Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/410960
6 • October 6, 2014 • Powersports Business NEWS www.PowersportsBusiness.com ICON also displayed its Overlord Textile Col- lection for sport bike riders. The Overlord collection features boots, riding jeans and men's and women's gloves and jackets. The new ICON helmet lineup includes a variety of graphics, from a Hindu god to a full moon tribute to werewolves. The slew of new products kept dealers on the move. Theresa Buehrling, who works in parts at Country Sports in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., had amassed a collection of bags full of brochures and sell sheets while walking down the exhibit hall aisles. She was making her debut at the NVP. "You can never have too much knowledge," she laughed. "I just came to get to know more about the products that I sell. I'm pretty famil- iar with the brakes and clothing, but I'm really learning more about the tire vendors." Kevin Lehman, on the other hand, hasn't missed the NVP in the 17 years that he's owned Performance Motorsports. "I'm doing more research about where we're going, setting the vision," he said. Lehman favors brands that offer MAP pric- ing. "We love MAP policies and wish every- body would go to them." Lehman appreciates the marketing push that Parts provides to its partner brands. "They really do a good job of helping all these brands in here get to the next level, and part of that is keeping their stock levels high so that we come to them first," Lehman said. "We know that when another vendor doesn't have something in stock, Parts will probably have it, which is a great thing. I know that some of their house brands are being taken in a new direction, and I think that will do a lot to propel them even more." Terry Trom, owner of TT Motorcycles in Blooming Prairie, Minn., has been to the NVP for 10 years in a row. "I get new technicians all the time, so I bring them here to familiarize them with the prod- ucts, make the contacts that we need to make," said Trom, scouring the Duro Tire booth in search of an aftermarket upgrade offering to include with his latest line, ODES UTVs. "We specialize in Harley-Davidson and just brought on ODES so that we had something to offer vs. just bikes. It's GM Delphi fuel injection, so it matched up well with us." VENDORS PLEASED, TOO Bob Eggerichs, president of Slipstreamer, Inc., has seen a renewed interest in the Minnesota company's windshields in recent months. The inexpensive, quick-release windshields fit on scooters and motorcycles of all sizes. "We've always prided ourselves on making shields that fit many different bikes," Eggerichs said. "We try to fit as many things as possible, so it makes it easier on the dealer to stock some- thing. Everything we have is fairly universal, economically priced and easy to put on and off, so virtually anybody can do it." This year, dealers have been interested in the company's line of bagger replacement shields. The adjustable touring line offers the rider the ability to have a dark smoke custom shield that "looks good and without tools, they can flip it around and put it place, and now you have a full touring shield for the highway with more protection." New this year is an oversized version for each line, with applications available for metric and Harley-Davidson bikes. "We've had a real good response to them here at the show," he added. Chip Spaulding couldn't complain about the dealer response to Ballistic Performance Components' new Ballistic Back-Pack. The back-up USB power supply and emergency jump starter retails for $129.95. "I haven't talked to anyone who doesn't want one," Spaulding said. At 5-inches long by 2.9-inches wide by less than 1-inch tall, it's the smallest and lightest handheld portable jump starter for motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs and personal watercraft. It powers electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets, cameras and other USB devices. It also comes with clamps to jump start a bike or car. "It's perfect for a saddlebag or tank bag. You're in the middle of nowhere, and you need to charge your phone? Here you go. Same with recharging a dead battery. We've made it for motorcyclists and motorcycle dealers," Spauld- ing said. "It's an extension of our lithium bat- tery line. We make a complete line of lithium starter batteries, which are also the lightest on the market." PSB PARTS NVP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Dual handlebar throttle controls a welcome addition BY DAVE MCMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF Ron Seidner, owner of Bert's Mega Mall in Cali- fornia, didn't know where to begin after seeing the 2015 Yamaha WaveRunner lineup. The mid-August unveiling at the Fontainebleau oceanfront resort in Miami was a long way from his 230,000-square-foot supersized dealership in Covina, Calif., but he was ready to have them on his showroom floor. "Pretty much the whole lineup has me excited," Seidner said. "They completely redid every make and model with a lot of features and benefits. They really filled the gap where nobody else can knock them for not having the right product. I just got back from the Polaris dealer meeting with 27 new models there, and this is kind of a follow-up to that. I was kind of blown away. I thought we'd have 1-2 new mod- els, not 9-12." Seidner knows a thing or two about retailing watercraft, with his store capably contributing to the industry-wide 30 percent rise in sales through August, compared to the year-ago period, according to the Info-Link Bellwether report. In fact, Seidner's store last year became the No. 1 WaveRunner dealer in the world for the first time. Prior to that, he had been Sea- Doo's No. 1 dealer in the world for 15 consecu- tive years. "The last couple of years Sea-Doo had the advantage of saying they were the only one with a brake system," Seidner added. "That's no lon- ger the case. It's completely flipped. Yamaha's motivated to make it happen and do some dif- ferent things. The fit and finish of a Yamaha? People don't complain. The product does a lot. Product is key; it really is." Seidner figures his newly renovated store — with updated carpet, paint, fixtures, showcases, parking lot, customer lounges and indoor neon signage — will help facili- tate sales of all three of his store's PWC brands for 2015. Chad Deising from Anderson Marine in Madison, Tenn., is in the midst of a sizable expansion, and he plans to capitalize on sales of Yamaha's boat lineup that an includes an innovative new articulating keel (essentially a rudder) for the 24-foot models. "It was a long time coming for the 242 with the articulating rudder," he said. "It's a great thing for slow speed steering. It was a huge factor that customers would bring up when considering the competitors. This will elimi- nate objections. The interior upgrades were amazing. The new helm is out of this world. All I can say is look out competitors! I am abso- lutely thrilled with this show. It's the best dealer show I've ever been to. They were a long time coming, and I can't wait to get back and start making some phone calls." Destin Lesesne, who came to the show from Lake Blue Ridge Marina in Blue Ridge, Ga., appreciated the all-new look of the WaveRun- ner VX series. "I like what they did with the new VX, step- ping it up a little bit with the FX hood on it," he said. "It's a good looking bike, and I think it'll sell well, and we'll have a fair margin." Lake Blue Ridge Marina has sold through its WaveRunner orders for the past five years, even buying 10 percent deeper each year. Here's how principal Greg Surdyke of Sur- dyke Yamaha in Osage Beach, Mo., described the model launch: "They're reacting to the needs of the industry and what we've needed. We've got to go after entry level; we've got to after high performance; we've got to go after middle of the road, and we've got to have good looking colors. We can't just let Sea-Doo have all the hot colors. I've been screaming for some bright, neon grab-you colors, and this is what I'm seeing as I walk through the display room here. I'm really excited." Surdyke was glad to see his suggestions come to fruition. The introduction of the V1 and its mid-$7,000 price range for the entry- level buyer is ideal. "Believe it or not about four years ago I was talking to the Japanese guys at Yamaha, and they asked me what I thought of the entry-level product," Surdyke said. "I told them I thought the VX was perfect, but just lower the price. We don't need to change it; it works great; keep it. Maybe I got lucky, and they took that advice. I'm really excited about the new VX, the VXR, the VXS. They are going to go from a mediocre seller to a big seller; I guarantee it." The 2015 WaveRunner lineup will allow Surdyke to retail more WaveRunners into the marketplace, just as he's done since the store opened in 1987. "I'm sure I've put a couple thousand VXs on the water in the Midwest, so now I'm going to get them back on trade after seeing all these. Here we go, back to the start," he laughed. As for the new RiDE dual handlebar throttle control system? "We've been fighting customers who come from the Sea-Doo dealer and say, 'You've got to have brakes. Do you guys have brakes?' We were like 'What brakes?' Now we've got something better than brakes," Surdyke said. "We've got a very controllable watercraft. We hit a home run with this; I promise." Surdyke, whose brother, Tim, owns Sur- dyke Harley- Davidson in Festus, Mo., has seen unit sales of WaveRunner lag a bit in the past few years, with "units down but dollars up. We've been way up in used sales. We captured a lot of the used personal water- craft sales in my market, and there's good profit in that. I paid my salesmen extra if they took one in on trade, as opposed to selling one without a trade, and it worked. People will say 'Nah, I'll just sell it myself.' But my salesmen are motivated. They say 'Oh no, you don't want to sell it. We can give you a very good trade value.' They sell the benefits of a trade, and it worked out." PSB Dealers high on 2015 WaveRunner lineup Greg Surdyke, owner of Surdyke Yamaha in Osage Beach, Mo., was especially excited to see the all-new VX lineup of 2015 WaveRunners at the Yamaha Watercraft dealer meeting in South Beach. (Below) The Fontainebleau oceanside resort in South Beach proved to be an ideal setting for Yamaha Watercraft dealers and distributors from across the world. "I get new technicians all the time, so I bring them here to familiarize them with the products, make the contacts that we need to make." Terry Trom, owner TT Motorcycles Blooming Prairie, Minn., 10-year NVP attendee