Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/164037
28 • September 9, 2013 • Powersports Business MOTORCYCLE www.PowersportsBusiness.com ww Yamaha crowns U.S. service tech champions W Ohio's Jeff Eckman moves on to world event in Japan bi Jeff Eckman of Yamaha-Honda East in Maumee, Ohio, won the 2013 U.S. Technician Grand Prix and will represent the United States at Yamaha's 2014 World Technician Grand Prix, a head-to-head competition of international Yamaha-trained technicians to be held next year at Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. world headquarters in Iwata, Japan. Eckman and five other Yamaha Technical Academy Gold Level Training graduates earned invitations to this year's U.S. competition by finishing tops among the 160 dealership technicians who received YTA Gold Level Training in the past year. Finishing second and third, respectively, were David Speeks of Houston Motorsports and Matt Russell of Wild West Motorsports in Greeley, Colo. The remaining three contestants were Tony Rice of Coleman Powersports in Falls Church, Va., Jeremiah Thibeau of Davis Service Center in Montrose, Colo., and Travers Wise from Grand Mesa Motorsports in Delta, Colo. "Yamaha is extremely proud of how well each 2013 USTGP contestant performed under extreme pressure and the watchful eyes of our expert judges," said Frank Pittman, general manager of Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A.'s Customer Support Group. "Their years of Yamaha training provided the solid footing needed to quickly diagnose and address the competition's technical challenges. Their participation live at the dealer meeting also prepares them to handle every day customer issues, which is the most important test of all." The 2013 USTGP took place during Yamaha's 2014 National Motorsports Dealer Meeting in June in Las Vegas. Yamaha created a complete dealership workshop on the show floor, and each contestant had one hour to complete each individual test. The six tests included Service Reception using a 2014 Bolt from Star Motorcycles, Routine Service with a 2013 YZF-R6, Head Gasket Replacement with a 2013 YZ450F, No Start with a 2013 Super Ténéré, Hard Steering using a 2013 Grizzly 450 and Electrical Troubleshooting on a 2013 Star Raider SCL. BY Bil cyc ho so wh for the bri of en tim bik mo NEXT STOP, JAPAN Eckman has roughly a year to prepare for the 2014 WTGP where he will face international technicians who also are the best in their respective markets. But he has two WTGP veterans to call on for advice. Mark Sagers from South Valley Motorsports in Draper, Utah, and Eric Romanowicz from Mondus Motorsports in Hudson, Wis., finished second and third overall in the 2012 WTGP and served as judges in Las Vegas. Today, there are more than 30,000 YTAtrained technicians worldwide. PSB EN Ly Mi she aci Top: 2013 USTGP champion Jeff Eckman of YamahaHonda East in Maumee, Ohio, works on the "No Start — 2013 Super Ténéré" test, while in the background, second-place finisher David Speeks of Houston Motorsports tackles the "Head Gasket Replacement — 2013 YZ450F" test. Iw it," wo en Right: (From left) 2013 USTGP third-place finisher Matt Russell of Wild West Motorsports, in Greeley, Colo.; 2013 USTGP champion Jeff Eckman of Yamaha-Honda East in Maumee, Ohio; Al Kato, vice president, Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. Customer Support Division; and Hiro Kimura, general manager of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. service operations worldwide. ind wa pri On the New name, improved game for Wolf Gorilla Motor Works becomes Wolf Brand Scooters following trademark battle BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR Gorilla Motor Works was just gaining momentum last year, importing new scooter models and recruiting fresh dealers to carry its product, when the company was stopped flat. GMW was hit with a trademark challenge that kept it embroiled in legal battles for about a year. Now the company, led by CEO Diana Hammer's family, has reemerged with a new Wolf Brand Scooters name and a refreshed commitment to the scooter market. The legal battle began in 2012 when an automotive company using the Gorilla name in California informed GMW of an intellectual property issue. The California company isn't directly involved in the scooter segment, but it feels some of its products may overlap. The Hammers began fighting the name change, but finally decided to keep the issue out of court and move on with a new brand. Wolf Brand Scooters was born this summer. Dealers and consumers had enjoyed the company's previous branding, so the Hammer family wanted to keep the same type of look with an animal at the center. "We didn't want to lose our image or our brand per se," she said. "We thought the wolf was very cool; it's very American and strong P26x29-PSB11-Cycle.indd 28 and tough. We felt like we could really work around the cool factor of the wolf." Also key to the name was adding the word "scooters," as it was missing from the former branding. The company is currently in the process of obtaining official trademark rights to Wolf Brand Scooters, which can take six months to a year, but with the research it has conducted over the new name, Hammer is confident the approval will come. "There's nobody else out there that has the trademark Wolf in powersports or scooters," Hammer said. "We made sure we're as safe as possible." Wolf Brand Scooters' first model is the Blaze, a high-performing scooter available with a 50cc or 150cc engine. "We wanted it to be really sporty and very cool," Hammer said. The Blaze features a MotoBatt battery, a Gates belt, LED lights, an LED tire air pressure sensing system, a performance 20mm carburetor and Duro tires. Each unit comes with one year of roadside assistance. The 50cc version has an MSRP of $1,599, while the 150cc sells for $1,699. The vehicle was imported from the same Chinese factory the company used in the past, and it began distribution to dealerships in mid-August. Throughout its transition, Wolf Brand Scooters has retained all of the approximately 60 GMW dealers. "We treat our dealers like friends, so it means a lot to us that they're supportive and didn't really blink or flinch at the name change," Hammer said. And now that the new branding has launched, Wolf is looking to increase its network, which mostly consists of small mom and pop scooter stores but also includes some metric franchise dealerships. "We are definitely looking for new dealers in new territories. We have the supply to support dealer growth, lots of scooters and parts and lots of room for growth," Hammer said. Wolf Brand offers what is sees as superb customer service, recognizing most of its dealers by name and keeping a strong parts supply in its 5,000-square-foot warehouse in Clearwater, Fla. "We stock everything here. Anything that comes on the scooter is kept in inventory and then some — not just warranty items, but wholesale parts distribution. All of our dealers buy parts from us, so we stock a huge surplus of parts," Hammer said. With the trademark issue, Hammer's company's growth was brought to a halt, but Wolf is ready to move forward. In October, Wolf Brand will attend the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), giving away a Blaze model to one dealer. The company is also revamping its QualityScooterParts.com website, which should be completed by October, and Wolf plans to have more models available by the end of the year. Though Hammer admits that legal woes caused dealer growth to slow and is leading the company to have to regain recognition, some of the rebranding work that had to be completed allowed the company to improve and refocus. "We're definitely really happy to get passed that. We feel like it's really revitalizing. We got to look at our company and what we can do new," Hammer said. "We felt like it kind of gave us a push; you have to reinvent yourself and come out with something, so everyone's happy with this name change." PSB Wolf Brand Scooters is the rebranded name of the former Gorilla Motor Works. The Blaze, available as a 50cc or a 150cc, is Wolf's first model. 8/28/13 11:02 AM ou bo af tho veg it a eta sho do spr BU In $2 tio ing set wa na