Dealernews February 2019

TH TH EE GONZO ISSUE !

GONZO I S SUE !

F OLLOWING HUN TE R S. TH OMPSON’S TRAIL F E AR & LOATHING IN LOUISVILLE TH E MIN T 4 00

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CONTENTS 06 THE VOICE OF REASON 08 EDITORS NOTE 10 LETTERS+ 12 NEWS+ 16 sHIFTING GEARS+ 20 DEALER PROFILE+ 24 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 26 SHOWTIME+ 30 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+

Bob Althoff On Selling His Dealership

Robin Hartfiel On Going Gonzo

The Industry On Dealernews

The Latest Dealer News

62 OPINION+ 64 CONFESSIONS OF A CUSTOMER 66 MIC RIDEREPORT 68 ADVOCACY+ 70 ADVOCACY+ 74 HONORS+ 76 GEAR+

William Douglas Little On Waiting Eric Anderson On Why We Race

What Does The Motorcycle Industry Council Do?

Don Amador On Single Track Trail Revival

Who’s Who And Who’s Where

Scot Harden On The Mint 400

Southwest Superbikes’ Need For Speed!

Don Musick On The Numbers

Indiana Motorcycle Expo & The Pioneers of Hoosier Motorcycling

Dr. Paul Leinberger On Dealing With Gen Z Post-Millennials

AMA Board Honors Malcolm Smith, Scot Harden & Others Heads Up On Helmets

32 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 34 REV ’EM UP WITH REVER 37 SHOWTIME+ 38 FEAR AND LOATHING IN LOUISVILLE HUNTER S. THOMPSON TIRE TRACKS 42 FOLLOWING Lenny Sims On NADAguides Q4 Numbers

What An Engaged Customer Base Looks Like, Part III

Getting Weird With The Gonzo Issue

Gonzo Rider Road Trips To Parts Unlimited NVP

Supercharged H2 Trip To Las Vegas

46 DIVERSITY+ BEAUTIFUL BIKERS 48 OPINION+ 52 HONDA TALON TOUR 56 DIVERSITY+ 58 PERSONNEL FILES 60 NORTHERN EXPOSURE

A Celebration Of Women Who Love The Ride

Josh Tolley On The 800 lb. Gorilla Breaking New Ground At HSC

Alisa Clickenger On The New Face Of Motorcycling Alex Baylon On Snowflakes

Marq C. Smith On Marketing By Training

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On the cover: Mad Media, the folks responsible for bringing back The Mint announcing the return of motorcycles after a 45 year hiatus. Artist Joey Feldman Breed” a limited edition poster combining the spirit of desert racers with Hunter seminal book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. See more of Feldman’s original a via Instagram @joeyfeldman_artist.

OUR TEAM Bob Althoff Dealer/CEO

80 WÜNSCHISMS 84 OPINION+ 86 PRESS PASS+ 88 PRESS PASS+ 90 VALE+ 91 AD INDEX 92 BACKFIRE+

Eric Anderson Vice President Stan Simpson Vice President

Uncle Paul On Interviewing Techs Anonymous Dealer On Nepotism BOC 20 Group 30th Reunion

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King Of The Hammers Returns Ave Atque Vale Gavin Trippe This Issue Brought To You By… John Murphy On The Ride

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SALES/FINANCE John Murphy Publisher Alan Landry CFO EDITORIAL Robin Hartfiel Editor Gus Stewart Creative Director Brenda Stiehl Production Manager CONTRIBUTORS Don Musick Genesys Technology Solutions Dr. Paul Leinberger Denny+Leinberger Strategy Lenny Sims NADA Appraisal Guides Scot Harden AMA Hall Of Fame/BITD Hector Cademartori Illustrations William Douglas Little Unique Powersports Charlie Williams Off Road Editor Marq Smith Holeshot Motorsports, Canada Alisa Clickenger Women’s Motorcycle Tours Don Amador Quiet Warrior Racing Joe Bonnello Joe B Photography Uncle Paul Wunsch Love Cycles The Anonymous Dealer Dealer Advisory Board Bob Althoff Chairman

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ADVERTISING John Murphy Publisher (949) 463-4319 johnmurphy@dealernews.com Tigra Tsujikawa Sponsorship Manager (949) 861-0863 tigratsujikawa26@gmail.com Blake Foulds Account Executive (760) 715-3045 Blakefoulds@dealernews.com

Photo by Brandon Davis

400, shocked the off-road world by n was commissioned to create “Special r S. Thompson’s twisted musings in his artwork at www.joeyfeldman.com and

Joey Belmont Big #1 Sports Jim Boltz Lynnwood Cycle Barn/WMDA Jim Foster Killeen Power Sports George Gatto Gatto Harley-Davidson Malcolm Hunter Deeley Harley-Davidson Robert Kay Star City Motorsports Bob Kee Destination Cycle Jerry Lenz Beaverton Motorcycles Kurt Mechling Performance PowerSports Don Owens Dothan Powersports Mark Peterson Southwest Superbikes Sandy Stroope Boat World Honda Polaris

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Dealernews Magazine P.O. Box 73640 San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone (949) 463-4319 www.dealernews.com © Copyright 2019

I LOVE MY DEALERSHIP SO MUCH THAT I SOLD IT

Moving forward, I will now have resources and time to continue to assist in the important work of Dealernews and other industry initiatives. I owe the industry that has meant so much to me since I turned 16 and walked into Hall of Famer Dick Klamfoth’s Honda shop to buy that first motorcycle. That morning started a love affair with motorcycles and the people who ride them that will continue until I draw my last breath.

In the meantime, my Dealership’s future is stronger than ever. I did my best to be a good steward of the Dealership founded 107 years ago — on this very day — by a 20 year old named Lilly and her 23 year old husband A.D. A century later, what is happening in the Columbus motorcycle scene is amazing! But the new team is destined to do even bigger, better things. I’m glad I may be around for a while to assist in any way I can.

The work Dealernews is doing is vitally important… and it is getting noticed. With your help, Dealernews will continue to support all 9,700+ brother and sister Dealers all over North America.

And, mark my words; the industry we all love will rebound! We will continue to change lives; make our communities stronger; provide jobs, and fun, and friendships; raise charitable funds—yes, all that and more! The work Dealers do has meaning. And it keeps us all on the gas! I may not live forever, but motorcycles will keep me young at heart and fully engaged until the final checkered flag comes out!

I

Bob Althoff Dealer Principal, W.L.M.

Reason For Being

By Bob Althoff

t may sound strange, but I love my Dealership so much that I sold it.

The decision to sell wasn’t difficult. It was inevitable. In my mind, the worst thing about our industry is that time flies when you are having fun. And the time has indeed flown. So, it was time.

I can’t live forever (although I will try!). My kids are doing great in their chosen walks of life. But my Dealership, 107 years old today, is an institution in my hometown of Columbus, and it needed to be in strong hands going into the next 107.

I found those hands belonged to the Ricart family who are customers and riders. They also know a thing or two about vehicle retailing. Critically, they have a proven commitment to our city, and their 3rd generation is teeming with talent.

So, I sold Ricart a controlling interest, knowing of their professionalism, passion and commitment to both Columbus and the A.D. Farrow legacy. I will retain the minority interest, and will sell them the balance in five years. This arrangement allows me to continue to do the work in our stores that I love.

The 107-year old A.D. Farrow Harley-Davidson dealership

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becomes the newest member of the Ricart family of dealerships.

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in a red convertible, but my roommate’s car did have a hole in the roof. Now here is where it gets weird… despite being in Bat Country we stopped at the first checkpoint we could find in the very early hours of the morning. There was a little campfire with a nice woman and her daughter stirring the coals. While my companion was gonzo (passed out in the car) I chatted with the two. Turns out the nice lady’s son was racing a bike in this event.

As the sun rose, the first cloud of dust could be seen on the horizon. A lone motorcycle racer came blazing across the dry lake bed right to the checkpoint… and his mother and sister were there to swap his goggles and cheer him on. Turns out it was Jack Johnson and the nice lady was his mother and the cute daughter was Kristi (later to become Kristi Harden)!

Editor’s Note

By Robin Hartfiel

GOING GONZO

Then it got weird…

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very now and then when your life gets complicated and the weasels start closing in, the only real cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and then drive like a bastard from Hollywood to Las Vegas. To relax, as it were, in the womb of the desert sun. Just roll the roof back and screw it on, grease the face with white tanning butter and move out with the music at top volume, and at least a pint of ether.” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas This issue was a lifetime in the making… maybe not literally, but it is based on several staffers and columnists body of work. Perhaps the biggest being Bob Althoff’s decision to sell his dealerships when A.D. Farrow was celebrating its 107th anniversary of exceeding Columbus area customers’ expectations. He addresses his decision to sell the store out of love far more poignantly than I can. The motivations for the rest of us are crazily tied together with a common thread; Hunter S. Thompson’s seminal work Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas!

As our resident off-road advocate Scot Harden puts it, his whole life was shaped by the old Mint 400 desert race. “As a native of Las Vegas, a child of the ’70s and an avid off-road motorcyclist, Fear and Loathing spoke to me in a very direct and highly personal way. In many ways it embodied my life up to that point because it touched on three topics near and dear to my heart: Las Vegas, the Mint 400 and uh… well, never mind about the third. It was the ‘70s after all.” Not only did Scot compete in the ultimate desert race of the day, his brother-in-law Jack Johnson actually won the overall… Twice!

Now in a bizarre variation of 7-degrees of separation and coincidental tie-ins one of my first assignments as an editorial intern while I was still in college was to head out to Las Vegas to cover some desert race. I didn’t travel with a gonzo attorney

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When I found out the Martelli Brothers were bringing motorcycles back to The Mint 400, I asked Scot to explain how big a deal this is to the industry. Both for those of us who remember the race back in the day and for those who will be lucky enough to experience for the first time — like Scot did watching JN Roberts mauling his Husky through the silt beds.

Then I received a note from lifelong HST devotee Charlie Williams that he was in Louisville for the Parts Unlimited NVP and it was Hunter S. Thompson’s birthday… well it was obvious Fear & Loathing in Louisville was coming, whether I assigned him the story or not.

When I checked in with Alisa and Tigra it turns out they were heading to Las Vegas to cover a gathering of women riders… and Tigra was planning to blast to Sin City on an H2 Kawasaki!

Who needs a bottle of ether or nitrous when you have a supercharger? Another component to the Gonzo issue fit oddly into place… it was almost like I planned this. Then it got weird, um weirder.

We had a shot in mind for the cover to highlight helmets and the H2. Gus, the art guy, went so far as to mock-up a couple cover comps. We also discussed putting the A.D. Farrow transition on the cover, but Bob wasn’t keen on any of it. A chance news item came through on artist Joey Feldman being commissioned to create a limited edition poster by the Martelli Brothers. See more of Feldman’s original artwork at www.joeyfeldman.com and via Instagram @joeyfeldman_artist. It made the perfect item to start the News+ section of what we were jokingly calling the Gonzo Issue.

So on the eve of The Mint 400, I reached out to Matt Martelli who I had last corresponded with three years ago about “borrowing” their commissioned piece for a cover. He and his brother Josh who had a million last minute details and fires to put out for the world’s largest desert race, dropped everything, cleared it with Joey and gave this Gonzo issue its cover. This was just weird enough to work, whatever it meant.

“Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant.” ~ Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Former Editor-in-Chief and publisher of Dealernews circa 19902003, 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 was an editor of publications ranging from All About Beer to VW Trends.

OF DEALERNEWS AND MILLENNIALS… I have seen it all… got my first Honda CT70 when I was 10 years old in 1970.

I started working at bike shops when I was 15, after school stocking parts, then in February 1978, I started at Stubbs Cycles in Houston. I was 20 years old, turned 21 in March and worked there until I left in 1982 when I started my own my own Harley/ Kawasaki dealership. Sadly, in 1986, after 4 years, it went bankrupt. I went back to Stubbs and have been there ever since; will be 62 in March, 47 years in the business, and then most all the rest at Stubbs Cycles/Stubbs Harley-Davidson. At least I thought I had seen it all… until the Millennials came along. I have never seen this industry in the state of flux we are in with the Millennials. Crazy! I just hope the Millennials discover bikes soon, or we are all in trouble. We made the cover of Dealernews in 1991 after we did one of the very first designer stores and we handed Harley their biggest one-time P&A order in the history of The Motor Company. I used to have a copy of the Dealernews issue where we made the cover, but it was stolen along with my briefcase several years ago. Would love to get a copy if anyone out there has a spare!

Joel Morris, Parts & Accessories Manager Stubbs Harley-Davidson

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DISCOVER THE RIDE Thanks for the coverage of Discover The Ride and NewTo2 initiatives in the last issue. DTR is going to go from a white sheet Idea I presented to IMS last summer to the largest impact on short-term ridership in the whole industry. Watch for news on DTR that will show what can really be done on a grand scale. I’m working with another brand that will have the single biggest positive impact on motorcycling in the coming 10-15 years, too. These new rider initiatives and interest are an outgrowth of the desire to make positive changes for the industry that was born from the GiveAShift project.

Thanks again and great work on DN. Keep it up!

Robert Pandya Project Manager International Motorcycle Shows

ADVOCACY+ The latest issue of Dealernews is chock full of great articles and information on the powersports industry. If you aren’t already subscribing to Dealernews maybe you should be. Under Robin Hartfiel’s editorial leadership, the publication is loaded with interesting articles, highly relevant current market data and contributors from a wide range of business disciplines and backgrounds.

Check it out!

Scot Harden, Harden Off-Road AMA Hall Of Fame, Best In The Desert

#TESTIMONIALTUESDAY “The latest issue is fantastic! You really packed the magazine with relevant and informative content. Nice work by everyone on the DN team.”

Dale Spangler, Marketing Content Manager Tucker Powersports

BIRDS & THE BEES Great message out there to hold out hope... keep pushing and defying the naysayers by doing what allegedly cannot be done — magazine publishing! All hacks or former journalists have probably gone through this at one point in their career (like myself at ATVsport), but something tells me these disruptive days often build character, force reinvention and fuel an internal drive to win.

Bradley Howe is going through the same at Bonnier with UTV Driver (much like Donn Maeda at TransWorldMX). May both of these talented powersports enthusiasts continue to live their dreams and speak to the masses.

Jerrod Kelley PR & Media Relations BRP / Can-Am Off-Road Former Editor ATV Sport

THE DEALERNEWS DIFFERENCE I’ve always liked Dealernews because it’s obvious somebody that cares about quality editorial as much as the ad revenue. I’ve always believed if you build it, they will come. Look at DN for proof. Kudos.

Jack Sweet, Editor Reeves Journal GREETINGS FROM BOISE Hey, I’m well-overdue, but just wanted to say how great it was to see you at our Sales Meeting and to be able to catch-up a bit. Thanks too for the opportunity to show you some of our stuff and to hear about my vision for the future of the Street Apparel brands, and of course for the coverage in the latest issue. Anyway, we’ll be in touch for sure, but just a quick note to connect and say thanks! Thanks again!

NO COVER UP HERE! Hey, that’s a Giant Loop MoJavi Saddlebag on the cover of Dealernews!

Thanks Eric Anderson and Scot Harden!

Photo by Byron Dorr www. exploringelements.com

(Jack worked at Video Store Magazine just down the hallway from Dealernews back in the old Edgell/Advanstar days circa 1987-1993)

Harold Olaf Cecil, Owner Giant Loop LLC

Greayer Clover Brand Manager – Street Apparel Western Power Sports Inc.

SOUND OFF! Dealernews is indeed back. Join in the conversation by emails Editor@dealernews.com Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DealernewsFan/ Follow along on Dealernews.com Tune into the new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCZE6q4gQ5EIz0nOX4WaXw1w

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A.D. FARROW HARLEY-DAVIDSON JOINS RICART FAMILY OF DEALERSHIPS

Hits Close To Home!

Two nationally-recognized powerhouse dealerships based in Columbus, Ohio, have joined forces as Ricart Automotive assumes majority ownership of A.D. Farrow Co. HarleyDavidson’s three Columbus franchises. For the record, Dealernews (including the print and online archives, digital assets and the Top 100 Dealer competition) was purchased

by A.D. Farrow dealer principal Bob Althoff back in May of 2016.

GET YOUR GONZO ARTWORK

“In some circles, the Mint 400 is a far, far better thing than the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby and the Lower Oakland Roller Derby Finals all rolled into one. This race attracts a very special breed...” ~ Hunter S. Thompson Just in time for the Dealernews “Gonzo” issue! Titled “The Mint 400 - Special Breed” graphic artist Joey Feldman has created a limited edition, full color screenprint. Commemorating the return of the motorcycles to the legendary race after a 45 year hiatus, the piece also pays homage to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. The Martelli Brothers commissioned Joey to create a new iconic image for the 51st anniversary running of The Great American Off-Road Race. “Feldman’s unique Heavy Metal style has drawn attention from all corners of the globe, making him the perfect collaborator for the project,” say the Martellis. “Special Breed” combines the spirit of desert racers from The Mint 400’s golden years with Hunter S.Thompson’s twisted musings on the Mint in his seminal book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

This limited edition fine art print is available via the Official Mint 400 web-store: https://www.dirtco.com/collections/mint-400

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“I have known and admired the Ricart organization all my life,” adds Althoff. “The family has been Harley-Davidson riders for years, and I couldn’t imagine better stewards of this legacy business in the decades to come,” says Althoff, who has led A.D. Farrow for the last 17 years. “Their passion for motorcycles and the people who ride them convinced me that they will dominate the Harley-Davidson Dealer ranks as they have the Ford ranks.”

“We’re beyond thrilled to be growing the Ricart brand with A.D. Farrow Co. Harley Davidson. Harley is one of the oldest and strongest brands in our country, and the Ricart family has been avid Harley Davidson riders for years,” said Rick Ricart, President of Ricart Automotive Group. “We’re excited to get to know the A.D. Farrow employees and their families and to take on the next chapter of this historic brand.”

Harley’s plans to diversify its product line by developing more electric scooters, bikes and vehicles to meet the new demands of an urban customer. Together Ricart Automotive and A.D. Farrow Co. Harley-Davidson will grow their services, further expanding into the lifestyle electric vehicle ownership market as well as the traditional Harley-Davidson products.

Althoff also retains Dealernews and will continue to manage the dealerships. Check out his column for a personal look at what this means for the future of the 107-year old operation.

This is Ricart’s first expansion away from the Ricart Automotive Mega Mall in Columbus, Ohio in 10 years… and first foray into the powersports realm.

PARTS UNLIMITED SUPPORTS THE SPORT

Distribution Giant Continues To Back MotoAmerica Parts Unlimited, one of the original backers of MotoAmerica, is continuing in its role as a supporting partner of the 2019 season. “Parts Unlimited has been with us from nearly the beginning,” said MotoAmerica founder Wayne Rainey. “The company and its employees have been very supportive, and we appreciate that. It’s a company full of racing fans so it’s a perfect fit with MotoAmerica. The coming season is going to be the best yet for MotoAmerica and we’re happy that Parts Unlimited is coming along for the ride once again.”

“We’ve enjoyed our partnership with MotoAmerica,” added Hylton Beattie, Parts Unlimited’s Global Motorsports Director.

“They continue to make progress with the series, and no more so than heading into the 2019 season. We’re excited to be a part of their growth and we’re ready for this season of racing as it looks like it will be a good one.”

The 2019 MotoAmerica Series schedule: April 5-7 – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia April 12-14 – Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas May 4-5 – VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia May 31-June 2 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 15-16 – Utah Motosports Campus, Grantsville, Utah July 12-14 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California August 10-11 – Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California August 23-25 – Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, Pennsylvania September 7-8 – New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New Jersey September 20-22 – Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama

PUT A LID ON IT

Biltwell Donates Helmets To MSF Rider Training The Motorcycle Safety Foundation welcomes and appreciates Biltwell Inc.’s generous donation of 1,800 helmets to Rider Training Sites. Training sites have a constant need to replenish their stock of helmets, which are used every weekend by first-time students who take the MSF Basic RiderCourse at over 2,000 locations around the country. “We had an extra quantity of our Gringo and Gringo S model helmets sitting in inventory and realized we could put them to better use by donating them for use at MSF training sites, which would improve the students’ experience,” says GM Mike Ellis.

“These types of donations enable multiple win-win situations,” adds MSF president Tim Buche. “The training sites with their limited budgets can upgrade their helmet inventory at little cost; students can enjoy wearing fresh, modern helmets during the hands-on course; NMSF gains funding for future research and outreach projects; and Biltwell gets the tax benefits of a charitable contribution.”

With Biltwell’s consent, the MSF is selling the helmets to the training sites at a nominal cost, with all proceeds going to the National Motorcycle Safety Fund. The NMSF is MSF’s 501(c) (3) charitable division which has funded crash research, motorcycle safety videos and publications, alcohol and drug education programs for motorists, and other initiatives aimed at creating a safer riding environment for all motorcyclists.

Interested in ensuring we have trained riders in the future?

Check out www.NMSFund.org

FEBRUARY 2019

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THAT’S THE B.R.A.K.E.S.

BRP BUYS ALTA ASSETS

But Don’t Expect To See Can-Am EMX Bikes Any Time Soon...

Shocking news as BRP has purchased Alta Motors assets as part of its ongoing exploration of alternative energies. On heels of the BRP Club Ski-Doo dealer meeting in Dallas, the Canadian firm announced the purchase of select assets of Faster Faster, Inc. (Alta Motors) as part of BRP’s longstanding interest in new technologies and alternate energy sources for the powersports industry.

This purchase includes certain intellectual property, patents and some limited physical assets from the former all-electric motorcycle design and manufacturing company. It is an opportunity for BRP to complement its ongoing research and development into this burgeoning area of expertise.

However, BRP has no zero interest in restarting operations of Alta Motors and assumes no liabilities. Sorry fans of the Alta brand.

“Known for pushing innovation to improve the rider experience, BRP is constantly on the lookout for the next generation of powersports solutions,” is how the official statement reads. “BRP has already commercialized electric side-by-side vehicles for a number of years, has created electric and hybrid prototypes of Can-Am Spyder vehicles and is currently involved in electric karting with Rotax.”

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Motorcycle Legend Donates $1 Million To Youth Program Terry Vance, 14-time national champion motorcycle drag racer, title-winning team owner, and co-founder of eponymous aftermarket powerhouse Vance & Hines, donated $1 million to the B.R.A.K.E.S. youth program. The drag racing legend made the donation to multi-time Top Fuel drag racing champion, Doug Herbert who founded B.R.A.K.E.S. in 2008 after the tragic loss of his sons Jon and James in a car crash.

“As a parent, every time your kid goes out the door, especially if they’re getting into a car, you want to know that you’ve done everything in your power to help them get back home safe,” said Vance in a special ceremony at the NHRA Lucas Oil Winternationals. “B.R.A.K.E.S. training gives teens the skills and knowledge that we all know they’ll need on the street, and it stresses the importance of making good decisions to avoid trouble in the first place.”

B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives by training teens and their parents to be safer on the road. “Terry and I have been friends for years, and we have a lot in common,” said Herbert. “Besides loving racing, driving and riding, we’re also parents, and we both recognize that protecting our kids and setting them up for success in life is the single greatest accomplishment you can ever aspire to. Thanks to Terry’s generosity, the charity that I founded to honor my sons is going to help a lot more teens and parents nationwide. ” Vance, who recently attended B.R.A.K.E.S. intensive half-day defensive driver training program with both of his own sons, added, “I think every teen should go through B.R.A.K.E.S. That’s why my wife and I are making this donation to help Doug’s program keep expanding and saving lives, and we hope to inspire others to do the same.”

NPA ROARS INTO SACRAMENTO

National Powersport Auctions (NPA) continues to expand with a second California location set to go live in Sacramento.

With the Golden State’s GDP surpassing the United Kingdom as the fifth largest economy in the world and having the highest motorcycle sales in the nation, it is no surprise NPA is stepping things up in Sac-Town!

“With nearly 1.5 million motorcycles in use in the state, there are more powersports vehicle transactions in California than anywhere in North America, so there was a real need to bring our 7th facility online,” says NPA COO Jim Woodruff. SAY IT AIN’T SO, R1DT “The Sacramento area is also an ideal gateway to the Pacific R1-Powered Prototype Dirt Trackers A Non-Starter Northwest for NPA clients and dealers.”

The R1-powered prototype dirt track program has had the plug pulled. “The Yamaha R1DT prototype project was an Given the size of the state and the volume of anticipated exciting and educational project that allowed us to learn a business, the new Sacramento operation occupies a 38,000 lot about the dirt track industry, racers, fans and industry sq. ft. facility conveniently located near Interstate highways partners,” according to the official statement. “Yamaha is for improved efficiency. “Our transportation and logistics proud to have participated in this space even if only for a team will now be able to get units from Sacramento to as far short time during this project, and we want to sincerely thank north as the Canadian border much more efficiently,” adds all of the partners, vendors, test drivers, fans and friends that Woodruff. we made along the way.”

Whether it is getting your inventory to auction or having units transported back to your dealership. NPA has its own trucks and partners with its transportation affiliates throughout the United States to simplify the auction transportation process from beginning to end. “We are here to better serve both buying and selling dealers throughout the entire region,” adds NPA VP of Operations Jeff Kinney. “This location has been a long time coming. We are extremely excited to share our dealer services and add this location for our customers.”

Prohibitive prices for an entry level racer and a glut of lowcost racing classes were cited as the primary reasons Yamaha won’t be doing it in the dirt any more. The R1DT Prototype Dirt Track Racer was created for market research purposes… not as a production model. “However this turnkey race car concept exploits the R1 motorcycle’s 998cc high output powerplant fixed to a lightweight and compact chassis,” said Yamaha during the intro.

“While we’re not able to continue to move the R1DT project Consignments are being taken now and the first auction is forward at this time, we have a huge appreciation for the set for March 14, 2019 at the Sacramento facility. Location: sport of dirt track racing and everyone who loves and lives it.

8687 Weyand Ave, Building C, Sacramento, CA 95828 Thanks to everyone who was involved.”

FEBRUARY 2019

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Bigger news than the boring bowl game out of the ATL… at least for powersports industry professionals.

National Powersport Auctions continues to build upon the best team in the business by promoting from within.

Buffy Huffman moves up to GM for the Atlanta facility. “There is nobody better qualified to help lead the team in Georgia than Buffy,” says NPA VP of Operations, Jeff Kinney. “Over the years, the auction lanes in Atlanta have become the busiest in the nation, and Buffy is the right person to run things,” adds Kinney.

“I was originally introduced to NPA back in 2003 when I worked part time during the monthly auction in Atlanta as a flag girl,” says Huffman. The rest is history as Huffman worked her way through the ranks. “Since then, I have developed an extensive amount of knowledge and admiration for the powersport industry because of NPA. Here we are 15 years later, and I am beyond excited about this promotion within the company and being a part of the leadership team as NPA continues to grow. To be given this opportunity to be the first female GM means everything to me, and I hope that this will inspire others in knowing that if you are dedicated, hardworking, and passionate about what you do, all things are possible.”

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Education is a process, not a one time event as our staff biology teacher Eric Anderson always says. The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has hired former powersports industry editor Mike Davin to serve as the association’s Director of Education.

Prior to joining MRAA, Mike served as Director of Marketing at The Event Group, and he also spent four years in the marine and powersports industries, working for several consumer and business publications. “We are excited to welcome Mike back into the marine industry,” says MRAA President Matt Gruhn. In his new role Davin will focus on delivering educational opportunities to MRAA’s members, partners and conference attendees at the MRAA’s Annual Conference & Expo, on MRAATraining.com and through custom publications. “It’s great to be back in the marine industry and to reconnect with so many old friends and partners,” says Davin. “What really drew me to MRAA though is the team’s exciting vision for the future and the chance to work on initiatives like the reimagined MRAA Conference, Dealer Week.”

Another one jumps ship to the marine market: Motorcycle Industry Council Federal Affairs Manager Callie Hoyt has joined the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “Though I have greatly enjoyed my time spent with this exceptional organization, I am excited to begin a new chapter as the Director of Federal Government Relations at the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the nation’s leading trade association representing boat, marine engine and accessory manufacturers. I’m thrilled to be staying in the outdoor recreation space and advocating for and promoting the strength of marine manufacturing and the boating lifestyle.” MIC chairman Paul Vitrano adds, “About one year ago we hired Callie Hoyt as a lobbyist and, in her brief tenure, she’s been very effective in representing the industry and its riders in Washington. Callie and the D.C. team have done great work over the past year.”

On a roll, Ducati PR manager Scott Shaffstall says, “it wheels Up to the next adventure. It is with bittersweet excitement that I must announce my departure from the incredible team at Ducati North America. My time with my fellow Ducatisti was undoubtedly too short, but I am so grateful for the incredible people I’ve met and amazing memories made, both in the U.S. and abroad.” An MIC communications team alumni Schaffstall is moving from two wheel toys to a gig with Mattel. “My next adventure will be to take on the role of Senior PR Manager of Hot Wheels at Mattel. While it’ll be a very different challenge vs. the powersports world which I know and love, I look forward to helping inspire the next generation of gearheads on both two and four wheels with the largest toy brand in the world.

Ketch’ um later? Bob Ketchum has stepped down as leader of the MAG apparel divisions, including Roland Sands Designs, Answer Racing and others. “For the past 2 ½ years Bob has been commuting back and forth to the office from Phoenix,” says MAG CEO Hugh Charvat. “As a number of us know, with a young family at home this can be tough. While Bob is very passionate about this industry and the apparel side of the business, he has an opportunity to work from Phoenix and be home most nights. As he told me, being able to work with his daughter on her math homework in person versus FaceTime will be priceless. Please join me in wishing Bob all the best as he embarks upon the next chapter in his career in the tire equipment segment of the automotive industry.”

Ring any Bells? Tim Piver is now Senior Product Manager for Bell Helmets where he will oversee the company’s emerging snowmobile category. “We are excited to have Tim come aboard and are looking forward to seeing him further our rapidly-growing product line,” says Bell VP Chris Sackett, “His diverse background and experience,

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not only in the powersports industry, but in other avenues, will make him an invaluable part of the team.” During the past decade, Piver has played an instrumental role in leading 509 to a position of dominance in the snow industry. Prior to that, he managed snow sales for Western Power Sports/ FLY Racing and helped them become the fastest-growing powersports distributors in the United States. “Bell is such an iconic brand, and I know this is the right place, at the right time, to make a powerful impact on the industry that I love so much,” says Piver. “The notion of bringing Bell’s iconic legacy of performance innovation to the snow category is nothing short of thrilling.”

Coach ‘em up! Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance Motorsports head Jeremy Jansen has joined the United States Motorcycle Coaching Association board. Founded by Mark Blackwell, Jon-Erik Burleson and Jeff Emig USMCA is the non-profit dedicated to growing the sport of motorcycling through creating a nationwide network of motorcycle-riding coaches. I am honored to join the USMCA board,” said Jansen. “Wells Fargo CDF has been an early supporter of the USMCA, and we are committed to reinforcing the vision of an interconnected rider and coaching community in the sport of Motorcycling.” Burleson adds, “Wells Fargo has helped support the launch of the USMCA, and we’re grateful to have a leader like Jeremy as part of the team.

His vision aligns with ours, and that’s to bring renewed success and ridership to the sport of motorcycling.”

Founded in December 2016, USMCA has already trained 100 coaches and aims to certify at least 250 coaches and launch Motorcyclecoaching.org by year-end.

Heads up from Helmet House! The aftermarket product distributor and manufacturer has promoted product manager Spencer Lee to head up the products department as director of products, apparel and accessories. Lee’s primary focus will be on the continued development of Helmet House’s two proprietary lines, Tourmaster and Cortech. “On the heels of Helmet House turning 50 this year, to be entrusted with this level of responsibility is a great honor,” Lee said. “We have an amazingly talented products team, and I’m looking forward to working with them in this capacity.” Prior to Helmet House, Lee spent several years gaining product development and management experience within the cycling and surfing industries, most notably with Giant Bicycles and Rip Curl USA. “We are excited to see Spencer take on this new role and have all the confidence in him to lead our products team,” said Helmet House President and CoFounder Bob Miller. “With a renewed level of energy and excitement behind Tourmaster and Cortech, a talented team, and a new marketing direction, the future is very bright.”

LeMans has added a trifecta of talented powersports pros to the team.

Drag Specialties newest sales rep for the Northeast region covering V-Twin dealers throughout New England is Jacob Lentz. He has been riding for 11 years and currently owns a fleet of bikes from Triumph, Harley Davidson, Yamaha and Honda. He has also been customizing bikes for the past six years and has won several bike show awards.

Drag Specialties has also added Paolo Buell (any relation to Erik?) to the sales team roster covering dealers in the Central Ohio area. Buell has been riding for more than 14 years and currently owns a number of Harleys, including a 1975 FLH Shovelhead, a fully restored 1985 FXR, 2004 FXDL, and 1965 and ’72 Sprints. Buell says he loves traveling to bike shows and shops. He is always on the lookout for cool HD history and works on bikes in his free time.

Meanwhile Parts Unlimited has picked up Daniel Johnsen as the newest sales rep for the North region covering the Quad Cities/Chicago area. A racer, Johnsen has experience in AHRMA and owns a Yamaha RD400 and Suzuki GSXR 600. His experience also includes serving as Tech Inspector for MotoAmerica from 2015-2018. In his free time, Johnsen enjoys running, biking, Track Days and woodworking.

Leatt Corporation is going global with the addition of Illy Anastasi as Global eCommerce Marketing Manager. “We are very pleased to welcome Illy to the Leatt family,” says CEO Sean Macdonald.

Anastasi has broad experience in sales, distribution and marketing in the bicycle business in Europe. He was most recently GM of Hotlines Europe Ltd, a bicycle product distributor, and official distributor of Leatt products in the United Kingdom.

Anastasi will be based in Europe and will support the international marketing and sales team by working with distributors and eCommerce retailers to expand sales, “After 13 amazing years with Hotlines, the time has come for a new challenge. I am looking forward to a new chapter in our industry with Leatt.”

BECOME A DEALER TODAY!

To get involved, head to www.ubcobikes.com/us/become-a-dealer/ fill in the online form and we will be intouch.

WORK PLAY EXPLORE RIDE COMMUTE HUNT FARM

THE NEED FOR SPEED Southwest Superbikes Is On The Gas!

By Robin Hartfiel

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t doesn’t matter if it is going 200 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats or being the very first one to recognize the value of picking up clean late model sportbikes at auction, Southwest Superbikes owner Mark Peterson has been on the gas since day one! Going a mile a minute, Peterson parlayed his need for speed and love of motorcycles into a successful business.

Well, actually this self-made speed demon is blasting along at 3.33 miles per minute (200 mph)… that is the clip Southwest Superbikes have blasted through the traps at the salt flats. “We set three world records on bikes that we customized in house,” Peterson says proudly. “We attained these records at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats. Along with setting these records, our bikes have put five people into the 200 MPH club.”

Southwest Superbikes has been in the motorcycle business since 1988, earning a reputation for having the fastest bikes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and the Hayabusas source for the Southwest. There is even a Hayabusa 20 feet in the air on a scissor lift out front of the shop, while Mark’s personal 2003 record-setting bike is stashed away in the museum upstairs (more about that later). But Southwest Superbikes

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has expanded its focus beyond Busas and museum pieces.

In fact, they were among the very first to jump on board with Audrey Menarik from Moto Liberty to promote The Motorcycle Camping & Adventure Touring Show back in December (profiled in the last issue).

“We are a full-service motorcycle dealer,” says Peterson.

“While we offer the largest pre-owned sportbike selection in Texas, we also have plenty of ADV bikes, cruisers and collector bikes on hand. We are proud to provide services to the motorcycle community because we are part of the motorcycle community… Each of our employees rides!

Commuting, trail riding, cross country touring, adventure touring, as well as track time on road and dirt; We Ride!”

Peterson has been in the saddle since scoring his first motorcycle at a garage sale.” I started working at a printing press when I was 13,” he says, admitting he had to stretch the truth a little claiming he was 16. “I took the money I made running commercial cutting machines to trade/buy/ sell cars and motorcycles.” The very first deal Mark made was to get a Suzuki TS125 at that garage sale. “Never could touch the ground on that thing, so I sold it and moved on to a bike that fit.” The die was cast and many more deals started coming in.

“My first boss told me every good drunk wants a bar,” he adds. “I had some great mentors and bosses over the years, but they always shot me down… ‘you need to stay focused and get a career rather than playing with motorcycles.’”

However, his ability to buy a bike and turn a profit on it was his focus — and a ticket to a career in the motorcycle industry. He also recognized what a game changer motorcycle auctions could be very early on (see “Auction Action” sidebar on page 22).

By 1988, Mark had done enough “horse trading” to open Southwest Superbikes. It wasn’t always easy and he literally lived in the shop in the early years, but every single day has been rewarding. “I have worked since I was 13, and yet I still enjoy coming into the shop every morning. I get to mess with motorcycles during the day instead of having to wait until after work. The people I get to talk to work their butts off and they want to reward themselves, so when they come in and I can sell them a bike, it is life changing!”

Peterson’s enthusiasm is as infectious as it is genuine.

“I still get the same feeling when I get a new bike… I can’t wait to go ride! I think it is so cool to be a part of that for all of my customers.” To fuel this passion, Southwest Superbikes still stocks the largest selection of pre-owned sportbikes in Texas.

In fact, the last time we checked in on Mark, two EBR 1190s, a Triumph Thruxton and three Suzuki Hayabusas were blocking the front door — having just come in from inaugural NPA auction in the new Dallas facility — and there was no room on the showroom floor for them. When we went into his office, Peterson had former AMA chairman and Dealernews VP Stan Simpson sitting in his office to pick up an old BSA, a potential Hayabusa customer on the cell phone, a call on hold on the landline and a customer chat going on the computer simultaneously. No lie!

“You caught me on a slow day,” says Mark, only half jokingly.

By the end of our visit, Stan had loaded up two vintage bikes, two of the ‘Busas had been sold and a buyer was coming in for a look at the third as soon as he got off work.

Peterson believes in the old adage “you can’t sell from an empty shelf” so Southwest Superbikes is always stuffed to the rafters with a huge selection of bikes, literally. The upstairs area is devoted to a museum full of exotic race machines, including a 1956 Moto Parilla 175 Fox that had been campaigned in the Giro d’Italia back in the day that started him down the path of rare race bikes.

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Southwest Superbikes 2361 Fabens Road Dallas TX 75229 (972) 418-0555 fax (972) 418-5595 http://southwestsuperbikes.com “We have always specialized in pre-owned sales, and I was into the auctions early,” Peterson recollects. “A friend started the original Cycle Express motorcycle auction that morphed over the years into what is now National Powersport Auctions. So I have been buying bikes at auction since the very first one.” To this day, he remains one of the top buyers and sellers at NPA’s Texas facility.

So, what is the one bit of advice this veteran horse trader would share with a dealer who has never been to an NPA event? “Don’t let the excitement of the auction get the best of you. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of it and raise your hand a few too many times!”

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AUCTION ACTION

N

ational Powersport Auctions says the #1 selling motorcycle is pre-owned. In fact, if the average dealer is doing it right pre-owned sales should be 3:1 vs. new units. “I’m not bound by franchise agreements or an allocation system,” explains Peterson. It doesn’t matter if it is going 200 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats or being the very first one to recognize the value of picking up clean late model sportbikes at auction. Peterson has parlayed his need for speed and love of motorcycles into a successful business, fueled by auction action.

At one point in time, industry estimates were 75-80% of used bike sales were driveway-to-driveway… meaning a franchised dealer was rarely ever part of the equation. In recent years, the Internet has created a whole new preowned vehicle marketplace of information, inventory and related services. Consumers can now access resources such as CycleTrader.com (touting the largest selection of used vehicles found anywhere on the planet). But dealers can still beat the odds.

Rather than fighting with Craig’s List and the Penny Saver, Peterson immersed himself in the pre-owned market, utilizing the auctions to make sure he had access to the largest selection of sportbikes in the entire state of Texas.

Everything really is bigger in Texas when you are talking about inventory… and part of Peterson’s seemingly limitless supply comes from the nearby NPA auction lanes. “The auctions are a valuable tool to augment trade-ins and other sources.”

Southwest Superbikes is so entrenched in the process, they have their own condition report/photo bay that is an exact match for one found at the NPA Auction houses.

So, what is the one bit of advice this veteran horse trader would share with a dealer who has never been to an NPA event? “Don’t let the excitement of the auction get the best of you. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of it and raise your hand a few too many times!”

A notable exception to this approach can be seen with Hisun. In addition to their “traditional” dealer network of ~285 locations, Hisun has hedged their bets with re-badged product through competitor dealer networks (Massimo Motor, Bennche – both now part of Sportsman Country), big box retailers (Home Depot, Tractor Supply) and adjacent market retailers (Cub Cadet). The Hisun approach appears be a balancing act of trying to cover multiple distribution models (Twister® circles) without hitting the mat! (fig.1)

To be sure, this approach to expanding an OEM’s retail footprint is not unique. Polaris rebadges UTV’s for Gravely, Textron does the same for New Holland and Caterpillar product, Intimidator with Mahindra and TGB, ODES with Branson Tractor etc.

Dealernews Research

By Don Musick

WHAT’S YOUR VECTOR VICTOR? Part I of II

E

ver played “Twister” as a kid (or adult)? To refresh your memory, (paraphrasing Wikipedia):

“Twister® is a game of physical skill played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor. The mat has six rows of large colored circles with a different color in each row (red, yellow, green, and blue). A spinner determines where a player has to place their hand or foot. The spinner is divided into four sections: left foot, right foot, left hand, and right hand and each of the sections are divided into each of the four colors. After spinning, a combination is called (e.g. “right hand yellow”) and players must move their matching hand or foot to a circle of the correct color. Due to the scarcity of colored circles, players are often required to put themselves in unlikely or precarious positions, eventually causing someone to fall. A person is eliminated when they fall or when their elbow or knee touches the mat.”

In a nutshell, players need to cover all of their bases without falling flat on their faces and the last man standing (or pretzeled) wins. So, what does Twister® have to do with the powersports industry? The UTV segment continues to be the bandwagon that newcomer OEMs (China, Taiwan, Korea) are hopping on in hopes of sharing the wealth with established players. Front and center in their foray into the U.S. market is implementing a distribution strategy that maximizes short/long term revenue as well as establishing brand identity. Most of the newbie OEMs have gravitated towards penetrating existing dealer networks which can be expensive, time consuming and frequently limited to 2nd or 3rd tier dealer prospects.

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Figure 1

Hisun’s “left foot-orange” is supported by the 1,965 Home Depot® locations across the U.S. and is the largest of their distribution channels. Home Depot is not a stranger to UTV retail having offered an American Landmaster manufactured, Home Depot® exclusive “Bulldog” series of UTV in 2016. In 2017, the Bulldog series was replaced with a Hisun manufactured (again exclusive) “Vector UTV” series of products (www.vectorutv.com) with displacements of 250cc, 500cc, 700cc as well as an all-electric model. In addition to the Home Depot® retail locations, there are an additional 151 independent servicing locations. The distribution of Home Depot® retailers is illustrated in Fig 2.

While the large majority of Vector UTV retailers offer online ordering along with optional pickup/delivery services (green dots), some locations stock Vector product (blue dots). Additionally, there are also stores where product is not available either stock or ordered (largely Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico). A breakout of store type by delivery options is shown in Fig 3.

Figure 3

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, consumerdirect 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) 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.

Figure 2

FEBRUARY 2019

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PIONEERS OF INDIANA MOTORCYCLING 28th Annual Indiana Motorcycle Expo Plays Host To Midwest Motorcyclists

By Charlie Williams

I

ndianapolis has had a Motorcycle Dealer Expo since the early 1990’s. Wilma Stoughton Williams of Stoughton’s Cycle Ranch sparked the first one and filled our Murat Temple, two floors, with about 50 homegrown local Indiana motorcycle dealers.

The line went clear around the building… it’s a sight still spoken of in hushed tones today.

Billed as the largest motorcycle expo in the midwest, the show continues to draw a crowd to the Indiana State Fairgrounds to this day. Promoter Renfro Productions claims their regional ad campaign reaches 1.6 million Midwest households via 100 TV and radio stations. Good news for Indy enthusiasts in the dead of winter!

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However, it is not all beer and skittles. This year’s show only had 14 motorcycle dealers, that’s my report on the State of the Union. Oh, the Expo building is still full, but it’s becoming more of a Harley-Davidson flea market swap meet. The new organizer doesn’t seem to care as long as the aisles are full.

...our kids aren’t really interested in taking up riding, I can’t really blame them, things really were better back in the day. Bikes were smaller, cheaper, simpler and every neighborhood had a vacant lot to ride in. Races ran hill and dale, 100 milers were the norm.

But over in the corner is a group of people who care, the Pioneers of Hoosier Motorcycling. Yes, it’s the old folks, still living in 1982 or 1972 or even 1952… Beyond preserving Indiana motorcycle history, their mission is, attracting new riders to the sport.

If you are reading this magazine, you already know our kids aren’t really interested in taking up riding, I can’t really blame them, things really were better back in the day. Bikes were smaller, cheaper, simpler and every neighborhood had a vacant lot to ride in. Races ran hill and dale, 100 milers were the norm. So when a kid looks up from his screen of choice and sees a $10,000 price tag for a bike and very limited places to ride it, who can blame him? Bullet point in my State of the Union Address (see sidebar on page 28).

The Pioneers feel if we share our history, maybe kids will catch a spark. So the booth is filled with old bikes and old pictures and old people. They also have a stage with 100 seats and conduct interviews all day long with Pioneers of Indiana Motorcycling.

Definitely the highlight of the Motorcycle Expo, except for the fact they handed me a microphone (see sidebar, again).

Oh yeah, one more historic thing. The Indiana Motorcycle Expo falls on the same weekend as the former Dealernews International Dealer Expo used to happen. Seems our industry has an affinity for congregating in Indy for Valentine’s Day. If you are a dealer looking to rekindle the old spark mark February 1416, 2020 on your event calendar. Exhibitor details here: https://renfroproductions.com/shows/indiana-motorcycle-expo/

FEBRUARY 2019

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STATE OF THE UNION SPEACH

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his year, the Pioneers of Hoosier Motorcycling invited me on stage to speak of my riding and racing experiences. I can almost guarantee they won’t make that mistake again!

It wasn’t for a lack of trying or not supporting the cause, honest.

I was even stone cold sober instead of being stoned and cold!

I spent a great amount of time arranging my thoughts, sharpening my message with concise anecdotes, deep enough to change a young mind. I had written cue cards so a detail would not be missed. But then they handed me a microphone and I entered a new dimension… and not a good one. My eye’s crossed, my tongue tied, my mind left. I even tried picturing in the crowd naked, but that didn’t really help.

I had planned an eloquent speech, but I presented gears grinding and tires screeching, the smell of electrical wires burning. The cue cards? Couldn’t remember they were in my pocket! Here is what I planned on saying:

Greetings fellow Pioneers and future riders of Indiana. It is a great honor blah blah blah… I began riding when I was 10 years old, I was clumsy and slow and never had a prayer of making the basketball team, can’t run, don’t like football, I don’t like pain. Instead, I was invited to join the Cheer Squad.

Dad said “grab your boots, we’re going riding…” (use Sam Elliot voice, strike cowboy pose). An early 1960s Suzuki 80cc street bike appeared in my life, it was beautiful...

As beautiful as my new bike was, it was still a very flawed design, one of the worst ideas ever. The motorcycle won’t balance on its own and has a hinge in the middle. This design should not work.

The magic of the motorcycle is the gyroscopic effect of the spinning gears and wheels. We’ve all played with a kid’s gyroscope, imagine the force of a spinning crank shaft, add about 1,000 spinning transmission gears, add the spinning tires and wheels and sprockets and discs! A motorcycle is actually a gyroscope with a seat.

It was no surprise to others that if you combine a poorly designed machine with a clumsy 10 year old boy we weren’t going to have world caliber results. But, because the magic of the motorcycle I could ride around the yard and it kept me off the Cheer Squad.

Of course I was oblivious to the obvious and for a long time, riding a bike as fast as possible was my goal. Eventually I realized I wasn’t going to win any world championships.

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At the same time, it dawns on me what I really like is doing wheelies coming out of corners! Riding fast was not possible for me and that was fine! I could focus on my corner wheelie combo.

So with the expectations of winning gone I developed a style of riding where speed was not paramount, but rather the line chosen and its execution were art. Dancing can be considered an art, why not riding a bike? Instead of pounding the earth to submission, I’d work with the dirt, using my rubber tires to gently caress Sacajawea, our mother earth...

As art, I added a camera to capture the magic. I could go to a race, take pictures of the start, then pack up and head out on the trail, where I did wheelies and made sweet jumps. I could estimate about when the top riders were going to lap me and I’d stop and get in position and take more photos, maybe eat a snack then hit the trail for a while.

I created slide shows and sold photos, then one day, they invented video and I was out of business. That turn of events led me to writing race reports for Cycle News. That led to becoming the National Affairs Editor for Trail Rider Magazine. That led to travel and adventures on bikes and far away places.

No, I didn’t get rich and I never reached a giant audience with my writing, but I’ve gone a super long way with my meager riding skills. If winning trophies had been the only measure, I failed. But it’s said that the top of the mountain is a cold and lonely spot, it is the sides of the mountain that sustains life and love.

(finish with deep curtsy and hold for applause)

What really came out of my mouth were blasts of words I know and snippets of thoughts I almost remembered. At one point I blurted out: “I like cheese!” I heard myself reciting quotes from Monty Python, basic grammar done run out the building!

Neck veins, temple veins, forehead veins, sweat, odor, gas, anal seepage… Frankenstein’s Monster was embarrassed and wouldn’t look me in the eye. President Trump tweeted: “Sorry about your speech, you loosed bigly. #Ilikecheesetoo”

Eventually it was over and my blood pressure lowered enough so I could move my eyeballs. All the Pioneers were nice and smiled at me. I’m not sure my performance convinced any one to buy a bike, a helmet maybe...

I didn’t really have any children come up to me and say they wanted to grow up just like me, so maybe a blathering idiot is not the best spokesperson to attract new riders to our sport.

That’s cool, I didn’t enjoy the stage, I’m a lot smarter hiding behind a keyboard, one key, one letter at a time.

But, I can tell you how to attract new riders to our sport, it’s easy, it’s the same reason we got interested so many years ago.

Because motorcycles are fun. Simple as that, it’s just a fun little machine (that just happens to be magic, remember).

Show anyone, any age something that is fun to do and they will be interested. All we can do is enjoy what we have, live and ride like it’s the last, if you are doing it right, others will see, some will follow.

And did I tell you I like cheese?

DMess When it comes to a Dealership Management System most dealers don’t like change. It may seem easier to keep a system that you’re used to, even if it’s holding you back.

In today’s competitive market change is necessary, but with DX1 it’s not difficult. You sell adventure and DX1 will give it back to you. Stop getting stuck behind the counter and do what you love most. Get out and ride.

•

DX1 Fiche eliminates clunky integration, outdated pricing, and manual price updates.

•

Free automated OEM and aftermarket price file updates.

•

Detailed escalator and rounder rules ensure healthy margins and protects your bottom line.

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Warehouse parts availability eliminates the need to log into vendor websites.

•

Automatic seasonal min/max reordering allows for hands off inventory control.

•

Real-time parts availability by vendor allows for tighter inventory control and faster turn around time in service.

Visit DX1app.com and demo today.

1.800.700.4391 | dx1app.com/demo | dx1app.com/resources/testimonials

“Until you have it, you don’t realize how much time and energy it saves you.”

David Hansin | Owner/General Manager | All Out Cycles | DX1 Dealer Since 2014

The Only Complete Dealership Management Platform Available In The Powersports Industry.

DX1app.com/MPN

Dealernews Research

By Dr. Paul Leinberger

HERE COMES GENERATION Z! Dealing With Post-Millennials

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any of us in the Powersports business have spent the better part of the last decade learning to sell to Millennials (or Generation Y). Hard won lessons to be sure.

Now, seemingly out-of-nowhere, there is a new generation to contend with – Generation Z. Generation Z, otherwise known as the iGeneration, Centennials, and PostMillennials, are Americans born after 1996 (Pew Research Center). Anyone born from 1997 onward is part of this new generation. The oldest among this rising generation are turning 22 this year and most are still in their teens or younger. So why, you might ask, do we need to be concerned about them now?

Well, to start with, they represent 28% of the U.S. population – which makes them the largest population cohort (90.8 million). By comparison (in descending order), Millennials are 25% of the population, Baby Boomers are 22% and Gen Xers are 17%. By 2020 (hey, that’s next year), Gen Z will account for one-third of the U.S. population and 40% of all consumers, so that’s why we need to pay attention now. In the coming years, this new generation will come to dominate the demographic fabric of the United States.

Remember the impact that Baby Boomers had on the culture when they were coming-of-age (think 1969)? Well the same thing is about to happen again.

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The leading edge – those 16 to 22 years of age – are already in the market. Have you noticed them yet? And noticed how they are different from Millennials?

Are they really different from Millennials? Can’t we just think of them as “mini-Millennials” and sell and market to them using the techniques that work with Millennials? No, you can’t – because Gen Zers have characteristics that are uniquely their own.

Generation Z does not remember a time when the Internet did not exist (they don’t remember 9/11 either). Thus, it is not surprising to learn that 50% of Gen Z spends 10 hours a day connected online – yes, 10 hours, and 70% watch YouTube for two hours a day or more – and almost half say they “can’t live without it.” Compare that to your own technology and media habits.

Their average attention span is under 8 seconds, they process information faster than other generations and they prefer to multi-task using five screens simultaneously (TV, phone, laptop, desktop, iPod or other portable music player). By contrast, Millennials prefer to multitask on two screens and Baby Boomers one screen. 98% own a smartphone and 92% have a digital footprint. It is not an understatement to declare that we are about to enter “the screen age” – thanks to Gen Z. Now think what that means for your marketing and sales strategy. How strong is your social media presence?

But it isn’t only their technology behavior that sets them apart. Gen Z was “raised in a culturally fractured, economically divided and politically polarized time” (Kantar Research, 2019) and thus have a distinct set of values, attitudes, and marketplace expectations that set them apart (from Millennials – and other generations). Because they grew up during a recession (the 2008 recession), they tend to be pragmatic and realists (and don’t share the idealism of Millennials). They have hopes and dreams (like any other generation), but they are more level-headed and sensitive to the social, political and economic realities swirling around them. They saw their parents struggle through the recession and realize that life can be difficult.

As a result, they expect the world of work to be hard and they are ready to work hard to succeed. Instead of “living for today,” they are focused on saving money and planning for the future.

In addition to their core values of realism and resilience, they are also open to the world around them. Even more than Millennials, they are truly a “global” generation. They seek inspiration and ideas from everywhere and embrace the diversity that is a hallmark of their generation. Indeed, 49% identify as non-white – making them the most diverse generation in American history.

What do these demographics and unique values mean for marketing and selling to them? If you want to connect with them and make them life-long customers, remember seven things: 1) Communicate visually. They live in a world of screens.

Build a strong presence on Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube – all the visual social media channels (Facebook is passé).

2) Keep your message short – under seven seconds. Think small bites of content. Be very efficient.

3) Remember that they are open and curious. Tap into their desire to learn new things. Use YouTube (and other social media) to expand their world.

4) Give them control over preference settings. Personalization and control are important to them. They don’t see themselves as members of a generational cohort; they want to be seen – and treated – as unique individuals.

5) Embrace and reflect their belief in diversity.

6) Respect their knowledge, passion and tech-savvy. Help them to build their skills and expertise.

7) Focus on your in-store experience.

This last is critical. Although tech-savvy, this generation actually prefers to shop in stores. Why? Because they want to make sure that they are buying quality and thus they like to feel and see products in person. Remember that good value for money is what drives their purchase decision process.

This is a generation that wants to do business with you.

They want to connect with you and trust you. Now is your opportunity to lead the parade. Competitive advantage can be yours.

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

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for the upcoming year…after the Polar Vortex ends, 2019 can pick back up where we left off in 2018.

In the meantime, old fashioned print versions of the NADA Appraisal Guide are still available for $50 a single copy or $100 for all three annual issues.

PowersportValues Values Powersport Average Retail Value by Category Cruisers

Dealernews Research

By Lenny Sims

BY THE BOOK

Sportbikes

NADAguides Market Insights Power The Market Values

T

he digital age has done away with a number of institutions, including the iconic Sears catalog and closer to home, the demise of many monthly motorcycle magazines, including Hot Bike and TransWorld MX. With the instant gratification and limitless look-ups, there has been a move internally to stop printing the NADAappraisal guides and convert our dealer customers, financial institutions and other power users to online users. Certainly the suite of online services is more efficient for everyone and the online versions are more accurate as they are updated in real-time rather than waiting for a three issues a year paper copy.

Utility Side By Sides

Efficiency and instantaneous accuracy are compelling, but many customers still prefer the print subscription. So that means 20 Years of Pricing for Motorcycles, Sidecars, Sport and Utility ATVs, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft and Trailers from 2000-2019 remains available as a print guide, mailed three times a year (Jan. – May – Sept.).

The Used Rough and Clean Wholesale Trade-In, Average Retail and Suggested List Pricing Includes Average Mileage Charts, State Equipment Requirements and Optional Equipment Sections are still featured in every issue. However, more accurate numbers can be found monthly in Dealernews and immediately online!

Online, in the magazine or in the three guides, the upward trending categories like Sport side-by-sides continue to do well. Speaking of Sport SxS, the long awaited Talon (seen elsewhere in this issue) is expected to drive sales this Spring.

Early results in 2019 are providing us with a positive outlook

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Sport Side By Sides

Powersport Values vs. Traffic

About NADAguides.com NADAguides.com, the largest publisher of the most market-reflective vehicle pricing and information available for new and used cars, classic cars, motorcycles, boats, RVs and manufactured homes, offers in-depth shopping and research tools including a broad range of data, products and service and informational articles as well as tips and advice. NADAguides. com also produces electronic products, mobile applications, raw data, web services, web-syndicated products and print guidebooks. NADAguides.com is operated by National Appraisal Guides, Inc., a division of J.D. Power.

Motorcycle Brands

J.D. Power/NADA Guides, Inc. 3200 Park Center Drive, 13th Floor Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (800) 966-6232 Fax (714) 556-8715 www.nadaguides.com/Motorcycles FEBRUARY 2019

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A 28-member dealer group wanted to do a 90-day promotion that would bring riders out of their winter slumber and get their butts back on bikes and into the dealerships. “REVER made each of the 28 dealer locations a Point of Interest (POI) and sent a promotional email to the group’s database,” explains Eastman. The campaign worked! From the 900 riders reached, some 240,000 miles were ridden and better yet 1,242 dealership visit generated.

Here are the results: Promotion Duration: 90 days Total Riders: 900 Total POIs: 28 POI Visits: 1,242 Rides Taken: 11,585 Total Miles Ridden: 240,000 Avg Miles Ridden: 266 Avg POI Visits: 44

REV ’EM UP WITH REVER Part III Of What An Engaged Customer Base Looks Like!

H

ow can an app turn into cold hard cash in your dealership? Good question! REVER is a free app available on both iOS and Android platforms that works in conjunction with their website to help riders discover the world’s best roads, create custom routes, track epic rides, compete for bragging rights and share their riding experiences across social platforms. More importantly, REVER users spend money at the dealership level. A substantial amount!

“Spring will soon be sprung, so here is a look at dealerbased program REVER produced for a State Dealer Group last Spring,” says marketing guru Corey Eastman. “This demographic data gives a real world example of how dealers can use REVER.” He suggests correlating this case study with the overall demographics compiled from the past five years of usage (see following page).

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It is important to note that this program was promoted only to the dealer group database, so it was a great way to re-engage existing customers. “To that point, REVER can help engage riders well beyond a dealer’s database,” adds Eastman. “Through our geo-targeted audience, as well as building ‘lookalike’ audiences on social media platforms based on our data, we can tap into an audience customtailored to just about any dealership. The advantage being that we know our users are riding and riders tend to attract other riders, making our audience acquisition extremely effective.”

Additionally, programs like this give riders an excuse to go ride. “With so many distractions in daily life, everyone could use a reason, a gentle nudge, to go for a ride,” he adds.

“Think of REVER as the cure for Cabin Fever… and a tonic for your bottom line this Spring.”

Additional incentives can be built into these types of programs, including collecting points to win prizes, customer recognition, sales or service promotions and more. “Keep in mind that we can also build programs for dealership with multiple-stores, or create a challenge around a specific location, allowing a dealer to promote to new customers and get current customers out riding — building desire for new product.”

One last thing from Eastman: “Say it right! It is pronounced REV-er like revving your engine, not Paul Revere,” he reminds us. “It is a French word meaning ‘to dream’ — REVER is our way of revving your engine.”

Since its launch back in 2015, REVER has racked up more the 1 million downloads and tracked 75,000,000+ miles. Get more details about how you can REVitalize your rider with the REVER app here: https://rever.co/how-it-works/

D

E

M

O

G

R

A

P

H

I

C

S On average, REVER users are 49 years old

REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY REVER USERS LIVE IN

On average, REVER users have an annual household income of $123,093

18%

Northwest

13%

74% of REVER users are married

Northeast

22%

69% of REVER users have kids, 36% of which are still in the household

Midwest

28%

Southwest

78% of REVER users received post-high-school education,6% served in the military

19%

Southeast

81% of REVER users own a home

66 % of REVER users ride weekly,

REVER users own other vehicles 72%

own one or more cars

U

S

E

93%

own one or more truck/ van/SUVs

O

F

15%

31%

own one or more RVs

R

E

9%

own one or own one or more utility/ more classic/ moto trailers vintage cars

V

E

7%

own one or more boats

9%

own one or more utility vehicles

or more.

R

91% of REVER users take multi-day trips on their motorcycles 10%

56% of REVER users regularly ride with groups - 34% use REVER to lead their group On average, REVER users have 6.5 friends on REVER 82% of REVER users attend motorcycle events

Community

FAVORITE REVER FUNCTION

42% Ride Planning

On average, REVER users have been riding motorcycles for 15 years Total duration using REVER

Ride Types

15% 12 months or less 55% 1-2 years 30% 3-4 years

33% Touring 31% All types 18% ADV 13% Back roads 3% Commuting 2% Trail riding

Frequency of REVER useage 34% Weekly or more 34% Once or more a month 22% Every 2-6 months 7% Every 7-12 months 3% Once a year

Most-used features 62% Ride Planning 79% Ride Tracking 26% Ride Sharing 9% Friend tracking 21% Ride Discovery 20% Challenges rever.co

Number of people REVER users introduced to motorcycling 70% 1-11 new riders 4% 12-20 new riders 14% 21 or more new riders 12% No new riders 2,114 REVER users received this survey via Survey Monkey. Of them, 465 users filled out the survey— a response rate of 22 percent. As of July 2018 Š2018 Rever | Private and Confidential

48% Ride Tracking

Length of time REVER users have been riding motorcycles 19% 10% 10% 18%

Less than a year to six years 7-11 years 12-17 years 18 to over 20 years

On average, REVER users have introduced people to motorcycle riding.

8

@revermoto

FEBRUARY 2019

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SS HH O O WW TT II M M EE ++

F E AR & LOATHING IN LOUISVILLE PAGE38

F OLLOWING HUN TE R S. TH OMPSON’S TRAIL PAGE42

TH E MIN T 4 00 PAGE70

Fear and L oa th ing in Louisville

Gonzo Rider Road Trips To Parts Unlimited NVP

By Charlie Williams “Too weird to live, too rare to die!” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

T

here is a time and place for everything. Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo’s mind-bending trip to cover the Mint 400 desert race could have only taken place in the 1970s, just as a trip to the old Dealernews Dealer Expo in Cincy was something that we did in the 1980s… then we moved onto Indy in the 1990s. It may be that the original Dealer Expo got too weird to live on, but the spirit of the event is too rare to let die! Since we can’t flashback to the 1970s and 1980s, it is time to flash forward! Can’t make it to the big trade shows like AIMExpo? Parts Unlimited brings the show to you. Centrally located, Louisville, Kentucky, was our host city for an epic road trip February 16-17 and it’s a short drive for many midwesterners.

Anything new? I’ll spare you any triple espresso-inspired visions from the drive to the Kentucky International Convention Center in order to focus on some show stoppers that were penetrating the early morning fog of my mind. How about Rekluse joining the Parts Unlimited team!?! What an amazing climb the Rekluse guys have had over the past decade, I’m very proud of them.

Yes, I run a Rekluse in my bike and yes, it is amazing! Teaming with Parts should be the next step up. Not familiar with Rekluse?

Ask your rep or call Idaho Joe at Rekluse.

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RISK Racing gets the Gonzo display of the day award! Mud Grips! You have to give it up to anyone who will bring a bucket of mud in a trade show to demonstrate their product. Not just any mud, but good old North Carolina red clay, one of the slickest of all muds. Mr. RISK had me put on a moto glove and stick my hand in the mud, oddly the line to do this was not long… Then he had two muddy grips for me to grab ahold of. The first one was very slick and would be hard to ride with, but the other one had a magic RISK racing foam grip and it absolutely did not slip. Very convincing display and well worth hauling a bucket of mud. Serious about your mud racing? Seriously check these grips out.

Moose Racing’s Darren Carlson was most excited about showing me the updated Sahara line of riding gear. It’s their hot weather line so it’s fully ventilated. Available in size 42 and XXXL, this makes me happy and comfortable. Boys even bigger than me will appreciate the fact that the Moose Qualifier line is available up to a 52” waist and a 5X jersey! How about that? In a variety of colors, for about $120 retail, that’s not too bad at all!

Of course I drool over the wide line of Enduro jackets, vests, pull-overs, packables… you name it they have it. Back packs, fanny packs, tool packs, gear bags, with and without wheels, carry ons, carrying cases, I could go on...

Darren also showed me their new XCR line of goggles. Sharp new styling, nose guard, polycarbonite lens anti fog coating, it’s a deluxe goggle at a competitive price of $55. Moose still offers their Qualifier Slash goggle at $19.99. Lenses are available for all their goggles.

Dunlop Tires had the GeoMax AT81EX on display. Rear dirt bike tire, ultra-sticky rubber, super soft carcass — like a trials tire, but with knobbies — just about everything I want in a tire. No, it’s not for everyone, they have a full line of competition tires and a list of championships to back them up, but this GeoMax is a trail riders dream. It has tremendous traction so unless you are sloppy with the throttle, you don’t spin the tire, if you don’t spin, you don’t wear it out, plus you don’t dig trenches and make a mess — everybody wins! Sure, MX purists can find fault with this new “hybrid” style of tire, but for maximum traction in many situations, this tire is the one for the rest of us trail riders.

Lunch time! Rather than embarking on an ether bender at the gas break in Barstow, we decided to stay focused on the show.

Parts Unlimited hostesses set out a giant spread of sandwiches and snacks; time to relax then hit the floor again.

Hinson Clutches, Alpinestars and Icon all had stuff to trot out after lunch, but that wasn’t the highlight for my wife.

ODI, the locking grips guys, had world famous Jeff Emig in the booth! It was great to see Jeff, he’s one of the true superstars of our sport. My wife got her picture taken with him and that made her happy, see photo below. She was still saying: “Jeff we love you” as I drug her away.

Magura, Mobius, EBC Brakes — they all reached out of their booths to engage us, show us and explain their products.

Great, now I need all new Magura controls for a Husky restoration I’m doing. I also need Mobius knee guards; my old ones were fine until Mr. Mobius showed me why his were better. Stupid education... ignorance really is bliss!

Continued on page 40

FEBRUARY 2019

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Continued from page 39

Jeff Derge, Vice President of Sales says;

Our first year in Louisville could not have gone better! Thank you to the dealers, vendors and our team for working the weekend with us. This show is such an important part of improving our industry. There are so many great new products on the market this year, the dealers spent quality time talking with the vendors and reps to really get an understanding of these products. In the end the dealers that attended will deliver a better shopping experience for every customer that enters their stores.

Nine new brands were added to the LeMans family since the Fall Expo. “We are excited to display their products, share information and create relationships with our dealer network and sales teams at our Spring NVP Expo,” says VP Jeff Derge.

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Great show, good time, I enjoyed my visit to Louisville.

I did add one stop worth mentioning. We visited the Hunter S. Thompson memorial mural — it was his birthday, after all. It’s painted on the side of a restaurant back by the dumpster and grease trap. If you don’t know who Hunter Thompson is, that’s fine, leave that shit alone! Those who do know remember his gonzo style, I’ll admit I’ve always copied that style, but added my own trailer park slant.

As gonzo as Hunter S. Thompson could be, he was an excellent writer. His coverage of the presidential elections are some great works and prove not only was he gonzo, he was capable of more. The language may be gonzo, but as your attorney, I advise you to listen to the message, it might be good.

Tsujikawa, who just followed HST’s tracks to Las Vegas and our editor. Off-Road Editor Charlie Williams went so far as to create Gonzo Rider… but that is a story for another time!

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas…

The Birth of “Gonzo Journalism”

By Robin Hartfiel “We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like “I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive....” Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream is a 1971 novel by Hunter S. Thompson, illustrated by Ralph Steadman. Rooted in autobiographical incidents stemming from a chance assignment from Sports Illustrated to write photo captions for the Mint 400 desert race, March 21-23, 1971, the book influenced a generation of impressionable young minds, including Scot Harden and Tigra

What originally was a 250-word photo caption assignment grew to a novel-length feature story for Rolling Stone when his 2,500-word submission to SI was “aggressively rejected.”

Thompson later said he spent 36 hours alone in a hotel room “feverishly writing in my notebook” about his experiences.

The story follows Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo, as they head to Las Vegas to cover the Mint 400 desert race and chase the American Dream through a drug-induced haze, all the while ruminating on the failure of the 1960s countercultural movement. Thompson’s best-known book, it is noted for its lurid descriptions of illegal drug use. It also popularized Thompson’s highly subjective blend of fact and fiction that went on to become known as “gonzo journalism.”

The two-part series in Rolling Stone in 1971 became a book the following year. It was later adapted to film by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam in 1998, starring Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke and Benicio del Toro as Dr. Gonzo.

It continues to inspire epic road trips to this very day as both Scot and Charlie paid homage to Hunter S. Thompson purely by chance at the same time Tigra was flying past Baker on Kawasaki’s Supercharged H2! Coincidence or cosmic flashback… Well, it was the 1970s says Harden:

“The only way to prepare for a trip like this, I felt, was to dress up like human peacocks and get crazy, then screech off across the desert and cover the story.” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas

FF OLLOWING OLLOWING

HUN TE HUN TE RR S. S. TH TH OMPSON'S OMPSON'S

TRAIL TRAIL TRAIL

Photos by Brandon Davis

“The possibility of physical and meNtal collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

— Hunter S. Thompson, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Fear And Loathing On A Supercharged H2!

By Tigra Tsujikawa

I

’ve been in love with my 2010 Z1000 from Day 1… and like any love affair, blinded to anything else. Then came the opportunity to ride a Kawasaki H2 SX to Las Vegas for the Beautiful Bikers Conference. I immediately became defensive and a little fearful of an all new, high tech bike. But with excited and envious comments coming immediately from friends and colleagues, it was time to buy the ticket and take the ride, to paraphrase the original gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson.

Just like Raoul Duke and his Gonzo attorney, this particular road trip took me from Southern California to Las Vegas.

However, I was flying solo on a supercharged rocket rather than a red Cadillac Eldorado convertible just a day after a freak snowfall in the desert. The unusual conditions, terrain changes and distance of the ride provided great opportunity to get a good feel for the bike.

The idea of computer-controlled functions and handling assist always seemed to be intrusive on my riding experience and would remove the ability to maneuver and ride my bike the way I wanted and loathed the idea of not being in control - but I was trying to keep that door in my mind from slamming shut out of fear and loathing.

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The first thing I noticed about the (MANY) controls and buttons on the H2 was the cruise control. I’ve never needed cruise control in all my rides, but now I’m thinking it was because I’ve never had the option. This was a nice option for those long stretches of snow-covered desert highways and helped keep me in check with the speed. Cruise control is HANDY (pun intended).

Speaking of speed...the wonderful thing about this wellbalanced beast, is the smooth way the supercharged engine accelerates and glides at speed. But because of this nearnirvana trait, it is best to be mindful of the display - amazing how quickly you can go from 65 to 100. Who needs ether or nitrous when you have a supercharger? Just beware the temptation to go gonzo if you should happen to encounter a cop on the way into Sin City!

“No cop was ever born who isn’t a sucker for a finelyexecuted hi-speed Controlled Drift all the way around one of those clover-leaf freeway interchanges. Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. Your normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side when he sees the big red light behind him... and then he will start apologizing, begging for mercy. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop-heart. The thing to do when you’re running along about a hundred or so and you suddenly find a red-flashing CHP-tracker on your trail;

what you want to do then is accelerate.” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear & Loathing

One of the reasons I love my Z1000 so much is the horsepower-to-braking power ratio is equal and as much as I love to go fast, I want to be able to slow and stop with confidence. The decade old 4- piston caliper braking system on the bike always gives me that confidence while commuting and on cross-country rides alike. This comfort has always made me a bit wary of ABS, especially on a bike that is as advanced as the H2 SX.

The conditions were frosty in parts of the ride and this meant I had a good chance to experience the Kawasaki Intelligent Braking System (KIBS) as car traffic seems to want to go fast and then stomp on the brakes with the sudden realization that they might be heading into a bottleneck or snow. I’d often thought that ABS of any kind created a jerky stop, but it wasn’t until after one of these sudden traffic stops that I realized that the smooth, yet firm braking and stop was because of the KIBS. KIBS is HELPFUL.

When I arrived in Las Vegas, I thought about these few features I had used and the addition of the technology. The ride was still the ride and I was engaged with riding instead of becoming a front seat passenger, as I had feared.

So, if you have a customer come-in, who like me, has fear of “losing the ride,” encourage them to keep an open mind.

The technology and features infused in this bike, take you to a whole other level of a ride experience, enhancing the ride by enhancing your skills and giving you more control than you’ve ever had. Technology is a handy, good, helpful TOOL. While I am still loathing cheating on my Z1000, the fear of the H2’s technology quickly vanished in the mirror!

“We can’t stop here, this is bat country!” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The supercharged 998cc inline-four-cylinder engine is all new—not a repurposed ZX-10R, and pumps out nearly 200 ponies!

The Kawasaki “River Mark” symbol dates back to the company’s founding in the 1870s. KHI policy limits its use to rare and limited models of historical significance.

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WHAT THEY SAID

“So, is there really a place for a $22,000 supercharged hypersport-tourer? There are plenty of more practical options out there, but like all the numerous supercars that certainly don’t seem to be hurting for customers, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX wasn’t meant to be practical. It’s a high-quality, serious performance machine cut from a unique cloth that can’t be found anywhere else. If my garage was already stocked with a high-end sports car(s) and other expensive machinery, I could easily see a spot for the latest supercharged offering from Team Green.” ~ Kent Kunitsugu Cycle World

“So, who is this motorcycle meant for? The Ninja H2 SX is the dream build for the older gentlemen that are still looking for pure sportbike performance, while wanting to be comfortable riding it for more than a few miles at a time. It’s downright fast, nimble on its feet, and comes with all the luxuries that make a long day on the bike enjoyable, rather than a chore. Hell, if I had a considerable savings, I wouldn’t mind parking this next to any supercar on the lot” ~ Michael Gilbert Cycle News

“So, is the H2 SX SE a real-world, touring-capable sportbike? Sure, but it’s something more special as well, a true superbike in many ways. At $20,000, it’s doubtful Kawasaki will sell many of them, but I don’t think that’s the point.

Sometimes you build something because you can – to create an aspiration, a superhero to inspire us mere mortals… and this bike definitely inspires my inner Supergirl.” ~ Jenny Smith Rider

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Continued from page 43

BEAUTIFUL BIKERS

A Celebration Of Women Who Love The Ride

By Alisa Clickenger

A

decade ago Porsche Taylor, a motorcycle-riding Southern California native, looked around the motorcycle industry and didn’t see any faces like hers. It wasn’t other college history majors she was looking for, nor was it sportbike riders, nor female motorcyclists. It was African-American faces that she wasn’t seeing. People of color weren’t being represented in any of the industry publications for motorcycle enthusiasts.

So she decided to do something about it.

Taylor started Black Girls Ride Magazine January 1, 2011, and it’s been an educational and inspirational resource for women for the last eight years. Her vision for the publication was to create an “Essence Magazine meets Supersport Bike magazine” that would bridge her passion of riding motorcycles and building brands, and replace the lucrative branding expert job at Adidas that she gave up in order to follow her dream.

What started as a magazine is now more like a movement.

She started with rider travel stories, female motorcycle club features, product reviews, female rider fashion features, and riding events. The magazine/movement has evolved to provide rider education and riding events for all women all over the world. A nimble entrepreneur, Porsche and Black Girls Ride (BGR) also host an annual event called the Beautiful Bikers Conference, which just wrapped up its sixth successful year February 23rd in Las Vegas.

The Beautiful Bikers Conference started as an awards ceremony to recognize local female riders for the contribution to their culture. Since then the event has grown into a

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Porsche Taylor with 2019 Beautiful Bikers Awards Honorees: Mikayla Moore, Dee Jones, Michelle Squeaky Roach, Tamica Wade, Women’s Coalition of Motorcyclists (WCM), Dayna Grumbles and Sisters of Scota WMC.

conference including panels on rider education, a rider gear fashion show, and a meaningful awards presentation.

Each year Porsche invites panelists to talk about their riding inspiration, and she works hard to develop panels to introduce topics women might not have access to elsewhere.

This year’s Beautiful Bikers Conference theme was “Go Beyond Borders” — encouraging women to stretch their horizons.

The design of this year’s event promoted riding outside your comfort zone both in terms of training to uplevel skill and also to ride further then they have before—more miles, more states, more countries. The event was a safe space for new, as well as experienced riders to learn without fear of ridicule. The result was that women met new riding buddies and built lasting friendships.

Bonnie Carlson of Total Control was the keynote speaker this year, and she talked about the importance of women in rider education. Many women want to become instructors, but don’t know the steps to take to become a trainer. Carlson’s inspiring talk had many ladies eagerly committing to supporting other lady riders through becoming an instructor.

The Beautiful Bikers Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to DJ “Mama Dee” Jones, a.k.a. Momma D. and a woman who breaks all stereotypes. She’s a six-foot 130 pound postmenopausal African-American motivator who trains MMA fighters. In 2006 Momma D. rode her motorcycle ‘Big Bertha’ 169-consecutive days, 25,000-miles through all 50 states solo, surviving everything from tornadoes to grizzlies. Her book 50 States of Consciousness has just been published.

The 2019 Award recipients represented every age, race, and background, reflecting all facets of the female riding community. Sisters of S.C.O.T.A. WMC was the Beautiful Bikers Club Award Honoree for exhibiting Excellence in Sisterhood, and Michelle “Squeaky” Roach was the Renaissance Rider Award Honoree who has inspired others through riding and service. Tamica “Pied Piper” Wade was the Ground Pounder Award Honoree who has achieved 15,000 or more miles in a year.

“We are so proud that Indian Motorcycle and Polaris Slingshot are our major sponsors and event partners for 2019,” said Taylor. “Not only do they make great products, but also it’s so nice to work with Indian’s team of women in Motorsports.

They don’t have to be convinced about the importance of the women or multicultural markets. We are honored that they believe in our goal to educate women riders. The brands’ dealers also have an authentic interest in building their relationship with our readers.”

Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys was also an event sponsor.

BGR and the Beautiful Bikers Conference support their sponsors by creating brand awareness in an underserved community. While the magazine/movement is unapologetically called “Black Girls Ride”, the spirit of openness and inclusion was evident in the nearly 150 faces—male and female— at the awards ceremony. Through event marketing, social media partnership and advertising, Black Girls Ride is able to 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree, Dee “Momma Dee” Jones and connect them with their 55,000+ network of female riders and 2013 Lifetime Achievement Honoree Marian “Ms. Showtime” Petersen. multicultural market.

The Women’s Coalition of Motorcyclists received the Sisters in Service Award for promoting dynamic role models and “BGR Magazine and the Beautiful Bikers Conference embody wider riding opportunities to serve as catalysts to draw more the fearless, take charge attitude we exhibit on these powerful women into all aspects of motorcycling. Fifteen year old machines,” said Taylor. “Our attendees live the biker lifestyle.

Mikayla Moore was the 2019 Sports Rider of the Year Award While we work in board rooms and classrooms across the Honoree. Mikayla first learned how to ride a dirt bike when nation, we find joy on the open road. We are affluent, culturally she was 6 years old, started racing mini-motards at 7, and is diverse, and ever evolving consumers. We’re not afraid to now developing her riding skills in Superbike, Superstock, and enjoy the fruits of our labor and we’ve dedicated a part of Supersport 250, finishing 2nd place overall in all classes. our income to our biker lifestyle and enjoy motorsports.

Additionally, we plan travel each year and enjoy our rides.”

Porsche’s ever-growing following owns cruisers, sportbikes, dirtbikes and trikes, and takes great pride in showing them off. Always interested in the hottest and newest bikes, her audience averages a new bike purchase every two years. “We encourage the motorsports community to take notice. We are a small part of the market, but we are passionate about this lifestyle, and look forward to connecting with riders all over the world,” said Taylor.

BGR’s next event is their International Female Ride Day ride to Sarah “SeCCRet” Moreau takes a selfie with Tamica “Pied Piper” Wade, Baja, Mexico. Full details are available at www.BlackGirlsRide.com Mikayla Moore and Michelle “Squeaky” Roach

Marian “Ms. Showtime” Petersen and the elder statesmen of the west coast biker community.

A few Beautiful Bikers Conference attendees

FEBRUARY 2019

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TIME TO TRANSFORM

Purple Monkey Garage Addresses The 800 lb. Gorilla

By Josh Tolley GOOD POINTS Good points raised by Josh Tolley in your Dealernews Live! Interviews, but the facts are Amazon is killing us. People like to go out and browse and walk into motorcycle stores but they feel more comfortable sitting at home, with no pressure, doing their own research, feeling like they are saving money, etc. The only reason Amazon is eyeing Brick & Mortars is to gain the service side of the business. Pretty soon you’ll be asked at check out “would you like these handlebars installed at our Amazon-preferred dealer?”

The game has changed. I don’t have the answer but I’m trying everything.

Robert Ruggiero, Owner Speed Demon Cycles, LLC Bloomfield, CT

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he fact that my interviews with Dealernews Live! sparked so much conversation is great. It means that not only are the issues being really discussed industry wide, but also people are realizing the issues are real and trying to do something about them.

When an industry hits a bit of a downward trend most people in the industry seem to ignore or brush off the problem until the downward spiral hits the bottom. At that point, an industry then has to transform and re-invent itself. I believe the powersports industry dealers have now awakened to the problem (which they largely brushed off five years ago), which means it is time to transform.

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This lack of human engagement means more people are relying on the Internet for their source of inspiration, motivation and education, but there are fewer people even engaging in that method too.

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Continued from page 48

There is the obvious problem, a growing population of antisocial people who are less likely to go into a dealership than prior generations. This is just a sad reality. It’s not just dealers that are seeing a lack of human interaction; prom attendance is down, wedding attendance is down, sporting event attendance is down, heck, even funeral attendance is down! This lack of human engagement means more people are relying on the Internet for their source of inspiration, motivation and education, but there are fewer people even engaging in that method too. People are just engaging in less and less of what was considered life. This problem is getting so bad that psychologists are trying to figure out how to get young men even interested in having sex. Yes, really!

As dealers, this is too large of a problem to fix. Without some radical event that shakes humanity to its core, I don’t see this trend ever changing. It is what psychologists refer to as ‘cocooning’ and it is devastating.

However, beyond that massive issue which is beyond our control are more manageable problems. Too often we see the first problem and just say ‘well, it’s the Internet’ and let that excuse cover the remaining issues.

If you are a dealer and you see the ease of business that websites like Amazon offer then you really have two options. First, you can think that you cannot compete which means you either get out of the business now or hold on to a slowly declining business as long as you can knowing that your end is near. Second, you can identify where Amazon and other retailers are failing and use that to your advantage.

One of the comments that came up after my Dealernews interview was “the only reason Amazon is getting into brick and mortar is to gain the service side of the business.”

Which I find to be a bit of an ironic comment since that service side of business is exactly why companies started using the dealer model in the first place.

The idea was that ordering via mail-order didn’t provide the ability for a customer to experience the brand, the product (those are two separate things, by the way) and it didn’t allow for the service side of the business, thus the dealership model was born.

When Sears came out with their catalog which offered everything from clothes and furniture to cars and houses, local businesses said “We can’t compete with that catalog.

People are getting their education from print materials, they are looking at a wider selection, the ordering process was easier, and people don’t even need to come out of their homes to purchase. That’s it, mail order will kill the local store.” Now, just like then, these are problems that are conquerable.

While the problems presented by the lack of human engagement and the convenience of the internet certainly are real, what I find to be a larger problem in most cases is the dealer’s lack of actual marketing. We all see sales declining but yet I would say in the last dozen or so dealerships I’ve been in there is little to no marketing, very poor customer engagement, and in many cases you can even feel the defeated attitude.

Conquering this problem will take more than one magazine article but in the time we have together I would suggest we realize we are in a time of re-invention. Are all dealerships going to survive? Sadly, no. That doesn’t mean you have to be one of the deceased. It is time we stop looking at the power of the brand you are selling to bring in people. It is time we stop looking at social media and websites to bring in traffic. What it is time for is identifying your target clients, engaging that client outside the dealership, delivering what the internet can never deliver, and structure your business in such a way that allows for lower overhead and more effective retention of capital.

A magazine article can never fix the problem and I’m sure there be those who still object to the optimism and that is fine because those are the dealers that will not be here two years from now. For everyone else, keep reading Dealernews as I will be offering tips and tricks over the next several months that you can implement in your fight for reinvention and survival.

ABOUT PUPRLE MONKEY GARAGE Home to one of the Top 100 Business Trainers, Josh Tolley, Purple Monkey Garage has been in operation for 20 years. In a world dominated by motivational speakers, failing dreams, and economic turmoil, we have created what is believed by many to be the most complete coaching/consulting company in the world. Instead of building engines or realigning tires, we’ve forged a comprehensive toolbox that’s already helped thousands. Purple Monkey Garage’s teachings have been raved about by huge names from governors of states, presidential candidates, network television, billionaire CEOs, and householdname brands. We don’t have to name drop because we are the name to drop. Now, literally 20 million people have been exposed to our brand of teaching. Learn more at: http://purplemonkeygarage.com

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The project included a new weld area, a new paint line to enhance quality and color variations, along with new buildings and expansions to improve production efficiency.

The plant also added automated guided carriers and lift assist devices to support quality, logistics, safety and ergonomic improvements for associates.

“Over the last 20 years, Honda in South Carolina has evolved from a small ATV manufacturing plant, to a world-class team that can produce a complex model like the Honda Talon sport side-by-side,” added Gary Mabrey, president of HSC. “This expansion and innovation was made possible through the efforts of the incredible team of associates who are dedicated to meeting the needs of our customers.”

HONDA SHOWS ITS TALONS

Drawing upon countless hours of collaborative development with Honda R&D Americas, Talon brings a new level of off-road excitement, precision, performance and quality pushing the envelope of what is possible in a sport side-byside, Mabrey adds.

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“The Talon is truly a standout side-by-side vehicle and I’m proud that associates at Honda of South Carolina are part of its development as well as its future,” said Boderman. “The sport side-by-side market is showing significant growth and it’s exciting to have the new Honda Talon for our dealers and our customers.”

“We have seen more than 600% growth of side-by-side sales over the course of the last five years,” said Boderman from a podium in the middle of recently expanded HSC facility.

“The multi-purpose segment which we entered first is the largest side-by-side category, but the sport category is the fastest growing. We intend to really stir things up with the new Talon line-up!”

Aware that a single offering would be a compromise for some conditions and driving styles, Honda developed two versions of the Talon. Each works across a broad array of conditions but specializes in a different area of the off-road spectrum. The two vehicles share a common frame and engine but have wheelbase and suspension configurations that are designed to shine in different applications. Both models function at a high level in a wide variety of terrain types, bringing a new level of control, style and refinement to a sport side-by-side market that is hungry for innovation, reliability and an improved driving experience.

1000cc Sport UTV Enters Production skilled hawk hides its talons according to a Japanese proverb, “but I can tell you Honda won’t be hiding these Talons,” exclaimed Chuck Boderman, Vice President, Powersports Division American Honda. The occasion was Honda’s start of mass production for the allnew Talon sport side-by-side. Dealernews joined associates at Honda of South Carolina Mfg., Inc. (HSC) for two much anticipated machines: Honda Talon 1000X and 1000R.

Walking through the extra wide doors at HSC you immediately get a feel for the scope and magnitude of this operation. The 1 millionth Rubicon sits unassumingly inside to the left of the door… so is the 2 millionth unit. Ditto for the first production Pioneer. In an effort to meet growing demand for side-by-side vehicles, HSC completed a $45 million expansion project in 2018 that added 250 new jobs and 115,000 square feet of space.

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FEBRUARY 2019

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Bottom line according to Boderman: “The Talon line together with the Pioneer line now have our dealers able to satisfy a wider range of customers than ever before. The most important thing is that the new Talons bring to the side-by-side market is a whole lotta Honda! A whole lotta Honda reliability and quality… and everything that is going to be the best in the Sport side-by-side industry and for our customers.”

Local dealer Generation 3 Powersports from Florence, SC was invited up on stage with Honda Brass to see the first production Talon.

About Honda of South Carolina Mfg. HSC began production of ATVs in July 1998, with a workforce of approximately 200 associates. The initial $30 million, 200,000-square-foot ATV manufacturing plant was the beginning of Honda of South Carolina’s significant growth in Florence County.

Today, HSC employs almost 1,000 associates in its 947,000-square-foot facility that now represents $400 million in investment. With the flexibility to produce many different types of powersports products, using domestic and globally sourced parts, associates at the Timmonsville plant currently have the annual capacity to manufacture 100,000 Honda ATVs and 100,000 side-by-sides for North American and global markets.

Honda Powersports Division VP Chuck Boderman catching up with Dealernews magazine.

“The expansion of HSC coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Honda and its very first U.S. operation: American Honda,” Boderman told the 1,000 associates gathered to mark the Talon’s launch. “Honda began with powersports products, first on two wheels… small displacement bikes working their way up with larger size motorcycles. Then not too long after came ATVs and over the course of the last decade moving into the side-byside business.”

“We’re going to be selling every one that you build… and we’re going to be making a lot of very happy customers,” he adds. “We’re going to need to demonstrate to all of our customers that life is better side by side. I truly sense the excitement, passion and enthusiasm of everyone here at HSC. We have almost 1,000 side-by-side dealers now… you should know that those dealers share the same passion, the same excitement about Honda Talons that all of us do.”

HSC president Gary Mabrey is celebrating a couple career milestones.

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“On behalf of American Honda, our dealers across the United States and throughout the world when we start shipping these internationally, I want to thank you for your efforts and congratulations again on the successful launch of yet another new and innovative side-by-side model,” concludes Boderman. “Great job!”

See more of the Talon at Dealernews’ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fTwZdi-KnQ

Taylor has three tips to make a more inclusive and welcoming retail environment. First, and simplest, dealers can start with a friendly word for everyone who walks through the door.

Take it a step further than hello and actually engage with the consumer. This seems obvious, but even as a white woman arriving on my own two wheels I have been in plenty of dealerships where I wasn’t even greeted when I walked through the door.

Second, Taylor suggests asking simple organic questions about customers’ riding styles before making product suggestions. Don’t assume all riders from a category all ride the same. As we saw last weekend, every make and model of motorcycle was represented in the diverse faces of the attendees. Third, Taylor suggests earmarking a part of your marketing budget to work with multicultural community influencers to create events. These events will introduce your dealership to riders you might not otherwise have access to.

By Alisa Clickenger

The New, Diverse Face OF Motorcycling

Wanting to explore the diversity conversation further, Joanne Donn (www.GearChic.com), Porsche Taylor (www.

BlackGirlsRide.com) and yours truly Alisa Clickenger (www.

WomensMotorcycleTours.com) are launching an online moto talk show “Talking Moto” Episode 1 will air Monday March 25th at 5:00 pm Eastern time. We’re each willing to donate an hour of time out of our busy schedules in order to create a new, inclusive conversation around motorcycling.

If your dealership does the same, in your own way, imagine where the industry could be in another few years.

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his past weekend I had the fortune to be able to attend the 6th Annual Beautiful Biker’s Conference in Las Vegas and write about it (see pages 46-47). I say fortunate because of the feeling of the community developed while there and the valuable information received. More than 100 women in all shapes, sizes, colors, and riding backgrounds came together and forged friendships, shared resources, and celebrated our love of motorcycling. And during the short 48 hours of the event, we learned that love of the open road is something that unites us despite any cultural differences we might have.

If 100+ women gathering for an event doesn’t grab your attention, then Porsche Taylor’s social media following should: Taylor and her Black Girls Ride brand have over 55,000 followers. Make those devotees, because there are very few places in the industry where there are such diverse images of riders, and content geared towards them, and women gravitate towards inclusion. In an era of our industry looking for ways to bring new riders into the fold, why aren’t we actively courting this multicultural crowd? Is it because we don’t understand them as customers?

Porsche Taylor (www.BlackGirlsRide.com)

I applaud Porsche Taylor for seeing a void in the marketplace and quitting a lucrative branding job at Adidas to follow her passion and create a movement. If her primary sponsors Indian Motorcycle, Slingshot, and Russ Brown Attorneys are any gauge of the marketplace, they, too, see the value of marketing to the underserved portions of the riding population. In an era of all of us in the industry trying to attract new customers, it seems a no-brainer to make a few adjustments to serve these customers.

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Joanne Donn (www.GearChic.com)

can take much longer depending on the skill level. Every time a technician leaves a company, it costs not only money to retrain, but also creates a potential backlog of work that could put your shop almost two months behind (and that assumes a new hire is up to speed and fully capable/ experienced at the start).

As an employer, it’s difficult to know what to do in order to obtain and retain employees. But here’s the bottom line: how you treat your employees will make all the difference in the world!

Personnel Files

By Alex Baylon

SNOWFLAKES EVERYWHERE!

Techs, Like Snowflakes, Are Unique

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very day I hear someone say, “If I could just find a few technicians.” The techs from today are not the same from yesterday. Jane Doe and Joe Q. Employee are not from your grandpa’s generation. They are a new breed of employee that is taking the motorcycle world and turning it upside down. So, when you say “If I could just find a few technicians,” note your problem is far more complex than you realize or might care to admit.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for a moto mechanic/technician in 2017 was around $39,550 per year. The hourly rate ranged from between $10.75 to $27.09 and on average was $19.02 per hour. The employment outlook for the position showed 6% growth anticipated from 2016-2026 — which is about as fast as the national employment average. So why does it seem like we can never find good techs in this business?

More importantly, what do these numbers mean for potential employers, current employers, job seekers and current motorcycle technicians? First, for potential job seekers, it means qualified applicants should have a lot of opportunity. That’s good news for them.

However, it is NOT so good news for employers. It means they will be competing with other potential employers for quality employees. It also means employers should be trying to figure out how to KEEP those employees they already have! It costs on average $4,000 to hire a new employee (and that doesn’t even include training time), as well as an average of 52 days to fill a position, and mechanic positions

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Let’s talk about training your current techs and grooming them to be “A” level techs. If you don’t have enough “B” level guys now, imagine where you’ll be if or when a few more decide to leave? Today’s Joe Q. Employee wants to be respected, needs a work-life balance, desires a flexible schedule, wants recognition for good work, and doesn’t care only about making money but also about psychological wellness and working with a purpose.

Wait… What? Does an employee need more than a paycheck?

You bet they do. And here’s the rub that employers need to understand: Joe Q. Employee is willing to leave any job that doesn’t fulfill his wish list completely. And guess what? Joe also wants a solid paycheck — one that doesn’t feel like he’s in a constant state of “feast or famine.” He wants stability in all aspects: financial, mental and physical.

The Washington Post recently wrote an interesting article based on a survey conducted by Mental Health America and the Faas Foundation. That article said 71% of the people surveyed were looking to change employers. WHAT! 71%? That’s crazy. But you want to know what’s even more shocking? The REASON so many people cited they were looking to leave: a lack of recognition. So you see, simply cutting a paycheck isn’t going to cut it anymore. You need to provide so much more.

Some of you just said “damn snowflakes” under your breath, didn’t you? When employers go looking for a master “A” Level tech who is certified in BMW, Ducati and can do a job in 2/3 of the billable time, then it’s like looking for a snowflake with a specific pattern. If that tech is perfectly happy because his current employer cares about him and treats him well, it makes it that much harder to find your next snowflake.

This is the exact reason recruiters are charging over $10,000 to find a motorcycle mechanic. They are that hard to find.

Joe Employee needs to be satisfied with what he’s getting from an employer. And we’re not talking about only what he’s getting in the form of cash in the bank, but how he FEELS about the work he does and whether that work is proving him with what he needs as a human being.

Frightening? As an employer, you need to be able to recognize what your employees need and provide it. So, if Joe Employee wants recognition, you’d better give it to him!

If you don’t, Joe’s gonna head over to that other motorcycle shop who DOES provide him with what he needs. And Joe won’t feel bad about it at all, even if there’s a slight pay reduction.

Here are some things you can do to provide purpose to your employees: • Show recognition • Express gratitude • Share success stories • Help employees understand how they impact the company and customers • Provide flexibility regarding scheduling • Don’t keep employees in the dark about changes and ask for their input • Pay employees what they’re worth • Promote work-life balance • Help employees find and work on their strengths

• Improve the company culture (define or refine one) • Listen to your employees • Respect one another • Provide a reasonable, fair pay • Money: it’s not ALL that matters!

Employers need to be proactive and ensure their work environment is providing what employees need, or surely some other employer will… and then who’s going to be left to service customers? The replacement employee who doesn’t know much about motorcycles and just cost you $4,000 to hire, $10,000 worth of equipment and training, and then there’s the 52 days of backlog getting him up to speed. Guess what the replacement employee wants?

Respect, gratitude, a flexible schedule and a reasonable paycheck. You see where this is going? If you don’t start making changes now, your shop could bein an endless state of flux… and you’ll suffer. Joe Q. Employee and his replacement won’t suffer at all, because they’ve got plenty of options in this market. Remember you need them, they don’t need you. If you need to be reminded of that.

Lets just talk about the estimated 24,000+ technicians that have left or retired the workforce in the last 4 years. If that doesn’t make you realize there is a tech shortage, there are currently 47,823 jobs available for technicians. Lastly is the economy. I hear that the service department is where the dealers are making the most profit. It only makes sense to take care of your mechanics, because like every snowflake falling from the sky, good techs are unique. I’ll leave you with my favorite quote. “Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” ~ Sir Richard Branson

MIJ Industry #PROfiles

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

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

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

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

FEBRUARY 2019 59

Northern Exposure

By Marq C. Smith

Marketing By Training

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very activity has those who are novices. Computer owners, baseball players, scuba divers, technicians, golfers, the list goes on and on. Now imagine if you had your product in every novice’s hands as they were learning their sport or occupation? What if techs had a certain set of tools, or a new ballplayer had a certain brand of equipment to learn with?

It has always baffled me as to why one of the large powersports OEMs hasn’t brought in a motorcycle specifically made for training. I’m not talking about the old Buell Blast that was relegated to range training when Harley dealers couldn’t retail them.

Imagine students who are learning to ride had a special bike that was manufactured specifically for them. Do you think they would look at that brand favorably in the future?

Look back at your first bike. It might have been a piece of rusty junk that left you stranded more than once, but I’ll bet that machine still has a special place in your heart. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard (and thought) “I wish I’d kept my first bike!” I believe that the same thing applies to motorcycles that new riders learn on.

So why isn’t there a bike built specifically as a training motorcycle? One that motorcycle training facilities could purchase. It wouldn’t have to be fancy. A 300cc bike with fuel injection, at least one disc brake, and ABS that could perhaps be shut off for demonstration purposes. I don’t think it would even need liquid cooling!

Give it a torquey powerband and a sturdy clutch. It should be light but able to run at highway speeds. Build it so that the suspension could be lowered for those who are vertically challenged (Maybe short, medium and tall saddles.) Put some sort of engine guard on it and frame sliders on it, too.

I have no idea how much this unit would cost to build, but if the same bike were sold all over the globe as a training machine, and built in Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam or China, I’m sure that the price could be kept down.

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Maybe someone in an OEM penthouse office is reading this and saying to himself “What a putz!” Maybe, but I’ve been called worse, and maybe they would have a good case here.

But isn’t it a possibility that a new rider who just graduated from a motorcycle course would look fondly on the brand of bike that he learned on?

I have no idea of the economies of assembling, crating and shipping a bike around the world at a profit. Not to mention the vagaries of getting a new unit through the myriad of regulations required to import a bike into different countries. It cannot be easy.

And, of course, it would have to be priced right, so that the schools could purchase them for a reasonable amount.

And hopefully maintenance wouldn’t be too onerous either.

They would definitely need to be reliable, lasting several seasons before they had to be replaced.

So, let’s recap; a small bike of 250 or 300cc or so. At least one disc brake, as well as ABS and fuel injection. Engine guards front and rear with all of the breakable bits tucked away so that there would be no damage in the event of a fall. It has to be able to travel on the highway for at least a few exits, but be tuned so that it had a wide power band that would be easy to master. A tough clutch. Suspension that could be altered for height differences, or saddles that could be exchanged.

Looking around the showroom, I see several units that have some promise of being a good beginning. Rebel or CB300F. TU250 or something with the XT250 (300?) engine. There are lots more out there. There may be a brand we have never heard of that could be a market changer, and create a demand for their machines. Remember when Honda first arrived? Wow; did that ever change things!

Perhaps I am a putz, but I believe that there’s a golden opportunity for someone to build a bike that would be a wonderful introduction for a novice rider to one brand or another. Who is reading this and is able to make it happen… or at least tell us why I’m a putz?

RIDE50 PROGRAM KICKS OFF Harley-Davidson Riding Academy Reaches Out

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robably more as part of its vow to grow ridership by 2 million in the next 10 years than as a response to some putz in Canada, Harley-Davidson has announced its RIDE50 program. “Turn ‘Someday I’ll ride a motorcycle,’ into ‘Today’ with the latest offer from Harley-Davidson Riding Academy,” says the Motor Company announcement.

“Available for a limited time, Harley-Davidson is offering customers the opportunity to learn to ride from the experts for 50% off the published price of a Harley-Davidson Riding

Academy New Rider Course in their area with promo code RIDE50.”

According to the fine print, the 50% off offer is open 2/15/19 to 12/31/19 to residents of the continental U.S. (including Alaska and Washington, DC). Open to any licensed driver who does not have a Class M motorcycle endorsement.

“If your resolution is to ride this year, this is an excellent opportunity to begin your motorcycling journey.”

The Harley-Davidson Riding Academy New Rider Course is designed to get new riders comfortable on a bike and give them the skills needed to ride with confidence. Offered at select dealers, the New Rider Course provides novices with expert guidance from certified coaches.

Supporting Harley-Davidson’s long-term goal to build the next generation of riders globally, Riding Academy is an engaging and accessible component for new riders to learn the fundamentals of riding and inspire their twowheeled (or three-wheeled) journey ahead.

Better act now, though. The RIDE50 offer is limited to the first 10,000 customers!

About Harley-Davidson Riding Academy Offered at select H-D® dealers, H-D Riding Academy provides expert guidance from Harley-Davidson certified coaches. In the classroom, students get to know the motorcycle they will be riding and learn the basics of rider safety skills. On the practice range, students learn to build skills and confidence, everything from braking, turning and skilled maneuvers. Best of all, students will be connected to a growing community of new riders. To find available courses contact a local dealer or search for classes online at www.h-d.com/LearntoRide

Marq C. Smith has been involved in motorcycles since he was 17 years old. He worked for Canadian HarleyDavidson importer Trev Deeley as well as being the dealer principal for his dealership Western Powersports (not to be confused with the American Distributor Western Power Sports) for 21 years. He currently works at Holeshot Motorsports, in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. He taught rider safety courses for 10 years, and still is involved in making sure new riders get proper training. When he is not working in a dealership, he tours all over North America by motorcycle. He does plenty of dirtbiking and ATV riding as well. Famous Last Words: “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

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WAITING

The Devil Finds Work For Idle Hands

By William Douglas Little

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f there is one thing in this world that I’ve never had patience for, it’s waiting.

Now, I understand that is the very definition of “not having patience” — it’s like stating “the one place I can’t breathe is underwater. I guess it’s easier to say that I simply have no patience, but then, that’s not necessarily accurate. In some cases, the waiting is the best part.

For a kid, Christmas morning isn’t really the highlight. I mean, Christmas morning is the crescendo, but it is the weeks of anticipation of Christmas morning, that make it truly great. Imagine if you awoke one morning, happened into the living room by chance and there, standing in the corner, was this brightly-decorated tree with a flood of gifts beneath it. However, you had no prior knowledge that it was going to be there — it’s just a random occurrence — where’s the fun in that?

It’s the waiting that’s truly the best part. Imagining all of the wonderful things that you might find beneath that tree for weeks prior to actually unwrapping that box of underwear from Aunt Sally or that wildly inappropriate “It’s Beer:Thirty!” Tee shirt from Uncle Mark. If you think about

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it, the imagination of what Christmas morning would bring was always better than the reality! Reality taught us that life is rarely what you want it to be.

Okay, I’m off-topic. My point is that most of the trouble I’ve ever been in was the product of entertaining myself while being forced to wait. These days we call it AD/HD and consider it to be a medical disorder that a little Ritalin will cover right up. In my day we called it “impatience” and it was something that a whack or two with my dad’s old fraternity paddle would cover right up. Same result, different medicine.

You see, my brain, like anyone else with impatience-AD/HDwhatever, is like a two-stroke dirtbike. Sure, I can appreciate the rare downtime of idling at the gate with the occasional blip of the throttle to keep things good and warm. But, the whole time I’m “relaxing” in this state, I’m all giddy inside with the anticipation of that gate dropping and me screaming forward, all white-knuckled and brown-streakstained, into the first turn. I have to know that there’s an endgame; a reason for being on that starting line. I have to look forward to the race ahead. I have to imagine that gate dropping. I have to know that Christmas is coming!

About 20-years ago, I came up with a game while waiting in a doctor’s office.

I’d spent the first hour amidst the coughing and hacking of the Petri dish they call a waiting room. Then, I followed the nurse from the little door through a labyrinth corridor, (so designed to confuse us, making any thought of escape seem futile), to a little stall. Here, she tore a fresh sheet from the crinkly-paper spool and patted her hand, inviting me to climb up onto the Adult Changing Table where she reduced me to a child with the old thermometer-under-the-tongue and the multiple questions in quick-fire succession trick.

From there, I sat for another hour; ears perked toward the passing voices in the hallway like a dog left at the kennel.

“Is that my doctor’s voice! No. Is THAT my doctor’s voice?!

No …”.

I can tell you this: as we all know, time spent waiting for anything in life goes much faster with distraction. At a dealership, the bottleneck of any purchase is waiting for paperwork in F&I. When customers are forced to sit in an uncomfortable chair, handed a months-old magazine and given a cup of lukewarm instant coffee, that time tends to creep by, leaving a lot of time for anticipation to turn to question and question to turn to buyer’s remorse.

Eventually, I started to fidget. I was there for a reason, but I didn’t know what the result would be. I had no clue when the race would start, or what type of track I’d be on, or if there would be a tree with pretty presents. The fidgeting turned into messing with stuff in the room and the messing with stuff in the room soon turned into mischief.

It wasn’t long before I began blowing up those latex gloves and tying them off into balloons; and, once I had a surplus of those built-up and thought I heard the doctor’s voice, I panicked. “Crap! What do I do with these balloon-gloves?!”

I looked at the little trashcan under the counter, but there was no way that would hold two-dozen blown-up gloves! I then looked at the soap dispenser on the wall, but that was worthless. Finally, I noticed the cabinets … all of those glorious cabinets, both above the sink and below! “YES!” I’d fill the cabinets with the aired-up gloves and then, at some point in the near future, the good doctor would open the overhead cabinet above the sink and he’d get showered with big, puffy hands; each one a slap in the face for every moment he’d left me to rot in that little stall! It was genius… and it’s exactly what I did. (In fact, I’ve played this game several times since then).

I can tell you this: as we all know, time spent waiting for anything in life goes much faster with distraction. At a dealership, the bottleneck of any purchase is waiting for paperwork in F&I. When customers are forced to sit in an uncomfortable chair, handed a months-old magazine and given a cup of lukewarm instant coffee, that time tends to creep by, leaving a lot of time for anticipation to turn to question and question to turn to buyer’s remorse.

Before long, the reality of what might actually fill those presents beneath the tree starts to settle in and the dreams of every weekend spent riding in the perfect weather starts to be overshadowed by the decades-old washing machine that really needs replacing.

Sure, you’ve designed your delivery program to distract customers with accessories or maybe even videos on a TV, but I promise you, taking another look at the bottleneck of paperwork waiting will pay off in repeat business if you make the wait fun. Think of ways to make it like December 18th-24th… build the anticipation of riding to the crescendo of them throwing a leg over their new bike at the end. Make them imagine what those gifts contain and do everything you can to prevent them from thinking of socks and underwear.

And whatever you do, don’t leave latex gloves in the waiting area!

William Douglas Little is a former radio personality, stand-up comic, an auctioneer, a former multi-line dealership owner an author and a father of three. He lives on his farm in rural Missouri with his wife Beth. Find William’s book, “Mexican Bowl Fishing: And Other Tales of Life” on Amazon.

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cellular lifeforms defy logic and are constantly racing against a degradation into the ultimate state of inert uniformity (“entropy” if you want to Google it). In other words, staying alive takes energy and is a race against death.

Life, retail and racing aren’t really about a Point A to Point B competition — they all have deeper causes. Evolutionarily, our genetic makeups are programmed to “race” toward survival and away from dilution into the morass. Racing — traditionally or metaphorically — provides a superhuman extension of ourselves whether we are running, driving, riding, flying, swimming or simply pushing our daily life’s performance beyond our peers’ record books.

Confessions Of A Customer®

By Eric Anderson

Why We Race… and keep on racing I

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n the race for tomorrow, the greatest challenge is finding one’s place in an ever-changing world.” --WeRace web comic

Why do we race, or enter the retail rat race? Many have tackled this topic, often after losing a beloved rider or relative to an accident. Honestly, I deal with “The Question” regularly when I have a close call or read the accident reports in the local paper. Shall we continue racing… and to what end?

The thought of death always forces us to reflect on our choices leading up to a thorough self-examination, but it rarely forces us to hang up our helmets. Aside from the reasons we don’t quit (despite close personal loses), why do we do it in the first place? Is it because humans are born to hunt and gather — which are races for survival? I want you to think more broadly about the terms “race and racing.”

In this context, we are all racers… Even your retail business is racing against others for more customers and sales in order to survive!

Traditional racing causes way too much blood, sweat, tears and empty bank accounts to be considered something the entire population desires. Typically there are racers… and non-racers, right? That would be an over-simplification when considering that “life” itself is a race. Thus, if you are alive and beating the odds of extinction, you are a “racer.”

This makes the human animal and all living things by default racers, because they defy the Universe’s constant expansion and dilution since The Big Bang. Organized

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“To excel” in any form is racing because it involves someone else in the field performing in a lesser manner, thus establishing a 2nd place or “loser” in some circles. Were you born for this — to rise to the challenge? Do you want, desire and strive to “hunt” and search out success with your business ventures and life in general? To reach the top of the spectrum of speed, species and ultimately success? Or do we do it so our hungry egos can be stroked in public?

Enough questions about racing, risks and rewards because they never end!

I just finished the book Yeager about Chuck and his incredible accomplishments from dog-fighting in WWII to breaking the sound barrier on Edwards Air Force Base. He was one helluva motivated character to stay alive and thrive in a pressure cooker of war and life, pushing his personal limits beyond where anyone had gone before. That spirt of “racing” boils down to a combination of natural talent, fortitude, focus and determination to go where no one has gone before — it is called the “right stuff!”

The Star Trek and astronaut jargon may sound corny, but note the difference between surviving and thriving — which one would you prefer experiencing in your life, relationships and business? Yes, all three are intimately connected and mirror one another. If you tend to be good at one, then you tend to be good at the others.

Being “good” is your interpretation not mine — and doesn’t literally imply a mantle full of trophies, a pile of money and a plethora of friends. Some of us simply love the “good of racing” whether we win or lose — it’s just fun… like riding my 1972 CZ at a vintage event. It’s not about winning the race, it’s about being there and participating.

Perhaps you enjoy the “hunt” more than the “kill” or the “win.” Personally, I figured out once I matured beyond the reproductive years that I prefer the “hunt” — it’s my personal form of “racing,” but so too is my career seeking out and working with new companies in powersports. Are these races toward something or away from something — again no matter. It is purely a race in the most fundamental of definitions for which we all strive.

Busted knuckles, broken hearts, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat make racing our “reason to be.” It mirrors life, and what else would we be doing? As Steve McQueen told us all, “Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting.” Don’t wait around any longer to go race your business to the top or race your MX bike to the podium.

It’s the waiting that…in the end…truly kills your spirit, your enthusiasm and your life.

Even Sochiro Honda tackled the topic by saying “Successful people make things happen instead of waiting for things to happen.” Those people are racers and “without racing there is no Honda.” He adds, “It’s not simply a competition. We are operating a rolling laboratory.” He was of course referring to a vehicle, but also secondarily to his rapidly growing business (vehicle) in the 60s and 70s. “It is groundwork for creating the best car (business or motorcycle) in the world.

From our failures creating success, why do we race? It makes us “better.” That’s the best damned answer to “The Question” I have found yet. Now, go race and make yourself, your business, your body, your relationships BETTER!​

Successful people make things happen instead of waiting for things to happen. ~ Soichiro Honda

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RESEARCH & STATISTICS MIC Owner Survey Shows Who Is Buying Bikes We know that more motorcycle owners these days are women, and now we know increasing percentages of all owners are married and college graduates, and they’re generally older, according to the 2018 Motorcycle Industry Council Owner Survey.

“Demographics are changing for Americans across the country and it’s no different for motorcycle owners,” said MIC President and CEO Tim Buche. “For decades, the MIC Owner Survey has told us a lot about who we are, and we’re now learning how things have shifted since our last study was done in 2014. Some of the stats are encouraging, like the increasing number of women owners, while other data, such as the rising median age, show where we have more work to do.” Read More

Q4 2018 Motorcycle, ATV Retail Sales Numbers Now Available

The latest quarterly MIC Retail Sales Report for motorcycles and ATVs is now available to members. This fourth-quarter report includes new retail sales of the 21 leading brands by product segment and brand.

Members are reminded to honor the MIC’s copyrights and restricted use agreement. Members can access the sales reports here. Not a member? Join Now

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS See if You Are Affected by New State Legislation New legislative sessions have started up in 47 of the 50 states across the country and thousands of new bills have been introduced over the past several weeks. In fact, more than 100,000 bills are introduced each year in the 50 state legislatures.

Many of these affect the powersports industry, the products we produce and the people we serve. To help our members navigate the huge volume of activity, the MIC Government Relations Office provides comprehensive reference information that summarizes state legislation affecting our industry. Read More

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Preserve Protect, Promote You take care of business.

We take care of the business environment.

Strong, effective representation in Washington, D.C. and state capitals • Vigorous media outreach • Industry statistics source Sales data • Educational symposiums and networking opportunities Join MIC’s 650 member companies and strengthen the industry.

Visit the MIC Business Center on the AIMExpo show floor at Booth #141 to learn how your company will benefit from membership, including how to get $200 or more off your 2019 AIMExpo Booth.

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simply going through the required public process as more or less of a formality.

THE “CLIMATE” IS RIGHT…

Time For A Single Track Motorcycle Trail Revival

by Don Amador

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t’s been 14 years since the Forest Service launched the 2005 Travel Management Rule that directed all National Forests to designate roads, trails and areas for motorized vehicle use. Unfortunately, thousands of miles of historic recreation roads and singletrack motorcycle trails were eliminated from consideration and subsequently closed once those initial planning processes were completed. The climate is right for a change!

Quiet Warrior Racing believes a number of relatively new factors are in play that may help bolster a National Single Track Revival on both the agency and user community’s side. There are four significant developments fostering this climate of change, including the Forest Service National Trails Strategy, the Agency commitment to collaboration/partnerships, creative trail design/construction concepts and an empowered local user community.

ONE — The Agency must continue to use its National Trails Strategy as a motivational tool to encourage a “cando” culture on units that are (or should be) in the process of creating and managing a sustainable high-quality trail network.

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NATIONAL TRAILS STRATEGY https://www.fs.fed.us/managingland/trails/national-strategy

In recent years, some units have been building new, or reconstructing old, single-track motorcycle trails as part of their promise to the OHV community to review those early travel management decisions. Again, support for trails is coming from Washington D.C. and should be cited by OHV recreation groups as an onus for local units to enhance trail opportunities.

TWO — The collaborative process can bring land agency staff, conservation groups, local government, other diverse stakeholders and the trailbased recreation community together with a common goal of both protecting resources and providing a highquality outdoor experience. This stakeholder process is centered on attending meetings and field trips where information is shared, values are appreciated, and importantly, relationships are formed.

Federal land agencies have made a long-term commitment to a substantive stakeholder process on the front-end of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. This is a welcome and significant change from historic NEPA planning efforts where the agency had already made the decision and was

THREE — Concepts such as the construction of new “companion-trails” along existing road-based ATV, SxS and 4WD routes to separate vehicle types for safety and an enhanced trail experience should be embraced by the agency and trail groups.

As appropriate, the Agency’s vegetation management and forest-health NEPA planning efforts could or should address important trail-based recreation needs as part of a holistic and cost-effective approach to forest planning.

FOUR — The agency’s shift to investing more time up front in collaborative efforts also requires the recreation community to make a similar commitment to getting some skin in the game by attending meetings, hosting field trips and substantively engaging with agency recreation staff and decision-makers.

Clubs and dealerships alike should appoint a designated representative(s) to attend local land use planning meetings and make that long-term commitment to help ensure that new single-track motorcycle trails will be included in future planning efforts.

At the end-of-the-day, QWR believes you will find that the quality of your local FS/ BLM trail recreation program is, or will be, directly proportional to the quality of your engagement with agency staff and other users.

JOIN the Single Track Revival today!

Get more of Quiet Warrior Racing’s Mission directives here: http://www.quietwarriorracing.com/ Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for almost 29 years. Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing/ Consulting. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018. Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 19942000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. He may be reached via email at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

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

Remember, Respected Access is Open Access.

THIS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT IS POWERED BY

The Mint 400: Fear And Loathing Part II Gonzo Rides Again!

By Scot Harden, Photos Courtesy Mad Media

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s a native of Las Vegas, a child of the ’70s and an avid off-road motorcyclist, Hunter S. Thompson’s cult classic Fear and Loathing spoke to me in a very direct and highly personal way. In many ways it embodied my life up to that point because it touched on three topics near and dear to my heart: Las Vegas, the Mint 400 and … uh …er …uh… well, never mind about the third. It was the ‘70s after all. In any case the book was highly inspirational and validation that I lived in a world of endless possibilities, all I had to do was conjure the appropriate dream. Deeply connected to that dream was The Mint 400.

Growing up in Las Vegas the race was well known to practically everyone, even the average Joe on the street which is why in 1972 at 16 years of age, my riding buddies and I rode our dirt bikes out to the old Mint Gun Club to watch our heroes compete. The sight of JN Roberts mauling his Husky at speed through silt beds 3-4 feet deep was one of the most awe-inspiring images I have ever seen. Mix in the random hidden rock or rain rut and it was amazing any of the riders remained upright for a hundred yards let alone 400 miles.

“The line between madness and masochism was already hazy;” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas

We spent the day absorbing the sights and sounds, sneaking into the pits, marveling at the factory riders and their race machines. By the end of the day I was hooked. I knew what I wanted more than anything else in life; to have the same experience myself.

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I missed the ’73 event due to injuries and the ’74 Mint 400 was cancelled due to the Energy Crisis but I was fortunate enough to compete in the last two Mint 400s (before the motorcycle side of the race was dropped in ’77) finishing as high as 3rd overall in 1975. Later I managed to win the Las Vegas 400, the Mint 400 replacement race that ran from 1977 to the mid 1990s, overall on 4 different occasions. In the end, I got everything out of the Mint 400 experience I so desperately wanted in 1972, and more. I share all this to demonstrate the power of imagination. The ability of a single event to inspire an entire generation of motorcyclists and how its legacy and rebirth might just be the catalyst to inspire the next generation of off-road desert racing enthusiasts.

You see back when Thompson and his Gonzo attorney were road tripping their way to Vegas, the Mint 400, Baja 1000 and Barstow -To-Vegas were desert racing’s Holy Trinity of long distance races and drove what was an absolutely staggering participation in western desert off-road racing and correspondingly motorcycle sales. In fact, it’s no coincidence that the halcyon days of desert racing (the late 60s and early 70s) corresponded to some of the best years for motorcycle sales the U.S. have ever seen.

Below: Jack Johnson leading the way in 1975 to his first of 2 Mint 400 overall wins on a bike.

The inaugural Mint 400 start, circa 1968.

It has been more than 40 years since motorcycles last raced The Mint 400.

The great race saw British-based 4-stroke desert sleds battling with lighter weight 2-strokes, circa 1973.

Back then names like Malcolm Smith, JN Roberts, Whitey Martino, Max Switzer, Casey Folks, Mike Patrick, Phil Bowers, Bud Ekins, Rich Thorwaldson, Rolf Tibblin, Jack Johnson and Larry Berquist led the charge becoming heroes to a generation of young racers. The Mint 400, Baja 1000 and B to V set in motion the momentum that has carried the sport through good times and bad to where it is today. And just where are we today? Well while things could always be better, and it could be argued the sport of long distance off-road desert racing has seen brighter days, the sport on a whole is holding its own. Despite the best efforts of radical environmentalists, restrictive public land use policy, private property owners and the mainstream media, offroad racing still manages to draw a significant group of loyal enthusiasts.

“No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride … and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well … maybe chalk it off to forced consciousness expansion:” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

As On Any Sunday so appropriately points out, desert racers are a unique breed. They race for hours on end over some of the most desolate terrain on earth with virtually no spectators and only a random friend or family member there to greet them at the finish line. Yes, desert racing is a highly personal experience but also highly rewarding. The challenge alone of riding a motorcycle at high speed across terrain you’ve never seen before battling rocks, dust, heat, cold, whoops, washouts and the occasional mine shaft for hours on end is one of the purest tests of riding skill, stamina and, make no mistake, courage the sport of motorcycle racing has to offer. And in my book, the Mint 400, as a single day event, stands at the top of almost every other off-road race in terms of pure toughness. Unfortunately for the motorcycle community since 1976 it has been but a distant memory. But that’s all about to change thanks to Mad Media and Best In The Desert.

Mad Media brought the Mint 400 back to reality as a car/ truck/UTV event in 2011. Over the years and in partnership with BITD the event regained its stature as one of the premier off-road races in the U.S. In fact, the car/truck/ UTV portion of the race has been so successful there is a waiting list for entries as each year the event quickly fills the 450-vehicle limit imposed by the BLM. This is in large part due to the tremendous marketing and promotion conducted by Mad Media in support of the event.

Mad Media is the gold standard in terms of off-road race promotion. They do an amazing job recognizing the historic nature of the event and insuring key elements from the original Mint 400 including the pre-race registration, technical inspection and contingency held each year on Fremont St. remains a focal point of the event. Imagine shutting down Main Street in the world’s largest tourist attraction for a week-long celebration of off-road racing and all things high octane and high horsepower.

Continued on page 72

A total of 101 motorcycle and and cars were flagged off for the first Mint 400.

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Continued from page 71

The pre-race downtown festival alone attracts literally tens of thousands of fans and spectators and adds a lot to the spectacle of the event. Combined with a ceremonial parade of race vehicles down the Las Vegas Strip anticipation for the event is brought to a fever pitch over the course of the week leading up to the race itself.

Not wanting to stop there, Mad Media has pushed hard for the expansion of the event to include motorcycles as well.

Fortunately for Mad Media, their partner Best In The Desert is owned by a family whose lives have been dedicated to offroad motorcycle racing. When presented with the possibility, BITD eagerly jumped at the opportunity to bring motorcycles back. Led by BITD co-owner Daryl Folks a special motorcycleonly course was laid out and approved by the BLM to insure the race itself would meet the needs of the motorcycle racing community.

Casey Folks and Tom Scales at the finishline of the 1970 Mint 400.

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Topping off the tanks! Imagine 400 miles on 1970s suspension? That explains the kidney belt!

Factory to amateur riders all gave the Mint 400 a go.

Danny Davis puts his Penton to the test.

What does all this mean for the sport of off-road desert racing? Hopefully just like it did in the early 70s events like the Mint 400 will draw the attention of the racing public, the motorcycle industry as a whole and media and along with other classic off-road races like Vegas to Reno, the Parker 250 and Baja 500/1000 set the stage for a renaissance of long distance desert racing. With any luck this renaissance will lead to an uptick in motorcycle sales and inspire a whole new generation of desert racing enthusiasts.

If any lesson can be learned from what took place back in “the good old days” is that our sport is aspirational. Just like me some other 16-year-old kid needs to be inspired to pursue his/her own off-road dream, embark on his/her own quest to conquer legendary events such as the Mint. Judging from pre-entries for the 2019 Mint 400 it looks like this just might be happening. In addition to top pro teams the Mint 400 is attracting all female teams, father/son teams, vintage race teams, a whole host of ironman riders, regular Joes and everyone in between. It certainly seems like it is inspiring a new generation of riders to give long distance off-road racing a try. So far it is shaping up to be the biggest off-road desert race for motorcycles in quite some time with an estimated 150 teams and approximately 400 riders competing in the event.

For this reason alone, all true fans of desert racing should be in Primm, Nevada (just south of Las Vegas) on Saturday March 8th, 2019 as Best In The Desert and Mad Media bring back the Mint 400 for motorcycles. And if you’re driving to the event from Southern California be sure to keep your eyes open for a red convertible with two pie-eyed drivers on your way. If you do see them you know the Mint 400 is back for sure and with it maybe a bright new day for desert racing!

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accident. “Motorcycles and motorcycle people have been a big part of my life and have given so much to me, I am just glad to have had the opportunities and to give back whenever I could.”

Photo by Scott Cox

AMA Announces 2019 Board of Directors Awards Scot Harden & Malcolm Smith Among The Honorees

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he American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announces the 2019 AMA Board of Directors awards. The six award categories recognize outstanding contributions in the world of motorcycling and acknowledge support of the AMA mission to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling.

The 2019 AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to legendary motorcyclist Malcolm Smith. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998 and declared a Hall of Fame Legend in 2012. Throughout Smith’s storied racing career and subsequent business and philanthropic ventures, he has been an advocate for the AMA mission and its programs.

As a racer, Smith gained fame for his accomplishments in the Baja 1000 and for his gold-medal-winning rides in the International Six Days Enduro competitions. His notoriety reached well beyond the motorcycling community as the star of the influential 1970s motorcycle film, On Any Sunday. The movie helped launch an explosion in the popularity of off-road motorcycling in America.

Smith went on to become a successful businessman with his Malcolm Smith Motorsports motorcycle dealership in Riverside, California. He also organized numerous fundraising rides in Baja, Mexico, that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for an orphanage in Valle de la Trinidad, Baja California.

Smith has long been a supporter of the AMA and the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which raises money for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. He has donated motorcycles— including his Husqvarna 400 Cross—riding gear and helmets to the Hall of Fame museum, and he helped promote the 2007 exhibit “Malcolm!” Smith also has contributed thousands of dollars to support the AMHF. “I want to thank the AMA for this award. It means a lot to me,” said Smith, who is currently recovering from a non-riding

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Scot Harden’s multi-decade career includes off-road racing championships, numerous motorcycle industry executive positions and service as an industry advocate. He is also the only person to be honored with a spot in the AMA Hall Of Fame, the Bessie Stringfield Award, which recognizes efforts to introduce motorcycling to new or underserved markets, and most recently a “Friend Of The AMA” award.

In the January 2018 issue of American Motorcyclist, Harden launched the Plus 1 campaign to bring more people into motorcycling, have a positive impact on the sport and drive the next generation of enthusiasts forward. Harden also featured prominently in the 2018 appeal for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the AMA, but, honestly, I am no different than millions of other motorcyclists around the country who are passionate about their sport and like to share that passion with others,” said Harden, who also was the recipient of the 2014 AMA Bessie Stringfield Award. “Thank you to everyone at the AMA for considering me for this award.

I accept it with pride and as motivation to continue to do my best to bring more new riders to the sport.”

Speaking of the Bessie Stringfield award, the 2019 presented to Genevieve Schmitt. A fixture in women’s motorcycling for many years, Schmitt is a longtime rider, she has been a print and TV journalist since 1999, including the Speed Channel and the Outdoor Life Network. In 2001, she started Woman Rider magazine to focus on the emerging women’s market.

In 2006, she launched WomenRidersNow.com providing articles, reviews and videos from a female point of view.

AMA Board Of Directors 2019 Award Recipients: AMA Outstanding Road Rider Award: Larry Walker, Port Orchard, WA AMA Outstanding Off-Road Rider Award: Lyon Payne, Hillsboro, OR AMA Bessie Stringfield Award: Genevieve Schmitt, Emigrant, MT AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award: North American Trials Council, Louisville, KY Friend of the AMA Award: Tom and Karen Umphress, Jordon, Minn.; Liza Miller, Santa Cruz, CA; Scot Harden, Menifee, CA; MotoVentures, Winchester, CA

2019 SCHEDULE GMZ UTV WINTERNATIONALS JANUARY 11 - 12 (Race in Parker AZ) BLUEWATER RESORT PARKER “425” presented by IMPACT January 31 - February 3 (Race in Parker AZ) BFGOODRICH TIRES MINT 400 March 6 - 10 (Race in Las Vegas, NV) POLARIS RZR UTV WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP April 5 - 7 (Race in Laughlin, NV) VT CONSTRUCTION SILVER STATE “300” May 2 - 5 (Race North of Alamo, NV) GENERAL TIRE CASEY FOLKS MEMORIAL “VEGAS TO RENO” presented by FOX August 14 - 17 (Race Las Vegas, NV to Reno, NV) METHOD RACE WHEELS LAUGHLIN DESERT CLASSIC October 10 - 13 (Race in Laughlin, NV)

Best In The Desert Racing Association (702) 457-5775 • www.bitd.com email: bitd@bitd.com

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HELMET Happenings

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rom Alpinestars stepping up their helmet game and Simpson flipping their lid at AIMExpo through Fly launching their Formula lid in conjunction with the San Diego Supercross, the past six months have been topsyturvy in the helmet market. The spring distributor meetings saw some additional surprises as Tucker Powersports became the exclusive U.S. distributor for all EVS Sports helmets, including the T5 MX Helmet, the T3 Youth MX Helmet and the Venture Dual Sport Helmet. This also gives Tucker exclusive access to any future helmets from EVS Sports, Arai helmets added a new distributor and MTA rang in the New Year by meeting with the new President of Shoei Helmets USA, Hiroshi Maeda. “We have seen amazing growth with Shoei in the last year and they are a great partner,� said Dan King, MTA distributing sales manager.

Meanwhile Tex Mawbry moved from footwear with TCX to head up Sales and Marketing at Just 1 Helmets USA. LS2 has a new head man as industry veteran Phil Ammendolia takes on the dual role of president and CEO for Allwin Powersports Corp. and former Fulmer helmet guy Jon Kluiter was promoted to VP for LS2.

Photo courtesy Shoei

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ALPINESTARS SUPERTECH M-10

Unveiled exclusively at the AIMExpo word is now getting out about Alpinestars Supertech M-10 Helmet. For a company that made its reputation building boots, Alpinestars has headed to the top of the moto helmet echelon. Hailed by the brand as the most protective, comfortable and lightest possible motocross helmet, the goal of the Supertech M-10 Helmet is to maximize safety and optimizing comfort while riding. Mission accomplished: the M10 not only has its own appropriate shell for each size, but also offers reduced weight (1370 grams for size medium). The aperture accommodates a wide variety of goggles and the air vents in the shell are a key feature of the M10 and are located to maximize ventilation efficiency. The Supertech M-10 helmet retails for $579.95 - $649.95 depending on the color scheme. https://www.alpinestars.com/supertech-m10-meta-helmet

6D ATR-2Y

Some people would never step up for a decent helmet for themselves, but fortunately every parent wants the best for their kids. Enter 6D’s ATR-2Y Youth off-road motorcycle helmet. The byproduct of 6D’s commitment to improved safety and brain protection, the ATR2Y features an evolved version of the company’s signature OmniDirectional Suspension system (ODS), and is an exact miniaturized replica of the previously introduced adult ATR-2. Updates were heavily influenced by work 6D completed inside the NFL’s Head Health Challenge III. The Advanced ODS is highlighted by a new Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) multi-impact outer liner and a new replaceable Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) inner liner. As before, the two liners are connected via a series of elastomeric isolation dampers, assisting in progressive loading of the ODS system during impacts. New to the advanced design, many of the isolation dampers have been replaced by “damping towers” that are incorporated into the outer liner and capped by low-friction disks that slide freely against the inner liner during impacts providing a freer more effective energy management system. Three year limited warranty. MSRP $449 https://www.6dhelmets.com/

FLY FORMULA

FLY Racing’s Formula Helmet is the absolute in total head protection.

The Adaptive Impact System (AIS) is a high-performance ecosystem of structural design and energy mitigating materials. Each layer of the AIS from RHEON enhanced Energy Cells, to the dual-density EPS liner, and the 12k carbon fiber shell, was carefully fine-tuned to achieve the goal of creating the highest performing helmet possible…. Not to mention one of the lightest lids in the world. Seven strategicallyplaced cells in the EPS liner are designed to feel natural inside the helmet, resulting in a seamless fit for the rider. Their unique shape and maze-like structure allow the Impact Energy Cells to compress and shear. Each cell can either compress during a linear impact or shear during a rotational impact. This slight movement maximizes absorption of low speed linear and rotational impacts reducing overall brain stress… stay tuned to the next issue for the full Formula expose.

MSRP $649.95 https://formula.flyracing.com/

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HJC RPHA 11

When we were in Milano for the EICMA show, the HJC booth was stopping traffic in the aisles… literally! An army of Storm Troopers was manning the booth and directing showgoers to check out the Star Wars licensed graphics. Despite the storm troopers efforts, it was the Venom lid that appealed to anti-hero comic fans. HJC worked with Starline, an Italian designer that paints for a number of top MotoGP racers, to come up with something that was even more dark and twisted. HJC brings you the RPHA 11 Venom 2. With sharper teeth and a wider scream, this graphic is fueled by rage. By Spring 2019, every rider will be able to host this powerful alien symbiote. The new Venom design is featured on the RPHA 11 (Pro) — HJC’s premium sport helmet. The RPHA 11 is designed for the race track with an aerodynamic shell structure composed of HJC’s Premium Integrated Matrix (P.I.M. Plus) shell material for enhanced shock-resistance in a lightweight helmet. MSRP $599.99 http://www.hjchelmets.com/hjca/

SHARK RACE-R

French helmet purveyor SHARK is set to take a bite out of the premium helmet space! The Lorenzo Catalunya GP replica is SHARK’s new high end carbon fiber helmet. They say it has been reverse engineered to be as close as possible to human head specifications. “We have taken the human head into consideration to develop a one-of-kind experience,” says SHARK’s Head of Sales & OperationsAmericas Sarah Benadjemia. Another benefit is the aerodynamic package — From the very first track tests, riders have acknowledged its stability, even above 185 mph, its comfort and the precision of the wide angle vision field as well as its optical distortion-free shield. Thanks to wind tunnel testing, Shark has minimized unpleasant “cyclonic” air flow on the Race R Pro by adding a double blade spoiler. This results in higher level of stability. MSRP $669.99-$789.99 View the video at Dealernews YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wU0G7RQ3SXc https://us.shark-helmets.com

SHOEI J•O

Our favorite lid of the Fall introductions was homage SHOEI paid to classic open face helmets of the past. “The new J·O isn’t just a trendy vintage lid with amazing lines,” said marketing man Matthias Beier during the launch (at the equally cool Deus facility) last fall. “Sure, it has amazing lines. It even adopts classic styling traits from some of the great SHOEI helmets of yesteryear, but the J·O also casually boasts a splash of innovation and modern functionality to help complement its retro good looks.” That includes the integrated drop down visor the old lids never had and a full 5 year warranty. Dealers began getting deliveries in late November but truth be told, we had ours before the dealers did and we are still wearing for just about every casual ride!

MSRP starting at $379 https://www.shoei-helmets.com/

VEMAR GHIBLI

An entry level helmet with top-shelf features and world class Italian design, Vemar’s Ghibli is well worth a second look when stocking your shelves, Vemar was founded in 1975 in Grosseto Italy to produce fiberglass tanks used to preserve wine and oil. In 1987, one of the original Vemar partners, Riccardo Simoni, established the helmet department based on the company’s decade of experience working with composite materials. Vemar Helmets spun off into its own company in 1992. Vemar was able to produce Kevlar, Carbon and multicomposite products, with superior liners and in the quintessential Italian style making itself the largest and most experienced European manufacturer of composite helmets. Value is the hallmark and key feature of the Vemar range. A full 5 year warranty equates to the usable life of the helmet. MSRP $139. www.motonation.com

FEBRUARY 2019

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Wünschisms

By Uncle Paul

LIVE INTERVIEW: A Close Encounter Of The Second Kind

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------For better than 20 years I’ve hung my hat at Love Cycles, a pissant repair and performance shop in Houston. We try to maintain three to five mechanics, year-round.

Service help has always been a problem, even in the “good ol’ days.” In addition to my own recent efforts at recruitment, I’ve discovered this acute shortage of service techs now affects the entire industry. This is the second installment of the ultimate “Done Solved” Mystery: How to find, hire and retain technicians.

Cut this out and save it in a separate folder ‘cause you’re going to need it some day. Last month, Part I discussed how to find “Aliens From Another Planet,” a.k.a. mechanics. Part II covers the nuances of face-toface interviews, with these Aliens.

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rep your employees: Tell them “a wrench-spinner” is going to visit and you would like for them to wear their happy faces and be friendly when he shows up. Build up the visit, like it’s gonna really help the shop and be a good thing for everybody to hire this mullet. If you don’t do this, I think there’s a natural tendency for employees to act territorial and kinda stand-offish toward new help… Some sort of tribal, pecking-order ritual.

When the Alien From Another Planet ¾ a.k.a. mechanic ¾ does show up for the interview, start dancin’ and prancin’.

Introduce him to staff members, other Aliens, even

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customers. Show him the layout, discuss future growth plans, and generate some excitement. Promote the shop.

Promote yourself. Promote his future with you. As long as he walks upright, we’re talkin’ royalty here, even if he doesn’t make the final cut.

As Wünchism #78 states: “If you really want to confuse a mechanic, ask him to mark the top of a ball bearing.” The Dog & Pony Show is a good time to start getting a handle on the Alien’s knowledge. Uncle Paul’s not talkin’ about all those special training certificates the Alien showed you, or the factory schooling and seminars the manufacturers put on. Slept through a few of those myself. Hand me “paper” ¾ I wanna see national records, published racing results, timing slips ¾ credentials that are harder to get.

So all during the Dog & Pony Show, we’re gonna be asking the Alien tech-talk questions that are difficult to dodge or misinterpret. Loaded tech-talk questions. “Yo, Alien, how would you consider your skill level and experience working with electrics? Below average, average or above average?”

Loaded tech-talk questions are a lot like the mind-games lawyers and politicians play. My favorite example (the one I seem to use on every mechanic interviewed), goes something like this. We’re strolling through the main shop area, and I’m pointing out shop features and equipment goodies right and left. Asking if he knows how to use this piece of machinery or that. “I’m so good, I’m getting jealous of myself,” I think. As we walk to the dyno area I point out the wall that displays some national drag records and ask, “Got any of those?” Without waiting for an answer, I step to the dyno and ask, “Whadda ya know about degreeing cams?” If the Alien tells me he is familiar with this job function, that he’s done it several times, I reply, “We don’t; waste of time.”

On the other hand, if he tells me he’s not that familiar with it, I say, “That’s okay, we don’t degree them anymore, either; waste of time.”

At this point, he’s confused. The Alien just saw the record certificates, and he’s been dodging trophies all during the tour. So what’s going on here? Everybody knows ya gotta degree cams on race bikes. I let him think about this a moment then explain, “We’re the motorheads, not some guy sweatin’ over a cam-grinding machine. What does a cam grinder know about what we’re doin’, anyway? Nuthin’.

I’m not takin’ his word that those cams oughta be where he says. I’m not even sue he ground the thing correctly, anyway. At Love Cycles, we plot a graph of the lobe profiles with a dial indicator and degree wheel before installing the cams. If there’s a wide variance in the profile of lobes or base circles, we send them back and tell them to do it right this time. Eventually, we chunk those cams in the motor and toss that puppy on the dyno. Then we let our race motor tell us where we need to be, where it wants the ramps to open and close. We index the cams, we don’t degree them; like I said, waste of time.”

The message we’re trying to send runs along these lines: Love Cycles has big important toys (the dyno); we do things differently (indexing cams); we do things he’s never thought of (plotting cam profiles); the shop’s endeavors are successful (national records); there’s a demented country hick running the place… I want the Alien to know that he can learn something by working here. If this individual is

a true Alien From Another Planet, he has a strong desire for knowledge, for learning new ways of doing things. I also want him to know that Uncle Paul may come across as halfidiot, but when it comes to motorcycles, I’ve achieved “high Commander” status.

Loaded tech-talk is an important part of the Dog & Pony Show. We want to find out the Alien’s knowledge and display ours. Don’t go overboard and let this become an ego-fest.

We’re looking for an exchange of information here. What is the Alien’s intelligence quotient? Is he interested in gaining more knowledge? How well does the Alien communicate in tech-talk? Stuff like that.

Readin’ & Writin’

What you must do, something during the visit (interview), is give the Alien a reading and writing test, especially if the applicant is under 30 years old. The writing thing is easy enough. Hand the guy a piece of paper and pencil and ask him to write a few paragraphs about why he would like to work at your shop. We’re looking to determine if the guy can form coherent human-like thoughts and reduce them to writing. It’s a little harder than it sounds, so don’t snicker.

Check out the letters and script. Does the penmanship look like it came from Charlie Manson’s trial? Are the, a, and it misspelled more than once? Does what you read make sense? We’re not hiring Mensa members, but we do need mechanics who can form thoughts and reduce their brain drizzles to understandable Ingrish.

A real treat comes with Uncle Paul’s reading and comprehension test. Grab a factory service manual. Most of them (Honda is particularly good about this) will often give a little blurb near the front about new engineering or design features of first-year models. It could be new emission-control devices, spark units… information that introduces a new concept. Pick out a page and ask the Alien to read it once to himself, then read it aloud. Have a towel ready, ‘cause that poor soul is gonna pop sweat from every pore.

Keep in mind, most of us are not very good at reading aloud, especially Aliens. We’re only trying to determine if the guy can read tech-talk and understand what he’s read.

Uncle Paul has never met a wrench-spinner skilled at his craft who couldn’t read and write. With technology bringing about major design changes daily, it’s impossible for any Alien to rise above “Hammer & Chisel” status without help from the factory engineers, service bulletins and manuals.

If someone plans to work on a motorcycle in today’s world, their best buddies better be their tool box and a factory service manual.

Remember, first he reads the page to himself. When he’s ready to read aloud, listen to what he verbalizes. Is it merely word pronunciation? Does it sound like there’s a trace of understanding or information penetrating his helmet holder? Go ahead, ask him. Ask the Alien from another planet to explain, in his own words what he just read. Uh oh.

Beer Joint

After the Dog & Pony Show, if he passed the initial phase of the close encounter of the second kind, take him to lunch or to get a beer away from the business environment. If you want him, if he’s what you think you’re looking for, now’s the time to biz-talk.

After draggin’ vacuum on a couple of Lone Stars, let him know that hiring and handling Aliens is a custom deal at your shop. Everything is negotiated after a trial period.

You will only hire new shop personnel “temp-to-perm” ¾ Contract labor for 180 days. What will it take to get the Alien to your shop for the trial period? Go ahead, ask him… Now.

He won’t know, he’s never thought of that. So tell him high-powered engineers are hired that way all the time.

It’s to everyone’s benefit to know exactly what the shop is contracting for and what the Alien can deliver. Throw this at him: “I can justify paying you a lot more after the trial period than I can by guessing at your abilities, skills, and production at the present time.”

Now, clutching your hands around your half-empty beer bottle, squint and lean forward. Gaze into the Alien’s visual sensory orbs and say, “I can’t imagine such a scenario, but you might not fit in with our team. Ya never know. If you are what you represent yourself to be, surely you’re worth more to us than what you’re currently getting.”

Explain to the Alien that your shop’s six-month “Trial Period” has nothing to do with the Texas Department of Corrections. Management merely needs 90 days to break newbies into shop policies and procedures, then we need another 90 days to train and tutor him for the job slot. For the first six months of employment we’re going to train, teach, coach and counsel him on how to make this team concept idea work to everyone’s benefits. At the end of 180 days, we’re all gonna know where we stand, what we’re worth to each other, and whether we want to have a continuing relationship. It’s a trial period: Temporary contract labor, no exceptions, very simple.

Perks & Benefits

By now, you’ve both had too many brewski’s so jump into perks and benefits. Explain how all this stuff comes about after the trial period. You’re grinnin’, aren’t cha?

Haven’t got comprehensive health plans, 401ks, pension programs and stock options, do ya? Hell, neither does anyone else. Look, you can be generous with time off and track time. You have uniforms. You pay well. The Alien can buy parts for his bike at dealer plus 10%, okay?

You may need to create some stuff that might not fall into the category of a true perk or benefit, but if something is perceived as such, that shouldn’t be a problem. Might even discuss benefits you would like to give, but the programs aren’t in place, yet. Be careful now, remember Wünchism #1: “Ya can’t lie, cheat or steal, ‘less it’s about whiskey, bow-legged ladies, or war stories.”

Continued on page 82

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Continued from page 81

Whiskey Talk

At this stage of the interview, a close encounter of the second kind, Uncle Paul’s startin’ to see two Aliens (identical twins) sitting across from him, and we realize it’s time to start wrapping up with “whisky talk.” You know, philosophy, touchie-feelie, the movements of celestial objects… whiskey talk.

Listen not only to what the Alien appears to be saying, but what he wants to tell you. Whiskey talk will give us a big clue to potential employee longevity (with us and the industry) if we can stage or structure the talk to our purposes without Alien awareness.

We need to find out if the Alien has found his niche. Would he do the same work if it weren’t called a job? Does he love the career he’s chosen? If you can pry that door open during whiskey talk, the Alien’s input will tell you right up front if he’s going to stick with a job, and maybe your shop.

Motivation to stay in a particular field and to do a job over the long haul seems to come from within the employee, as well as our industry.

Seems to me, we do a lot of throat-cutting in this industry.

Many times Uncle Paul’s seen good mechanics driven into another field because they were continuously jacked around by our own policies and procedures. The “wage to flat-rate” shell game is one example that comes to mind. Inadequate technical support another. Poor human resource management is a major cause for our diminished labor pool. Think about this now.

As long as you behave and do your job as manager, not forcing the Alien into another industry because of your bad practices, seems to me Aliens will only get happy feet if their motivation changes. I attribute this very natural movement (career change) to bus drivers and ballerinas.

The other day, a guy came into the shop to discuss some repairs to his retro-cruiser antique replica. He was wearing a Metro Bus Driver uniform and noticed several small award pins attached to his hat. After about five minutes of tech-talk, I got semi-stupid and blurted out, “How the hell can anyone drive a freaking bus, eight hours every day for 20 years, fighting the same Houston traffic over and over, on the same closed course, and not go absolutely starkraving-mad?! How you do dat?!” That guy looked at me like I’d just lot my mind and said “But Uncle Paul, you don’t understand, I’ve got the greatest job in the world.”

Let me tell ya, for the next two hours that guy told more war stories about what goes on in a public bus than anyone can imagine. Did you know where are people out there using public transportation as rolling bordellos? Turning tricks, mugging each other, settling disputes, dealing drugs… Amazing some of the stuff that 20-year vet told me.

Amazing.

If the Alien you are sitting across from during the interview wants to join a ballet troupe and wear a tutu with a beach-

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blanket stuffed in his jock, there’s not much you’ll be able to do about that. He’ll eventually get happy feet and switch careers. He’s motivated to reposition himself in the universe. But if he’s like my bus-driver friend, if he is doing what he really wants to do, all you gotta do is not burst his bubble. Don’t do something stupid that’ll send him to another shop or another industry. Find out about this during whiskey talk.

Heavy Breathing

At any time during the main interview, if you or the Alien begins a deep breathing exercise, or maybe someone’s chin hits the table top, stop the interview. Stop yapping. Force a decision. Somebody’s ready to close. Make the Alien an offer that’s overly generous (for the trial period) if you want to try him out, or considerably under what he can survive on if you don’t. Close him or cut-‘n’-run.

He may want time to talk it over with his girlfriend, or “to think about it.” Okay, but create urgency by telling him there are others looking at the same position. If he lollygags around, some other human-look-alike may fill the slot… “It’s happened before.” If the dude says he needs 30 days to wrap up his affairs, play like you didn’t hear him then say, “Can you be here ready to work say, next Monday? Let’s get this Bridgestone rolling!”

Pearls

I hope you picked up on the pearls I threw at you in these first two installments about making your offer and your shop different from the dealership down the street. Have you made a thorough assessment of your shop? Have you “looked at your own self”? What job needs filling?

Did you catch the importance of a checklist and practice for the first and second close encounters, the phone call and live interview? What about Uncle Paul’s ideas on how to present your offer, to increase the likelihood of actually getting the applicant into a trial period? Do you understand that it’s important in the second close encounter to find out all you can about him? That the definitive test comes with the trial period? How you’ll only find out where he’s really coming from through it? Did you get all that? Might not hurt to go back and freshen up your thoughts on this Alien From Another Planet business.

Have ya ever wondered why you spend so much time looking for these Aliens From Another Planet? Agreed, there aren’t many to pick from. Aliens are a diminishing commodity, and it is getting worse. Yes, they have happy feet, the innate urge to migrate like lemmings. Just as they did when they left their home planet, Snap-Off. Of course, they will leave you for a 50-cent-per-hour raise, to go to another shop with no work.

The Force damn near killed interplanetary travel when bike-builders turned high-tech and quit making simple, entry-level machines that a youngster could fiddle with and develop basic mechanical skills. There are googols of reasons for the way things are; some we can alter, influence, and even change. But many problems with our industry must be left for others. Throne-level stuff, for governments and OEMs.

He may want time to talk it over with his girlfriend, or “to think about it.”

Okay, but create urgency by telling him there are others looking at the same position. If he lollygags around, some other human-look-alike may fill the slot… “It’s happened before.” If the dude says he needs 30 days to wrap up his affairs, play like you didn’t hear him then say, “Can you be here ready to work say, next Monday? Let’s get this Bridgestone rolling!”

It’s not getting’ better and we’ve gotta do something.

Lemme restate that: It’s not getting better, and we shop owners gotta do something!”

One of the reasons we’re having problems hanging on to the Aliens we already have, may be much of what causes them to wander the cosmos in the first place. “Things” may need to be fixed with our modus operandi, our own plant, our own business and management skills. Maybe we need to reexamine reevaluate, and revamp our own grease pit of goo before this newbie shows up? Maybe they appear to us as border-line sociopaths for a reason. Let’s step back from the hiring process and look at ourselves.

*Paul Wunsch was the owner of Love Cycles, a service-only shop located in Houston, Texas.

“Wunschisms” are truisms that, according to the author, are often plagiarized or modified clichés – statements quoted so often that the employees of Love Cycles have numerically designated the most popular. Paul passed away November 21, 2003 but his wit and wisdom live on in the pages of Dealernews.

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HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TRAILBLAZERS RGB: Web Color Swatches

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Did you know the club was founded by A.F. Van Order as “The Old Timers?” From one old-timer to another Dealernews is proud to have been affiliated with the TrailBlazers MC for more than 50 years. In fact, the magazine’s co-founder Bill Bagnall served as TrailBlazers president from 1986-1994 and 1996-2000 before handing the gavel over to another Dealernews alumni, Don Emde. Here’s to the next 75 years of blazing trails and recognizing the best and brightest in the motorcycle business.

Anonymous Dealer

FAMILY TIES DON’T CUT IT!

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epotism! You can see it everywhere; a business where the son or daughter of the owner has been put in a position of authority only because they are the offspring of the owners. It’s great to want to hand your business over to the next generation, but there has to be a caveat — they must be qualified! There also has to be some sort of process for them to take over.

Maybe your offspring have been around bikes and the industry their entire life. Maybe they are an amazing racer. Maybe they can take an engine apart in the dark, with one hand behind their back… with gloves on. And then reassemble it correctly. All that really means is that they should be handed the reigns with some sort of apprenticeship. Just because we bought or founded our shops with little or no experience doesn’t mean that the next generation should take over without it as well.

Times, they are a-changing; it’s a different world with a different attitude. The numbers are way different; not only in the number of units, but also the dollar amounts involved, and with that, the amount of employees, and the systems required. I believe that the next gen should have as much training as possible; maybe some college courses in business administration. Some knowledge of accounting wouldn’t hurt… And all kinds of sales training as well.

I have seen shops where the son or daughter has been put on the parts counter or sales floor with little or no training.

The staff is afraid to say anything because they don’t want to become a target, yet the kids are expected to hit the ground running. When the managers are given no say or

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power to supervise the related employee, things go south… quickly!

My children have decided to not work in the powersports industry. That’s fine with me; they have their own path, and it’s not up to me to interfere with that path. They both, however, worked around the shop when they were teenagers, and right from the beginning, I made a few rules:

1) I was never their direct supervisor. The manager of that department was their boss. I was just an observer. If the manager had to instruct or even discipline them, I never put my two cents worth in. I did make sure that the kids shadowed an “A” employee when they were being trained, but after that, it was hands off.

2) If they had a problem and came to me, I would usually listen, but almost invariably ask them if they had talked to their supervisor directly. The supervisor was always able to instruct them in a proper way, and I never had to interfere.

Of course, this supposes that you have staff that is good at their jobs. If you don’t, you have a whole set of different problems.

I certainly kept an eye on them, but if there was a problem, I went to the manager of that department, not directly to my children. It was sometimes difficult, but I found that it always worked out.

I know of a shop where the owner’s son worked in all of the departments to learn the business (a very good idea). The problem was that the son was always supervised by the owner, and I don’t believe that he learned as much as he could, or should, have. The managers of the departments involved were always out of the loop.

When he reached the sales floor, the owner gave him the prime spot where all the customers came in. If any good leads came in, it was usually the son that got them. If there was a house deal, guess who got it? The other staff resented this, and as a result the son was never fully accepted as one of the guys.

He’s a great young man, and I’m sure he’ll eventually do well, but the father put his son in an awkward place, and at a disadvantage right out of the box. I would have put him in a dark corner and made sure he was being trained by my top sales guy. He would have to demonstrate his abilities in that way.

Hopefully you are following some similar sorts of guidelines.

Don’t hover. Instead help your kid be accepted as a valuable employee. Otherwise they will be seen as spoiled brats, and having not earned their place in your shop. This is one of those times that family ties just don’t cut it! Nepotism is the kind of friction you don’t need... We already have enough, don’t we?

Yes, our international man of mystery is a real dealer; no we are not going to tell you who he is. Saying the things that you are thinking, without risking getting the franchise pulled. The Anonymous Dealer has more than three decades experience at the dealership, in every position from porter to dealer principal.

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“The dealer objective is to obtain results though education,” explains Sutton. “These groups are not dealer councils! They are like-minded business people seeking improvement through learning, motivation and camaraderie. They share their numbers, their ideas, their successes, their challenges and their solutions.”

The process works as the current group features a balanced mix of “OG” founding members, second generation in a couple cases, third generation dealer principals. “I have no doubts that we would not have been nearly as successful if I had not been a member of the Best Operators Club,” says Don Owens from Dothan Powersports (and a Dealernews Dealer Advisory Board member). “For going on close to 30 years I’ve been able to take ideas shared by other dealers and make them my own instead of always trying to reinvent the wheel.”

BEST OPERATORS CLUB #1 Still Taking Care Of Business After 30 Years!

You have to give a little (including sharing your financials with the group for benchmarking purposes, but you really can gain a wealth of information, adds Charlie Jansing, head of Alcoa Good Times/Mountain Adventures/Southern Mountain Adventures. “When I joined the BOC the first thing I learned was how much I did not know about the motorcycle business. We have made many improvements in our dealerships’ profitability. The members of the group visited/ audited one of our dealerships that for the past two years was operating at a loss. The dealership’s preparation since the visit and implementation of the audit findings resulted in the dealership now operating at a 6% net profit in a down market.” Priceless.

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f the dealer, by the dealer, for the dealer… For more than 50 years Dealernews has been a proponent of the dealer. We know that nobody knows what it takes to not only survive in this industry, but thrive than someone who has ridden a mile in your boots. The best way to tap into the best practices from your fellow dealers has always been the 20 Clubs. And one of the best 20 Clubs in the industry just celebrated its 30th Anniversary. Now administered by Gart Sutton Associates, Best Operators Club #1 brought in a host of industry experts and VIPs to not only commemorate the milestone 102nd meeting of the minds, but to make sure they have a holeshot on the next 30 years.

The group’s mission statement defines the rules of engagement for every member of the group: “We are no nonsense, benchmark-directed, high-performance, profitdriven, passionate, setters of new benchmarks (redefining new benchmarks), results-oriented, and best practice-oriented. We are a group of financially-driven Dealers striving to achieve the highest levels of profitability through the sharing of best practices and with accountability to each other.”

Robert Hintz, dealer principal of The Englehart Center equates member with an advance degree in the powersports industry. ”I started in the powersports business as a Finance Manager and was promoted through the ranks to where I am today, an owner and General Manager of a large multi-line dealership. I was running a multi-million dollar business with limited college education and just 7 years of powersports experience. With all the challenges that faced me each day, I soon realized I needed help! This has been a learning experience equal to having a master’s degree in power sports education, I call it Dealership 101.”

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If you have question about participating with like-minded individuals e-mail GSA at gart@gartsutton.com or get the FAQs at https://www.gartsutton.com/20-club-faqs

COAST TO COAST SUMMER - 2020

Every Rider Has Her Own Story

This Ride Honors the Story of WOmen Host a Women of the Road SCMR2020 lead up event at your dealership and bring more female customers to your door: - Includes an interactive presentation about long-distance touring - We’ll show a cool video about the Van Buren Sisters ride in 2016 - Includes information tailored for your dealership and riding areas Inspire and encourage women riders and passengers, as well as families, to ride more be involved in the event.

Ready to bring more customers to your door?

CONTACT US NOW: Events@CentennialRide.com @CentennialRide @SCMR2020 www.CentennialRide.com

The Suffragists Centennial Motorcycle Ride (SCMR2020) is a multi-route cross-country motorcycle event and it will be the most inuential ride in 2020 inspiring riders before, during, and after the ride.

Presented by Alisa Clickenger

HAMMER TIME Can’t Touch This!

By Robin Hartfiel

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reak it down! For one week a year the remote high desert Johnson Valley becomes the second most populous “city” in San Bernardino County as hundreds of race teams, thousands of motorhomes and millions of eyes focus on the pop-up “Hammer Town” — think Mad Max Fury Road meets Burning Man! Although the corresponding King Of The Motos competition has gone on hiatus, there were more UTV competitors than ever, as well as an “everyman” class featuring basically stock Mavericks, RZR and even the diesel-powered ROXORs.

The week of racing in Johnson Valley in front of 50,000 rabid fans and 2,000,000 online viewers culminated with Friday’s Nitto King of the Hammers powered by Optima Batteries race. Covering 235 miles of punishing desert terrain and some of the most difficult rockcrawling trails in the world, KOH has a reputation as being one of the most difficult races on earth. Attrition was as high as ever, with only 29 of the 111 competitors reaching the finish line within the 14-hour time limit. Last year, only 12 of 118 racers finished.

Hammer king promoter Dave Cole promised to make the 2019 Can-Am UTV King of the Hammers the toughest in history to keep pace with accelerating UTV technology.

Just four years ago, only five UTVs even finished the race.

Despite the tougher and longer course 28 vehicles finished the 2019 Can-Am UTV King of the Hammers race within the nine-hour time limit.

2018 winner Mitch Guthrie Jr. set the fastest qualifying time on Saturday, ahead of Midwest short course racer Kyle Chaney by only 2/10ths of a second. On race day Phil Blurton passed both Guthrie and Chaney in his turbocharged Can-Am Maverick X3 to take the physical lead on the 91-mile desert loop. When the race moved to the infamous Hammers rockcrawling canyons though, everything changed.

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Photos by Brandon Davis

DEALER DOES GOOD Stock Can-Am Maverick Conquers 2019 KOH

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had Hughes, a dealer from Utah, passed more than 60 other vehicles on his way to a finishing the 2019 King of the Hammers UTV race. Although a 21st place finish may not sound that great, only 29 of the 111 competitors finished in the allotted 9-hour time limit. Now take into account the fact that he passed more than half the field of purpose-built race machines in a nearly bone stock Maverick Sport X rc 1000R and you are saying something!

“I was very proud to be representing Can-Am in an allnew machine targeted specifically for rock crawling,” says Hughes, from St. George, Utah, where he works at Moto Zoo Powersports and also runs his own adventure and fabrication shop called Offroad 365. “The car did not disappoint, it absolutely rules the rocks. As expected, it gives up quite a bit of ground to the Maverick X3 vehicles in the desert, but we started 84th and eventually passed 63 cars to end up 21st as we crossed the finish line in 7:33.

That was well under the nine hours allotted finish time.”

Mitch Guthrie Jr. who grew up in Johnson Valley, where his father has won the King of the Hammers UTV race six times put the local knowledge to good use. “We’ve been doing a lot of pre-running this week.

The rocks are where it counts, and we had some great lines through them. We never even had to wrench,” said Guthrie from the top of the podium (and nearly 30 minutes ahead of second place).

“I definitely felt pressure after winning last year, but you learn to deal with it,” Guthrie said. “You have to think about it as another race, but in the back of your head you know it’s King of the Hammers, and it’s the biggest race of the year.” Ultra4 driver Wayland Campbell came in second after a penalty pushed Branden Sims back to third.

Couldn’t make it to Hammer Town? Check out all the action on video archived here: https://ultra4racing.com/live

Despite the challenging starting spot, Hughes knew he would have to shine in the rocks to gain ground, while also holding his own in the desert sections. “As soon as we hit the first canyon, we started passing cars like crazy... eight cars here, six cars there, and it went on and on,” said Hughes. “And we managed to hit 78mph on the lake beds running 33-inch tires.”

Hughes said the stock X rc 1000R had zero mechanical issues during the race and only took some minimal damage to the bottom skid plate and perhaps a small scratch to the side. “Don’t blame me or the X rc, blame the rocks,” he said.

And he never even needed to use his winch.

“Our only re-work was to make the roof numbers larger.

Everything else was stock. We ran a stock drivetrain, stock suspension, stock brakes, stock steering, stock A-arms and all! It’s almost unbelievable really, but I’m super impressed with the little car and, to me, it’s mission accomplished for Can-Am.”

FEBRUARY 2019

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Photo by Joe Bonnello

Ave Atque Vale Gavin Trippe

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ournalist, race promoter, visionary… there was almost no aspect of the motorcycle industry that AMA Hall of Famer Gavin Trippe didn’t totally revolutionize. When he died in an auto accident July 2, 2018, it left a void with his many friends, business partners and the industry as a whole. “For all that knew him personally, words can not describe what this man has accomplished,” said Gavin Trippe Jr. at the time. Most recently the man who brought the USGP in Carlsbad to life and created Superbikers had been rocking the collectible motorcycle world as the West Coast Manager for Mecum Auctions… seeing vintage bikes skyrocket in terms of appreciation and value!

This spring we were reminded of the magnitude of Gavin’s far reaching contributions when Dana Mecum paid tribute to Trippe at the 2019 Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas in late January. Once again Gavin was there to welcome his friends to the record setting event as Mecum placed placards of Trippe at the entrance.

“What a great gesture by Dana Mecum,” said Trippe’s son, it kind of blew me away.”

In the 1970s Trippe was a guiding force in the growth of motocross in the US. The Carlsbad USGP and its annual spot on ABC’s Wide World of Sports was often the only MX race shown on TV all year. It made international heroes like Roger DeCoster into superstars in America and put motocross on the map.

“Trippe’s innovation, vision, and enthusiasm helped shape motorcycling for thousands of people during the most critical time of growth in the sport—literally the time in which motocross was taking hold in America,” claims Racer X’s Jason Weigandt.

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“Trippe was also instrumental in the growth of AMA Superbike racing and American road racing in general. When he began sending American dirt track and road racers to England to compete in international match races, he ignited the flame for American talent on the global stage, which led to eventual dominance by Americans in 500cc GP road racing (MotoGP today) including Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey and more.”

In the late 1960s, a fellow staffer at Motor Cycle News named Bruce Cox came to California on vacation. He went back raving about his visit and told Trippe that he needed to see America for himself. Trippe visited in 1968 and he and Cox hatched an idea to start an American equivalent to Motor Cycle News in America. In 1969, the partners began publishing Motor Cycle Weekly.

“We hired away some of the best talent from our competitors,” Trippe said. “It was a hectic life covering events, editing stories, putting together the paper and rushing it to the printer. Our office was at the end of the John Wayne Airport, which was not much more than a small airstrip at the time. I became a pilot so I could fly the boards to the printer.”

As a result of a meeting with AMA, Trippe promoted one of the first Trans AMA Motocross race series in 1969, which eventually led to the first United States Motocross Grand Prix, sponsored by Hang Ten – a first - being held at Carlsbad Raceway in June of 1973. The USGP was a watershed event in motorcycle racing in America. Not only did it bring the World Motocross Championships to the United States, but also ABC’s Wide World of Sports televised the race live, Bruce Brown being the producer. It was a huge ratings success and was instrumental in transforming motocross racing from a hard-core enthusiast niche

Photo by Scott Cox sport to the most popular form of motorcycle racing in America in a relatively short period of time during the 1970s.

Trippe was also a visionary when it came to dreaming up a new form of motorcycle racing. An ABC Sports producer named Bob Iger, who later became chairman of Disney and ABC, asked Trippe why riders like road racer Kenny Roberts, motocrosser Roger DeCoster and dirt track rider Jay Springsteen didn’t race against one another. Instead of going into a long explanation on the different forms of motorcycle racing the question sparked an idea in Trippe. The ABC Wide World of Sports Superbikers proved to be a resounding success… and lives on to this day as Supermoto.

Along the way he spurred motorcycle roadracing with the International Match races, leading the advent of the super bike class in the US and even promoting racing at the legendary Ascot in Southern California.

On a personal note, his Motor Cycle Weekly publication was one of Don Emde’s primary sponsors when he went on to win the Daytona 200… and Don later became publisher of Dealernews.

There really was almost no aspect of motorcycling in the U.S. that Gavin didn’t influence, innovate and otherwise inspire.

Godspeed, Gavin Trippe.

AIMExpo........................................................................36 American Lifan.............................................................91 Big Bike Parts..............................................................11 Best In The Desert.......................................................75 DX1................................................................................29 HJC..................................................................................45 Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)............................67 Motonation (SIDI)........................................................93 Motonation.............................................................CVR 4 Motorcycle Industry Jobs (MIJ)..................................23 MOTOTV.........................................................................55 National Powersports Auctions (NPA)...................... 9

Performance Brokerage Services.............................57 Racer X..........................................................................85 Shark Helmets............................................................... 7 Steel Core.....................................................................41 Suffragists...................................................................87 Trailblazers...................................................................83 Tread Lightly................................................................69 Trilobite........................................................................51 Tucker Powersports....................................................17 UBCO..............................................................................19 Vroom Network...........................................................49 Western Power Sports.............................................2-3

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

FEBRUARY 2019

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Backfire

By John Murphy

COME TOGETHER… Right Now!

the annual Mountain Man Rendezvous. It was a once a year opportunity for the independent hunters and trappers to gather together to trade their furs and hides from years’ worth of hunting, but perhaps even more importantly, it was a time and place to socialize; trade tall tales; to see who was still was alive; and to see who was dead.

AIMExpo is the modern day equivalent of the powersports industry’s Mountain Man Rendezvous!

It’s the right place, at the right time to come together for the right reasons. We need to socialize with one another; tell some tall tales (who, me?), and we’re going to count heads to see who’s still present.

How often do you and your team get together after hours for social gatherings, pursuing your passions for the open road? Not enough? Late September is the perfect time to ride motorcycles in Ohio, and AIME is the perfect destination to plan a ride together with your Dealership Team. The tentative plan is a ride to Columbus for Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

That’s a day before AIMExpo opens, and it’ll be a great time to rendezvous with the Dealernews Team to talk business and toast each other for another year of blazing trails. Drop me a note if this idea of a Dealer Team Ride Into AIMExpo is something you would be up for. e-mail: Johnmurphy@Dealernews.com

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e are all one in the powersports industry. We have too many obstacles to face to put up walls around ourselves. We need to come together as an Industry, and face these challenges together… right now!

Okay it might be a little bit late in the day to unify our entire industry by Close Of Business this evening. But we have to start some time and some where. Allow to point out the fact that AIMExpo returns to Columbus, Ohio, September 2629, 2019. Not since the glory days of the Dealernews Dealer Expo have we had such an opportunity to rally to our common cause.

If fact, I suggest we take the “rally” term literally… and locally.

AIMExpo represents a great opportunity for DEALERS from Ohio and the surrounding states to get on the road and ride in for the trade days. Let’s make it a dealer-only poker rally — I’ll even spring for the playing cards!

Dealernews is all-in for AIMExpo, and we’d like to meet every one of you! Heck, we’ll probably even try to film it for Dealernews Live! — provided you don’t pull out a Screen Actors Guild card and require Union scale wages.

Dealernews will have a big display at AIMExpo again this year. We will also be doing our best to demonstrate some of the compelling reasons for why Columbus and why right now (well, September 26-29, 2019).

Last month in this column, I had some fun suggesting that powersports dealers are like the legendary Mountain Men from the Old West... men and women who blazed trails on their own, showing the path for others to follow. One thing the Mountain Man/Woman always looked forward to, was

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John Murphy started his Powersports career selling booth space for the original Dealernews Dealer Expo back in 1983. He then went on to become Publisher of the magazine from 1990 to 2000 before retiring from Dealernews 18 years ago when he was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis. He retired and raised his two children with wife, Patti (former production manager for Dealernews back in the day). But John has beaten the odds. The doctors were correct when they said he would never ride again, and that he would be in a wheelchair, but it ends right there. “Ironsides” Murphy is back in the saddle again and ready for the challenge of ushering Dealernews into the next 50 years.

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