Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/636351
PSB FOCUS This issue: Nifty 50 Next issue: Utility UTV u www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • February 15, 2016 • 13 For the 17th consecutive year, Powersports Business has selected 50 products and services that we believe will help boost dealership profits in 2016. PSB editors Dave McMahon, Liz Keener and Kate Swanson select the Nifty 50 winners. The editors' picks are based on information submitted by the companies; no testing of products is done. To be eligible, products must be new or substantially improved from previous years and be ready for delivery in calendar year 2016. In addition to receiving a certificate that honors their 2016 Nifty 50 selection, winners also will be listed in a PSB-produced e-blast to the industry. 360FLY 360FLY 360FLY Product: 360fly 4K Contact: www.360fly.com Product Specifications: The 360fly 4K is shock-resistant up to 1.5 feet and includes 32GB of internal memory. It records in 2880 x 2880 4K HD video resolution and has an advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. Unique Features: This product is a water resistant single- lens, 360-degree video camera with live streaming capa- bilities and intuitive filming and editing advancements. The camera allows users to create, edit and share 4K quality video in 360 degrees. It also allows users to create their own virtual reality content that can be viewed in the 360fly app using VR mode. MSRP: $499 4XPRO Product: 4XPro ATV/UTV axles Contact: 727/499-1399; www.4xpro.com Product Specifications: 4XPro axles for ATVs and UTVs include a one-year warranty on each axel and include free shipping in the continental U.S. The axles are designed to fit vehicles from a variety of OEMs including Polaris, Honda, Yamaha, Can-Am, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat and Suzuki. Unique Features: 4XPro has axles for more than 2,100 applications in stock and ready to ship. Dealers are required to adhere to 4XPro's MAP policy. MSRP: $119.95 ACTIVATION, INC. Product: Ready2Ride Contact: 917/539-7344; www.ready2mobile.com Product Specifications: Delivered via a branded consumer- facing app and control panel through a monthly subscription, Ready2Ride strives to drive revenues and cost savings for dealers. The application's features like bike health alerts, location-based promotions and personalized event invitations help drive in-store foot traffic and increase service and acces- sory revenues. Unique Features: Ready2Ride is the only mobile solution for dealers that is offered via a monthly subscription. Through the dealer control panel, dealers will have direct two-way in-app communication and be able to more efficiently reach their customers and reduce marketing expenditures. MSRP: $199 per month AEGIS POWERSPORTS Product: AegisTech Contact: 714/231-8614; www.aegispowersports.com Product Specifications: The AegisTech platform provides a way for dealers to include all F&I products within one company, including service contracts, GAP, tire/wheel, etch/ theft, preferred maintenance, paint/leather/vinyl/chrome protection and an industry-leading GPS tracking and theft deterrent unit. Unique Features: This service provides the ability to quote- and-bind VSC, GAP, tire/wheel/towing, priority mainte- nance, etch and appearance from one screen. In addition, the platform includes online claims submission and tracking with same-day claims payments. Aegis' zero-interest pay- ment plans gives the dealer a way to finance requested F&I products without an interest payment plan — no credit approval required. MSRP: Included for Aegis dealers ALTMAN INTERNATIONAL INC. Product: Green Flash Motorcycle Jacket Contact: 416/248-2292; www.altimategear.com Product Specifications: The Green Flash Motorcycle Touring Jacket is made of abrasion-resistant Denier nylon, a Thermo liner and a Reissa waterproof, but breathable, membrane. It is available in a wide size range, including M-4X in men's sizes. Unique Features: This jacket comes with a removable Hi-Viz vest, which is easily stored in the rear pocket for style versatil- ity. It also includes a loop and hook on the neck to hold the top portion of the jacket open, so it doesn't flap while riding. MSRP: $159.99 AMERICAN KARGO Product: Trooper Backpack Contact: 330/565-2137; www.americankargo.com Product Specifications: American Kargo's Trooper Backpack is constructed with PVC-backed 600-Denier fabric and mea- sures 22 inches high by 14 inches wide and 10 inches deep. It is available in three different colors: Hi-Viz, white and black. Unique Features: Specifically designed for riders, the Trooper Backpack features multiple storage options, including interior and exterior pockets, tie-downs, 4-way adjustable harness, laptop/tablet pocket and hydration tube routing port. Also, American Kargo provides lifetime warranty coverage for its luggage and accessory products to the items' original retail purchasers. The lifetime limited warranty covers defects in materials, design or workmanship. MSRP: $180 AMSOIL Product: AMSOIL Synthetic ATV/UTV Front Drive Fluid Contact: 800/956-5695; www.amsoil.com Product Specifications: AMSOIL Synthetic ATV/UTV Front Drive Fluid is purpose-built for use in Polaris hubs and central- ized Hilliard clutches. It is recommended for use in Polaris Ranger, RZR and Sportsman front differentials and hubs calling for Polaris Demand Drive Fluid. It offers enthusiasts a high-performance, cost-effective alternative to the vehicle manufacturer-branded fluid. Unique Features: This product protects heavily loaded, high-torque gears and bearings against wear in the most severe operating conditions. Also, it is backed by AMSOIL's limited warranty. MSRP: $13.90 4XPRO ACTIVATION, INC. AEGIS POWERSPORTS ALTMAN INTERNATIONAL INC. AMERICAN KARGO AMSOIL ALTMAN INTERNATIONAL INC. 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: CyclePro, NPA announce partnership . . . . . PAGE 4 FINANCE: Polaris, Sheffield extend contract . . . . . . . PAGE 10 CYCLE: Hookit improves rider sponsorships . . . . . . PAGE 26 AFTERMARKET: Pirelli launches promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 30 Advanced Motorsports Ducati Dal- las, the largest exclusive Ducati dealer in North America, has purchased Pro Italia Online, the largest Ducati- centric e-commerce store in North America. The new URL will be AMSDucati.com, and the site will expand in the next few months to include AMS' huge stock of parts, apparel and accessories, as well as its collection of vintage motorcycles. Founded by Jeff Nash in 1995, AMS Ducati Dallas has become the largest exclusive Ducati dealer in North America. With more than 23,000 square feet of space comprised of a 5,000-square-foot service center with a state-of-the art dyno room and a restoration center, 7,000 square feet of warehouse space stocked with vintage INSPIRING SUCCESS THROUGH MARKET INTELLIGENCE No side effects Power 50 dealer Vern Eide explains its methods for success and keeps its team happy. SEE PAGE 38 HOTNEWS Baja 1000 Hisun makes its first trip to the Mexico race. SEE PAGE 20 Flying solo FlyDive's X-Board reaches new heights by catering to a wide audience. SEE PAGE 32 NCMDA makes effective use of time together at meeting BY DAVE McMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF There's no better place to go get smarter about our industry than at a statewide dealer associa- tion meeting. That's why when Chris Brewer, president of the North Carolina Motorcycle Dealers Asso- ciation and owner of Power 50 dealership Brewer Cycles in Henderson, N.C., invited me to the NCMDA Winter Meeting in Wilmington on the Atlantic coast, I gladly accepted. One thing we can count on every day we walk into the office at PSB headquarters is learning, and this field trip of sorts brought even more of that. Brewer and his wife, Lisa, the association's executive director who spearheads its daily oper- ations, have helped steer the NCMDA group into a poster child for how state motorcycle associations can benefit not only dealerships, but customers who enter their dealerships. Take, for example, one of the topics being discussed at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside. Brewer announced to the nearly three dozen dealers in attendance from far and wide locales throughout the state that he has already been in discussions with officials from North Carolina State University about potentially using the See NC Dealers, Page 6 Three years after its launch, MIC dealer membership reaches all 50 states BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR Within days of the Motorcycle Industry Council opening up its membership base to dealers in February 2013, dealers from 34 states had signed on. Since then, membership has grown slowly, but steadily, as 436 dealerships and counting are now dues-paying members of the MIC. Recently, the group reached a new milestone, as it now has members in all 50 U.S. states. Pre-2013, the MIC was composed OEMs, aftermarket companies, media and related com- panies, but dealership membership was pro- hibited. The switch came as the MIC looked to expand its reach within the industry. "We were getting requests from time to time from dealers inquiring whether or not mem- bership was open to them. And the board felt that by adding dealers to the membership mix, it was going to improve the industry overall. So it really was closing the loop in terms of manufacturing, aftermarket, allied trade and then the retail component, so that would help us strengthen our membership overall," said Renée Tuzee, director of marketing and after- market programs for the MIC. One of the goals of adding dealer membership was to have the MIC reach all 435 Congressional PSB: FOCUS Nifty 50 SEE PAGE 13 'There's no better way to support the industry' See MIC, Page 4 See Hot News, Page 3 February 15, 2016 • Volume 19, Number 3 • $3.99 View the full list of winners – Page 13 Dealership buys largest Ducati e-commerce site North Carolina dealer turnout strong again The North Carolina Motorcycle Dealers Association had another impressive turnout of dealers at the group's winter meeting in Wilmington, N.C. Mike and Melissa Russo of SRS Motorsports, left, and Lisa Brewer of the NCMDA and Chris Brewer of Brewer Cycles.