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www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • February 17, 2014 • 3 HOTNEWS CONTINUED FROM COVER motorcycle retail sales were up low-teens percent over 2012 due to what Polaris called "an unprecedented number of new product introductions." The Indian Motorcycle re- launch plan continued during the 2013 fourth quarter as an increasing number of dealers began retailing the brand new motorcycles, production vol- ume accelerated at the Spirit Lake, Iowa, manufacturing facil- ity and aggressive marketing generated exceptional exposure and attention for the brand. Chief operating officer Ben- nett Morgan said Indian's ramp- up happened slower than he would have expected, but said that quality levels have been "through the moon." Morgan added that styling of the three Indian models has been a hit with consumers. While Polaris generated a lot of hype for the re-launch of the Indian brand, the first round of official sales figures seems to suggest that its long-term invest- ment remains right on track. Morgan said 140 Indian deal- ers are signed in North America, with 60 of them currently retail- ing bikes. SADDLEMEN RAMPS UP MARKETING DEPARTMENT Rancho Dominguez, Calif.-based Saddlemen announced two additions to its marketing depart- ment. Anja O'Kane has joined Saddlemen as sales and market- ing coordinator, and Joanna Kaczmarek has been appointed as lead for events, media affairs and dealer development. "Saddlemen is excited to have Anja and Joanna on board. These two will be a vital asset in promoting the Saddlemen brand," CEO David Echert said. O'Kane, originally from Germany, brings a strong foun- dation in business and foreign languages. She will focus on increasing brand awareness within the motorsports industry, as well as assist in dealer devel- opment. O'Kane is also a motor- cycle enthusiast. Kaczmarek brings an exten- sive resume in the motorsports industry, which includes acting as the production and sales manager at Parts Magazine and as marketing coordinator for KTM North America. Kacz- marek will manage PR, events and social media, and assist the marketing team. Kaczmarek is a two-time AMA National Hare & Hound Champion. PARTS UNLIMITED ANNOUNCES NEW BRAND MANAGER Parts Unlimited named Ron Bowen brand manager for Michelin Motorcycle tires. A 14-year veteran of Parts Unlimited, Bowen will use his vast tire knowl- edge and lead- ership skills by educating and training dealers and sales reps. He will be attending many industry events representing Michelin tires for both Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties. Bowen will be instrumental to market pen- etration and sales growth with the Michelin brand in 2014, according to a press release. NEW MEXICO DEALERSHIP CLOSES Centaur Cycles and Scooters, a multi-line motorcycle and scooter dealership in Santa Fe, N.M., was scheduled to close at the end of January, citing the lack of post-recession profits as the reason for the closure. The dealership, which car- ried vehicles from Genuine Scooter Company, Hyosung, KYMCO, Royal Enfield, SYM, Piaggio and Vespa, was owned by Richard and Meg Meltz. This message has been posted on the dealership's web- site: "After being in business in Santa Fe for 33 years, we are permanently closing Centaur Cycles Inc. After a great deal of pondering, Meg and I have decided it's time for us to retire. We've had a fantastic journey since I started working in the motorcycle business here in Santa Fe 40 years ago. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to everyone who has done busi- ness with me under the Centaur Cycles banner since I opened my first backyard location back in 1980. Thanks to you all! But all good things must come to an end and it's time for Meg and me to look towards the next phase of our lives." Meg Meltz told Albuquerque Business First that the dealership hasn't made money in six years. Two employees of Centaur Cycles and Scooters plan to take some of the unsold inventory to a new motorcycle service center they're opening in Santa Fe. BMW ADDS NEW ORLEANS DEALERSHIP TO NETWORK BMW Motorrad USA has fur- ther expanded its brand in the Gulf Coast with the addition of BMW Motorcycles of New Orleans. The new BMW motor- cycle dealership in Harvey, La., joins the Halls Motorsports NOLA group at the same location. "After 40 years in the motor- sports business, we are delighted to have the opportunity to represent BMW," owner Trent Hall said. "BMW's expanded Polaris India Pvt. Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries Inc., recently launched the Indian Motorcycle brand in India just days after Triumph opened its first dealership there. Triumph's first dealership in India is located in Bangalore. It has partnered with Keerthi Motors, which will provide sales, service and parts, according to India's Business Standard. Triumph's India lineup includes Bonneville and Bonneville T100, Speed Triple, Rocket III Roadster, Street Triple, Thruxton, Tiger 800 XC and Tiger Explorer, Thunderbird Storm and Daytona 675R. Indian's entire lineup of the Chief Classic, Chief Vintage and Chieftain is now available in India. "This launch holds great importance for us. We launched the marquee bikes in the U.S. early last year and were appreciated immensely for reviving history. The Chief line enthralled the bik- ers and created an aura for itself within few days of the launch. Reviving the legend with a new heart but its same soul, Polaris India has ended the long wait for Indian Motorcycle enthusiasts with this launch. We are now giving enthusiasts a chance to own a piece of history in a modern package," said Pankaj Dubey, man- aging director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd. TRIUMPH, INDIAN ENTER BIKE MARKET IN INDIA NEWS 7 ... Suzuki names new president FINANCIAL NEWS 10 ... Brian Gallmeier 10 ... 2013 year-end Same Store Sales 12 ... Arctic Cat's net sales grow in Q3 OPINION 13 ... From the editor 13 ... Online at PowersportsBusiness.com PSB: FOCUS Utility UTV 18 ... Study: 91% of UTVs sold are new 19 ... Viking, Pioneer pick up momentum 20 ... Dealers reach commercial customers 22 ... Defining the UTV marketplace PWC 32 ... PWC sales continue to grow 32 ... Sea-Doo's Spark is IMCI certified MOTORCYCLE 35 ... Dealer breaks ground on third store 36 ... Product Showcase 37 ... K&N makes executive changes 37 ... Shorai partners with Yoshimura 37 ... LeoVince USA adds Vortex line SOLUTIONS 38 ... Steve Jones 39 ... Hal Ethington SNOWMOBILE 41 ... Melting snow causes trail closures 41 ... USXC adds kids' races 41 ... Wisconsin dealer offers sled deals INSIDE Parts Canada to distribute Divas Parts Canada announced that it will distrib- ute Divas SnowGear, the women's snowmobile apparel brand. "We couldn't be more excited to add Parts Canada as a distribu- tion partner to expand our reach in that market," said Wendy Gavinski, president and founder of Divas SnowGear. "Aligning ourselves with a strong brand of women's snowmobile apparel fits per- fectly with our goal of gain- ing more market share and offering a strong women's line to support the rapidly growing women's snowmobile segment," said James Danyluk, general manger of Parts Canada. "We are equally as excited about this part- nership knowing the strength in Parts Canada in their market," Gavinski said. "With their help, we can keep our focus on manufacturing the most fashionable, yet functional outerwear for women. We are extremely confident the dealers and end consumer will see the passion both parties put forth in keeping up with the evolution of this new, exciting niche market we are creating." Divas apparel is distributed in the U.S. by Western Power Sports. PSB The Triumph Bonneville is now available at the brand's first dealership in India. lineup and attractive financing programs will allow us to expose more riders to the BMW brand, and put customers on a range of bikes that are not only outstand- ing in safety and performance, but also a great value." The New Orleans dealership is the culmination of the Hall family's investment and longtime dedication to serving the motor- cycling community in the Gulf Coast area. It is the fourth deal- ership in the family-owned busi- ness, which began when Hall's father and grandfather founded Hall's Motorsports in 1971. "We believe the key to our success is our family atmosphere and our love for motorcycles, four wheelers, personal water- craft and utility vehicles," added Hall. "It is this passion that drives us to be the best in the industry, providing the best products with the most knowl- edgeable staff." "The Halls' legacy of serving the motorcycling community is compatible with BMWs, and when the opportunity to expand our brand in New Orleans with a well-respected established dealership presented itself, we seized the opportunity," said Lou Provato, dealer development manager for BMW Motorrad USA. "Trent and his team are passionate about motorcycling and bring a tremendous amount of riding experience and knowl- edge to motorcycle enthusiasts in their region. We are proud to have them represent the BMW Motorrad brand." GE CAPITAL TO SUPPORT CANADIAN CFMOTO DEALERS GE Capital's Commercial Distribution Finance (CDF) business announced that it's providing inventory financing to Canada Motor Import Inc. (CMI), the country's exclusive importer of CFMOTO products. Based in St-Benoit-Labre, Que., CMI has been import- ing CFMOTO products since 2007. It sells them through its network of 130 dealerships across Canada. CFMOTO pro- duces ATVs and side-by-sides in China under five brand names: Terralander, Snyper, Swat, Tracker and Trail Tracker. It plans to introduce two 650cc motorcycle models next year, followed by a marine product in 2015. "We're pleased that rec- ognition of our products has increased quite a bit over the past several years," said Hélène Binet, CMI vice president of finance. "We're growing rapidly due to our new product intro- ductions. That's why we believe this is a good time to expand our dealer base." PSB RON BOWEN P01x09-PSB3-News.indd 3 2/5/14 10:03 AM