dealership that it is today. And his journey is just beginning as we spoke with Greg at the Grand Opening of the latest Elway Powersports dealership (see sidebar).

Harry S. Truman

Single-line Honda Powerhouse store run by a guy who started on a Z50 — Greg Ditus is Honda through and through! “I bleed Red! Honda has put food on my family’s table for many years! it is a brand you can get behind.” We went behind the scenes to get more of the Interstate Honda road trip with Greg:

Fort Collins, Colorado. Is that where you were born? Or is that where you ended up?

No, Fort Collins is where I ended up. I was born in Kansas, but I only lived there for like six months. So I’ve been in Colorado since 1971, so I am almost a Native.

Being a single-line Honda guy all that time you have experienced some changes, but it seems like it’s all led up to the adventure bike era. What are you seeing there from the High Country in terms of global trends as well as local trends?

Our dealership is in a great market, we’re right at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park. So we got people from all over the United States that come to our dealership — summer plans — they’re all going to Rocky Mountain National Park. So we get a lot of touring people that come into our area. Adventure riding has definitely taken off, and it has become my passion, too. As I’ve gotten older, I still can ride in the dirt, have fun and enjoy it with my friends. It’s all about just taking in the time. Now. It’s not about going fast.

It’s just about enjoying the destination and stopping and smelling the roses along the way, rather than being the first to the finish line? But you’re still on the gas. Being the logistics and operations guy in charge of all the Elway Powersports Group is probably cutting into your day job... and you’re smelling the roses along the way.

Unfortunately, you are correct. I’ve had to try to reorganize some of my time… and we’re just getting ready to come into our season. But I am still trying to make the time to ride… with the purchase of our Laramie store, it has opened up a lot of different places to ride. Laramie, Walden… Wyoming has some of the best off-road riding out there!

And there are some perks to being part of the Elway team, like going snowmobile riding with the boss for a week…

That was a great time. We are definitely enjoying this partnership, this teamwork. All these years, I was a four walls kind of guy — I only worried about what was in our four walls. That’s what mattered. We didn’t worry about what other people were doing. We just made sure that we took care of our processes and our customers. Now that we are part of a team, this ‘dealer group’ — the teamwork and how we all work with each other, allowing people in... probably the hardest thing was allowing people to help me out. Because before that, it all fell on my shoulders. Now, we have the assistance and people that walk alongside us. They all want to see us be successful. And it’s amazing. They couldn’t imagine working any other way now.

But having started in your dealership and working every single position, you understood the process portion of it, but as a four walls guy, the knowledge you bring to the group is probably pretty beneficial as well.

I’ve learned all of the metrics and the mechanics of this machine, so I can step into any department. And I understand the department, I understand what their struggles are, I can relate to my managers in a way that a lot of GMs maybe cannot.

You have previously said this is the best group you’ve ever worked with, and it’s all a truly professional organization. Can you elaborate on that a little bit more now that you’ve got some seat time with the Elway Powersports Group.

The leadership team of Michael Maledon and Bill Johnson are the two guys who really put a lot of effort into our buildings and our team building processes. They are always finding us great solutions and products to offer our customers. Rider’s Advantage came on board with us a little over a year ago, and are now doing all of our F&I products. The relationship that we’ve been able to build with that company — Rich and Nick — have been immensely helpful in the success of our dealership. It’s just different levels of buying power. We kind of get to build our own program because unlike just having a single dealership, when you have five, six or more, you get a little bit more of a say in how you want things put together

and you have more buy-in from the companies that want to assist you. So it’s nice being listened to, in a manner where it feels like they’re actually listening and trying to take care of you on a different level that a single line or a private business can experience.

Having a single line Honda Powerhouse store is a great position to be in… But it’s pretty tough you don’t have those alternative profit centers to draw from.

It’s true… especially through COVID. We all know that we struggled with inventory and Honda still is trying to get some product to its dealers. We are looking at different options… maybe a Powerhouse 5 build so that we can help the rest of our dealerships out a little bit. But Honda in itself in our group is still the #1 sold brand out of all of our dealerships. Now there’s four of our dealerships that have Honda, so maybe that skews it a little bit. But it’s definitely one of the best brands that our stores sell. You buy a Honda, why? The reliability, fit and finish, etc. And pricing is not a big deal with Honda anymore. They’re making a lot of great pricing moves that allow even entry level people to come into the market. They just came out with this CRF150 that people can’t wait to see. Now as a dealer, you know those small bikes don’t actually add up to a lot of dollars…but they add up to customers. So if you turn your mind to the fact that we’re going to have more opportunity to sell through with our customers, instead of just making larger grosses it is a good thing. We’re excited for what Honda has in store for us!

That’s been the Elway Group mentality, too. It’s a long game here. You’re not going for the quick buy and even the car dealerships didn’t charge the premiums when they could have during the COVID. Instead they did right by their customers and right by their dealer members.

Now, Robin, you’re exactly right. That’s exactly the thought process behind this. We’re very transparent with all of our pricing. We don’t play any games, and we sell at MSRP even our Harley dealership sells at MSRP. In most Harley dealerships that’s not happening. But ours is an MSRP Harley-Davidson dealership, you just don’t find them out there anymore.

Interstate Honda and NoCo were the original powersports dealerships in the Elway Group.

Yep. NoCo was bought in June. We were purchased in August.

And now you are in Nebraska of all places.

I’m in Lincoln, Nebraska today getting ready for a huge open house. They’re expecting 5000 people to come to the dealership this weekend. (See Option Play Sidebar)

You went to the Laramie store when you bought that, too.

I did. I was part of that. Actually, Andy was a friend of mine, and we were able to work together to put it together and make that acquisition.

And Michael has already said that you guys are open to growing the family, but it has to be the right fit.

We’re not going to desperation buy. We’re taking our time making sure the moves are right for our dealer group and for our customers. We don’t want to lock the market up, we just want to add to it.

Now, let’s shift gears a little bit. Everybody’s on the gas, we’re bringing back the Top 100 program. Your store is a two-time Top 100 winner in its original entity, maybe we can get you guys to bring in all the Elway stores to enter this year’s competition.

I guarantee it! I was very excited to hear that it was coming back. I know when I was running the parts department that was a big deal. You get that recognition and it built my staff up like you wouldn’t believe… It built me up! It was great to get that kind of recognition as a Top 100 dealer. So we’re going to try to make it some type of a contest within our group to see how many dealerships we can get in there.

Awesome. You were also actively involved in presenting the dealers’ point of view on stage at AIMExpo.

I did that and it was fun. Jared Burt was the moderator and I had a great time with that. Hopefully it didn’t hurt anybody’s feelings, but I was up on stage just promoting the fact: Elway Powersports wants you!”

Hey, Truth hurts. Actually the context of Greg’s message was far reaching and well beyond self-serving. The entire Delivering Exceptional Experiences // MIC Dealer Panel — Do You Have The Right Team to Face What’s Coming in 2023? Panel moderator Jared Burt of Herohub led a dealerinsight-rich discussion with Day Owen of Yamaha/Can-Am of Las Vegas, Greg Ditus of Interstate Honda and Ian Riley of Fredericktown Yamaha. It can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRQhmPAXFOU

You give me the platform, I am going to use it! But since you asked, I have learned a lot through the years, a lot of it came down to that Truman quote I learned in high school. It really is amazing what you can accomplish, when you don’t care who gets the credit. I’ve watched a lot of people over the years stop doing what they’re doing, waiting for the opportunity for somebody to see them do it. A good management team is critical for success. Making sure you’re taking the time to listen to your employees, building him up and uplifting people in this industry is key. We are a passion-based industry. We never got into this for money. We all hoped at some point we could make a living. But passion is what feeds this industry. Having great people in your dealership that share this passion is a recipe for success.

At Interstate Honda we offer a lot of different things for our customers… free pickup and delivery, we go long distances to accommodate customers. First come, first serve Saturday service is another one. Saturdays in our service department are all about drop ins, it’s just that one day a week. You know when you’re three or four weeks booked out in the summertime and people can’t get in, it’s frustrating. Saturdays, people just line up, they’ll be there at six o’clock in the morning. And we’ll get there and open up around eight o’clock. By then we will have 15 people lined out our door. Those are the kinds of things that you can offer your customers. And you’ll find that that really helps build your business as it becomes a word of mouth deal. We’re very much customer-first.

That first come first serve Saturday. Is something you learned as a wrench spinner… you are a certified tech. You’ve been through all that training and you know that portion of the business.

I do and I’ve run the desk back there. I’ve listened to people complain how you’re three weeks out, I can’t wait that long. Well, miraculously, your bike didn’t fix itself over the wintertime. And now you got to ride this weekend? We’re all going. We get it and we try to accommodate the best we can.

Well, I think that you’ve hit on a pretty good formula there. I just need to set up a little mobile coffee kiosk outside your store at 6 a.m. on Saturday.

You got it. We always have donuts!

BIO BOX

In his 34 years in the powersports Industry, Greg Ditus has run every department at Interstate Honda AND he has loved every minute of it. Who can blame him, Interstate definitely has the best customers on the planet! Combining his passion for powersports and customer service, he enjoys hearing our customers’ stories about the adventures they have experienced on the machines they’ve purchased here.

CERTS: Factory Trained Aquatrax Mechanic, AHM P.A.R.T.S Map, AHM SST, Gart Sutton Business Management, Spader Operations Training, PSM Marketing Boot Camp, 30+ Years Customer Service trained by our customers!

Any advice for somebody just starting out? Make some money, have more fun!

https://issuu.com/dealernews/docs/issue_12_ december/94

BIKES: Honda VRF750F, NC700X Adventure, CRF450X Street Tracker, 1000 Pioneer-5 LE

OPTION PLAY AT ELWAY POWERSPORTS

When we talked to Greg Ditus about this month’s dealer profile, he was literally driving to his second job, that of Director of Inventory & Logistics for Elway Powersports. He was traveling to Nebraska to attend the grand opening of Indian Motorcycle of Lincoln, the latest member of the Elway team of dealerships.

You’re in Nebraska of all places? “I’m in Lincoln, Nebraska, today getting ready for a huge open house,” says Ditus, wearing his Elway Powersports hat instead of his usual Interstate Honda wing. “The big Indian truck just showed up with loads of product. They’re expecting 5,000 people to come to the dealership this weekend. We’re excited. It’s going to be a fun time.”

The dealership in Lincoln was recently sold by founding NPDA Board Member Robert Kay to the Elway Group last year. It seems like he left his Top 100 winning store in good hands.

“Here we grow again! We’re excited to welcome Indian Motorcycle of Lincoln to our growing Elway Powersports division,” adds Michael Maledon, partner in the Elway Dealership Group. “We now offer 16 motorcycle, powersports and watercraft brands. Welcome to the Elway family, Indian Motorcycle of Lincoln!”

We learned about the Elway Team’s game planning back in the December issue, when Maledon noted they were actively looking for the right opportunities. “In my 30+ years in the industry, I can honestly say I currently work for the best group ever,” added Ditus, who still has his day job as GM of Interstate

Honda. “We have grown to 5 dealerships in a year and a half with more than 200 employees... and there is more to come.” See more of our conversation with Michael Maledon and Greg Ditus here:

www.dealernews.com/Dealernews-Archive/ December-2022

“Winning depends on teamwork – the combined efforts of each individual.” — John Elway

DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES // MIC DEALER PANEL

Do You Have The Right Team To Face What’s Coming In 2023?

In a nod to the importance of Dealers in the powersports ecosystem, the Motorcycle Industry Council has revamped and re-energized its Dealer Education program as a pillar of our annual trade show, AIMExpo. “The AIMExpo Disruptive Thinking education platform is designed to help dealers approach their business from different perspectives, bringing together current industry need-to-know content with broad, high-level topics that impact all aspects of business and life,” says MIC VP Cinnamon Kernes. “The integration of the MIC Symposium into AIMExpo creates an education platform that will feature keynotes, panels packed with industry powerhouses, and in-depth classroom sessions covering vital topics facing powersports today and opportunities that lay ahead.”

Moderated by former dealer Jared Burt, now with Herohub, one of the sessions that really caught our attention was the Dealer Panel headlined” “Do You Have The Right Team To Face What’s Coming In 2023?” This dealer-insight-rich discussion with Day Owen of Yamaha/Can-Am of Las Vegas, current cover Greg Ditus of Interstate Honda and former Dealer Profile star, our friend Ian Riley of Fredericktown Yamaha.

I know there’s a lot of people here that have owned their dealerships for a lot of years and they are particularly interested in what you have to say about the transition from being a solo Honda Powerhouse store to part of the John Elway Powersports Group team. You have been at Interstate Honda for a long time and you have worked in a lot of different roles. Now you have transitioned over to the John Elway Group. Tell us about your story, Greg.

Well, I originally started working for this dealership in 1991 and actually entered into the motorsports market in ‘88. I worked through four ownership changes and 25 years of it I spent as a Parts & Service Director, learning the whole back end. After 25 years, I spent a few years in the sales department and Assistant General Manager. When Michael Maledon from the John Elway Dealership Group bought our dealership, he made me an offer to become General Manager. I’ll be honest, I knew about this latest ownership change for six months and it had been

weighing on my heart: ‘Car guys coming into the powersports side’ is a story we have all heard before… and it doesn’t always end well. A good friend of mine, Adam Bebout, National Sales Manager for Fox said, “You might want to think about this… I deal with Karl Malone guys over in Utah. And they love it.” Adam said I might just want to sit back and see what happens. And I’m very glad that I did! It has been the best operation that I’ve ever worked for. They care about all of our employees, they walk alongside us, they want us to be entrepreneurs, they want to learn. They want to interact and share some of their success, as well — and we share it all together.

Alright, it sounds like you’re saying it’s a good thing. There’s got to be challenges with it. So I want to go to that. Go back to being a Mentee, I want to hear what you think about this. I’ve talked to some dealers that are skeptical about the large dealership groups. Are you worried about the big dealership groups? Weigh in on what you think about the large expanding dealership groups that seem to be growing in our industry? Interstate Honda was known for having a great reputation. Great people were at the core of that, and the way that you took care of customers. How has that changed? Are there challenges with that?

No, it hasn’t changed a bit. The group is very protective of the name. We represent John Elway, and we’re a very transparent dealer. Everything is MSRP price and there’s no games we play. Working through a few of our past owners, you know capital definitely helps keep everything healthy and these guys are prepared to go the distance. That being said, being part of the team affords us a lot of opportunity to do things that we couldn’t do before.

Everything you’ve said is very positive. Has there been any challenge with the transition?

Customers were skeptical for the first few months. We did field a few callsNS dealt with reviews that said things like, “I’m never going to deal with a car dealer again.” After a few months, that all went away. The customers saw things were just like they were before. Nobody lost privileges, there was no discounting. The way we treated our customers did not change… It’s like Elway has always been there now.

Well, it seems like you’ve handled the transition as smoothly as possible. The customers come in and they not only have the great people on staff that were with Interstate Honda before the acquisition, now that you’re associated with the Elway brand, It’s adding to the experience.

Yes, it definitely added to the experience. We’re going out and securing a lot more ways to get our customers in. We’re doing a lot more events as Interstate Honda but we’re also growing our platform. We were hoping to get two to three more dealers per year to join the team.

So I heard that Karl Malone just acquired his 16th dealership. And, since he was number 34, I believe for the Dream Team and the Utah Jazz, he wants 34 dealerships. I can’t remember what number John Elway was, but is that how many dealerships he’s going to have?

He was #7, but I believe we’re going at two to three a year with 14-16 dealers is what the ideal group size will be.

Dealernews Research

By Dr. Paul Leinberger

GENERATION Z:

Transforming Your Future!

This changes everything! In my last column, I talked about the “Great Transition” taking place in America: Baby Boomers are leaving centerstage and being replaced by Millennials and Generation Z. This generational shift began in earnest in 2022 and it will accelerate in the years to come until 2030 when the last of the 78.3 million Boomers will retire.

(https://issuu.com/dealernews/docs/issue_1_ january_1b591c2cea2db8/92)

Five years ago, in one of my first columns, I talked about the coming importance of Generation Z — but that was before COVID. The pandemic changed all of us, but it changed Gen Z in particular. Like every generation, Gen Z’s values, attitudes and behaviors are largely a function of the times they experienced growing up. Gen Z came of age during a time of lockdowns, fears of an economic collapse and in the shadow of a potential climate catastrophe — a stern and sobering reality for the 68.6 million members of Gen Z, the third largest generation in American history (after the Millennials and the Baby Boomers).

Gen Z now accounts for 20.67% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census data, 2023). They are known as “digital natives” because they were the first generation to grow up with the Internet as a part of their daily lives. Gen Z has no recollection of 9-11 and no memories of a world before the Internet. Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Zers span a wide range: many of the oldest are married with jobs and mortgages while the youngest are still in their preteen years.

It is important to understand Gen Zers — their values, attitudes, and behavior — because they represent the future of the powersports industry. The more we understand them and cater to their needs and wants, the more our industry will prosper and thrive.

Gen Zers are different from other generations. They are more pragmatic and self-reliant. Given the traumas of their formative years, they expect economic struggles in their future, yet they also believe they can achieve their personal career goals.

They also take a more intentional approach to life. 72% of Gen Zers agree with the statement: “Coronavirus has made me re-evaluate what’s important to me” (YPulse Research, 2023). Quite introspective for such a youthful age group. The effect has been to make them more individualistic and more focused on their own lives. They have learned to advocate for themselves and do the things that make them happy.

Have you heard the term “main character energy”? It is the term Gen Z uses to describe their approach to life: “I need to be the protagonist of my own life.” No one else is going to look out for you so you would be wise to look out for yourself. And the term is popular on social media with #maincharacter having more than 7 billion views on TikTok alone, and #maincharacterenergy has over 170 million tagged videos (YPulse research, 2023).

Here are some of the ways “main character energy” is expressed (according to McKinsey & Company, the management consulting firm):

You do you. For Gen Z, individual expression is the key to success in life.

Never too early. Gen Z, far more than previous generations, understands the importance of financial security. According to McKinsey, Gen Zers start saving for retirement at age 19. Age 19!

No more five-year plan. McKinsey found that 45 percent of Gen Zers are “concerned about the stability of their jobs or their current job’s ability to provide a good quality of life.”

Worried about the threat of climate change. Gen Zers believe climate change is real and they are acting accordingly. Two-thirds plan to buy climate-proof skin care products to protect against extreme weather and sun and they are willing to pay more for carbon-neutral flights when they travel.

How do these values and attitudes show up in their purchasing behavior?

Mobile Optimization. Since they are digital natives, it comes as no surprise that 74% choose mobile first for shopping (compared to 56 percent of the total public).

Social Media for new product discovery. When Gen Zers are looking for new products or services, they go first to social media — 57% compared to 36% of the total public.

Influencer marketing. Historically, word-of-mouth marketing has been the most important factor in purchase decision-making. However, for the first time in history, Gen Z has changed that. Instead of trusting wordof-mouth marketing, Gen Zers trust influencer marketing.

What is influencer marketing? Influencer marketing “is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from influencers… consumers who promote products to their followers on social media” (Harvard Business Review, 2020). In fact, 55% of Gen Zers say recommendations from influencers are one of the most important factors in their purchase decisions. In dramatic contrast, zero percent (0%) of Baby Boomers consider influencer recommendations one of the most important factors in their purchase decision (Hubspot + Brandwatch, 2022).

Your Key Takeaways:

1) Recognize that the Internet has changed retail forever and it has shaped the tastes and buying behavior of Gen Z. Members of this generation care about ease of use: mobile pay, app-based services, and simple online transactions. How many of these do you offer?

2) Gen Zers like bricks-and-mortar stores (good news for you) but they also want a great online shopping experience. You must have both.

3) When you introduce new products and services, do an online-first launch. Gen Z consumers will reward you for it.

4) This is a generation committed to its values and they expect the same from the retailers they do business with. They will choose retailers who have a strong story and purpose. Make sure you have a good story to tell and live by your values.

BOTTOM LINE:

Generation Z is your future, and they look forward to doing business with you. Give them reasons to do so!

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 Don Musick

AVATAR

In the last series of articles we explored how augmented reality (AR) functionality could be incorporated into helmet design and how powersports OEMs currently use it in product marketing. We also asked the question of how dealers might leverage AR technologies to enhance their customers’ in-store experience. We also set a budget ceiling of shoestring, so how about free!

There’s a whole landscape of AR authoring products out there (e.g. Apple ARKit, Google ARCore, Vuforia), but for this article we’ll focus on the MyWebAR platform from DevAR. So far we’ve seen that AR content can be triggered by target images, QR codes and real world or surface tracking. We’ve

also seen that some early adopting OEMs developed specific applications that were necessary to download in order to experience their AR content (e.g. 19 Crimes, Jack Daniels). While the novelty value is still there, it’s a cumbersome extra step for what should be a seamless process. So enter web-based AR services; no muss, no fuss! To set the stage, click on the images below to see examples of each tracking method.

The MyWebAR platform has a broad range of capabilities and supports all of the tracking methods above and more. There are 4 plans available which share most of the same features, and for our purposes, we’ll go with the free “Creator” plan (shoestring remember).

If you’re really ambitious, you can also sign up for a free 14-day trial of either the Pro or Ultimate plan. The nice thing about the “Creator” plan though is that it doesn’t expire!

After clicking the “Get Started” button and filling out the account info form (again… free, no credit card required), you’ll be taken to the MyWebAR dashboard. Next, click “Create New Project” to choose an AR experience type and assign a project name. For this article we’ve selected the “AR in the Real World” project type. Note that an illustration of how each project type will appear is shown as a sidebar animation.

After creating your new project, you’re presented with a suite of tools specific to the type of project you’ve chosen and a blank workspace for placing your content (see below). The toolbar lets you place images, video, 3D models, audio, text and shapes using the navigation widget placing shown placing an image below. A “Preview” button will let you see how the image will appear in AR mode and the Publish button next to it saves the project to the DevAR cloud. Great, so far we’ve managed to get an image into the workspace, but after all, this article is titled “Avatar”. So where’s the beef? Hiding behind the “Extensions” icon in the yellow highlight to the left of the toolbar above!

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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JANUARY AWP IN REVIEW

Pricing Stabilizes

After closing the books on 2022, uncertainty continues to permeate throughout the dealer network. While the expectations of Spring typically bring slight increases in Average Wholesale Prices (AWPs) in January, the back half of 2022 was anything but typical. With July through December AWPs correcting downward up to 20% or more, January pricing showed some welcome stabilization. Compared to the prior 90 days, AWPs for most categories were relatively unchanged.

Metric Cruisers rose more than most, while ATV and Side-by-Side AWPs continued to decline. Smaller volume categories like PWC, Marine, and RV reflected positive gains directly attributed to a better product mix. On a year-over-year basis, all categories decline moderately to significantly as post-pandemic pricing continues its retreat to normal levels. The minor exception was Metric Cruisers, which remain in demand versus supply as OEMs resolve their supply chain challenges.

Slow Start

January auction volume continued to come in lower than in prior years, a stark contrast to growing dealer inventory levels. Between concerns over supply chain issues and the rapid drop in wholesale values, many dealers continued to stock and hold inventory through the back half of 2022. With the market transitioning back to normal, smart dealers will take advantage of the Spring market to clean out their closets. Any excess inventory held past May is at risk of another round of significant devaluation, especially as the economy slows. Auction product mix shifted slightly, with an increase in the ratio of Sport bikes and declines in the mix of Domestic and Metric Cruisers.

Looking Forward

Spring brings new product, tax return money, and improving weather conditions across the country. We anticipate further price stabilization and slight upticks across the category spectrum in February and March. We also expect pricing to be more muted this Spring than in typical years and then a significant decline in values again this Summer and Fall. Inventory management over the next 120 days could be makeor-break for many stores. Now is the time to act if you’re already sitting on excess inventory. While retail sales and profit margins are always the priority, dealers will need to be aggressive this year in both their retail and wholesale auction strategies to avoid being buried in the wrong inventory at the wrong price when a midyear recession arrives.

*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.

JANUARY ‘23 VS. AVG OF PRIOR 3 MONTHS AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE CHANGE

JANUARY ‘23 VS. JANUARY ‘22 AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE CHANGE

REAL-TIME BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

ZiiDMS has been a game changer because we’re not waiting several days to a week to see where we stand as a business. We are live, real-time, and know what’s happening in our dealership so we can better manage operations, plan, and execute.

Teena Heller, Owner - Midland Powersports

Midland Powersports

Midland, Texas

Dealernews Research

By Lenny Sims

BY THE BOOK

Powersports

Market Industry Overview

Market insights for Q1 2023 indicate the sky is not falling… yet. Powersports segments remain strong by historical standards. Yes they are off the peak set in late-2021, but all segments seem to be depreciating either mildly or not at all.

In the motorcycle segment, values for the most recent 10 model years of cruisers averaged 4.6% lower in the first four months of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022. This was 1.9% lower than late 2022, but 2023 values were nearly $1000 more per unit in January and February and $796 over March/April 2021.

Sportbikes averaged 3.2% lower in the current period than year-prior, and 1.3% lower than late 2022. But like cruisers, those values were still over 2021. Jan/Feb showed a $1090 difference over 2021. Mar/Apr saw the gap close considerably to just $592.

In the side-by-side segment, values for the most recent 10 model years of utilities averaged 5.5% lower in the first four months of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022, and 4.2% lower than late 2022. Still compared to 2021 the market is stronger: there was a $1087 difference per unit in Jan/Feb and a $758 improvement in Mar/Apr.

Sport side-by-sides averaged 1.7% lower in the current period than year-prior, and 2.4% lower than late 2022. However, this segment is still very close to peak pricing... and substantially higher than 2021. This is a $3021 improvement from Jan/Feb and $2653 difference in Mar/ Apr.

BOTTOM LINE:

Demand remains strong across-the-board, as customers remain confident enough to pay cash for a newer motorcycle or side-by-side or take out a loan despite higher interest rates.

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.

INDIAN DEALERS RANKED HIGHEST IN WEBSITE RESPONSE

Powersports Industry Has Improved, But There Is A Growing Gap

Indian Motorcycle dealerships ranked highest in the 2023 Pied Piper PSI Internet Lead Effectiveness (ILE) Motorcycle/ UTV Industry Study. Designed to measure responsiveness to Internet leads coming through dealership websites, Pied Piper has conducted these studies since 2011. Following Indian were Harley-Davidson, Polaris RZR dealers, BRP’s Can-Am dealers, Kawasaki and Yamaha.

“Powersports dealers were quicker to respond to their website customers this year than ever before,” said Fran O’Hagan, CEO of Pied Piper. “On the other hand, there has become a large difference in how dealers for the topranked brands treat their website customers compared to dealers for brands ranked at the bottom.” Overall the powersports industry has substantially improved dealer treatment of website customers. As an example, five years ago a powersports website customer’s inquiry would be answered only 31% of the time on average, compared to 52% of the time in 2023.

Pied Piper submitted customer inquiries through the individual websites of 6,247 dealerships. Each inquiry asked a specific question about a vehicle in inventory, and provided a customer name, email address and local telephone number. Pied Piper then evaluated how the dealerships responded by email, telephone and text message over the next 24 hours.

Brands with the greatest improvement since last years study were Kubota, Arctic Cat, Kawasaki and Yamaha. In fact, only four brands failed to improve from 2022 to 2023: BMW, Harley-Davidson, Triumph and Moto Guzzi. Industry average ILE performance increased five points to a score of 48, an all-time high during the eight years Pied Piper has measured and reported industry dealer web-response performance. As an example of the improved performance, 17 of the 25 brands measured achieved ILE scores over 40 this year, compared to as recently as 2019, when only 3 brands scored over 40.

METHODOLOGY

Twenty different measurements generate dealership ILE scores, on a scale of 100. In a traditional bell curve of performance, 27% of all dealerships nationwide scored above 70 (providing a quick and thorough personal response), while 35% of dealerships scored below 30 (failing to personally respond to their website customers). By comparison, for the top scoring Indian Motorcycle brand, 46% of their dealers scored above 70, while only 18% scored below 30.

On average industry wide, dealerships this year were more likely to schedule an appointment, more likely to send a text message, more likely to phone quickly and more likely to provide compelling reasons for the customer to buy from this specific dealership. Despite the substantial increase in the use of texting, from 27% of the time last year to 37% of the time this year, customers were still likely to receive an answer to their question by email (41% of the time), or to receive a phone call (46% of the time.)

“The top performing dealerships reach out to a customer using multiple paths, then when the customer responds, they follow-up using the same path used by the customer,” O’Hagan said.

Response to customer web inquiries varied by brand and dealership:

How often did the brand’s dealerships email or text an answer to a website customer’s question within 30 minutes?

• More than 35% of the time on average: Harley-Davidson

• Less than 15% of the time on average: Tracker, Kymco, Moto Guzzi

How often did the brand’s dealerships use a text message to answer a website customer’s inquiry?

• More than 35% of the time on average: HarleyDavidson, Indian

• Less than 5% of the time on average: Tracker, Cub Cadet, John Deere, Kubota

How often did the brand’s dealerships respond by phone to a website customer’s inquiry?

• More than 45% of the time on average: HarleyDavidson, Indian, Polaris, Kawasaki, Yamaha

ILE Score

Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®)

Source: 2019-2023 Pied Piper PSI® Internet Lead Effectiveness® Studies (USA) - Scale 0 to 100 www.piedpiperpsi.com Continued on page

Continued from page 37

Less than 20% of the time on average: Cub Cadet, HiSun, John Deere, Kymco

How often did the brand’s dealerships “Do Both Fast?” Dealer answered the customer’s question by email/text and also phoned the customer, all within 60 minutes.

• More than 20% of the time on average: HarleyDavidson, Indian, Polaris

• Less than 5% of the time on average: Moto Guzzi, Cub Cadet, Kymco, Tracker, John Deere, Kubota, HiSun

The 2023 Pied Piper PSI-ILE Study (U.S.A. Motorcycle & UTV) was conducted between September 2022 and March 2023 by submitting website inquiries directly to a sample of 6,247 dealerships nationwide representing all major brands.

About Pied Piper

Founded in 2003, Pied Piper Management Company, LLC is a Monterey, California, company that helps brands improve the omnichannel sales & service performance of their retailers, by establishing fact-based best practices, then measuring and reporting performance. Examples of other recent Pied Piper PSI studies are the 2023 Pied Piper PSI ILE Auto Industry Study (General Motors’ Cadillac brand was ranked first) and the 2023 Pied Piper PSI ILE Compact Tractor Industry Study (John Deere was ranked first). Complete Pied Piper PSI industry study results are provided to vehicle manufacturers and national dealer groups. Manufacturers, national dealer groups and individual dealerships also order PSI evaluations – in-person, Internet or telephone – as tools to measure and improve the omnichannel sales and service effectiveness of their dealerships. For more information about the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, and the fact-based PSI process, go to: www.piedpiperpsi.com

Fran O’Hagan, Pied Piper CEO presenting the 2023 Powersports ILE Trophy to Jennifer Butters, Director, Motorcycle Sales and Channel Improvement andKarl Erbach, Manager, Channel Development

HOW DID THE CAR DEALERS DO?

Interested in Autos too? Pied Piper conducted an industry study which measured how effectively premium auto brands and dealers helped both website and in-person car shoppers. Cadillac was ranked first of 25 brands, followed by Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz. For the first time, EV-only brands Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and Polestar were measured too; also exotics like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce.

“Dealers for three powersports brands now perform as well as auto dealers for response to website Customers,” notes Chris Nation, Senior Program Manager for Pied Piper. “Five years ago few powersports dealers responded effectively when customers reached out to a dealer through the dealer website. In 2023 powersports dealers for many brands still have a lot of room for improvement, but dealers selling Polaris Inc’s Indian Motorcycles, dealers selling Harley-Davidson and dealers selling Polaris UTVs now handle their Internet leads as effectively as the typical auto dealer.”

Go here to see the complete rankings by brand and for more information: lnkd.in/gQGDTWn

e

CURRENTS+

FORZA DUCATI! eRacer Charges Into 2023

Testing for the Ducati era of the MotoE World Championship has already begun and the series officially gets underway on May 13 with the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. The calendar then includes Mugello (June 10), Sachsenring (June 17) and Assen (June 24). After the summer break, the Ducati MotoE bikes will be back on track at Silverstone on August 5, before tackling the three final Grands Prix at the Red Bull Ring (August 19), Catalunya (September 2) and Misano (September 9).

Ducati replaces Energica as the sole supplier with their “V21L” for the fifth season of “zero emissions series” which has been expanded to include world championship status in 2023. “The decision to participate in the MotoE World Championship as the sole supplier of the bikes is a cornerstone of the Ducati strategy,” explains Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali.

“In fact, electrification, together with the introduction of carbon neutral fuels for internal combustion engines, will be necessary to reduce Ducati’s carbon footprint and allow us to achieve our long-term sustainability goals. However, every true Ducati is above all emotion, so it is very important to manage this transition very closely, taking care to maintain the sporty character and fun-to-ride characteristics of every Borgo Panigale bike.”

Supporting the inaugural World Championship is a key to this emotion-driven response. “With the V21L we wanted to challenge the limits by creating the best performing electric motorcycle ever made for the track,” adds Domenicali. “Above all, we wanted to develop the Company’s internal expertise to be ready when battery technology, in particular weight, will make it possible to create an electric street motorcycle with all the characteristics that distinguish a Ducati.”

NEW FORMAT FOR eCHAMPIONSHIP

With Ducati taking over as the single marque supplier for the MotoE World Championship, a new format for qualifying is being introduced. The new format will see two free practice sessions on Friday morning, followed by two qualifying sessions in the afternoon. The two races will be held on Saturday, the first at the end of MotoGP qualifying and the second after the Sprint Race, another feature introduced for the 2023 season.

“Having 18 riders with different needs and riding styles on the track at the same time represents a great opportunity for Ducati to study what could become the character of a future electric Ducati,” claims CEO Claudio Domenicali. “The first tests in Jerez went very well. Despite unfavorable weather, the feedback on the bike from the riders and teams was very good, with the new unofficial circuit record. Ducati has never built such a large number of prototypes and this too represents a challenge within a challenge for us.”

The 18 riders, supported by 9 teams, will be racing on the “V21L” prototype, designed and built by Ducati with a development process lasting just over a year and with the contribution of test riders Michele Pirro, Chaz Davies and Alex De Angelis, who at Vallelunga did some demonstration laps on the Ducati electric motorbike. For the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, this project came about to develop expertise for its future, maintaining the approach that has always fuelled Ducati’s DNA: experimenting with technological solutions in the world of racing and working so that everything developed in this area can then end up on the bikes destined for enthusiasts from all over the world.

“V21L” is the MotoGP of electric motorcycles, it combines the electronic technologies and chassis dimensions developed by Ducati Corse with a design process and project management typical of a street motorcycle. It is the union of the best expertise of the two worlds, racing and production, a prototype with which Ducati experiments in a world yet to be discovered, that of electric sportbikes. The Ducati “V21L” has a total weight of 496 lbs (26.5 lbs less than the minimum requirements imposed by Dorna and the FIM for a motorcycle capable of completing race distance). It has maximum power and torque values of 150 hp and 103.3 ft-lbs, respectively… which on a circuit like Mugello allowed it to reach a speed of 170.9 mph.

VOLCON GOES BIG IN BRAZIL

EV expansion for Volcon in Brazil! Brazilian importer, Comfort Industria E Comercio LTDA (“Ventura Experience”, or “Ventura”) has done a deal for a minimum purchase of $12.0 million over a three year period beginning in 2023 — and it could go as high as $17.2 million if the full sales forecast for Brazil is met.  The Importer Agreement was effective March 31, 2023, and includes up to five additional countries with up to $3.4 million of additional minimum purchase requirements (up to $4.8 million if sales forecast is reached). Sales in these additional countries is contingent upon approval from a component supplier to the Stag to sell into these countries.

“We are thrilled to announce our new distribution agreement with Ventura, which will bring Volcon Electric Vehicles to five new countries in South America. Ventura is an impressive company with a proven track record in the industry, and we look forward to working together to bring sustainable and innovative products to customers throughout the region,” said Melissa Coffey, Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development at Volcon.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Volcon and bring their innovative, sustainable electric vehicles to our customers in Latin and South America,” added Cristian Liani, International Sales Manager at Volcon. “With Ventura’s 40 years of powersports distribution expertise and Volcon’s groundbreaking products, we have an opportunity to create a better, cleaner future. We are confident that our joint efforts will result in a successful and sustainable business venture, and we look forward to showcasing the Volcon line of products to our dealers and customers at our upcoming dealer conference in July. With our commercial headquarters in São Paulo and our extensive network of dealerships, we are well-positioned to help Volcon expand their dealership network throughout South and Latin America.”

Ventura plans to launch the Volcon line of products this July at their bi-annual dealer conference where Volcon team members will participate in revealing the product lineup to dealers attending the conference. With Ventura’s current UTV and four-wheel lineup being primarily diesel powered, they’re excited to bring Volcon electric vehicles to their customers and community. Prior to the launch of Volcon products at their dealer conference, the Company plans to have members from Ventura join them in Austin this spring for its dealer demo day. Coffey continued, “A relationship of this kind has the potential to create endless opportunities for both parties, and we’re ecstatic to start working together and exploring what the future holds.”

CORBIN SITTING PRETTY

With eBikes being all the rage, the Wizards in Mike Corbin’s workshop decided to get to the bottom of things. The Corbin Active seat provides a wide, ergonomic shape that supports your body without pressure points. Ever wondered how farmers used to spend hours in those old metal tractor seats? It’s because the shaping supported the driver’s body with better weight distribution. That’s how this design works and it’s been a core value of Corbin’s motorcycle saddles for more than 50 years.

The nearly nose-less design of the Active saddle eliminates potential chafing from pedaling. “We’ve left just enough so you can feel yourself center on the seat when you go from standing to seated,” explains Corbin. This also provides maximum contact on your backside without interfering with leg movement. Corbin says they prefer to have the seat rigid mounted rather than sprung, so two heavy duty rubber bumpers on the mounting assembly instead of the usual springs. Of course Corbin’s time-tested infinite ratio Comfort Cell foam material is also incorporated into the seat design.

“We can personally testify to how well it works in general, all around riding though,” Corbin concludes. “We even have a few mounted up on stationary exercise bikes in home gyms!” Get all the shocking details here: corbin.com/ebike/ebn.shtm

CURRENTS+

With more than half of Volcon’s product line being assembled in the United States, the Company hopes to show its dedication to make best-in-class products, without handing off significant costs to the consumer. “Complex global supply chains, as we know them, existed long before Volcon was established,” continues Davis. “However, instead of subscribing to the trickle down of common transnational commerce practices, we feel we have an opportunity to show what a ‘trickle up’ model could look like by collaborating with businesses in our own backyard for components that are often sourced overseas. While not perfected, we feel with opportunities like this, we get closer to creating a version where maximum profits are not at the expense of American jobs and maintaining a circular flow of dollars in our own communities.”

DOUBLE UP IN ARIZONA TO “TRICKLE UP”

In order to meet the volume of business from Brazil and a rapidly growing dealer network in North America, Volcon and ElectraMeccanica announced that final assembly of Volcon’s electric UTV, the Stag, was being added to the assembly line in Mesa, Arizona. This contract expands the previously announced assembly work ElectraMeccanica will do for the Grunt EVO and Runt LT electric motorcycles. “We continue to make progress in scaling our vertically integrated supply chain in partnership with GLV Mexico, with frames, panels, suspension components, paint and cure lines ramping as we speak,” explains Volcon CEO Jordan Davis. “By adding stateside assembly to our vertically integrated supply chain, we accomplish both our promise to keep manufacturing in North America while focusing on profitability and supply chain resilience.”

“The EV market continues to expand and we’re excited that our Mesa facility is playing an immediate part in that growth,” adds ElectraMeccanica CEO Susan E. Docherty. “We’re also extremely pleased to build on our existing relationship with Volcon and GLV by leveraging our teams’ expertise to bring new types of electric vehicles to eager customers, while we also work to develop our own next generation EV.”

SAVE THE DATE

In announcing a shift of their industry event PeopleforBikes is returning to Bentonville, Arkansas, to discuss all things electric bicycles on October 16-18, 2023 at SHIFT ’23.  Shift is creating the bike industry we want to see. But they need your input as the lines between bicycles and powersports products continue to blur.

Since 1999, PeopleForBikes has created a prominent place for bikes in transportation, mobility and recreation decisions at all levels of government. We ensure bikes are prioritized and positioned as a real solution to improve Americans’ health, connect communities, boost local and state economies, strengthen our nation and protect our planet.

Bottom Line:

PeopleForBikes mission says it all: “To get more people riding bikes more often. To make bike riding better for everyone.” To register and electrify Bentonville, click here: www.peopleforbikes.org/take-action/shift23-save-thedate?eid=128283

VARG UNLEASHED!

Tuesday April 25, 2023 will go down in motorcycle history as the day the very first Stark VARG MX production bikes were crated

up and shipped out. Before the first VARGs were shipped to the USA, the team at Stark Future took a moment to celebrate and mark this momentous occasion:

I would like to say a big thank you to all customers who were inspired by the idea of outperforming existing technology and trusted us with their orders,” stated CEO/Founder Anton Wass. “We have been working extremely hard to bring the VARG into production. Congratulations to the Stark team on this incredible milestone: Developing a high-performance electric vehicle from the ground up is no joke. And setting up mass production is not an easier task. But we did it!”

He noted manufacturing the best electric motorcycle on the market and changing the off-road motorcycle industry as we know it has been a main focus for the past 2.5 years. Perhaps launching the company in 2020 wasn’t the best timing? However, against all odds, Stark Future continued to pursue its dream, and the goal is now to increase production to meet demands as the interest in the VARG continues to grow, claimed Wass. Stark Future is now expanding its distribution network to enable faster availability and support for customers around the globe.

“This will be a turning point for the motorcycle industry and we hope that customers around the world are as excited to receive their bikes as we are to build and deliver them,” concluded Wass from the factory near Barcelona. “We are now working hard to scale production, in order for everyone to receive their VARG as soon as possible. It is now time to ride!”

One door closes another opens? In a shocking turn of E-vents, long time editor of  Road Bike Action and editorial director of Hi-Torque’s  Electric Bike Action  magazine since its launch,  Zapata Espinoza  was let go and the plug pulled on the eBike magazine. Enter  Zap Bike Media, his own platform. Zap’s recipe for success can be boiled down to two things: passion and authenticity. From the first Schwinn Stingray he received at 7 yearsold, to entering his first motorcycle race as a long-haired 12-year-old, the thrill and freedom felt with handlebars in hand has been his guiding light in life. Following short stints as a  pro class BMX  and motocross racer, in 1986 his dedication to all things bike related became a professional endeavor when he was hired as an editor at  Mountain Bike Action and  Motocross Action Magazines. After overseeing Mountain Bike Action’s rise to number 1 status, in 1993 he was hired by  Rodale Press where he eventually repeated his previous success with a second title. Along the way he became the first journalist inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. For almost four decades Zap has traveled the globe with a pen, notepad and camera as his trusty sidekicks. Building on his storied career as a journalist and editor of numerous magazines across multiple industries, Zap further honed his branding and messaging expertise during his four years leading branding and team management  for Trek Bicycles. Need a two-wheeled story told, a brand built or a race team managed? Click here: zapbikemedia.com/about

According to ETAuto, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters has a new CEO, effective May 1. Former CFO and Head-Strategy and M&A  Niranjan Gupta replaces  Pawan Muncajal as Chief Executive Officer for  Hero MotoCorp. Munjal will continue to serve as an Executive Chairman and a full-time member on the Board of Directors. “Niranjan is a leader with sharp business acumen and a proven track record in delivering strong business results in a highly competitive environment,” notes exiting CEO Munjal. “He has been instrumental in defining the organization’s growth story with his rich and diverse experiences across finance, strategy and operational effectiveness in both developed and developing markets.” In the past six years Gupta has played a significant role in forging key partnerships with global brands including  HarleyDavidson  and most recently,  Zero Motorcycles . “Our Vision, Mission and Values will continue to be the guiding light towards building the next growth story as we further consolidate our market leadership while delighting our customers and creating shareholder value,” claims the new Hero MotoCorp CEO.

“I feel privileged to be leading this company of passionate business leaders committed to realizing our vision —  “Be The Future Of Mobility.”

Just before  AIMExpo,  Ryvid, a California-based company specializing in EV mobility, announced  Jonathan Spira will join the growing executive team as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Spira brings extensive CFO experience with rapidly growing startups and has also held senior finance and strategic planning positions at  Walt Disney Co., PepsiCo Inc.  and Nestlé Food Company. He joins Ryvid at an exciting time when the company is expanding and establishing its headquarters in the community of  Hawaiian Gardens as well as a manufacturing facility in San Bernardino in preparation for bringing the company’s first zero emissions motorcycle, the  Ryvid Anthem, to market later this year. “Today marks a new chapter in Ryvid’s journey as we welcome Jonathan… he is a visionary leader who embodies the spirit of creativity and innovation, possessing a passion for constructing both tangible and intangible creations,” said  Dong Tran, Founder and CEO of Ryvid. “His expertise and drive will play a pivotal role in propelling Ryvid to the forefront of serial production and international expansion. We look forward to working with him to bring Ryvid’s vision to life.” Set to ship nation-wide later this year,  Ryvid’s Anthem Launch Edition is priced at $7,800 and will have a limited lifetime warranty on the frame, two-year warranty on the power pack, and one-year standard motorcycle warranty. Deliveries are slated to begin Summer of 2023. Learn more here:

www.ryvid.com

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If you are considering a potential sale of your Harley-Davidson or Powersports dealership and are wondering:

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How to negotiate from a position of strength throughout the exit planning process?

How to best prepare your dealership for a successful sale? Join us for this informative webinar The Art & Science of Preparing Your Dealership for Sale.

For a confidential consultation and complimentary opinion of value on your business, please contact us:

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Office: 813. 569. 6250 | Cell: 813. 245. 2535

GEORGE C. CHACONAS Performance Brokerage

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PAULINA MATEL Morgan Stanley

DEALER NEWS

NPDA SURPASSES 300+ MEMBERS Board To Expand

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: David Pearson On Dakar

News from YOUR National Powersports Dealer Association

Welcome to the April 2023 newsletter from the NPDA! There is strength in numbers, and WE APPRECIATE the 300 Dealers who have joined us in our Mission: “To advance our industry by elevating Dealers to be well prepared, sustainably profitable and exceed the expectations of a growing Powersports customer base.”

FREE Membership From Tucker Powersports

Our Partner Tucker Powersports has a generous offer – Dealers doing a certain amount of business with the Company get FREE membership in the NPDA!

Are you a Tucker customer? How much business are you doing with them? Contact your Tucker rep and see if your Dealership qualifies for a free or reduced fee NPDA membership! Existing NPDA members can use this perk to renew membership when their current term expires!

Need to do more business with Tucker to qualify? Please consider doing so – the Company is taking a big chance on the NPDA and deserves support!

Same goes if you already qualify - consider doing more business with Tucker - this leap of faith by Tucker will help us grow the NPDA into a greater force in the Powersports industry.

BIG NEWS! 300 Members & Growing!

We repeat - the NPDA now has more than 300 members!

“This association, created by and for Dealers, is establishing itself as a force in the Powersports industry and is focused on helping Dealers run their businesses more successfully and serve their customers better,” said NPDA Organizational Director Darris Blackford. “Together with our 20 Partners, including Tucker Powersports which is providing free or reduced cost memberships to its Dealer customers doing a certain amount of business with them, we are able to offer educational programming, industry expertise and even opportunities for special deals and incentives to our members. With the help of the NPDA, Dealers have an ally for moving their businesses forward.”

We’ve asked the question before, but it is also worth repeating: Dealers, what are you waiting for? Join YOUR Powersports Association, the National Powersports Dealer Association, today!

At some point in their careers, many Dealers decide to sell their businesses. And selling a dealership is a complicated and intricate transaction involving both art and science.

There are specific financial and operational metrics to consider in determining and maximizing the value, plus more subjective factors that must be taken into account like deal structure, key negotiated terms, and the impact on the after-tax walkaway proceeds.

Most importantly, the sale is only a success if the Dealer is ultimately satisfied with the outcome.

Exploring the idea of selling your Powersports dealership?

• Unsure what key factors impact your dealership’s valuation and how to maximize the after-tax walkaway proceeds?

• Curious how to negotiate from a position of strength throughout the exit planning process?

• Wondering how to best prepare your dealership for a successful sale?

All this and more will be covered in an informative webinar, “The Art & Science of Preparing Your Dealership for Sale,” on Wednesday May 17, at 1 p.m. ET, Noon CT, 10 a.m. PT.

The event will feature a panel of industry experts, George Chaconas and Courtney Bernhard, Performance Brokerage Services - Powersports Division, and Brad Stanek and Paulina Matel, Morgan Stanley - Financial Advisors and Certified Financial Planners. They will share their insights and practical tips on how to prepare your dealership for sale, maximize its value, and streamline the selling process.

The Wednesday, May 17 event is FREE, but you must register!

“The Art & Science of Preparing Your Dealership for Sale” May 17 Webinar REGISTER

HERE!

Wanted: Dealers To Join the NPDA Board

The NPDA Board of Directors set an ambitious goal for itself at the beginning of 2023 to grow the Board from 10 to 15!

Two new members have been added, which leaves three spots to fill. And since members may cycle out due to life changes, Board elections, etc., we need to keep the list of available candidates topped off!

All Dealers care about their businesses, but are you a Dealer who also cares about the Powersports industry? The NPDA is all about growing this industry, and is embarking on great initiatives to do so, while providing Dealers with insight and information to run their businesses better and more profitably.

Please reach out to NPDA Organizational Director Darris Blackford at info@npda.org with your interest, and we’ll send you an application. Thanks for your consideration!

Just Something To Think About ...

Back in the 1980s, friends riding from LA to Vegas stopped to stretch in the mid-afternoon, triple-digit desert heat and pondered: Would you rather have to spend a day without water or shade in this wasteland surrounding us, or spend the night without shelter or bug spray in the Everglades?

This story came to mind at the AIMExpo Powersports show in Vegas in February when one of our own, David Pearson, an NPDA ambassador and former Dealer, showed a group his route map from this year’s Dakar Rally.

“Map” is a poor description of what he unrolled – it was a scroll full of symbols, arrows, numbers and letters that is hastily studied and reviewed while barreling along at high speeds through unfamiliar, unforgiving terrain.

David’s time in the Dakar is just one example of the big-time adventuring he’s done. He’s also raced the Baja 1000, the Vegas to Reno 500 and the Red Bull Last Man Standing Events. As a youth, he circled the globe with a backpack and a motorcycle and spent time as an international competitive combat shooter.

David and his wife Debby owned and operated Green Mountain Harley-Davidson and Santa Fe Harley-Davidson for almost 15 years. They won multiple Bar and Shield honors as well as several Dealernews Top 100 awards.

Debby is equally as bad-ass as her husband. She’s been an internationally-ranked Tak-won-do champion and done multiple Ironman triathlons – 2 mile swim, 112 bicycle ride and 26.2 mile run. Google “Hoka Hey” and you will find that in 2020 she was the first woman to ever lead and finish in the top 10 of 150 (mostly men) riders competing in this 10,000 mile, American-only motorcycle challenge around the country. She finished in under 11 Days...almost 930 miles per day.

With this all in mind, we posed the following Powersport scenarios to this “Mad Max” couple to see which they would consider most difficult:

(The only ground rule was they need not consider things such as how to get there, how to keep the vehicles fueled, etc., but to just think about the physical stress of the endeavor.)

• Snowmobile 240 miles from Anchorage to Denali National Park: Both Debby and David agree they “would rather” do anything but this! The cold, the fear of breakdown and the desolate nature of this is not something they could see themselves doing. They both think dying of heat stroke would beat freezing to death.

• Ride a personal watercraft 110 miles from Miami to the Bahamas: The couple would rather do this than snowmobiling in Alaska. They have less fear of drowning than they have of freezing to death, but do assume this would really beat up the body ... “do these things have suspension? Where do we sign up?”

• Do an “Ironbutt ‘’ ride of 1,000 in 24 hours or less, anywhere in the US: Debby, of course, would have no problem with this. She’s actually done two Hoka Hey events - during the last one she rode the first two days without sleep and clocked in almost 2,500 miles. First time she did it the ride totaled more than 15,000 miles and she completed it in less than 18 days, averaging over 800 miles a day. She has the “Iron Butt” of the family. David has no desire for this and does not feel his butt is iron enough to attempt an event like this.

• Compete in the Dakar Rally: This is the world’s toughest off-road event. David competed in 2023. This is certainly in David’s “I would rather” category. Debby said holding those speeds for that long is not her game. The physical demands of 4 a.m. starts and 800-kilometer race days were compounded by sleeping in tents, doing your own maintenance and cold, rainy, miserable weather in Saudi Arabia this year. David competed in the unassisted class (Malle Moto) and one of his teammates was the first American-born rider in 45 years to ever complete the event unassisted.

Talking to the Pearsons, it was indeed funny that they choose to measure their vacations by the “sphincter factor” of the thrills they may tackle. Let the games begin!

NPDA PARTNER PROFILE

Octane Powersports Marketing

Octane Marketing is a full service marketing agency that helps dealerships sell and service more vehicles in the Powersports, Marine, Automotive and RV verticals. Through proven multi-channel marketing strategies, Octane drives qualified shoppers to dealership websites, resulting in more leads and sales opportunities.

Octane offers dynamic inventory advertising on Facebook/Instagram in a program they call “PowerFuel” — as well as paid search advertising on Google/Bing, streaming video/audio advertising, intelligent direct mail, content merchandising software — a.k.a. “Nitro.” Included in all their top fuel programs tis access to a world class in-house creative team. Octane’s approach to marketing is data-driven, and its strategies are hand-crafted to ensure optimal performance across channels.

“You won’t find any “silver bullets” coming from Octane Marketing, just tried and true powersports marketing strategies that drive results,” says Octane’s Tim Schmidt. But you may find some interesting “for instances” — take Tim’s recent blog on offbrands for instance:

Do you stock off-brand used units at your franchised dealership? How many? Do off-brand units represent 30% of your inventory? Maybe 40% to 50%? If not, we believe you are missing out on a major opportunity to drive a broader range of local shoppers to your dealership and missing out on incremental profit opportunities in sales, finance and service. At Octane, we have spoken to many dealers, all of them would like to sell more off-brand used units, but they claim it is difficult to get off-brand shoppers to their websites and on their lots. PowerFuel solves that problem.

With a decade of digital marketing experience in the marine, powersports, RV and automotive space, Schmidt knows what he is talking about and he spoke with NPDA Organizational Director Darris Blackford about tOctane advantages:

Why does Octane Marketing partner with the NPDA? Octane Marketing partners with the NPDA because we know how important it is for the dealer body to have a unified voice. Our roots are in the automotive vertical, and we have seen the power of the NADA in advocating for automobile dealerships time and time again. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the NPDA and help drive the powersports industry forward!

How can NPDA members best benefit from our partnership? The tides have shifted coming out of the pandemic, and dealerships are starting to see inventory stack up as supply increases and demand slips. It’s more important than ever to be laser-focused on pragmatic multi-channel marketing strategies that will help you win customers in an increasingly tough market. Octane would love the opportunity to hear more about your unique challenges, and see how we could be part of your solution, driving more leads through targeted marketing strategies.

Bottom line business summary: Octane offers data driven marketing solutions for powersports dealers across the United States and Canada.

Octane Powersports

Headquarters: Boston, MA

Year Founded: 2016

Number of Employees: 36 https://www.octanepowersportsmarketing.com

RIDE WITH US

One-Stop New-Rider Portal Now Online as Moto Intro Series for 2023 Set to Begin

The 2023 MIC Ride With Us Moto Intros are set to kick off at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona, May 19-21. It’s the third consecutive season for Moto Intros, held at a variety of events and venues across the country, that put first-time riders on bikes with the help of Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified coaches.

The latest Moto Intro series will be backed by a brand new website recently launched by the Ride With Us market expansion program. It works as a new-rider portal, presenting all the relevant and helpful information needed along the way to becoming a motorcyclist.

“The online portal provides engaging content about bikes, gear, licensing, events, rental information, inspirational blog content, a motorcycle finder, and a motorcycle dealer locator,” said Cinnamon Kernes, MIC vice president of market expansion and events. “Users can opt in to receive the monthly Ride With Us e-newsletter. To date, the opt-ins have been higher than expected. We know lead-generation and nurturing are key to helping potential riders continue their journey toward becoming lifelong enthusiasts. In the works are plans to nurture our leads via a new customer relations management system. With the new website we also launched a national advertising campaign. We are seeing good signs that the website and content are resonating with the desired end user, and the information we provide is driving the actions we are hoping for from potential new riders.”

Some key results from the first two months of the Ride With Us advertising campaign:

• 1.2 million impressions

• 41,000 clicks to visit the website

• 61,000 page views, the top pages being “find a bike” and “getting started”

• 1,700 searches using the dealer locator

• Nearly 300 people have subscribed to the Ride With Us database

“We will continue to hone the web experience and content to provide new riders what they need to move from the ‘explore’ to the ‘engage’ phases of becoming a motorcyclist,” Kernes said. “Meanwhile, we are looking forward to getting back on the road with the latest Moto Intro series. We’re scheduled again to be at every Overland Expo across the country. That’s proven to be a great partnership for us where we can tap into adventure-seeking audiences and get new riders onto a motorcycle for the first time in a controlled and welcoming environment. It’s free for Overland ticket holders and the 30-minute Moto Intro experience gives our guests that first feeling of being a motorcyclist, igniting the spark that will drive them toward becoming a rider.”

Kernes invites anyone with questions about Ride With Us, or questions about how to get involved with Moto Intros, to contact her by email

Confessions Of A Customer®

By Eric Anderson

CAR GUYS DON’T KNOW SQUAT!

Are Bad Knees And Weak Quads Killing Your Motorcycle Sales?

It takes good knees and strong quads to squat. I do it all the time in the gym to stay in reasonable shape for mountain biking, vintage MX and single-track dirt biking. But I am not used to “testing my knees” when I look at a new car. Automobiles (and UTVs) are taller and wider than motorcycles, so it’s easy for the dealer to simply park it… and pray it will sell itself because it is so visually large, shiny and impressive.

It is a little more complicated to shop for black-rubberdonuts at Discount Tire. For a tire store, it’s easy to elevate the product to human eye level (5 feet tall) with a shelftalker-equipped stand. Placing your products at eye level will improve sales — it always has and always will.

However a new motorcycle is thinner and shorter than a car, and heavier than a tire (or helmet), so it gets to be a challenge to simply subscribe to the “park and pray” philosophy. Why? Because your customers must squat to see it while parked on the floor. Your customers are curious about what they are shopping for. Even the One Show in Portland parks their masterpiece motorcycles on a 6” high platform which showcases them but without “elevating” them literally and metaphorically. Remember the bike builders are competing for prizes so no special display treatment is allowed — the bikes literally stand on their own with lots of walk-around and “squat space.”

Squatting isn’t all that bad for 60 seconds or less. But if I am about to drop more than $10-20K on a new motorcycle, I would like some bonding time with it to appreciate its nuances, technical improvements and you know… cool factors. I want to date my new motorcycle before we get married.

“The Group Squat” reminds me of the Native American tradition of sitting around a campfire to bond — where is the peace pipe? At least this bike has room to walk around it and squat beside it unlike many over-crowded showroom floors.

A study by Pathintelligence showed that “there is a significant and positive relationship between dwell time and sales.” They found that a 1% increase in dwell time of a customer resulted in a 1.3% increase in sales. Suppose a person looked at a motorcycle on display for 5 seconds. If you, the retailer, could get customers to stay there for 10 seconds instead of 5, the study implies there would be a sales improvement of 130% on that product. I call it “retail bonding” before the sale.

Many Big Box retailers now use video “eye trackers” and “dwell time heat maps” to see where customers tend to look, stop, and spend more time. The dwell time metrics are linked to a specific Point-Of-Sale (POS) system and linked directly and proportionally to the sales conversion rate of the displayed product. See the children’s clothing store heat map.

This is a children’s clothing store “heat map” indicating heavy customer “dwell times” in yellow.

If you shop for wine, have you noticed their associated display strategies? They make you squat and reach for the cheaper wines at the bottom of the display. The more premium wines (or liquor) are always “conveniently” at eye level. Are they betting I am lazy and won’t “squat to save?” It figures the Big Retailers would turn the topic of retail display into a science, so why not learn from them and apply it to your powersports store?

Have you also noticed toothpaste display strategies? Colgate, Sensodyne and Crest are always near one another, but the brand which makes the store more profit will be at eye level (higher) while the ones with slimmer profits will likely be lower. So, the display and location are not always about price — it’s about profit too. If your motorcycles are lined up like cord wood, there will be no chance for customers to walk around their favorite or even squat next to it. The customer will likely walk on by with zero dwell time, thus a lower likelihood of “retail bonding” and a sales conversion.

The best, but most impractical displays ever exhibited in the motorcycle world were for the Guggenheim’s Art of the Motorcycle museum exhibits.  Your retail store is not a museum, but we could all take a lesson when it comes to re-positioning our motorized products as “art with an engine.” Your margins would go up, but where would you put all your inventory if it’s not all jammed on the showroom, er… storeroom floor?

Handlebar-to-handlebar. Tail light to tail light. All front wheels turned to the left.  There isn’t even room to stand, squat or sneeze between any of the bikes. If Costco sold motorcycles, this is how they would look—no spacing, no elevation. Are you a showroom…or a storeroom for new motorcycles?

Stretch your legs and stretch your vision of how you are using your showroom. Lining up your bikes fleet-style is an efficient use of space, but it inhibits “walk arounds,” lowers product value and perpetuates “zero dwell time” in your customers. Give potential buyers a reason to “hang longer” at each section of your showroom by literally “showing off” your products instead of hiding them behind each other.

Your job of excitedly displaying motorcycles is more difficult than the “car guys” have…. But we are also in a much sexier business! Instead of squats shift your displays to accentuate the positive. “Lift and Separate” may sound like a brassiere commercial, but it’s also what you need to do with your motorcycle displays.

Only then will customers be encouraged to look a little longer… and buy a little more often.

Museums do a great job of “lifting and separating” their unique product displays... literally. You are not a museum, but you can learn how to “add value” from Guggenheim’s “Art of the Motorcycle” showcasing where machines were displayed like driveway jewelry.

Imagine if tire stores simply rolled their products in on the floor…and left them parked there. They would all look the same…like the motorcycles do in the photo above.

QUIET WARRIOR SOUNDS OFF ON COLLAB IN SUPPORT OF OHV SAFETY

By Donald Amador

The first leg of the 2023 OHV Safety Awareness Week ran April 1-9, round #2 is set for November 11-19. Quiet Warrior Racing wants to encourage OHV enthusiasts to support this historic and “heroic” effort —the theme this year is “Be The Off-Road Hero” where we can set an example of the responsible and safe use of UTVs and other OHVs. By doubling up on these Safety Weeks maybe we can all activate our Wonder Twin Powers (if you remember your old Saturday morning cartoons).

This is a key program developed by the California State Parks’ Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division and partners. The program is based on discussions held at the August 2022 OHV Safety Summit held at the McClellan Training Center in Sacramento. Let’s hope the collaborative approach works for all parties at the table.

That conference was the first major in-person post-COVID OHV meeting in California. It was attended by various key state and federal agency representatives, powersports industry leads, major OHV organizations, ROV/UTV trainers, motorized media outlets, law enforcement, competition event organizers and educational non-profits.

The primary focus was on improving/updating safety efforts to address the rapid growth of ROV/UTV/SxS use on public lands. The summit was successful since it planted the “safety standard” in the ground to mark this effort and to recognize the commitment by those in attendance to improve safety and reduce impacts to natural resources and other user groups.

“Many have heroes in their lives, people who have influenced who they are today—a professional athlete, a coach, teacher, or parent,” said OHMVR Division Chief Callan McLaughlin. “This year’s theme for the OHV Safety Awareness weeks is ‘Be The Off-Road Hero,’ and we are asking all OHV enthusiasts to be heroes to others around them by riding respectfully and recreating responsibly.”

Don Amador, QWR President and ROHVA Driver Coach, added, “I am glad to see the OHMVR Division continue this collaborative effort to promote OHV safety and offer related training opportunities. As a ROHVA driver coach, I have seen the importance of SxS owners enhancing their driving skills and also learning about the use of proper safety gear.”

“What makes this SxS-related safety program important is that many owners of these vehicles have very little if any experience in trail-based backcountry recreation on public lands. Often they are not aware of the various land management agencies or their efforts to manage travel on legal routes so this educational outreach is helpful,” Amador concluded.

As this safety initiative continues to build capacity to address SxS-related management needs, QWR believes it is important for the greater OHV community to increase efforts to share our responsible use message with those new to the sport.

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

WHEN TRAILS CLOSE

WE ALL LOSE

Do Your Part / Don't Lose Trails

Do Your Part Don't Lose Trails

Keeping trails open is everyone's responsibility. By working together as one motorized community, we can keep our trails open, healthy and beautiful for generations to come. Do your part by riding responsibly, keeping trails clean and trash-free, and volunteering with organizations that are working to keep access open for everyone.

Do your part, support Tread Lightly! and it's mission by becoming a member at treadlightly.org.

I RIDE, I DRIVE, I OFF-ROAD, I TREAD LIGHTLY!

The 2023 Motion Pro Nevada 200 Trailride recently concluded, marking the 39th anniversary of the iconic event that I co-founded along with fellow enthusiast and off-road legend Casey Folks in 1985.  Held over an extended three-day weekend from April 14th to 16th, this year’s edition brought together over 225 off-road enthusiasts, special guests, sponsors, families and staff to remote Lincoln County, Nevada, and the ride’s home base in Caliente. Truly a labor of love, the Nevada 200 is special for many reasons, foremost among them the men, women, friends and families it brings together.

This year riders came from as far away as Massachusetts, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Texas. A contingent of eight friends from Ohio alone joined riders representing almost every western state, all determined to fulfill their “bucket list” dream of participating in the Nevada 200. All together more than 50% of the entries were first-time Nevada 200 riders experiencing an event they have heard about for a long, long time.

The 2023 edition of the Nevada 200 followed in the footsteps of one of the longest and wettest winters in recent memory, creating ideal conditions for the trail-savvy group and even some additional challenges as recent warm temps and snow run-off in the mountains caused some of the usually dry creek beds to rise to levels not typically seen creating some deep-water crossings and challenges. As a result, some lastminute changes to the actual route were required at least to the order in which we ran the daily routes.

Although the changes could be described as minor nuisances, it just ensured a mostly dust-free event, as trail conditions were ideal. Riders were treated to three days of riding and nearly 200 miles of trail. In addition, there were parties, banquets and other special events connected to the ride.

39th ANNUAL MOTION PRO NEVADA 200 TRAILRIDE

Epic Trails, Fellowship & Fun

By Scot Harden

The “star” of the event were the trails themselves. With literally thousands of miles to select from all developed over 39 years by Casey and me, the ride consists mainly of singletrack and two-track jeep trails with occasional dirt roads connecting the two. It is without question a real rider’s event, something that was very important to both Casey and I when we designed the ride initially to satisfy our own personal riding expectations. The die-hards who started and finished all three days felt a sense of accomplishment as it provided a real workout.

Continued on page 68

As always, the Nevada 200 Trailride draws some of the biggest names in the sport, and this year did not disappoint. Legends and Hall of Famers like Jack Johnson, Rodney Smith, Johnny Campbell, Chuck Miller, Chris Carter, Max Switzer, Fred Hoess, Suzy Moody, Jeff Kaplan, Lori Conway and Andy Kirker attended this year’s ride. Johnny Campbell gave a special presentation at the Welcome Party at the end of Friday’s ride on the history of American Honda’s Baja/ Off-Road racing program and, particularly, Johnny’s 30-year career with Honda. He even brought along the XR600; he won his first overall race in Baja on the 1996 Baja 500, where he teamed with mentor and fellow Hall of Famer Bruce Ogilvie. Supported by American Honda’s Chuck Miller, a Baja 1000 champion in his own right, the group of riders assembled hung on every word. It’s amazing to think that 19 Baja 1000 overall victories and over 40 ISDE medals were represented by the group. Truly a who’s who of off-road racing!

Plans are already underfoot for the 40th Annual Nevada 200 Trailride, where an additional weekend of Dual Sport/ Adventure Riding will be offered. Dates for the 2024 Motion Pro Nevada 200 Trailride are April 18-20, with the Dual Sport/ Adventure Ride taking place the weekend before. Interested parties can visit: www.harden-offroad.com

Scot Harden is recognized as one of the best off-road racers ever produced by the United States. From 1971 until his final professional race in 2007 — at the age of 51 — Harden excelled at the toughest races in the world including the Baja 1000, Baja 500, Las Vegas 400, Mint 400, Dakar, B to V and the ISDE. He is a Desert/Baja specialist and the first American to win an African Raid Rally. He also possesses an impressive executive management resume as a brand builder, race team manager, sales professional and product planner with such companies as Husqvarna, KTM, Zero Motorcycles and Best in the Desert. Harden owns and operates Harden Offroad, a Powersports business consulting practice. He has been inducted into the AMA(2008), Trailblazers(2020), Hot Shoe(2021) and MRAN Hall of Fames(1996).

Kristi Harden, title sponsor Chris Carter and Scot Harden

How many Baja wins can you count here between Johnny Campbell, Jack Johnson, Scot Harden and Chuck Miller?

Jack Johnson, his sister Kristi Harden and Scot Harden

Johnny Campbell and his Honda XR600

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

Delivering solutions in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.

Over 35 years of senior level executive management experience.

• Brand Development

• Advisory Services

• Strategic Planning

• Product Development

• Motivational Speaking

• Advocate for the Sport

INDUCTED 2008

TRAVAILS WITH CHARLIE

ISDE Class Of 94

By Charlie Williams

Nevergive up…

I ran into a couple of old friends at the Muddobbers National Enduro, Matt Stavish and Ron Ribolzi. The three of us rode the 1994 International Six Day Enduro in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We were sharing war stories and I was reminded of Ribolzi’s ride. Sisyphus has nothing on Ribolzi… at least not on that epic day in Oklahoma!

Late on Day 5, Ron had some trouble that turned into a struggle. His front tire was worn and nearly flat, but he was still on gold medal status, so he kept pushing. We were following along a creek dodging trees and rocks… and the six foot drop down to the orange water. Wrestling a bad front tire, well into a 850 mile long race, Ron finally made a mistake, he zigged, his front tire zagged. It happens...

There were so many obstacles at the Zink Ranch, it was one of the most rugged places I’ve ever ridden! Rocks lay flat like grave markers hidden in the short grass. The rocks are only part of it. The Black Jack Oak tree is a brutal foe, too. Its tiniest branches can bring blood, a branch the size of your thumb can turn a bike in the opposite direction; worse, its roots are as slick and hard as the rocks we were dodging.

Relentless, brutal and punishing! Granted, it was the World Championship, ISDE organizers and their FIM overseers were trying to bring the cream to the top. But my God, how much is a man expected to take? The field had been thinned by more than 50% going into Day 5, only champions or survivors are still on the trail at this point.

Ron simply ran out of luck, root, rock, tree branch, flat tire, zig, ZAG... Ron and his bike went off the creek bank and into that orange water. He’s at the bottom, 10 feet below the surface, it’s black as night. Ron is disoriented of course, and since he’s in full gear he doesn’t exactly bob to the surface. He doesn’t know which way is up — Wet boots, pants, pads, helmet and a tool belt with enough tools to keep a 250 Honda running for a week, you do not float...

He let out a breath of air, bubbles rose against his face, he had to follow the rising bubbles by feel, remember, it’s pitch black. Lucky beyond comprehension, not to be under the bike or tangled up in the gear, this story could have had a terrible ending.

Ron made the surface and clawed his way up the bank.  Orange bubbles marked the spot where his bike lay at the bottom of the river. Two riders rode up, they were on Ron’s minute and they had just ridden 735.4 miles together, so there is some bond with his comrades in arms. Ron asked if they could help.

Sure, what?

My bike, it’s in the water.  Points at bubbles.

What do you want us to do?

Get in the water and help pull it out...

Uhhhhhhhh, No. And they rode off…

It’s 55-degrees out and Ron is immediately cold. He just stood there, 5 days on Gold and then this. All plans and dreams crushed in an instant. He’s absolutely devastated. Then it gets worse as he realizes the bike in the water actually belongs to Kevin Hines, there will be a bill for this too...

Imagine all the disappointment being experienced, from gold medal to out of race with a huge bill? My, how fortunes changed in just a few moments.

Security on the Zink Ranch was very high. Spectators and support people were only allowed in certain areas, outside assistance was strictly prohibited. Two more riders pulled up, but they were not racers. Word had gotten out that Ribolzi was in trouble and magically two guys from his home club ride up. What’s the chance of that happening? You’re in the middle of a 27,000 acre ranch with tight security and two guys from home ride up 17 minutes after you fall in the river?

They had a rope, but neither admitted to being able to swim, so Ron pulled his boots off and slipped back into the water. The bubbles had stopped, just a greasy oil slick marked the spot. Even the strongest swimmer would have trouble diving to the bike, but after a couple of tries, Ron got the rope hooked on the handlebars. Work began with the three attempting to pull the bike to shore, but the bank was way too steep so they had to drag it upstream several yards trying to find a gentler bank.

Ron was defeated, his race was over, but now his buddies had the bike upside down. They had drained the water out of the tank and pumped the motor clear and wrung out the air filter and did all the hundred things you need to do to revive a sunken bike. The bike started! Still in disbelief, they have to encourage Ron to get on and go... and go he did!

He made the finish line 43 minutes late, but still in the race. Sure he dropped from gold to bronze, but wow, what a story!

The saying goes that gold medals are easy, everything went right. Bronze medals are hard, everything went wrong...

Never give up!

ISDE CLASS OF 1994

We need to save our history, so I started a Facebook group to remember the 94 Six Day. In time, legendary moto-journalist Paul Clipper will compile a book using this page to tell the stories. Ron Ribolzi’s tale is just one of the odysseys experienced those six days at the Sink Ranch.

Please tell your stories and post photos here. Paul will pick the best tales and make a permanent record of this miraculously miserable week:  www.facebook.com/groups/426434506305821

AMA ANNOUNCE 6-DAYS QUALIFIER CHANGES

Two three-day qualifiers replaced the traditional ISDE qualifier series this year, according to the AMA. The American Motorcyclist Association has announced changes in the U.S. ISDE qualifier process for 2023 in preparation for the 97th ISDE, which will take place November 6-11 in San Juan, Argentina.

Instead of an ISDE qualifier series, two three-day qualifiers — one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast — will be held. “This change to the ISDE qualifier process is being made to improve rider turnout,” explained AMA Director of Racing Michael Pelletier. “By attempting to reduce conflict between other national, regional and local events, while also decreasing travel expenses.”

The three-day events featured ISDE-style sprint layouts and higher speeds, and will also offered racers a better overview of ISDE time keeping and technical inspection in an effort to better prepare U.S. riders to compete on the world stage. The East Coast Three-Day Qualifier was held Feb. 25-27 at Carolina Adventure World in Winnsboro, S.C., and hosted by AMA U.S. Sprint Enduro. The West Coast Three-Day Qualifier took place March 10-12 at Knolls Recreation Area in Utah and was hosted by the Utah Motorcycle Off-Road Racing Association.

CHARLIE’S CANCER JOURNEY

The picture above was taken July 4, 2019. I was 61 years old and could still win a motorcycle trophy! Two weeks later during my annual physical, tests showed I had Prostate Cancer. I had the big surgery and came out of it pretty well. I was able to continue to work and play.

My cancer numbers crept back up so I had 2 rounds of Hormone Therapy but could still work and get along.

Then in January 2020 I developed a blood disorder, Monoclonal Multiple Myeloma. The Dr. prescribed Chemo pills for two years! I was slowed way down, but Wilma and I have been able to keep our little boat afloat…

Then, a month ago, September 2022 my Prostate Cancer numbers jumped, Dr. again prescribed Hormone Therapy but before that could start I was hospitalized with Deep Vein Thrombosis, blood clots in my leg and rib cage.

All the men in my family have had blood clotting problems, and both my cancers and the chemo treatments are known to cause blood clots, I was the perfect storm for blood clots.

Now I’m stuck, I’m leg up for the next few weeks or months and I’m afraid if I don’t ask for help my boat will go under sooner than later.

My best hopes are, Chemo and Hormone Therapy both end after Christmas, that gives my leg 3 months to clear up, so my very best hope is to get back to work after the first of the year. That’s my best, fact is I have two incurable diseases and a family history of blood clotting.

I keep smiling, but as I’m watching my cancer kill me, I’m also watching my cancer kill Wilma. She is carrying the load around here, 3 years now and we just can’t keep up. I need to ask for help to get us through the next few months. I’m not sure what the future holds, but if I go under now it will be that much harder to get going again.

Thank you,

Charlie and Wilma

https://www.gofundme.com/f/vby9p-charliescancer-journey?sharetype=teams&member= 22247241&pc=fb_co_campmgmt_m&rcid=r01166463544003-7c9c453e419711ed&utm_ source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_ campaign=p_lico%2Bshare-sheet&fbclid=IwAR0yVB xRKOqtCfreTrNAsngQhnhUxpuykSNqW3r1o5TEZbx EDUHVNZUZBS4

QUITE THE COLLECTION

Motorcycles At GNRS 2023

By Gus Stewart

Once known as the Oakland Roadster Show, the Grand National Roadster Show is the longest running indoor car show in the world! Now held at the Fairplex in Pomona for the 18th consecutive year, GNRS celebrated its 73rd anniversary the week before the powersports world went to Las Vegas for the AIMExpo. However more custom motorcycles were at the Pomona Fairplex than in the Convention Center... in fact, more than 500 show vehicles convened at the Fairplex complex. Another 400-800 machines of all types joined in the 17 th Annual Grand Daddy Drive-In and parked between buildings as part of the show.

While a mecca for rods and customs, motorcycles have long been a key component of the Roadster Show. You may remember former Custom Chrome exec-turned Dealer Dan Stern entered his trike and won big a couple years ago (and we featured photos of the bike in the issue when Stern spoke to Mark Rodgers issuu.com/dealernews/docs/issue_8_ august_6bffaad43f06cc/34).

Barry Weiss, “the collector” from Storage Wars was a big winner at this year’s Grand National Roadster Show. A longtime hot rod aficionado, Weiss has been a Roadster Show regular for years, but this year he pushed the envelope with his Moto Guzzi getting “Best Sportbike” honors and his 1963 Triumph Thunderbird taking the “Antique Custom” class.

Another Roadster Show regular back when it was still held in Oakland was the late Arlen Ness... his legend lives on as the “Outstanding Motorcycle” of the show was Martin Burnette’s 2006 Arlen Ness Pro Street. The same bike also nabbed top honors in the American Manufactured Custom class. Martin Burnette’s other bike — a custom 1999 Yamaha V-Star — won 1st place in the European/Asian Manufactured class.

Ness is not the only name that lives on, the late, great George Barris and cross-over maestro Von Dutchhave perpetual trophies named in their honor. Speaking of pinstriping, between the pedal car auction, pinstriping donations and custom art sales, GNRS raised over $75k this year for the Haynes Family of Programs dedicated to “Strengthening the mind and spirit of children in need through specialized programs in a therapeutic environment.”

Among the new names being added to the pantheon of greats, Christopher Staab won The Outstanding Engine-Motorcycle Award for his 1952 HarleyDavidson Panhead. The 1952 Panhead also took home 1st place in the Custom Bobber class. Staab and business partner Justin Coleman own FXR Division in Phoenix, Arizona.

Gordy Brown’s 2007 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide garnered 1st in the American Manufactured class and Henry Wehr’s 2023 Custom Trike won the 3-Wheeled Bike class. Daniel Brackett finished 1st in the Antique Restored Bike class with his 1972 Triumph Daytona T100R.

Several unique motorcycles could be found in vendor booths around the show. A couple examples were Chad Anderson’s 1978 H-D Shovelhead in the Ace Of Shades Paint booth and a Triumph powered Rickman Metisse tucked in on the side of Jimmy Shine’s booth.

Mark your calendars for February 2-4, 2024, conveniently before AIMExpo once again! Details can be found at: rodshows.com/grand-national

EDITOR’S CHOICE

What are the odds? This month proves the cyclical nature of our industry and confirms what’s old is new again. My first “real” moto gear was a blue Bell open face helmet (like Steve McQueen wore at 6 Days), Malcolm Smith racing boots and a Gold Medal jersey. Decked out in that gear and riding my Six Days 125 Penton, I envisioned myself at a checkpoint during the 35th ISDT in El Escorial, Spain as highlighted in On Any Sunday… never mind Malcolm was on a Husky and the best in the world while I was the worst rider in the word.

Now 50 years later, Bell has released a Steve McQueen redux and Malcolm Smith Motorsports is once again selling Gold Medal Jerseys. I still have my Penton and my original Bell and the boots, but that jersey was worn out long, long ago. Time to relive my childhood On Any Sunday fantasy once again… Speaking of time, check out the Preston Petty commemorative clock… in order to save my alloy fenders, I swapped them out with Preston Petty plastics, sealed my tank while I was at it (yep still have that, too as a spare signed by John Penton himself). I added a Mikuni carb in place of the stock Bing vergasser, then replaced the throttle with a Gunnar Gasser “whirlpool” and safety wired on some new grips.

True story!

Photo courtsey Jason Gearld

NIBBI CARBS

Old 2-Strokes, New 4-Strokes MX, PWC — Nibbi Racing has a replacement carb for most major applications. Main jet or pilot jet, Nibbi has a comprehensive collection of brass! Need a complete float repair kit for a customer or just a float bowl gasket for your personal ride? Nibbi says “You need it, we have it!” They have specialized in performance fueling systems since 1983. Click here for Nibbi’s comprehensive carb guide: nibbiracing.com/pages/manual

STEVE MCQUEEN SIX DAYS REPLICA

Bell rang in the new year by partnering with the Steve McQueen Estate to launch a series of helmets and apparel. The first helmet in the series is a Custom 500 Six Day McQueen, a period correct replica of the helmet he wore in the 1964 ISDT. “Motorcycling has long been a part of the McQueen legacy,” said Molly McQueen, granddaughter of Steve McQueen. “So many iconic images tied to my grandfather’s legacy include motorcycles. This is a special opportunity to honor his memory through a hobby that is so deeply linked to who he was.” The Custom 500 itself is an icon – paying respects to the original Bell TX open face helmet, which revolutionized racing and paved the way for future innovations in head protection. Available in sizes XS through XXL, the Custom 500 Six Day McQueen will retail starting at $209.95. www.bellhelmets.com/news/motorcycles/mcqueen-custom-500.html

THE GOLD STANDARD

Named after his collection of 8 ISDT Gold Medals, Malcolm Smith launched Malcolm Smith Gold Medal Products. The Remake of the Famous “Gold Medal” Jersey is back! But there are some updates to the original Malcolm first wore, including custom sew & cut construction, sublimated graphics, and high tech breathable material. Available from the legend himself in Small through 2XL malcolm-smith-motorsports.myshopify.com/products/malcolm-smithgold-medal-moto-jersey

TIME TO RESET

Old school enduro riders it is time to reset… back to the 1970s suggests Paul from Preston Petty Products. Every old enduro rider can appreciate timekeeping, but who doesn’t need an analog chronograph for their shop? “We produced these a few years ago with all of the proceeds going directly to Preston,” he says. “Looking at my autographed Preston Petty clock on the wall, I felt that it was time to make these again. Each one will come with the Preston Petty decal that were given out at Preston’s celebration of life last November. Thank you Bryar Holcomb for the design and help with these great decals.” The classic clocks are battery operated and race ready! Click here for details:

www.prestonpettyproducts.com/Preston-Petty-Clock-p/ppclock.htm

SEAL THE DEAL

From tank sealants to clear coats, KBS has your tanks covered inside and out. Their MAXX line is a single-stage, two component (2K) polyurethane top coat paint that performs as an all-in-one base coat and clear coat. KBS MAXX has low VOC and HAPs, is chemical resistant, and withstands continuous temperatures of up to 300-400°F. The paint can be applied by brush, roller, or sprayer and features excellent flow out for a smooth finish with no brush marks. KBS MAXX is currently offered in 19 colors, plus clear. For more information, call (888) 5314527 or click: www.kbs-coatings.com/kbs-maxx.html

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Phoenix gets old school moto… right down to the safety wire slots on their half-waffle grips. But there is more to the brand than selling handlebars, says founder Jason Gearld. “We started this brand to sell bars. But it was also to connect with people. We like to think we are accomplishing that mission.”

phoenixhandlebars.com/products/50-50-grip

JIM RASMUS RENAISSANCE MAN

Long-time dealers will remember Jim Rasmus as the store design guru who started it all. Lines of sight, “race tracks” directing traffic through a dealership, bright colors and tons of lighting were the hallmarks of an RDA-designed store. Even before Harley-Davidson’s mandated store designs were a thing, Jim Rasmus was sharing how to create a professional retail environment with old school “motorcycle shop” owners. Proof of the concept graced many a Dealernews cover, and we even ran a column series from the master of retail store design in the 1990s.

“Jim was the consummate professional,” says SPACE Design & Display’s Brian Nelson. “With his 40+ years of experience in retail design and his long standing relationship with the Powersports industry, he was able to best marry the two together. Understanding how critical it was to tie color, fixture placement and other design elements together, Jim created amazing selling environments. Jim had such a way of making everyone feel special and valued, his presence among many

will be missed.”Retail Design Associates was formed in 1990 by James A. Rasmus. Jim was on a mission to elevate retail standards, particularly in the powersports market. He founded RDA with a goal “To provide our clients with a comprehensive package of professional store design, merchandising and consulting services to the specialty store retailer.” Mission accomplished! Over the next three decades, Rasmus was responsible for the design of more than 2,000 successful specialty retail stores throughout the United States. His RDA magic touch resulted in stores winning numerous industry awards and professional recognition.

“Retail Design Associates helps independent, specialty retail store owners to increase sales and profits in a manner consistent with their business goals and financial resources by applying marketing design and merchandising principles, together with business management and employee training services,” is how he described RDA. It worked, too. In fact, the first three years of the Dealernews Top 100 program recognizing retail excellence were a clean sweep for RDAcoached stores.

Teaming with his brother Gerry, Rasmus literally wrote the book on retail design — twice! After the dynamic duo teamed up to write best selling Winning In Retailing in 1984 they distilled the best tricks of the trade into a second volume just for dealers Winning In Retailing: The Power Sports Edition. Billed as “the one book every powersports retailer should own,” it was published in 2006 as a reference guide for powersports retail store owners and managers. An invaluable tool for an entire generation of emerging dealers, it contained easy-toread guidelines, illustrations and proven winning strategies to help start and operate a store successfully. Topics touched upon include merchandising, store design, employee training and business management — all targeted specifically at the dealer.

After earning a design degree from UNLV, he enrolled in the real world of retail. Jim’s expertise was based on a rich history of retail management, starting with Montgomery Wards where he was involved with department store management, budgeting, store design, merchandising, employee management, planning, administration and special projects. After a successful career with Montgomery Wards, and prior to forming RDA, Jim served as partner and Vice President of Design Services for Creative Retailing Inc., based in Irvine, CA.

Godspeed Jim Rasmus!

After an unexpected cancer diagnosis just 7 weeks prior, industry pioneer Jim Rasmus died in October, 2022. He was working up until the end and continued to do “business as usual” despite his condition. Although he came from a big family (five siblings) he always considered the powersports industry as part of his extended family, according to daughter Jamie Williams.

“His many conversations in the final days were filled with gratitude for his family, friends and colleagues across the years,” she says. “He relayed stories full of laughter, wild adventures, hard knocks, pride in his country and military service, and the immense joy and fulfillment of working in retail design across industries, but most especially the powersports industry where he gained lifelong friends.”

Rasmus was on a fast track from the beginning… literally as well as figuratively: Jim was on the track team in high school in West Perry County, Pennsylvania, where he set a record for the fastest mile (4m:43s) that held up for many, many years after. He continued running into his adult years, competing in races across the country with his brother Gerry, another avid runner. He also loved golf and played every chance he had, always regaling family and friends (and anyone in the club house) with a tale that was bigger than life and only believable because the only witnesses were his brother, nephews and best friend.

He was even in a movie and had a bit part as a policeman, stopping a bank robber in The Night Stalker (1972). In the days he lived in Los Angeles, he landed a few small modeling roles.

Growing up he loved history, especially war history. His home was full of history books, war documentaries, biographies of famous generals and military geniuses, and political events through the course of time. He loved to read and was often

considered the “phone a friend” for history questions if anyone ever made it on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Jim also loved art, especially pen and ink, charcoal and painting. He had an artistic gift that led him into his chosen field of store design, coupled with his experience in retail that married the best of his skills and visions for how to make his mark. Throughout his life he continued his hobby of drawing and painting, leaving behind several portfolios, sketch books and canvases touched by his hands and graced with his signature style.

TIMELINE

• Born in New York and raised in Pennsylvania, 5 siblings

• After graduating high school he moved to Alaska and learned how to salmon fish with his brother Felix.

• Enlisted in the U.S. Air Force July 1966,

• Served in Vietnam 1967-1968 then deployed to Korea,

• 1969 stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas

• 1970 enrolled in University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV), studied art and business

• Graduated UNLV 1976

• Worked full time while going to school at Montgomery Wards, learning retail and business

• Joined Creative Retailing in 1980

• Entered the motorcycle industry with Harley-Davidson designs

• 1990 Started Retail Design Associates (RDA)

• Survived by his son Jake Rasmus and daughter Jamie Williams, her husband Danny, and grandsons Bennett and Miles

Jim’s family welcomes your messages and stories about Jim which they will include in a memory book for his children and grandchildren to remember and celebrate his life. Please email: jrasmus.rda@gmail.com

POSITION PAPER ON CURRENT FACILITY MANDATES: THE NATIONAL POWERSPORTS DEALER ASSOCIATION

Organization representing more than 300 U.S. Powersports Dealers calls for 12-month moratorium on the release of new facility upgrade requirements by OEMs while legalities are clarified, and our nation’s economic situation stabilizes.

April 28, 2023

The process of producing and retailing Powersports vehicles requires manufacturers and Dealers. Both are critical links in the chain. OEMs design and build; Dealers warehouse, promote, and create final demand. Dealers serve the needs of the end-user, the riding public, and are often viewed as an extension of the manufacturers.

The National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) and the members we represent view industry success as a partnership between a multitude of participants: our customers; labor; shareholders; suppliers; staff; company executives; and Dealers.

Solely from the viewpoint of the OEMs, the position by Dealers on the matters addressed in this letter could be viewed as contentious. This need not be the case. There is a solution to every issue, one borne from clear, honest, and unambiguous communication. A successful partnership requires give and take. It need not become legal wrangling.

The NPDA was founded on the same principles as other respected Dealer Associations in the Marine, RV and Auto industries. In fact, many of these associations were consulted prior to the 2021 formation of the NPDA. The leadership of these organizations provided our founders with insight into the early hurdles they had to overcome and some of the mistakes they made during the formation of those organizations.

The NPDA represents more than 300 U.S. franchised and independent Dealer members who retail motorcycles, ATVs, sideby-sides, snowmobiles and personal watercraft. Extrapolating current growth rates, membership is anticipated to more than double in the next 12 months.

Currently, a multitude of issues cloud the future of the Powersports industry. Recent discussions with our members, along with our legal counsel, revealed that the following have the potential to negatively impact Dealers in the short term.

• Rapidly changing economic conditions

• Interest rate run-ups

• Global conflicts – specifically tensions with China

• Declining consumer sentiment

• A slow start to 2023 and double-digit reductions in year-over-year volume

• A significant buildup of new inventory in the field

No one wants to repeat the 2008/2009 failures of the Powersports industry, especially the self-inflicted ones. Thus, NPDA members are requesting our OEM business partners enact a 12-month moratorium on requirements for extensive facility upgrades and other capital expenditures.

It is time for OEMs and Dealers to work together to complete an in-depth cost-benefit analysis before we proceed. Failure to do so can bankrupt Dealers and disrupt our ability to best serve consumers. In these uncertain times, it’s not prudent to spend millions of dollars on ill-timed and ill-planned “cap-ex” investments.

For Dealers currently impacted by such programs, the issue is existential; the costs of such programs can bankrupt even the best of operators. For the rest of the industry’s Dealers, it is only a matter of time before OEMs attempt to one-up their competition. Considering the economic instability facing the nation, we are seeking dialogue to find rational, prudent, and equitable solutions to fulfill the desire of each manufacturer to build and/or expand brand awareness.

We are committed to growth for OEMs and their Dealer networks, and we look forward to creating a strategic vision for success. Ultimately, strengthening our partnerships can aid all parties in serving those most important to our shared existence – the customer.

The National Powersports Dealer Association