Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/288267
FOCUS PSB V-twin www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • April 8, 2014 • 19 18 • April 8, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com dealerships for their gear. Gustafson said the Icon 1000 product won't be attractive to every dealership's customers, but it has done well at Harley-Davidson and Triumph stores and those dealerships that present themselves more as boutiques. "It's not a question of if it's going to sell, but how much, and are you going to put it on the floor," Gustafson said. He added, "I would say for dealers the big thing is who you want to bring to the store, if it's the customer that's heavily interested in the motorcycle industry and it just isn't a fad, it's a lifestyle, you need to have Icon 1000 on the floor." The Icon 1000 product is produced in lim- ited quantities, and some pieces sell quickly. Whenever the Elsinore Boot, for example, is available, dealers jump at the opportunity to order it because it has been so popular. That's one of the key indicators to Icon that the 1000 line has hit its mark. ICON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 Vee Rubber goes where no other manufacturer has tread with newest offering BY DAVE MCMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF When Vee Rubber launched its 30-inch front tire at V-Twin Expo in 2009, there was plenty of buzz. But when Vee Rubber teamed up with Met- alsport Custom Motorcycle Wheels and award- winning custom bike builder Matt Hotch to unveil the 32-inch tire in Cincinnati earlier this year, the result left the wowed custom builders in attendance in awe. The world's first 32-inch billet wheel/tire combination is just the latest creation to come from the Thailand-based manufacturer. First came the 26-inch tire, which satisfied custom builders for a short time. "That evolved about three years ago into our 30-inch, which everyone thought was crazy, and now we've been working on this project for about a year. It's taken a logistics and tooling and design, and we have a 32," John Leale, vice president, North America, ATV/motorcycle for Vee Rubber America Inc., proudly displayed to Powersports Business during V-Twin Expo. Leale knew from the outset that the mar- ketplace for 32-inch fronts isn't overwhelming, which is exactly how he prefers his markets. "It plays into our goal of capturing niche markets. We're never going to sell thousands and thousands of them, although the 26 is selling pretty well," Leale said. "The concept is we have a niche tire in dirt bike or ATV, and now they see Vee Rubber because of this crazy tire and it gives us brand name recognition. Sales have grown every year, so apparently it's working." The launch provided Leale with all the feedback he needed about produc- ing the world's largest front tire for motorcycles. "Everyone here has been going crazy about it," he said. "It's been a swarm of people. You can walk by sometimes and see 15-20 people around the bike. It's unique and crazy." Leale was plenty ready to partner with Hotch and Metalsport once again, just as they had done with Vee Rubber's 30-inch front previously. "We wanted to pick a bike builder who is well known, which lends itself to giving more clout and legitimacy," Leale said. "And 'The 32' is all that needs to be said "We specialize in Harley-Davidson ser- vice, but we work on everything. We're motor- cyclists," Saminto said. "We're not sold on a brand. We do anything from basic maintenance and service to full customization. We don't really do any ground-up builds, but if you want to bring in your bike and you have a vision of what you want it to be like, we'll create that for you. Whatever your vision is, we'll help you achieve it." The service repair orders in February were extensive, from a primary job to a stator; chrome front end and custom wheels; big bore kits and cam modifications; disassembly and paint; tires and brakes. "But that's just for winter," Saminto says reassuringly. "Once we get to spring we're going to eliminate all of those bigger projects and it'll just be tires and oil. Our first year, we were like 'Yeah, bring whatever you want,' and we got jammed up. We couldn't take care of the basic stuff." The three, aided by an office manager, were familiar enough with the local customer land- scape to know that they had chosen an ideal location for the store. "We're about an hour away from the closest Harley dealer. There had been a Harley dealer in this area until about three years ago, so we went there specifically because of the hole in the market. There's a Honda dealer about 10 minutes away that sells a lot of off-road." The shop also an extremely popular pickup and delivery service ("people really dig it," Saminto says). And Year 1 finished with the store's inaugural "Christmas for Every Child" event that raised more than $1,000 for a local charity. It's hard to imagine what 2014 might bring to the new entrepreneurs. PSB Metalsport is the premier wheel builder in the U.S. Absolute quality. They wanted to be radical and came to us with the 26, the 30 and now the 32." What's next? "The joke when we launched the 30 was 'When are you coming out with a 32?'" Leale laughed. Last year at the Laughlin River Run, how- ever, Leale estimates he spotted multiple hun- dreds of 30-inch fronts. "The 30s are almost not even unique any- more. The 26 has become like a standard. If you have any chopper custom, you have a 26 on it," he said. "You have to be able to handle the bike and ride it, and all the bikes here, you can ride them." The lucky new owner of the Hotch custom bike on which the 32 was displayed in Cincin- nati will be able to give a full report on the 32 later this summer. Last year, he rode from Cali- fornia to Sturgis on a 30. "The sky's the limit now that we have the tooling," Leale cautioned. PSB 7th GEAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 VEE RUBBER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 Vee Rubber launched its 32-inch front tire (with Metalsport Wheel) at V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati. Industry types crowded the Matt Hotch custom bike throughout V-Twin Expo to get a closer look at Vee Rubber's 32-inch front. JOHN LEALE See Vee Rubber, Page 19 7th Gear Motorcycle Co. in Oregon offers a strong PG&A lineup. P12x19-PSB5-Focus.indd 18 3/27/14 11:10 AM