Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/523095
w w w . p o w e r s p o r t s b u s i n e s s . c o m NEWS: Zero returns to AIMExpo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 8 FINANCE: Aegis enters the powersports market . . . . PAGE 12 FOCUS: Echo Cycle offers free tire contest . . . . . . PAGE 18 POWER 50: Mosites Motorsports on the move . . . . . . . PAGE 42 The U.S. Department of Transpor- tation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 21 issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would help protect motorcyclists from unsafe helmets and aid state efforts to enforce existing motorcycle helmet laws. The NPRM seeks to address the ongoing use of "novelty motorcycle helmets." These poorly constructed helmets do not meet DOT safety standards for crash protection, but are frequently marketed and sold for on-road use. "Motorcycle rider deaths are dispro- portionally high. Our nation lost 4,668 motorcyclists in 2013 alone and protec- tive helmets could have saved many of those lives," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. INSPIRING SUCCESS THROUGH MARKET INTELLIGENCE Catch the wave Hidden Trails Motorsports signs on as the title sponsor for Pro Watercross Tour. SEE PAGE 36 HOTNEWS Business growth KYMCO's VP of sales updates Powersports Business on the OEM's current offerings. SEE PAGE 28 50 years strong Rice Honda Suzuki celebrates a half century of business in the Black Hills of South Dakota. SEE PAGE 32 Harley-Davidson dealer celebrates a century of service KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR Harley-Davidson has been around since 1903, and few dealerships have experienced the same longevity as Myers-Duren Harley-Davidson. Established in 1914, the dealership in Tulsa, Okla., was originally owned by Ward and Virgil Eby. In 1949, Glen E. "Dutch" Myers, bought part of the dealership from the Eby brothers and operated it until 1977 when Reba McClanahan, one of only a few women in the country to own a dealership, made an offer. Reba and her then-husband Lowell Duren took over, retaining the prior name Myers and adding their namesake to the end. Reba later remarried Don McClanahan, and she and her two sons, James and Johnny, continue to run the deal- ership. In 1998, Myers-Duren moved locations to a larger 20,000-square-foot building in Tulsa's historic Brookside district. After a century of service, Myers-Duren has survived it all, from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl to two World Wars and the oil boom. Today, Myers-Duren remains the oldest Harley- Davidson dealership in Oklahoma. Owner Reba McClanahan said in a press release that the his- tory of Myers-Duren is "a 100-year ride through the good, the bad and the ugly." The focus of her dealership has not changed since 1977 — it's all about customer service and a family atmosphere. "Working here at the dealership is still a job. However, we like to remember how fun it is also to not only work for Harley, but ride a Harley," said Johnny McClanahan. "We really like to try to convey that to our customers about our employees. They not only work in the dealership, but they are riders who are passionate and like to have fun." Johnny agrees that customer service is also an important part of the Myers-Duren experience. "We still have more than half of our customers as repeat customers. Long-term customers are a tradition that we value as a family. We have sold to some grandfathers, fathers and grandchildren all in the same family. Some families have bought motorcycles in the third and fourth generations. We like to say that we would like to have you as a 'customer for life,'" he said. To celebrate its customers and a century of business, Myers-Duren hosted a media event on Oct. 14, for past customers, local radio stations and city officials. Johnny says that the mayor of Tulsa attended the press day, spent a few hours there and even took a Harley Street Glide for a spin. "We unveiled a 100th anniversary picture wall that showcases the customers, rides and his- tory of the dealership on a prominent spot in the dealership," Johnny said. The following weekend on Oct. 18, Myers- Duren took its celebration public. "Our 100th Anniversary Party had over 1,500 people," he See Myers-Duren, Page 6 Powersports, auto and power products divisions work together on campaign LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR This spring the TV commercials were almost hard to miss. One eye-catching spot included a motocross bike traversing through a garage that had an Indy racecar and a Honda Civic in it as well. Others included one with a lineup of Honda motorcycles and another with a Honda side-by-side. All were part of the Honda Dream Garage promotion. For the Dream Garage, Honda's powers- ports, automotive and power products divisions worked together to market all of their respec- tive products. "The idea is that we're an engineering com- pany, and we offer all these products that for most people it would be a dream to have that in their garage," said Lee Edmunds, manager of motorcycle marketing communications at American Honda. The partnership was the first of its kind for American Honda. The idea, Edmunds said, came from the automotive segment, but the powers- ports side was eager to join in. "It's a new collaboration between the different PSB: FOCUS Tire & Wheel SEE PAGE 16 See Honda, Page 6 See Hot News, Page 3 June 15, 2015 • Volume 18, Number 8 • $3.99 Honda finds dream promotion with Dream Garage NHTSA cracks down on novelty helmets '100-year ride through TH TH TH TH TH TH T E HE HE HE HE HE H TH TH TH TH TH TH T E HE HE HE HE HE H TH TH TH TH TH TH T E HE HE HE HE HE H An An An An An An A d nd nd nd nd nd n good good good good good good Bad Bad Bad Ugly Ugly Ugly' , Myers-Duren Harley-Davidson owner Reba McClanahan and sons James (left) and Johnny (right) are celebrating the dealership's 100th anniversary in Tulsa, Okla.