Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/258703
1 - 8 0 0 / 8 4 8 - 6 2 4 7 February 17, 2014 • Volume 17, Number 3 • $3.99 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: AIMExpo moves to a four-day format . . . . . PAGE 7 FOCUS: Dealers learn to sell Brutus UTVs . . . . . . . PAGE 16 CYCLE: Wild West offers licensee deals . . . . . . . . . PAGE 34 POWER 50: Scott Fischer Enterprises adds store . . . . . PAGE 42 Indian bike sales off to strong start Sales of the three vintage-inspired bikes from Indian helped Polaris Industries' Motorcycle division increase 94 percent in the three months that ended Dec. 31. The company's Motorcycle division reported sales of $35.3 million in Q4 of 2012 including both Victory and Indian products, Polaris officials said during the company's Q4 and fiscal 2013 earnings call with analysts. That same period of 2013 resulted in a stun- ning $68.8 million in sales. Consumer retail demand for Polaris motorcycles was linked to strong Indian sales, while Victory posted retail sales that were up by mid-single digits in North America. Overall fourth- quarter North American industry heavyweight cruisers and touring INSPIRING SUCCESS THROUGH MARKET INTELLIGENCE Sledding ahead Q4 snowmobile retail sales increase, while wholesales decline for two OEMs. SEE PAGE 40 HOTNEWS One-seat wonder Polaris launches a new off-road segment with a single-seat ATV/UTV combination vehicle. SEE PAGE 9 Sparking ideas Hydro-Turf produces its first Sea-Doo Spark products. SEE PAGE 32 New Triumph corporate location a suite of history BY DAVE McMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF There's a "cool" factor that comes with the Tri- umph brand, all the way down to the company's Atlanta office space. Autographed memorabilia from a range of Triumph fans — including Shaun White, Metal- lica, Tony Hawk, Mumford & Sons, Pink, Billy Idol and the Zac Brown Band — is only the start of what has to be slickest corporate locations in the industry. At any given time, up to 30 motorcycles can be found along the hallways and in individual office spaces. The entryway features a photo- graphical look at the brand's U.S. origins, starting with Evel Knievel's thrills aboard a Triumph and a wealth of race bikes, along with pictorials of Steve McQueen and Ann Margaret. In fact, the single-floor location — complete with building naming rights — often attracts consumers who simply want to come ogle at the collection of bikes and paraphernalia related to land speed, road race and flat track champions who have ridden Tri- umph. New retail initiatives like the retro-cool John- son Motors T-shirt-in-an-oil-can also are displayed. "From our employees to our customers, includ- ing dealers who come in, it shows we're here and we're here in a big way," Triumph North America CEO Greg Heichelbech told Powersports Business during an exclusive tour of the digs. "It keeps our employees happy and keeps them immersed in the Triumph motorcycle environment." PACKING THE BAGS A little more than a year ago, Heichelbech moved PSB: FOCUS Utility UTV SEE PAGE 14 See Hot News, Page 3 HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR CALENDAR Q4 (OCT.-DEC.) BUSINESS PERFORMANCE RELATIVE TO PLAN? Above plan 24% On plan 36% Below plan 40% How would you characterize your calendar Q4 (Oct.-Dec.) business performance relative to plan? PSB / RBC CAPITAL MARKETS Q4 DEALER SURVEY SEE PAGE 24 Q4 solid; inventory levels a concern Dealers expecting more growth in 2014 While dealers reported a mixed picture of business conditions, the Q4 2013 Powersports Business/RBC Capital Markets survey shows that volumes appear stable, and dealerships are performing above plan and have an improved outlook for the next 12 months. However, many reported increased inventory in several key product categories. The survey attracted more than 225 dealers from 46 states and four Canadian provinces. On a product line level, Q4 appears to have been a good quarter for side-by-sides and snowmobiles, while it was more mixed for motorcycles and negative for traditional ATVs. Looking forward, dealers have an improved view on growth in side-by-side vehicles as well as motorcycles, while snowmobiles are See RBC, Page 4 See Triumph, Page 8 Building a culture of service Triumph North America CEO Greg Heichelbech, shown at the company's museum-like offices in Atlanta, has enhanced the U.K. brand's stateside performance. P01x09-PSB3-News.indd 1 2/5/14 12:52 PM