Dealernews Issue#7 July 2020

DN 2.0 #7

RACING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC Best In The Desert Returns

DEALER PROFILE: FARROW HARLEY-DAVIDSON America’s Oldest Harley Dealer Just Became Its Boldest Dealer

NATIONAL POWERSPORTS ON AStore ROLL!ASSOCIATION What’s InDEALER For 2020?

Black Book’s COVID-19 Market Too Update Soon... Or Not Soon Enough?

CONTENTS 04 WORLD’S LUCKIEST MAN 06 EDITORS NOTE 08 LETTERS+ 10 OPEN LETTER TO THE INDUSTRY 12 NEWS+ 15 SPLASH+ 16 SHIFTING GEARS+ 20 DEALER PROFILE+ 26 LITTLE BLACK BOOK Bob Althoff On What We Didn’t See Robin Hartfiel On The Big IF

The Industry On Dealernews

Motorcycle Industry Council CEO Erik Pritchard On Putting Optimism Into Action Extra, Extra… Read All About It! BRP Scuppers Evinrude

Returning From Furlough

America’s Oldest Harley Dealer Becomes America’s Boldest Dealer Setting A Date For COVID Recovery

32 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+

Dr. Paul Leinberger On The Pandemic Paradox

34 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 36 INDUSTRY RESEARCH+ 38 OEM UPDATE 41 eDEALERNEWS 44 CURRENTS 47 SHOWTIME+

Lenny Sims On NADAGuides Numbers Don Musick On The Continuing Search For Waldo Christini AWD MTB Charges Onto The Scene Shocking Developments

Watts Up In The eBike Biz? Behind The Scenes

Cover and table of contents photos courtesy Mark Kariya

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OUR TEAM Bob Althoff World’s Luckist Man

48 REMEMBERING MARTY SMITH 50 PERFORMANCE+ 52 OPINION+ 56 PERSONNEL FILEs

On Set With Who’s Who Of The Moto World

Mark Rodgers On Building Referrals Bill Little On Masking Up & Throwing Down!

Alex Baylon On You Doesn’t Has To Call Me Boss

58 CONFESSIONS OF A CUSTOMER 60 DIVERSITY+ 62 MIC RIDE REPORT 64 ADVOCACY+ 66 WÜNSCHISMS 68 GEAR+ 72 ADVOCACY+ 74 PRESS PASS+ 78 PARTING SHOT+ 79 AD INDEX 80 VALE+ Eric Anderson On Firefighting

Alisa Clickenger On Value… With A Side Of Customer Service What Does The MIC Do For You? Don Amador On Fighting Back

Uncle Paul On Don’t Squat With Your Spurs On Ready To Retail Picks To Click

Scot Harden On The Apocalypse…

Is That All You Got?

Off-Road Racing Returns At Silver State 300 Frank Esposito On Bikes Vs. Bikes

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

This issue Brought To You By…

Ave Atque Vale Patrick Koether

ADVERTISING Robin Hartfiel Publisher (949) 489-4306 robinhartfiel@gmail.com Blake Foulds Account Executive (760) 715-3045 Blakefoulds@dealernews.com John Murphy Publishing Consultant johnmurphydn@gmail.com

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Dealernews Magazine 7754 State Route 36/37e Sunbury, OH 43074 www.dealernews.com © Copyright 2020

JULY 2020

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World’s Luckiest Man

By Bob Althoff

WHAT WE DIDN’T SEE

W

e didn’t see COVID coming

We didn’t see the strong customer bounce-back into our showrooms

We didn’t see that lack-of-inventory might be a problem greater than lack-of-customers

We didn’t see the government being willing to pay our furloughed staff up to $24 per hour to stay home rather than return to work

We didn’t see civil unrest flaring up

We didn’t see the greatest U. S. economy in 50 years turn to mush

We didn’t see 24 million Americans out of work (temporarily or otherwise)

We didn’t even see the need to stockpile face masks, hand sanitizer, ventilators… or why it might not be a bad idea to manufacture drugs in America (after all, we’ve never seemed to have a problem getting drugs into America)

Back when Jack Welch presided over the once-great General Electric, the company was renown for its executive training.

They churned out leaders to run the scores of subsidiary companies under their corporate umbrella. Jack was quoted once as saying he promoted executives who could “see around corners”.

Impossible, right?

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Not so quick. The ability to synthesize information and to use it to create a vision for the future is precisely what leaders (if you are reading this, you are likely a leader!) get paid to do.

So what do we make of the near future?

I’m a Dealer first and foremost. By virtue of being voted by my peers to our OE’s Dealer Advisory Council: by virtue of my having volunteered a time or three on Industry initiatives (ever been to one of the Motorcycle Industry Council’s Washington, D.C. Fly-Ins?); and finally, in my role here at Dealernews. From this vantage point, I see incredible work being done behind the scenes by both Dealers and Industry leaders.

I also see what is not being done adequately to ensure healthy Dealerships who, in turn, would ensure a healthy North American Industry. After getting blindsided as badly as we have been by what we did not see, I would suggest the industry focus on its dealers in the very near future!

Dealernews is doing its part to keep an eye on the dealers and our collective best interests. In addition to the great editorial work being done by Robin and what we affectionately refer to as the “dream team” that is consistently turning out great content, did you know that we are using the talent, connections and love (yes, love!) our team has to build bridges, challenge our Industry leaders and help you to “see what’s around the corner”?

Early in onset of COVID, we assembled experts and produced good advice on how to survive; how to maneuver the PPP; how to keep customers and staff safe, etc. Starting more than 100 days ago with our March “Beating The Virus, A Cure For The COVID-19 Slump?” cover story, our efforts have focused on seeing what’s around the corner.

During that time, it became apparent that we as Dealers MUST band together to form an effective National Powersports Dealers Association. And I have been chairing weekly national conference calls to do just that!

There is no, none, zero disagreement that we are long overdue in getting something done. There are a great number of various models for how we might proceed. But proceed we must. As a leader and as a dealer, your help is vital. Have you filled out recent questionnaires? Shared your thoughts on what is around the corner for a national dealer association?

The next corner we as an Industry will approach may shed light on better days ahead… Or it may expose a maniac with a meat axe!

Let’s look forward to the former, but prepare for the latter.

Bob P.S. Thank you for your support of Dealernews. It has been an honor to be associated with this 50+ year icon of our Industry.

I am pleased to announce the promotion of Robin Hartfiel to PUBLISHER and minority shareholder. Let me assure you, NO ONE cares more about your well-being as a Dealer than Robin and his crew. For that matter, No one cares more about the health of our Industry than Robin. He sits, wise as an old owl, at the perch between us all, seeing it all and we are lucky to have him there!

Editor’s Note

By Robin Hartfiel

BIG IF!

S

eems as if we went from cautiously optimistic to shaking in our boots in the span of 24-hours with the latest rounds of re-closures hitting most of the country.

If the closures go back to shutting down manufacturing will the dealers who have be resourceful and resilient beyond belief during the first 100+ days of the COVID-crisis even have units to sell. If they don’t have the units, does that mean our little bubble of positive off-road sales will burst?

Big if!

This month’s MIC Aftermarket Committee meeting focused on the topic “Don’t Screw The Recovery Up!” We know that the double-digit dirtbike sales are not sustainable for two more quarters, but if we can keep this crop of windfall customers riding for a few years, the aftermarket can continue to enjoy the fruits of the OEMs current labors through the end of the year and hopefully rebound with some lifetime riders/customers.

Big if!

I guess the good news is that at least we are aware of the situation and many companies and dealerships have done a good job of making hay while the sun shines. Personally, I remember how going out to the desert with my family to play on minibikes and dune buggies was the precursor to a lifetime love affair. With the current Side-By-Sides being considerably more reliable and performance capable than a clapped out old VW Baja Bug... and even more user friendly, we have an opportunity to capture another generation of family fun (at least in the key Southern California/Arizona/ Nevada/Utah markets). And any interest coming from any sector that is not a baby boomer looking to ride a Harley

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off into the sunset after this year’s 80th Anniversary Sturgis Rally is something the industry can build a sustainable future on... If we don’t screw the recovery up.

Big if!

Throw in the fact that American Iron Magazine (one of the very last of the monthly print Harley-oriented publications on the newsstand) just threw in the towel after 31 years — and even before the Sturgis surge in interest and ad revenue — and we can see just how bad an idea it is to be bringing out a trade-only media entity like Dealernews is!

However, July marks the 2 year anniversary of getting the band back together to create Dealernews 2.0 If things don’t get any worse, we will survive the COVID craziness.

Big if!

But just to be contrary, Dealernews had its best month since it was brought back to life 2 years ago. We had a social media post on Facebook hit 60K views alone. We have the industry’s eyes on us and are trying to lead the way by informing, educating and even entertaining the audience... just as the original Dealernews did for 50+ years of good and bad times. We are working with MIC and other organizations to keep powersports essential. If you can believe it, it has been worse just during my tenure with Dealernews (but it has also been a Hell of a lot better when we were on that 13-straight year run of double digit growth).

Big if!

As Dr. Leinberger’s column in this issue notes, it truly is a tale of the worst of times and the best of times... if we can get the recovery right.

Big if!

If we can capitalize on re-entry riders, kids on STACYCs, eMTBs getting sold and serviced by motorcycle dealers, entire families discovering recreational riding in UTVs, if pitbikes persevere, if mobility and practicality benefits of two-wheelers catch on, if rallies return, if trade shows survive, if we get more families sitting around a campfire in the Anza Borrego desert after a day spent burning gas and shredding tires...

BIG ifs!

But Dealernews is willing to keep bucking the odds and I honestly believe there is an innate need to scratch the itch that can only be done on two wheels! Good lord willing and the COVID river does not rise any higher and we can survive and even thrive in the future if we don’t botch the recovery.

BIG IF! 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.

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MARGIN MATTERS Great article that you penned Phil. EVERY single store and ALL employees should take a few minutes to read this, whether new to the industry or industry veterans.

Sometimes we get wrapped up in a lot of different things, but forget the basics, and this article brings it all home.

Rick Conley, Parts/Service Manager H-D Of Sacramento MORE MARGIN Great article. Read it yesterday and have passed it on at least four times today.

Jason Gearld, Business Development Manager MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com

MORE MARGIN MATTER MORE NOW THAN EVER Great piece Phil! Sometimes dealers are still a bit blind to this. Example you ask?

A rep can carry a product directly from the manufacturer offering 40-50 point margins, but still insist on getting said product through a big book distributor at 20-30 point margins. Ease of ordering these days I suppose. Dealers should be reading this!

John Haseltine, Independent Manufacturers Rep Cycle Riders Supply

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RK STRATMAN & ANONYMOUS DEALER First RK Stratman, what a touching letter from James. Having known Ron for many, many years, I can say that it was an honor to have known him. James articulated everything about his Dad that could be said. All I can say is it was touching, truthful and brought a tear to my eye. Ron Stratman was a Man and Ron was a straightforward businessman whom I highly respected.

Secondly Anonymous Dealer, I agree completely and wanted to tell you a little story regarding HDMC. During a Town Hall Meeting, I’m asking a lot of questions, they’re getting a little irritated with me and finally I say “Until you walk in my shoes, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” I re-iterated to them how when I was VP at CCI that I personally went to many, many dealers around the world and spent time studying and talking with them to learn. Long before CCI I worked in an aftermarket shop for years.

HDMC took up the flag and sent teams of executives to dealers around the country to spend time and learn. During the Town Hall, I didn’t give them all of the CCI details how I consistently asked the same questions and studied and took notes so when I came back to the office I had a map of what was needed.

No, HDMC sent execs into the dealers with no plan. And they didn’t take notes!

What did they learn? “Those guys really work hard” was all they came back with. They went into the dealers with

no idea and left the same. So, given the opportunity they missed the mark.

The real problem is that OE’s focus is not on the dealer but on the “perception” they have of the consumer. The focus groups OE’s use are brought to them by marketing firms whom have no idea what they are doing except to bill the OE. The blind leading the blind.

Dealer Advisory groups are just to keep the OE from getting sued. I believe Honda dealers brought suit to it’s OE back in the 70’s for lack of representation.

All OE’s took notice. My experience with advisory council’s is decisions are already made by the OE and the council is then informed.

Until an OE is run by people with experience or at least a team who have spent time in retail and really understand it won’t get better.

From the OE’s perspective, they are bombarded by 650 dealers all with an inconsistent message and truly, in some cases I’ve personally observed, dealers that shouldn’t be listened to because they are full of shit and only have their personal interest at heart.

Best of luck,

Dan Stern, Retired RIP Ron Stratman

VIOLATING THE FIRST RULE… We totally enjoyed your coverage of the Flat Track FITE Club PPV! I just got off the phone with my young gun friend Kody Kopp who I sponsor. We talked about the upcoming Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Amateur Nationals and how great it

SHIFTING GEARS Thanks for the shout out in the “Shifting Gears” column… And good job Charlie Williams in “Parting Shot!”

would be to have your team there for another PPV! We have seen tremendous growth here in Salem, Oregon, at the indoor venue especially in the young riders! Thoughts?

Thank you,

Save the World, Ride a Motorcycle

Jerry Ehlers Via Internet

Rick Dorfmeyer, Up For The Next Challenge Rdorfmeyer194@gmail.com

Thanks Jerry, Agreed that FITE’s PPV of Moto FITE Klub featured in Dealernews and the Flat Track FITE were awesome! They also did a Hill Climb Fite Pay Per View event. Although we covered their events, Dealernews is not affiliated with the promoters. However we will be happy to pass your message on to them.

Rick Dorfmeyer & Eric Anderson

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

A REASON FOR OPTIMISM We have good reasons to be optimistic about the future.

Remarkably, despite all that continues to happen in 2020, powersports sales remain strong. Through April, we outpaced new vehicle sales in 2019, 2018 and 2017. There is solid performance across our business, including off-highway motorcycle sales, which are up 18.9% for the first quarter.

While we eagerly await Q2 sales results, we are buoyed by the anecdotal information many of you have shared about sales in your dealerships.

These strong results suggest that we are standing on the edge of tremendous opportunity. But this is not the time to sit back and see what happens. Every one of us in the powersports industry must commit now to expanding our community of fellow riders on exhibitor teams by providing more time to focus on recovery in 2020. We remain committed to delivering information and resources to help you make the best decisions for your businesses.

PUTTING OUR OPTIMISM AND BOLD VOICE INTO ACTION Expanding ridership is something our industry has talked about and we are taking action. You may have already seen the beginning of our Ridership campaign launch on social media. This multi-faceted plan, aimed at new riders, is timely and a little edgy. We have an opportunity right now to reach potential riders, even some who likely have never thought of riding before.

Around the world we are seeing motorcycles and scooters becoming a preferred mode of transportation in the wake of COVID-19. Here in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is discouraging people from taking public transportation to help avoid contracting and transmitting the coronavirus. As people contemplate their transportation choices and step off of crowded subways and buses, we will greet them with open arms and let them know that motorcycles and scooters are a healthier (and more fun) commuting choice: COMMUTER DISTANCING. The coronavirus is also causing people to rethink their recreation time and we will be there showing them how fun a socially distant, off-road run can be: RECREATIONAL DISTANCING.

he seven months since I took over as President and CEO We are targeting consumers in cities with the highest public of the Motorcycle Industry Council have arguably been transportation use. We hope you will join the effort and use the most interesting and challenging months in the the available assets and messages in the digital toolkit we have history of the organization, and assuredly the most compelling available. To receive it, please contact findyourride@MIC.org period of my career.

As we inspire potential new riders to explore riding as a Just as we were getting started, MIC staff had to pause our commuting and recreation option, we are ensuring they know plans in mid-March as we pivoted to providing real-time that getting on a motorcycle, scooter, ATV or side-by-side is information and resources to support our members and the much easier than they think and we will provide quick access broader industry to navigate the compounding crises of 2020. to finding nearby training and dealers.

Our team went into over-drive: aggressively inserting Our Ridership campaign will continue to expand. I will keep powersports into public policy discussions to ensure our you updated on the results and next steps in the campaign. industry was well-represented, providing immediate alerts on government programs offering financial assistance The MIC staff believes in the powersports industry and all and enabling powersports businesses to get to the front of that it has to offer riders and potential riders. The industry’s the line, building a one-stop COVID-19 resource webpage, collective opportunity to make a difference has never been transforming our annual Symposium into monthly webinars to greater. deliver actionable information directly to the industry, offering information to dealers facing physical damage and loss, and Erik Pritchard moving AIMExpo into 2021 which will help alleviate pressure.

President & CEO Motorcycle Industry Council https://www.mic.org/ 10

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE INDUSTRY

T

CONTINUE THE RIDE International Motorcycle Shows Go Digital

BLACK HILLS HD BIG TOP IS UP!

The Circus Is Coming To Town, Despite COVID

The big top is up and the circus is coming to town! How better to rally back from COVID closures? The folks at Black Hills Harley-Davidson believe that the best way to beat the virus is to continue their own Sturgis kick-off event: Rally At Exit 55.

“Sturgis is on and we’re counting down the days until our Pre-Rally Rollout: August 1st and 2nd,” claims the Black Hills dealership. Select vendors will be open both days 8am to 6pm at The Rally At Exit 55. As in years past, and despite a serious scarcity of clean late model HarleyDavidson inventory, they managed to stockpile more than 500 new and used Harleys that will be for sale under the big tent.

From Arnott Air Suspension and Lexin, to Vance & Hines and Z Clear more than 75 aftermarket exhibitors will be bolstering the dealership’s efforts from August 1-15. If you are caught up in a second wave of COVID closures, a little throttle therapy might be good for wait ails you?

The Rally At Exit 55 2020 Schedule Pre-Rally Rollout - August 1st & 2nd - 8am to 6pm - select vendors open for business.

All vendors open August 5th-15th Rally Hours: August 5th & 6th - 8am to 6pm August 7th-14th - 8am to 8pm August 15th - 8am to 6pm https://www.blackhillshd.com/vendors-picturesvideo-the-rally-at-exit-55-countdown-with-us-tothe-next-black-hills-sturgis--rally

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Our friends at the International Motorcycle Shows have unveiled a comprehensive digital outreach program, including distinct B2C and B2B channels. Continue The Ride features original content developed by the IMS team and its partners, including new video series, a podcast, live Q&A sessions, product and bike reviews, sweepstakes and more.

“This year, due to the pandemic, we need to stay connected and find new ways forward toward a new normal,” explains IMS SVP Tracy Harris. “Thankfully, the powersports industry is prevailing through these trying times, even experiencing renewed momentum as twowheel transportation now serves as a means to escape and have fun while safely offering an alternative to public transportation for those who live in urban and condensed areas.”

She adds, “The current times have forced our IMS family to reflect upon our business and examine what our customers and community seek… Beyond hosting the nation’s largest consumer motorcycle tour, we hold the unique position as the foremost industry hub for connecting powersports’ top products and brands with enthusiasts and newcomers. Now, more than ever, we see an opportunity to extend our reach beyond our live shows and cater to the needs of the powersports community 365 days a year.”

IMS digital products include: The Reserve Tank, a consumer-facing podcast Centerstand, a business-facing podcast Inside the Garage, a do-it-yourself (DIY) video series IMS Rides, a video series exploring exciting routes, communities, and rider personalities A blog E-newsletters

Get connected and continue the ride here: https:// www.continuetheride.com/?elq_mid=816&elq_ cid=396365

TAKE IT OUTSIDE KIDS!

Outdoor Nationals Abbreviated Schedule

The delayed 2020 Pro Motocross championship is set to launch August 15 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and run for nine rounds. “While we continue to navigate through these challenging and continuously evolving times of the coronavirus pandemic, we are confident that we’ve developed the framework for a high-caliber championship schedule that can be successfully implemented,” said Roy Janson, MX Sports Pro Racing Competition Director.

A lingering concession to COVID-19 is the fact that select rounds will feature limited spectator access and others will be conducted exclusively for racers, with attendance limited to crew members and immediate family. All events will feature an amateur racing component, both before and after the professional race day.

“From the moment we faced our first bout of adversity surrounding the coronavirus we have diligently tried to find a way to make the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship a reality,” added Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. “We know the motocross community is as passionate about this championship as we are, as it’s the lifeblood of the sport, and it’s been our goal to bring everyone, from riders to fans alike, the series they deserve.

We’re confident that this schedule will accomplish that, and we look forward to providing the joy and sense of normalcy that American motocross can bring during these incredibly uncertain times.”

After Loretta’s the next eight rounds will take place at well-known venues ranging from Washougal MX Park in Washington to Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota.

The 2020 series will also feature the first-ever Pro Motocross “doubleheader” at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan, and wrap up at Fox Raceway in Southern California on October 10. See the full schedule here: https://promotocross.com/schedule

U.S. CONCEDES MXON

Another COVID-Related Casualty

One unintended consequence of the extended Pro Motocross schedule and the continuing COVID confusion is the withdrawal of Team USA from the 2020 Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Motocross of Nations, that was set for Sept. 25-27, in Matterley Basin, Great Britain. “The health of our racers and staff is paramount, and current and future global travel restrictions make our involvement in an international event impossible at this time,” said AMA Supercross Manager Mike Pelletier.

“The U.S. team effort to attend the Motocross of Nations each year is extensive, both financially and logistically,” notes Pelletier. “Even in normal times, preparing our best effort at this point in the season would be difficult. The AMA looks forward to returning to the Motocross of Nations in 2021 and bringing the Chamberlain Trophy back to U.S. soil.”

The FIM-sanctioned Motocross of Nations is a world championship team event. It features three-rider national teams competing for a combined score to determine the overall championship-winning country.

The U.S. team has won the Motocross of Nations 22 times and is the all-time leader in FIM Motocross of Nations overall team victories. All of those wins took place under the direction of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend Roger DeCoster. The most recent time the U.S. Team won the Motocross of Nations was 2011.

JULY 2020

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AMERICAN IRON SUSPENDS PUBLICATION REWIRE COSTS THE MOTOR COMPANY Cutting CFO & 700 Jobs

“The Rewire is progressing very well and substantial work is being done to eliminate complexity and get HarleyDavidson on a path to winning,” explains Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson.

“Our new operating model is simpler, more focused and enables faster decisions across the entire company.” As initially announced in the April shareholders session, the Rewire plan will cost The Motor Company approximately $42 million in restructuring in Q2 2020. Harley-Davidson says it will share a summary of Rewiring its Q2 results.

“We’ve taken a hard look at our entire set up, our spending, and how work is getting done, to align our operating model, structure and processes,” adds Zeitz. “We are building a strong foundation to drive a high-performance organization in the future.” One immediate cost was Chief Financial Officer John Olin’s gig. He has left his role, with current VP Treasurer, Darrell Thomas assuming duties as interim CFO until a successor is appointed.

“Significant changes are necessary, and we must move in new directions. I thank John for his commitment during his 17 years with the company and for his leadership during this critical phase of The Rewire,” Zeitz said. There are more cuts to come, according to Zeitz, including 700 fewer positions across the company’s global operations with approximately 500 employees expected to exit the organization through 2020.

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“The world has changed significantly. The motorcycle business has changed. And the magazine industry has too.

Unfortunately, not for the better - short or long term.

For the last 31 years our team has worked hard responding successfully to the trends, opportunities, and changes. But when our advertising crashed with the recent spread of the virus, we ran out of options. We trimmed the page count and content in our magazines, but that was not enough to make a difference.

Rather than watch our magazines decline even further, we have suspended publication as we explore our options. It is not an easy decision for American Iron Magazine, American Iron Garage and American Iron Salute, but it is the right one.

The last issue of American Iron Magazine was Issue #390, on sale last week.

Since 1989, I have been fortunate to work with really great editors, art directors and contributors who were dedicated, creative, hard working and smart. They had to be to achieve what we did for more than three decades. And a big thanks to all of our readers and advertisers, who supported our efforts so passionately.

Rather than dwell on the end of our magazines, I hope you’ll join us remembering your favorite articles, writers, photographers and events that we have enjoyed over the years. There have been so many.

Thank you one and all for your support, encouragement and friendship. It’s been a heckuva ride.”

Buzz Kanter - Editor-in-Chief

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT

They say a rising tide floats all boats, but BRP is experiencing a COVID-driven converse. Sinking Q1 financials and the subsequent scuppering of its Evinrude division were symptoms of the virus.

On May 27, 2020, the company announced the re-orientation of its global marine business. As part of this announcement, BRP discontinued the production of its outboard engines and signed an agreement with Mercury Marine to support its boat packages.

Following government measures, adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company announced that all of its powersports and marine manufacturing operations around the world were temporarily suspended or slowed down and a series of cost reduction initiatives were undertaken, including the reduction of its global workforce and other temporary layoffs.

“The sudden impact of the COVID-19 crisis has brought rapid changes that significantly disrupted our business and forced us to quickly and successfully adjust our plan, thanks to the agility and resilience of our employees, suppliers and dealers,” said José Boisjoli, President and CEO at BRP. “Today most of our manufacturing and dealers have re-opened for business. With the new travel restrictions and vacation at home trend, our retail is returning strongly and showing very positive signs.”

Among the “operational adjustments” was the discontinuation of Evinrude outboard engine production. “For our Evinrude employees, let me say that I am very proud of the part they have played over the past years and in particular, their efforts over the past 18 months. Although we have made progress, the impact of COVID-19 has left us no choice. I wish to thank them for their dedication and commitment in helping us create the Marine Group”, concluded Boisjoli.

The Company’s North American retail sales for Q1 decreased by 1% compared with the three-month period ended April 30, 2019, mainly due to a decrease in 3WV, outboard engines and snowmobiles. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in UTV and ATV sales. Gross profit decreased by $65.5 million, or 21.8%, to $235.1 million for the three-month period ended April 30, 2020, compared with $300.6 million for the corresponding period ended April 30, 2019.

Brought To You By MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com

Elvis has entered the building! Former dealership GM Kevin “Elvis” Vaughn has joined ACTION Recruiting as Director of Talent Search, Motorcycle Industry. “Elvis rocks,” says ACTION Recruiting Owner and Managing Director Jan Plessner. “He first hit my radar as the GM of Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Roswell, Georgia.

It didn’t take long to recognize his superb recruiter DNA,” she adds. “With our growing roster of Harley-Davidson dealership clients, the timing was right to bring someone of his caliber and client understanding on board.” The King is looking forward to the new gig.

“Transitioning to recruiting is a natural progression for my skillset,” said Elvis.

“My dealership experience provides tremendous insight on what clients and candidates are looking for, so I’m confident I’ll be able to do a terrific job in finding the ideal people for any business. Jan has an outstanding reputation, and her vetting processes, exceptional customer service and business model all align with the high levels of how I do business. I’m ready to get to work on behalf of America’s motorcycle industry.” Hiring managers in need of high-performance long-term or short-term employees, as well as individuals looking to grow their careers, are encouraged to email Elvis@spACTION.com, call (404) 729-5633 or connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/actionelvis/

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Heather Wilson has been promoted to Director of Member Activity for the American Motorcyclist Association and charged with managing the new department. “While we remain as committed as ever to our amateur and professional competition responsibilities, we don’t want to lose sight of the trends that inspire non-racers to ride,” explains AMA CEO Rob Dingman. “The recreational riding community represents the greatest number of motorcyclists, by far, in our country, and the Member Activity Department will provide increased focus for serving their needs.” The department will direct recreational engagement elements of AMA-promoted non-competition events and organize AMA Recreational Riding Commissions. “Motorcycling is my passion, and I’m grateful that I get to spend my days working with AMA members, AMA-chartered event organizers and other partners,” says Wilson, who joined the AMA communications staff in 2014. “I am committed to the continued progress of recreational riding, and look forward to providing more training and opportunities for AMA volunteers to spread the AMA mission.” Wilson will report to Chief Operating Officer James Holter. Wilson grew up immersed in motorcycling, her parents established a motorcycle dealership in central Ohio in 1977 and have owned and operated it since. Wilson has a Journalism degree from Ohio University, and prior to joining AMA, Wilson was communications specialist for the Motorcycle Industry Council.

Another glass ceiling shattering as Breeann Poland accepted an additional role while keeping her current duties at Royal Enfield North America. “I will continue to Lead Marketing & Communications for the Americas as well as becoming the Global Brand Manager for the Continental GT platform. I am extremely excited and humbled about this opportunity. 2020 as been a crazy year but so rewarding personally. I also begin school tomorrow! Bring on all the new challenges and responsibilities.

“This is reminder to everyone that no dream is to big, no goal is out of reach.

You can achieve what you set your mind to as long as you don’t give up,” she says.

And in a related Royal Enfield North America development, Jen Muecke who shot Dealernews’ run to the “Super Bloom” has contracted with the RENA team. “I’m so stoked,” says the veteran photojournalist.

“I have a new job… I’m going to be working for one of the world’s oldest iconic motorcycle brands. They sell more on-road bikes than any other manufacturer world-wide, and I don’t even have to move because their US HQ is in Milwaukee.”

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Brought To You By MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com Continued from page 16

AFT shifting gears: When the delayed 2020 American Flat Track season finally took to the track July 17-18, NBC Sports announced an addition to their on-air talent. Versatile veteran announcer Jason Weigandt and trackside correspondent Kristen Beat were joined by flat track legend Chris Carr as expert commentator for all AFT on NBCSN telecasts.

The AMA Hall-ofFamer has seven Grand National Championships, as well as being second in all-time flat track wins with 78. “I am looking forward to bringing my 40+ years of flat track experience back into the NBCSN broadcast booth,” said Carr. “This year’s schedule poses new challenges for racers and teams to overcome, and it will be very interesting to see who faces those challenges the best over the coming months.”

Weigandt, play-by-play announcer for AFT on NBCSN since 2017, and the resident motorcycle racing expert for NBC Sports, added: “I am so glad we can get back to it. The way AFT is exploding, each year seems like a five-year advancement over the previous. So many teams and riders are getting stronger each season in each class.” With nearly a decade of motorsports broadcasting experience, Beat brings her expertise into the AFT paddock to supplement the telecast with her behind-the-scenes trackside reports and rider interviews. “I’m just so excited to get back to racing, and I can’t wait to share the riders’ stories with everyone at home,” said Beat. “here are so many storylines this season, and like always we are going to bring the fun, real, raw passion of American Flat Track home for the fans! I am so lucky and grateful to be returning to this series.”

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“I like to keep an eye on individuals who are making a positive impact on our industry” said Jason Walling, national sales manager of HISUN Motors Corp., USA. “I want to collaborate with them and learn from their experiences. When the opportunity presented itself, I was thrilled to promote Thomas Kang.”

A veteran to the HISUN organization, Kang is the newly appointed Eastern U.S. regional sales manager. His tenure with HISUN spans over a decade, hosting a variety of responsibilities along the way.

Notably, Kang was among the first to present the HISUN brand name to the U.S. market, back in 2013. When he is not working Kang can be found flogging his CBR1000RR during RideSmart track days. As Eastern U.S. Regional Sales Manager, Kang is now responsible for leading the dealer support staff and overseeing sales operations for the entire 32 state region.

In a related move, HISUN has has hired a pair of district sales managers: Chris Storrie and Shea Fouchek have 18+ years of combined industry experience helping dealers drive revenue.

Most recently with BRP, Storrie will be responsible for managing the Northeastern territory, where he will lead all dealer sales operations and forge new partnerships with dealers.

Formerly with SC Autosports, Fouchek is now serving dealers in HISUN’s SouthCentral territory, where he is working closely with business development manager Tyler Houghton. “Storrie and Fouchek are great fits for HISUN,” noted national sales manager Jason Walling. “I am fully confident in their ability to not only support our aspirations of developing the HISUN brand name, but also to enhance the dealer experience throughout the process. We are happy to have them aboard and look forward to their lasting contributions to our organization.”

“Looking back, I’m warmed by all the great people I’ve come to know in this amazing business of motorcycling and powersports, from dealers to aftermarket manufacturers to OEMs, and to have a true sense that an industry is made up and driven by a family of people and personalities, not just brands and companies,” said Larry Little on his last day with the Motorcycle Industry Council. Little is retiring after more than 40 years in the powersports industry – from publishing with Cycle News and Cycle World to co-founding AIMExpo, to volunteer work for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, plus a long record of service with the MIC, including a decade as chair of its board of directors.

“I still recall, as a teenage motorcycle enthusiast, telling a teacher in high school that I wanted to work in the motorcycle industry,” he said. “But I could have never imagined how fortunate I’ve been to be involved in the industry as I have.”

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AMERICA’S OLDEST DEALER BECOMES IT’S BOLDEST DEALER “

Farrow Harley-Davidson Pays Homage To Lilly Farrow

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hat is Farrow Harley-Davidson,” asks Ricart Automotive Group President turned Dealer Principal Rick Ricart. “Farrow is America’s oldest Harley dealer. On the surface it is a family of Harley dealerships, what it really is goes much deeper than that! It is a community, a group of people… a group of riders that have come together since 1912 to celebrate riding HarleyDavidsons. It is one of the most iconic dealerships in the country.” It is also transitioning from the oldest dealership to the boldest in the nation.

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Becoming America’s boldest Harley dealer requires bold moves, starting with changing the name of the business for the first time since 1912, according to Ricart. So what is bold? How about opening a new location in the middle of the pandemic? Wouldn’t be the first time this operation twisted the throttle when their peers are grabbing a handful of brakes!

America’s oldest Harley-Davidson dealer was founded in 1912 by Alfred D. Farrow and his wife Lilly, who were pioneers helping to establish Harley-Davidson Motor Company nationwide. Ricart Automotive acquired the dealership in the summer of 2019 and now operates three locations in Pataskala, Sunbury and downtown Columbus.

As stewards of America’s oldest Harley dealer, the family recognizes the motivations that first led A.D. Farrow to start the company 108 years ago.

However, Rick says it is important to recognize what Lilly did long after A.D.’s untimely passing (see sidebar). “Lilly really led the charge; she took over at the time when it was unheard of for a woman from a dealership perspective. She took the company through World Wars and Depressions,” he adds.

He believes there is no better feeling in the world than enjoying the open road, the wind in your face, the music coming through the speakers and the rumble of that V-Twin engine underneath you making that iconic Harley-Davidson sound. “That is something I personally want to share. The Ricart brand has been one of the top quality car dealers in central Ohio for many years. To take two iconic names like A.D. Farrow and Ricart and having them come together adds synergy that was almost logical,” as if anything about being a motorcycle dealer could ever be considered logical.

INCLUSIVE, NOT EXCLUSIVE “Farrow Harley-Davidson is an expanding, fun community of riders that work hard, play hard and just love the machines,” says Ricart in recognition of the changing customer base. “Farrow Harley-Davidson is for any rider who seeks adventure, unity, camaraderie, love for the sport and each other. We welcome all — our riders come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, beliefs… we embrace everyone with open arms and invite them to join our family.”

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Continued from page 21

“The Ricart family is a family of riders… growing up cars and trucks were the business, motorcycles became the hobby, became the sport. Look at a motorcycle — deep down, it is a transportation source, but there is always a better way, a more innovative way to enjoy it, to use it, to buy it, to sell it, to service it.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME Having the opportunity to take America’s oldest Harley dealer and say “where does that go in the future… how do we make this America’s greatest Harley dealership?

I think it starts today. We are going to make bold moves, bold changes. Dropping the “A.D.” was a bold move. We’re America’s oldest Harley dealer and A.D. was certainly part of the creation of that legacy.” But that was 108 years ago!

“When you look back into the history of A.D. Farrow — no disrespect to A.D. — Lilly really brought the dealership through the bulk of the time and the challenges. I’m sure getting the business off the ground was difficult for A.D., but being female at that time, Lilly had to prove herself even more. She had to get all the other dealers to be okay with this woman owning that title.

“She made it through World Wars, she made it through depressions and recessions and she grew a brand and a business and a rider base — I don’t know that there is another story like that anywhere. So why do we drop the A.D. off of Farrow? It was simply to pay as much homage to Lilly as possible!

“Farrow Harley-Davidson just has a ring to it. I can just remember growing up and we didn’t go to ‘AD Farrow’s,” we went to ‘Farrow’s’ — it was a family business in the beginning and it is going to be a family business from this point forward.

“You know something else I believe in deeply? The word authenticity! I can sit here and tell somebody until I’m blue in the face about why you need to come ride with us. But I feel with the team we have in place, the level of passion in all the stores, it speaks for itself.” Fortune favors the bold, as they say.

Rick is reminded of another icon that reinvented itself. “It is sort of like with cornflakes’ old ‘try us again for the first time’ — it’s the new Farrow Harley-Davidson! Come ride with us for the first time.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxjxfmFFIEg

754 E State Route 37 Sunbury, OH 43074 740-965-9900 22

https://farrowhd.com/

HOMAGE TO LILLY FARROW By Bob Althoff

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his incredible woman deserves a Hall of Fame Induction AND a 12-foot statue in front of the building as well as the fitting tribute of having the dealership renamed in her honor. Farrow family matriarch Lilly Farrow was born to lead 128 years ago. By the age of 22, and at a time when women could not have a Harley-Davidson franchise, Lilly was leading A.D. Farrow Co. Harley-Davidson through World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Tragically, 53,402 US troops died in combat. Even more tragically, 63,114 US troops died of the post-war Influenza outbreak, many in Ohio at Camp Sherman.

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 mother.

Widowed after A.D.Farrow’s death, she was only 28 years of age with three small children. 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.

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 all odds.

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. 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!

his third “new” Ricart Ford at Route 33 and Hamilton Road, site of today’s Ricart Mega Mall.

Ricart Family Rocks On

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n Ohio dealership institution, Ricart Automotive was founded in 1953 when the late Paul F. Ricart bought a tiny Ford dealership in Canal Winchester and then expanded to Route 33 at Bowen Road. He built his business serving area residents and U.S. Airmen stationed at the nearby Lockbourne Air Force Base. But with his commitment to being Central Ohio’s low-price dealer, Ricart Ford’s reputation spread. In the 1960s, Paul built

Paul’s sons, Fred Ricart and Rhett Ricart, grew Ricart Ford into the mega dealership it is today. The guitar-strumming Fred, through thousands of TV commercials that he produced at his Ricart studio, became one of the most recognized faces in Central Ohio. Ricart family members have been Harley riders for years, Fred, even rode one in Ricart Automotive commercials in the 1990s. Rhett remains the behind-the-scenes businessman who takes care of daily operations. Now their sons, Rick Ricart, Ross Ricart and Jared Ricart, have taken the reins of the business that their grandfather founded.

Rick also runs the Farrow family of dealerships that Ricart added last year with the same guiding philosophy: “We strive every day to provide our customers, vendors and employees with world class services, one experience and one encounter at a time.”

JULY 2020

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longer into the future. Changes on both sides of that equation, increased supply and decreased demand, will likely lead to downward pressure on values going forward.

DEALERS & INVENTORY SUPPLY At this point in time, most dealers are open and fully adjusted to newly established requirements of doing business. Temperature checks for employees, reconfigured showrooms to maintain social distancing, and enhanced cleaning and sanitation policies help make sure everyone has a safe environment to work and shop in.

There has also been widespread adoption of online tools and communication channels to minimize interpersonal contact in the sales process wherever possible. Many customers even welcome this new “touchless” interaction, leading many dealers to implement it as a major part of their sales processes going forward, even after the Coronavirus restrictions are no longer necessary.

This, coupled with a loosening of restrictions by both governments and manufacturers, has allowed a new ecosystem of remote vehicle delivery to spring into being.

After an initial adjustment period, most dealers have figured out how to continue business operations, and many have actually thrived, reporting record sales over the past two months.

COVID-19 Powersports Market Update 5-14-2020 SUMMARY Various “stay-at-home” orders and shutdowns of large swaths of the economy have created enormous challenges and financial hardships for many manufacturers, finance companies, and dealers in the Powersports community. Many of the major manufacturers have shutdown plants worldwide due to Coronavirus outbreaks and/or reductions in parts availability and market demand.

They have also delayed introductions of new models until later in the year, reduced pay for executives, frozen worker salaries, and taken steps to preserve liquidity to weather the crisis. Finance companies have also been forced to lay off employees, postpone collections, and offer incentives to help keep units moving off showroom floors. Most dealers have seen foot traffic dry up almost completely as the various state and local “stay-at-home” orders and social distancing have been in full force over the past two months. A minority of Powersports businesses have not only seen fewer negative effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, they have thrived. Numerous dealers in rural areas, especially those near large outdoor recreational spots, have seen banner sales over the past two months. 2020 began very strong sales-wise for much of the Powersports market, and for these lucky, mostly rural dealers, the pandemic has been a minor speed bump. For most of the rest of the industry, results are much more mixed.

DEALERS Most dealers have adjusted to the new social distancing reality of doing business in our new “normal” by embracing online models for sales and customer contact. Industry groups such as the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) have, in most cases, successfully lobbied federal, state, and local officials to allow Powersports businesses to be 1 Black Book® is a registered trademark of Hearst Business Media Corporation. © 2020 Hearst Business Media Corporation. All rights reserved.

1745 N. Brown Rd, Ste 130, Lawrenceville, GA | 800-554-1026

BLACK BOOK

COVID-19 Powersports Market Update

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everal months into the COVID-19 pandemic, while nearly nothing is normal anymore, we are starting to see a new “normal” emerge within the Powersports market. The surprising thing is that the new “normal” looks and feels like how we would have expected the market to look had the Coronavirus never happened. Pricing this month has risen incrementally, and by what would be considered typical amounts in any other year, with a few segments showing minor declines.

Though the journey has been rough, Powersports has been one of the few “winners” so far during this crisis.

The Powersports and RV markets have been spared from some of the worst economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis, primarily because of increased demand due to them both being unique forms of “socially distant” recreation.

Present-day conditions have led to a supply and demand equilibrium that is producing near normal pricing trends, but we do not expect this scenario to continue much

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The biggest challenge for dealers right now is a lack of inventory. On the new side, even though the manufacturers have mostly re-opened production lines, inventory is still tight. After selling through available inventory in the latter part of April, May, and early June, new units have not yet started to arrive in bulk. While the plants have been re-opened, they are in many cases running at reduced capacity. There are several reasons for this. First, required social distancing and enhanced cleaning have changed the day-to-day operations at the factories. With additional time needed for cleaning, and workers spaced apart as much as possible, manufacturing efficiencies have been lost. Second, even if a manufacturer can get their plants running at full speed, not all suppliers can do the same.

Delays in getting necessary parts from the supply chain have also led to reduced new unit production volumes.

The upshot is that for many dealers, new units are not arriving fast enough to replace inventory that has been recently sold.

In addition to a lack of new inventory, the supply of used units is also constrained now. Dealers add used inventory primarily from trade-ins and wholesale auctions.

Currently, auctions are limited in the volume of units they can offer, though supply is steadily increasing with each passing week. The remarketing channels run by the nance companies have been severely impacted by Coronavirus shutdowns and business limitations. Many governments have imposed restrictions on collections and repossessions due to the historic levels of unemployment. This, coupled with reduced operational capability throughout nearly all levels of the remarketing chain, has curtailed the lack of inventory to the wholesale auctions. This lack of available units, coupled with higher than expected sales, has also led many dealers to recondition and showcase their trade- ins on the showroom floor. This helps at the

individual dealer level, but reduces another component of the auctions’ vehicle supply, dealer consignments. Dealer consignments are an important source of units for the auctions and an important tool in managing inventory for the dealers. Much like on the new side, where the supply is steadily increasing week by week, the same thing is happening on the used side. As sections of the economy have opened over the past month, the flow of units into the remarketing channels has started to increase. We anticipate this trend will continue to gain steam as we move forward.

PRICE TRENDS In conversations we have had with dealers and based on reports in the industry press, off-road sales for dirtbikes and ATVs and Utility Vehicles, have been the bright spot for most. Streetbikes and Cruisers have also picked up as the economy re-opened recently. The added funds available to many customers from cancelled vacations, events, and other activities, coupled with tax returns, fueled much of the early buying. Incentive programs and special financing from the manufacturers also helped fuel sales over the past few months. A significant number of dealers have reported record months and, as a result, their showrooms are now depleted of inventory. The allure of riding an ATV or dirtbike, a fundamentally solitary or socially distant activity even in a group setting, has been a natural default for the current times, where large gatherings are either shutdown, or frowned upon.

AUCTIONS Wholesale auctions have been up and running throughout the Coronavirus crisis. Much like the dealers mentioned above, auctions implemented social distancing and re-

configured their business practices for this new era. All major powersports auctions already have an established, robust set of online tools and platforms to facilitate the sales process. As mentioned above, the main constraints at the auctions continues to center around lack of inventory. With many financial institutions still operating with reduced staffing and social distancing in place, the supply of units within the remarketing channels is still lower than normal, though it is growing each day. In addition, dealership consignments are also down as these units are being reconditioned and put on the showroom floor. Average sell through rates are still in the 90% plus range, though pricing has started to soften in the past few weeks. While prices remain high, volumes at the auction are still running behind 2019 numbers.

The biggest change to note here is that unlike June, this looks like a typical month-over-month adjustment of values in the Powersports market. Considering all the extreme events we have been through in the past few months, this is remarkable. Normally, the Powersports market reaches a peak in values for many segments right before the 4th of July, leading to gradually decreasing values for the rest of the year. That peak appears to be delayed a bit based on the most recent auction activity but is still happening at the rate it typically would. Last month’s nearly 5% increase for ATVs and eye-popping 10% increase for Utility Vehicles are some of the largest we have ever seen. This month’s mostly single digit changes are much more typical of the Powersports market over the past decade or so.

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Continued from page 27

Since the Coronavirus first impacted economic activity in the U.S., outdoor segments have fared well for the most part.

After the initial shock caused by stay-at-home orders and business restrictions in many areas of the county reflected in May values, ATVs and especially Utility Vehicles responded with massive increases in value for June. Both segments have now returned to relatively normal pre-pandemic valuation levels, though still higher than average. One important item to remember is that the chart above tracks month-over-month changes in value, so for Utility Vehicles in particular, this month’s 1.5% drop in values only moderates last month’s 10% increase, it does not bring the values all the way back down.

ATVs have drops and increases that leave them at roughly pre-pandemic levels.

Since the Coronavirus first impacted economic activity in the U.S., outdoor segments have fared well for the most part. After the initial shock caused by stay-at-home orders and business restrictions in many areas of the county reflected in May values, ATVs and especially Utility Vehicles responded with massive increases in value for June. Both segments have now returned to relatively normal pre-pandemic valuation levels, though still higher than average. One important item to remember is that the chart above tracks month-over-month changes in value, so for Utility Vehicles in particular, this month’s 1.5% drop in values only moderates last month’s 10% increase, it does not bring the values all the way back down. ATVs have drops and increases that leave them at roughly pre-pandemic levels.

Dirtbikes continue to be our standout performer during the Coronavirus pandemic. They have increased in value each month, including during April and especially May where most segments lost significant amounts of value. This is also noteworthy as their strongest time of year tends to be in the Fall.

Cruisers are interesting because they have been a lagging segment in the overall marketplace. When COVID-19 first showed up, these bikes were seeing steady increases in value as dealers were stocking up for the Spring selling season that is fueled by warm weather and tax refunds. 2020 was poised to be one of the better years for this segment in recent memory. The Coronavirus shutdowns and stay-at-home orders brought this to a screeching halt. While the off-road segments performed well, especially in rural and open space areas, on-road bikes overall took it on the chin.

Cruisers are starting to gain steam and appear to be roughly a month behind normal seasonal trends.

Street bikes took a bumpy path, but they have arrived at roughly where they normally would be during this time of year. It is important to remember that while we keep talking about “normal” value levels, the supply and demand equation that has delivered them is still out of whack, with supply being constrained and demand being large enough to keep the prices up.

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Continued from page 29

THE FUTURE The million dollar question right now is where we go from here. It is our opinion that the current environment we are experiencing is unlikely to continue much longer. There are major changes headed to the Powersports market that are likely to upset our current equilibrium.

First, on the supply side, manufacturers will get their supply chains up to speed and increase manufacturing capacity steadily in the coming months, which will lead to the eventual return of new units to dealer showrooms. On the used side, repossessions, which have been put on hold, will start up in earnest again. This, coupled with the resumption and normal operation of the other parts of the remarketing channels, will bring more units to the auctions. Normal seasonal trends are also likely to result in increases in units as retail customers start looking to cooler weather in the fall and are more willing to part with their vehicles.

Second, as far as demand goes, we see that softening as well. Recent auctions are already showing slowdowns, or outright decreases, in pricing. Volume is still reduced from levels a year ago, and when it increases this will put downward pressure on values. After the initial wave of people who bought Powersports vehicles for socially distant recreation has passed, there is likely to be less “pent-up� demand in the market. The other major reason we see a drop in demand being probable is that once government programs boosting the economy such as the Small Business Administration’s PPP and EIDL loans, as well as the extended unemployment benefits expiring at the end of July are removed, the full effects of joblessness and reduced economic activity will be felt.

We see the end of the augmented unemployment insurance program at the end of July as being a particularly significant factor as it will be removing a major economic support for the economy at large. New unemployment claims released by the US Department of Labor last week showed an additional 1.4 million people led unemployment for the first time.

Continued prolonged periods of high unemployment, especially absent substantial government assistance, are likely to be a drag on the broader economy for the near future.

As Fall arrives, it is likely in our estimation that a combination of reduced governmental support for the economy, coupled with historically high levels of unemployment and a recession, will have significant deleterious effects on Powersports. At the same time this is occurring, several prominent health officials are predicting a second wave of Coronavirus. During this period, the supply of new units will have increased substantially and used units should be moving through remarketing channels in larger numbers as well. It also appears likely that with record unemployment, many Powersports owners may be forced to relinquish their vehicles due to economic necessity, further increasing used vehicle supply. This confluence of events will also coincide with the traditional low point for the powersports market. These factors leave us bearish on the long-term value proposition going forward. Mitigating these concerns will be the continued demand for socially distant recreation, which has so far helped keep the Powersports industry in good shape compared to many other sectors of the economy.

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POWERSPORTS VALUES EASE INTO SEASONAL PATTERNS “After a roller coaster ride over the past several months, July’s Powersports value adjustments are modest, and generally conform to what we would say are “normal” amounts for the time of year.” Scott Yarbrough, Black Book Senior Analyst - Motorcycle & Powersports

The past several months have been a roller coaster ride of severe drops in value followed by a historic increase in pricing for June. After all that, this month actually looks sort of normal… believe it or not. Almost all changes are only of a single percent or two, and the overall market is beginning to reach an equilibrium point near where we would have expected it to be before the coronavirus upended everything.

One thing to note about our new “normal” — it is likely anything but. While superficially the market looks to be in

a fairly typical place for mid-summer, there are a number of external factors significantly influencing current conditions. First, inventory at the wholesale auctions is still significantly constrained, limiting the supply of used vehicles. Second, new inventory from the manufacturers is also running below normal levels due to previous plant shutdowns and continuing supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus. Third, the full economic impact of the coronavirus and high levels of unemployment have been blunted by the government.

When these supply constraints ease up on both the new and used side, and if the government assistance dries up as it is currently scheduled to at the end of the month, we will likely be looking at another major change in market conditions soon.

About Black Book Black Book® is best known in the automotive industry for providing timely, independent and precise vehicle pricing information, and is available to industry-qualiifed users through online subscription products, mobile applications and licensing agreements. Since 1955 Black Book has continuously evolved to ensure that it achieves its goal of delivering mission-critical information to its customers, along with the insight necessary to successfully buy, sell, and lend. Black Book data is published daily by National Auto Research, a Hearst company, and maintains offices in Georgia as well as the Canadian Black Book in Toronto. Contact Black Book: p. 800.554.1026 e. info@blackbook.com www.blackbook.com

Dealernews Research

By Dr. Paul Leinberger

PANDEMIC PARADOX It Was The Worst Of Times, It Was The Best Of Times

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ycle World called it the Pandemic Paradox. Numerous financial commentators say it is a “buying frenzy.”

Meanwhile many dealers moaned that their biggest problem in May and June was keeping product in stock.

Yet, just a few months earlier, the industry reported that motorcycle sales during the first quarter of 2020 were down 10.6% (compared to the same period in 2019). The fear was that the pandemic was going to severely damage an industry already in decline and that we would see a repeat of what happened after the 2008 market crash (sales would take years and years to recover). Yet, in an almost whiplash motion, sales dramatically increased.

What had happened… and what does it mean? How could we go from doom and gloom to “happy days are here again” in such a short period of time? It was like manna from heaven, a gift from the gods.

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Were the prognosticators really that wrong in their assessment of the market dynamics? Were many dealers correct when they said: “Just stay the course”?

And perhaps most importantly: Are we experiencing a fundamental shift in buying behavior or was this spring surge a “one-off” windfall?

As Cycle World postulated, there were probably a number of drivers behind the dramatic increase in sales. Everything from quarantine fatigue to the fact that motorcycles are the perfect social distancing device makes sense. Motorcyclists as a group are probably somewhat less risk-averse than the general public, and government stimulus money was putting unexpected funds in the pockets of many Americans.

All are good explanations and Scott Wine, Polaris Chairman and CEO, added another: “The influx of new customers to our dealerships is very encouraging, as people seeking fun family activities recognize (that our vehicles) … resonate with their desires.” Fun family activities. The key word in his quote: “family.” The new element in the equation: Families. If, in fact, the current situation is drawing in families – and new families – then a new dynamic may very well be forming. Family fun.

And that, indeed, is very encouraging.

Jeremy Jensen, an industry analyst with Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance, told Brendan Baker of MPN “… dealers he spoke to said that more people are coming into the sport now (because) it’s an old form of recreation finding new people. It’s a sport you can do with your family, and people are rediscovering how fun it is, especially now that traditional stick and ball sports are not being played at the same time.”

Fundamental shifts take place when major social and demographic trends come together to form a new buying dynamic. It happened in the auto industry when baby boomers had babies and the age of the mini-van blossomed. It happened again when the baby boomers’ kids became teenagers and “would not be caught dead” in a mini-van. The age of SUVs began – the result of a need (to haul kids and stuff) and a want (the desire to have more fun and adventure).

Is the current uptick in sales the result of a fundamental shift driven by social and demographic trends or is it the result of a unique and unprecedented set of circumstances brought on by the pandemic? When “traditional stick and ball sports” (to use Jensen’s terminology) return, will the new powersports acquisitions end up in the back of the garage gathering dust or will they become central to a new way of living?

Let’s not try to guess the answer. Let’s do what smart companies have always done: Talk to consumers and talk to your new customers. What brought them into your store and why did they buy? What kinds of products do they want from you? What kinds of services do they want? How are they using their new products and how can they imagine using your products a year from now?

Who is riding and why? How are their lives changing?

How has the pandemic changed the way they live and shop and what changes do they expect will persist after the pandemic diminishes?

Meet these expectations and we might just have something here.

Understanding who your consumers are (demographics) and knowing what your customers want and need (social trends) are the two key elements in the second stage of the 5-D process of transformation I discussed in my June column. Completing the second stage of the transformation process will give you the answers you need to thrive in coming Next Normal.

Let’s not HOPE that today’s increased sales will magically continue post-pandemic. Let’s do what we need to do now to guarantee it.

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

JULY 2020

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Dealernews Research

By Lenny Sims

BY THE BOOK

NADAguides Market Insights Power The Market Values

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o where the action is! There is now question that COVID-19 quarantine protocols drop online traffic for both retail and for F&I folks. One of the categories NADAguides has historically tracked has been views by category, and by type. Interesting to see the spike in Cruiser look-ups by the F&I specialists in 2020 Q1. What do they know that we don’t? Will this make it easier or harder to get value out of coming cruiser deals?

Another anomaly, although not nearly as pronounced as F&I look-ups of Cruisers is the dealers checking out the touring segment. However, the biggest disparity of all was customers looking up ATVs at a rate more than double dealers or F&I specialists. If that is what customers are considering, shouldn’t that correlate to what you have in inventory? Just saying…

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Speaking of going where the action is, the web traffic-bystate at NADAguides.com is another trusted indicator of what his going on. No surprise that Q1 traffic is in those states with year-round riding, and retailing. California, Texas and Florida clearly outdistanced all other states in motorcycle look-ups but note there were a couple of interesting hot pockets in the Great Lakes states and Washington.

Everything is bigger in Texas… especially the by-state lookup traffic for Side-by-Sides in Q1 2020! California was a distant third and Florida wasn’t even close! While look-up activity doesn’t always translate to closed deals, it is still a better road map to success than flying blind.

Until we have a vaccine (or more likely after the election when the virus stops being such a politically charged hot potato), online look-up activity is expected to remain at its record levels. It should also remain an important road map for business planning and trend forecasting… as we said, “go where the action is!”

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

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

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Dealernews Research

By Don Musick

WHERE’S WALDO Footprints, Part II

O

n to Google My Maps! From the Google apps icon, select the “Drive” icon to open the Google “Drive” interface as shown below. To find the My Maps app from the “Drive” interface (note, this is not the same as the Google Maps app), select the “New” icon to open the app listing followed by “More” and finally My Maps.

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This opens the default My Maps interface with a blank “Untitled Map” of the United States. As with Google Sheets, My Maps are auto-saved on Google Drive so it’s important to click on the “Untitled Map” label to rename it appropriately. My Maps displays your data as a series of layers (up to 10) giving you the ability to selectively choose what is displayed on your map. Accordingly, you can optionally rename each layer individually by clicking on the “Untitled layer” label. All changes are auto-saved immediately. The My Map import option defaults to “upload” as a data source but since the data from “Sheets” has already been saved to “Drive”, our “Test Retail” data set can be loaded directly. As with “Sheets”, there are several acceptable import formats including .xlsx, .csv, .kml and others (see full list here). Once the data loads, the map will zoom out to encompass all of the data points as shown above. In this example, the data layer has been renamed “2008 Retail” and a second layer “Dealer Location” has been uploaded as a simple .csv text file (red circle/white star symbol). By default, all of the data points in the “2008 Retail” layer are assigned a uniform style (blue markers) and clicking on any location opens an information bubble displaying all of the data contained in the “Test Retail” Sheets file.

Another unique feature of My Maps is the ability to change the style of individual markers as well as edit the data and add images to the info bubble. In fact, markers can be group-styled by any of the data fields available. In the example below, markers have been styled according to the MMYYYY month-year field. Selecting any one of the group members or simply hovering over the group label highlights the corresponding markers on the map. In this fashion, the geographic reach of your customer base can be examined by month. Note that the number of markers in each group appears in parentheses as well. In this case, the 66 customers from July 2008 (lime green) are highlighted for easy identification.

Continued on page 38

JULY 2020

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Continued from page 37

Lots to unpack in this last step, so to help you ease on down the road, this YouTube video is an excellent “how to” of the process. This video demonstrates “uploading” data to My Maps vs direct access from “Sheets” as outlined in part I. LOOK THROUGH ANY WINDOW Once you’ve got your data in My Maps, you can export the data as a Google Earth formatted file. Clicking the “triple dot” icon above opens a dialog that lets you save the file for examination in Google Earth. In Google Earth, you have the freedom to zoom in to “Street View” where you can interactively explore the neighborhood of the location… even through the store front window as shown below!

From his first motorcycles (a Honda S65 and an S90) when he was 16 to 50 years later, Don Musick has never stopped twisting the throttle. Although his accomplishments in the research arena have surpassed his MX career Don has over 25 years experience with major manufacturers in the Powersports and Automotive industries specializing in e-business solutions for retail distribution networks. His solution portfolio includes the development and implementation of manufacturer/dealer extranets, consumer-direct commerce portals, manufacturer/dealer e-channel integrations as well as development of web-based sales force automation tools. For most of his career, Don has been fascinated (his wife would say obsessed) with geographic market analytics, dealer location planning and sales territory optimization.

He founded Genesys Technology Solutions (GenesysTech) http://www.genesystech.com/ to develop new tools and market intelligence products to help manufacturers understand the competitive landscape of their industries, recognize opportunities and grow their businesses. A Spartan to the core, Don earned a B.S. in Physiology and PhD in Biochemistry from Michigan State University. Contact: dmusick@genesystech.com

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e

STACYC’S BACK! And Ready To Race Page 44

AWD MTB IS A BFD

Christini Unveils 2WD eBike Page 42

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Motorbikes Vs. eBikes Page 80

AWD eMTB IS A BFD? Christini Unveils A 2WD eBike Range

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“

-bikes are taking over the world because they provide an off-road riding experience to a wider demographic than ever before,” claims visionary Steve Christini. “With AWD (all-wheel drive) added to that mix, riders will gain a goanywhere level of confidence never available until now.”

Although known for a variety of eponymous motorcycles for the past decade, Steve Christini actually launched his AWD Mountain Bike concept back in 1995. Now comes the addition of a mid-drive Bafang 1500W motor with torque sensing pedalassist abilities in a range of Christini eBikes. The range is being introduced with a 27.5” hardtail and five FAT tired models.

According to Christini, these electric-assist mountain bicycles provide the ultimate in traction control allowing a rider to conquer conditions most thought to be un-rideable. “These bikes are appropriately balanced—and offer a true mountain bike experience—without the burden of heavy hub motors found on some other 2WD utility bikes.”

HOW DOES IT WORK Very well, thank you… oh, technically what is going on? The proprietary two-wheel drive system is engaged by a handlebarmounted switch that controls a shift on the fly clutch. “When the clutch is engaged, the rear spiral gear interlocks with the rear hub and power is transferred by an internal shaft to the forward spiral gear set, which drives the freehub,” he explains.

“Due to a slight gearing differential, the front wheel is not actively powered on smooth level ground. However, the moment the rear wheel slips, power is instantaneously transferred to the front wheel,” claims Christini. “Similarly, the moment that the front wheel decelerates, as in hitting a rock or starting to wash out in a corner, power and traction are transferred to the front wheel.”

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The combination of pedal assist and traction front and rear makes for an amazing combo, according to Christini. “The Christini AWD is simply the best-climbing mountain bike on the market with the amazing downhill benefits too. When a front end tucks, the wheel stalls, stops turning, and begins to push.

With the AWD system, as soon as the wheel begins to stall, power is delivered to the front wheel, forcing it to turn. With the front wheel under power, it is nearly impossible to wash out the front end.”

Think of it as traction control for a bicycle. “The rear wheel simply will not slip without transferring some of the power to the front wheel. In return, when the front wheel grabs, it prevents the rear wheel from “overspinning” thus allowing it to regain traction – AWD Traction Control”

After all this is not their first rodeo! Christini AWD has been building bikes for more than 20 years in its Philadelphia facility.

“Not just any bike… All Wheel Drive bikes! We are the only company in the world with a production AWD bike with true Traction Control. Nothing can compare when it comes to the control and traction of our bikes.”

DEALER OPEN POINTS Christini has announced he is establishing a select dealer network which understands the added performance a seconddriven wheel provides to an e-bicycle. Ask for the Dealer Kit and get started toward your new, profitable venture into e-bikes, the new “gateway drug to more motorcycle sales.”

Speaking of motorcycle sales, Christini still has its pioneering range of internal combustion motorcycles on hand. The motorcycle range is headlined by the street-legal AWD 450 Explorer (priced under $10K). With a Street Legal package (EPA and CARB approved), the Explorer offers the adventure rider a smaller platform to go on shorter trips, but in a way impossible on a standard ADV bike.

With the power of AWD, the new CHRISTINI EFI System, Skid Plate, Hand Guards, Extended range rear rack tank, and a cooling fan for slow speed crawling, the Explorer will get you to where you want to go. Start on the road, and then hit the trails to go where others can’t and make your ride on the Explorer and Adventure! Get the moto-overview here: https://www.christini.com/bikes/christini-awd-450#overview

Christini eBikes prices range from $4,795 to $6,295… check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=21&v=5 KzqUAYnZOs&feature=emb_logo

Contact sales@christinibicycles.com or click on www.christinibicycles.com

2020 CHRISTINI AWD BIKE RANGE

H

ardtail Plus: 6061-T6 aluminum frame with integrated direct AWD system, MRP Raven Air 35-millimeter-stanchion suspension fork, 1,500W Bafang mid-drive motor with color display, 27.5-inch Sun Ringle Duroc wheelset, Vee Rubber Crown Gem 27.5x2.8-inch tires, SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes, and SRAM GX 11-speed drivetrain. Weight: 49 pounds. MSRP: $5,595.

Fat-E 4 1000W Mid Drive: 6061-T6 aluminum with integrated direct AWD system, Christini fat fork (carbon or suspension fork optional), 1,000W Bafang mid-drive motor with color display, Sun Ringle Mulefut tubeless-ready wheelset with 80-millimeter inner rim width, Surly Nate 3.8 tires, SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes or Avid BB7 cable-actuated disc brakes, and SRAM GX 11-speed drivetrain. Weight: 54 pounds. MSRP: $4,795.

Fat-E 5 1000W Mid Drive: 6061-T6 aluminum with integrated direct AWD system, Christini fat fork (carbon or suspension fork optional), 1,000W Bafang mid-drive motor with color display, Sun Ringle Mulefut tubeless-ready wheelset with 80-millimeter inner rim width, Vee Rubber Snow Shoe XL 26x4.8-inch Pure Silica tires, SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes or Avid BB7 cable-actuated disc brakes, and SRAM GX 11-speed drivetrain. Weight: 55 pounds.

MSRP: $5,595.

Fat-E 4 Ultra Mid Drive: 6061-T6 aluminum with integrated direct AWD system, Christini fat fork (carbon or suspension fork optional), 1,500W Bafang mid-drive motor with color display, Sun Ringle Mulefut tubeless-ready wheelset with 80-millimeter inner rim width, Surly Nate 3.8 tires, SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes or Avid BB7 cable-actuated disc brakes, and SRAM GX 11-speed drivetrain. Weight: 54 pounds. MSRP: $5,195.

Fat-E 5 Ultra Mid Drive: 6061-T6 aluminum with integrated direct AWD system, Christini fat fork (carbon or suspension fork optional), 1,500W Bafang mid-drive motor with color display, Sun Ringle Mulefut tubeless-ready wheelset with 80-millimeter inner rim width, Vee Rubber Snow Shoe XL 26x4.8-inch Pure Silica tires, SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes or Avid BB7 cable-actuated disc brakes, and SRAM GX 11-speed drivetrain. Weight: 62 pounds.

MSRP: $5,895.

Abominable AWD Fat-E 2XL Ultra Mid Drive: 6061-T6 aluminum frame with integrated direct AWD system, Christini fat fork (carbon or suspension fork optional), 1,500W Bafang mid-drive motor with color display, Sun Ringle Mulefut tubeless-ready wheelset with 80-millimeter inner rim width, Vee Rubber Snow Shoe 2XL 26x5.05inch Silica Black tires, SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes or Avid BB7 cable-actuated disc brakes, and SRAM GX 11-speed drivetrain.

Weight: 68 pounds. MSRP: $6,295.

JULY 2020

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CURRENTS+

YAMAHA CIVANTE ARRIVES

STACYC READY TO RACE!

Big news for the little guys as STACYC has launched its licensing program with KTM and Husky. Now franchised dealers can offer “works” versions of the patented electric balance bikes as the brand expands its dealer doors and builds on its commitment to “share the love of riding” with the next generation.

“We are excited to connect our brands and be able to support the KTM and Husqvarna dealers by offering FACTORY RACE TEAM REPLICA EDITION bikes that will allow young shredders to look like their favorite factory racers,” says CEO Ryan Ragland. The move makes sense since Ragland was working at KTM when he created the concept. “The KTM and Husqvarna brands’ deep heritage and experience in racing are something that the team at STACYC is excited to be able to help young riders celebrate as they take their first laps.”

The KTM and Husqvarna dealer package includes both 12e Drive and 16e Drive bikes, along with branded free-standing displays. Dealer deliveries should be complete in early August for the early adapters. To become a dealer, click here: https://stacyc.com/pages/dealer-inquiry-1

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Class distinction matters to the eBike people, not just for snobbery, but legal riding access reasons. For the “purist” only pedal bikes will do, however Class 3 — eBikes that are pedal-assist only, with no throttle, and a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph — may be bridging the gap between pedal and power: Enter the Yamaha Civante!

“The Civante will introduce a new group of riders to Yamaha’s legendary quality, comfort and performance and increases and diversifies our retail options,” claims Yamaha’s Power Assist Bicycle Group sales & marketing manager Drew Engelmann. Motivation comes from Yamaha PW Series SE mid-drive motor coupled to a proprietary 500 Wh battery – delivering almost twice the capacity of comparable electric road bikes.

For added convenience, it can be charged on or off the bike via Yamaha’s quick charger that can take the battery from 0-80% in an hour. Standard features include e-bike rated tires, mid-depth aerodynamic wheels with 12mm throughaxles, a 10-speed STI Shimano drivetrain with double chainring and hydraulic disc brakes.

“The Civante looks great, feels smooth and comfortable, and delivers the cutting-edge handling dynamics and seamless integration of assist technology that Yamaha does better than anyone else,” concludes Engelmann.

But does it make sense for motorcycle dealers? That is the $3,399 question. Check it out and see if it makes sense… and cents: https://www.yamahabicycles.com/bikes/civante/

WHAT, THE DUCK? Mahindra Pulls The Plug On GenZe

Mahindra Group, the $22 billion powerhouse (and parent to ROXOR), has pulled the plug on its hip GenZe eBike operation. “To accomplish our mission, we provide sustainable personal transportation that makes zero compromises, is accessible, and built for the future,” was the original vision statement, but at a time when bicycles

and eBikes were flying out of IBDs and big boxes alike, GenZe short circuited. After weeks of rumors, this was finally posted on the website:

“These unprecedented times and the global economic uncertainties brought on by COVID-19 pandemic, has had an impact on the electric bike and scooter industry, in ways, that are yet unfolding and unpredictable.

“Given the current circumstances, GenZe business unit will close its operations in the coming months. We thank our customers, suppliers and technology support services partners for their association with us over the last few years. GenZe eBikes and Escooter product support and warranty services will continue to be honored, as part of the terms of our consumer warranties. Further details will be shared separately with the relevant customers, do stay tuned.”

Launched with a sustainable transportation vision, the brand seemed to run out of juice even before the pandemic. “GenZe exists because we believe in sustainable transportation for a better world. With growing urban areas, and increased transit needs, our current transportation options are not sustainable. Zero emissions cannot be a choice, but an imperative. Our name (pronounced just like you’d say Gen X or Gen Y) stands for Generation Zero Emissions.”

COLUMBUS, OHIO

JANUARY 21-23, 2021

TOGETHER WE RISE

NEW TIMING

|

NEW FOCUS

the Show

the People

the Experience

the Education

DEDICATED TRADE ONLY EVENT ALIGNED WITH THE BUYING SEASON

INDUSTRY LEADERS, THE MOST ENGAGED DEALERS AND PROGRESSIVE BRANDS

PRODUCTS, TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE AND NETWORKING NEEDED TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, STAY COMPETITIVE AND INCREASE YOUR BOTTOM LINE

YOUR INDUSTRY YOUR TRADE SHOW

+

SHOWTIME

BEHIND THE SCENES

Remembering Marty Smith Page 48

ACCSELLERATE THE SALE Is Corey There?

Page 50

HEADS UP!

+ MIPS Technology PRESS PASS Trunk Show

Best In The Desert Beats PAGE 48The Odds Page 74

Ron Lechien getting serious.

Photos by Scott Cox Jeff Ward, David Bailey and Broc Glover

BEHIND THE SCENES

Marty Tripes being reflective on his friend Marty Smith.

Remembering Marty Smith

T

he tragic passing of Nancy and Marty Smith is still rippling throughout the industry. Cover tributes ranging from Dealernews to Racer X to MX Sports Pro Racing, organizers of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship creating the “Marty Smith Rookie of the Year Award” in his honor.

Motocross Files producer Todd Huffman even put together a video that was supposed to air on NBC Sports in conjunction with the first outdoor national on July 18th.

Well COVID ruined those plans, but the show must go on.

Huffman added dozens of interviews and expanded the piece to share with the folks attending the Smith’s celebration of life set for August. Who knows, there might even be another Motocross Files special episode in the works?

“Wow. Last week was a super special (and emotional) week as we shot all the interviews for the upcoming special video tribute for Marty and Nancy Smith. Great to see (and tear up with) old friends!” When we saw this post on his Facebook page, we had to get the whole story.

“I have never been involved with a project as emotionally charged as this… Marty touched so many people and impacted the entire industry,” says Huffman. “I was editing the Marty and Nancy Smith tribute video this morning and half-way through David Bailey’s interview... Dammit, it made me tear up all over again.”

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Dave Arnold, Ron Lechien, Roger DeCoster and Scott Cox

When word got out that Huffman was filming interviews, a pantheon of legends like David Bailey were compelled to share their stories about the MX legend. Everyone from JT Racing founder and early adapter sponsor Rita Gregory (who told how all of Marty’s JT gloves were hand painted) to his

Rita Gregory talking about how great Marty and Nancy Smith were and how Marty put JT on the map.

Jeff Ward describing his imitation of Marty Smith as a kid with patch placement on his Honda jersey.

Ricky Johnson making a point

Tommy “The Tomahawk” Croft talking about his friend and teammate, Marty Smith.

“The Man” Roger DeCoster teasing about Marty Smith while Dave Arnold looks on.

Todd Huffman asking David Bailey about his recollections of Marty Smith.

“Bad Brad” Lackey with his collection.

Honda teammates joined in the tremendous outpouring of love… and great stories!

“Super big shout out to James Stewart and the folks at Seven MX for letting us take over their studio, conference room

Other highlights, Bob “Hurricane Hannah” talking about how tough it was to beat Marty Smith and Tommy Croft in his early days.

and front office/lobby for an entire day to shoot interviews,” says Huffman. “Thanks to Brad Lackey and Bob Hannah for shooting with us a couple of days before in Northern California. Special thanks to Scott Cox for shooting pics, as always.”

JULY 2020

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Avoiding Self-Limiting Beliefs Now, I have had people say to me, “Mark, that won’t work for us. We’re not a Harley dealer and don’t have all those departments and fancy stores.”

Here’s my advice: Stop thinking like that!

I don’t care how big your store is, where it is, or what you sell, you can and should be proud of your business and your people and want to introduce prospective buyers to both. If not, you’ve got bigger problems than referrals.

Making The Ask My favorite approach is the full-blown red carpet behind-the-scenes dealership tour. You can show visitors your beautiful store, talk about the history your motorcycles and your dealership, show visitors the bikes, the accessory area, your gear offerings, your service department, your riding education area, the whole shooting match. Let’s use this as our example.

Now, timing is everything. You don’t want to ask too early because you haven’t proven yourself. You don’t want to ask too late because the emotional high will be diminished. Somewhere around two thirds of the way through a customer’s buying experience is typically a great time to ask for referrals.

So, grab your referral capture sheet (one page, dealer logo, credibility statement and spots for three names and numbers), and sit down with the customer.

Segue to your referral ask by posing the question: “Are you having fun?”

The response is almost universally an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Then you might say something like this:

® THE SALE!

Mark’s Ultimate Referral Method

By Mark Rodgers

T

wo things have never happened to me in more than 30 years in this business: 1) I’ve never had anyone tell me referrals aren’t important.

2) I’ve also never had anyone be able to show me their method for consistently and reliably manufacturing referral business. So, let’s come up with something to fill the void.

Creating Compelling Attraction Maximizing referral success requires a powerful and compelling draw. A reason for your delighted customers to enthusiastically want their friends and family to come and see you.

Here are some ideas: An entertainment-driven event: beer, bands, barbeque. (In an ever present attempt to avoid any #MeToo wrath I left out bikinis.)

An educational opportunity: how to ride, where to ride, how to maintain, how to maximize.

An experiential event: ride new models, ride our track, meet at lake to ride new skis.

A diagnostic assessment of bike, gear, riding skills.

A behind-the-scenes VIP tour of your operation.

Mental Referral Roadblocks Now, on occasion when I bring this up people will say, “This won’t work for us.”

“Oh?” I reply (for I am a master of conversation).

“Yes, you see, we don’t have a behind-the-scenes tour.”

I always pause for a bit to let the absurdity of this comment hang heavy in the air.

“Perhaps you could create one?”

“Create one? Huh. Never thought of that.”

Well, I’m here for the big issues. Whether you choose a store tour or an educational opportunity or some other sort of experience, you will need to manifest your own destiny and create a compelling reason to interact with you. In this world you have to create your own opportunities.

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“Excellent! Another cool thing we do for our customers is we allow them to invite two -- or maybe three -- of their closest friends or family members down to the store for a special behind-the-scenes VIP tour. It’s a great experience for both riders and non-riders. We talk about the history of our dealership, give a peek behind the curtain of what we do here, make their picture on their favorite machine, and for people who take the tour we have a great gift as well.

“So, here’s what I’d like you to do. Please jot down the names and the numbers of the people you’d like to invite on your tour, and while you’re doing that, I’ll go get your owner’s manual.” Then simply lay your referral document in front of them, smile, and excuse yourself.

Sales Psychology There are so many powerful persuasive psychological elements here it makes my head want to explode. But here are a few of my favorites:

You’ve given behavioral instruction (you’ve told them what you want them to do) You demonstrated importance by preparing a document You’ve made it low pressure (for both of you!) by excusing yourself, And by putting emphasis on the word “your” you’ve communicated exclusiveness…

And you’ve skyrocketed the likelihood that when you return, there will be names on your document! Even if it doesn’t work, it works. If you come back and it’s blank just casually comment, “No worries, just take that form with you, and I’ll call you in a couple of days to see who you want to invite.”

Next Steps Then when your buyer is all taken care of and down the road, call their friends and family and invite them to take the tour. Immediately. Same day. No waiting. This opportunity doesn’t get better with age. (Click here to see a video of me demonstrating the language you might use with such a call.)

Then call your buyer. Here you want to accomplish two objectives. 1) Check in on them and their new purchase (always a best practice); 2) Let them know how their friends and family members responded to your invitation.

Often, your buyer will say, “Can I come and take the tour with them?”

OMG, there are few things as good for your business as that! Or they might say, “Can we invite a few more?” (Hmmm. Let me think about that … of course!)

Do The Math Let’s say you sell 500 motorcycles per year and you ask for three names for each. That would be 1,500 referral names! Okay, so let’s be reasonable, maybe you only get 1,000. Let’s be even more reasonable, let’s say you only get 500 during the year. With a very realistic 10% closing average that would mean an additional 50 units per year.

Fifty additional units for most dealers would be a game changer. With an average per unit gross revenue of $20,000, this is a million-dollar idea!

Now, even if the people you’ve invited down aren’t riders (yet). The likelihood that they will buy a T-shirt, or a hat, or something else is off the charts. And most importantly, you’ve added them to your marketing list, so you can continue to stay in touch. This is key to your long-term success.

Mark’s Metrics As crazy as it sounds, we often don’t measure what matters… Instead, we measure what’s easy. Einstein had a great quote: “Not everything that can be counted, counts.” (E.g. Counter tickets to major unit sales, F&I products per deal, etc.)

The second part of that Einstein quote says, “And not everything that counts, can be counted.” Okay, but we can try. Ergo I created the Referral to Customer Ratio (RCR): Simply divide your total monthly referrals by your monthly motorcycle purchases. If you sold 60 motorcycles in a month and recorded 15 contacts, you would simply divide the 15 by 60 and you’d get .25.

So now your Referral to Customer Ratio would be .25:1. Voila! A referral metric! Then the game is to improve it. You try to increase your RCR to .50:1 then to .75:1 then ultimately 1:1. Imagine having a consistent referral method you could measure and manage!

“What gets measured gets managed,” opined Peter Drucker. If referrals are important, you need to hold people accountable for obtaining them, and a solid metric is the first step.

How To Execute Now you could try to do this in every department (I wouldn’t) and you could define a new referral customer narrowly, like only counting those referral names that ultimately resulted in motorcycle purchases (I wouldn’t do that, either).

Me, I would simply do this with monthly motorcycle sales, and I would broadly define new referral customers as “a new person added to our mailing list that I can link to a new motorcycle purchaser.”

Why so wide a swath? Well I like to gain momentum with small wins. Plus, even if it’s just another person added to our marketing list … our store is stronger.

Avoid The Muck Don’t get mired in complexity. Some might say, “But, Mark, how do we prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that this person came to us as a referral from that person?” This is someone worrying about the color of the curtains when the house is on fire. You’re not an attorney striving for legal standards of proof, rather you’re an entrepreneur trying to improve your business.

Would adding new customers to your marketing list give you the potential to improve your business?

Let me help you with the tough ones: Yes! Therefore, you need a systematic referral capture method that is strategic, purposeful, and an integral part of your overall sales process … which you measure.

Also, I would take a page out of the Federal Reserve Playbook and only use .25-point increases.

Have you ever noticed even in this time of technological sophistication the Fed only raises or lowers interest rates in quarter point increments? I.e. a person has either a .25:1 RCR, or a .75:1 RCR, I wouldn’t spend time on someone’s .00017:1 RCR.

Manage And Motivate Simply require salespeople to include their referral capture sheet in every deal jacket and then randomly check them throughout the week, cross referencing with your CRM making sure people have been entered and contacted.

And when that happens, I would spiff my people. Money isn’t the only motivator, but it works in the short term, and is perfect for this. I would come up with a reasonable monthly bonus for getting to .25:1, .5:1, .75:1, and 1:1. (If you consistently beat those levels, call me.)

Don’t Sound Like A Jerk The reason most people don’t ask for referrals is not because they don’t know they are important. Salespeople don’t ask because they don’t want to sound like a jerk. They feel the customer has just done them huge favor by buying (a topic for another article) so they couldn’t possibly ask them for a referral.

You can sound like a jerk when asking for referrals by being abrupt or sounding self-centered (You know anyone else who might buy from me?) so make sure the language you use is on point.

Improving Your Performance Performance improvement is simply determining what “is” and what “should be” and then working to eliminate that discrepancy. So now you need to close your referral performance gap. You know referrals are important so use these ideas to create a consistent referral creation method you can manage.

A motorcycle sale has three profit points: Front, back and the referrals. Nothing accelerates revenue more effectively than referral business. Nothing!

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 awardwinning speaker, best-selling author, and sought-after 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 JULY 2020 Copyright ©2020 by Mark Rodgers. All Rights Reserved.

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decision as to how to best avoid contracting the virus in our dealerships and do our part to help others who are more susceptible. Basically, they reported that the virus cannot be “killed,” since it is not a living organism.

Instead, it is a protein molecule, (RNA or DNA) covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat) which, when absorbed by the cells of the eyes, nose or mouth, changes its genetic code (it mutates), converting into aggressor or multiplier cells.

The only way for the virus to go away is for it to naturally decay on its own, which can happen easily in the right conditions, as it is extremely fragile beneath the fatty protective layer. Soap suds melt away the protective layer, allowing the protein to disintegrate quickly. Alcohol, (in products containing more than 65% Alcohol By Volume), will also quickly do the trick. (Sorry kids, Mad Dog 20/20 is less than 18% ABV these days. It won’t eradicate the virus, but it will still give you that lovely, purple vomit that we all remember and love).

TO MASK, OR NOT TO MASK? That Is The Question

By William Douglas Little

F

ar be it from me to broach a serious topic, but then, all you have to do is take a look out your window these days or, God forbid, turn on the news, to find that everything is upside-down and backward out there.

Criminals are protected and released for safety reasons while law-abiding citizens are being tossed into jail — their homes and items confiscated without due process — all in the name of public perception and political gain. So, why not step outside of my typical box and step up onto the stump? It may be that I actually make sense; or, at the very least, you might be able to make fun of my opinion around the water cooler.

So, if I’m going to discuss a touchy subject, why not grab the third rail with both hands? Let’s talk about Masking.

More specifically, if your dealership is located in an area where you have a choice in the matter, do you require customers to wear a mask while in your facility?

A recent John Hopkins report outlined the details of the COVID-19 Coronavirus in a relatively short, layman’s language style, so that we can all make an educated

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The ideology of the mask was initially to protect the wearer, although its more realistic effectiveness lies in protecting others from those infected, (most people who are young and healthy won’t even know that they have the virus). Even that is very debatable. So, many people consider wearing a mask to be a sign of mutual respect and caring for others... not so much a prophylactic device.

This is why the “Maskers” have been so adamant about everyone wearing one while in public.

On the flip-side of this argument, you have the so-called “Anti-Maskers” who, despite the name they’ve been dubbed, are not, in large part, against people wearing masks. Oh, you’ll find some confused folks here and there who still think masks are solely for their own protection against the virus, but the largest portion of this group is focused on protecting our rights — everybody’s rights — against governmental overreach.

You see, most of these folks will tell you that wearing a mask is your individual choice. Wear one, don’t wear one; it’s your choice as an individual what you put on your face.

They’re freedom-loving patriots who have just witnessed local, county and state governments restricting American citizen’s rights — not just our Constitutional rights, but our very God-given, inalienable right of freedom, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That’s like the Grand Poobah of rights, right there. And let’s face it, we Americans don’t react to control well. Just dig up good old King George III and ask him about that letter he received from the colonists back in 1776. (I understand that there was a little skirmish related to all of that. I hear that it didn’t end well for good King George).

You see, our governments — local, county, state and federal — are made up of elected politicians who are masters of CYA (Cover Your Ass). Collectively, their favorite method of ensuring that they’re protected in their actions is to find and cite earlier precedence related, no matter how loosely, to whatever it is that they want to do to us.

Now that they’ve locked us in our homes to binge watch Tiger King on Netflix for a couple of months, and even though thousands of small business owners lost their businesses and tens-of-thousands lost their jobs, nobody has filed a flurry of lawsuits. The ACLU has been nonexistent on these blatant rights violations. This is why the “Anti-Maskers” are mad. The various government entities just got away with taking our freedoms, scott-free and without repercussion.

They see huge groups of people whose rights have been violated and lives ruined by over-reaching, overzealous elected officials and nothing is being done. Add to that the mass confusion of the good Doctor Fauci, himself, telling us that masks are useless against this virus as the government and WHO flip-flop back and forth; doctors who’ve come forward against masking, claiming that “herd immunity” is the best defense, have been censured — their videos removed from social media. Consider those things and suddenly, the so-called “Anti-Maskers” have an interesting argument. If you pull your head from the sands of the media-induced panic, everything that is going on just doesn’t seem right… and in an election year, of all times. Hmmm…

You see, we only need to look at history — the “Real” history, not the edited version that is being removed from the books and statues — to understand where the dangers lie. Government loves to take away. Our founding fathers knew this, which is why they put certain things in our Constitution to protect against a bloated, out-of-control, tyrannical government. After all, they’d just fought to the bloody death to escape an overwhelming, over-reaching governing entity that restricted their individual freedoms.

They wanted to ensure that we, those who would inherit the nation that they’d given everything to create, would have the tools to defend ourselves, should our own government ever reach the level of tyranny that they feared it could.

For one, they created the Second Amendment, assuring that we would have every weapon available to us that the government had, without restriction, so that a “wellarmed militia” could stand up against tyranny and ensure the freedoms of the people. (Phhhfffttt… they’d surely soil themselves if they could see this mess!)

Of course, they were limited by the knowledge of the times back then. They envisioned better, faster-loading muskets might one day be invented; perhaps stronger swords or bayonets; but they couldn’t have known about nuclear, chemical and other weapons of mass destruction that would someday come along. (That said, I can guarandamn-tee you that they’d have embraced the idea of citizens carrying repeating arms and fully-automatic weapons to defend against tyranny and thuggery of all types, but hey, that’s a different argument for a different day).

Here’s the thing — these days, average people don’t debate. Period. They don’t even know the concept of healthy discussion. Instead, people yell, bully and belittle those with differing opinions. They mock anyone who disagrees with them; try to make them look stupid; and, if that doesn’t work, they scream over them to prevent any competing, intelligent discussion from being heard.

Continued on page 54

JULY 2020

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Continued from page 53

The sad part is that the mainstream media does the same. How many times have you heard what passes for a “journalist” use a mocking tone to report on the actions of someone? It happens everyday. Nearly every channel.

It’s accepted as normal and the public follows suit in the streets with their own mockery.

And so, when a group shows up at some random County Court House steps to protest an overly-restrictive, unlawful and questionably needed Masking Order, the news reports it as though the people are crazy and the public, in turn, taunts them in the streets. Social Media restricts their posts, claiming that it is “False” or “Damaging Rhetoric” in violation of their “Community Standards” … that’s code for a major corporation censuring anyone they don’t agree with. And, interestingly, the same masses of people who typically hate major corporations for being evil, buy into it 100% and claim that “Social Media won’t even allow you to post your crazy notions!” (People are not very smart sometimes). Before you know it, they’re made to look like a bunch of escaped Asylum patients protesting because they don’t want to wear a mask.

Social Media restricts their posts, claiming that it is “False” or “Damaging Rhetoric” in violation of their “Community Standards”... that’s code for a major corporation censuring anyone they don’t agree with.

But, the issue isn’t the mask at all. The mask is arbitrary.

For most, they aren’t there to say, “don’t wear masks” at all … they’re there to protect your freedoms. They’re there to prevent the government from, once again, having a precedent to fall back on in the future. “Hey, we forced everyone to wear masks in 2020, so now let’s force them to get this identification chip implant. You know, for their own safety.”

So, it boils down to the question: Do you force customers to wear a mask in your store?

Now, I’m not saying that I’m an anti-masker, but the older I become, the more often I follow an old adage that my father hammered into my head repeatedly when I was young … “God gave you two ears and one mouth. Use them in that order.”

The best way to understand someone else’s side of an argument? Just listen. And frankly, if you think their concept is insane, then you probably need to take a closer look at just how close we truly are to that technology becoming a cost-effective reality, (many companies are already using a version of implant chip for employee identification), and then you might ask yourself, “would my government ever force me to get an implanted chip? Well, let’s see… would they force you to wear a mask? Would they force you to get an immunization? Would they force you to purchase insurance? Would they force you to jump through hoops to obtain a license to own something that the Second Amendment to your Constitution states, in plain language, that you have every right to own? Hmm… When you stop belittling the ideas of others and stop mindlessly believing the media, you begin to realize that, just maybe, some of these things aren’t so far-fetched after all. Could it happen, if everyone just blindly follows one message and ostracizes anyone who steps outside the box to present an ulterior thought? You’re damn right it could!

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I’ve talked to a surprising number of dealers who’ve told me, “I don’t want stupid customers. If they’re too stupid to wear a mask, then they can move on down the road.”

Really? I know several, very well-respected and prominent doctors who believe wholeheartedly that masks are hindering, not helping the effort. These are guys with prestigious practices and very impressive medical backgrounds. They’re many things, but “stupid” ain’t one of them.

Besides, patriots who are merely interested in protecting everyone’s rights are also often the guys who own a lot of land, meaning that they own a large stake in the country they’re out to protect. These are guys with deep pockets and an interest in all things outdoors — motorcycles, UTVs and ATVs are typically high on that list.

So, before tossing those customers out the door, you might consider re-considering their argument on the whole mask thing. I’m not saying that you have to adopt their opinion on the matter, but if you respect their rights to an alternate opinion and allow the customer to decide on the mask thing, (requesting that they abide by a strict, 6-foot social distancing policy if they elect not to mask), you’ll likely find that you’ve retained a safe environment and you get to continue to enjoy the revenue from doing business with those of a different opinion. And let’s face it: with shrinking inventory availability and growing uncertainty on the horizon, a little money in the bank definitely outweighs losing a customer over a difference in opinion.

If you actually listen to someone, you’ll often find that you share more in common than you realized.

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

The R&G crash protection we installed literally protected every important part on the bike. There was no frame, engine, suspension, wheel or swing arm damage at all. Not even scratched really. The sliders all did exactly as they were designed to do. I was amazed and by the time I got the paddock on the trailer I was excited to share this info with all who cared to listen. “Yes I am fine, look at how the bike isn’t hardly damaged” -Tony from Analong Motorcycles after crashing this custom 2010 Ducati Hypermotard 796 – The “Hyper8”

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Since I have plenty of shops near me, I went to see one more. This manager is known to be a little bit of a hardass, so I was really curious to see how he would respond. He didn’t say he liked it, but he also didn’t say he hated it, either. By definition a hardass is a boss “who follows rules and regulations meticulously and enforces them without exceptions.” I guess if the shoe fits…

However, I still hate the word. Why? Because for me it implies someone who has no willingness to work as part of the team. A dictator is the first thing that pops into my mind. Very few “bosses” possess the flexibility and emotional intelligence required to be the type of influential leader that efficient and productive teams demand.

Personnel Files

By Alex Baylon

LIKE A BOSS!

You Can Call Me Ray, You Can Call Me Jay… Just Don’t Call Me Boss!

S

emantics matter. Subtle differences can mean more! For example, there is a significant difference between being a “boss” and being a “leader” — really!

I’m dating myself, but comedian Bill Saluga’s old schtick comes to mind, (Google it kids). Saluga is best known for his cigar-smoking, zoot-suit-wearing TV character Raymond J. Johnson Jr., famous for his catchphrase “You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me…” he then proceeds to list almost every conceivable permutation of his name before finishing with “…but you doesn’t has to call me Johnson!”

Same goes for me. You can call me Alex… but you doesn’t has to call me Boss!

In fact, somebody called me “boss” again the other day, and I didn’t really care for it. It wasn’t the first time I have been called that, but it always feels weird hearing it. This time, it felt like lemon juice on a paper cut… maybe it was the tone or maybe the circumstances. Yes, technically I am the boss, but it didn’t make that any better. I guess it felt similar to being called Sir or Mr. when you are in your late-20s. Anyway, I started asking my dealer friends about being a “boss.”

One of my friends is the parts manager of a local dealership and he said he didn’t like it, either. Being called the B-word made him feel like “The Man” rather than part of the team. The owner of a different dealership says, “I cringe when I hear that word. I’d take ‘dealer principal’ or ‘owner’ over being called ‘boss’ any day!”

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Instead of developing, coaching and building the associate, mistakes become immediate performance write-ups or disciplinary actions for a boss. The method of operation becomes “my way or the highway” rather than opportunities for teachable moments. A fine line exists in the differences between a boss and a manager. Good managers are also the boss, but not all bosses are good managers/leaders.

This is an enthusiast-driven industry. I believe a lot of people have forgotten why they got into it to begin with, and just became a “boss” by default. Bad move! There are good reasons NOT to be a boss, and even better reasons to be a leader!

1) A Boss Has Employees: Within any company, people show up when the workday begins and leave when it ends. A boss’ influence and control ends when employees leave the workplace. A boss usually has to deal with higher employee turnover.

2) Leaders Have Followers: The ideas and vision of leaders inspire people to follow them. The day-to-day becomes more than a job; it is a way of life. People follow the leader because his or her ideas give hope for the future and offer change. Followers are there because they believe in the vision. Not many companies in our industry do a lot of team building events, but this is why they do it in the corporate world. When you have a good leader/ manager, they create a team atmosphere of employees wanting to work together for the greater good.

3) A Boss Will Use Power: Management is structured and functions off of authority. There are rules and methodologies. A boss will sit at the top of a hierarchy and use that power to ensure tasks are completed as requested.

4) Leaders Use Influence: Leadership functions off of motivation and inspiration. Leaders are charismatic and use their influence to build teams. Leaders listen and counsel, teaching their followers. Through positive methods of teaching and teamwork, relationships become more focused on mentoring and growth rather than limited to the tasks at hand.

5) A Boss Will Seek Results: The end result is the goal for management team members. They want to see the product or service conveyed effectively to clients and

consumers, resulting in higher numbers for the company.

They focus on maximizing money acquired while minimizing cost.

6) Leaders Seek Growth: Results are also important to leaders, but they spend more time focusing on the growth of the company than on the numbers. Impact is a key component of a leader’s plan.

Management is important. Without it, companies would not run efficiently. But companies from the dealership level all the way up to the OEMs are better off with leaders rather than a boss. Leaders are important for their abilities to focus on people. Productivity will thrive with proper management and employees will thrive with a leader. The best managers are great leaders, balancing the numbers and results with the people achieving those goals.

Take a step back and think back about what got you where you are. This industry is supposed to be fun, get the fun back and the rest will follow… just don’t call me boss!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoYsfbq3vMc

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.

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second wave of closures? Who is going to help you set your long-term sights on the post-COVID horizon where they should be?

You may feel somewhat “reserved” and “conservative” about changing your previously successful ways to approach business until more is known about how society will be working (or not) in the next few months.

Understandable! With school openings in jeopardy, an upcoming election and a 2-dimensional ZOOM-like existence casting its shadow over all of us, who wants to guess what your business will look like 6 months from now… or 12 months after that? It feels natural to wait… but if you wait too long, it could be too late to catch up to those future-seeing retailers who got the jump on you.

Confessions Of A Customer®

By Eric Anderson

FIREFIGHTING OR FIREWORKS?

Coming Up With Post-Pandemic Strategies To Cure The Common COVID

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e all resist change — it’s a lot of trouble, after all.

Prior to the pandemic changing the rules, many dealers would simply roll out the bikes in the morning, then wait to see what issues “rose to the top” so we could handle them one-by-one throughout the day. The daily functions were basically “on automatic” driving owners into a reactive style of management. It is somewhat similar to a firefighter’s life of mundane daily chores separated by moments of sheer excitement and bursts of speedy activity. With the clockwork cadence new model releases and strong pre-owned sales, running the “retail machine” became a routine habit with no need for higher powers to train us, no national dealer association to lead us and no 20 Group peer pressure to push us to new levels of profitability and professionalism. We just kept on keeping on…following the same line where other powersports retailers went.

Like a 3-alarm fire, the COVID crisis has cured us of our comfortable routines!

To their collective credit, powersports retailers have reacted to the crisis. Many have changed the day-to-day business playbook and succeeded during the first 100 days, but what happens next now that we are facing a

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So where to be proactive instead of reactive? The trends are already obvious:

1) People Will Conduct More “Deals” Online Or Over The Phone: Are you truly embracing this the very best that you can… or just hoping it will all go back to normal soon?

In these crazy times, the two most important people in the dealership are the person answering the phones and the porter delivering products to the curb or units to customers’ homes (see #2).

2) Home Delivery And Curbside Pickup Will Become Permanent Parts Of All Our Lives: You offer more “technical assistance” than any online retailer because you pick up the phone and can ship same day, assuming the product is in stock. Are you shouting to all your customers this service is available… NOW! Pizza parlors are doing it — why not your dealership, too?

3) In-Store Visits Are Down 90%: If this is not the case in your store, consider yourself lucky and doing something right, but will it last? Have you revamped or improved your website to accommodate more online business? Shopping carts? More website integration with social media? Chatroom? Technical advisory hotline? Parts delivery to customers’ doors?

4) Engage Customers More On Social Media: Get in there and make things happen — events, purchases, services, sales, referrals. Build a relationship with each and every one out there on any electronic platform you can. Have you considered your own YouTube Channel with Playlists for units, accessories, apparel, service and sales? Yes, be proactive and take it all more seriously than you have in the past. Okay, so now the most important people in the shop are your social media manager, person who answers the phone and the porter! Engage is a keyword!

5) Place Your Products Online… More!

Remember video is more attractive to web crawlers and spiders, so consider more content on YouTube pulling more customers to your “virtual store” by burning your email address and phone number into the video’s frame.

New and used units each deserve a walk around video.

Can your parts, accessory and apparel managers each make a 60-second video about themselves and/or on new products coming into stock? Post them in social media and on YT along with an urgent call-to-action to “buy now,” “call now” or “get them while they are in stock.” (See #4)

6) Google Searches Including “COVID” Have Jumped Incredibly: Include this new “keyword” in some of your social media as a solution to lockdown boredom. Offroad sales are up 19% over last year telling us that customers are looking for a reason to “get out” so give them what they want in their “searches” including #covidboredom #covidcure #curecovidlockdownblues…

You get the idea!

7) Make Showroom Customers Feel SAFE!!

Do you have a COVID-related announcement at the front door? Do you require masks to be work inside the store? Have all your employees been briefed on how to properly wear a mask? Are there bottles of disinfectant or Purell located throughout the store? Will customers see employees cleaning or wiping down units on the showroom floor for the next customer to grip the handlebars. Do you have a posted cleaning schedule in the bathroom? Ridiculous? Not at all in this age of fewer walk-in customers. Let’s keep them confident and healthy so they can ride more, visit more… and buy more.

8) Seek Help: Perhaps you have never hired a business coach. Have you ever hired a personal trainer? Who could you ask to assist you in getting out of your own “way?” So many of us are doing business the same old way because that is all we know. Join a 20 Group. Hire a consultant. Find a local digital agency. Move beyond the old ways of doing business.

Even if you don’t have the time — although some of you have lots of it — figure out a way to look at your business from the outside in. Stop waiting for the other shoe to drop… or a fire to spontaneously combust… and take proactive steps toward streamlining your business for a post-pandemic world. Could we all be surprised again?

Yes, with an election coming up and the likelihood of a second wave, there will always be a chance of more to come...

All the more reason for you to have a Fire-Fighting Avoidance Plan in place to ignite more online fireworks for your business!

JULY 2020

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are rank beginners, without a lot of knowledge. This gives us a prime ability to become their fountain of information and provide terrific value for them as a resource. Not only is this good customer service, but also it builds relationships in a time when so many are seeking connection.

Lee Block of Racer Gloves USA continues to see business moving forward again and has achieved success this past quarter by doubling down on the true meaning of customer service. “It’s just the basics really. Replying to emails quickly, shipping orders the same day, and timely processing of returns all give the customer a sense that you care and that in itself provides value people are looking for,” said Block. In other words, we all need to get back to the basics of “blocking” and tackling… sorry Lee!

By Alisa Clickenger

VALUE… WITH A SIDE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

I

t’s clearly a new marketplace for the powersports industry, and there’s no clear roadmap for the territory we’ve entered. All businesses in the industry are having to adapt and flex, and many are discovering entirely new opportunities for cash flow.

Some dealerships have pared down to their core business and are doing remarkably well. Whatever the approach to capitalizing on current market conditions, one thing is clear: in this new era it’s time to doubledown on our customer service and double-up on great value.

Even though social gathering is down, retail numbers are definitely up. Motorcycling is attracting scores of new riders, RV-loads of families are heading into the backcountry with their ATVs and UTVs while generations of PWC fans and boaters are out on the lakes and reservoirs in record numbers. With so many new customers in each corner of the industry, we have a golden opportunity to see our niche with beginner’s eyes.

To capitalize on new customers, we need to embrace the next group of enthusiasts. We all need to forget the shorthand references and the lingo! Instead we need to refresh our ability to communicate our own enthusiasm for our chosen sport. Many of these new customers

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Seriously, value can be something as simple as imparting your knowledge freely and easily, or giving a customer your undivided attention in a quiet corner of the dealership. Value can be defined as making yourself available as a resource, or going the extra mile to make doing business with your dealership ultra convenient for the customer.

Value can also be added by special touches that make customers remember you. One retailer I remember puts small packets of M&Ms in all packages they ship to customers. Irv Seaver Motorcycles in Orange, California, has another thoughtful touch: they will store your vehicle for you allowing you to ride your new purchase home. Little things can make a big difference when it comes to welcoming new riders and retread customers alike.

There are a multitude of things you can do to add perceived value, give great customer service and build relationships with your customers. The only limit is your imagination!

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.

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AIMEXPO 2021 Registration Now Open for The Big Show in Columbus

Dealers, media, and industry insiders can register for the revamped, trade-only show here. More information on the eighth annual industry gathering is available at AIMExpoUSA.com. Read More for the news release.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Congress Reopens PPP Small Business Loans: August 8 Deadline Good news: There’s still time for small business owners interested in applying for a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program to help cover payroll costs and certain other expenses during the pandemic.

The deadline to apply was extended to August 8. Those seeking a loan should click here to visit the U.S. Small Business Administration and find eligible lenders.

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Preserve Protect, Promote You take care of business.

We take care of the business environment.

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

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

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made a serious miscalculation when it comes to our sport.

We fought back at the local, state, and federal levels.

Collectively we socially distanced, quarantined for weeks, developed curbside services and home delivery, sanitized and disinfected… in short, we fought back as an industry.

The Motorcycle Industry Council and other trade association partners worked hard with elected officials and government agencies to get the greater powersports industry listed by the federal government as an essential business. This allowed for the continued production, sales and service of vehicles.

The industry, media, and many private sector stakeholders embraced and supported COVID-19 mitigation protocols that allowed businesses to provide continued services to their customers. They provided updates via publications, news releases, and webinars.

That tight knit cadre of powersports leaders also worked with public land agencies in a collaborative manner to help inform riders where they could and could not ride.

And, to educate them on what to expect when they did arrive at a recreation facility that was open or was set to reopen – often at a reduced capacity since many agency staff were directed to work from home.

COVID-19 COMEBACK

As COVID-19 continues to rear its ugly head in some states, let us take some comfort in the fact that our industry and sport has prevailed so far and that we will continue to champion our right to enjoy the freedom that outdoor motorized recreation brings to our family and friends.

We Fought Back…

by Donald Amador

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s many parts of the country issued hard shutdown or shelter-in-place orders in early March, the powersports dealers that I know braced for the “COVID Crash” that would most certainly devastate their business. Prepare for the worst, pray for the best and #RideItOut It was clear the coronavirus (COVID-19) had set its sights on destroying retail business in general and the powersports industry in particular. By eliminating the customer-base that depends on their ability to purchase and use off-road motorcycles, ATVs, SxSs and adventure bikes on public and private lands for recreation, public safety or agriculture, it appeared as if COVID had us dead to rights.

Fortunately for dealers, distributors, OEMs, aftermarket manufacturers and end users alike, that doomsday scenario for the powersports industry was not realized in many parts of the country. COVID-19 appears to have

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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

Don’t Squat With Your Spurs On

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ave ya ever pulled some carbs for cleaning and then stuck your eyeball (make that a mirror and a flashlight) into the intake ports for a quick look-see?

If you’re not doing it every time you do a “make-run” job or fuel-system clean, you’re just playing mechanic instead of being one. Kinda reminds me of the time I learned to “cowboy” from an old-timer who pushed more than a few doggies down the trail. So listen up, Greenhorn; there’s no reason to play mechanic when it’s easy enough to be a great one.

Take that intake port, for example. It’s got all kinds of info lingering about, just waiting for you to pick up on. Before you cast your evil eye down into the port, Uncle Paul wants you to check for crud between the port casting (the head) and the carb holder/manifold. That little ring of nasty stuff means there’s an intake leak. After cleaning both surfaces (the head and the manifold), you might want to skim a light coat of high-temp sealer across the new gasket or O-ring.

If the holder/manifolds are held in place with phillips-head screws, replace them with some decent 6x10 socket cap screws to get a better, mo’ tighter retaining torque.

Now, peer into the port and look at the walls of the port runners and the backside of the intake valve (you might want to roll the motor over and close the valves, if you haven’t already). If you see a bright, shiny port and valve, then things are okay. Fresh air and fuel are moving in the right direction and scouring the port with a fresh charge.

If there are reddish-brown stains in the port, then we have a fuel pooling problem. Fuel pooling can be caused by a

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number of things, but most often it’s traced back to floatlevel settings being too high in the carbs. If it’s a hot-rod motor that’s showing strains, then the jetting is extremely rich on the low speed circuit, cam overlap is too great, or the carb’s venturi is too big (oversized carbs) and killing the velocity of the incoming charge. We need to keep the fuel atomized and in suspension until it reaches the combustion chamber. Mo’ bigger ain’t always mo’ better, ‘cept maybe when it comes to certain body parts I’ve forgotten how to use.

What if you see black crud in the port and on the backside of the intake valve? That’s reversion. It means combustion byproduct is heading back toward the carb — it’s going the wrong way, Pilgrim. Copsickles and Gold Wings are where you see it most often. If tight valve settings or a loose valve guide is causing problems, a small white line will edge the valve and seat (it’s really hot there), and sometimes a motor will develop a little hiccup when the combustion process moves into the port. Most always, when there’s a big buildup of crud on the intake valve, it’s because the cams are out of time — the cam chain or timing belts are loose and/or worn out.

We need to replace or reset these worn units. Using factory-recommended procedures for tightening a cam chain or belt is barely acceptable, the way Uncle Paul sees it. The is one of those things that you need to think about, then develop your own technique. In their zeal to make everything automatic and monkey-proof, the factory guys missed the roundup in this area. We’ll probably have to cover this tension business in a future Done-Solved Mystery.

It’s kinda messy, but there’s an easy way of getting this junk out of the ports. We had a Gold Wing in recently, and both the intake and the exhaust ports had a big buildup of black, oily combustion crud. Couldn’t hardly see the valves, it was so bad! Here’s what we did: After closing the valves on one head, we hosed the ports down with alcohol and let them soak for a few hours. Then we stuck a hand-held sandblaster all the way into the port and wiggled it around until all the poop broke loose. A little high-pressure blast of air for clean-up finished the job. It’s okay to use the same technique on all motors; just make sure the sparkplugs are in, and the other ports and engine openings are sealed up.

Bead media or blasting grit is brutal on engine internals.

So there you got it, Tenderfoot. Playing motorcycle mechanic is a lot like playing “cowboy.” Think about what you’re doing, what you’re looking at and how you’re gonna get there from here… and don’t squat with your spurs on!

*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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READY TO RACE!

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ith apologies to KTM, the entire powersports world is sick of the COVID-closures and ready to return to the track. Last month Dealernews was lucky enough to crash the party to literally “cover” roadracing’s return to action, despite Road America being closed to spectators. Much obliged to our photographer friend Jeff Barger for the scoop. This month, it is the good graces of our own Advocacy columnist Scot Harden (who just happens to be on the Best In The Desert team) and another veteran photographer Mark Kariya, that we get an insider’s perspective of getting back to desert racing. With onroad and off-road competition figuring out a way to get back on track, now is the time for retailers to start winning the old win on Sunday, sell on Monday competition! Here are this month’s picks to click.

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Photo by Mark Kariya

JULY 2020

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FLUID TRANSFER

Although Hydro-Turf is better known for what’s on deck than inside the hull, they have a few tricks of the trade up their sleeves. The Fluid Extractor us a prime example. Although they have a convenient smaller version, the 15 liter model (SKU: OIL03) is ideal for bigger jobs and shops. This larger capacity oil/fluid extractor makes changing the oil in most 4 stroke PWC, snowmobile, ATV, boat and lawn mower applications clean and hassle-free. Holds up to 15 liters (3.92 gal) in this sturdy portable container with built-in pump. MSRP $140 find it here: https://www.hydroturf.com/product/fluid-extractor-15-liter/

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ORANGE YOU GLAD TO SEE THIS?

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE!

Although it is tough to put on a happy face during these COVID crazy times, Lost Coast Traders is trying. “Industry people I have talked to on the service side of the counter feel the cloth masks are too thick and uncomfortable to wear all day,” explains importer Jeffery Boaz. “From foggy glasses to nose pimples with even just not being able to see a friendly face many are finding interaction with customers a challenge.” The CDC guidelines, along with the EU needs, indicate standard face shields being used by medical staff around the world would be an acceptable alternative. “But we added fun designs of animal faces to the shields. Initially it was for the child size masks but we quickly got requests for adult sizing too!”

All built with high quality and Level 1 clarity ratings, the fog-free coating allows you to breathe and work in comfort… and have a little fun by letting your inner “animal” out in a time when the world seems to be way too serious.” We can even do them with logos or other ideas you may want for your company.” Pricing based on single item purchase landed cost in the USA: Animal (4 choices) or custom prints w/elastic band $17 (MOQs apply). Volume pricing is available. For more information call Boaz at 612202-2673 or e-mail LostCoastTraders@gmail.com

“In case you haven’t heard, SealSavers are not just for motorcycles anymore,” exclaims Mason Mill. “We now have products for 4-wheel vehicles as well as a new dealer-direct campaign.” But the brightest bit of news is the addition of color to the Zip-On SealSavers line for motorcycles. Check out the brand-new ORANGE Zip-On SealSavers to keep dirt, dust and mud from getting into fork seals. The Zip-On SealSavers can be installed in minutes without removing the forks. Dealer Margins start at 35% off plus FREE SHIPPING (US Only) with no minimum quantity! “We have additional discount brackets that are quantity based, but everyone starts at 35% and free shipping (US Only),” concludes Mill.

“Mix and match products, colors, and sizes to help reach the next level of discounts.”

Order any of SealSavers product for your shop today through the online Dealer Portal: https://sealsavers.com/my-account/orders/

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TOOL TIME

Having the right tool for the job can make all the difference in the world…

Particularly when dealing with suspension components! “We are doing very well with the K66024 Kodlin Lowering Kits for Harley-Davidson’s M-8 Softails,” says Kodlin USA’s Holger Mohr. “However we had feedback that a few dealers have issues working on the shock to access the bolt to install our part. There are tools from Motion Pro and K&L available, and they are great. But we decided to develop our own.” Introducing the K66030 Kodlin Shock/Spring Compression Tool for Harley-Davidson M-8 Softail models. Retails at $159 and there is dealer pricing available. It is simple but extremely effective,” claims Mohr. https://kodlinusa.com/kodlin-shock-spring-compression-tool-forharley-davidson-m-8-softail-models/

KEEPING DEALERS IN THE (GIANT) LOOP

“Such a strange period of history we’re living through right now,” says Giant Loop founder Harold Olaf Cecil. Which makes being able to bug out with adventure-proof gear systems even more important, so the Klamath Tail Rack Pack gets updated for 2020. The versatile new mounting system includes two of Giant Loop’s new 25-inch stretch polyurethane Pronghorn Straps, plus four Fender Hooks and two forward-tensioning webbing anchor straps to accommodate a wide variety of motorcycle makes and models. Like a tank bag for the rear of bike, the low-profile Klamath Tail Rack Pack keeps gear organized and easily accessible, securing to the GL Tail Rack (or virtually any motorcycle rear rack), as well as many plastic dirt bike fenders. “Because this product is made in the USA, we are not able to scratch out sufficient margin to make it available via WPS and Tucker and still be reasonably priced, so the Klamath Tail Rack Pack is available dealer and consumer direct only. It’s a ridiculously high quality, feature rich product for the $119 MSRP.” https://www.giantloopmoto.com/product/klamath-tail-rack-pack/

THE LAST FUEL FILTER YOU WILL EVER SELL

Golan filters are guaranteed to be the best motorcycle filters in the market... and quite possibly the last filter you will sell. Made in the USA these high flow filters were originally designed and engineered for the aerospace industry. Constructed of pleated 304 stainless steel offering a total of 1.8 square inch of effective filtration area. The filtration element provides maximum flow of 3 gallons per minute and is washable, reusable indefinitely, cleaned easily with air or soluble rinse. MSRP $65 https://golanproducts.com/product-category/filters/

Photo by Mark Kariya

JULY 2020

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COVID-19, WILDFIRES, ECONOMIC SHUTDOWN...

WHAT ELSE YOU GOT? Racing In The Age Of The Corona Virus

By Scot Harden

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s the 2020 Best In The Desert VT Construction Silver State “300” Presented by Polaris drew to a close, the off-road racing community breathed a collective sigh of relief!

Despite the era of COVID closures, racing was finally back… and back with a vengeance! A record turnout of 289 race teams from all over the United States arrived in Las Vegas at the end of June to prove racing can not only survive the virus but thrive in a postpandemic world. But it wasn’t without its fair share of drama.

I want to share a little of the behind the scenes of how this race even happened, why it was so important to our industry, and what we learned that might help other race promoters find ways to get back to racing as well. Despite COVID-19 challenges, a wildfire that broke out the day before the race, and an economic shutdown the likes of which our country hasn’t experienced since the Great Depression, the race came off spectacularly and the event was a resounding success.

Holding a 300-mile point-to-point off-road race is no easy challenge, even in the best of times. I like to describe it as managing an all-day train wreck. Starting at sunrise and running well into the night, the event consists of hundreds of competitors racing wide open across the desert in every form of high-powered off-road vehicle imaginable. Add in support crews, a network of 200+ volunteers stationed the length of the 300-mile route, more than 80 credentialed media/journalists and mix in a few thousand random spectators all running around the mountains and desert of Lincoln County Nevada, the Silver State 300 is a tough event to manage, even under normal conditions. Throw in a pandemic and a wildfire that caused last-minute racecourse reroutes on the fly, and the Best In The Desert team had their work cut out for them. Here is the inside story on how we pulled it off.

As everyone knows, racing in the age of COVID-19 has proven to be a very daunting affair. As we look around, we see every form

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of sporting event, not just racing, has been globally impacted.

On the professional racing side, some series have made some extreme adjustments and at least got their series completed (Supercross). Others are finding ways to get a few rounds in (GNCC, MotoAmerica, American Flat Track, MotoGP, etc.), and most others are still searching for answers to get their events off the ground with a hybrid mix of fans/no fans, select venues, etc.

(Outdoor National MX), or even throwing in the towel outright like Team USA withdrawing from the Motocross of Nations.

The higher the reliance on spectator participation at the events, the need to collect gate fees, bring large crowds together, the higher the challenges. Fortunately for Best In The Desert and the type of racing we do, we aren’t confined to race circuits or closedcourse venues. And while this certainly reduced our challenge, we still rely on large hotels and convention facilities to pull off our events. Best In The Desert is a huge race series, the largest offroad racing series in North America. As such, it requires extensive infrastructure and facilities to hold registration, contingency and tech inspection, not to mention our Event Expo that hosts dozens and dozens of displays by our sponsors and contingency support companies. In addition, because we race on public lands, we rely on federal land managers, Nevada Dept. of Transportation, Highway Patrol, Sheriff and other agencies’ support. If they can’t attend, we can’t run.

Like everyone else, our series came to an abrupt halt on March 17th when Nevada announced it was shutting down all non-essential businesses, including casinos. We were forced to postpone at least two events that were to be held during March and April, including the very popular Silver State 300. We watched and waited for the next month and a half, following announcements and developments regarding when re-opening might occur. As we approached May, we were sufficiently encouraged by reports coming out of the Governor of Nevada’s office that phased reopening would begin that month.

Rather than make decisions in a vacuum, we decided to host our first ever BITD “Live Virtual Town Hall Meeting” over Facebook. We used the platform to share where we were as a racing series, what the remainder our 2020 schedule might look like. Last but not least, we shared prospective dates for when we would be ready to get back to racing. At the end of the presentation, which included a lengthy Q & A session where we answered questions from our audience, we hosted an online survey proposing new dates for the Silver State 300 and asked our racers if they would be ready to race on those dates.

Because we did not know what the economic impact would be from the shutdown and whether people would be able to afford to go racing, we asked the simple question, “Are you ready to race?”

To our surprise, we received a 92% favorable response. Through the “Live Virtual Town Hall Meeting” process, we developed an allnew tool for communicating with our racers and customers, a tool which we plan to use regularly in the future.

Once the date was announced, we immediately began working on our COVID-19 protocol. We consulted with specialists in the field, worked with our host hotel management team, and adhered to the guidelines set by the State of Nevada. We reconfigured the registration process, setting specific times for various classes to register to keep crowds at a minimum. We applied social distancing guidelines to every aspect of the tech and contingency process, including setting up a procedure where racers didn’t even have to unload their race vehicles to complete the process. They could drive through this area. Our traditional Driver’s/Rider’s Meeting was not held in an auditorium but instead on Facebook Live, the same with our trophy presentations. Trophies were handed out at the finish line.

Despite all our best efforts to be prepared to follow social distancing and other health guidelines as required, we received a last-minute curveball when the night before our event, the Governor of Nevada made face masks mandatory. Even there, we were prepared with special custom made BITD facemasks, which were distributed in the Event Expo to every company displaying. Fortunately for us, everyone attending was respectful and followed COVID-19 protocol, including social distancing and mask guidelines.

If all those adjustments were not enough, we received news on Friday, the day before the race that a wildfire had broken out and was burning on the first 25 miles of the course. Once we got the news, literally just hours before the start, our race operations team, led by Donald Jackson, quickly rerouted the course and communicated the changes with racers and fans through social media platforms.

Note: Only through our 37-year relationship with the BLM was the last second allowed to happen. While some motorcycles and quads were able to go the full race distance due to their early start, most motorcycles and quads were stopped at Pit 7 for their official finish line. The finish line for Cars, Trucks and UTVs were relocated to Pit 6 due to the growing fires. Even with an abbreviated course, Cars, Trucks and UTVs still finished 220 miles, while motorcycles and quads got close to 270 miles of tough racing.

Quoting Best In the Desert’s co-owner/CMO Bryan Folks, “The 2020 VT Construction Silver State ‘300’ Presented by Polaris will go down in the record books as one of the most important, and quite frankly most interesting, races in off-road racing. We showed the off-road community we could get back to racing and pull off an amazing event despite COVID-19, wildfires and a host of other challenges thrown our way. Our team did an amazing job managing these challenges, and in the end, put on one of the best races of the year. The smiles and heartfelt ‘thank yous’ of all the competitors, support crews and fans we experienced at the finish line was more than sufficient reward.”

And what about the actual racing? The VT Construction Silver State “300” Presented by Polaris saw some of the biggest names in off-road racing put on quite a show for spectators and race fans.

Highlights in just a few of the classes included solo Husqvarna rider Skyler Howes and the Factory Beta team of Joe Wasson and Chance Fullerton battling all day long only seconds apart. Howes pulled a slight margin in the closing sections and won in 4:32:59 with Wasson/Fullerton just 69 seconds behind. The Hayden Hintz/ Trevor Hunter KTM team rounded out the podium a few minutes later. See the Press Pass in this issue for full coverage.

“All things considered, we pulled off an unbelievable event when the cards were stacked against us,” said Operations Manager Donald Jackson. “I want to personally thank the Best In The Desert staff for adapting last-minute to changing conditions, and all the volunteers who moved locations and jumped in where they saw we needed extra help. I also want to thank Motorsports Safety for helping with course diversions and getting times for our scoring team, the racers for their understanding, and adapting to changes out of our control and the Bureau of Land Management Caliente Field Office. It would have been easy for BLM to postpone or cancel the event due to the wildfire, but the BLM worked with us and gave the racers as much mileage as possible until the safety factor was too high to risk for the full distance. Without all these people involved, the event would not have been a success or possible without everyone working together as a team effort.”

The VT Construction Silver State “300” Presented by Polaris saw some of the closest racing in years. But what was most notable was the spirit, resilience, and appreciation amongst the off-road racing community to be back together racing again. The event saw

its share of curveballs with the fast-moving wildfire, but everyone quickly reacted, with racers accepting the challenges and lastminute changes with a positive attitude. The event proved to be a great success, and a great lesson learned in perseverance and never giving up.

Given recent developments and setbacks in the phased reopening of several western states, we are sure other challenges lie ahead. We can only imagine what BITD founder Casey Folks would do in a similar situation. The fact the Silver State 300 event even took place was a testament to the way he lived his life, the spirit and passion of our fellow off-road racers. Off-Road racers are truly special people. People I am very proud to be associated with!

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Scot Harden has enjoyed a nearly 40-year career as one of the world’s top offroad racers and compiled a set of records that few can match. From 1971 until his final professional race in 2007 — at the age of 51 — Harden mastered a wide range of off-road disciplines. He also has compiled an impressive executive management resume within the motorcycle industry as a brand builder, race team manager, sales professional and product planner with such companies as Husqvarna, KTM, BMW, Zero Motorcycles and Best in the Desert. Harden also is owner of Harden Offroad, a business consulting practice. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2008.

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VT CONSTRUCTION SILVER STATE 300 PRESENTED BY POLARIS Desert Racing Is Back!

By Scot Harden, Photos by Mark Kariya

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his past week I was heavily involved with the Best In The Desert Silver State 300. It was our first race back since the Shut Down. In case you are interested, the sport is alive and doing extremely well. We shattered records for turnout and entries. And, despite wildfires the day of the race that required some last-minute course modifications, the race came off spectacularly. Close to 100 UTV entries, 70 motorcycles, 20 Trick Trucks and a large field of Class 6100 made up the diverse field of entries. The off-road racing community came out in droves.

The VT Construction Silver State “300” Presented by Polaris saw some of the closest racing in years. But what was most notable was the spirit, resilience, and appreciation amongst the off-road racing community to be back together racing again. The event saw its share of curveballs with the fastmoving wildfire, but everyone quickly reacted, with racers accepting the challenges and last-minute changes with a positive attitude. The event proved to be a great success, and a great lesson learned in perseverance and never giving up.

And what about the actual racing? The VT Construction Silver State “300” Presented by Polaris saw some of the biggest names in off-road racing put on quite a show for spectators and race fans. Highlights in just a few of the classes included solo Husqvarna rider Skyler Howes and the Factory Beta team of Joe Wasson and Chance Fullerton battling all day long only seconds apart. Howes pulled a slight margin in the closing sections and won in 4:32:59 with Wasson/

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Fullerton just 69 seconds behind. The Hayden Hintz/Trevor Hunter KTM team rounded out the podium a few minutes later. Perennial Class Champion Erin Simmons took home the win In the Quad Pro class.

UTV Turbo: Can-Am’s Phil Blurton and co-pilot Beau Judge finished with a 4:14:18 elapsed time just a minute ahead of Dustin Jones. Brandon Sims came in third only two minutes later with Brandon Schueler just another two minutes behind Sims. A UTV Turbo class review shows a mere nine minutes in elapsed time separating the top 10. Forty-six entries left the starting line making this the largest class of the day.

UTV Unlimited: This class also saw a tight race with Robert Van Beekum racing for Polaris taking the win just one minute ahead of Randy Raschein with a 4:28:22 elapsed time.

Perennial class champion Michael Isom came in only 30 seconds behind Raschein to place third.

Class 6100: Though Kyle Jergensen was put in a rear start position due to an unfortunate crash in Time Trials, he won the class in 4:00:24, overtaking Travis Williams and Troy Messer by three minutes and three minutes and a half, respectfully.

It was incredible to see Brenthel Racing’s Jergensen fight his way to the finish from the back of the pack! Similar to the UTV Turbo Class, only 11 minutes separated the top 10 finishers.

Class 1500: Jake Johnson took home the win in the alwayscompetitive Class 1500 finishing in 3:56:20, racing over 200 miles in under four hours is beyond impressive and lands him a solid Top 10 time overall!!! Rhys Millen finished strong in 2nd at 4:05:56, and rounding out the podium was Event Title Sponsor “ VT Construction” brand new car driven by Ladd and Sean Gilbert with a time of 4:09:43.

Trick Trucks: This class was super competitive with big names including Luke and Dan McMillin, Jason Voss, Bryce Menzies, Justin Lofton, BJ Baldwin, Adam Householder, Steve Olliges, Kevin Thompson/Harley Letner, Tracy Graf and 15-yearold phenom Jax Redline going head to head for the overall win. #35 Voss led physically for 148 miles into Pit #4 before driveline problems dropped him to 9th in the final standings.

The #70 Thompson/Letner and #83 Luke McMillin battled the rest of the way for the overall, each leading at various points on time.

Continued on page 76

JULY 2020

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Continued from page 75

However, a post-race analysis revealed that the #70 Thompson/Letner team made an off-course deviation at mile marker 139 and was subsequently penalized 30 minutes for the infraction, dropping them to 14th in the final standings.

As a result, Luke McMillin took the hard-fought overall win by 3:26 over Bryce Menzies in 2nd with #27 Steve Olliges another 2:36 back in 3rd. #97 BJ Baldwin came home in 4th place.

Class 1000: Conner McMullen ended up taking home, yet another class win after beating Bret Jeffers by a mere 16 seconds, proving to be another super-tight race.

Our next race, the Maxxis Tires “Casey Folks” Vegas to Reno Presented by Fox, should be a monster (and hopefully not a barn-burner).

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KATO’S CORNER

by Mark Kariya

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inally! It’s been months since the last big desert race, thanks to the COVID-19 virus. The result was a recordsetting 289 teams (69 of them bikes and 12 quads) entered Best In The Desert’s Silver State 300, eclipsing the previous record of 218. Better news was a significant number of them were first-time BITD racers.

While a lightning strike-induced fire forced course reroutes late Friday and even during the race for the later starting cars and trucks, it didn’t diminish the fun everyone seemed to have being back racing. Experience, as well as speed, enabled Skyler Howes to repeat his win from last year. Although he was physically second at the finish, his adjusted time was just over a minute faster than Beta USA Chance Fullerton and Joe Wasson in their BITD debut; they were first off the line and enjoyed clean air all morning.

A few minutes back was the Hayden Hintz/Trevor Hunter duo, who came in on a rear tire literally worn through the cords in a number of places! The image has to be seen to be believed!

Next up is #vegas2reno and I’m sure that’ll also prove to be well attended provided there are no more COVID closures, wildfires or plagues of locusts!

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BIKES PLUS BIKES: WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? The Difference Between Knowledge And Wisdom…

The Cost Of Not Having Both

By Frank Esposito

O

ne thing that stuck out for me at the AIMExpo in Columbus back in October, 2019 was the high number of Electric Bicycles that have come on to the scene.

Electric Road Bikes and Electric Mountain Bikes that were branded by some of the familiar OEM’s like Yamaha and a host of brands I have never heard of. They were all at the AIME show for one reason: They want to sell their bicycles through motorcycle shops.

It brought back memories of my experience with bicycles that can be of value for dealerships who might be considering adding these to their offerings. History is a good teacher.

This all happened to me, Tucker Rocky and my dealers when I was a rep for Tucker Rocky back in the early to mid-80’s.

Joseph Piazza Sr. was the head of Rocky and Robert Nickel was the head of Tucker. These two gentlemen are two of the brightest minds of the industry and in many ways defined distribution and brands today. They were both my mentors and instrumental in my career path. They were bold leaders.

They were pioneers. They rarely missed.

Together they decided to get motorcycle dealers into the bicycle business. No two minds were better at research, strategy and building a successful business plan. That is

78

exactly what they did and so the Dorado Bicycle Brand was created from scratch to be sold through motorcycle dealers.

Their strategy was admirable. They were always looking for ways to help dealers be more profitable. Bravo!

I, along with several other top reps, were included on the front end of the research and business planning. Our opinions mattered. We then formed a dealer council and got opinions from the dealership owners. Everyone was “over the moon” confident. Homework done… or was it?

The launch: The company brought in a high-level bicycle guy to create a brand that was a complete line with numerous models and price points. It was a full offering of various price points of “Citi Bikes” and “Mountain Bikes”. They did the literature, the parts packages, the training sessions and launched the bicycle business like a mountain lion on a lamb.

In my territory, most of my dealers took on the line. I believed in what we were doing to bring a new revenue stream to our dealers.

The big false assumption: The top brass at TR, the rep council, the dealer council, the bicycle industry guy thought that this would be a piece of cake. Two critical errors were made. One: The thinking was that if we could sell motorcycles, we sure as heck could sell bicycles. They go together… Or do they? That was the kiss of death assumption. Two: We never got input from bicyclists, dealership sales people and the dealership mechanics. We asked everyone about the new airplane but the pilots who would have to fly it.

The result was a year and a half of business interruption for all parties. After the bloom fell off of the rose and after all of the staff in dealerships bought a bike at cost, a funny thing happened. Motorcycle Dealers were not able to attract bicyclists. Informed bicyclists go to bicycle stores to buy name brands or go to Target or WalMart for price.

The Dorado Brand was in never-never land. The assumption that there was a sweet intersection of motorcyclists who would buy bicycles from motorcycle dealerships was a poor assumption. In fact, the intersection of motorcyclists who did buy these bicycles from their dealers was very narrow.

Fill Rate: To ensure good fill rates, TR had to step up with a blind and big second order before they had good measurable sales results due to the very long lead times. This was a big capital investment. Before the second shipment hit the docks, the handwriting was on the wall.

Next was space. Space in a dealership is precious. Initially the bicycles had a decent amount of display space but as sales decreased, they got pushed aside and, in some cases, piled up in a corner. Not very attractive. The bicycle displays in dealerships looked like what it was, an afterthought.

And then the final nail in the coffin, being technically competent on all things bicycle. Sales people could not deliver an effective sales pitch on why to buy a Dorado bicycle over the existing brands. They just did not speak the language. Motorcycle mechanics for the most part hated setting up and working on bicycles. Just because you are a skilled motorcycle mechanic does not make you a bicycle mechanic. Mechanics were not happy and bicycle customers certainly were not happy when their bicycles would not work correctly. Essentially, bicycle service in most motorcycle

dealerships suffered. Most motorcycle mechanics resented working on bicycles.

As a rep, I lost an easy 40% of my time trying to keep the dealers happy with bicycles trying to create sales programs and continued to put our warranty and parts fires. I was no bicycle salesman and neither were my dealers. Together, I don’t think we could have tried any harder. I spent a good part of a year helping dealers get out from under these bicycles. Some dealers took a hard line and took the position of “take them all back and the parts and give me full credit or I’m not buying one more thing from TR”.

I don’t think you could find one dealer from that time who would tell you that the Dorado Bicycle business delivered added revenue and profits. Most would tell you that it was an expensive distraction from their core business and a failed business strategy.

The lesson: The bicycle business is a different animal.

To succeed it demands dedicated leadership, additional resources in space, capital for inventory and advertising, plus human energy to drive it. The biggest lesson was the failure of all parties to not realize it was a different business. Bicycle people speak a different language and they are used to impeccable service that was in most times done on the spot.

Powersports dealers could not match that. The established bicycle brands and dealers will always be fierce competitors.

Conclusion and recommendation: If you are thinking about doing this or already have done it, you need a business plan just for bicycles or they will be an afterthought. Start with how many units do you have to sell a year to justify the cost? Bicycles will not take off on autopilot just because you put them in your store.

Action Recruiting.................................................... 77 AIMExpo.................................................................... 46 Cycle News.......................................................... CVR4 DX1............................................................................ 19 Find It Now GPS Security......................................... 9 Fuel Capital Group, Inc........................................... 35 JE Pistons................................................................... 7 Harden & Associates............................................... 81 Hydro-Turf ............................................................... 15 PSX Digital............................................................... 31 MBA Insurance......................................................... 45

At the top of the plan you will need at least two bicycle champions, one in sales and one in service. This is not a business to be taken lightly and that can spell success for those who cover all of the bases and do it right. Study the business. Rest assured your local bicycle shop will have a competitive response to help you fail.

Get the latest copy of Electric Bike Action. Study the business.

Build a model and plan. Weigh the risks of at least one year of launching and promoting a new business. Ask yourself if you put this much additional energy into your existing business, what would be the return. Anything you do in your dealership should add value to your dealership, your employees and your customers without being a distraction.

If you don’t address these risks and this history, the odds will be against you.

The good side is that the COVID-19 has meant a re-writing of all the rules! If you do it right, you will be one of the few dealers who succeeds in carrying bicycles.

Frank Esposito Motivational Speaker www.ChampionshipMentality.com Life and Death Retail This article is the content of one of my lectures for an MBA class at the University of Baltimore, Merrick School of Business. When I laid out all of the parameters for the students on the business research that was done, virtually every student thought (as did I) that this was a “no brainer”. Once that part was complete and I informed them that the business failed, they all struggled to find the reason. We all missed something big back then. Just because you make great Pizza, does mean you can run a bakery too. This was a very expensive lesson.

Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)........................ 63 Motorcycle Industry Jobs (MIJ).............................. 17 MotoTV...................................................................... 40 National Powersports Auctions (NPA)................. 39 Piloteer Agency....................................................... 67 REVVtalks................................................................ 61 Royal Enfield.............................................................. 5 Tread Lightly............................................................ 65 Tucker Powersports................................................ 11 Twisted Throttle...................................................... 55 Western Power Sports...................................... 24-25

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

JULY 2020

79

Ave Atque Vale Patrick Koether 1968-2020

By Charlie Williams

M

an, I was just floored when I heard of our friend Patrick Koether passing away. I’d known him for 15 years or so, we went on many riding trips over the years. In fact, we first met as two strangers on a riding trip orchestrated by Joey Boisvert in Idaho. PK said, “Meet in the desert” and we did. Miles northeast of Phoenix Patrick rode up on his 640 KTM and we went exploring.

Miles of seemingly pointless mining roads wandering around in an easily lost in maze.

We paused on a rise to get our bearings, plan our next move and enjoy the vast Arizona desert. With the bikes silent, we heard a voice. It wasn’t just a voice, it was a desperate scream for help, but from where?

Half a mile away we could see a red speck that turned out to be a Ford truck. Too far to see people, but we could hear them. We rode towards them and once we got closer Patrick flagged us to a stop and here is some of his wisdom: “We don’t know who or what these people are, let’s stay far apart so they can’t easily jump us.”

Holy smokes did that hit me like a board, I was about to blindly ride into whatever trouble that awaited, yet Patrick knew. I thank PK for that wisdom, I approach every situation differently now.

Turns out the couple in the truck had gotten it up on an angle and it ran out of gas, sure the tank had gas but not enough to reach the fuel pump. They had been stranded in the desert three days. They had been drinking lake water out of a cooler and they were out of food. She wore a bath robe and wasn’t adapting well to her new lifestyle.

80

The stranded couple got on the back of our bikes and we started hauling them out, it was terrible. We kept taking bigger and more established roads until we finally ran into another traveler. Patrick and I again played it cool and parked so we had an exit.

The other driver was on his way out for a day of exploring and he wasn’t really interested in taking people back to civilization. We went round and around trying to off load our guests when PK gave me the eye roll to jump on our bikes and split. We did just that. I can just picture the girl in the bath robe jumping in the back of a Jeep for yet another day in the desert!

The next time Patrick showed me his wisdom was the day Joe Barker cut off his nose riding the Big Cat Dual Sport Ride in McCall, Idaho.

Oh, it was a glorious event, KTM was fresh out with their Adventure Bike line and Scot Harden was running their program.

See the Big Cat was a ride hosted by some BMW club and KTM teamed up to support the event and show off their new bike line, I don’t know the details, but it made for a cool event. While I’m wandering off subject, it was at the banquet on Saturday night when the real fireworks went off, we’ll cut Joe’s nose off later.

It was like oil and water, on one side of the table, KTM with Dakar Rally rider, Scot Harden, 500cc MX Champion Chuck Sun, ISDE star Patrick Garrahan, incredibly talented Joe Barker, Nevada Rally rider Paul Clipper and many other hardcore off-road guys. On the other side of the table, BMW led by a banker and his attorneys and paper pushers.

Scot Harden was at the microphone talking to the crowd. The way I was raised, when a 3-time Baja 1000 Champ speaks, I’m quiet.

When a 3-time ISDE medalist speaks, I’m double extra quiet. When an AMA Hall of Fame rider speaks, I’m super double extra quiet, and when the winner of the 1987 Djerba 500 Rally speaks, I’m giga mondo super double extra quiet! And that man was speaking.

An older BMW woman sat halfway back in the room and continued to talk to her friends in a brash vodka voice. I was at the next table and watched.

You guys know Laurette Nicoll from her work on camera as an announcer for the X Games, Formula Drift, EnduroCross (on MAVTV by Lucas Oil) Nitro Circus or the Red Bull Crushed Ice series. Anyhow, this was a younger version of Laurette back when she worked for KTM.

Scot was telling a story and Laurette politely and discreetly walked over and asked the loud woman to be quiet, since the guy writing the checks is speaking. The old woman replied and I swear, it was harsher that you could imagine.

“Fuck off,” then again only with more phlegm, more vodka and more hate: “FUCK

OFF!” Ho boy, that was the end of KTM and the Big Cat. In fact, if you type in “Big Cat” today it leads back to that bitch Carol Baskin!

Laurette was also the Announcer for the EnduroCross in Florence, South Carolina in 2009 when I won the Vet Class at the age of 51.

It was beautiful, Jerry Bernardo interviewed me on stage and Laurette watched, I gave her a wink and she gave me a smile, like I was some kind of player or something. Jerry asked if I followed any special diet, cause I’m a big old boy, I said: “Caffeine, Nicotine, Alcohol and Bacon!”

The crowd went wild! And oddly enough Scot Harden snapped the picture of my wife and I with the trophy!

Back to cutting off Joe’s nose, he actually did it! Although he didn’t cut it completely off, he didn’t do it any good either! We had been climbing up 3,000 feet from the Salmon River when Joe hit something wrong and the head light dash board thing jammed up under his helmet and cut the nose away from the face.

I’m a trained First Responder, which is the lowest ranking of guys to rescue you, I know CPR, how to dial 911, apply direct pressure… but if you’re in real trouble, I’m not your guy.

My processional assessment was Joe’s nose looks pretty good, sure there was a little blood, but it had stopped pumping like an untapped oil well. Joe said he was okay and we were going to put some gauze and tape on him to keep the blood from spraying inside his goggles and ride back down the mountain.

That is when Patrick rolled up. He’s got a certificate in Wilderness Medicine and he wanted to double-check Joe to make sure there wasn’t broken face bones waiting to jab a vein or something worse. So he did a very thorough assessment, Again Patrick’s wisdom to see deeper into the problem than I could. Yes, we put some gauze on Joe and he rode himself home. But it could have ended differently, and I err on the side of caution to this day.

Now I could go on about adventures with Patrick and the entire Rekluse gang, like at the Muddobbers National Enduro when Russel Bobbit won the championship?

Under the Rekluse banner after all the official celebrations, a party broke out like I’ve never seen. It only lasted about an hour, but it went from drinking to drunk fast and deep. No harm was done, other than personal brain cells and Russel woke up with his ear full of maple butter.

Cancer sucks, Laurette agrees, I agree, Patrick agrees. It sucks to have it, and it sucks to know those who have it. We’ll all miss Patrick, and I’m a better person for knowing him.

We will ride soon.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Patrick’s name may be made to Wilderness First Responders: https://www.wildsafe.org/donations/give/

HARDEN & ASSOCIATES

Bringing a Unique Perspective to the Powersports Business

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

Delivering solutions in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.

Over 35 years of senior level executive management experience.

• • • • • •

Brand Development Advisory Services Strategic Planning Product Development Motivational Speaking Advocate for the Sport

INDUCTED 2008

FOUNDER

Scot Harden scot.harden@harden-offroad.com

harden-offroad.com

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