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38 • March 17, 2014 • Powersports Business MOTORCYCLE www.PowersportsBusiness.com www.PowersportsBusiness.com MOTORCYCLE Powersports Business • March 17, 2014 • 39 business. … It's really worked out well. Again, I applaud Polaris." PSB: Did the build out require a substantial investment from Big #1? JB: Polaris called us up front before we ever actually committed. They said, 'It's going to require an investment. You're not going to get it back overnight, so be prepared for that.' So we knew what we were getting into; it wasn't a surprise. But Harley dealers have to invest in their dealerships. That's becom- ing a trend, I believe, in the future. … The build out is a successful idea, and what I like about it was to do this and to do this investment, you had to be in the Indian busi- ness. It wasn't just so you can say, 'OK, I'll take Indian and put it in the existing row of whatever brand you sell,' so it keeps the dis- counter out of the business. In other words, you've got to invest money, so you've got to sell for profit to get a return." PSB: Are you offering demos? How impor- tant are demos? JB: Yes. It's very important because the buyer most of the time is an experienced buyer. It's a new product that's out there, so the ride seals the deal. Once they ride it, then they know. They're experienced riders; they know what they're looking for, so the ride seals the deal. Most of the time they ride it, they buy. PSB: How are sales so far? JB: Sales have been excellent. We got our first bikes in October. We're sitting on approx- imately 50 sales, so for a bike just coming out and really not into the selling season — the fall is when they got here — so the number that we're at, we feel really good about, and with spring coming up, we just can't wait. PSB: What do you expect for sales this spring and summer? J B : I t h i n k i t w i l l b e through the roof. I really believe that we will double that number, and the acces- sories that go with it, the Indian accessories and the Indian clothing line has been just great for us, so that's an added profit center that we have. And we're just really look- ing forward to spring, when the selling season starts to pick up. It's going to be really good. We had a good year last year really. Going forward, we're all pumped. PSB INDIAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 Indian dealerships are not only devoting showroom space specifically to the brand, but also dedicating entrances to Indian, as Big #1 Motorsports did. vintage Husqvarna Motorcycles at the Southern California headquarters, which will remain on display," Hagi added. With the North American facility now oper- ational, and a healthy dealer network quickly taking shape, Husqvarna Motorcycles were expected to begin arriving on showroom floors as early as the first week of March. Model year 2014 MSRPs were also finally announced, as was the coming of a 2015 model year lineup in summer 2014. Model year 2014 Husqvarna MSRPs are as follows: Motocross — TC 85, $5,399; TC 125, $6,549; TC 250, $7,249; FC 250, $8,049; FC 450, $9,049; Enduro — TE 250, $8,349; TE 300, $8,549; FE 250, $8,649; FE 350, $9,549; FE 501, $9,899. PSB Husqvarana dealer meeting marks opening of new HQ VIPs on hand at the meeting included (from left) Mark Blackwell, Malcolm Smith, Jon-Erik Burleson, Dick Burleson and Larry Roeseler. Dealers from 43 states, 19 countries attend Ever since the first V-Twin Expo was held in 2001, V-twin industry leaders have been acknowledged in a special awards ceremony held during the Expo weekend. This year marked the 14th annual V-Twin Expo Awards, at which Steve Menneto, vice president, Motor- cycles at Polaris Industries, was recognized at the Industry Leader of the Year. Menneto was nominated for the award because of the vision and leadership in the creation of the 2014 Indian Motorcycle brand re-launch. The styling and build quality of the Indian Chief motorcycles spoke volumes to the motorcycle fraternity. "Steve did an excellent job leading his team in the re-launch of Indian Motorcycle," said Paisano Publications editor Dave Nichols. "The Indian brand has been beaten up in the past, so lots of people held their breath as the new mod- els were introduced. It was clear right away that Polaris was committed to Indian Motorcycle and managed by a visionary leader." In his acceptance speech, Menneto men- tioned the momentum and excitement in the entire motorcycle industry. "2013 was an incredible year for American V-twin motorcycles. Victory celebrated 15 years, our friends in Milwaukee revealed their work from the past few years and the Indian team launched the exciting new lineup of Indian Motorcycles in Sturgis. 2014 is going to be a great year for all of us, and I genuinely appreciate this award and receive it on behalf of both teams at Victory and Indian Motor- cycle," he said. DEALERS FROM 43 STATES ATTEND The 14th consecutive V-Twin Expo wrapped up in Cincinnati on Feb. 9, with positive reactions from both exhibitors and attending dealers. With nearly 200 exhibitors, the V-Twin Expo welcomed dealers from 43 states and 19 countries. Dealers came looking for the latest trends in the V-twin industry, new- est products and learning opportunities. Increased dealer registrations were clearly visible Saturday followed by a steady flow of traffic Sunday. Exhibitors offered glowing reviews on the traffic, business conducted and quality of deal- ers present at the V-Twin Expo as stated by Jamie Goodson, a first-time exhibitor from Brooks Leather. "The dealers here came to buy. They are principals from all over the country. I am really very excited about the turnout and the quality of the dealers," Goodson said. The location of the V-Twin Expo contin- ues to prove accurate as pointed out by Ryan Keefe, media manager at National Powersport Auctions. "We like this location because we have a ton of dealers within a 500 mile radius of the show," he said. The 15th Annual V-Twin Expo will be held Feb. 7-8, 2015 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. PSB (Above) Dealers from 43 states and 19 countries attended the annual affair in Cincinnati. (Left) Steve Menneto, VP of Motorcycles at Polaris Industries, was named V-twin industry Leader of the Year at the V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati. Indian VP Menneto honored at V-Twin Expo Dealer attendance at V-Twin Expo on Saturday was so strong that many exhibitors reported running out of brochures and other handouts that they were giving away. P36x39-PSB4-Cycle.indd 39 3/5/14 11:55 AM