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POWER 50 Central Texas Powersports classic bike show a can't-miss event BY DAVE McMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF Steve Littlefield always enjoys when the cal- endar flips to May, and Central Texas Pow- ersports puts its game face on for its highly successful Texas Motorcycle Revival, a one-day event at the store that showcases classic bikes from a variety of vintages. It sure is a lot more fun than it was back in September 2008, when Littlefield posted the "Open for Business" sign on his 43,500-square- foot dealership, right as the market collapsed. "There were some quiet days in here back then," Littlefield told Powersports Business. "I wasn't real sure what I had gotten into." The dealership is located about 25 minutes north of Austin and sits just off Exit 264 in Georgetown. For the sixth annual Revival, Central Texas once again attracted an impres- sive crowd, with door swings for the day exceeding 1,000, giving general manager John Walker plenty and his staff plenty of sales leads. "It's the least expensive promotion we've ever done with the best turnout," said Little- field, whose collection of classic bikes can be found on the show floor, at his home, in his office and just about anywhere that needs one. "I put a lot of work into the show, but it's also my passion. I have a lot of classic bikes, and put 15-20 of mine out in the parking lot." More than 50 bikes typically can be found during the Revival, ranging from Triumphs and BSAs to Indians, Harley-Davidsons and John- sons, along with metric bikes. A Flying Merkel made an appearance last year. "It's our biggest event of the year, and there is a nice family feel to it," Littlefield said. "We contract to have a really nice but very inexpensive poster done, and we give one to everybody that brings a bike. We also give them a T-shirt. It all helps to create a vibe that it's their show and one that we help facilitate." And while the vintage and classic Revival originated as a contest, its for- mula for success has been as a show- case, with no trophies but plenty of reason for folks to bring out their most inter- esting bikes. "It's not a competition anymore; it's just a show," Littlefield said. And that show is just one of the pieces of the overall puzzle that has helped Central Texas Powersports become a three-time Power 50 dealership. The dealership has continued to adapt to changing customer interest. When Littlefield opened the store, it's street bike sales were about 85 percent of total unit sales. Today, that number is closer to 20 percent, with ATVs, side-by-sides and motocross bikes gaining sales share. The two-level dealership includes offices and storage upstairs, with a freight elevator allowing for easy access to P&A and built units. An attached warehouse allows the dealership to keep 100 percent of its inventory indoors. The climate-controlled service department is a tremendous benefit for customers dropping off bikes for service in the heat of a Texas summer. "We are working really hard to be known as the place where, whether you buy some- thing or not, you are a friend," Littlefield said. "It doesn't hurt that all our employees are It's a Motorcycle Revival at Texas dealership 50 • June 13, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com ALAMO CYCLE PLEX • AMERICA'S MOTOR SPORTS • AVALANCHE MOTORSPORTS • BEARTOOTH HARLEY-DAVIDSON • BLACK BEAR HARLEY-DAVIDSON • BLACK JACK HARLEY-DAVIDSON • BLACK WOLF HARLEY-DAVIDSON • BOB WEAVER MOTORSPORTS & MARINE, INC • BOSWELL'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON • BREWER CYCLES, INC • CALCULATED RISK GROUP • CENTRAL TEXAS POWERSPORTS • COLE HARLEY-DAVIDSON • CROSSROAD POWERSPORTS • CYCLE NORTH POWERSPORTS • DEL AMO MOTORSPORTS • DELAND MOTORSPORTS • FAY MYERS MOTORCYCLE WORLD • FREEDOM POWERSPORTS • HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF SCOTTSDALE • HATTIESBURG CYCLES • INDIAN MOTORCYCLE ORLANDO • KEN'S SPORTS, INC. • KILLEEN POWER SPORTS, LTD. • LAS VEGAS HARLEY-DAVIDSON • LOGAN POWERSPORTS GROUP • MAXIM HONDA YAMAHA • MYERS-DUREN HARLEY-DAVIDSON • POWERSPORTS OF MONTGOMERY • REC-TECH POWER PRODUCTS • RENO CYCLES & GEAR POLARIS • RIVA MOTORSPORTS SUPERSTORE • RIVERSIDE HARLEY-DAVIDSON • ROAD TRACK AND TRAIL LLC • SHELDON'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON • SHOW LOW MOTORSPORTS • SIMPLY STREET BIKES • SKY POWERSPORTS SMOKY MOUNTAIN HARLEY-DAVIDSON • SOUTHERN HONDA POWERSPORTS • SOUTHERN THUNDER HARLEY-DAVIDSON • SOUTHLAND CYCLE CENTER • ST. PAUL HARLEY-DAVIDSON • TEAM CAROLINA POWERSPORTS • THE TRANSPORTATION REVOLUTION • VERN EIDE MOTOPLEX • WILD PRAIRIE HARLEY-DAVIDSON • WILDCAT HARLEY-DAVIDSON • WILKINS HARLEY-DAVIDSON • XTREME POWERSPORTS Central Texas Powersports has been a three-time member of the Powersports Business Power 50 Dealer Awards program. Here, the showroom in Georgetown, Texas, offers an exceptional starting point for a retailing experience. See Central Texas, Page 51 By providing its own personalized touches like tin roof structures and the Star of Texas engraved into seat backs, Central Texas Powersports sets itself apart from other dealerships. Dealership owner Steve Littlefield's love of classic motorcycles can be seen throughout the store.