NEWS

AMA REVIVES VMD!

And Salutes On Any Sunday

While the whole COVID mess kept things in limbo for a lot longer than the American Motorcyclist Association planned, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is happening returning July 23-25 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. All the favorite features — the off-road and roadracing, the swap meet, the Hall of Fame activities and more — are all being revived! But more is being added to the docket.

“This year’s VMD event will have a very special theme,” explains new AMA editorial director Mitch Boehm. “Bruce Brown’s epic moto-documentary On Any Sunday made its debut 50 years ago this July, and to celebrate we’ll be featuring some of the people, motorcycles and memorabilia that helped comprise what is arguably the best motorcycle movie of all time. We might even screen the movie during the weekend!”

Boehm adds specifics are still coming together, so watch the AMA website and social media for updates. “A few things to keep in mind this year: One, we’ll all have to practice some social distancing, wear masks when in a crowd, and do our best to keep everyone safe. Let’s all work together to make this year’s event a big — and safe — success!”

Note: If you purchased swap-meet space for the 2020 event, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, tickets and swapmeet reservations will be honored in 2021. You will receive correspondence from the AMA before the event containing details on how these swap meet spaces will be administered, etc. Contact AMA Director of Operations Steve Austin with questions or concerns at: saustin@ama-cycle.org

NOT ON ANY SUNDAY…

Effective immediately, Automatic Distributors is open and shipping orders on Saturdays. “Our trusted logistics partners will be accepting orders into their networks which will provide earlier delivery to you and your customers,” says Jeff Graham, President Automatic Distributors. “Now more than ever consumers are not just expecting, but also demanding fast fulfillment of their needs. That is why we are so excited to share that we have extended our normal operating hours to now include Saturdays!

“The past year has been a whirlwind for many of us. While the world has seen its fair share of uncertainty, our focus has remained on you, our dealers. Without our incredible dealer network, we would not be able to play our part in getting more consumers outdoors and enjoying their choice of powersports activities,” Graham notes. “As we continue to navigate these extraordinary times, our dedicated team has been tirelessly working at delivering more value to you, our dealers, and elevating your experience with us.”

As Automatic transitions to the new operating hours, they expect to provide same-day shipment of all orders received by 2 PM EST. This opens the door for delivery to your door as early as Monday! Automatic is also extending its customer service hours to include Saturday. The Automatic Distributors customer care team will be operating from 9 AM to 3 PM EST effective immediately. “This opens the ability for you to now be covered in the event you need to contact our customer care team through phone, e-mail, chat, or text messaging on Saturdays, one of the busiest days of the week for many of you,” concludes Graham.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Dealers Can Find It, Now!

In the early morning hours, a Motion Alert wakes up a FIN customer letting him know his bike is being moved. He runs outside and sees two bike thieves finish loading his GSX-R into a blue van and pull away. He then calls the FIN 24-Hour Theft Tracking Center and his local Police Department and takes off following the van. He uses his FIN GPS App to track the bike location as he eventually loses sight of the van. The bike owner then spots a police officer and gets him to help. The officer managed to pull the van over and both thieves were arrested. A total of 3 stolen bikes were recovered inside the van. Not only did FIN GPS recover his bike but the bike’s owner got the ride of his life in the back of the police cruiser as they chased the thieves down.

Find It Now can’t guarantee your customers will get to star in their own episode of COPS, but they can provide peace of mind and a profit center for your store. For more details on FIN GPS theft protection and recovery program, dealers can Find It Here: www.FindItNowUSA.com

MIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS RE-ELECTED

The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) Board of Directors elected Paul Vitrano to continue serving as the association chair. Vitrano is the senior assistant general counsel for Indian Motorcycle and Polaris Inc. Also re-elected as vice chair was Chuck Boderman, VP, general administration business unit at American Honda Motor Co. and Jim Woodruff, CEO of National Powersport Auctions, as secretary/treasurer.

“The MIC did a great job of leading the powersports industry through the tumultuous 2020, and now we are embarking on a new phase to build on our industry’s momentum,” Vitrano said.

“The MIC Board of Directors has been an invaluable resource to me in my early tenure as president and CEO of the association,” added Erik Pritchard. “The MIC team and I are looking forward to what the industry can achieve in 2021.”

Nine other directors round out the board, including: Nicole Allen with Akrapovič, Derek Brooks with Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.; Jeff Brown with EagleRider; Tim Calhoun with Quin Design Helmets; Kerry Graeber with Suzuki Motor USA, LLC; Robin Hartfiel of Dealernews; John Hinz of KTM North America, Inc.; Bill Jenkins of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.; and Rod Lopusnak of Triumph Motorcycles America.

BY DEALERS FOR DEALERS WITH A BETTER BOTTOM LINE TOP OF MIND

Digital Lead Performance (DLP) is a lead management system created by a veteran dealer with the express purpose of bringing more to the bottom line. “Digital Lead Performance is a project born out of my own experience as a Harley-Davidson dealer for more than 30 years,” says CEO Scott Fischer. “I’m proud to see it creating great results for other dealers across the country but even more excited about what’s to come.”

Since its start in May of 2019 Fischer says DLP has helped their dealer clients sell more than 4,600 motorcycles to date, resulting in more than $81M in total revenue assisted. Dealers that partner with DLP are reported as achieving average results of 40-50% of leads converting to a set showroom appointment, 65-75% of appointments showing up, and 30-35% converting to a sale. Now just shy of its two-year anniversary, DLP is in 50 powersports dealers nationwide and employs 50 individuals.

But that is just the beginning. “Our outlook for Digital Lead Performance is entirely positive,” adds COO Aaron Barney. “We’re making big investments in the future of the company that we believe are going to pay off in exciting ways, even looking to expand into other areas of the powersports industry.” Future plans include moving into a new, larger facility to house their rapidly growing team and securing new technology partnerships to grow and improve their offerings to dealers.

Bottom line: DLP saves powersports dealers time and money, makes their sales teams more productive, and gives them peace of mind 7 days a week, according to Fischer. For more info call (833) 317-7333, email SellMoreBikes@sfe-us. com or click https://dlpspeed.com

TUCKER TAKES THE PLUNGE!

Back Onboard With PWC

“Nearly 1500 of our current customers sell watercraft in their dealerships,” said Brad Turner, Tucker’s VP of Sales, marking the distributors’ return to the PWC market after a 15-year hiatus “Those dealers and their customers are demanding greater access to PWC accessories and gear, it’s only natural that Tucker will have the products they need.”

The new Tucker Water catalog features a full range of watercraft products, including “wearables” like life jackets, fishing shirts and shorts, gloves, aqua socks, boots and sunglasses. Hard parts include marine-grade batteries, gaskets, filters, fuel pumps, regulators, starters, stators and bilge pumps. There is also a plethora of trailer parts and upgrades along with safety equipment, cleaners and waxes, anchors, lubricants and tools. Brand names found in the 132page catalog include Airhead, Gator Waders, West Marine, 100%, Yuasa, NGK, Motion Pro, K&N, ProTaper, Scott, Kenda, Red Line, Maxima and Motul.

“This is an exciting and rapidly growing market segment,” concludes Turner. “We plan to expand this product line with more gear and more great brands. When a dealer needs products for on-road, off-road, two-wheels, four-wheels, e-bicycles, scooters or great gear for their watersports, Tucker will be there to help.” APRIL 2021 15

NPA JOINS MRAA

Tucker is not the only powersports giant making a splash in the PWC pool. The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) announces National Powersport Auctions (NPA) has joined as a Partner Member. NPA also partnered with MRAA to sponsor its weekly post-Dealer Week “Ask The Expert” Webinar series.

“NPA is excited to partner with the MRAA in 2021,” said Damon Puckett, National Business Development Manager of RV & Marine. “We believe this is an invaluable partnership that will allow us to share with MRAA’s members the benefit of selling and sourcing used inventory through the auction. NPA offers boats and PWCs at all 10 of our nationwide locations, plus has specialists on hand at each facility to properly process each unit with our proprietary 100 pt. condition report.” NPA gives registered dealers the opportunity to buy and sell their pre-owned boat and RV units through its proven powersports auctions.

“We are excited to gain NPA as a Partner Member with the MRAA,” adds Allison Gruhn, MRAA Director of Business Development. “A highly reputable name within the powersports realm, NPA’s expansion into the marine industry is both welcomed and ideally timed. Its expertise and knowledge of selling and sourcing used inventory will be a big benefit for dealers. We value its support and association with MRAA and look forward to generating resources for our members.”

16 BDR ON A ROLL!

“The pressure on public lands during the pandemic has been enormous due to people finding solace outdoors,” says Yamaha Motorsports marketing manager Steve Nessl. “Their adventures gave off-road enthusiasts a much-needed breather from the stress we’ve all experienced over the past year.” To offset this pressure, Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) granted an additional $90K in Q4. In total, Yamaha granted more than $350,000 in 2020 while supplying essential support to public lands providing vital access to outdoor recreation across the country.

“Public land belongs to everyone and we all have a responsibility to take care of it,” adds Nessl. “Yamaha is proud to continue supporting our riders’ favorite outdoor activities, including OHV riding, hunting, camping and fishing, through the Outdoor Access Initiative.”

The fourth quarter 2020 Yamaha OAI grants totaling more than $90,000 were awarded to the following organizations: Blue Ribbon Coalition – Pocatello, ID East Branch Sno-Rovers & ATV Club – Medway, Maine Idaho Single Track Alliance – Idaho Falls, ID Reno Area Dirtriders – Reno, NV Swampsiders Snowmobile Club – Bigfork, MN

“The need for funding and leadership for public lands increased exponentially in 2020 with more people engaging in outdoor recreation at the same time resources were being restricted. It was a relief to know we could reach out to Yamaha to help,” explains Ben Burr from the Blue Ribbon Coalition, which received $11,740 to develop a trail guide for Utah’s San Rafael Desert area to help visitors explore safely and responsibly. “The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative is a trusted resource for the outdoor recreation community with a history of putting the funds where they are needed to make big improvements on the ground.”

“The 2020 fourth quarter grant projects spanned the spectrum of powersports, with funds going to groups from all categories of Yamaha’s off-highway vehicles: Motorcycles, ATVs, Side-bySides and snowmobiles,” Nessl continues. “We prioritize those projects meeting the needs of diverse OHV riders to support their local riding communities.”

For more than 12 years, Yamaha has issued quarterly grants to non-profit organizations supporting the needs of riding groups, outdoor enthusiasts, land stewardship organizations, and public land managers to improve access to public land for outdoor recreation. Since inception, Yamaha contributed over $4.5 million in aid to more than 380 projects across the nation.

The deadline for submission to the second quarter 2021 funding cycle for the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative is June 30, 2021, and applications must be postmarked by then. Submission guidelines and applications are available at:

www.YamahaOAI.com

MISSION FOOD SPONSORS KING OF THE BAGGERS

No, this is not some sort of competition for grocery store clerks. The world’s leading brand of tortillas has stepped up with naming rights for MotoAmerica’s three round King Of The Baggers racing series. The opening round of the Mission King of the Baggers Series will kick off at the 2021 MotoAmerica season opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 30-May 2. Round two will take place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, June 11-13, with the series finale set for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, July 9-11. “We are very excited to partner with MotoAmerica for 2021 and become the official entitlement sponsor of the King of the Baggers class under the name ‘Mission King of the Baggers,’” notes Juan Gonzalez, President and CEO of Mission Foods. “As a leading global food brand, it is a great opportunity to not only interact with our consumers in a fun and exciting environment but also support the motorcycle sport community. I strongly believe that our partnership will create unforgettable moments for all race fans.”

In addition to King Of The Baggers, Mission is sponsoring everything from AFT to NHRA drag racer Angelle Sampey this season. The brand has also shown its commitment to motorsports with the release of its new “Racing Style” chips to be sampled to fans at all MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers events.

“Mission Foods is a well-known brand in homes across the U.S. and a supporter of various types of racing,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “We are really happy to have them on board to help further the growth of the MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers Series. It’s a great fit as camping, tailgating and eating are key activities for road racing fans. This season will feature the first three-round championship for King of the Baggers and it’s awesome that Mission will be the title sponsor.”

Clean up on aisle 3!