Dealernews Issue#5 May 2020 by Dealernews

DN 2.0 #5

VALE MARTY SMITH

DEALER PROFILE Dothan Powersports

OEM UPDATE

A Dealernews White Paper

SHOWTIME FITE Club

CONTENTS

04 WORLD’S LUCKIEST MAN 06 EDITORS NOTE 08 LETTERS+ 10 NEWS+ 13 SPLASH+ 14 SHIFTING GEARS+ 18 DEALER PROFILE+ 22 COVID-19 COMPENDIUM 26 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 28 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 30 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 34 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 37 eDEALERNEWS 38 ELECTRIC MOTION 40 CURRENTS 43 SHOWTIME+

Bob Althoff On What Would Lilly Do?

Mark Rodgers On Go Sell Something!

Robin Hartfiel On A Brave New World

Quin Helmets HEADquarters

The Industry On Dealernews

Larry Daniel On Disruption

News Dealers Can Use

Controlling The Sale

PWC News & Notes

Scot Harden On Polar Express

Who’s On First?

Alex Baylon Hits The Reset Button

Dothan Powersports Does It Right

Eric Anderson On Dodos!

Dealernews White Paper On OEM Efforts

Dr. Paul Leinberger On A New World Order Lenny Sims On NADAGuides Numbers

What Does The MIC Do For You?

Uncle Paul On Referrals

Pied Piper ILE Results

Brave New World

Will Dealers Flip For eTrials Bikes?

MX Legends Battle, Charities Win

Poised For U.S. Market

Dale Spangler On Authenticity

eNews

This issue Brought To You By…

Everybody Talks About FITE Club!

Alisa Clickenger On Post-COVID Pivot

Don Amador On Respecting Reopening Protocols

Don Musick On Detour, Part II

44 PERFORMANCE+ 46 INSIDER EDITION 48 MAKING A CASE FOR DISRUPTION 50 NORTHERN EXPOSURE 52 RACE READY 54 PERSONNEL FILEs 56 CONFESSIONS OF A CUSTOMER 58 DIVERSITY+ 60 MIC RIDE REPORT 62 ADVOCACY+ 64 WÜNSCHISMS 66 GEAR+ 70 PRESS PASS+ 72 PARTING SHOT+ 73 AD INDEX 74 VALE+ Ave Atque Vale Marty Smith

OUR TEAM Bob Althoff W.L.M.

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

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

MAY 2020

W.L.M.

By Bob Althoff

WHAT WOULD LILLY DO?

“

tick, and Stay, and Make it Pay!” Maybe persistence in times like this is more important than anything? Lillian Farrow embodied that approach. For the past several decades, I have sat at the desk of the woman who founded our dealership 108 years ago. She bought the desk in 1916 from the Globe Desk Company in Boston, Massachusetts, intending for it to be around awhile... in good times and bad. She is my inspiration — never more so than now. Over the years, I have learned more and more about the challenges she had as she steered our dealership through hard times. Before her first decade in business was over, she had lived through “The War To End All Wars” a.k.a. World War I and that “other” pandemic, the Spanish Flu. As a dealer, she had to guide the business through two major recessions and the Great Depression! Over the following decades Lilly was also a single mom. Widowed after A.D. Farrow’s death, she was only 28 years of age with three small kids. In her second decade, she faced two more recessions lasting a total of 4 1/2 years of that decade. Followed by the Great Depression, starting in August of 1929 and eating any profits for another 3 years, 7 months. Still she persevered.

Another recession followed in the late 1930’s. Then two more in the 1940’s along with another World War. Two more recessions hit in the 1950’s. Two more in the ‘60’s. One in the ‘70’s and two more in the early ‘80’s. I’m beginning to sense a pattern here… a pattern of success, despite the odds. And we think we have it bad? This incredible woman deserves a Hall of Fame Induction AND a 12-foot statue in front of the building! How did she do it? She loved motorcycles and the people who rode them. She had an iron fist inside a white velvet glove. She rode the wheels off the motorcycles she sold. She always kept “the community” first — race promoter; Motor Maid involvement; Buckeye Motorcycle Club founder… She just never quit. There has always been a lesson for me as I sat at her desk and reflected on her stewardship of our dealership over the years. Perhaps one for you as well? Never quit! Never quit riding. Never quit serving. Never quit loving. What will we do? The old desk is still here and the dealership just opened another branch right in the middle of the COVID crisis. Something tells me Lilly is looking down on all of us during these challenging times, knowing there are better days ahead for us all! Bob Althoff, W.L.M.

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23 and returns to a trade-only format. Cinnamon also announce Dallas-based distribution giant Tucker Powersports would be colocating its show with AIMExpo. While motorcycles may have been the original and still the ultimate social distancing device, dealerships have always been a place to bring powersports people closer together. Now with contactless sales, OEM-to-driveway delivery, curbside concierges and service work by appointment only, there is no question COVID-19 lock downs are forever altering the face of retail. In fact, I would go so far as to say the “face” of your dealership has become your Internet webmaster and your porter picking up service work and dropping off new units as part of the wave of OEM programs designed to get new units directly to customers unwilling or unable to come to the dealership.

Editor’s Note By Robin Hartfiel

BRAVE NEW WORLD

otorcycle Industry Council president and CEO Erik Pritchard said it best: “This is not the end of our industry, it’s the beginning.” However the context of this comment is as equally telling as the post-COVID message from Erik that came as part of the MIC’s online Symposium. That’s right, the one chance a year for the industry leaders to meet in a neutral corner and figure out how to battle our collective demons has moved from a real world location held in conjunction with an International Motorcycle Shows tour stop to a virtual, socially distanced event open to the entire industry, not just dues paying MIC members. This is indeed a Brave New World! English author Aldous Huxley wrote his dystopian novel against the backdrop of the Depression in the UK in 1931, with its mass unemployment and the abandonment of the gold currency standard. It has been a few years since I had to read it, but Huxley’s Brave New World asserted that stability was the “primal and ultimate need if civilization was to survive the present crisis.” Sound familiar? As an industry, powersports people have been looking for a little stability since the COVID closures began more than 70 days ago for some businesses.

ROXOR “delivered” a new home delivery service that doesn’t cut the dealer out of the mix and even includes trade-in pick-up. “At Mahindra we’re looking to make people’s lives easier during these uncertain times and that includes helping with the purchase of a new ROXOR,” said Justin Prann, VP of Sales & Service. “We’re forging into a new era of shopping with the ROXOR DELIVERS program to make purchasing a new ROXOR for our dealer network as easy and safe as possible from the comfort of peoples’ homes.” See the OEM Update White Paper starting on page 22. “Although it is counterintuitive, we believe there are good reasons for optimism, but optimism tempered by caution,” says Pritchard… no matter what the preliminary data may have said. “March and April OEM sales are up over 2019, so we are left with two explanations. Was the data bad? No!” David Savlowitz and his Competitive Analytics team are the gold standard of numbers crunchers. “The fact is past models don’t really apply to the current situation… instead we have seen a fundamental shift in consumer spending.” “We’re in a much more positive place than we thought we would be just a few months ago. We’ve got a unique opportunity to bring in a lot of new folks who might not have been into powersports. We can be part of the solution to this crisis… time to change the mantra from #RideItOut to #RideOn!” Thank you for the rallying cry Erik. Time to venture forth into this Brave New World.

Going one step further, Huxley’s novel is set in the futuristic World State, built upon the principle of consumption of disposable consumer goods… okay, now this is really starting to sound like deja vu all over again (thanks, Yogi Berra). “When the reality of this pandemic became clear, many feared the worst…” admits Erik Pritchard. He isn’t kidding. Early modeling came back to MIC predicting as many as 35% of the nation’s dealers would not survive the lock-downs if they lasted longer than two weeks and OEMs could lose more than 50% of the unit sales. Even our own survey in last month’s issue indicated 26% of the dealers responded that the stimulus money and ball-outs would not be enough to keep their doors open. That put the entire MIC staff into crisis mode and the results generated by Erik’s fellow Symposium presenters’ VP Scott Schloegel’s team in the Washington office and AIMExpo VP/GM Cinnamon Kernes into overdrive. In addition to changing the nature of the Symposium to a monthly exchange of ideas, AIMExpo has been totally reset. The “new” AIMExpo will now be held January 21-

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 and was an editor of publications ranging from All About Beer to VW Trends.

CMDA SHOUT-OUT! Shout out to the California Motorcycle Dealers Association for supporting dealers during these challenging times. When you open your bills, you certainly don’t expect to see a zero balance. #motorcycledealer #californiabusiness #motorcycleshippers Clint Lawrence, Founder/CEO MotorcycleShippers.com Fountain Valley, CA

daughter (delicious food and libations!). Several members of the motorcycle world and dear friends were present. In no order of importance, four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson and his lovely wife Julie Alfonso. They sold their home in Upland and moved completely to Lake Havasu. Eddie will be a GIANT Ambassador at the company’s display in the upcoming MotoAmerica event at Laguna Seca. Gary La Plante (Motoventures in Anza), Ken Vreeke, whom I had not seen in several years and was one of the first people I met when I came to the US in 1984. He was working for Cycle Magazine, remember?. Journalist Eric Putter and others. If you haven’t done it, yet, I think the GIANT dealership among all the motorcycle dealerships would be a good article for Dealernews. As I said, I think that it’s unique in the country. Anyway, it’s nice to remember the good ol’ times. Cheers! Hector Cademartori MOTOR RACING ART 2884 Roosevelt St. La Verne, CA 91750 PS Great party. Apparently we’re on the same wave length as I see from the June issue. I’m sorry I missed you at Tom’s that day. The video is great and Tom deserves every bit of promotion. The alwayscheerful Tom talks in the video about the changing of the guard and, an old guardsman himself, is showing the way to the young and clueless. Funny he mentions the artwork in that first opening. And yes, I failed to mention that Sammy Tanner and Eric Bostrom were there, too.

DEALERNEWS SHOULD COVER THIS Couple of weeks ago (I don’t know if you know this since it wasn’t a motorcyclerelated event) Tom Hicks had a press conference to inform that his company became an official dealership for GIANT electric bicycles, which is, I believe, the first of this kind within a group of motorcycle dealerships. There were representatives from GIANT and it was a great get together catered by Tom’s

Regarding that event two decades ago, Tom remembered that he had 5 motorcycles, a few T-Shirts and he asked me to bring motorcycle artwork to decorate the place for the grand opening of the Triumph franchise.I took easels and artwork and the place looked like a real dealership. Since then he added so many brands that I lost count. I think that the only brands he doesn’t sell are Horex and Brough Superior! (PPS: Correction. I think Tom is also a dealer for Horex, so the only brand he doesn’t sell is Brough Superior)

TOP 10 TAKEAWAYS The latest Dealernews is hot off the press and here’s my Top 10 Meaningful Quotes from this special edition that features results of a new Dealer Survey: • The future of retailing could be “a hybrid of Tesla’s online business with traditional brick and mortar dealerships.” — Robin Hartfiel • Trembling at the side of the road in damp underwear helps no one. That was a private, non-shared event which changed me forever while inspiring me to not back off the “throttle of life” in any way. Survive, then thrive! I confess I did invest in new tires, brake pads and underwear, however. — Eric Anderson • Our industry is in grave danger. All of us know that. No amount of “we’ll get through this together” will save the day. — Bob Althoff • Dealership staff and clients alike have the same worries, frustrations and fears that we all do. Take a moment and really listen to them and make them feel heard. Small acts of kindness go a long way towards world-class customer service. — Alisa Clickenger • Although analyzing consumer travel patterns during the drive-restricted COVID-19 pandemic might be ill timed, an examination of consumer response at a distance might also prove insightful. Retail will change because of this pandemic, and it is now time to consider what the “new normal” means to your business. — Don Musick

• Too soon…or not soon enough? The COVID-19 crisis is changing the face of retail and it will be a brave new world for all of us when we emerge on the far side. Now that we are all facing and industry-wide “reset” is the time right to bring dealers together under a united banner? — Dealernews • Whether you’re a salesperson convincing a customer that your machine is superior; a politician convincing your constituents that a virus is reason to let the government take your freedom; or just some guy trying to convince on-lookers that you’d intended to fall out of a truck and dangle from your knee, the ability to control perception and mold reality is a key skill in finding success. — William Douglas Little

DEALERNEWS IN PRINT? Really impressed with what you guys have done with Dealernews. THANK YOU! Can I get a subscription to the printed version? Stay well and Blessings for what you are doing,

Buzz Kanter, Publisher TAM Communications, Inc American Iron Magazine

2-STROKE COLOGNE Brilliant. Goodbye to British Sterling, English Leather, Old Spice with the final note of burying AXE as deep as possible. AHHHHH! That smell will never get old and for sure has not been experiences by these young whipper snappers. HoooRay to Blendzall and Klotz.

• What we do next will determine whether we slide into full economic depression or fight our way out of this and get back to some balance of normalcy within the next year. — Scot Harden

Jared Burt, Founder HeroHub https://www.herohub.digital/

If we all work together we will make it through these challenging times. Best,

Steve Jones, President SJ Consulting Service, Inc. https://www.facebook.com/ SteveJonesConsults/

• A friend of mine gave me hell when I suggested that we get out and ride. If you are sick, then yet, stay home. I still believe that getting out, if you are well, is a good thing. — Marq C Smith

• It’s time to think differently, innovatively and independently from the herd. I used to do just that on the motocross track… never taking the same line as the rider in front of me. I never liked herds and always took a chance on the outside or inside line that nobody else wanted. Now is the time to not follow that herd. — Eric Anderson

This is the 31st year of publishing American Iron Magazine and we are still supporting the motorcycle industry as best we can, and everyone in it. Issue #387 went on sale this week, and #388 is already at the printer — on schedule!

Frank Esposito, Motivational Speaker Frank Esposito Consulting Coatesville, PA

STILL PUBLISHING PRINT MAGAZINES Just a quick note to let you and your readers know that we at American Iron Magazine are still working hard to publish the best consumer motorcycle magazine out there. While most of the team is working from their remote home offices, we have not missed a deadline or issue yet.

SOUND OFF! Dealernews is indeed back. Join in the conversation via e-mail Editor@dealernews.com Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ dealernews/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DealernewsFan/ Follow along on Dealernews.com Tune into the new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/ UCZE6q4gQ5EIz0nOX4WaXw1w

BURN OUT? I’m celebrating 60 years of continuous duty in the powersports industry — And I’m not completely worn out either! You know, if you do what you love, it isn’t work. See you around somewhere again once this virus burns itself out, I hope. Barry Willey, Founder National Cycle Alsip, IL

MAY 2020

K66024:

Kodlin Lowering-Kit For Harley-Davidson® Milwaukee Eight® Softail Models. FEATURES AND BENEFITS: • Lowers the bike up to 40 mm

• “Plug and Play”! Kit does not require to shorten the threated rod or to send back the suspension for final assembly • Includes pre-installed new bearings • Includes instructions and TUV documents

Retail: $129.00

SEIZMIK SELLS OUT?

Nivel Parts & Manufacturing Co LLC, has acquired UTV product innovator Seizmik, from co-founder/CEO Steve Shankin. “This is an exciting time for Seizmik,” says Shankin. “With Nivel, we have an opportunity to expand and grow in ways we would not have been able to do independently.” Already a leader in the golf car and PTV aftermarket, including owning the MadJax, Red Dot, GTW, Jake’s and Reliance brands, Nivel has been broadening its reach into powersports. It recently acquired e-tail giant SideBySideStuff.com among others. “Nivel’s purchase of Seizmik positions us Specialty Vehicles as an important player in the B2B and B2C UTV market,” says Nivel CEO Brent Moore. “Nivel has been looking at the UTV market for some time and we couldn’t be happier to have found such a solid and innovative partner as Seizmik.” Seizmik will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary within the Nivel Specialty Vehicles division and Shankin transitions to a new role as Executive Vice President of Nivel’s growing UTV division. Seizmik’s range of accessories including mirrors, door kits, windshields, gun racks and lighting can be found at over 5,000 independent powersports dealerships. https://seizmik.com

BEFORE

AFTER

FITMENTS FOR: •

FLHC/FLHCS HERITAGE CLASSIC

•

FXBR/FXBRS BREAKOUT

•

FLFB/FLFBS FAT BOY

•

FLSB SPORT GLIDE

•

FXBS/FXFB FAT BOB

•

FLDE DELUXE

•

FXDR 114

KODLIN COMES TO AMERICA

Fred Kodlin is one of Europe’s leading customizers and product innovators. His latest — a Lowering Kit for Harley’s M-8 Softails, compete with an external pre-load adjuster knob — is very cool and very hard to find Stateside… At least until now. We went to former CCI and MAG exec Holger Mohr for the lowdown on Kodlin’s lowering kits and the upside of Kodlin USA. “After supporting Fred Kodlin with his latest product development initiatives, I am now helping him with the startup of the Kodlin USA business,” explains Mohr. “Because of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s starting smaller than originally planned, but we are finally launching the first Kodlin product available in the US. There is nothing like it in the market! We are adding products monthly for the rest of the year.” Although Kodlin added a distributor in Australia (Rollies) and Japan (Custom World), the products will be sold dealer-direct in America at this point according to Mohr. “And Fred is using his channels in Europe, as always.” For more of the lowering kit lowdown, click here www.KodlinUSA.com BEFORE

AFTER

WWW.KODLIN USA.COM

INFO@KODLINUSA.COM

HEADS UP HELMET COMPANIES!

Following multiple requests by the Motorcycle Industry Council’s Government Relations Office and MIC members to exclude motorcycles, parts and accessories from China List 4 tariffs, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has determined that motorcycle helmets are now excluded from tariffs that were imposed in 2019. “Tariffs are additional taxes paid by American consumers and businesses, not by China,” explains MIC president/CEO Erik Pritchard. “May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness month, so we are pleased that the USTR has decided to exclude additional taxes on motorcycle helmets. Safety equipment must remain affordable and readily available to all riders.” “We started last year, testifying at United States International Trade Commission hearings,” says Doug Hill, president of AFX Helmets North America. “Through the relentless efforts of the MIC’s GRO over the last 14 months, we now have this great outcome. As I had the chance to see firsthand the impact we can have if we work together, I urge more companies to join the MIC, which continuously advocates on behalf of the entire industry.” Importers should work with their brokers to obtain refunds from Customs and Border Protection on previously collected tariffs spanning September 1, 2019 - May 13, 2020. Questions related to Section 301 entry filing requirements should be emailed to Traderemedy@cbp.dhs.gov

EDDIE HASKELL BREAKS THE INTERNET

When former Leave It To Beaver TV star and retired LAPD motor officer Ken Osmond passed away in Mid-May we posted a news brief on social media. It resonated! An average Facebook post reaches just over 500 Dealernews fans, a hot topic like the recent Oceano Dunes issues may get three-times that many people fired up, so imagine our surprise when this particular post reached more than 12,500 folks in the first 12 hours. A fitting send off for Officer Osmond. In case you missed all the hullabaloo here is the original post: RIP Ken Osmond who played Eddie Haskell on Leave it to Beaver. After his TV career, Osmond joined the LAPD and worked in Vice and as a motor cop. In September 1980, he was shot three times in a foot chase after a car thief. Two of the bullets struck his bulletproof vest and the third ricocheted off his belt buckle. He eventually retired from the force in 1988 after 18 years. The shooting was later dramatized in a November 1992 episode of the CBS series Top Cops. He was 76. Vale Eddie Haskell.

MAY 2020

AFT BACK IN THE SADDLE!

American Flat Track’s revised 2020 schedule featuring doubleheader race weekends kicks off on July 17-18 with the Volusia Half-Mile at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida. A total of 18 races spread over nine doubleheader weekends will culminate in a two-day finale during Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach. AFT also intends to have fans in attendance at all of its venues. “AFT officials continue to collaborate with public health experts to develop this comprehensive plan in accordance with all federal, state and local requirements,” explains AFT CEO Michael Lock. This includes implementation of new health & safety protocols that will help provide a safe environment for fans, competitors and staff, including reduced capacity, staggered seating, mobile ticketing, cashless transactions and enhanced sanitation. “All race-day procedures have been thoroughly reviewed and will continue to be examined and updated to follow specific guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and local authorities,” Lock adds. As an additional precaution, there will be no public access to the paddock area and AFT officials have suspended Fan Walk, rider autograph sessions and paddock upgrades for the remainder of the season. Through an updated communication protocol, AFT and its promoter partners will provide regular updates to fans via press releases, website updates, social media posts, email distribution and text messaging. In addition to fans in the stands, NBC Sports coverage on NBCSN and live streaming of all 18 events via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. Details:http://www.americanflattrack.com/ news/view/american-flat-track-announcesupdated-2020-race-schedule

ULTIMATE UTV LAUNCHED “After 20 years in the Powersports business and a 30year career in racing, I decided to take what we have learned and start Speed UTV,” says Todd Romano. “Robby Gordon and myself have partnered again to design and manufacture our own UTV.” On paper it beats the competition in every category, according to Romano. “Highest HP at 300HP. Most Suspension travel at 25 inches. Largest shocks at 3.2 diameter. Largest tires at 32.5, biggest brakes and best ergonomics. The car starts shipping this fall. “We have listened to the Voice of Our Customer and built what the industry has been asking for. This is evident from the high acceptance rate. We have pre sold just under 1000 units in the past few months. We have won on paper, now we will win on the trail, desert, rocks, racing and in customer service. See you all in victory circle, we have changed the game and powersports space forever. To learn more about the “ultimate UTV” go to SpeedUTV.com

ELECTRIC PWC SHOCKS DESIGN WORLD With more than 18,000 entries, the Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest design competitions. “The winners of the Red Dot Award have proved that they have created excellent products worthy of winning an award,” said Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot. “The products won over the jury not only through their aesthetic, but also thanks to their incomparable functionality.”

It is this emphasis on function that makes Taiga’s Red Dot award for their Orca — a 100% electric PWC — so rewarding. “Orca was developed from a clean sheet to offer a zero-emissions and a silent ride that outperforms combustion engine PWCs,” notes the Canadian company. And the performance is definitely worthy of recognition: with up to 180 horsepower, a top speed of 104km/h and a weight of under 270kgs ready to ride, the Orca delivers one of the highest power to weight ratios in the industry. The Red Dot criteria assesses not just the aesthetic, but also the materials selected, the level of craftsmanship, the surface structure, ergonomics and functionality. Taiga Motors, the Canadian company behind the world’s first electric snowmobiles, says Orca represents the next phase in product development for Taiga and a new segment of personal watercraft, defined by conscious luxury, high performance and connectivity. Learn more at: https://taigamotors.ca/watercraft/

MAY 2020

Brought To You By MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com

Say “Hi” to the new National Sales Manager for HISUN Motor Corp., USA: Jason Walling joins the team with 20 years of professional Sales & Marketing experience in the powersports industry. He has served stints with KYMCO, Parts Unlimited and the International Motorcycle Shows before launching his own company, Brand Power USA, where he facilitated sales growth and brand development for multiple brands including Motolease Financial, Troy Lee Designs, MTX Audio and Eagle Mountain Outfitters. In his HISUN role he will be responsible for leading all Dealer Sales Operations including meeting sales objectives across all regions, enhancing Dealer partnerships, creating sales strategies, and developing national sales programs for the entire US Dealer Network. Former HISUN National Sales Manager Larry Vandiver will transition into an executive consultant role.

From Cycle World to the American Motorcyclist Association, long time scribe Matthew Miles takes over as AMA’s Director of Communications on May 1. Miles will report to newly appointed AMA CEO (and former communications director

himself) James Holter. “Few journalists serving the motorcycling community command the respect and admiration that Matthew has earned during his 30-year career,” Holter said. “The breadth of Matthew’s experience, combined with his considerable work ethic and deep knowledge of the sport, will inform, educate and entertain AMA members through all of our communication channels.” As director of communications, Miles will be responsible for AMA editorial content, both digital and print, as well as media relations. He also will direct communications in all areas of the organization, including government relations, membership, marketing, amateur and professional competition, recreational riding and the Hall of Fame. “Motorcycling captured my heart the moment a childhood friend asked if I wanted to ride his Honda Trail 70, and my love affair with two wheels has endured more than four decades,” Miles said. “Twenty-nine of those years were spent as an editor for Cycle World magazine, evaluating new models, overseeing various departments and covering national and international competition.” Miles, 53, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Indiana University in 1989.

More from AMA as Mike Sayre was named Director of Government Relations for the American Motorcyclist Association. Sayre will oversee the AMA’s office in Washington, D.C., and manage AMA’s advocacy efforts nationwide. Most recently AMA’s government relations manager for onhighway issues, Sayre has been an AMA

member for eight years and on staff for four years. “The AMA Government Relations Department is on the front lines of defending motorcyclists’ rights, and efficient management is critical to ensure the effectiveness of those efforts,” said AMA President/CEO Rob Dingman. “Mike will bring fresh ideas and focused leadership to his new role.” Sayre said he is “grateful for the opportunity to lead the AMA’s advocacy efforts” and excited to take on the challenges ahead. “Motorcyclists should be valued as a key part of the transportation, recreation and competition worlds. And I look forward to working with our dedicated partners in the motorcycling community.” Before AMA, Sayre worked for the University of Michigan supporting a quantitative methodology training program. He holds a master’s in Public Policy from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s in Political Science and History from the University of Michigan.

Kevin Lackey of Freedom Powersports, and Curtis Sloan of Sloan’s Motorcycle & ATV, have joined the MIC’s Dealer Advisory Council, adding more veteran talent to represent the needs and interests of dealerships across the nation. Lackey is the president and CEO of Freedom Powersports, LLC, and the largest individual owner of the company, which includes 13 dealerships in Texas, Georgia, and Alabama. Sloan is the VP and GM of his family owned and managed dealer in Murfreesboro, TN, featuring 13 major brands of powersports vehicles. “Adding Kevin and Curtis to the MIC Dealer Advisory Council strengthens an already stellar group of great representatives from retail Continued on page 16

Brought To You By MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com Continued from page 14

operations located all over America,” said Erik Pritchard, MIC president and CEO. “Dealerships are a very important part of MIC efforts. Working with them, we need to continue developing relationships with key Washington legislators who can make a difference for the powersports industry and our customers.” Lackey and Sloan join council members Rick Alcon of Team R&S Powersports Group, Dealernews’ own Bob Althoff and Kim Harrison of Coleman PowerSports (most recently covered in our June 2019 issue). Together, the council advises the MIC Aftermarket Committee as well as the MIC Board of Directors.

It’s official, Jochen Zeitz is no longer acting CEO for Harley-Davidson. Instead he used the Q1 Financial call to announce he is officially the fulltime CEO for The Motor Company. In his first call with investors Zeitz announced a “re-wire” strategy to cut costs and de-emphasize some of its unprofitable international regions. According to the pundits from Reuters,

“The shift in strategy for the company that symbolized the counterculture movement of the 1960s comes as it struggles to woo the next generation of younger riders with its electric and more nimbler bikes in the United States.”

of the MX/Off-Road market continuing to grow market share. However, he will now also be coordinating communication and overseeing the Sales, Product Development, Purchasing, Forecasting, Marketing and Brand Support teams.

Meanwhile another Harley-Davidson exec has parted ways with The Motor Company. Former COO Michelle Kumbier is out effective immediately. As Chief Operating Officer, Kumbier was responsible for planning and delivering the company’s global business operating results. “I provided leadership oversight of both U.S and International markets, and I was responsible for leading the company’s product design and development and global operations functions,” she said. Kumbier joined Harley as VP Materials Management & Quality back in 2007. She then shifted to SVP of Product Development in 2010 and also served a stint as SVP Operations in 2012, before adding “Product” to her SVP Product & Operations role in 2015.

Meanwhile Bob Lowry steps away from the limelight to focus on product development. BobLo begins his new role of FLY Racing MX/Off-Road Market Development Manager immediately. In recent month Lowry has dedicated more of his time on product development and driving “In-the-field” efforts at events like the FLY Racing Ride Days. “The Ride Days have been a great success for us, along with our Dealer Development focus,” he says. WPS adds Bob is the perfect choice to continue driving market development initiatives of the MX/Off-Road segment. “Bob is available at any time for RSM, rep and dealer support calls, and in-the-field support needs.”

Triple teaming the FLY Racing brand! Cole Siebler will move into the role of Fly Racing’s National Sales Manager, assuming more management responsibilities. Nothing new for Siebler as he has been “flying” the brand colors over the past several years to help keep FLY Racing at the forefront

On the money… Jason “JT Money” Thomas, that is. The former racer is now FLY Racing MX/Off-Road Media Relations Manager. In addition to being one of “The Famous FLY Racing Brand Managers,” Thomas had unofficially assumed the additional role of media go-to guy over the past few years, so FLY decided to make his role “official” with the shifting of Siebler and Lowry.

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DOTHAN POWERSPORTS You Ride On Our Reputation! By Robin Hartfiel

othan Powersports has been in business since 1950 which means the dealership has seen the cyclic highs and lows of the powersports industry. The rise and fall of the British Empire as brands like AJS, BSA, Norton and Vincent came and went and in the case of Triumph Royal Enfield, come back again. The gas crisis of 1972-73, the boom and bust of 3-wheelers, the mid 1980s crash followed by the record run of 13 straight years of double-digit growth year-on-year in the 1990s, the emergence of the watercraft market, the pit bike craze, the 2008 crash all the way up to the current COVID-19 closures. Somehow through it all Dothan Powersports has remained a top performing dealership including a string of consecutive Dealernews Top 100 titles from 2003 -2015 to prove it: However, this success hasn’t come about because Dothan Powersports is willing to ride on its reputation. Far from it! The dealership has reinvented itself and worked hard to stay relevant and ahead of the curve for 70 years!

“Our dealership will not only survive the current crisis, but will actually thrive,” says second generation owner Don Owens. Don’t believe the doom and gloom, believe your bottom line. “We are experiencing record breaking sales — as are many powersports dealers nationwide.” This counterintuitive observation is born out by preliminary MIC numbers shared at the recent Online Symposium. “We believe the increase in sales is due to several factors, including cabin fever and people looking for a way to have fun outdoors, while at the same time practice safe distancing. We believe that powersports products provide a perfect answer to this problem.” He is quick to admit some recent sales have been incentivized. “Customers may have additional discretionary income due to recent tax return and stimulus checks.” Regardless of the source, Dothan Powersports has succeeded in making lemonade out of a very sour situation. “We have experienced a 22% increase in sales, which included March, April and May,” Owens adds. “When COVID-19 first became an issue,

I conducted weekly huddles with our employees, assuring them that they would be taken care of and not to worry about their jobs,” The team responded by adapting the social distancing strategy before it was even a thing. “They social distanced as much as possible, washed their hands several times per day, sanitized their work areas to protect themselves and our customers, and wear a mask if they are so inclined. We have since added distancing decals to the floor in normal areas of congestion, such as at the parts counter and at service write up.” However, despite their best efforts, Dothan eventually shutdown. “Our Governor increased her resolution to close most all businesses — and while we are considered an essential business — we felt like it was our responsible duty to close. After much deliberation, we voluntarily closed the store for two weeks.” The team used the time off to strategize and were ready when it was time to re-open, starting with programs like ROXOR Delivers right out of the gate (see the OEM White Paper in this issue). “We feel that contactless sales could be a new way of doing business in the near future, but even though several of the OEMs opened up this opportunity to a certain degree, we have not actually had much demand for it, yet.” Instead, it is the Internet that helped drive business during the hiatus. “I believe that a dealer’s website is, without a doubt, their first line of defense when it comes to showcasing their store and providing essential sales leads,” Owens notes. “We provide sales and service pick-up & delivery when possible for Internet-driven, contactless commerce.” While contactless commerce and the anonymous nature of the Internet may be the future, it is the team Don has assembled that make things happen in the here and now! “I’ve been blessed through the years with an excellent staff. As any business owner knows, it’s your people that make you!” Don’s father-in-law knew this and Don is teaching it to his sone Ian. “It’s the owner’s responsibility to try to find the most qualified person for the job and then provide them with the proper training and tools to be successful. I’ve been fortunate in that my veteran managers: Peggy - 40 years as office manager, Marty - 30 years as parts manager, Jay - 20 years as service manager, and our newer managers: Ian - 3 years as sales manager, and Cory - 3 years as finance manager — have all met or exceeded my expectations for the store.” People… and product are what distinguish this dealership. “We are always looking for quality brands to add to our store. We are fortunate to house 5 major brands — Honda, Polaris, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki — under one roof.” But there is always room for more good performing products. “When considering a new brand, our first consideration is whether we can confidently sell the product to our customers knowing that it will provide them with a quality product that we can stand behind and provide parts and service when needed. When we vetted ROXOR, CFMOTO and SSR, all three met this expectation. In fact, CFMOTO and SSR have exceeded our expectations in the area of sales. We present these two lines as our value lines. Once the customer sees the value they receive compared to the competition many are sold. The lower price also allows many to enter the sport that might not be able to otherwise. This is especially true with the SSR line!”

The automotive looking ROXOR is still trying to find its audience and niche, says Owens. “When the customer sees it, they automatically think that it is street legal — and when they find out that it is designed for off-road use only, it seems to lose some of its appeal. However it is truly a great product that is built for a lifetime. It has brought in several new customers that might not have purchased any of our other products and at the same time several people that came in to purchase a side x side saw the ROXOR and changed their mind.” Continued on page 20

Continued on page 22

MAY 2020

Continued from page 19

Not so much with eBikes! “I think eBikes will grow in their appeal, especially in the larger urban areas in the near future, but at this time in rural Southeast Alabama they’re not really on the radar with the locals.” Speaking of local appeal, Dothan Powersports ‘“You Ride On Our Reputation” has been the mantra going on 20+ years. “This jingle was originally thought up by a marketing firm that was hired by the local TV station that we advertised with, he recounts. “I was asked what I wanted a jingle to convey to our customer. They were given 5 minutes to come up with a jingle that could be used for all advertising formats. That’s what they came up with… and it has stuck with the store all these years.”

And a parting shot on how to counter the COVID crisis? PreOwned! There is no secret it’s simply the old adage of buy low and sell high,” concludes Owens. “We do use NPA for much of our used product as well as taking in trade-ins and purchasing units locally. We also maintain a reserve or safety net to hedge against times like these. We combine that practice with minimizing unneeded expenses.” Just like any individual, a business has a reputation to live up to and hopefully it is one of integrity, honesty and fairness. “We try to treat others as we would like to be treated. We strive to live up to that standard each day,” so maybe it really is true that 70 years’ worth of customers really do Ride On Dothan Powersports’ Reputation?

2003 Ross Clark Circle Dothan, AL 36301 (334) 793-7834 20

www.dothanpowersports.com

A HISTORY OF SUCCESS

othan Powersports was originally founded as Dothan Harley-Davidson in 1950 by Clyde Townsend, father in law of current owner Don Owens. Clyde was true motorcycle enthusiast, putting his passion into the business most of his 92 years. His original building was only 1,500 square feet… but it became the center of the motorcycle universe… at least for rural Southeast Alabama. Seeing the writing on the wall, Clyde was an early adapter, taking on Honda in 1962. With the new franchise in hand, he built a 3,000 square feet facility on the circle built around the city. As he continued meeting the nicest people on Hondas and business boomed, Clyde sold off the Harley franchise in 1967 in order to focus on Honda. He then changed the name of the business to Honda of Dothan.

His son in law, Don Owens, graduated from Samford University in 1974 with a BS in business and joined the business in 1975. New brands were added under Don’s leadership and today they carry Honda, Polaris, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, CFMOTO, SSR, ROXOR and Hammerhead. Also, since they were no longer solely a Honda dealer, the name was changed to Dothan Powersports and Don became the new owner in 1990. In 2000, Don built a store of 22,000 sq./ft store to accommodate all the new brands… but in a nod to the past, Dothan Powersports is only a mile from the original Dothan Honda location on the circle. In 2017, Owens needed additional space and purchased a sporting goods store next door. He joined the two which increased operations to 50,000 square feet! Don Owens has always strongly believed in giving back to the community which has so graciously patronized the business for the past 70 years. He was appointed as a city school board member and served in this position for ten years. He was then appointed to serve on the local hospital board of which he stills serves now going on 13 years. He also serves on the local Salvation Army board of directors. In 2019, he was chosen by his peers and the Dothan Chamber of Commerce as the Small Business Person of the Year. In order to continue seven decades of family business, Ian Owens is being groomed to take over the running of the business in the near future…”after I step down,” says Owens. “I want to go riding and fishing.”

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A Dealernews Whitepaper

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

OEMs Deliver Units Without Cutting Dealers Out Of The Equation

aving the OEMs shut down production globally and the customers locked out of dealer’s showrooms right as the 2020 sales season was starting… this double whammy is almost as implausible as the OEMs delivering units to customer driveways, but still keep their dealers in the mix. But that is exactly what has happened. In these strange and unprecedented times, business as usual has been tossed out the window and it is business any way we can! “The pandemic has caused significant disruptions for everyone, but hopefully this temporary policy will streamline the purchase process for some customers,” says Honda’s Chuck Boderman. “Suzuki announced this service on April 6, 2020 to its powersports dealers, we would be providing them the opportunity to send Suzuki motorcycles, scooters and ATVs directly to their customers, all while ensuring the same quality of service as an in-store visit,” adds Kerry Graeber. From salary slashing to direct to driveway deliveries, the OEMs have done the unthinkable… and provided a light at the end of the COVID tunnel for many in the industry.

Photo of Justin Billado by Bayan Dawood

ARCTIC CAT DEALER TO DRIVEWAY Reach out and touch someone used to be a cellular phone message, but now it applies to ATVs and Sideby-Sides from Arctic Cat. “Turn your living room into a showroom with the ability to purchase an Arctic Cat from your local dealer now at your fingertips,” is the new tagline from Textron. “Arctic Cat is making it easier than ever to get ready for your next ride by bringing the dealership experience to you,” states the microsite. Textron is even tackling financing for this go-round. “The Arctic Cat Dealer to Driveway program allows you to select your dream Side-by-Side or ATV, apply for financing, request a credit check and more all from the safety and comfort of your home. “Your vehicle will even be delivered to your driveway* through select participating dealerships.” The fine print does note: *Delivery charges may apply. Offer subject to change. May not be available in all areas. Participation is at dealer discretion. All applicable laws apply. Click here for the program details: https://arcticcat.txtsv.com/shopping-tools/dealer-driveway

HONDA HOME DELIVERY Honda Motorcycles & ATVs joins the list of OEMs working with their dealers to facilitate delivery. “This is an unprecedented time for everyone, and we’re pleased to work closely with our dealer network in order to adopt this temporary home-delivery option for our customers,” said Chuck Boderman, Motorcycle Division VP at American Honda. “The pandemic has caused significant disruptions for everyone, but hopefully this temporary policy will streamline the purchase process for some customers.” To facilitate purchases of Honda Powersports products by customers who aren’t able or prefer not to enter a dealership, American Honda is temporarily suspending its requirements for delivery of new units at the dealership. Instead, customers will be able to complete the entire purchase process without leaving their home or business. A number of conditions are in place to ensure that a first-rate purchase experience is maintained, that federal, state and local vehicle and dealer regulations are followed, and that dealers’ sales and service agreements are respected.

INDIAN OFFERS CLICK.DELIVER.RIDE With COVID-19 enforced closures changing the business paradigm Indian is changing the rules. Indian Motorcycle introduced its Click.Deliver.Ride program, providing riders with of the option of purchasing a new motorcycle from their own home. Continued on page 24

MAY 2020

Continued from page 23

Customers have long had the ability to search for a desired model and accessorize it, but they can now work with their local dealer, either online or via phone, to complete the purchase and have it delivered to their door. In the same way that Click.Deliver.Ride is providing Indian Motorcycle’s customers with convenience, it is adding value to its dealer network. Dealers play a crucial role in their local communities and economies, which is why Indian Motorcycle has dedicated itself to help them navigate through this unprecedented business situation, with Click.Deliver.Ride at the forefront. “Over the last month, we’ve all had to adjust to a new way of life and have had to alter the ways in which we conduct our business,” said Mike Dougherty, Indian Motorcycle President. “Our hope is that Click.Deliver.Ride. will help bring peace of mind to both our loyal customers and our network of dealers.” Click.Deliver.Ride. is available for a limited time only at participating dealers based on applicable laws and is subject to change. To learn more visit: https://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us/click-deliver-ride/

KAWASAKI DELIVERS GOOD TIMES Home delivery for a new Ninja or a KRX1000? “In these unprecedented times, Kawasaki is looking to ease some of the burdens facing everyone and give them the opportunity to experience Good Times again,” explains Kawasaki Senior VP, Sales & Operations, Bill Jenkins. “We are proud of our dealer network for working with their customers to give them the Kawasaki vehicle delivery experience, while also following the guidelines set out in their local areas.” In light of recent stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions, and social distancing recommendations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, participating dealers are now able to deliver Kawasaki products directly to their customers’ homes. “Our goal is to help facilitate purchases of Kawasaki products by those who cannot or may not wish to visit a dealership,” Jenkins adds. Products include vehicles, parts, accessories and apparel. PG&A will be delivered via third-party services or common carriers.

“Our Kawasaki dealer network is committed to providing a firstrate experience for vehicle deliveries, replicating as closely as possible the vehicle pickup experience at a dealership,” he says. “This means that vehicle inspections will be performed at the dealership prior to delivery, and all required delivery checklists will be completed in the customer’s presence. “Vehicles will be delivered by trained dealership personnel who can provide a thorough briefing on vehicle operation, maintenance, and safety information… not by a third-party delivery service or common carriers,” Jenkins emphasizes. Delivery for parts and accessories ends May 31, 2020, and other limitations may apply.

ROXOR DELIVERS There is no question COVID-19 lock downs are forever altering the face of retail. ROXOR is “delivering” a new home delivery service that doesn’t cut the dealer out of the mix and even includes tradein pick-up. “At Mahindra we’re looking to make people’s lives easier during these uncertain times and that includes helping with the purchase of a new ROXOR,” said Justin Prann, VP of Sales & Service. “We’re forging into a new era of shopping with the ROXOR DELIVERS program to make purchasing a new ROXOR for our dealer network as easy and safe as possible from the comfort of peoples’ homes.” “The new ROXOR DELIVERS service helps make the buying process easier at a time when many of our dealers are limited due to COVID-19,” notes Prann. “Mahindra Automotive North America is offering the most comprehensive manufacturer-led vehicle home delivery service with the ROXOR DELIVERS Program.” The process is simple. Request a quote or submit a trade-in estimate request at the ROXOR Delivers microsite and within an hour a ROXOR representative will call to walk the customer throughtheno-hasslebuyingprocess.TheROXORrepresentatives will help with the vehicle build and once the purchase has been initiated with a participating ROXOR dealer it will be finalized with home delivery. Click here for more https://www.roxoroffroad.com/roxordelivers

SUZUKI DIRECT 2 YOU Have the Suzuki of your dreams delivered straight to your home or office from your participating Suzuki dealer. Here’s how it works: “We understand the landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging for everyone, and we are working hard to ease that burden with new and innovative ways to continue our commitment to keeping customers and dealers a priority,” said Kerry Graeber, Suzuki’s VP MC/ATV Sales & Marketing. “With Suzuki Direct 2 You, we feel it’s a great way to follow appropriate guidelines while providing a way for customers to still enjoy the perks of a new Suzuki motorcycle or ATV.” Customers are relying on Suzuki to help make the buying experience safe, professional and convenient, especially those unable to visit a dealership. To help facilitate the purchase process, Suzuki encourages its dealers to communicate through electronic means and other methods to minimize contact, where and when appropriate.

YAMAHA DELIVER YOUR RIDE Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, launched an all-new “Deliver Your Ride” program supporting Yamaha dealers that are able to complete vehicle purchases remotely and then deliver the product directly to customers. The new program includes ATV, Side-by-Side, motorcycle, and snowmobile products, and is available nationwide wherever dealers can legally and safely participate. “Yamaha is working hard to support our dealer network and their customers during these difficult times,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s Motorsports group marketing manager. “It’s not business-as-usual for anyone, yet we know people may still want to buy and enjoy new Yamaha products where possible and appropriate based on their local laws and regulations.” The new Deliver Your Ride initiative was announced to Yamaha dealers on April 17, 2020, as a temporary program and Yamaha is working diligently with dealers to assist with the implementation. Interested customers can contact their local Yamaha dealer to determine availability. This is a voluntary program and Yamaha is encouraging each dealer to determine the feasibility based on their local laws and capabilities.

Further, as the pandemic eases, research suggests that most consumers are likely to view personal transportation (cars and motorcycles) as safer than public transit or shared options (like ride-hailing or e-scooters). This should create further demand. Return Of Frugality: Habits, once formed, tend to endure. Many of us recall having grandparents who clipped coupons their entire lives, no matter how wealthy they became. It was an enduring reminder that they lived through the Great Depression. Clipping coupons may not be a legacy of this crisis, but we can expect consumers to save more and be very conscious about how they spend their money.

Dealernews Research By Dr. Paul Leinberger

A NEW WORLD FORMING Five Things To Expect In A Post-COVID Market

istorically, pandemics have forced consumers to break with the past and adopt new ways of living and working. This one is no different. We have seen shifts in behavior on a scale unseen in our lifetime! All indications are that many of these behavior changes will be with us long after the crisis subsides. We have gone through the looking glass and come out into a new world of consumer attitudes and behavior. This new world is still forming, but enough time has gone by to begin to speculate on what the post-pandemic world might look like — and what it might mean for you as powersports dealers. Here are some of the changes you can expect to see as we begin to move into the postpandemic era: Pent-Up Demand: “I don’t want to see anyone else; I just want to get out of the house.” As Dealernews editor Robin Hartfiel has so eloquently said: “Motorcycles are the original social distancing devices.” A motorcycle gets us out of the house, brings joy to our beleaguered souls and still allows us to abide by the guidelines of health authorities. It is the perfect invention for this moment in history. So at least in the short-term, sales should increase (and there is anecdotal evidence that this is beginning to happen).

They will have the financial discipline to wait for sales and the “next new thing” will not have the allure it had before the pandemic. The customers walking through your door will need to be convinced they are making a smart choice they can feel good about. There is a better future ahead; however, the way you sell may have to change. Contactless Consumption: One of enduring legacies of the pandemic will be a heightened awareness of hygiene and an aversion to touching things. Contactless transactions will become the standard way of doing business. (Have you begun to offer this service?) And consumers will scrutinize everything in your dealership for cleanliness. Cleanliness will become a new measure of dealership quality. So clean your windows every day, not just when you think they are dirty. Make sure your restrooms sparkle. Shine your bikes and UTVs as if every day is AIMExpo (which is moving back to a trade-only format in its traditional window — our brave new world won’t be without some legacy reminders). An Exodus From Cities: “It is not the same feeling anymore.” So laments a New Yorker, where “social distancing, one-person-at-a-time elevator rides and looping routes to avoid passers-by on city streets have fundamentally changed New York City” (The New York Times, May 10, 2020). Many of the reasons people choose to live in big cities — the restaurants, museums, concert halls, theatres, event centers, clubs, and all the places where large numbers of people congregate — have turned from benefits into liabilities. The “pluses” have become “minuses” and many city dwellers want out. Suburbs have become attractive again and rural communities, most recently viewed as dead or dying, are looking rather idyllic. This is leading to speculation that a new way of living may develop. Instead of being forced to choose between living in a dense urban area or a sprawling suburb, urban planners envision a third way — “new villages” that enable people to socialize without being jammed into high density neighborhoods. Neither city nor suburb, these “new villages” on the outskirts of cities and in rural areas will take advantage of remote working capabilities and put an emphasis on quality of life through ‘de-densification.’

Working Remotely: The pandemic has already taught us that proximity to one’s job is no longer a significant factor in deciding where to live. Companies that previously had been slow to support “working from home” have become advocates of remote working and now envision a future that combines the best features of office life with the benefits of working from home. That might not work for your dealership’s techs, but your customers will now be available for home delivery or pick-up for service work. Time to think about changing things up with service appointments and concierge sales services.

THE BOTTOM LINE As this future begins to take shape, commuting will fade. And since commuting is no longer a factor, consumers will choose the kind of transportation they want, not just the kind of transportation they need. In these ‘new villages’, motorcycles will have added appeal. However, that is in the future. What should you do now? Introduce concierge service and contactless transactions; put added emphasis on hygiene and dealership cleanliness; and get ready for a new kind of frugal customer. The pent-up demand is there. It’s time to get ready!

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

MAY 2020

Dealernews Research By Lenny Sims

BY THE BOOK

NADAguides Market Insights Power The Market Values

hile it is too soon to say how much or for how long the powersports industry will continue to be impacted by the COVID crisis, it finally looks like phased openings will return some segments back to work. We will continue to monitor the progress, and as our friends at the Motorcycle Industry Council have said, the industry is transitioning from #RideItOut to #RideOn! What we do know is that all segments of the industry showed a typical decline in the first quarter, with cruisers depreciating more than usual. In the motorcycle segment, sportbikes were strong, returning average pricing higher than the previous two years. Initial MIC data indicates new unit sales in March and April were actually better in some segments compared to 2019.

Cruisers showed some weakness, starting out the year in a good position but then losing 4% of their value on average from January-February to March-April. As precipitous as the drop from $8,631 to $8,276 was in 2020 note that the values are still over 2018 for Q1. Sportbike values dropped $100 in Q1 but are still more than $250 over last year and $600 over 2018. While the values have held this was still driven by pre-shut down activity… the second quarter remains a wild card, however. Utility SxS vehicles started out 2020 behind the same period of 2019 but saw more moderate depreciation to end up similar in the March-April edition of both years. We certainly don’t expect to see a repeat of Q2 2018’s surge for utility UTVs, but the recovery could keep values up over 2019… a trend confirmed by MIC. As a whole, UTVs had comparatively healthy pricing in the first quarter. The sport segment continues to outperform the first quarter of 2019 despite the COVID-closures. Who would have guessed that?

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Dealernews Research By Don Musick

QUARANTINED! Detour, Part II

e lost something last month! Unfortunately, the final graphic in last month’s “DETOUR” article was quarantined and unable to make the issue. But now, it’s thoroughly recovered and anxious to get back to work, so we’ll pick up where we left off.

Just to review… this graphic represents Google Trends (GT) UTV interest levels at the Nielsen DMA level (green boundaries) for calendar years 2018 and 2019. The size of the pie chart centered on individual DMAs is proportional to UTV interest volume while the pie slices represent the relative share of each UTV OEM. As seen below, the graphic illustrates that consumer UTV interest is more concentrated in the South East and South. This observation is consistent with the finding in “DETOUR” that many of these same States exhibit lower COVID-19 awareness/anxiety as well as increased mobility. This may have translated to greater willingness to engage in off-road activities as reflected in increased ATV/SXS interest. AND THE BEAT GOES ON... In last month’s “DETOUR”, we speculated that the bounce-back seen in motorcycle and ATV/UTV Google Trends interest might be a predictor of things to come and that maybe “you can’t keep a good industry down” right? Our “DETOUR” timeline ran from February 11th through April 8th. Today is May 21st, so how have the Google Trends patterns changed in the last 43 days?

The next graphic rewinds the timeline to March 1st (a bit before the COVID-19 hockey stick) and extends it out from April 8th (gray bar) through today. In this figure, only motorcycle and ATV keyword interest trends are shown since as before, SXS trends are more difficult to see at this scale. During the period when GT COVID-19 interest rapidly increased and peaked, the motorcycle keyword was trending downward at a rate of 14.1% per week. After the peak and through April 8th, interest in all three product line keywords (motorcycle, ATV, SXS) appeared to recover. The motorcycle keyword in particular, returned to a pre-COVID-19 rate of +10.9 %. Additionally, both motorcycle and ATV product trends continued to show a seven day periodicity (peaking on Sundays), while the COVID-19 trend showed no such pattern.

Good News! After April 8th, the rebound has continued unabated for all three product segments, most notably the motorcycle segment at a rate of +10.8 % per week! It’s also remarkable that COVID-19 interest levels (awareness/anxiety) have fallen off so precipitously! So whether this reflects an adjustment to a new normal, media fatigue or a combination of both, consumer interest appears to be resilient in the face of this pandemic! BUZZ KILL? Okay, so these trend patterns seem to tell a compelling story. But what if what we’re seeing is nothing more than a seasonal phenomenon? Easy solution, let’s compare the motorcycle keyword interest trend from last year to this year. The next graphic shows the 2019/2020 trend from January 1st to date.

Continued on page 32

MAY 2020

Continued from page 31

The next graphic shows the 2019/2020 trend from January 1st to date. During the first 3 months of 2020, the 2019/2020 interest trend lines are pretty much the same (as are the 20152018 trends), but by the second week in March… BAM! A precipitous 30% drop in GT interest followed by a lengthy eight week recovery period. No seasonal effect happening here, but good news again since interest levels have returned to historical norms. Another example of consumer resilience!

PENT UP WHILE LOCKED DOWN? While consumer interest in motorcycle and ATV/ SXS product seems to have recovered to historic levels, it doesn’t directly translate to buyer intentions. Furthermore, renewed consumer interest may only be the enthusiast equivalent of binge-watching Netflix. So there’s one more indicator that we can tease out of Google Trends. If instead of examining keywords motorcycle, ATV or SXS we instead examine motorcycle, ATV or SXS dealer timelines it might bring us a little closer to the intent to buy.

The next graphic shows a comparison of 2019/2020 GT interest levels for motorcycle dealer. Not surprisingly, with the onset/peak of COVID-19 interest, the search for motorcycle dealer plummets as well. However, the recovery to historic levels occurs in less time (7 weeks) and in fact surpasses 2019 levels significantly. The first step in the buying process is

dealer shopping (or finding dealers that are still open for business) so this observation may reflect serious pentup demand. As always, only time will tell, but there are definitely positive signs hiding under the Google Trends blanket. Maybe weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find Waldo there, too!Â

From his first motorcycles (a Honda S65 and an S90) when he was 16 to 50 years later, Don Musick has never stopped twisting the throttle. Although his accomplishments in the research arena have surpassed his MX career Don has over 25 years experience with major manufacturers in the Powersports and Automotive industries specializing in e-business solutions for retail distribution networks. His solution portfolio includes the development and implementation of manufacturer/dealer extranets, consumer-direct commerce portals, manufacturer/dealer e-channel integrations as well as development of web-based sales force automation tools. For most of his career, Don has been fascinated (his wife would say obsessed) with geographic market analytics, dealer location planning and sales territory optimization. He founded Genesys Technology Solutions (GenesysTech) http://www.genesystech.com/ to develop new tools and market intelligence products to help manufacturers understand the competitive landscape of their industries, recognize opportunities and grow their businesses. A Spartan to the core, Don earned a B.S. in Physiology and PhD in Biochemistry from Michigan State University. Contact: dmusick@genesystech.com

MAY 2020

too common for dealers to ignore their web customers. According to the ILE results, more than 4 out of 10 UTV customers today will still be waiting for a personal reply 24 hours after contacting a dealership online. That does not cut it when COVID-19 closures have eliminated all foot traffic in many dealerships for more than a month! “The aftermath of the pandemic has focused even more attention on dealer response to website customers – dealer websites are all still ‘open for business,’” notes O’Hagan. Dealerspike also reports that while Powersports/OPE/ Ag dealer web-leads cratered mid-March, they have rebounded and are now well above last year’s level. Customers are very much still shopping for, and buying, UTVs, motorcycles and other products; they’re just reaching out to dealers online.

PIED PIPER SAYS HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERS LEAD THE WAY

2020 Motorcycle/UTV Internet Lead Effectiveness Study Results

arley-Davidson dealerships ranked highest in the 2020 Pied Piper Internet Lead Effectiveness (ILE) Industry Study. Indian motorcycle dealerships took second, but many UTV dealerships finished below industry average. Designed to answer the question, “What happens when motorcycle or UTV customers visit a dealer website and inquire about a vehicle?” the 2020 study came out at the start of the COVID-19 closures. “The whole coronavirus issue has ‘supercharged’ the importance of dealer response to online customers,” says study author and Pied Piper founder/CEO Fran O’Hagan. “Many dealership facilities have been closed, but every dealership website has been open for business.” Or they should have been! “We have found that in most cases it’s just “out of sight out of mind.” Website customers are invisible. It’s also pretty straightforward to improve, simply by showing the dealers what their online customers are really experiencing,” notes O’Hagan. On the positive side, powersports dealer web-response performance has improved, and some dealerships now do a great job with their online customers. In fact, 30% of Harley dealers now achieve excellent ILE scores of 70+ — that’s double Harley’s percentage from last year, and well above the industry average. The bad news? It’s still far

The study was completed before the appearance of the coronavirus pandemic, but in the aftermath of the pandemic dealer response to website customers has become even more critical. A recent Wall Street Journal article noted, “The new coronavirus pandemic is deepening a national digital divide, amplifying gains for businesses that cater to customers online, while businesses reliant on more traditional models fight for survival.” METHODOLOGY Pied Piper submitted customer inquiries through the individual websites of 6,012 dealerships between July 2019 and February 2020. They questioned a vehicle in inventory, and provided a customer name, email address and local telephone number. Pied Piper then evaluated how the dealerships responded by email, telephone and text message over the next 24 hours. A total of 20 different measurements generate dealership Internet Lead Effectiveness (ILE®) scores, ranging from zero to 100. The final tally: 13% of dealerships nationwide scored above 70, demonstrating an extensive and effective website-response process, while 36% of dealerships scored below 30, showing failure to personally respond in any way to their website customers. The study found widespread industrywide improvement from 2019 to 2020, with the industry average ILE score increasing from 33 to 42. Brands which led the industry in improvement over the past year were Indian, HarleyDavidson, Polaris and Yamaha. Only three of 33 brands failed to increase their score from 2019: Club Car (Ingersoll Rand), Cub Cadet (MTD Products) and Arctic Cat (Textron). The most basic measurement is whether a customer received an email, text message or phone call of any type within 24 hours, in response to their question. The figure for best performing brands was 97% of the time or more,

while for other brands the figure was as low as 54% of the time. THE RESULTS A more meaningful measurement is whether the customer received an email or text message answering their question within 24 hours. John Deere and Triumph dealerships were the most likely to email or text an answer to the customer’s question within 24 hours, more than 60% of the time on average, while the figure for Tracker (Bass Pro Shops), Caterpillar and Bobcat dealers was less than 25% of the time on average. • 6 brands scored as high as the 43 that the top-ranked brand scored last year • Two brands distanced themselves from the rest of the industry – scoring 56 and 54 respectively. • Despite the widespread improvement, some brands are still not paying attention to this part of the business – 6 brands scored under 30 • For the first time, the study included not just email and phone, but dealer response by text message – huge variation by brand – one brand’s dealers text their web customers 40% of the time, but dealers for eleven brands text less than 1% of the time • Most importantly, there is a direct relationship between dealer web-response behaviors and dealer web-lead close rates. On average, dealers whose ILE score is 70+ sell 44% more vehicles to the same quantity of website

customers, as dealers whose ILE score is <30. Response to customer web inquiries varies by brand and dealership, and the following are examples of performance variation by brand: How often did the brand’s dealerships respond by phoning the customer within one hour? More than 50% of the time on average: Harley-Davidson Less than 5% of the time on average: John Deere, Kubota, Yanmar, Gravely, Bobcat, Caterpillar, Tracker How often did the brand’s dealerships send a personal email response within one hour? More than 45% of the time on average: Triumph, BMW, Harley-Davidson, Ducati Less than 15% of the time on average: Tracker, Caterpillar, Bobcat, Kioti, Yanmar How often did the brand’s dealerships respond by sending a text message to the customer? More than 40% of the time on average: Harley-Davidson Less than 1% of the time on average: Eleven different brands Nearly all of today’s customers first use their smart phone to shop before ever visiting a dealership in person. Pied Piper finds that most dealers today understand that responding to web customers is critical to sales success, but there is still plenty of variation in dealership behaviors. “The key to driving improvement in both webresponse behaviors and sales is to show dealers what their web customers are really experiencing,” concludes O’Hagan. “It’s often a surprise.”

2020 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index® Internet Lead Effectiveness® (ILE®) Industry Study (U.S.A.)

------------Motorcycle & UTV Brands Ranked by PSI® - Internet Lead Effectiveness® Score

Harley-Davidson (+13) Indian (+18) Ducati (+6) BMW (+5) Polaris (+11) Triumph (+10) Kawasaki (+7) Yamaha (+11) Industry Average (+9) Can-Am (BRP) (+9) Suzuki (+8) KTM (+7) Honda (+5) Aprilia (+8) Husqvarna (+6) John Deere (+8) Roxor (Mahindra) (+8) Zero (+9) Moto Guzzi (+7) Kymco (+9) Gravely (+9) Mahindra UTV - Tractor Dlrs (+7) Arctic Cat (Textron) (-1) CFMoto (+8) Club Car (+0) Kubota (+8) Yanmar (-1) HiSun (+7) Cub Cadet (-3) Kioti (n/a) Bobcat (+3) Caterpillar (+1) Bass Pro Shops - Tracker (n/a)

11 10

14 15

19 20

25 25 25

34 33 32 31 31 30 30 30

39 38 37 37 37 37 37 36

43 43 42 42 42 41 41

46 45

(Change from 2019) Source: 2020 Pied Piper PSI - MC/UTV Internet Lead Effectiveness Industry Study (USA)

ABOUT PIED PIPER Founded in 2003, Pied Piper Management Company, LLC is a Monterey, California, company that helps brands & manufacturers improve the performance of their retail networks. The PSI® Internet Lead Effectiveness® (ILE®) Industry Studies have been conducted annually since 2011.The 2020 Pied Piper PSI-ILE Industry Study (U.S.A. Motorcycle/UTV) was conducted between July 2019 and February 2020 by submitting customer internet inquiries directly to a sample of 6,012 dealerships nationwide representing all major brands. Complete Pied Piper PSI industry study results are provided to vehicle manufacturers and national dealer groups. Manufacturers, national dealer groups and individual dealerships also order PSI evaluations — in-person, Internet or telephone — as tools to measure and improve the sales effectiveness of their dealerships. For more information about the fact-based Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®) process, go to www.piedpiperpsi.com

MAY 2020 w w w. p i e d p i p e r p s i. c o m

ELECTRIC MOTION POISED FOR U.S. LAUNCH EM eTrials Bikes Page 38

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

Super73 Teams With PeopleForBikes Page 40

TARFORMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TALE OF TWO WOLVES

Which One Will You Feed? Page 40

ELECTRIC MOTION Now In Motion In North America

hat was once a crazy idea has become the next big thing in the two-wheeled market, believes Mark Berg. Dealers may know the industry veteran as the GasGas guy, but with the changing of the ownership to KTM, this Midwest visionary is ready to shock the industry with his new business model and eclectic product mix of electric motorcycles, among other things. Located in Watertown, South Dakota, Central Powersports Distribution is specializing in small European OEMs and powersports accessories manufacturers to bring their products to the US market. Chief among these brands is Electric Motion. “Electric drive in two-wheel motorcycles is on the forefront of new markets and sales are increasing due to their capabilities,” says CPD head Mark Berg. “Electric off-road and trials motorcycles were just a wild idea a couple of years ago… now the products are ready for any adventure, especially the Electric Motion trials bikes.” Based in Vendargues, France, Electric Motion is the leader in design, reliability and performance in electric trials bikes…. And has been for the past decade. “Our company is very happy and proud to announce the recent establishment of its collaboration with CPD,” adds Philippe Aresten owner of Electric Motion. “Getting in front of a growing interest for electric motorcycles in general and Electric Motion trials bikes in particular, we were looking for the best solution to develop our U.S. sales.

“Mark Berg is working with our sales management to set up a dedicated structure,” notes Aresten. “The goal is to show the seriousness of our respective companies through the promotion, sale and after-sales service of Electric Motion bikes. This collaboration is one more ‘step’ in the strategy to capitalize on the growing interest in trials as well as accessing a new ‘leisure’ oriented customer base”, according to Arestan. BACK STORY Electric Motion started out in 2009 and has grown through the efforts of more than 64 distributors worldwide. The concept of “Electric Mobility” is emerging as the technology of the future to combat air pollution, provide green energy transportation and eliminate noise pollution. Customers can now train in their own backyards, local trails or virtually anywhere without the sound or fumes of a gas-powered trials bike notes Arestan. However, to get this concept to take hold in the U.S., CPD has been brought into the mix. “We plan on bridging the gap between the dealer and the consumer who wants an Electric Motion motorcycle,” explains Berg. “We have plans of making it very, very easy for a dealer to carry Electric Motion, represent and sell the product while we at the office can supply parts direct to the consumer after the sale with an online shopping cart system for OEM parts and accessories. Best of all, the dealer will continue to retain profits from the direct sale of parts with monthly commission credits!”

CPD realizes the retail store owners need a break and days off. “Training employees to support parts sales for a smaller niche market like Electric Motion or any trials bike is not easy,” admits Berg. “Electric Motion Direct will help those dealers retain profits while not losing energy and efforts to keep the customer pleased with their new Electric Trials bike.”

CPD is currently looking for dealers in all the states for Electric Motion. If you want information on pricing or models and availability, e-mail info@cpd-usa.com or call 605-878-1005 and discuss all things Electric Motion with Mark Berg directly. Or get the holeshot by clicking on “Become a Dealer” at www.electricmotion.direct

MAY 2020

CURRENTS+

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

Super73 Teams With PeopleForBikes Speak now or forever hold your peace… at least when it comes to exploring public land via e-bikes! SUPER73 is collaborating with PeopleForBikes – a non-profit organization and bicycle advocacy group that unites millions of individuals with thousands of businesses and communities to make bike riding safer, more convenient, and better for everybody. As one of the leading voices for the bicycle industry, the efforts of PeopleForBikes at the federal, state, and local levels have helped to push for bicycle and e-bike legislation reform, leverage private and public funding for bicycle infrastructure projects, and serve as a valuable resource for the bicycle and e-bike community. As a result of its advocacy, the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation proposed new regulations (“rulemaking”) in early April regarding e-bike use on federal lands. If adopted, the proposed regulations could lead to the following: • E-bikes would no longer be defined as motor vehicles or off-road vehicles, but have a standalone, sensible, and modern definition • The three classes of e-bikes would be properly defined • E-bike riders would have similar rights, privileges, and duties as traditional bike riders • Agency officials would be authorized to allow e-bikes on roads, paths, and trails where they are currently prohibited • Local land managers would maintain significant control, in partnership with the public, to make access decisions PeopleForBikes has simplified the process by creating pre-drafted messages, or you can leave your own comments before the deadline on June 8, 2020, just click here: peopleforbikes.org/federal-e-bike-rulemaking

TALE OF TWO WOLVES

We can rage against the machine or cry the COVID-19 blues, but electric motorcycle manufacturer TARFORM tells the tale of two wolves: We all share one fundamental value — Movement Is Freedom The ghostlike silence in Paris to deserted avenues in New York reminds us of the fragility of our world and the importance of working together towards a better future. Many of us feel a sense of responsibility and desire to act, and now is the time. When our resilience and character is being tested, we have to be mindful of what decisions we make. No matter how challenging the external circumstances are, there are timeless truths within us that act as guidance. For now, our ability to move is limited but I hope you can find serenity in your stillness. — Taras, Founder, TARFORM https://www.tarform.com/

SHOWTIME

INSIDE QUIN DESIGN

Dropping In On The Dallas HEADquarters Page 46

FITE CLUB

MX Legends Battle, Charities Win Page 70

HEADS UP!

MIPS Technology AVE ATQUE VALE Trunk Show

Photo courtesy David Dewhurst

Marty Smith PAGE 1956-2020 48 Page 74

® THE SALE! It Is Time To Refocus By Mark Rodgers

kay, enough with the pandemic. It’s important. It will always be here… now, let’s adapt. Even prior to the COVID-19 crisis, many of us in the motorcycle business had already taken our eye off the ball. Don’t blame all problems on the pandemic, instead use this opportunity to refocus. Far too many of us are falling prey to the many ills of modern society. Smart phone addiction, participating in the outrage culture, lots of information, little wisdom… you know the drill. One common mistake many businesspeople make today is they are lured in by the new and ignore the great. If you’re in business and haven’t read Peter Drucker, you should. Drucker really is the grandfather of modern management approaches. Every time I think I’ve had an original idea; I read Drucker and discover he’s thought of it first. He’s not new. Drucker is just great! Drucker states that the sole objective for any business is this: Find and keep customers. Simple.

It seems as if we, in the motorcycle world, have been so all-fired focused on finding new customers, we may have taken our eyes off one of the best business strategies there is: keeping customers. If you feel as if your store’s efforts may have been drifting toward those rocky shoals, here are some ideas which may be able to right your navigation for smoother sailing. 1) Think fourth, first. My mentor taught me long ago that you should always think about the fourth sale first. Meaning the key to success is repeat business. So, comport yourself accordingly. Be professional. Be sincere. Be interested in them. Be reasonable in your profit taking. 2) Adopt a new good deal mentality. What’s a good deal? A good deal is when the customer feels well taken care of and you feel well compensated. If either side is out of balance in the relationship, simply isn’t sustainable. Here’s how price and customer experience relate: High Price/Negative Experience: This makes customers wrathful. They will seek revenge on social media and elsewhere. Who needs that kind of reputation?! Low Price/Negative Experience: This creates a disposable relationship where customers just shop price. Low Price/Great Experience: Unsustainable. You can’t be $500 over invoice and do free pick up and delivery in a 200-mile radius, have music and free food every Saturday, and pay your people competitive comp. It’s martyrdom. High Price/Great Experience: This is the goal. Defining price, I consider retail for the motorcycle and the backend to be fair. When you do that, and partner it with outstanding customer experiences, you will be able to create magic for both your customers and your people. (I’ve never seen a terrific business with disgruntled employees.) 3) Absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder; it makes people forget. Another of my mentor’s mantras. You have to say in touch. It doesn’t matter if you call, text, or email, but you must stay in touch. Your marketing lists are a great way to do this, but for many, your newsletters have devolved to simply discount-offering junk mail. 4) High tech enables high touch. Use your CRM to foster that relationship. If you don’t have pictures of your customers and notes about their family, their job, their other interests, and notes about their motorcycle riding preferences… you’re missing a huge opportunity for relationship building.

5) Consistency is key. Why do people still frequent Subway (facing challenges, but still the largest chain in the country), Starbucks and McDonald’s? They know what they are going to get. People’s lives are so chaotic, they gravitate towards brands they can rely on. A high turn rate of your employees is a death knell to your ability to provide a consistently high-quality experience for your customers. 6) People leave people. I always mentally shake my head when someone says, “He left the dealership.” Or, “She left the company.” People don’t leave bricks and mortar. They don’t leave legal framework. They left because their manager was a jerk. 7) No one is perfect. If you’ve made a mistake. Apologize and move on. If you’ve scratched a fender, guessed low on an estimate, forgot to order a part, apologize. Make it right and then move on.

8) One more thing. We had a cleaning person for years (cleaning person, not a butler!) who would do a great job cleaning and then do one extra task. Folding the laundry, or doing the windows, heck, one time she even cleaned the fireplace… cleaned the fireplace! She helped us for 12 years. If she hadn’t moved to Arizona, we’d still be her customer. How can you apply that idea to what you do? 9) Be present. Have you ever talked to someone on the phone and you know they’re surfing the web? Have you ever been speaking with someone at an event, but they are constantly looking over your shoulder to see who else is there? If one of your precious customers has taken the time to call you, or even more importantly come to see you, what should you do? Forget your phone. Forget what else is happening around you. Look them in the eye and give them the gift of being present. Now go sell something, will ya!

Be sure to tune into: SALES SUCCESS IN 60 SECONDS OR LESS as sales expert and award-winning Dealernews columnist Mark Rodgers shares how to accsellerate® your sales. Watch Mark explain the guiding principle of how to succeed in the motorcycle business even in these stormy times. (FYI, Mark only counts the content after the whizbang video open in his time limit, so start your stopwatches then!) Mark Rodgers is an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and soughtafter consultant, who has spent 33 years working in the Harley-Davidson industry. Check out his 60-second sales tips twice a week at Dealernews social media channels or contact him via e-mail: Mark@RodgersPC.com Copyright ©2020 by Mark Rodgers. All Rights Reserved.

MAY 2020

HEADS UP! Inside Quin By Robin Hartfiel

According to Hannah Surabhi, Quin’s Director of Operations, Quin Design is the creator of advanced systems that elevate safety and enhance performance for helmet-wearing motorists, athletes and adventurists. “Quin uses proprietary machine learning algorithms, artificial intelligence, and old-fashioned design-thinking to solve problems and improve lives. We create technology and products for which the utility is as obvious as the beauty. Design is our passion. Innovation is our forte. Safety is our mission.” Okay, but it still looks like a helmet! “In my career I have had an opportunity to work with hundreds of premium brands that have done an excellent job of designing helmets that create a comfortable riding environment inside the helmet, and added layers of protection in the worst case of an accident,” claims Calhoun. “But nobody has ever tried to address how to help a rider in the immediate aftermath of an accident. That’s why after 35 years spent in this industry, I’m really excited to join Quin. I believe we are going to set a paradigm for what is expected out of a helmet in the 21st Century. “Having spent a lifetime in the powersports industry, I immediately recognized that Quin is pushing the boundaries… Each of our helmets offers advanced crash detection technology that pinpoints your location and an industry-first SOS system that will aid riders in traveling safely.” This is a game-changer according to Calhoun. Speaking of his new position as VP of Sales, Calhoun adds, “I am excited to join the Quin team. Ani Surabhi, our CEO, is an internationally recognized and award-winning design engineer, with global experience building and selling his first bicycle helmet company, Kranium. Before that was a tenure with Ferrari, as part of their design team, and many other gamechanging innovations in the private sector.” Ani decided to build a better helmet in his Senior year at the Royal College of Art after crashing his bicycle, cracking his helmet and ending up with a concussion. “Having suffered minor concussions, I decided to take this as a design challenge and create the safest helmet on the planet. Looking into nature, the woodpecker is one of the only animals which experiences the same kind of impact on a regular basis. In fact, it strikes the tree ten times a second and closes its eyes every time so that they don’t pop out, which means a monumental amount of energy that goes through its head.”

hile in Dallas to put the Teryx through its paces on the Monster Jam track, we decided to make an impromptu visit to long-time friend and fellow MIC board member Tim Calhoun to get an introduction to Quin Design Helmets CEO and Chief Designer, Ani Surabhi. We had jumped the gun on the scheduled grand opening of Quin’s HEADquarters… in fact the painters were coming in that afternoon. However, the holeshot proved fortuitous when the COVID-19 closures were enacted the following week. “If you want to know what’s coming up in the 21st century of helmets, you came to the right place claims Calhoun. “Quin Design is leading the way without question.” However he was quick to dispel our first misconception. “Quin is not a helmet company… we are a technology company creating solutions. The Intelliquin system is a solution to a multitude of problems, it just looks like a helmet,” he quips.

Industry veteran Tim Calhoun’s “light bulb” moment! Nobody addressed how to help in the immediate aftermath of an accident.

Using the woodpecker inspiration, Ani created a cardboard matrix that made for a safer, more affordable and sustainable bicycle helmet. Today, elite cyclists throughout Europe ride with Kranium licensed technology. Just as the concussion in college inspired Ani to create a solution, personal tragedy lead him to create the “Intelliquin” system. After a friend went off the road on his Harley and could not be found for several hours after the crash and passed away, Ani put his mind to a technological solution. The system detects crashes, pinpoints the accident location, and messages emergency contacts automatically. “Intelliquin also provides a live SOS (Save Our Souls) emergency beacon and tracking system riders can activate that follows the same contact protocol to message emergency contacts with a live trackable location, a first in the powersports business,” Ani explains. “I am actively involved in designing and bringing ideas to production which involves rapid brain storming, design thinking and innovation.” Calhoun closes with, “We are excited to begin offering dealers our products, and we are seeking sales reps nationwide to sell and service this premium product line.” Quin Design is actively signing up sales reps and dealers at this time. The sales team can be reached at sales@quin.design.

Ani Surabhi, the brains behind Quin motorcycle helmets and Kranium bicycle helmets.

Quin Design 1729 Irving Blvd, Suite 103 Dallas, TX, 75207 https://quintessential.design/

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4/1/20 10:35 AM

CASE STUDY

Time moves sneaky quick on us, and as a springboard for this discussion, I added a couple images here below to indicate just how quickly some innovations can turn around business models. The first couple images of Philadelphia (above) in 1897 and New York in 1900 (below) (source: National Archives), demonstrate how transportation at the turn of the 20th century (1900) was centered on horse-drawn carriages and trolleys.

A Disruptive CASE For Change, Part 1 By Larry Daniel

s we get used to the notion that we are now in the 3rd decade of the 21st century, thoughts about the state of the industry, new trends and disruptive forces, along with increasing concerns about how to transition into fresher business practices, all seemed to have been in abundance... the COVID-19 crisis hit! Whether expressed from a seasoned veteran or a newbie, large company executives or staff members at the lower rungs of the ladder, from a dealer, OEM or supplier, more of us than ever are having to chuck out some old paradigms and usher in some new. The challenge for many of us is scope – what to change, how much to change and what to hold onto. Now may be an especially important time for you to consider the macro picture, to reflect on forces that have come before us and are in motion today across our kindred motor vehicle sectors worldwide. The transportation world is in a tectonic shift, and you may be at risk if you overlook how the ground before you is moving.

The country was at an inflection point of transitioning to automotive, perhaps the single largest “disruptive” force of its time... same as we are now. By the middle of the first decade of the 20th century (1905), the streets were in the midst of a chaotic overhaul, as automobiles appeared on the radar and moved into position to replace horse as the dominant form of transportation.

Perhaps most fascinating to consider today, though, is how quickly urban markets then became automobile-dominant. As pictures of New York City in 1913 (Source: Library of Congress) and downtown Chicago in 1917 (Source: National Archives) attest below, within a decade, by the middle of the 1910s, horse drawn carriages were scarcely to be found. An automobile in the St. Louis “Transportation Day Parade” of 1904 (source: Library of Congress), while the picture below shows a 1900 vintage automobile being pulled over by a New York City policeman on a bicycle (!) for a traffic violation (Source: National Archives).

The arrival of the automobile changed the face of transportation within a decade over a century ago! At present day rates of change, one can only wonder how fast such a disrupter would impact society today. If you want to stew on that some more, you can Google Tony Seba’s session at the 2020 North Carolina Department of Transportation Summit on YouTube, which is an excellent presentation about disruption.

Larry Daniel is the Managing Director of Sextant, a Colorado-Based firm focused on Dealer Development, Operations and Marketing for Dealers and OEMs across the motor vehicle industries. Feel free to reach Larry at 719-362-0070 or email at ldaniel@sextantusa.com MAY 2020

Northern Exposure By Marq C. Smith

CONTROL THE SALE DESPITE THE COVID

o question that the COVID-19 closures have changed the retail experience, even in Canada. More of our customers are coming via calls and the Internet. However, contact-less sales doesn’t mean a lack of contact! Quite the contrary, now more than ever it is important to establish a sense of connection with every customer, no matter how socially distant they may be. Just the other day, I talked to a fellow who lives three hours and a ferry ride away, and he wanted to do all of his shopping by phone, then come down and pick the bike up on the weekend. He had a quote from another dealer, which seemed to be very low. We looked at our profit margin, and decided that the deal wasn’t worth it at that number. We decided on a price that was about a few hundred more. I called him back, and after talking to him, he decided to give me a deposit on the phone by charge card. NOTE: The dealer that gave him the lower price quote was also an hour closer to him! Why me, and not the other guy? Because the inexperienced salesman at the other dealership didn’t take control. The client asked for the “Best Price,” and that’s exactly what he got. The salesperson involved apparently used lots of weasel words, like “probably,” and “I think.” Not exactly phrases that build confidence! While it is possible that the other shop had too many, or sales were abysmal, and they just needed a sale, the message was terrible! The client was not very confident in the pricing he was hearing. Instead all he heard was that the salesperson there just wanted him in to the shop so he could squeeze more money out of him. We talked a while… after establishing a rapport, he spat out the price that we had deemed acceptable. After

talking some more, I told him that I would do it for that amount. He thanked me, and I took a deposit. What was the difference? I didn’t let him control the conversation. I didn’t just tell him what he wanted. I encouraged him to make an offer that we could all live with. He’s happy, and I had a deal that I could live with. He picked the unit up today, happy as a moose in a swampy forest. And he also bought a bunch of accessories. Too often, salespeople fall into the trap of just saying a number that is the bottom line price that he thinks the manager will okay, but where there’s so little profit left that they might as well not bother selling the bike. They follow the path of least resistance. A lot of this behavior comes from fear and lack of clear training. But trading a dollar for four quarters is not going to build a successful business. Never has! People call us from all over Western Canada, looking for the “best price.” I never give it to them! Instead, the first thing I ask is “What kind of price did you get at your local dealer?” If it’s a high price, I may go to work for them. If it’s a low price, I’m not going to get in a price war with a dealership 500 kilometres away. I always tell the client just to buy it there: “It sounds like they are taking good care of you.” Usually, all they want is a low price to beat their local dealer to death with. If you play that game, and lose control, the local guy may just match a low price from us so as to not lose a hometown customer, but will be a bit annoyed, and next time I need a unit from them, there will be some friction there. You’ve made nothing, and the hometown dealer has lost any profit he might have had. However, if the customer tells their local dealership that I said their price was a fair deal, and just buy it from them, then I’ve built the local dealer up in the client’s eyes, and have lost nothing.

Perhaps I find out that he hates his local dealership, and will never buy a unit there; that’s a different story. But I’m still not going to just cough up a price. I’ll start with full retail, or a price that may be rebated, and on the OEM website. If it’s too high, don’t you think he’ll tell me? More conversation is called for. Some rapport is needed. If I simply quote a price, he’s not going to just capitulate; now he’s going to take my price and call the next dealership on his list. You must take control. Ask what I call “Temperature Taking” questions. “When are you buying?” Today, next month, or next year? “How are you paying?” There is a big difference between cash, bank draft, financing or wanting to put it all on a credit card. “Is there a trade?” Once you have a picture of the customer and the deal, then you can start orbiting around the pricing. Maybe he has a reasonable price in mind. Maybe you are closer than you think.

Marq C. Smith has been involved in motorcycles since he was 17 years old. He worked for Canadian Harley-Davidson 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.”

If he seems to be close to a decision, ask for an offer. If he’s still being cagey, put it all on the line. Tell him you can take an offer to the manager, but you will need a charge card number to back it up, which means that if the offer is accepted, you will put $1,000 on the card for a deposit. Sometimes you won’t need this; most people’s word is good. However, it is a powerful move on your part. You are calling their bluff. But the cagey ones will usually resist this move, which means that you will never get a deal anyway. And if they do give you the card number, that means that your chances of getting the deal go up. It’s working the deal, but it’s always important to keep control. Without that, your sales numbers and, more importantly, your gross profit, goes down. You have to train this into your salespeople. The results will be well worth it.

MAY 2020

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME…

Especially If It’s A Race Track! By Scot Harden

ne of the upsides of the recent shutdown has been catching up on classic old movies, especially with my three-year old grandson Jensen. Our viewing fare consists of just three films, Polar Express, ET and The Wizard of Oz. Load, Play, Repeat. The Polar Express addiction is fed by our mutual love of playing station master with the Lionel train set permanently erected in our front living room. Every visit to Grammy Bear and Papa’s house is a full-on O-Gauge reenactment of Polar Express right down to all the characters, dialogue and storyline from the movie. The other two movies on our list are American classics, one more than 80 years old, a national film treasure; the other a more modern tale told by our best modern film storyteller. Despite their wildly different storylines, both share a common theme, the longing for home, a sense of belonging and connection to family, your place in the world. Home is a very special place, especially during the trying times we currently face. All ET wanted was to “Phone Home” and as Dorothy so articulately reminds us, “We aren’t in Kansas anymore!” Only if we were Dorothy, only if we were… Come to think of it, I would prefer to be in Kansas. Right now! Unfortunately, I live in California and we are still closed for business! Depending on which state you live in, it may be more trying than others, especially for those adhering to stringent “shelter in place” restrictions and byzantine phased re-opening guidelines impacting business and social activities. The good news is that even in the most locked-down states, some signs of hope are emerging that the end may be in sight. Also, there is anecdotal evidence that many powersports businesses and dealerships have survived the last couple of months in reasonably good shape. For some retail activities and purchases of new motorcycles, UTVs and other vehicles have actually increased during the shutdown, a clear indication that consumers are not ready to give up their chosen hobbies and lifestyles.

Last month I offered a variety of recommendations for restarting the economy, especially the powersports industry, some of which I see are already being applied. At the core of powersports is racing. Many will say things have not returned to normal until racing events are finally open to the public, and I agree. Racing is an integral part of our industry. For American motorcyclists Supercross, Outdoor National Motocross, Moto America and National Dirt Track are at one end of the spectrum; amateur weekend grassroots and local racing at the other. Every sanctioning body and promoter has gone through extraordinary measures to adapt and find ways to get back to racing and several are ready in the short term. Supercross is a prime example, going racing if only for TV audiences. And that’s okay; I’ll take that for now, but it doesn’t replace the full experience. One area of racing that crosses over between professional and grassroots racing is off-road racing. If you want a real indication of how strong underlying forces that support the Powersports business are look no further. This includes GNCC, WORCS, National Enduro, local motocross, various UTV series and the big western off-road desert series like SCORE and Best In The Desert. As Marketing/Business Development Director for Best In The Desert, I have had a front-row seat watching this all play out over the last couple of months. Everything from having to postpone a major UTV/MC/Quad event in Laughlin just a few short days out from actually holding the event when Nevada shut down to having to work through all the issues and what-ifs as far as re-opening and when. Recently Best In The Desert held a historic Virtual Town Hall Meeting and invited all our racers, sponsors, media, fans and volunteer staff to join us to hear about our plans for the remainder of the season. We wanted to share what we knew based on the best information at the time, knowing there would be some knowns and some unknowns as far as re-opening the State of Nevada goes. The Virtual Town Hall was the first of its kind in off-road racing and drew a huge audience. We wanted to share our vision for the rest of the 2020 season and, more importantly, get feedback from the racing community on where they stood, where they were in terms of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on their lives, finances and ultimately, racing plans.

Because Best In The Desert caters to car, truck, UTV, motorcycle and quad racers, we interact with a variety of offroad racing enthusiasts from very divergent socio-economic backgrounds. Large, well-funded, fully staffed, multi-million dollar Trick Truck and car teams, large professionally run UTV efforts with major sponsors behind them are rubbing shoulders with weekend warriors, mom and pop efforts who are the backbone of the sport — and who are just as serious about it as the teams with more money. In the end, we conducted a simple survey asking our racers a straightforward question: Are you ready to go racing? The response was overwhelming. Not only did we receive far more responses than we imagined, 95% of all respondents were very emphatic, they wanted to race, just say where and when. Over and over again we heard how much racing meant to our competitors and just how much they wanted to get some normalcy back in their lives. In other words, racing is a conduit to what feels normal to an awful lot of people; it’s their quickest way to go home again. Faster than clicking their heels and repeating three times, “there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” Of course, we know that special precautions are necessary, and getting back to racing will require special modifications to meet social distancing directives and to comply with state mandates. Fortunately, for the type of racing Best In The Desert does social distancing is part of the attraction. Getting out there in the great outdoors and experiencing the vastness and openness of the State of Nevada and Arizona, where we hold the races, is a big part of the appeal. Nonetheless, we are taking extra measures to make sure we set an excellent example for all racing. For example: Registration will all be done online with all releases and final entry forms signed off on and completed before the start of the race.

As a racing organization, we will be setting a great example using facemasks to the extent we are having special Best In The Desert branded masks made just for the event. We even plan to have some fun with them by implementing our founder Casey Folks’ famous call to action “Booyah!” on each mask. Also, our fuel partners at VP Racing will provide their new special hand sanitizer dispensers at each vending location. Ultimately, we need to get back to packed stadiums and race venues full of excited fans. How soon we get there will largely be based on what we do now. Regardless of the racing format, types of vehicles, geographic location, or people involved, the sooner we get back to racing, the better for all of us! Our nation has a competitive fire that runs deep. Racing is a great way for all of us to honor that truth! It’s also a great way to get our businesses back on track. I’m all for clicking my heels right now and wishing I could go “home” to the good old days before the COVID mess. But this isn’t a movie… Instead, I’ll dig deep and find a way to get back there on my own. I encourage everyone else to do the same.

Rider’s meetings will be held virtually on Facebook Live. This eliminates the need for gathering together in large groups; and it gives the organization a recorded driver’s meeting that racers can refer to later. Our pre-race activities, including our Event Expo, and sponsor displays to be held at a major hotel in Las Vegas, requires that we space out vendors adequately so as not to create congestion in the host hotel parking lot.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Scot Harden has enjoyed Trophy presentations will take place on the Ford Mesa at a nearly 40-year career as one of the world’s top offthe finish line immediately after the finish. No need to get road racers and compiled a set of records that few can match. From 1971 until his final professional race in together in large auditoriums. 2007 — at the age of 51 — Harden mastered a wide Pit crews will be required to set up special six-foot buffer zones range of off-road disciplines. He also has compiled between each pit, and the distance will be closely monitored. an impressive executive management resume within These are just a few of the changes we are making to ensure the motorcycle industry as a brand builder, race team we set an excellent example for racing. As one of the first manager, sales professional and product planner major organizations, not to mention the largest off-road with such companies as Husqvarna, KTM, BMW, Zero desert series in the nation to host a race in this new reality, Motorcycles and Best in the Desert. Harden also is owner we know we are being watched and are making every effort of Harden Offroad, a business consulting practice. He was to set a great example. Other race sanctioning bodies and inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2008. promoters are making adjustments of their own.

MAY 2020

Personnel Files By Alex Baylon

TIME TO HIT RESET? Tips To Defining Career Satisfaction

id you get “furloughed” (California slang for “fired” as State law doesn’t differentiate between the two) because of COVID-19? That actually gives you the holeshot on defining career satisfaction since many of us will not be returning to business as usual even after the social distancing rules are finally relaxed. The odd thing is most of us lucky enough to be in this game actually want to get back to work! I mean we work in the powersports industry! We get to play with Motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, Snowmobiles, Watercraft… and now we seem to be including electric bikes into the equation. Why wouldn’t you be in the right job? Well as much as we want it to be that simple, it just doesn’t always work out that way. Too many factors to consider like company culture, a nasty boss, or just simply not liking what you’re doing. The key to professional success is not purely based on your drive and level of education, but rather, the passion you have for your profession and its fostered growth. Being that we spend a good part of our lives at work, even if that now means working remotely, it is important to know if you are where you are supposed to be — even if it does not always feel like it. Now is also the perfect time to hit the reset button. Did you know the average American spends 90,000 total hours at work throughout their lifetime? (for some reason I’m thinking I already exceeded average). That equates to approximately one-third of your life. Naturally, this is going to have an effect on both your professional and personal life, as well as your mental well-being. In fact, being in an unpleasant employment situation can take its toll on employees both physically and mentally.

No one deserves to be stuck in a position where they’re not happy or thriving. Do yourself a favor and assess your professional life and happiness, with these tips for ensuring you are at the right job: 1) Time Flies: Remember the old saying, time flies when you’re having fun? If you find yourself at work in a similar scenario, checking the clock infrequently while remaining productive and upbeat, chances are, you might actually enjoy your job. Another good sign is the amount of work being completed each day. When you find yourself completing tasks in a speedy, accurate manner without racing to beat the clock, chances are, you are happy. 2) Coffee is not so much a necessity as it is a treat: Coffee, or the breakfast of champions as some so lovingly refer to it, is a universal beverage enjoyed by billions each morning — especially when getting ready for work. If you find yourself ready and raring to face the workday even without the added caffeine boost, you are likely in a good place. 3) You have time for more than just work: Workaholic or not, you need time for yourself, as well as family and friends. When you’re at a satisfactory job, trying to find time for things other than work is not as reminiscent of a juggling act. Ultimately, a solid job allows you time to enjoy work AND life. 4) You talk about work both lovingly and frequently: Those who are unhappy at work typically leave their work at the office, both physically and mentally. But when you find yourself sharing news and updates about work at home on a frequent basis, it is most likely because you enjoy it and are excited to share your achievements with the ones you love. 5) You are unstoppable and borderline annoying on Mondays: Dreading Mondays is a major sign that you are in a position within which you are not happy. The last thing you want is to find yourself stuck in a job where you are miserable. In fact, the right job will have you excited and ready to go Monday morning, meeting every task head-on with confidence… to the annoyance of slackers looking to ease into the week! 6) You desire the jobs of those above you: You should always have goals, both in the long and short-term. This gives you something to look forward to, as well as something to strive for. A truly happy employee has concrete goals of attaining the position of the employee above them. Basically, if you want your boss’s job, you are aiming high and on the right track. 7) Money is not your primary focus, let alone concern: Many of us have to hustle a bit to make ends meet, especially when you have a family to support. However, while you should always pay attention to your finances, having money problems because of work is a sign you should possibly look elsewhere for employment. Even a dream job can become a nightmare if you are not making enough. The right job acknowledges your worth and rewards you fairly. Bottom line, just remember to find a balance and ask yourself… “would I rather be in a corporate job outside of our industry for more money or am I happy here?”

8) Your organization is thriving: Working together for a common goal is a great feeling, especially when the organization is thriving with happy and compassionate employees. I think you will find being happy and successful at work is much easier when the organization itself is performing well. This affirmation is encouraging, leaving you with a bounty of opportunity. 9) You aren’t afraid to take risks: Happiness in the professional world is all about the success of your business as well as your personal success. When you are at the right job, your high-ups provide encouragement and affirmation regularly. When you are comfortable and know your worth, you are far more likely to confidently take risks for greater reward. 10) Your boss pushes you to reach your goals: An unmotivated, unfriendly boss can single-handedly bring down an organization — or at the very least — its employees. If your boss does not recognize your success, give you encouragement, and trust in your judgment, you may be working in the wrong place. We all deserve recognition, and it is that very recognition that affords us the confidence to take risks.

11) Your co-workers double as friends: The majority of jobs today require some degree of teamwork, even if it is indirect. So naturally, getting along with our work peers is highly-beneficial for the organization as a whole. However, when you are truly happy and enjoy the professional side of your life, co-workers inevitably become reliable friends, both at work and in your personal life. The bottom line: Happiness at work fosters happiness at home. If you are not happy, now is the to reset your career… whether you like it or not. It is no secret that finding a workplace you enjoy, which also rewards its employees accordingly, is not the easiest task. Too many businesses are lacking in terms of manager-employee relations, unfair compensation, and the guidance that would otherwise strengthen professional common goals. However, no matter what your goals, you owe it to yourself to find a job with which you are truly happy and recognized. If you found your professional life to be more unhappy after reviewing these tips, it might be a good time to find something new.

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. MAY 2020 55

Confessions Of A Customer® By Eric Anderson

AVOIDING DODO SYNDROME

Your customers more fully understand this now than 3 months ago since they have been forced to work from home during our various levels of COVID-19 lockdown. Personally, I just hosted an online webinar entitled “Preparing For The Long Haul” for 50 influencers from the off-road land use community. My event started with a short video on packing gear for the vehicle and its passengers — tools/recovery gear, food/water, survival and personal needs… all related to going off-the-grid for a few days in a 4x4. How about continuing to attract your customers to your “digital gathering place” (named after your business) to cover any number of topics including “how to” discussions on navigation, maintenance, ergonomics, bike set up, best accessories, off-road apparel trends, road riding apparel trends, helmet communications, steps to buying a pre-owned motorcycle, ride planning, new model introductions, etc. Then schedule individual appointments inside your store or online at the end. In lieu of traditional methods pushing too many people too close together, how do you need to change your thinking? Think about how easy it would be to offer the following changes in how you do business:

A Lesson In Alternative Thinking

he bombs have stopped falling. They could fall again… or we could fail miserably in our recovery efforts. But let’s think more positively even though nobody knows which way this “bat flu thing” might go, especially in an election year. You might not want to read this if you think business will return back to normal soon. Instead of being the “destination” you now need to make your customers your destination. Go to where they are hanging out — online and on their phones! They just confirmed they don’t need to leave their sofas to continue moving their lives forward. Amazon, as much as you love them or hate them, made customers their destination when they started delivering to our welcome mats years ago. Customers ARE the destination — your brick and mortar store is not. Flip your thinking around and start coming to us. Have you scheduled a ZOOM (WebEx, Skype, Teams, WhatsApp) Meeting with your customers yet? In lieu of a special event with hot dogs and pony rides for the masses, how about a one-on-one review of their personal needs (service, parts, accessories or sales)? It is time for powersports to enter the era of online white glove concierge service. You no longer need to jam 50 people into a dealership or an adjacent parking lot to have an event.

1) Home Deliveries Do you or your employees have time to deliver inside a 10-mile radius? Think like pizza parlors, GrubHub or Instacart who all deliver food. Select a minimum purchase amount to make it free, otherwise charge what UPS or FedEx would. Next day delivery might be fine for orders after 10 AM. You could also state “UPS/FedEx delivery available” on your website and in social posts. Get customers thinking about you differently. 2) Curbside Pick-Ups Everybody’s doing it now, even my brewing supply guy who sets my hops/yeast/malt on his shop’s doorstep after I give him my credit card number from my cell phone sitting inside my car in the parking lot.

3) Cross Docking — Receive “In” And Ship “Out” The Same Day! That old “2-step-order it for you” system requiring me to come back to pick it up will rarely happen nowadays. Your COVID-convinced customers want their cake and eat it too… by ordering it through you and having it dropshipped or cross-docked (by you) to their doorstep? Ordering from RevZilla or Rocky Mountain may sound easier, but your business can advise customers on the phone before buying from you… and take returns easily without diddling with a “chat box” robot. 4) Frequent Digital Announcements — Update Your Website, Blog, Newsletter, Etc.! You will have to jump up and down and wave digital “flags” at us to explain how you have enhanced your services and conveniences. We only pay attention to those who are in our peer group of social media buddies, so be tooting your horn everywhere (FB, IG, Twitter) and encourage “sharing” to other riders/customers. 5) Take CC#s — Any Way And Anytime You Can! If you don’t have plans for shopping carts on your website, then at least allow for a digital “wish list” which an employee can follow up on with a call and a quote. Encourage calling for an appointment — parts, service, accessories, sales--which can be reserved with a credit card number (or phone # if they object). I give my cc# to restaurants every week now… before I pick up take-out. Enable all your employees to capture this important data and archive it in every customer’s electronic file for future use with gift cards, online purchases, and phone orders, etc. 6) Have “Operators Waiting” — To Take Orders & Make Appointments Make it sound easy, quick and convenient. Promote your phone team and how well trained they are to take care of all of their customer’s needs. Avoid as much as possible putting customers “on hold” for someone else to pick up — it never seems to happen urgently. 7) Pick Up The Phones — More Quickly Than Ever Before! Customers are impatient these days even though they also seem to have more time on their hands without commuting or shopping brick & mortar stores. 8) Be Nicer — More Than You Ever Have Before It’s a lot easier to get under someone’s hair recently since many tempers are on edge. A courteous and polite voice instantly takes us all back to a pre-COVID normality… when we used to spend more money and time shopping the old ways. 9) Make Appointments “Cool” — For Service, Parts, Sales & Accessories Sessions Appointment-making is becoming more normal to avoid waiting rooms and crowds. Hair stylists, oil change services, restaurants and fast food places will be using appointment apps more and more. How can you adapt

to making more appointments, thus wasting less time of customers who do want to visit your facility? 10) Send Out A Digital Newsletter — Weekly! Remember to be in your customers’ faces to continuously remind them you have changed your ways of doing business. Your job is to unwind the way they “used to think” of you… and rewire how they should be thinking of your business… NOW! 11) Offer Low Cost Incentives On Social Media Channels Coupons codes or a free T-shirt still are motivating to customers to take action. Whatever it is, don’t always simply offer a discount. I still hate discounts and prefer “extra value” with a pre-priced service or product. Just be sure to start building your list of followers… by also offering an incentive for digitally “sharing,” “liking” and engaging with your social media platforms. Use “bait” like a crazy photo contest, scavenger hunt or geo-cache game to kickstart interest. 12) Boast How Clean Your Store And Employees Are Papa John’s pizza brags about “contactless food delivery.” You might want to mention to customers a list of measures you have taken to provide a safe shopping environment. If you feel appropriate, include reassurances like: frequent employee testing, nitrile glove use, hourly sterilized counters and credit card sliders, mask use on customerfacing employees. If you feel badly that your store is no longer the retail palace it once was, you are on the right track. Adjust! You are still the one source for what we need —powersports units, accessories, parts and service — LOCALLY! Hopefully you offer more “personality” and “tech guidance” than the “supply and demand-driven” E-Comm Giants. Stand out more colorfully and loudly than ever before… or risk being lost in the foray of marketing barrages from everyone else vying for customers’ digital attention. Adapt. Change. Evolve… or go the way of the Dodo and die off during the bat flu.

MAY 2020

messaging! we have a golden opportunity to capitalize on all of the qualities that make motorcycling so appealing — the feeling of freedom, the thrill of doing things outside the norm, the zen-like effect of being incredibly present while riding and the incredible community that comes with powersports. These golden moments as the country opens up again won’t last long, yet the opportunity is so enormous that we may very well remember it forever. Public perception of what is considered “safe” has dramatically changed. The fact that we can now get a deadly disease from a sneeze or by going about our every day unexamined lives has shaken the foundation of what most people believe to be true in their lives.

By Alisa Clickenger

PIVOT!

Taking Advantage Of The Post-COVID Opportunity

here’s a story I’ve heard a great many times at the motorcycle shows and on the road: A person endures great hardship, or has their personal freedom limited, and then sets about making dramatic changes to the landscape of their life. In fact, I have my very own version of this tale. When I was going through my divorce, I was subconsciously looking for a way to express my independence and an outlet for my newfound freedom and decided to take up motorcycling. Post COVID-19 I see our entire country poised to make the same sort of pivot. Nationwide there is a pent-up demand for freedom and personal satisfaction. We’re all itching to declare our independence, perhaps even tinged with a little defiance, after self-sequestering for more than two months. And I cannot think of a more perfect way for the public at large to express their contempt for confinement and eagerness for adventure than taking up motorcycling! For those already riding it’s a given: we’re bursting-at-theseams ready to ride! And for those who haven’t started riding yet, we have an incredible marketing opportunity. If we update the messaging and the imagery in our

As an industry let’s come together to grow and expand our messaging to take advantage of this opportunity. Let’s encourage people to live out their fantasies, to invest in themselves and to experience life in a deeper and more meaningful way. Let’s show images of families coming together through powersports, mothers riding motorcycles, and the lesser-represented faces of motorcyclists. Let’s help non-riders see themselves as riders through our words, pictures and videos. Motorcycles are the ultimate social-distancing enjoyment activity. They are the perfect gateway vehicle for the postpandemic new normal… and they are fun! By focusing on the fun and by focusing on the benefits of a rich and fulfilled life, we can attract new enthusiasts who are ripe for transformation, recreation and exploration. If we change our story, we can most certainly make changes to our ridership in this unprecedented, yet most auspicious time. Pivot!

Alisa is a two-wheeled world traveler, author, tour operator, and event producer. She has been featured in a variety of media outlets as a woman pursuing a life of adventure and helping others to access their inner wisdom and be free to lead lives they are passionate about. Her book Boost Your Confidence Through Motorcycling: A Woman’s Guide to Being Your Best Self On and Off the Bike became an Amazon.com #1 Bestseller. In 2019 Alisa was also named to Dealernews TOP 100 People in Powersports. Her personal mission is to empower women through motorcycling and adventure while being a strong advocate for the powersports industry at large. Alisa’s motorcycle touring company is www.WomensMotorcycleTours.com.

HOST A WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOTORCYCLING EVENT CONTACT ALISA TODAY FOR A BOOK SIGNING AT YOUR DEALERSHIP ALISA@WOMENSMOTORCYCLETOURS.COM

THE YOUTH MOVEMENT Right Rider Access Fund, Tread Lightly! Educate Tomorrow’s OHV Riders Tread Lightly! has a revamped Youth Online Course, and a redesigned Lightfoot mascot squirrel, funded by the Right Rider Access Fund and Federal Highways Administration, all designed to educate kids 7 and up about responsible outdoor ethics. “Tread Lightly!’s work in early education is instrumental in helping to keep our trails safe and developing lifelong outdoor enthusiasts,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the Right Rider Access Fund, as well as the MIC. “We are proud to support this important work.”

With growing interest in off-highway riding and the possibility of additional federal funding for the Recreational Trails Program, for continued development and maintenance of trails across America, it’s important to invest in education for future generations of off-highway vehicle users. Read More

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Helmets Now Excluded from Tariffs - Importers Should Seek Refunds

Following multiple requests by the MIC Government Relations Office and several MIC members to exclude motorcycles, parts, and accessories from China List 4 tariffs, the United States Trade Representative has determined that motorcycle helmets are now excluded from tariffs that were imposed in 2019. Importers should work with their brokers to obtain refunds from Customs and Border Protection on previously collected tariffs spanning September 1, 2019, to May 13, 2020. Questions related to Section 301 entry filing requirements should be emailed to Traderemedy@cbp.dhs.gov. Read More

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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VALLEJO, CA - May 14, 2020 — National Forests in California are increasing access to the public by providing additional developed recreational opportunities. National Forest websites and social media pages will have the most up-todate information on re-openings. Whenever possible, please recreate locally. Visitors should practice self-sufficiency when visiting national forests and come prepared with all the essentials needed for a day trip, including food, emergency supplies, and the ability to pack-out trash. Remember to recreate responsibly by keeping the following in mind: Maintaining at least six feet distancing from others Do not gather in groups and always follow the latest guidance from health officials Communicate with others as you pass. Alert trail users of your presence and step aside to let others pass Pack out your trash and leave with everything you bring in and use Recreating responsibly will help ensure that expanded access to recreational facilities, services and opportunities continue. Certain services may still be unavailable, please plan accordingly.

RESPECT REOPENING PROTOCOLS

Don’t Screw This Up, People! by Donald Amador

s powersports dealers help their customers prepare to hit the trails once again after being locked down for several months due to COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders, there is a tangible excitement in the air. However it is important for the sport to respect land agency mitigation protocols that are a critical element in the reopening process. We have always had to deal with seasonal closures, but we really don’t want to give the critics any ammunition to make the most recent closures permanent! According to a Region 5 news bulletin issued on May 14, 2020, many National Forests were reopening starting the weekend of May 16-17 in California. Several other Federal recreation sites throughout the West, including portions of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, were also reopening in May. Quiet Warrior Racing believes it is important for OHVers to honor the agency’s request to follow various COVID-19 mitigation measures. This includes the call to recreate locally — as highlighted in the following Region 5 communique: LINK TO REGION 5 REOPENING NEWS RELEASE https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD738552

Many units are operating at a reduced capacity due to furloughed or sick staff, lack of sanitizing supplies, PPE shortages, etc., QWR believes it is important for OHVers to come with their own hand sanitizers and toilet paper per chance toilets are still closed. Work with staff to for the early opening SNAFUs that will inevitably arise… together we can rise, to paraphrase our friends on the trade show side. The loss of recreational opportunity due to COVID-19 closures has been hard on both the user community and agency staff. The crisis has also interrupted those dynamic on-the-ground partnerships that have helped to keep our riding areas managed and open. It is a Brave New World out there and there are plenty of people wanting to keep our public lands shut down, so we all must work to together. You may not personally agree with it, but respecting the various COVID-19 mitigation measures recommended by land agencies in coordination with local and state officials will help keep them open though the summer and expedite additional reopening of State OHV recreation areas… Wearing a mask or packing a little TP beats the hell out of being cooped up all summer streaming Tiger King re-runs!

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for almost 29 years. Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing/ Consulting. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018. Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. Don currently serves as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California. He may be reached via email at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Please tread lightly and travel only on routes and in areas designated open for motor vehicle use. Remember, Respected Access is Open Access.

THIS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT IS POWERED BY

Wünschisms By Uncle Paul

A War Story About Repeats & Referrals

t’s such a time-worn cliché, I hate even usin’ it: “Your best form of advertising is a satisfied customer.” Yuk!... But it’s true. Do your repeats come to you because you’re the only game in town? What’s your “street” reputation? Have you held on to customers 10, 15, 20 years? Are your customers the kind of people you’d want to hang out with during off-hours, maybe like friends? Is your service business going to flourish because you’ve gotta lot of advertising dollars to keep new mullets revolving through the system, or will it flourish because of repeats and referrals, customer loyalty? Anybody can get customers into your shop with enough advertising dollars, any time. Excellent work and up-front attitudes are what get them back. Every day, remind your service crew, “I can get them in the first time, you Aliens are what keeps the customers coming back.” We might oughta remind management (ourselves) of this from time to time, too. One of the reasons we get the reputation we have is because we’ve earned it. A lot of lip-flapping is going around out there, especially among scooter trash. Clannish damn bunch of yappers you ever saw. Uncle Paul realizes, of course, if the situation were really as bad as most customers portray it, the shop owner oughta be dragged out back and shot between the eyes. I’m also one of these types that if we can’t get both sides of the story, I don’t much care to hear about it.

Your kids and the bluetick hound you just bought may love ya, but take a long, hard look at how your customers feel about you, your organization, and what you’re trying to do down there. “Perception is reality,” Wünschism #2. Customers do talk among themselves — a lot. Years ago, the owner of a multi-line dealership here in Houston prematurely passed to the Big Beyond. He was the type of misguided individual who would brag to his salesmen and Aliens about how he just socked it to another “chump” (his word for customer, not mine) on a bike or accessory sales. He got the biggest kick out of telling anyone who would listen how he ripped off this latest slob. When he died, his widow took over and started going through the books and stumbled across widespread theft and dirty doings in the business. Seems everybody who knew this dead idiot had been snatchin’ and grabbin’ for years. Know why Uncle Paul thinks all that got started? The dead man had a bad character, no moral fiber… flawed rule interpretation.

Your kids and the bluetick hound you just bought may love ya, but take a long, hard look at how your customers feel about you, your organization, and what you’re trying to do down there. Your Aliens From Another Planet know what’s going on throughout your organization. If you start that bottomfeeding business (gross violation of Wünschism #1), you have no moral high ground to stand on. Nothing’s there to prevent them from doing to you as you do to others. The word gets out. Your good work — your reputation for honesty and fair play — will provide sound footing for a healthy career in this industry. Reputation and respect are things you work on daily. Cherish your reputation, protect it, make it important to your business and selfworth. It’s one of those “lead by example” deals that sorta trickles down.

*Paul Wunsch was the owner of Love Cycles, a serviceonly 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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A BRAVE NEW WORLD!

couple years ago, it would have been unthinkable for a motorcycle gear guide to include temporal scanners and hand sanitizers… even including Debra Chin’s face masks would have been a stretch unless they were dust masks for UTVs in the desert or maybe fog shields for the snowmobile set. But with the global pandemic transforming the future of retail, thermometers and hand sanitizing stations are now part and parcel of the powersports industry. Staff and customers are our family, so take care of them in this Brave New World!

Photo by Drew Ruiz

MAY 2020

LUCAS OIL HAND SANITIZER REFILLS

“Because of increased demand for alcohol-based hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heard reports of supply issues and consumers attempting to make their own hand sanitation solutions,” says Shane Burns, VP of Sales, Lucas Oil. Available in a 64-fluid ounce (2 quarts) refill bottle for high volume shops, Lucas Hand Sanitizer is a convenient solution for on-the-go hand sanitation when soap and water aren’t readily available. Lucas’ liquid formula is formulated in compliance with FDA guidelines and the 80% ethyl alcohol has a milder odor than isopropyl-based hand sanitizers. Glycerin additives also help keep hands from feeling dry and cracked. Starting May 6th, a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of Lucas Oil Hand Sanitizer sold has been donated to high-risk facilities and organizations including senior centers and homeless shelters. https://lucasoil.com/products/problem-solvers-utility/lucas-hand-sanitizer

TEMPORAL SCANNERS

Customers and employees are counting on you to look out for their safety when they are in the store. Most store’s first line of defense is to check temperature, but doing so manually is inefficient, costly, invasive and time consuming. Enter Tauri tablets! These tablets can check a person’s body temperature under three seconds and within three feet of the monitor using advanced German infrared technology. Done without touching a screen, Tauri tablets reduce the need for an inefficient and potentially infectious thermometer. The plug and play technology allows anybody to plug-in and start monitoring customers and employees alike in minutes. Competitive pricing allows any size store to start using this technology; and with standard mounting brackets it can be integrated into existing platforms. For more prices and information, click: www.gotauri.com

FACE MASKS: FUNCTIONAL ACCESSORIES

Social distancing is our new reality. Not only are face masks recommended by the CDC, but they are also now being mandated in more than 50 countries. So whether you’re looking for a non-medical option to wear during the COVID-19 health crisis or interested in warding off the elements while motorcycling, MotoChic has you covered. “MotoChic just launched its own line of signature face masks, transforming a much-needed item into a fun accessory,” says company founder Debra Chin. “The face masks are already creating quite a buzz among its loyal customers and enticing new ones to the brand of fashionable and functional gear for stylish people on the move… active people can express their personal style while staying safe, in keeping with the brand promise of creating fashionable and functional products that have become cherished go-to items for its customers.” https://www.motochicgear.com/shop/quilted-print-face-masks/

MUC-OFF FIGHTS BACK

“We are stoked to have been able to manufacture our first ever product in the US,” says Muc-Off CEO Alex Trimnell. “We usually work under high pressure to create products that win races. Facing into the headwinds of the pandemic has been tough. But with our performance background, we have stepped up a gear to be able to make and launch our new product in a matter of weeks.” Building on this, is the launch of a new antibacterial hand sanitizer, designed in the UK, but made in the US. Muc-Off is also committed to the global fight against COVID-19 by donating 10% of profits from the new sanitizer to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund which coordinates efforts against the spread of the Coronavirus. Muc-Off has also donated 100,000 antibacterial products to essential front-line workers. Donations in Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, South Carolina and New York have already gone to medical teams, police and fire departments via Smart Warehousing who have provided logistics support to the Muc-Off team. https://us.muc-off.com/

EXERGEN TEMPORALSCANNER

New York Magazine recently asked 50 physicians, nurses and pharmacists for their recommended medicine cabinet essentials, including thermometers. Topping the list for thermometers in two separate articles was the Exergen TemporalScanner, which was recommended by medical experts, not just for their patients but for their own families, so it should be good enough for your staff and customers. Exergen was named #1 for its accuracy, quick ease of use, and non-invasiveness. As noted by medical experts temporal artery forehead thermometers are more hygienic than other types. “With a historically high flu season and fears of coronavirus spreading, there has never been a more critical time to have an accurate thermometer that you can use on the whole family, from newborns to older family members,” says Francesco Pompei, Ph.D., CEO of Exergen Corporation. “New York Magazine made it easy to choose your thermometer by reporting the top choice among leading physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.” https://www.exergen.com/category/exergen-temporalscanner

MAY 2020

MOTO FITE KLUB

Legends Square Off, Charities Win! Photos courtesy Racer X & Road 2 Recovery

he first rule of Moto Fite Klub is that everyone talks about it! The first of its kind, racing legends squared off to battle with the real winner being some great charities… and race-starved enthusiasts around the world. Staged in a properly socially distanced manner, the madefor-TV race was the brainchild of race announcer and moto industry veteran Rob Buydos back on May 12th. “Road 2 Recovery is extremely grateful to all the Moto Fite Klub riders for their donations and for reaching out to give R2R the opportunity to host this auction,” said Lori Armistead, Director for Marketing and Public Relations for R2R. And thank you to the team over at Moto Fite Klub and Rob Buydos for putting together a great show and race that benefited so many deserving charities. It was at a private track with no fans and the riders all took measures to maintain social distancing and had medical staff on hand to check the riders. In addition to providing an entertaining event with some of the biggest stars of the sport, there were several charities benefiting from auctions for the rider’s gear. “These donations made a significant impact for R2R and the athletes we support,” adds Armistead. “Thank you to everyone who participated in the auction.” Due to the generosity of participating racing legends, fans and industry supporters, the inaugural event ultimately raised $52,429.47 for eight different Charities and Causes through a five-day eBay Auction hosted by R2R. “This was an eclectic group of individuals that wanted to make the most of this time and provide for others,” said nine-time AMA Champion Ryan Villopoto. “We wanted to use this event as an opportunity to entertain sports fans and give back to some amazing charities.

“Jeff Stanton and Damon Bradshaw called me this weekend,” tweeted Travis Pastrana. “They were throwing around an idea of doing a head-to-head bracket race with some legends in the sport… said Broc Glover was willing to throw a leg back over a bike to join them under the conditions of me being there with my 500cc Zilla. I thought it was a joke, but sounded awesome. Shortly after, I get called out again by RV so I called out Kevin Windham and by dinner time we had a round table Zoom call discussing this as an actual possibility... the inner kid in me is bouncing off the walls!” WHAT IS MOTO FITE KLUB AND HOW WAS THE MONEY RAISED? On May 12, 2020 at 2 p.m. PST, 10 of the top motocross/ supercross legends squared off for classic battles to determine who is the baddest dude in the world in the firstever Moto FITE Klub event. Damon Bradshaw, Jeff Stanton, Broc Glover, Travis Pastrana, Kevin Windham, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Sipes, Jake Weimer and Mike Alessi went head-to-head for an epic battle and it was Alessi who took home the belt.

After the racing wrapped up, the riders joined together to donate their race-worn gear to eight different charities and causes. All jerseys from the race went to Team DayneGerous benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; all goggles went to Goggles for Docs and all helmets went to Road 2 Recovery. Additionally, the team at YCF donated a Sunday Motors FLAT TRACK BIKE – S 147/150cc to help support the Mobile Medical Unit. Local Yamaha dealer; Motozilli, really stepped up, donating the Limited-Edition Yamaha YZ450F that Broc Glover rode in the race to Team DayneGerous benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Team DayneGerous was created by Glover to raise funds and awareness in his son’s name who is battling Cystic Fibrosis. Travis Pastrana then upped the ante by announcing he would match the winning bids from Glover and Weimer’s jerseys. Road 2 Recovery collected all 43 donated items once the race ended and hosted a historic eBay auction on their site the following day at 12 p.m. EST. The auction lasted five days and raised $52,429.47 for eight different Charities and Causes. Additionally, each rider chose a charity close to their hearts to personally donate money directly to. Travis Pastrana directly donated to Wings For Life and Jeff Stanton donated to Fellowship of Christian Athletes, to name a few. “We are super thankful for all the support and generosity from the motocross community,” said Jeff Stanton. “Your support will help so many in need.” Broc Glover added, “I’m very proud to be a part of the inaugural Moto Fite Klub event. The fact we were able to raise funds for so many worthy causes; makes me grateful to be a member of this moto brotherhood.” CHARITIES AND CAUSES THAT BENEFITED FROM THE AUCTION: Road 2 Recovery: $21,825.78 Team DayneGerous benefiting the Cystic Fibrous Foundation: $16,318.82 Mobile Medical Unit: $4,928.00 Wings for Life: $4,545.86 Goggles for Docs: $2,828.91 Fellowship for Christian Athletes: $966.53 Global Disaster Outreach: $875.88 Veterans MX: $139.69 Next up will be Flattrack Fite Klub coming June 9th. https://www.fite.tv/watch/moto-fite-klub/2p75c/

MAY 2020

I understand that sponsors who pay good money expect a return on their investment. But what I don’t understand the majority of the time is the sponsor’s expectations. Does it really make a difference if the sponsor’s name gets mentioned in a podium speech (alongside 15 other brand names) rattled off in a soulless shotgun manner? Probably not much. Does the rider always have to show off an energy drink can at every opportunity, as if we don’t already know (through jersey, helmet, bike, and transporter logos) who their main sponsor is? I doubt it. Yes, the big wig execs may feel all warm and fuzzy, but that’s about it. Sponsors pay riders and teams to represent their brand and ultimately help sell their product. Personality and style sell products. Okay, race wins help too, but race wins without personality and style is a flatline. Unrealistic sponsor obligations often result in boring riders with padlocks on their personalities. Think about some of the biggest names in sports. Not only are they outstanding athletes, but they also have outsized personalities. Sometimes to the point of being controversial. Names like Michael Phelps, Lance Armstrong, Danica Patrick, LeBron James, Mike Tyson, Venus and Serena Williams, and Tim Tebow are just a few that come to mind.

PARTING SHOT

Dirt Buzz Op-Ed: The Censorship Of Personality In Racing By Dale Spangler

f there’s one major drawback to motorcycle racing becoming more professional, it’s the corresponding disappearance of athlete personalities and increased self-censorship. I suppose it’s inevitable. There’s a lot at stake these days, and alongside sponsorship dollars are obligations and expectations. As a result, many riders turn off their personality and become guarded — as if a robot on autopilot. You know what I mean, that glazed look a rider gets right before they rattle off one of those stale, pre-rehearsed podium speeches we all fast-forward through or wince in embarrassment for the athlete. Sadly, our industry and sport have done this to themselves through unrealistic expectations and silly endorsement policies. It’s a shame it’s gotten to the point where top riders feel the need to create faux professional facades (read: dry and dull) instead of just being themselves and showing their real character. I would argue that this homogenization of rider personalities does nothing to help our sport — it hinders.

Each one of these iconic athletes has a personality that’s as much a media draw as their athletic accomplishments. As a result, they’re magnets for brand endorsements and sponsorship deals. And depending upon what a particular brand stands for, the athlete a brand chooses

to align itself with can be anywhere from an egotistical trash-talking braggart to a selfless squeaky-clean humanitarian. With plenty of personalities to choose from, it’s up to the brand to decide which athletes align best with objectives, beliefs, and goals. That’s why it’s hard for me to understand why in motorcycle racing, it seems as though our athletes are required to turn off their personalities and act in a Xerox manner as a result of sponsorship obligations. When did this become the norm? What happened to the Bob Hannah types that spoke their mind? In a way, perhaps our sport has become too literal. If a sponsor literally does not hear its name mentioned by an athlete on the podium, they’re not getting their money’s

worth. But instead of obsessing about mentions, perhaps brands can encourage their athletes to be themselves? Instead of spoon-fed boilerplate social media posts, encourage them to show more of their personality — to be authentic. Allow them to have fun representing your brand instead of feeling obligated to push out a certain number of shout-outs and product mentions. In an age when athlete sponsorship marketing is everpresent, for the relationship to work for both parties, we must get past our outdated, controlling habits, and encourage sponsored riders to be themselves. For the benefit of everyone involved — from athletes to sponsors to fans — let’s hope this starts happening soon. Imagine how much more fun and exciting racing will be if we get to see the real personalities under those helmets.

When racing returns from its COVID-19 hiatus, should we scale back the spectacle of Supercross and go back to privateers chasing a dream out of the back of a box van? Prior to a COVID-19 induced furlough Dale Spangler was Marketing Content Manager for Tucker Powersports and founder of DirtBuzz.com where this piece originally appeared back in 2018. However, it is even more true today than when he first wrote it, so it appears with permission here. Dale is a dedicated professional with 27 years of marketing experience in the powersports industry. Content marketing specialist with the ability to efficiently create, manage, and distribute content from start to finish. Expertise in brand building, marketing strategy, media relations, media buying, and deployment of sponsored social media advertising. Excellent written and oral communication skills with a vast network of industry associates and media contacts.

AIMExpo.................................................................... 42 Central Powerstports Distribution (CPD)............. 7 Find It Now............................................................... 25 Fuel Capital Group, Inc........................................... 47 Harden & Associates............................................... 75 Hydro-Turf ............................................................... 13 Leineweber Enterprises.............................................. MBA Insurance......................................................... 29 Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)........................ 61 Motorcycle Industry Jobs (MIJ).............................. 15

MotoTV................................................................ CVR 4 National Powersports Auctions (NPA)................... 5 Piloteer Agency....................................................... 65 STACYC..................................................................... 41 Sullivan’s.................................................................. 17 Tread Lightly............................................................ 63 Tucker Powersports................................................ 36 Twisted Throttle...................................................... 21 Women’s Motorcycle Tours.................................... 59

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

MAY 2020

American Honda had only been established for 15 years at the time of Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hiring. Stylish on and off the bike, Martyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clean-cut image and prototypical SoCal surfer looks were a perfect fit.

Ave Atque Vale Marty Smith 1956-2020

t is with deep regret that American Honda today marks the passing of Marty Smith. Smith and his wife Nancy lost their lives on April 27 due to injuries incurred in a dune-buggy accident in Southern California.

A member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Smith helped put Honda on the motocross-racing map, delivering the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second, third and fourth AMA Motocross National Championships, in the mid-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s. He earned national victories in all three AMA Motocross classes (125, 250 and 500cc), as well as 250cc Supercross, Trans AMA and even the FIM Motocross World Championship series. Born in San Diego on November 26, 1956, Marty got his first riding experience at a young age, aboard his father Alâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Honda 50 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cub,â&#x20AC;? and after some grooming in the Southern California desert, Marty began racing at Carlsbad Raceway at age 14. He enjoyed quick success and eventually earned a ride with Monark before Honda signed him as a factory rider for the 1974 season. Just 17, Smith was given the lofty mission of campaigning the RC125 (the factory version of the then-new CR125M Elsinore) in the AMA 125cc Motocross National Championshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural season. He dominated the four-round series, winning the first two races and finishing runner-up in the final two.

Smith won the crown, with fellow Honda riders Bruce McDougal, Chuck Bower and Mikey Boone taking second through fourth in the final standings. Despite his travel schedule, Marty also managed to graduate from high school that same year. Smith successfully defended his crown in 1975, topping all but one of the seven races and finishing third in the other, ultimately compiling a record 543-point margin on the series runner-up. He was also one of the first Americans to beat the Europeans, winning that yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FIM 125cc USGP, held at Mid-Ohio in Lexington, Ohio, as well as the 500cc Trans AMA race in Nebraska. The following season saw Smith continue in the AMA series while also traveling overseas for selected Grand Prix rounds in the FIM Motocross 125cc World Championship. Although he lost the AMA 125cc crown to Bob Hannah (finishing second), he again won the USGP in Ohio and finished fourth overall in that series. And in 1977, Smith further demonstrated his versatility by winning the AMA 500cc National Championship. A serious injury early the next year derailed Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;78 season, and he switched to Suzuki for a three-year run before additional injuries prompted his premature retirement at age 24. In the years since, much of Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time was devoted to teaching students through his Marty Smith Motocross Clinic.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was an era of rebellion for a lot of kids,â&#x20AC;? remembered Dave Arnold, Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mechanic during the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;76 125cc USGP and 500cc Trans AMA race, as well as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;77 500cc title-winning season. (He also eventually became Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team manager.) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Marty was a baby boomer, and when those kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; parents looked at motocross and saw that it was kind of an athletic sportâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or at least healthier than sex, drugs and rock and rollâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they were more inclined to fund the purchase of an Elsinore or whatever. Marty epitomized that; he had teen-idol looks, wore a red, white and blue Honda jersey and was on book covers and lunch pails. You could say he took the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You Meet the Nicest People on a Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tagline and turned it to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You beat the fastest people with a Honda.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The relationship between Marty and Honda was very family-like and loyal. When he flew to Japan, they put out a red carpet for him, and Mr. Honda was there to meet him on the runway.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Marty was a great racer and a true Honda legend, and his passing is a blow to the sport,â&#x20AC;? said Lee Edmunds, Manager of Powersports Marketing at American Honda. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On behalf of everyone at American Honda, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to his family, friends and fans.â&#x20AC;? Smith was 63 at the time of his passing. He is survived by his siblings, Todd and Jeanette; his children, Tyler, Jillyin and Brooke; and seven grandchildren. EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE: If anyone is considering any type of memorial, or charitable contribution, to honor our parents, Marty and Nancy Smith, please be in contact with us-Â Jillyin Smith,Â Brooke LaffÂ andÂ Tyler Smith, FIRST. This is very important to us and to our family. We are all grieving together, and there will be a giant celebration of life when EVERYONE who wants to come, can come, and will feel safe. We will make sure everyone knows about it. If anyone has heard of anything being planned, please reach out to one of us directly. Thank you and God bless.

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Specializing in Adventure, Dual Sport, Off-Road and EV market segments. Delivering solutions in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace. Over 35 years of senior level executive management experience. • • • • • •

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