PowerSports Business

October 6, 2014

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FOCUS PSB Metric bikes 28 • October 6, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Some 2015 models are expected to draw in buyers to Dreyer South Powersports BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR "I'm a Honda guy. If you look in my garage, I've got everything Honda," Steve St. John, told Powersports Business. St. John has been a Honda fan since he began working at a Honda dealership in the early 1970s. Since 2005, he has owned Dreyer Honda South in Whiteland, Ind., a 2013 Pow- ersports Business Power 50 dealership. His store, now known as Dreyer South Powers- ports, was single-line until EBR, CFMOTO and KTM were added this year to complement his Honda product. Like many Honda backers, St. John has always been attracted to the quality of the Japa- nese OEM's product. "One of the cool things with Honda is when customers come in, whatever they happen to land on — whether it's a sport bike, cruiser, whatever it is — with Honda I never have to explain quality, warranty, features and benefits. They almost always will come up with, 'I know the Honda's better,'" he said, adding that many customers already own Honda automobiles or outdoor power equipment. St. John has leaned for years on knowing that Honda will stop its lines if something is amiss, and he'll never receive a bike that isn't up to par. Now he's hoping Honda will continue its positive reputation with more innovation and products that will reinvigo- rate the industry. BEST SELLERS At Dreyer South Powersports, some of the best-selling motorcycles are the 250cc and 500cc sport bikes, which have done well with the younger crowd. Those, along with the CTX and the Grom, have brought in new buyers. The CTX has been attracting older riders who haven't rid- den in decades, or who want to take up riding for the first time. The Grom is attracting a younger crowd. "That is a neat machine. The public responded to the advertising and all the maga- zines," St. John said. However, with the Grom, the issue has been availability. St. John has had only four Groms in his dealership this year, two of which came directly from Honda and two that were pur- chased from other dealerships. "The Grom is one bike that when we get one, we sell it. I haven't had one on the showroom for probably three months," St. John said. Also moving well have been the F6B and the Gold Wing, though he's hoping to see more updates to the Gold Wing in the coming years. "If someone has a 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 — you've got to give them a reason to trade them in," St. John explained. 2015 MODELS As St. John was waiting for the 2015 Honda motorcycles to hit his showroom in late Sep- tember, he was expecting some of the new and updated models to be a hit. "The '15 bikes, that new 300 Honda, the sport bike and the naked bike, those are due in here any day now, and we've got people inter- ested in those now," he said. Customers have also shown interest in the new Gold Wing colors and in the F6B models that now come with cruise control. "We do some of those trike builds as well, and we're interested in getting one of those 2015 40th Anniversary Edition [Gold Wings], Honda dealer optimistic for brand's future See Dreyer South, Page 32 Dreyer South Powersports was a single-line Honda dealership until EBR, CFMOTO and KTM were added this year.

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