Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/243961
m e her rry ts, albig ut. I'd ple on, hs. onble he en- m, ns. erith ou lly s." an ery1 aid. 23 ng, d it it's im wid. d. I ttle to Powersports Business • January 27, 2014 • 23 www.PowersportsBusiness.com CINCY FROM PAGE 22 CONTINUED As a performance shop that offers work on motors, cams and heads, L-A Harley-Davidson has found its dyno important to business. "We've had one here since we opened in 2008, and it paid for itself in 13 months," said Perham, a former mechanic. "We explain to our customers that if you're going to do motor work and exhaust changes, you've got to fine tune it. We use the Screamin' Eagle from Harley-Davidson and Dynojet's Power Commander for fuel management systems. "In some cases when we can't test ride in the winter, we'll put the miles on the dyno and get the bike to operating temperature," he said. "It works well for us." A NEW STORE, AND A NEW SHOW specializes in dyno tuning and head work. "Business, I'll be honest, has been really good this year. It's probably double what it normally is," Crane said. "Cams and dyno work are our number one thing. It seems like every week we're putting cams in." When it comes to oil inventory, Crane's store is tough to beat. The lineup includes AMSOIL, Screamin' Eagle, Lucas, Redline, Castrol, Drag Specialties, Bel-Ray and Mobile 1. HUEY WILL BE THERE. WILL YOU? What would V-Twin Expo be without Huey Schwebs in the house? The owner of Cleveland Motorcycle Mfg. Co. has been building custom bikes since he was a teen. These days his operation includes custom Harley work, sheet metal fabrication, custom built motors, big bore installation kits, cylinder boring and sleeving and valve jobs. "I like to go to V-Twin Expo to look for new products, see what the latest trends are in customizing motorcycles, and see what's available now," Schwebs said. "I bring my whole crew that works for me. This way everybody can Top Gear Powersports opened in 2012 to meet the demands of growing need for apparel, parts and accessories in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. With a customer base that includes both metric and V-twin riders, operations manager Mike Harlow is aiming to enhance the business outlook of the store, located in Roselle, Ill. "With Dealer Expo no longer in Indianapolis, we thought V-Twin Expo would be a good chance to get a jump on 2014," he said. Top Gear (3,300 square feet) sells products from both Parts Unlimited and Tucker Rocky Distributing, but Harlow is aiming to build his Harley clientele. "That's what I'll be doing in Cincinnati, looking for DC Cycle & Racing owner David Crane will be making the trip to Cincinnati from his performance shop in Red Bay, Ala. Harley-driven apparel companies and getting more familiar with the core walk around and see what's available, check out the new products that we can incorporate into Harley vendors," he said. As for the store's top-selling product in our business." His crew of eight has found business pick2013, Harlow said it's helmets. "Pretty ironic for not having a helmet law," ing up "a little bit, but it's still not where it was. It's a on rebound and coming back," Schwebs he said. said. "We're doing a lot more repair work and PERFORMANCE PLEASE engine rebuilds, and a little less customization. DC Cycle & Racing owner David Crane owns We're starting to get into those big wheel dressa performance V-twin shop in Red Bay, Ala., ers more and more. And we've seen a lot more on the Mississippi border. He's making his people asking about café racers, which is more debut in Cincinnati this year and hopes to go of a budget consideration for the younger guys. home with a lot of goodies to please his staff We're seeing some older Harley restorations, of four techs. with a lot of people looking to restore old shovNow in its 15th year of operation, DC Cycle elheads and panheads." PSB TWO BROTHERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 retailers because we want to have direct feedback from the people who are selling it and the direct user," Whitten said. Direct distribution also allows TBR to have a better handle on merchandising and customer service. TBR is focusing its network building on authorized Harley-Davidson and Yamaha dealerships, though select independent shops will be considered as well. Whitten acknowledges that the Harley dealer base will have different characteristics than its existing sport bike dealer base, but he's convinced that after dealerships begin carrying TBR products, they'll be happy with their choice. "Our unique selling position is we're a performance company, so if a dealer is looking for performance and looking for 'Made in the U.S.A.' with excellent fit and finish, they're going to want to sell our products," he said. Though TBR's V-twin line is just jumping P21x24-PSB2-Cycle.indd 23 Two Brothers Racing's COMP-V 2-in-1 V-stack air intake is just one component in the company's new V-twin line. out of the starting gate, the company is already thinking about which V-twin products it can add in the future. "We want to start out with a few products, so we can get a grip on the market and build our dealer base and relationships. We'll start to expand on it after that," Whitten said. If Two Brothers Racing's sport bike success is any indication, the company will be a contender in the V-twin segment for years to come. PSB 1/15/14 12:05 PM