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WORLD’S LUCKIEST MAN
Bob Althoff On The Eight Step Program
EDITOR’S NOTE
Robin Hartfiel On Mr. Coffee Stirring The Pot LETTERS+ The Industry On Dealernews
SHIFTING
We’ve Been Everywhere, Man! PRESS
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
Eric Anderson Vroom Network
Jim Woodruff National Powersport Auctions
Lenny Sims NADA Appraisal Guides
Scot Harden AMA Hall Of Fame/Harden Offroad
Alex Baylon Motorcycle Industry Jobs
Hector Cademartori Illustrations
William Douglas Little Unique Powersports
Charlie Williams Off Road Editor
Don Amador Quiet Warrior Racing
Joe Bonnello Joe B Photography
Uncle Paul Wunsch Love Cycles
The Anonymous Dealer
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Robin Hartfiel Publisher (949) 489-4306 robinhartfiel@gmail.com
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John Murphy Publishing Consultant johnmurphydn@gmail.com Dealernews
By Bob Althoff
As the philosopher Lao Tzu noted, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” This industry is at a crossroads and we need a path forward. In a situation where an industry is fragmented, communication to unite its various factions is critical. We should focus on common goals, mutual challenges and the collective benefits of collaboration.
I’m a dealer not a philosopher, but I believe now it’s the time to make the first step on the road to recovery. Here’s a framework of how we might proceed to pull our industry into the promise of our shared future:
1. Acknowledgment Of The Present Reality
• We are at a crossroads. Our industry is facing unprecedented challenges. The stakes are higher than ever.
• United we are unstoppable. Divided, we squander opportunities.
2. Shared Vision
• Despite our differences, we all share a common vision: to see our industry thrive, innovate and sustain the livelihoods it supports — and to share the sport, lifestyle and community we cherish.
• We must focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. Our mutual success depends on our ability to work together.
3. Consequences Of Division
• The longer we remain divided, the more vulnerable we become to external threats, be it competition, regulation, or market shifts.
• Disunity will only accelerate our decline, leading to losses that none of us can afford.
4. The Common Good
• By coming together, we can pool our resources, share knowledge and innovate in ways that would be impossible on our own.
• Collaboration doesn’t mean losing our individual identities or goals. Instead, it’s about amplifying our strengths to overcome shared challenges.
5. Call To Action
• Let’s start by identifying areas where we can cooperate immediately — small wins will build trust and momentum.
• We need to create a platform for ongoing dialogue, where every faction has a voice and where we can work out our differences constructively.
• For this collaboration to work, it must be built on trust and transparency. We need to be open about our intentions and willing to listen to each other.
• “Let’s commit to regular communication, where we can update each other on progress, address concerns, and celebrate successes together.”
7. Leadership & Responsibility
• Each of us must take responsibility for leading this change. It’s not enough to wait for others to act — we must all be proactive in driving this collaboration forward.
• Leadership is not about control, but about service to our collective goals. By leading with integrity and a focus on the common good, we can set an example for others to follow.
8. This is Not The End. It Is The Beginning…
• We have the opportunity to not just survive but to transform our industry into something stronger, more resilient, and more innovative than ever before.
• The future of our industry is in our hands. Let’s seize this moment to build something extraordinary — together.
Like I said, I’m no Lau Tzu, but if we are to grow our collective business, the best time to plant that tree was yesterday! The second best time will be to get the dealers together in one place at one time and help us help each other.
Looking forward to seeing you all at NPDA CONNECT in October at the Industry Leadership Summit...
Bob
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By Robin Hartfiel
Mr. Coffee has certainly stirred the pot! Robby Starbuck’s Internet expose of Harley-Davidson’s DEI policies has been seen by millions, fanning jingoism against that “German” while calling for a boycott of motorcycles. Seriously, do we need to give people another reason NOT to ride?
I’m a hack… but you already knew that. There was a time when I was a journalist, but that ended the day I joined Dealernews and became an advocate for dealers. However bad habits die hard. All the media attention aimed at Harley-Davidson is smoke and mirrors designed to get clicks and make a fast buck for influencers, not create meaningful change… or at the very least start an open and candid discussion between The Motor Company and its dealers.
“Real” journalists like The Wall Street Journal leak memos from the National Powersports Association’s HarleyDavidson Council where a hack like me believes arguing on the Internet is a no-win situation for anyone, least of all dealers.
The problem is this is purely theater. Mr. Starbuck tested his schtick with Tractor Supply Company, refined it with another middle America target John Deere and then began the full scale assault on the regime at Harley. Like all good theater, it has a kernel of truth, an evil overlord, politics, pathos and all wrapped up with a neat “truth, justice and the American way” bow. Unfortunately after nuking Harley,
Superman Starbuck has already announced he is taking his show on the road and will be targeting another American institution soon… all in the quest for more clicks, likes and follows. Meanwhile, dealers get left holding the bag in the smoking ruins of Harley-Davidson’s reputation.
Don’t believe the rhetoric for a second. Even if he were removed from his concurrent roles as CEO, Chairman of the Board and President tomorrow, Jochen Zeitz will never feel the pain dealers feel today. As Bob Althoff, who spent considerable time on Wall Street before becoming a dealer on Main Street, tells me: “Follow the money. The billion dollar buy-back is the bigger issue.” The fact that Herr Zeitz gets paid to manipulate stock prices rather than directing The Motor Company to make motorcycles people want to ride just adds insult to injury. Worse, it is the dealers who provide the treasury to buy back the stock, and it isn’t even at a fire sale price. Despite Starbuck’s attack, Harley shares were trading at $37.44 today.
I do NOT believe the First Amendment guarantees the right to say anything you want on the Internet, no matter how divisive, disingenuous and flat out destructive it may be. Prior to the Internet taking over, the bully pulpit was a privilege reserved for the 4th Estate — as the press was dubbed during the French Revolution. In America, revolutionary views unified former subjects of the crown in order to create a more perfect union of we the people. When I was still a journalist 30 years ago, slander and libel laws protected the people from rants from people like me!
Even the small town newspaper I started at (and yes, the Fallbrook Enterprise really was located on Main Street) had 33 pages of news, events and obituaries (along with the police blotter, farm bureau column, society page and high school football scores) and only one Opinion/“Editorial” page reserved for rants like this. With the Internet, the paradigm changed! Now inflammatory opinions are taken as “news” and clickbait has replaced content.
Yep, I am a hack, but I believe the OEMs and the dealers should be talking together to bolster our business rather than trading barbs on the Internet. Leave fanning the flames for the online trolls, click farms and AI chatbots while dealers take care of the riding community and manufacturers make machines that inspire us to get out and ride! Give Main Street what they want and let Wall Street and the Mr. Coffees of the world find more lucrative targets.
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.
They made a motorcycle movie that just isn’t any good. The problem isn’t with the actors, but with the writing. Yeah, there’s a couple okay one liners, and a few scenes that bring out actual interest, but...
What they failed to realize about motorcycle riders, is that we came for the motorcycle action! The unnecessary, unrelated story lines, and lowlife personal dramas, interrupt any thrilling build from the minor action scenes, and leave to few action scenes. If they replaced 70% of the fluff with more realistic 2-wheeled action, focusing on more motorcycle, riders, risk, etc… they could’ve had something here.
Randy Nedescu BellissiMoto
Las Vegas, Nevada www.bellissimoto.com
Maybe they should have made a documentary, but the target of movies is to appeal to the masses. Even though most riding elements and
scenes are questionable from a racer‘s perspective, I appreciate the efforts to bring our sport closer to “normal folks.” As I’ve said on the beeb: it‘s easier to criticize a bad movie than to produce a good one yourself…
Then again, you have to balance production cost versus viewer revenue if you limit the target audience. Sure would be awesome if they would’ve had MotoGP-like cameras and scenes and I agree, maybe a more coherent and not so cliché storyline.
Phil Screamer Via Facebook
Motorcycle Industry Council’s Ride.With. Us. and Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s RideDay sound like potentially GOOD PROGRAMS. I was an MIC Board Of Directors member for 7 years during the tumultuous 1980s-1990s… Helped convince H-D to join the MSF in 1983-1984. I see several names on the original roster that I recognize from that era. I’ve retired to the BEAUTIFUL Carson Valley, NV after finishing my 42- year career at Cycle Shack, Inc. — a career I NEVER imagined possible. I’m also a 21X veteran rider on Wally Dallenbach’s Colorado 500 Charity Road Ride. Met LOTS of interesting folks on the Colorado 500, including being able to ride/socialize with Kenny Roberts, 3X World Champion racer from Yamaha on the 2022 Colorado 500 road ride. That was pretty COOL! I’m about 30 minutes from So.Lake Tahoe, but on the Nevada side, enjoying spectacular sunsets over the Sierras during Happy Hour most late afternoons!
Thanks for sending this update....
Buzz Dyer, Retired! Via Facebook
SOUND OFF!
Although Erik Pritchard has resigned from MIC after a decade, the ridership initiative continues. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has added its successful #RideDay program being run out of dealerships and MSF ranges. Glad to hear you are enjoying retirement. Eric Anderson is up that way, as are Mary McGee, Galfer, Paughco and some great dealerships!
Hello, my father was a Top 100 dealer many years ago. He has passed away and we have his Top 100 Dealer ring. We are not sure if you would be able to point us in the right direction to find a buyer. Thank you.
Sabrina Thron-Smith Con’s Powersports
321-863-4564
That is hard to put a price tag on… only a Top 100 winning dealer knows just how hard it was to win once, let alone the 5 straight years Conrad Thron won. Con’s Cycle Center was a Top 100 Dealer Award Winner in 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999 and featured on the cover of the June 1999 issue.
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The World Technician Grand Prix is like the Olympic Games for wrench spinners. Elite technicians who manage to get through the qualifying rounds in their home country then compete against each other in the World Technician Grand Prix. Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA and Yamaha Motor University (YMU) are proud to recognize the winners of the United States Technician Grand Prix (USTGP) and SkillsUSA championships held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
“The motorsports industry is powered by passionate and skilled enthusiasts,” said John Grubb, YMU Training Manager. “Supporting and developing the next generation of technicians is critical to Yamaha’s mission to deliver the very best service for our customers, and events like SkillsUSA allow us to empower this next generation.”
The Yamaha USTGP is a challenging, ‘hands-on’ technical skills competition where Yamaha dealership technicians must accurately diagnose vehicle problems and handle customer service issues. Contestants work through each lab under close supervision, preparing the winner to compete at the international championship round held at Yamaha’s headquarters in Iwata, Japan. This year, Brian Ladner of Macomb Powersports earned the right to represent the United States at the world level in 2025. Yamaha and YMU recognizes Ladner, and all the skilled finalists:
Gold: Brian Ladner – Macomb Powersports, Chesterfield MI
Silver: Colin McCreary – Miller’s Motorsports, Beaver Falls PA
Bronze: Chris Callaghan – Pasadena Yamaha, Pasadena CA
Finalists:
Aaron Lawson – MOMS Foxboro, Foxborugh MA
Caden Watson – Rexburg Motorsports, Rexburg ID
Aaron Schultz – Fuel Powersports, Westbend WI
Coinciding with the USTGP for the third consecutive year, Yamaha sponsored the Motorcycle Service Technology contest inside SkillsUSA competition. With labs covering a range of realworld service tasks and customer service needs, contestants had to rotate through eight timed and proctored stations on their way to the top of the podium. Yamaha and YMU is proud to recognize the following students:
High School Gold: Brayden Arnold – Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, Schnecksville, PA
High School Silver: Ayden Stratz – Uintah Basin Technical College, Vernal, UT
High School Bronze: Cosmo McIntosh – Ulster BOCES, Port Ewen, NY
College Gold: Peter Paul – Southeast Community College-Milford, Milford, NE
College Silver: Gavin Stanislaw – North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, ND
College Bronze: Dan Townsend – Alexandria Technical & Community College, Alexandria, MN
Speaking of tech training, the SuperMotocross League has partnered with Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) to foster future championship mechanics. Upcoming SuperMotocross World Championship Finals will see MMI on display in FanFest at both Concord, NC, and Fort Worth, TX, for the first two playoff rounds, along with in-venue features.
Many teams throughout the SuperMotocross paddock already entrust their race bikes to MMI graduates. Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen and Levi Kitchen, as well as teams such as Red Bull KTM, Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki and BarX Suzuki, rely on MMI graduates to repair and maintain their race bikes throughout a 31-round championship season.
MMI’s Motorcycle Technician Training program covers the essentials for making repairs and maintaining motorcycles and powersports equipment, including ATVs, side-by-sides and personal watercraft. Students apply their knowledge with comprehensive hands-on experience in real-world scenarios to train in areas such as suspension tuning, fuel injection and diagnostics. Aspiring technicians also have the opportunity to elevate their education and earn an associate of occupational studies (AOS) degree at MMI Phoenix or an occupational associate degree (OAD) at MMI Orlando in programs for specific brand combinations.
Get the holeshot on being a race team tech here: www.uti.edu/start/campaign/moto-marine/supercross
Performance Brokerage Services, North America’s highest volume dealership brokerage firm, has dialed in another dealership deal as Ken and Jeff Conston have sold Dutchess Recreational Vehicles in Poughkeepsie, New York, to former shop rat turned tech magnate, Jim Batterton. The dealership has served Hudson Valley customers since 1971… and will continue to do so long into the future according to Batterton.
“When the opportunity to acquire Dutchess Recreational Vehicles came up, I was very excited because they have a great reputation and have served the Hudson Valley and tri-state area for decades,” he says. “Their involvement with and support of the rider community is excellent. The other big key to their success has been a great group of enthusiastic employees. We are honored to be taking over for the Conston family and hope to carry on the Dutchess Recreational Vehicles legacy.”
Ken Conston purchased the then-single line Honda dealership in 1988. He expanded the product lines offered and brought brother Jeff on board in 2000 after he bought out the last remaining partner. Since then, the Conston brothers have enjoyed a strong partnership over the past 24 years. Ken and Jeff will remain involved for a transition period to ensure a smooth changeover, providing customers with continuity and familiar faces during this time. “Thanks so much to Courtney Bernhard and her team at Performance Brokerage Services for helping out with the sale of our dealership,” says Ken. “Courtney was involved and helpful all the way to the finish line at the closing! Thanks again!”
“It was truly a pleasure working with Ken and Jeff throughout the entire transaction,” says Bernhard. “It became very apparent why the duo has been successful in their dealership and has such a committed, long-tenured staff. Ken and Jeff were extremely helpful working with the buyer through all the challenges of a buy-sell. I have no doubt that Jim Batterton and his family will be set up for success for many years to come. I appreciate Jim’s positive attitude and tenacity working through the manufacturer applications, dealer licensing and the many other hoops that came up until the very end. Thank you to everyone involved!”
Dutchess Recreational Vehicles will remain at its current location at 737 Freedom Plains Road in Poughkeepsie, New York.
“I’m incredibly passionate about our brand and our future,” says eponymous founder Troy Lee about buying TLD back. “With strong leadership and dedicated partners, I’m stoked for what’s ahead. Peace & Wheelies!” The company namesake will continue to play a crucial role as the Chairman, strategic brand advisor and inspirational leader of the renowned paint shop.
“Over the past nine months, with the invaluable support of 2 Ride, we have built a robust platform,” notes TLD CEO Jon-Erik Burleson. As an independent company, we are now equipped to grow and unlock the full potential of the premium brand that Troy Lee Designs is destined to be.”
With this new ownership status, Troy Lee Designs is set to channel its renewed energy into the Fall 2024 season and beyond. The company is committed to securing prominent positions in the bike and motocross helmet and technical apparel markets. Enhanced investments will enable Troy Lee Designs to deliver exceptional products, including helmets, technical gear, protection and sportswear, to its valued dealers, distributors, consumers and enthusiasts.
During the transition, Troy Lee Designs will assist 2 Ride Group portfolio brands like Shark and Nolan helmets with distribution across North America. A statement from 2 Ride Group: “2 Ride Group is very pleased to see Troy Lee Designs coming back to its iconic founder. The brand’s return to independence should give it the agility it needs to strengthen its market positioning with an ‘Art & Speed’ approach. We wish them the greatest success!”
Dealer Partner Inquiries: Teri Lynn Email: tlynn@troyleedesigns.com
Does this mean we can finally retire the dog-eared copy of the old NADAGuide that lives in the sales manager’s desk? By bringing together industry leading online and printed guidebook data in one easy-to-use application, the J.D. Power MarketValues Specialty Vehicles App ensures dealers and lenders have the up-to-date values whenever and wherever needed. New models are added weekly.
By delivering up-to-date valuations through an intuitive, easyto-use interface featuring enhanced functionality for a similar price to our printed guidebooks, the MarketValues Specialty Vehicles App represents exceptional value for money and the future of specialty vehicle valuations. The powersports data set includes:
• “VIN Scan” functionality
• Scanner can pull VINs from desktop screenshots
• Appraisal Snapshots saves every appraisal for edits or future use
• Email Export lets you share any appraisal with a simple email
The App includes categories for everything from ATVs to vintage motorcycles like the original NADAGuides books! Click here for all the details:
www.jdpowervalues.commarketvaluesutm_ content=295810406&utm_medium=social&utm_ source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-10631123
Industry veteran Steve Christian has discovered the Denago Difference: He joins Denago PowerSports Sales Team effective immediately. “Steve is an avid enthusiast with a long history of riding and racing that began at a young age,” notes National Sales Manager Johnny Hayes. “He competed in amateur motocross, trials riding, desert poker runs, and even secured his streetbike endorsement the day after his 16th birthday. It is safe to say that Steve is no stranger to powersports.” Christian joins the Denago Team with ample professional experience to match his personal powersports journey. Most recently Northwest RSM for Volcon, he actually started his career in a dealership selling Harleys. Over the past 20 years he worked for BRP, Mahindra/ ROXOR and others. “Steve’s 20+ year track record of tremendous success makes him the perfect candidate to bring “The Denago Difference” to our growing dealer body,” adds Hayes. “In this business we Tow & Show our various vehicles to Dealers so they can see the product first hand at their location. I chose to personally set up each of the vehicles from a created unit to a fully operational one. I have been in this industry for many years and I can say first and foremost that the quality for the value is unmatched in this industry. The affordable value that Denago Powersport vehicles will bring to offroad enthusiasts will be appreciated by my many dealer contacts.” Christian resides in the State of Washington and will be responsible for developing and servicing the Denago dealer network in Washington , Oregon , Idaho , Montana and Wyoming
Race Winning Brands has brought in industry expert and marketing guru David Zemla as its Powersports V-Twin Technical Sales Manager This strategic move enhances RWB’s expertise and adds another passionate enthusiast to its growing team. “I am pleased to welcome David to the Race Winning Brands family and believe his multiple experiences in the powersports industry will add significant value to Race Winning Brands,” stated Cary Redman, Vice President of Sales and Category Management. “We believe his knowledge and experience will benefit our customers and help RWB unlock additional opportunities for improvement in the V-Twin market.” Zemla spent many years managing sales and marketing efforts for a range of industry leaders, including Burly Brand, Performance Machine and Progressive Suspension . Most recently, he held the roles of Vice President of Marketing for S&S Cycle and Director of US Operations for Bitubo USA . His years spent as an avid rider, enthusiast, powersports consumer and professional have given him a 360° perspective on the V-Twin industry. “I’ve had the absolute honor to work with some of the best brands in the V-Twin aftermarket and I am excited to continue that legacy with the RWB team,” adds Zemla. “RWB and its powersports teams at JE Pistons , Manley Performance , PAC Racing Springs , Rekluse, Trend Performance and Wiseco are thrilled to welcome David aboard and look forward to evolving RWB’s products, service, and support for V-twin riders everywhere,” concludes Race Winning Brands Marketing Director Kevin Bailey
Sarah Schilke has packed her bags and hit the trail for another adventure! “I’m extremely proud of the SWMOTECH USA business we built over the past 5 years! Now, I’m moving on to focus energy on WomenRidersNow. com and family while I explore new projects and new adventures on 2 wheels. Stay tuned…”
Octane , the fintech firm that bought the IP for Cycle World and Motorcyclist , has appointed Steven Fernald as President. In this newlycreated-role, Fernald will take over the day-to-day management of the company’s successful Powersports and Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) business in addition to his current responsibilities as CFO He will continue to report to Jason Guss , CEO and Co-Founder of Octane. “Given our considerable success in Powersports, we are establishing the position of President to lead the business into
Continued from page 16 its next phase of growth, and Steve is the ideal executive to take on this role,” said Guss. “By transitioning our core business into Steve’s capable hands, I can spend more time helping Octane to launch even more innovative products, enter new markets, and deliver on our long-term ambitions.” Fernald adds, “I’m especially looking forward to helping our dealer and OEM partners to grow their businesses with our fast, easy financing experience.” Since its founding in 2014, Octane has originated over $4B in loans and expanded into Recreational Vehicles (RVs), tractors, trailers and electric vehicles . Fernald brings 30 years of leadership experience in the financial sector. He was previously Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and UBS Investment Bank . He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Utah and is a lifelong powersports enthusiast
Segway Powersports continues to accelerate into the U.S. market, adding a pair of top pros to its team. “Welcoming experts like Todd Martin and Loren Templeton to the Segway Powersports team is another testament to how committed we are with our dealer support initiatives,” affirms Jason Walling, VP of Sales & Marketing for Segway Powersports. “Both Todd and Loren have a passion for powersports and years of dealership experience. Martin joins the team as Regional Business Manager. His journey into the powersports industry began in 2007, at the multi-line dealership Evansville Superbike. He started as a Parts Manager before moving on to sales roles with Automatic Distributors and BRP. In his new role, Martin is responsible for business development in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. “My familiarity with
the territory and the relationships I’ve nurtured with dealers will go a long way towards achieving our business objectives,” claims Martin. “I’m eager to show dealers everything Segway has to offer.”
Loren Templeton joins Segway Powersports with 21 years of powersports industry experience at the dealership level . He spent 16 years as General Manager for Freedom Powersports before moving to RideNow Powersports as Sales Manager. Templeton has been tasked with solidifying relationships with Segway Powersports dealers and Regional Business Managers. “I’m thrilled to work with such a talented team and represent such an exceptional product,” explains Templeton. “I’m eager to see growth over the years to come, to provide service to my teammates and business partners, and to help accomplish our sales goals in such an inviting and positive environment,” concludes Tempelton. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the team.”
Just in time for NVP in Milwaukee, LeMans has added long-time dealer level pro Adam Ladd to the roster. Effective immediately, Ladd will be calling on Drag Specialities dealers in the East Region covering the New Jersey/New York area. Ladds’ experience involves several years of
management on the dealer level. He also has 22 years of riding expertise, mainly on sportbikes. His current ride is a 2008 Honda CBR 1000, but he has been looking at upgrading to a 2024 Low Rider ST “for work purposes” of course. In his free time, Adam enjoys hiking and archery. He has also been involved in martial arts for 32 years...
Dealernews alumni make good as a former editor has been promoted by a former publisher : “I am very happy to announce that Dennis Johnson has been promoted to the position of Associate Publisher / Editorial Director ,” says former Dealernews Publisher Don Emde . “Dennis has worked in publishing overall for 28 years, 20 of which has been in the powersports industry and we have enjoyed having him work on our publications for the last 12.” Serving as Editor of both Parts Magazine and Drag Specialties Magazine , Emde notes Johnson’s journalistic skills are top notch. “He is a very effective manager of our writers, which allows us to stay on schedule, while providing our readers with needed information in an easy and understandable manner. In addition, Dennis has been a pleasure to work with and is very much an essential member of our team.” In this expanded role, Johnson will now work more closely with LeMans’ vendors to tailor their advertising programs specifically to the annual editorial calendars. “Please join me and the staff of Parts Magazine and Drag Specialties Magazine to congratulate Dennis on his promotion and thank him for his many contributions through the years. Click here for more about Don Emde Inc. www.emdebooks.com
Charlie Cole is a Harley-Davidson dealer… a pretty successful one at that. Since the day he interviewed at Juneau Ave. HQ back in September of 1997 he has found working with The Motor Company to be the best business experience he has ever had. Recently that has turned into some of the worst times he has had… not so much personally — he could retire any time — but for his 200+ employees and loyal customer community that the Cole Harley-Davidson family of dealerships has built up in the past three decades.
He is NOT some Internet crackpot looking to cash in on clicks or make a name for himself stirring the pot online. He doesn’t believe in brand bashing, nor is he antianything. He is pro riding, he is pro business and pro Harley-Davidson to the core. In fact, he served on HarleyDavidson’s DAC and his store’s have won countless Bar & Shield honors… including two Platinum Bar & Shields. His flagship store took Dealernews Top 100 honors in 8 consecutive times circa 2009-2016 and was a Top 25 Dealer: 2016.
So when a copy of his letter to Harley-Davidson President, CEO and Chairman of the Board Jochen Zeitz was forwarded to me, my first reaction as a magazine hack with a scoop was a Pavlovian response: “cry havoc and loose the dogs… My response as a dealer advocate since 1991 when I joined Dealernews was “This guy has some Moxie!” Rather than see him go through what NPDA experienced when Wall Street Journal ran an internal memo as headline news, I called Charlie.
He is passionate, articulate, thorough and objective. This is not a grandstanding play (and the timing could actually hurt some of his business plans). However he feels he owes it to the industry and The Motor Company to share his thoughts. He confirmed at press time he had received no response from his OEM and confirmed he was willing to go on record with his heartfelt comments.
Jochen,
I read your statement posted on X and watched your video posted on h-dnet.com. Although your video message seemed sincere and heartfelt it seems apparent that no words or videos will undo the damage that has resulted. Have you read all the many comments on X from all the stakeholders?
After being an perennial Harley award winning dealer for 27 years and former DAC president I have made many friends with H-D employees, customers, and dealers. The amount of unhappiness within this community is overwhelming. I feel if you stay on as CEO and Chairman of the Board you will be violating your fiduciary responsibility to your shareholders. The mass exodus will continue until you step down. It is sad that it has come down to this, but all this backlash has come on your watch.
If you truly love this brand please consider this move while we still have a future.
Sincerely,
Charlie Cole Cole Harley-Davidson Bluefield, WV
The H-D Council of the NPDA recently communicated with management of HDMC to express our concerns on initiatives and programs imposed on the dealer network that have contributed to the decline in the financial stability and profitability of our dealerships. We have been respectful in reaching out to discuss and collaborate with HDMC management to find solutions to our common challenges. We expressed our desire to work together and support this legacy brand for the future.
Since that time the Wall Street Journal picked up on our concerns and reported on August 13, 2024 the dealer’s concerns with HDMC. In the article it was stated our H-D Council only represents a small portion of the US dealer network through the NPDA. In full disclosure: we currently represent more than one third of the H-D in North America through the NPDA. We feel a full third of the franchised dealerships is significant. However, more members will provide a firmer foundation of support in the future.
If you have not joined the NPDA, we respectfully ask you to seriously consider the benefits of working together to discuss shared issues that will strengthen our operations and future. Our goal is to have respectful and professional dialogue with all stakeholders in the Powersports Industry. The investment in the NPDA is small in comparison to the risk of having no input in the future of our industry.
Here is the post on X referenced by Charlie Cole:
“We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue on our journey together as one Harley-Davidson. United We Ride… After an internal stakeholder review, Harley-Davidson confirmed they have not operated a DEI function since April of this year.”
https://x.com/harleydavidson/ status/1825564138032234994/photo/1
More telling are the 10,000+ comments that have been made since 9:03 am August 19. Charlie Cole is not an outlier, but a loyal dealer concerned about his customers, his staff and his industry. NPDA is not an “insignificant” minority, but a growing voice of the dealerships who can’t be dismissed as easily as an individual.
The Motor Company added that there are no hiring quotas, and no longer any “supplier diversity spend goals” which are created to spread the company’s spending to businesses operated by people of diverse backgrounds. The statement continued to say they will review all sponsorships and organizations Harley-Davidson is affiliated with, including ending their relationship with the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.
But this is a vast difference from just two years ago, where according to the Inclusive Stakeholder
Management Report, DEI was a company priority, with “a main objective of developing an inclusive and diverse organization at all levels and in all areas.”
The report showed that in 2022, employees participated in several DEI programs, including multiple resource groups designed to support women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community -- groups that now will exclusively focus on professional development and networking.
In their statement, Harley-Davidson said they “remain committed to listening to all members of our community.”
As other OEMs move away from sport ATVs, KAYO is stepping up! We're dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a ordability and reliability. With models custom-tailored for every age group—many with multiple options—we're proud to support the next generation of riders.
Noting positive headway despite a 12% decrease in revenue, RumbleOn, the largest powersports retail group in the nation, released its Q2 numbers. “Operating cash flows for the first half of 2024 totaled $29.2 million compared to $(5.6) million in 2023,” claims CEO Mike Kennedy. “Free Cash Flow for the first half of 2024 was $28.2 million compared to $(11.6) million in the 2023 period as the company reduced Non-Vehicle Net Debt by $33.8 million in the first half of 2024.”
Other highlights from the first half of 2024 include:
• Revenue of $336.8 million decreased 12.0%
• Net loss totaled $0.7 million compared to net loss of $13.6 million
• Selling, general & administrative expense (SG&A) was $71.4 million compared to $100.3 million.
• Adjusted SG&A decreased 19.4% to $70.8 million, or 78.7% of gross profit (GP), from $87.8 million, or 82.5% of GP
• Adjusted EBITDA of $16.2 million decreased 19.8%
Kennedy attributes the newly mapped out Vision 2026 for the turn-around. “We executed the initial phase of Vision 2026 strategy to run the best dealerships in America, which is expected to yield $30 million of annualized savings. To that end, RumbleOn opened RideNow Powersports Houston, a dedicated pre-owned vehicle dealership, in June.
“Our second quarter performance reflects the strength of our powersports dealership group as we continue to progress on our turnaround. It is a challenging time for the powersports industry, as we navigate a high interest environment, a cautious consumer, and inflated new major unit inventories. Despite these challenges, I’m proud of the way our team has responded.
“The team’s efforts delivered positive free cash flow during the first half of 2024, and we expect to continue to deliver positive free cash flow in the back half of 2024,” concludes Kennedy. “We remain laser focused on achieving our Vision 2026 goals and creating per-share value.”
Continued on page
ABOUT RUMBLEON
RumbleOn, Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBL), operates through two operating segments: our Powersports dealership group and Wholesale Express, LLC, an asset-light transportation services provider focused on the automotive industry. Our Powersports group is the largest powersports retail group in the United States (as measured by reported revenue, major unit sales and dealership locations), offering over 500 powersports franchises representing 50 different brands of products. Our Powersports group sells a wide selection of new and pre-owned products, including parts, apparel, accessories, finance & insurance products and services, and aftermarket products. We are the largest purchaser of pre-owned powersports vehicles in the United States and utilize RideNow’s Cash Offer to acquire vehicles directly from consumers. Click here for more: www.rumbleon.com
Landmark dealership Monty’s Cycle Shop/HarleyDavidson has transitioned from a family owned operation to the RumbleOn family of dealerships. The newly acquired dealership, now named Revolution Road Harley-Davidson, the West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, dealership opened its doors under its new ownership in mid-August.
Joseph Cacicio, a New England native with extensive experience in the powersports industry, has been appointed as the General Manager of Revolution Road Harley-Davidson. “I am honored to take the helm at Revolution Road Harley-Davidson,” claims Cacicio. “Our team is committed to serving the dealership’s loyal customers and adding exciting new initiatives that support the Harley-Davidson brand.”
Billed as the area’s premiere authorized, full service, family run Harley-Davidson dealership, the business originally opened February 14, 1947, as Monty’s Cycle Shop, Inc. It later added The Motor Company franchise, officially becoming Harley-Davidson of West Bridgewater, but still in the original West Bridgewater building. Most recently the dealership had been owned by Kathleen Monaghan, a long-time member of the area’s powersports community, “Our customers know us for our family-oriented atmosphere and excellent selection…” and the new ownership plans to keep it that way with local enthusiast Cacicio as GM.
Located mid-way between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, the location provides easy access for numerous current and future Harley owners. This purchase marks RumbleOn’s 56th dealership, a significant milestone as the first acquisition under CEO Mike Kennedy. “Dealership acquisitions are a crucial element in achieving RumbleOn’s Vision 2026 strategic plan,” Kennedy commented on the strategic importance of acquisitions, (see “Dealership Acquisitions” sidebar).
“Revolution Road Harley-Davidson is a perfect addition to our growing portfolio of dealerships.”
The purchase of Monty’s marks RumbleOn’s 56th dealership and a significant milestone as the first acquisition under new CEO Mike Kennedy. “Dealership acquisitions are a crucial element in achieving RumbleOn’s Vision 2026 strategic plan, Kennedy commented on the strategic importance of acquisitions. “Revolution Road Harley-Davidson is a perfect addition to our growing portfolio of dealerships.”
But that was just part of the dealership expansion program as RumbleOn recently pushed into two additional dealership locations, piloting a pre-owned only operation.
Earlier this summer, RumbleOn opened Indian Motorcycle of Cincinnati, a market which had not been served by an Indian dealership. “Our close partnerships with all of our OEM’s, in this case Polaris, made Indian Motorcycle of Cincinnati a reality,” continued Kennedy. But the bigger market move may be the stand-alone pre-owned space.
To that end, RumbleOn launched RideNow Powersports Houston, a dealership pilot project focused on selling preowned vehicles exclusively. This innovative dealership offers a range of pre-owned powersports products, with an emphasis on custom and touring motorcycles. The location near Interstate 45 north of Houston also carries a comprehensive selection of accessories and riding gear.
When Kennedy took the reins in November 2023, he used his first year-end earnings announcement to roll out the “Vision 2026” plan in detail to analysts, employees and trade media. “This three-year operating plan reflects input from our board, our team and my observations over the past few months,” Kennedy explained. He also telegraphed RideNow’s plan to pilot its first standalone brick & mortar pre-owned dealership, now revealed as RideNow Powersports Houston.
“The plan’s three strategic pillars will ultimately create a better experience for riders and a better environment for our team members while always focusing on maximizing long-term per share value,” he noted. “That’s a ‘triple win.’ Now it’s time to get to work and make it happen.”
To reiterate, the three strategic pillars of Vision 2026 are: 1) Operate the best performing dealerships in America. 2) Leverage the RideNow Cash Offer Tool to accelerate growth of the pre-owned vehicle business.
3) Allocate capital to maximize long-term per share value.
“Our strategic plan calls for us to carefully manage our capital and to run the best performing dealerships in the country,” Kennedy concludes. “The three new dealerships we opened this summer, each one quite different, are great examples of how we will grow and achieve our Vision 2026 goals and continue to focus our capital allocation on generating long-term per-share value for our shareholders.”
The launch of Indian Motorcycle of Cincinnati, the pre-owned pilot store in Houston and the purchase of Monty’s marks RumbleOn’s 54, 55 and 56th dealerships.
By Gus Stewart, Photos By Simon Cudby
It is complicated in its simplicity, or I really need to brush up on my understanding of how a motorcycle clutch actually works. The charts, graphs and diagrams explaining that the ECU is connected to the MCU is connected to the shift lever was starting to get a bit overwhelming… it wasn’t until project leader Junya Ono somewhat exasperatedly said “think of it as a quick-shifter for a streetbike,” that it dawned on me… of course, that is not what it really is, but that is close enough for a layman like me to get what the 4.2 lb. lump mounted on the right side of the CBR650R and CBR650s we would be riding on the track, backroads of Georgia and city traffic.
It is not simply a quick-shift for the street… it is better than that! “The Honda E-Clutch manages clutch engagement and disengagement based on its reading of parameters including vehicle speed, throttle opening angle, engine rpm, pressure on the shift pedal, clutch motor reduction gear angle, engine countershaft speed, and gear position,” explained Ono-san for the umpteenth time. “The clutch is operated through an actuator unit with two motors situated inside the right-hand engine cover. As the clutch is engaged or disengaged, the engine’s ignition timing and fuel injection are also controlled, resulting in smooth, shock-free shifting in any situation.”
Got it?
Automatic transmission, quick-shifter, E-clutch or whatever you want to call it, still takes some time to unlearn using a clutch, especially on a race track when I spent 50 years trying to learn how to ride covering the clutch and launching off the line without frying the clutch! With that in mind Honda let journalists get a feel for the set up in a closed course environment. Trying to keep intended usage in mind, I did not disable the default settings and rip off a smokey burnout like some of the go-fast guys and hired wrists from the consumer channels (names will be withheld to protect the innocent, Robbie Bacon).
Still the very first time I went to get rolling, I instinctively grabbed a handful of clutch! Not necessary… simply click it into gear and feed it some throttle and like magic that is transformed into seamless forward motion. After a couple laps around the track I thought I was good to go… until I pulled off the track and… grabbed a handful of clutch! Actually that is not the end of the world as grabbing the lever instantly disengages the E-Clutch system and gives the rider full access to a conventional manual transmission. However the E-Clutch really will engage without any input from the rider, regardless of what gear you’re in.
As Honda clearly states: “Only throttle operation is required when starting, only gear shift pedal operation is required for gear shifting, and clutch lever operation is not required when stopping. When riding, however, hand operation of the clutch lever can move the system into manual mode temporarily, which requires the same clutch lever operation as a normal manual transmission. When the system is off, it operates like a normal manual transmission, which requires clutch lever operation in all riding states (starting, gear shifting, and stopping).”
Continued on page 32
By the time we finally took to the backroads and I stopped trying to define what an E-Clutch is, things became much better! It works much more efficiently than I can do it, making me a better rider. And when we got into traffic in downtown Dahlonega… fuhgeddaboudit! The E-Clutch is world’s better than fighting with a conventional clutch in stop-and-go situations.
Honda has championed the auto clutch segment since the first Cub came out with its automatic centrifugal clutch in 1958. Can 100+ million riders be wrong? The Super Cub blew past the 100 million mark back in 2017 and continues in production to this day! More recently Honda’s DCT system found in the Africa Twin and even the Talon we “covered” last month has been earning converts around the globe. For you Luddites and flat-earthers, think of it as an automatic clutch rather than an automatic transmission… better yet just accept that it flat out works!
And that is where the dealers come in. The E-Clutch removes a major barrier to entry to a generation of potential riders who have never mastered the nuances of a manual clutch, yet it doesn’t alienate experienced riders one bit. In fact, although they will never admit it, it can make them better riders (guilty as charged). “Entrusting clutch operation to the Honda E-Clutch system on winding roads allows the rider to concentrate on throttle, brake, and gear shifting operations, and on controlling motorcycle behavior,” claims Honda. On the track in addition to conventional quick-shifter control, the system can also instantly ‘half-clutch’ which can be better than a quick shifter in reducing changes in motorcycle behavior due to gear shifting.”
Honda’s master plan calls for more models to get the E-Clutch in the coming years. Proof of concept was the fairly rapid integration and adoption of the DCT system. According to Honda, the Dual-Clutch Transmission models outsell their manual counterparts in markets around the globe. The automatic option accounts for around 70% of all Rebel 1100/1100T and Gold Wing sales. Nearly 50% of NC700X/750X purchases are also DCT units.
If the Super Cub works for 100 million riders, just imagine what E-Clutches can do across the full range of Honda motorcycles?
The amount of negativity aimed at Honda’s latest E-Clutch technology, fueled by misinformation, is shocking. Surrounding it is the distinct energy from the “They took our jobs!” South Park episode, but instead of “jobs” it’s “clutch”. I believe the E-Clutch will go on to become mainstream and widely accepted by the community because a MT on a motorcycle adds to the sense of freedom while riding—you’re the governor. But, when you combine that MT with the E-Clutch system, you have more freedom, not less. P.S. I can confirm that this is the easiest burnout you’ll ever do on a motorcycle with a clutch lever. ~ Robbie Bacon, RideApart
Not once did the CBR650R’s rear wheel lock or squirm with E-Clutch activated. I can’t say the same when I switched into full manual mode, as slipping the clutch and matching revs were all down to me. If anything, manually managing the clutch only illustrated the automatic mode’s efficiency and efficacy. I may not know anyone who owns an automatic motorcycle, but something tells me I’ll meet someone with an E-Clutch bike in the coming years. ~ Dustin Wheelen, Common Thread
Stop-and-go traffic is where the E-Clutch shines, especially for a daily commuter. Stuck behind what was most likely regular afternoon Dahlonega, GA traffic, where the patter of travel was roll a little bit and then wait a little bit, it hit me that I would typically have some discomfort in my hands at this point of a long day of riding. Time will tell what else the technology will bring to the moto-table. For now, the E-Clutch system invites and welcomes new riders to begin their journey as motorcyclists with the 2024 Honda CBR650R and CB650R. ~ Allen Lane, SportBikes, Inc.
The new Honda E-Clutch system is something in between Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission and a quickshifter. While using the E-Clutch, the rider won’t need to operate the clutch lever, whether shifting up or down, coming to a stop, or pulling away after a stop. The rider need only switch gears using the foot control. ~ Christian Pierce , Rider Magazine
• Rock Tex™ 600 outer shell
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By Don Musick
No, not that Muddy Waters. As the saying goes… “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and the Jiger Juggernaut soon found itself Kneedeep in “flattering” imitators.
A quick trip to Wikipedia finds only a handful (10) of vintage amphibious ATV (AATV) manufacturers out of more than 70 referenced. To really appreciate the breadth of AATVs from the 60’s and 70’s, there are two excellent resources: Route 6X6.com and 6X6world.com. Between these two websites there are a total of 72 AATVs profiled at various levels of detail. For an apples-to-apples comparison, we won’t consider tracked amphibious vehicles (there are many) and just stick to the models with balloon tires. And for now, we’ll just focus on the 6X6 segment which reduces the head count to 41.
We won’t chase down all 41, but the table below samples two dozen which were available during the 60s and 70s. As you can see, there wasn’t a lot of variation in design from any of these manufacturers. Besides the obvious 6 low pressure tires, they all have roughly the same dimensions, bench seating and are powered by 2S single or twin cylinder engines (4S came later). Some featured electric start, some had multiple speed ranges, and some had reverse. And all, like the Jigger, turned like a skid steer by varying the speed of left and right wheel banks.
But the mechanism used to accomplish skid steering did vary; from differential braking to single/ twin planetary differentials to hydrostatic drives. As the industry continued to proliferate, most manufacturers settled on the Borg-Warner T-20 transmission.
Developed specifically for 6X6 vehicles, the T-20 transmission contains 2 separate differentials (one for each side) in a common housing driven by a CVT clutch. This configuration allows each side of the drivetrain to operate independently, so even if one side stops completely, the other side continues to drive. This minimizes wheel scrubbing while turning and provides better control.
The T-20 proved to be incredibly durable and its ready availability from Borg-Warner was in large part why it found its way into so many AATV platforms.
Despite the abundance of AATV manufacturers, information documenting their respective timelines is scarce. However, the Wikipedia referenced earlier provides some insight. Jiger’s run was from 1965-1971, Amphicat 1965-1975, Terra Tiger late 60’s-early 70’s, and Attex 1968-1983. Yet by 1975 the industry seemed to have vanished overnight.
The early 70’s marked the start of the oil embargo and gasoline rationing. Most Americans responded by curtailing spending, especially on non-essential items… like AATVs.
The success of AATVs in the U.S. had also caught the eye of American Honda. Hoping to capture more of the offroad market, a set of Amphicat tires were sent to Japan for evaluation. The result was the US90 (later renamed the ATC90). Priced at $595, well below the $1,500 average price of an AATV, the ATC90 was a gut punch to
the 6X6 industry. Sales of AATVs began to decline and manufacturers close their doors… all while sales soared for the non-amphibious ATC90.
Then in 1975, Recreatives Industries (RI - Max) partnered with Hustler to purchase the rights to the T-20 transmission from Borg-Warner. Since the T-20 was used by the majority of AATVs, the contract required that RI and Hustler continue to provide other manufacturers for one year. But the fine print of the contract made no mention of manufacturing lead time which RI and Hustler set to be one year plus one day. Just like the Andrea Gail, this rogue wave sank most of the competition.
With only a smattering of smaller manufacturers remaining, Recreatives Industries (Max), Hustler, Ontario Drive Gear (Argo) and Attex survived as the major players in the industry.
Attex attempted reconfigure their products with a different transmission and managed to survive until the early 80’s under changing ownership. Once the most prolific of the AATV manufacturers, they too finally closed their doors. Hustler also ceased production in the mid ‘80s.
We have come a long way since that chance meeting in 1959 between Toronto gun shop owner Jack Rempel (a.k.a. John Gower) and Swiss Engineer Fred Rohrer… their providential encounter ushered in an entirely new outdoor category. Gower-Rempel, an outdoorsman, had long envisioned a lightweight off-road vehicle that could navigate the woods, snow and waterways of the Canadian wilderness. Rohrer (a military tank enthusiast), agreed to help with the “Jiger” design. From these humble beginnings, the “six wheels and a tub” movement launched.
According to Wikipedia, by 1970 there were nearly 60 companies manufacturing 6X6 amphibious ATVs
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibious_ATV ). However, Nick Oxender from present company MuddOx puts that closer to 100 OEMs in the space. Even big box retailers like Sears jumped into the fray with models like the 1971 Sears Sportster 6x6. But perhaps the time is coming for another boom? The remaining competitors certainly hope so.
As the sole survivors of the 6X6 phenomenon, Argo and Max faced the daunting challenge of staying relevant in the face of the ATV / SXS avalanche that the next decades would bring. It would be a long and winding road for Max and steady as she goes for Argo, but both continue today.
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
By Lenny Sims
No question the industry is at an inflection point going into the second half of 2024. Dealer sentiment is not overly positive, but selling prices for most segments were stable going into summer. The surprise of Q2? Sportbikes had a particularly strong start accelerating into peak season!
Overall in the motorcycle segment, values for the most recent 10 model years of Cruisers averaged 0.6% lower in the May-June period compared to March-April. This was 9.4% lower in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023. While Cruisers were slumping, the aforementioned Sportbike sector surged.
In fact, Sportbikes averaged 4.0% higher in May-June compared to March-April. This was just 3.2% lower yearover-year... and 2023 YTD was solid. Seems like the sub400cc Sportbike class is coming into its own, mirroring global trends.
Closer to home, UTV sales are a North American phenomenon. In the side-by-side segment, the utility segment averaged 0.2% higher in May-June compared to March-April. This was 9.5% lower year-over-year. Has the market reached its saturation point or were retailers and customers waiting for the August Dealer meetings and ensuing unveils of up-spec UTVs?
Speaking of up-spec, the sport segment averaged 0.6% lower in May-June compared to March-April. This was 8.8% lower year-over-year.
Outside of the Sportbike segment surprise, most motorcycle and side-by-side selling prices continue to reflect more difficult finance, inventory and equity conditions. With both retail and wholesale financing drying up during the hot summer months and the inevitable wallet-tightening going into an election, the second half of 2024 is going to be a time of recalibrating.
Bottom line? We will continue to make value adjustments as needed in response to this downward pressure.
J.D. Power Specialty Valuation Services (formerly NADAguides) is a leading provider of specialty vehicle valuation products and services to businesses. The team collects and analyzes tens of thousands of wholesale and retail transactions per month, and delivers a range of guidebooks, web service data, analysis and digital data solutions. J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world’s leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.
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The longer, warmer summer days are perfect for vacation, getting out and exploring the great outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. Despite the additional recreational time, summer signifies the end of the selling season for most dealerships. While June may have produced some early surprises, no new revelations are coming out of July. Average Wholesale Price (AWP) performance fell in line with seasonal expectations as prices dropped in nearly every category. It’s important to note that besides the normal seasonal swings in values, AWPs have been impacted by the challenges dealers face in trying to retail new inventory. Wholesale incentives, retail promotions, and the sheer volumes of new units in the marketplace are impacting dealers’ approach to pre-owned.
July AWP performance in the on-road segments was down as a whole. Domestic Cruiser, which makes up nearly 50% of the units being sold at wholesale, continued to underperform versus both long-term and short-term comps. Metric Cruiser and Sport trends continue to diverge from one another. Metric Sport AWPs remained solid compared to other categories, buoyed by new inventory dynamics. In speaking with dealers, many have noted that Sport bikes are one of the few product types where inventory is still challenging to find. Off-highway and specialty segments experienced dips in values compared to 2023 and 90-day comparables. While volumes have picked up in the lanes, they remain relatively flat to pre-COVID levels and well within historical norms. This is important to note, as price and volume dynamics typically move in opposite directions.
Turn times remain a significant factor in profitability. As we’ve noted, outside of the COVID vortex, wholesale values will continue to fall through the next 3-4 months in alignment with retail trends. Early results in August have produced similar results in AWP, indicating softer values are ahead. Prudent dealers will diligently promote quicker cycle times on used inventory to maximize profits and limit seasonal market exposure. The good news is there are bargains to be had. Despite the slower retail season ahead, business is still being transacted, and margins can be robust on purchases made this season. Use the NPA Value Guide to track trends in real-time and arm yourself with the best information available.
JULY ‘24 VS. AVG OF PRIOR 3 MONTHS AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE CHANGE
JULY ‘24 VS. JULY ‘23 AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE CHANGE
Selling coals to Newcastle? Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will be supplying Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. with electric motorcycles for the home market. Based on Honda’s “EM1 e:” and “BENLY e: I” Class-1* the models are powered by Honda Mobile Power Packs with swappable batteries. This is actually the culmination of an agreement first discussed back in October 2016.
The key areas of discussion included: 1) supplying 50cc scooter models, 2) joint development of next-generation 50cc business scooter models, and 3) collaboration toward the popularization of electric motorcycles in the Class-1 category. The Class-1 category: A category defined by the Road Vehicles Act of Japan as “vehicles equipped with two or more wheels and an engine with total displacement of 50cc or less or an electric motor with rated output of 0.60 kW or less.”
In April 2019, Honda and Yamaha, together with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corporation, established the Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles for the purpose of popularizing electric motorcycles. The Consortium discussed the possibility of standardizing mutualuse swappable batteries solutions to address key challenges of electric motorcycles – range and charging time. The Consortium reached an agreement to establish common specifications in March 2021.
Pitbike specialists SSR used their presence at AMA’s Vintage Motorcycle Days to present a pint-sized eBike. “Moving ahead, we proudly present the SR-e, our new all-electric pit bike,” said rep Rod Overstreet. “The all-new electric SR-e model is designed with young riders in mind, making it an easy option for parents who want to introduce their children to motorcycling.”
Check the website for additional details on the SR-e and the 2025 ICE lineup coming soon: lnkd.in/eB8zAiZk
We last checked in with Surron at the world’s largest motorcycle show in Milan. By EICMA standards, the Surron display was small, but big news was in it, namely the full-sized Ultra Bee. Now North American dealers are getting deliveries of the upspec version: the Carbon Edition Ultra Bee. Pairing Surron’s 4th-generation powertrain, with an aluminum alloy forged chassis results in a 187 lbs. (85 kg) package.
“Another bold attempt, another milestone breakthrough. Engineered with experience gained from the existing Bee family of electric bikes, as well as racing over the last few years, the all-new Surron Ultra Bee is here to redefine the electric off-road experience.”
The hard numbers bolster the hype of the brochure: KEY FEATURES
12.5 KW PEAK POWER
87 MILES (140 KM) MAXIMUM RANGE
56 MPH (90 KM/H) TOP SPEED
But that was just the beginning… The Hyper Bee made its debut at the Tennessee Knock Out event in late August! “Time to BEE amazed at the TKO race!”
If this opportunity has you charged up about the possibilities, click here to become a Surron dealer: www.sur-ron.com/dealerApply?id=1
CAKE rising… again? The latest phoenix to emerge from CAKE’s fire sale is the team at cakeservice.co — a Swedish team committed to “empowering CAKE electric motorcycle riders with original and premium spare parts with unparalleled expertise. Ensuring every ride is exceptional. Now and in the future.”
In the wake of the CAKE electric motorcycle insolvency, cakeservice.co was founded by Sebastian Vocanac and Stefan Backlund as a commercial initiative to ensure the 6,000+ CAKE vehicles can RIDE ON for many years to come. Sebastian leads the technical team while Stefan brings the marketing chops after successful stints with a series of tech companies, including Klarna, Trustly and Lurkit.
“Our warehouse in Sweden contains more than 100,000 parts in order to service CAKE owners of the Makka, Ösa and Kalk platforms everywhere in the world,” claims Vocanac. “We will ensure that new parts are sourced and we will work with global retail partners to support new sales of CAKE motorcycles and mopeds.”
Need ingredients for a CAKE? Click here: www.cakeservice.co
Losses Continue
“In the second quarter, we achieved continued growth in existing markets for our Electric Motorcycles segment. In fact, we maintained our position as the #1 on-road electric motorcycle retailer in the U.S. for the first half of 2024,” claimed Karim Donnez, CEO, LiveWire. “With a 12% improvement in consolidated operating loss for the quarter over prior year, we remain committed to cost reduction initiatives while investing in portfolio expansion in both our Electric Motorcycles and STACYC segments, with upcoming new products planned.”
LiveWire posted Unit sales of 158 electric motorcycles, which Donnez noted an increase of 35% over first quarter 2024 and triple digit increase over second quarter 2023.
In line with expectations, consolidated operating loss improved by $3.8 million driven by overall cost reduction initiatives. However, LiveWire’s consolidated net loss was still $24.8 million for the second quarter of 2024 compared to $40.7 million in the same period of the prior year. The decrease of $1.2 million in interest income offset by an increase of $13.2 million of non-operating income related to the decrease in fair value of the outstanding warrants as of June 30, 2024, as compared to prior year.
Electric Motorcycles revenue increased $1.7 million in the second quarter of 2024, due to higher unit sales. Selling, engineering and administrative expenses decreased $3.1 million as a result of overall cost reduction initiatives. In line with expectations, operating loss decreased by $5.1 million, driven by decreases in selling, engineering and administrative expenses and cost of goods sold.
In line with expectations, STACYC revenue and operating income were down compared to same quarter 2023 primarily due to a reduction in third party branded distributor volumes and a planned increase in spend relating to product development costs for new models.
With great power comes great responsibility so the American Bicycling Education Association is taking on the eBike issue. Based on its 15-year track record of teaching adults to be better bicyclists, the association is now program to burgeoning eBike market.
“With eBikes, teenagers have found transportation independence! But while eBikes are legally defined as bicycles, they are much closer to mopeds. Kids need to learn to use the roads and bike paths safely and responsibly.
Ebike Training for Teens teaches proven methods with engaging content adapted for middle- and high-school teens. Knowledge is reinforced with quizzes in each section. Each student who completes the course receives a printable personalized certificate of completion.
Learn more here: teenebiketraining.com
Dealers attending Club BRP were informed BRP has set its sights on Can-Am becoming the “global electric motorcycle leader” with the launch of the 2025 Pulse and Origin all-electric motorcycle lineup. “Building on BRP’s rich 80-year history of powersports innovation and excellence, Can-Am is changing the dynamic and opening the road to a new generation of riders and electric vehicle enthusiasts.” The unveil took place during the dealer meeting August 19 in Anaheim, California.
“Today, we are reclaiming our two-wheel heritage by bringing new excitement to the electric motorcycle industry,” said José Boisjoli, President and CEO of BRP. “50 years ago, Can-Am celebrated many victories with its Track ’n Trail motorcycles, and we are bringing that pedigree back with a focus on modern electric power, connectivity and thrill. We intend to become a global leader in that space with true innovation designed to simplify the riding experience for new riders and introduce electric motorcycles to all.”
But are the dealers ready for an electric Canned-Ham? Responses range from early adapters noting Can-Am was a pioneer 50 years ago citing creation of Spyder and Ryker as unique platforms… to others pointing out the Origin answers a question that dealers didn’t ask… but are at least willing to keep an open mind. “I ride what performs and what I enjoy. As a lifelong hot rodder — electric works,” says Michael Kiley owner of Tytler’s Cycle. If someone proved that I could make my stuff perform by putting a blender full of banana peels on the fender of my bike — you can bet there will be a blender full of banana peels on the fender of my bike!”
Disclaimer — Kiley not only sells Energica he is responsible for racing them in MotoAmerica. “Last year we beat every bike on the grid, except one Indian, at the Texas round. KTM, BMW, Harley Davidson — all finished behind an electric bike. ”I think this Can Am product is going to do very well. These things are stupid fun… and they expand ridership. People who would never pull a clutch lever will jump on an electric. More customers — bigger market — all the good things. Albeit a different business proposition — less opportunity in the service department, but that’s not a show stopper.”
No surprise that one of the first to weigh in was Mark Sheffield from Woods Cycle Country. “Like some, I’m not an EV skeptic. I fully believe they have their time and place. For someone who has spent almost 40 years riding traditional motorcycles, it is going to require that we older riders keep an open frame of mind towards this segment. If you are opposed to EVs for ideological or political reasons, I don’t think that’s a valid excuse to disparage the class. Just move on and enjoy what you are used to, both types of motorcycles can coexist on the road,” SheffieldSez.
“As to these 2 new bikes, I found the acceleration to be quite robust. It only takes a short section of road to get to 70 MPH. The bikes offer different ride modes for different skill levels and road conditions. The regen system is also adjustable…I’m sure there will be a lot of write ups on these new motorcycles, many in more detail. But, I was impressed, and I think this could be an area where we as an industry work to build the next generation of enthusiasts. It’s going to happen, with or without you, so you might as well get on board.
“If you are a BRP dealer, look into the dealer support programs they put together. There are a few different versions, but all of them are extremely low cost and low risk (think free flooring until 2026). Keep your eyes open.”
To learn more click on through: lnkd.in/eK2bdcuf
Three new ODYSSEY® batteries are now available as drop-in replacements for motorcycle, ATV, UTV and watercraft applications. Their non-spillable Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) design is built to handle extreme shock and vibration, while their sealed, Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) technology delivers virtually maintenance-free performance.
ACQUIRED
We represent for sale numerous motorcycle and powersports dealerships across the United States. Please contact us to learn about opportunities that may be for sale in your area or to share with us your buying criteria for future opportunities.
For a confidential consultation and complimentary estimate of value on your business, please contact us:
Harley-Davidson & Powersports Division
George C. Chaconas, Senior Partner, CBI/M&AMI
Office: 813. 569. 6250 | Cell: 813. 245. 2535
Email: george@performancebrokerageservices.com
Address: 2102 West Cleveland Street, Tampa, Florida 33606
2024 News from YOUR National Powersports Dealer Association
Welcome to the September 2024 newsletter from the NPDA! Our Dealers and Partners 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.” We welcome you to join us as a dues-paying member.
Join your fellow NPDA Dealer peers at Dealer Connect, being held Oct. 20-22, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio, where we will reveal some earth-shaking initiatives that will help you grow your business unlike anything you’ve experienced since you first took over the keys to the shop. Whether you’re the dealer principal who could use a shot of revenue-generating excitement or you’re a team member who wants to share growth opportunities with the boss, you will not want to miss Dealer Connect.
We’re gathering at the Sonesta Hotel in CBUS and it’s setting up to be one of those “Do you remember when?”moments! From the format to the content, the inaugural Dealer Connect will be unlike any event you’ve attended for the simple reason that there has never been a nationwide Dealer association before!
Fresh off our 3rd Anniversary celebration earlier this year, NPDA is riding a wave of momentum into Dealer Connect. We’re looking forward to celebrating, educating, networking and collaborating together over three days. But as founding board member and current Secretary/Treasurer Kim Harrison reminds us, “We are better together.” Connect will be a better event with your participation, so please register today.
Meanwhile presenters and dealer education gurus from some of the top outfits in the industry — including Garage Composites, Spader/NCM Associates, Tom O’Connor Sales Academy, National Powersport Auctions (NPA) and some surprise presenters TBA — are coming together. Together, Connect will get you smarter about profitability across a variety of business segments heading into 2025.
“From our major NPDA announcements to the education sessions, there’s plenty of opportunity to make your business better at Dealer Connect,” said Dave McMahon, NPDA Executive Director. “Of course, our Partners will be on hand in the Networking Room to add to your profitability options. We’re excited to offer Dealer Connect to bring our NPDA Members together in an effort to grow our businesses. Don’t miss it!”
Members can access the complete 2024 Dealer Connect schedule of events and classroom sessions, but any dealer is welcome to attend Dealer Connect. Register here: lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/tu7yqtm
Room nights at the newly renovated Sonesta Hotel in downtown Columbus are available for $159 per night and can be reserved at the link below: book.passkey.com/gt/220209188?gtid=dcf5099b8e76cfe90f88dec3d5a617ff
By Tony Gonzalez
The kids have returned to school and the weather is starting to cool off. I know that in my neck of the woods, the changing of the leaves will signify a close to summer and a slowing on the sales floor for many.
One of the consistent complaints that I get from most of the dealers in our Garage Composites 20 Clubs is the burden on their shoulders to carry the service department through the winter months. When I ask them “Why do you have to carry service through winter?” the answers vary but can be distilled down to: “Customers are not riding their stuff in the winter and service is certainly not top of mind.”
It does not have to be this way. We have just allowed ourselves to be reactive to our customer’s schedule in our service departments. By doing so, when the customer says they are no longer in need of our service department, we become beholden to their choice.
By being proactive with our customers, and thus creating doors swings in service, we can turn winter into a very profitable season for service. At Garage Composites, we urge you to:
1. Ensure that you have quality, proactive outbound contacts via text, video, emails and phone to connect with you customer base immediately
2. Create a schedule that endeavors to book through winter
3. Identify your top spending customers and contact them with the urgency that your service schedule is filling up and the time to get your work done is in “X Month”
4. Have your advisors begin (now) looking at your Priority Maintenance Customers and get them in over winter months
5. Identify which units will be coming off standard OEM warranty programs and contact them with information not only to get their unit in over winter, but how to extend out their warranty
6. Create campaigns that pull customers in for tomorrows work at today’s prices
7. Hold tech and service advisor seminars for your customers for continuing education…
Winter does not have to be the unprofitable in service,. In fact, it should be what carries the dealership through winter.
Tennessee “Volunteers” To Be Third State Dealer Council
August proved to be another productive month for one of the NPDA’s newest projects — State Dealer Councils. There are now three State Dealer Councils that have met and agreed to continue with monthly Zoom meetings. Georgia started, followed by Alabama and now, Tennessee.
September will bring an opportunity for more states to come aboard with a Dealer Council, so be on the lookout for your invitation to join the call. All NPDA Dealers are part of their State Dealer Council. Now we are simply asking you to attend the meetings and offer your knowledge as you get to know your fellow Dealers in your state.
These meetings are an open dialogue by the Dealer participants, with both HarleyDavidson and metric Dealers coming together to put their common passion — selling powersports vehicles and being a benefit to their communities — at the forefront. If they can try to overcome challenges together, that’s more efficient and effective. As we say at the NPDA, we’re better together.
Thanks to all of the Dealers who have raised their hand to manage their State Dealer Council. You are greatly appreciated by your peers.
Send a note to dave@npda.org if you are interested in being the point person for your state’s NPDA members or if you want to accept our invitation to join as an NPDA Dealer.
LeadHelm SuggestsStreamlined Processes Equal Sales Success
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Equip your team with these tools to handle every role precisely and confidently, boosting closing rates and achieving sales success. Download them now from our new eBook at LeadHelm.com/mastering-digital-sales-ebook
EDPS: Understanding The Recent Payment Card Settlement
The recent Payment Card Settlement has garnered significant attention as it offers the opportunity for affected businesses to receive compensation for overcharges on payment card interchange fees. The settlement, resulting from a class-action lawsuit, addresses the excessive interchange fees imposed by major card networks and banks on merchants accepting credit and debit cards.
The settlement represents a significant victory for merchants, helping to offset the costs associated with accepting payment cards. It also serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for transparency and fairness in the financial services industry.
For further details, merchants can consult the settlement website or contact EDPS at help@goedps.com or call (866) 578-9740.
700Credit Notes 95% Of Dealers Are Not Doing Enough To Prevent Fraud
The unfortunate truth is that fraud is happening with increased frequency inside the physical dealership. According to the experts at Point Predictive, they tracked $1.78 billion worth of fraud in dealerships last year. Just scanning a driver’s license is no longer enough.
Currently, most dealers utilize scanning technology to scan a person’s driver’s license to satisfy compliance, procedural checklists and to OCR the data to populate the CRM at the time of loan application or even during a test drive. Scanning of the driver’s license is important, but dealers must also utilize verification technology to validate the driver’s license and the person’s true identity.
This additional step helps to validate and verify the individual via address verification, red flag, OFAC, synthetic fraud checks and even bounce it off the DMV databases to verify that it is an active license. It is estimated that 95% of dealers today still don’t include this verification step in their process. For more information email: sales@700credit.com Or watch the video here: vimeo.com/853117246?&login=true#_=_
In case you are not aware, we are pumped to be bringing you the inaugural NPDA Dealer Connect event, Oct. 20-22, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. No, there is not a Buckeyes football game in town that weekend!
But there will be elite-level knowledge to be shared, coming from Dealer peers just like yourselves. We’ve built in networking time unlike any other event you can attend for the sole purpose of allowing you to get smarter by engaging with your fellow dealers. Come with questions. Come with answers. Come and join us.
Our Partners have stepped up on a moment’s notice in event parlance to allow us to launch or first event of its kind. Prior to the aforementioned schedule even being released, Dealers from Wisconsin, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Ohio and beyond showed their support by committing to attend. You should join them to get a head start on your 2025 planning. Did we mention the caliber of classroom sessions? Click here to view the complete schedule of class titles, descriptions, speakers and more, or g o to npda.org/connectschedule.
Of course, Dealer Connect will also allow us to show off the countless ways in which we have been on our mission to Promote, Unite, Represent and Educate as we put our knee down into the first corner of Year 4 as an association. There are some massive NPDA announcements planned that are aimed simply at helping you sell more product in 2025 and beyond. Business a little slower than you would like it to be? (How’s that for an understatement?) We at the NPDA are aiming high to help you cure what ails you, simply with growth plans that will impact your dealership, whether you own one location or 51.
Speaking of growth, our State Dealer Council launch as noted above has created quite a buzz among those NPDA Dealer members who have attended so far. With Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee well underway, NPDA State Councils Committee Chair Mark J. Sheffield and I are eager to launch more in September.
We don’t do what we do to make the pages of the Wall Street Journal every month. We do it so that your business can remain sustainably profitable by successfully overcoming obstacles in your way. And to do that, we are better together.
Looking forward to catching up in Columbus in October!
Dave
Dave McMahon, Executive Director, NPDA dave@npda.org; 612-226-8904 mobile
The National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) was founded in 2021 and is an association dedicated to direct interaction with our members.
Our Mission Statement is for the NPDA to empower franchised and independent Powersports Dealers through special services, products, programs, education, and advocacy of Dealer views and concerns to create a professional, successful, and profitable industry.
Our Vision is for the NPDA to advance our industry by elevating Dealers to be well prepared, sustainably profitable, and exceed the expectations of a growing Powersports customer base.
Ride With Us is evolving. The industry’s market expansion initiative led by the MIC now has a revised strategy built around targeted online content and a new partnership with a marketing technology provider to generate sales leads.
“Since the launch of Ride With Us in 2021, we have gathered a huge amount of data surrounding potential new riders across the nation, through research, surveys, through digital engagement, and through the many Moto Intro events we’ve hosted,” said Cinnamon Kernes, MIC Vice President of Market Expansion and Events. “Ride With Us will be employing an enhanced strategy that better meets future riders where they are. It’s based on what we’ve learned from prospective motorcycle customers and building on what we’ve done to date. Knowing the Motorcycle Safety Foundation RIDE Days have been so effective in tapping into communities with first-ride experiences, Ride With Us now has the ability to focus on content, casting a much wider net than before, to create awareness and inspiration.”
“We know there are many different things that bring people into motorcycling as well as some preferred behaviors that our program can lean into,” Kernes said. “For instance, we know that customization is an extremely popular and aspirational element of motorcycling. We also know that some of the younger demographics are attracted to rental over ownership. Working with MIC members and stakeholders, Ride With Us will create more original content featuring experiences, lifestyle, and community, based on these preferences and behaviors. These stories will be widely shared across our digital platforms including RideWithUs.com a website designed to provide information and resources for new and returning riders. And that will help us achieve one of our main objectives – generating solid sales leads and, consequently, nurturing these leads through the journey of becoming a rider.”
U.S. Department of the Interior Distributes $325 Million for
The Interior Department will distribute $325 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Assistance Program to all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia in the largest annual investment from the program in 45 years. The department stated that the funds will support the Biden administration’s America the Beautiful initiative and provide money to “locally led outdoor recreation and conservation projects that protect and enhance access to America’s great outdoors.”
Some of this funding will wind up improving trails and access for off-highway powersports enthusiasts across the nation.
Jessica Wahl Turner, President of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, called it “...a historic investment in our nation’s outdoor spaces, providing more access to the outdoors for more Americans and bolstering local communities’ outdoor recreation economies. This significant investment in locally led projects will ensure that communities across all 50 states can continue to enjoy and protect our cherished natural resources.”
Four years ago, with bipartisan Congressional support, the Great American Outdoors Act permanently authorized $900 million per year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, originally established in 1964.
The Interior Department states that:
- The LWCF State and Local Assistance Program has funded more than 46,000 projects in every county in the country.
- At no cost to taxpayers, the LWCF, administered by the National Park Service, supports increased public access to and protection for federal public lands...and provides matching grants to tribal, state, and local governments to support the acquisition and development of land for public parks and other outdoor recreation sites.
Allocations for each state and territory is primarily population-based and determined through a formula within the LWCF Act.
By Don Amador
Remember “only you can prevent forest fires.” As the powersports Industry joins in celebrating the 80th Anniversary of Smokey Bear, we can be proud of the long-term partnership the industry has with Smokey Bear in promoting the prevention of wildfires. The use of a “USDA Forest Service” or “USFS Approved Spark Arrester” — stamped by the factory on the muffler fitted to every off-road motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or side x side — reduces the risk of starting a wildfire.
I remember when starting to ride off-road motorcycles in the mid-1960s seeing that inscription on the side of the muffler and not really understanding what
it meant. Later that spark arrester seal, along with support for sound compliant exhaust systems, would be the foundation blocks upon which my 34-year OHV recreation career would be built.
No discussion of powersports spark arresters would be complete without hearing from Chris Real. Chris is the President of DPS Technical, a nationally recognized expert who specializes in OHV sound and spark arrester training for Law Enforcement, Land Managers and Civilian Technical Inspectors.
PS TECHNICAL INC. www.dpstechnical.com/content/?page_id=966
Chris reminds us that spark arresters work on the principle of trapping or pulverizing carbon particles that have a diameter greater than 0.023 in. Real also states that currently, a significant number of States, Municipalities, Federally managed lands and all USDA Forest Service regions require that all internal combustion engines must be equipped with a spark arrester. All USDA Qualified spark arresters must have external markings for identification that include design type and traceable information to the USDA Spark Arrester Guide publication.
In addition, Real notes that new designs of honeycomb Catalytic Converters are being qualified as a Spark Arrester. However, Chris is not the only advocate urging off-roaders to watch their 6.
Smokey Bear also encourages vehicle operators to avoid driving over or parking on dry vegetation or grass since hot exhaust systems can ignite those fuels. OHV operators can help with Smokey’s “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires” message by removing any dry vegetation that may have collected in the frame or engine compartment. It’s those simple common sense driving tips that can really reduce the risk of a vehicle-based fire ignition.
SMOKEY BEAR 80TH ANNIVERSARY
www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/features/celebratingsmokeys-80th-honoring-wildfire-prevention-heroes
For those of you who live near or recreate on Forest Service or other public land areas you may want to keep an eye out for other Smokey Bear birthday parties and attend those celebrations with our land management partners. It’s a great way to honor 80 years of Smokey Bear’s efforts to educate the public about what steps they can take to minimize the chances of them accidentally starting a wildfire.
FOREST SERVICE SPARK ARRESTER TECH TIPS
www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/html/03511307/03511307.htm
Dealernews Advocacy Editor Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for more than three decades. Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC., Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino, serves as the Western States Representative for the Motorcycle Industry Council and is Past President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance. Over the years, Amador served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996-2018; served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000 and was the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California from 2019 – 2023. He has won numerous awards, including beinag a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award.
By Eric Anderson
“The ability of humans to create and disseminate culture is often credited as the single most important factor of our success as a species.” — Iyad Rahwan, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Humans and Machines.
“I’m
sorry Dave.
I’m
afraid I can’t do that.” — HAL 9000 (circa 1968)
When the ape in the opening scenes of the 1968 movie 2001 — A Space Odyssey picked up the bone as a tool and began crushing things, the techno-revolution began.The opposable thumb combined with a larger brain, allowed humanoids to evolve differently from other living beings. Tool culture has given rise to machine culture.
Millions of years later, humanoids are beginning to merge with the very machines and tools we have built. The bow and arrow made hunting easier, but it also made the invasion of neighboring tribes easier, too. Gunpowder’s discovery in China leads later to more effective guns further improving hunting and invasion expeditions. Invention of the steam engine ushers in the Industrial Revolution. The invention of cars and motorcycles changes the world even more. Then come airplanes, tanks, atomic bombs, radio, television, personal computers, nuclear power, space travel, the Internet, mobile phones, social media and predictive algorithms.
These technologies and machines have all radically altered human culture so much we don’t think twice about it — it simply happened. Moving forward, the human mind will need to process more changes and technological advancement in the next 5 years than it has in the last 100 years. Yes, it is all moving that fast!
If humans cannot keep up the pace, then we will obviously invent more machines to do that for us. But what will we give up in the process? Choice? Freedom? Inalienable rights? Greater understanding?
We humans could attempt to keep up with such a rapidly evolving combo-culture, but the stress at the current rate is already “killing us.” The human body and brain evolve a lot slower than machines, which we can continue to improve. Our brain can invent, build and use new machine “thingies” faster than Nature can allow us to adopt their functions. So, what is a modern human in a highly machineaddicted society to do? Slow down, get off the conveyor, get off the grid, deny it is all happening?
Don’t be ridiculous. Be more curious — you’re a human being, dammit, Jim!
Will Artificial Intelligence help or hurt us?
AI will help us for sure, but will it also someday turn into Star Trek’s Borg (Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated…) which traveled the Universe literally absorbing knowledge and data from intergalactic cultures before eliminating the creatures who created them. A real mindblower, right?
Does our human-mechanoid legacy eventually come down to the data… and not the living beings who created it? What good is data without a culture to use it? Artificial Intelligence will help us see the
“We are being culturally re-wired by the machines of our own invention.”
“What we can imagine, we can create.”
future (based on past and current input, of course), but can it also become our enemy someday as it did in Terminator: Rise of the Machines? Not if we can still “pull the plug.”
As you can tell, sci-fi movies give me a glimpse into the future. What we can imagine, we can create. That sounds scary as hell, but it can also be interpreted as an inspirational message in current day business. Boldly go where no dealer has gone before!
It helps to change your viewpoint occasionally from “micro to macro” keeping perspective on where all are eventually headed. Like riding a motorcycle or running a dealership, it helps to be looking both up at the horizon far ahead… and down at the current details of your dashboard.
With that in mind, I asked ChatGPT (AI) to “draw me a water-colored image of a futuristic powersports dealership.” Here is what it provided in less than 20 seconds. WARNING: Notice it is missing the parts, accessory, apparel, service and F&I departments. Oh, and customers, too. Sigh!
Recommender Systems feed you information “because you liked something else similar to it.” For example, Homer likes beer, so Duff recommends a branded T-shirt to him. Sounds simple enough, right?
The merging of machines and humans is happening here and now in front of us all whether we notice it or not. “How” it is happening will be different for us all. Know, however, the material you receive in your daily feeds are now machine-created or at least machine-edited. Skynet is already here! Are we being culturally re-wired by the machines of our own invention? Yes!
Interesting times for sure… but it sure beats clubbing my dinner over the head with a bone.
All forms of digital media like news articles, Instagram posts, Amazon shopping, Netflix shows and Spotify songs use recommender systems. In other words, you are NOT getting the full selection of what’s available (all beer shirts), but an edited version based on your history of preferences and searching the Internet.
A machine is filtering all available data “for you” essentially without your permission. But you already knew that, right?
On one hand this is a terrific service saving us time from reviewing TMI. On the other hand this is terrifying as it is limiting our human exposure to the “whole story.” This is called “algorithm entombment” and represents a tightly controlled, machine-mediated culture.
Apply this notion to the news you receive on your computer and mobile device. You are getting more of what you want to read and hear than what perhaps you need to read and hear. But we cannot absorb everything, right? Machine-mediated culture and its power of context to shape our values and practices is truly affecting human culture.
Who is driving the bus now… Skynet?
Followers of our social media channels are getting tired of seeing a slew of weekly posts with the #GuessWhere tagline. And for every “don’t know, don’t care” comment from keyboard warriors, there are dozens of dealers, distributors, aftermarket companies and OEMs we see on the road who respond with “I know where Dealernews is today.” It has even gone global with us getting grief from exhibitors at EICMA in Italy and thumbs up industry friends from down under.
With apologies to Johnny Cash, it has been a spell since we have been down the dusty Winnemucca road, however it does seem like we have been just about everywhere else, Mack. Brenda is in Hawaii, Gus just got back from his summer sweep of dealerships in the Pacific Northwest just in time to head to Honda’s intro in Georgia. Even this round-up of where we were in January was compiled in an airport on the way to visit dealerships and make our way to Milwaukee for the Parts Unlimited NVP after the Labor Day break.
If you see us anywhere, give us a thumbs up man! If you are tired of the social media schtick, just swipe right and move on! And speaking of moving on, it is time to board!
Even if you couldn’t walk the parade route in Pasadena, you could see Honda celebrating 30 years as the Official Vehicle of the Rose Parade on TV globally Jan. 1. The theme was “Keep Dreaming” and the float was escorted by Motocompacto scooters with TRX90X sport ATVs integrated into the design.
Following Honda’s massive float in the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, HRC presented its 2024 teams to the sponsors and members of the media… and Dealernews snuck in too! See the full scoop: www.dealernews.com/Home/post/hrc-teamset-for-smx-2024/2024-01-03
The HRC team was presented at Honda HQ in Torrance in the new Heritage Hall. From the latest championship winning bike to the old Chevy pickup truck that barnstormed dealerships in 1950s the Hall is well worth the trip down memory lane!
The Motorcycle Industry Council has been serving you for more than 100 years… and Dealernews legends like Bill Bagnall, Don Brown and Don Emde paved the way for our current seat at the table on the Aftermarket Committee and the Board of Directors. We kicked off the next century of industry service with a strategic planning session, quarterly meeting and some new members.
Of course all roads lead to Anaheim for the start of the Supercross Season. A de facto trade show, A1 is the official start to the moto world’s year and even reigning MXGP champ Jorge Prado wanted to test his mettle against the best SX riders in the world. Read the full scoop: www.dealernews.com/ Home/post/sx-surprise-from-gasgas/2024-01-05
After 7,967 km of rallying across Saudi Arabia, Stage 12 ended on the shores of the Red Sea at Yanbu. And as the dust settled, Monster Energy Honda Team’s Ricky Brabec was confirmed the Dakar winner for a second time, further etching his name into the record books as Top American!
After the stress of his Kove Rally 450 not clearing customs, Mason Klein was able to finish Top American in the Prologue (10th overall), chasing former Dakar winner Ricky Brabec to the finish line for Stage 1 as the two Americans went 2-3. Our resident Dakar rider Scot Harden sat down with Mason at AIMExpo for a Dealernews LIVE interview:
First (and only) American to ever win Dakar Ricky Brabec did the impossible again. We followed in spirit via streaming, daily recaps and live timing and scoring updates from Race Control and shared multiple daily updates on the social channels and cover of the issue.
From the world’s biggest stages of the Rose Parade, A1 and Dakar Rally rostrum to the smallest of the OEMs represented by Central Powersports Distributing, we had a chance to catch up with Mark Berg about AJP/Electric Motion/Rieju/SWM and the move to Texas.
The vintage motorcycle world came to Las Vegas for Mecum’s 33rd Annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction. Las Vegas holds status as the world’s largest motorcycle auction, spanning four days and featuring 2,000+ motorcycles on offer.
Photos Courtesy of Kato, RH and KC66 Foundation
Not that we ever need an excuse to visit the MotoDoffo collection of vintage bikes stashed away in Temecula’s wine country, but the KC66 fundraiser has been a fixture on the off-road community’s calendar for the past decade. In the absence of the old International Motorcycle Show tour stop in Long Beach, the Caselli Foundation events have served as a rallying point for the industry, racers and fans alike. Friends from local dealerships like Malcolm Smith Motorsports to KTM/Husky/GasGas (the new campus is just over the hill from Doffo), to National Powersport Auctions make the trip worthwhile. More importantly it raises awareness and real money to support off-road riders.
No surprise that the board is comprised of the who’s who of the industry — FMF’s Donny Emler Jr. serves as President of The Kurt Caselli Foundation; TLD CEO Jon-Erik Burleson is onboard, as is new Motorcycle Industry Council President/CEO Christy LaCurelle. And of course “Momma Caselli” Kurt’s mother and treasurer for the foundation… and speaking of treasury, this year’s event raised $49,843 to support the foundation’s safety initiatives and educational scholarships.
“The generous contributions and unwavering support will enable us to continue our work in promoting rider
safety, funding educational scholarships, and creating a safer environment for off-road riders and racers,” says Foundation president Donny Emler Jr. He notes the event drew well over 300 guests, including industry leaders, riders and supporters, all dedicated to protecting and supporting the lives of off-road riders.
Highlights of the even included the Fall 2024 Kurt Caselli Scholarship recipients, Ian Burke of San Bernardino, CA, and Cole Bailey of Nampa, ID, being recognized on stage. To date, the KC66 Foundation has awarded 58 scholarships totaling $165,500. But the biggest winner was Timothy Sammis of Peoria, Illinois, won the 2024 KTM 890 Adventure R Rally special edition motorcycle, one of only 100 in the United States.
Even more lasting is the investment made in racer safety. “Over the past year, we’ve invested $35,800 in course markings to ensure safe and consistent race markings, and our Riders 1st Responders Program has trained 25 attendees per session in First Aid and CPR, equipping them with life-saving knowledge,” adds Emler.
Special thanks to our sponsors Rocky Mountain ATV/ MC, FMF, KTM, PCI Race Radios, Doffo Winery, 805 Beer, Drink Weird, Acorn Woods, and the Doffo family for their continued support.
But wait, there’s more! Save the date for the 11th Annual Kurt Caselli Ride Day on Saturday, December 7, at Fox Raceway in Pala, CA to “Ride With Kurt” and continue to support of The Kurt Caselli Foundation’s cause. Check the site for details: www.KurtCaselli.com
The Kurt Caselli Foundation was established in 2013 in loving memory of Kurt Caselli, who tragically died in a racing accident while leading the 2013 Baja 1000. The focus of the foundation is the safety of riders and racers in the off-road motorcycling industry. While we understand the inherent elements of danger in this industry, we aim to help minimize this danger to the best of our ability. The foundation has a three-part mission that encompasses safety precautions for riders before, during, and after a racing career.
1. Before racing, we are committed to encouraging, developing, and standardizing safety precautions that will help minimize risk outside of the rider’s control.
2. During racing, we are committed to developing, establishing, and encouraging the use of safety equipment and policies to increase the safety of the riders.
3. After racing, we are committed to providing a safety net that allows and encourages former racers to further their education and reach career goals for themselves and their families.
The Foundation pledges that 100% of all donations go to The Kurt Caselli Foundation to be used for its work in Protecting And Supporting The Lives of Off-Road Riders. The Kurt Caselli Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation. The Foundation was granted 501(c)3 taxexempt status effective December 17, 2013. All donations made to The Foundation are tax deductible.
We appreciate your support. We can all make a difference. Click here to make a difference: www.kurtcaselli.com/donate
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a million bucks, right? We picked some of the summer’s hottest new products and boosted their bandwidth with supporting video segments this month. Although the collab between KYT America and dealerturned MotoAmerica Superbike frontrunner Warhorse NYC is a brand new development, the value proposition remains as viable as it was when importer Brandon Cretu sat in front of the Dealernews LIVE cameras at AIMExpo.
However, the fact that KYT took on a joint venture with Warhorse NYC is the real “dealer news” from the latest limited edition lid. “This collaboration unites our motorcycle community with KYT’s innovative helmet designs, offering top protection and style for all riders,” notes Louis DeNaples III, Principal at Warhorse Powersports Group. It is also a hell of a shot in the arm for spreading the store’s reach across the racing community... well beyond their NYC turf! “Together, we’re enhancing performance and safety, reflecting the vibrant spirit and heritage of the Warhorse dealership network.”
About Warhorse NYC:
Warhorse was started over 20 years ago as a motorcycle dealership specializing in customization for the most serious riders. By 2020 Warhorse HSBK Racing grew to become the preeminent Ducati Race Team in the US. Committed to sharing their passion for motorcycles with the world, in 2022 Warhorse partnered with veteran lifestyle brand builders, Eli Morgan Gesner and Adam Schatz (Co-founders of influential streetwear brands ‘Phat Farm’ and ‘Zoo York’) to bring the excitement, accomplishment, and aesthetic of road racing and motorcycle culture to an entirely new generation of enthusiasts. This is War Horse.
Commemorating its 40-year anniversary, Bridgestone rolled out their sport bike tire for the next generation: the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S23. We put Bridgestone’s Andrew Little in the Dealernews LIVE hot seat at AIMExpo to explain the nuances of the newest rubber for 2024. Despite the pre-season hype, Little wants dealers to know this is the right tire to stock for street use as well as track day warriors. “We want to reiterate it’s not a track tire, but introducing it on a race track is a great way to experience the tire on different bikes and in a controlled environment and find out how far you can really push it… but it’s a street tire that’s meant for everyday real world use.”
KYT Americas has partnered with dealership-turned MotoAmerica front runners Warhorse NYC to release a limited-edition KYT NZ Race Warhorse NYC livery lid. This limited edition lid is an exclusive collaboration merging top-tier protection with iconic design. While this dealer-specific paint scheme may be new, the KYT USP remains as value driven as the day Brandon Cretu explained it to the Dealernews LIVE cameras at AIMExpo.
• Advanced Aerodynamics: Engineered for optimal airflow and reduced drag and
• Safety: ECE 22.06/DOT homologated.
• Premium Materials: Constructed with high-quality, lightweight materials for maximum comfort and protection. WEIGHING LESS THAN 3 LBS. Head here to become a KYT dealer: kytamericas.com/pages/become-a-dealer
Moto Cowgirl launches! The brain child of veteran gear designer, Moto Cowgirl combines Stacy Winter’s passions with her profession. “Moto Cowgirl was born with the mission to empower women and make them feel confident while riding,” she explains. “Combining moto and western apparel and making it in the USA because life is better in boots!” After designing gear for FirstGear, Answer Racing, Roland Sands Design and Can-Am, among others, Winter decided to launch her own business. In addition to supplying women’s groups, dealers and online fulfillment, Moto Cowgirl also has a retail store in Lake Havasu. See more here: motocowgirl.com
“Ever since we released our hugely popular Street Bike Tire Changer, we have heard an unprecedented number of requests for a wheel balancer to go with it,” explains Rabaconda co-founder Tony Kallast. “Like all of our other products, it’s a well thought out tool and a premium product that will last for years to come.” Following the brand’s “designed by riders for riders” philosophy, the Rabaconda Motorcycle Wheel Balancer has taken the tried and true concept of the static wheel balancer to a completely new level, claims Kallast. Notable innovations include their trademarked HACS — Hand Adjustable Cone System — which makes for quick and easy wheel centering. Durable sealed ball bearings ensure a consistent low friction rotation and allows for the perfect balance every time. Click here to become a Rabaconda dealer and get the Balance Right: us.rabaconda.com/pages/dealer-signup-usa
SMK hinted at a half helmet when we first spoke with Shilpa at AIMExpo, but now that the Patriot has hit these shores, it is time to take a closer look at this revolutionary lid. Top flight features at a bargain price (MSRP is less than $90) make this a summer profit center for dealers and an impulse buy for cruising customers. Lightweight (1050 grams +/-) and a full 2-year warranty immediately stand out. smkhelmets-us.com/shop-helmets/half-helmets/patriot/ patriot-solid/?attribute_pa_swatches=matt-black-ma200&attribute_pa_helmet-size=xs
“Each year, more than 20,000 powersports vehicles are reported stolen across the United States,” explains Jeremy Van Winkle. “TUFR Tech has pioneered a revolutionary interlock system that offers advanced protection against theft, tampering, and unauthorized access, all at your fingertips.” But wait, there is more! More than 20 million children have household access to powersport vehicles. More than 11,000 of these children are injured each year in powersport’s vehicle accidents. “Our goal at TUFR is simple – reduce that number to ZERO,” Van Winkle adds. “With our revolutionary interlock and biometric user control system, we can make that happen.” Get tough on crime here: www.tufrtech.com
Motorcycle Trailblazer, racer and tech with landmark SoCal dealerships John Rice passed away. Simply known as John R, Rice was a fixture in the emerging off-road scene from the 1950s until his passing on 6/22/24 after a brief hospitalization for pneumonia. From his official Trailblazers induction ceremony as a member of the Class of 2012:
Rice was, as many young men in the 1950s, very interested in motorcycles and bought his first two-wheeled ride, a Cushman scooter in 1956. That only lit a spark however and soon after he purchased a BSA 650 Golden Flash. He rode more and more and then decided to take the next step and try racing. John purchased a 350cc BSA Catalina Scrambler and was ready to go for 1957.
His first “race” was at the old Lancaster fairgrounds and didn’t go very well. John entered an enduro, not understanding that an enduro is a timed event, and as was his style, he rode wide open the whole way. Next he tried a Scrambles race at the “Rusty Nails” track in San Pedro and led the race until he got a flat tire on his
BSA. Scrambles was more to his liking and soon became his favorite type of racing. He rode every Scrambles race that year, finishing 7th in the district and a very credible 5th in class at the Catalina Grand Prix.
In 1958 John joined the Army and was stationed at Fort Ord. He continued to race almost every weekend, breaking his arm at Perris when he fell and was run over by Elliott Schultz. He came up with a story that the Army would buy; however, he cut the cast off his broken arm every week and had the Army medics re-do it on Mondays. That, he says, took a lot of explaining.
John left the Army in September of 1960 and came back to Southern California and began working in the aircraft industry for a while, then motorcycles called again and he went to work for Monte Darling at Norm Best BSA in Buena Park. He stayed in the motorcycle business and later accepted an offer to work at Long Beach Honda, where he worked for the next 12 years.
At Long Beach Honda he started riding Honda 305 Super Hawks because they were faster than his BSA. He rode District 37 events every weekend and even rode Ascot Park as an AMA pro Novice in 1961 and 1962 for Norm Reeves. John decided that professional racing at Ascot was just too dangerous and wasn’t as much fun as Sportsman racing, so he returned to District 37 racing. In 1967 he got a Honda 450 twin and went to Perris to try to beat one of his heroes, Jim Hunter. He won the number one plate in the very tough 500 Expert class in 1967 and 1968.
While doing all of the Scrambles in Southern California he managed to ride Hopetown several times, eventually winning the 100cc class and the 125cc class on DKW for Ted Lapidakis. He also won the 350 and 500 Expert classes, almost winning the Open Expert on a 501 Maico, which broke while he was leading. In the last year of the Elsinore Grand Prix, while leading overall, he hit a spectator, crashed and broke his nose. He got up and went to the pits to repair the bike as best possible and ended up finishing second to Steve Hurd.
Rice also won the District 37 Perpetual Trophy for the 400 Expert class that year. The names on the trophy are a who’s who in Southern California racing history. Next he decided to try his luck at District 37 motocross and in 1969 became the number one rider in the 500 Expert class. He continued riding motocross until 1976 when he quit racing and started in another sport, endurance horse racing. In 1996 John again began racing with AHRMA Vintage Motocross on a vintage Honda. Unfortunately he broke his hip, which ended his active racing days.
John rode for, and was sponsored by Long Beach Honda, Ted Lapadakis, Frank Cooper, Norm Reeves Honda and Norm Best BSA. John R was inducted into the Trailblazer’s Hall of Fame in 2012. He is survived by two daughters, Robin (Rice) Capps and Tami (Rice) Greenhill, who is still an active motorcyclist, Viewfinders MC members and a legion of fellow Trailblazers. According to Tami Greenhill a Celebration of Life is planned for late-October at Glen Helen Raceway.
By Mark Sheffield
Now that sales have slowed down, dealers keep contacting me asking what they can do to drive more service and parts business. Here is the cold hard truth on that topic.
All these dealers completely screwed themselves by not focusing on service and parts during the good times. For the last decade, my 20 group members have heard me repetitively state that it can take a dealer a good 2-3 years to build up a team and a reputation in those departments. Do it when times are good, and you can fall back on those areas of the business when times are bad.
In my opinion, there is very little these dealers can to do quickly turn things around in the short term. For the most part, they probably just need to spend some time focusing on training the service writers and counter associates, so that they are capitalizing on every customer who does actually come in the door, and they need to offer an incredible experience.
Service customers primarily want 3 things:
- Fix it right
- Fix it fast
- Communicate
Parts customers want 3 things:
- Knowledgeable staff
- Items in stock
- An employee who adds value (communication/enthusiasm)
These dealers are just going to have to work through this tough spot reaping what they have sown. I’m sure many of them could spend incredible amounts of money on advertising, and it wouldn’t drive much business. Their customers don’t like or trust them, and you can only gain that back by reearning that trust. That’s a long term play.
Mark J. Sheffield is a U.S. Army Veteran, strategic advisor for Woods Cycle Country, contributing writer for Outdoor Power Equipment magazine and Powersports Business magazine, and currently facilitates multiple 20 groups for Spader Business Management. When he’s not assisting with dealership performance, he can be found at the rifle range or digging holes with his backhoe.
Albert Einstein
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