Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/410960
www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • October 6, 2014 • 3 HOTNEWS CONTINUED FROM COVER pool balcony at the Rosen Cen- tre Hotel adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center. Show attendees are welcome and encouraged to attend this free event, which will include beer, wine and appetizers. Did we mention that we'll be poolside in October?! Several speakers who will be presenting at the Powers- ports Business Institute @ AIM- Expo on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16-17, will be attending. And you'll be there, too, right, so GE can roll out the welcome mat for your Orlando arrival. "We are big supporters of the continuing education and learning opportunities AIM- Expo provides dealers, and we are showing our support by welcoming everyone officially," said Sameer Gaur, president of the GE Capital Commercial Distribution Finance motors- ports group. "This event gives everyone a chance to network and catch up before the busy conference, so we hope to see a lot of show attendees at the reception." "We appreciate GE's sup- port of this inaugural event, a n d w e h o p e d e a l e r s t a k e advantage not only of the net- working reception, but also the training sessions being offered at the PSB Institute @ AIM- Expo," Powersports Business editor in chief Dave McMahon said. "If you get to AIMExpo on Wednesday, this will be the place to be prior to heading to dinner. We look forward to see- ing you there." Polaris eBikes' new Diesel Titanium Oxide (TiO) Limited Edition is changing the industry's expectations for electric bikes. Carey Hopkins, EVantage USA, Inc. senior product director, said, "This new model shatters pre-conceived notions of what an electric bicycle can do." The Diesel TiO Limited Edition delivers new levels of pow- ersports performance with the company's proprietary computer processor-based Gear Speed Technology that revolutionizes the dynamics of power-assisted cycling with intuitive responsiveness to the controls of a bicycle like never before. The hot new ebike, with its unique, colorful, eye-popping graphics and finish, was introduced at Interbike in Las Vegas in September. "These new models will change the industry's expectation of electric bikes," said EVantage USA president Adam Rand. "We've engineered our products to move at the speed of your intentions. Each biking gear is programmed to provide the appropriate torque or acceleration based on the terrain and riding style, meant to go where the road ends and the adventure begins." Equipped with the new technology of Perpetual Arc Regenera- tionm, the rider generates power to the battery while pedaling via four different methods: on flat or downhill terrain to capture up to 100 watts of charging power; backpedaling brake assist, gradually slowing the bike down and capturing residual energy for regenera- tion; using the electronically controlled hydraulic disc brakes; or pedaling above 21 or 29 mph, depending on the model. Active Trail Technology automatically delivers whisper-quiet power when needed for acceleration up hills, and adjusts back to regeneration on flat or downhill. EVantage USA, Inc., develops and produces the proprietary power components for the entire line-up of Polaris eBikes which includes commuter, mountain and fat-tire models. A new 750w MY2015 system quickly powers speeds of up to 28 mph, provid- ing a range of up to 50 miles per charge without engaging the regeneration features. NEWS 16 ... S&S Cycle names new VP of sales 17 ... AIMExpo to offer Harley demos FINANCIAL 18 ... Brian Gallmeier 19 ... BRP revenues grow in Q2 21 ... Steve Dodds OPINION 22 ... From the Editor 22 ... Online at PowersportsBusiness.com PSB: FOCUS Metric bikes 24 ... Suzuki's sales were up in August 26 ... KBB.com metric bike data 28 ... Honda dealer stays optimistic 30 ... Yamaha sets major sales goal for '17 ATV 37 ... Polaris finds partners on '15 models MOTORCYCLE 42 ... Honda sponsors AMA HOF dinner 43 ... Pirelli renews WSBK contract SOLUTIONS 44 ... Sam Dantzler 45 ... Neil Pascale 46 ... Chris Clovis PWC 50 ... PWC sales grow in August 51 ... Sea-Doo unleashes 2015 lineup POWER 50 54 ... Marra named VP at YAM INSIDE S.C. Harley dealer dies in crash Don Tilley, owner of Tilley Harley-Davidson in Statesville and Salisbury, N.C., died in a motor- cycle crash in late August. Tilley and his wife were riding back from the Harley-Davidson dealer meeting in Nash- ville when the crash occurred on Blue Ridge Parkway in Buncombe County, North Caro- lina, according to multiple reports. Tilley's wife Robinette was critically injured. The Tilleys' bike was the only vehicle involved in the crash. The following message was left on the web- sites and Facebook pages of both dealerships: "It is with our deepest regret to announce that Don and Robinette have been involved in a motorcycle accident on Friday August 29th. We are extremely sad to say that we have lost our beloved Don Tilley and that Robinette is currently in critical condition. We ask that everyone keep the entire Tilley family in their thoughts and prayers. We thank you all for your love and condolences and appreciate the many years of loyalty to the Tilley Harley- Davidson Family. DON TILLEY 1936-2014. He will be missed by all." A Don Tilley memorial ride was held on Sunday, Sept. 7, with bikes leaving both dealer- ships. Police then escorted the ride to Statesville High School, where a memorial service was held. A private funeral for family and friends only was held later. Broward Motorsports add BMW store BMW Motorrad USA has further expanded its brand in southern Florida with the addition of BMW Motorcycles of West Palm Beach. The new BMW motorcycle dealership, located at 2300 Okeechobee Blvd. (also home of Broward Motorsports), offers a complete line of BMW motorcycles, parts, accessories, apparel and service capabilities in an exclusive new retail showroom. "We are delighted to have the opportunity to represent BMW," said owner Sam Nehme, president of Broward Motorsports, which sells new and pre-owned motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, PWCs, boats, side-by-sides and scooters at locations in Davie, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. "BMW is a premier brand with quality products, state-of-the-art technology and a strong growth record." "The BMW dealership is a great fit for us and fulfills a need for a BMW dealership along Florida's east coast between Daytona and Fort Lauderdale," added Nehme, who worked in the motorsports industry since 1989 before opening his first dealership in 2002. Nehme's lifelong passion for motorcycling is matched by his prowess in personal watercraft racing, recently winning the IJSBA World Championship in the Sport Spec class. When he's not at his dealership showrooms, Nehme is often found on the lakes of the race circuit with his Broward Motorsport Race Team. BMW Motorcycles of West Palm Beach is managed by JJ Sci- arrino and has BMW master technicians and sales personnel on staff to provide brand-specific customer service. "Sam's commitment to serving the motorcycling community is compatible with BMW's, and when the opportunity to expand our brand in southern Florida with a well-respected dealer presented itself, we seized the opportunity," said Lou Provato, dealer devel- opment manager for BMW Motorrad USA. "The West Palm Beach location fills a need that has existed for BMW motorcycles in that market for quite some time, and Sam and his team bring a tremen- dous amount of riding experience and knowledge to motorcycle enthusiasts in their region." HOT NEWS CONTINUED FROM COVER NEW POLARIS EBIKE OFFERS POWER OF DIESEL WITHOUT THE GAS TANK CYCLETRADER.COM PROMOTES BOUMA, BILLUPS TO VP CycleTrader.com, the lead- ing online marketplace serv- ing the powersports industry, announces the promotion of Paige Bouma and Phillip Bil- lups. During their tenure as general manager and director of product development, Bouma and Billups have been instru- mental in the continued growth of the company since 2007. The duo was recently promoted to vice president roles within their respective departments. Bouma served as national sales manager and general man- ager for CycleTrader.com. Dur- ing her tenure she created the industry's first online co-op program and more recently played a key role in the launch of CycleTrader's mobile products. Bouma was also the driving force in establishing CycleTrader.com as title sponsor for Rock River Powersports' pro supercross and motocross team, elevating the site's profile with industry enthusiasts. Bouma, vice president of Cycle Trader, remarked, "Being part of CycleTrader.com's race team through its first year has been an exciting journey! We are looking forward to 2015 as we continue to promote Cycle- Trader to our enthusiasts and dealer markets as we strengthen our brands and increase our dealer leads." Billups, vice president of product, has been influential in EVantage USA introduced the new Polaris eBikes Diesel Titanium Oxide Limited Edition at Interbike earlier this month. Broward Motorsports in West Palm Beach, Florida, has added BMW to its lineup. See Hot News, Page 8