Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/422004
OPINION FROM THE EDITOR www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • December 1, 2014 • 13 The Consumer Product Safety Com- mission mandate on the design of side-by-sides caught many of us by surprise, but Polaris was more than ready to organize a unified stance from the industry against the mandate. That's why you'll see an abundance of informa- tion and resources in the cover story. Simply put, it's more of the same from the CPSC, and once again, we can only hope that the agency's members who voted for the mandate come to their senses in time to not set back that continuously growing segment of the industry. If you're like me, you'll spend some time reading and researching and end up pounding your head into your desk. "What in the world are they thinking?" is only the first thought that comes to mind. Please be sure to copy, cut, paste and otherwise dis- tribute the mandate info to your off-road customers in particular, and, even better, your customers in general. Polaris has — not surprisingly — stepped up in a big way to lead the fight against the mandate. StopTheROV- Mandate.com has the answers to all of your questions. MARGINS STILL TIGHT In case you missed the recent Powersports Business State of the Industry webinar sponsored by MB Finan- cial Bank, first, how could you?! It was the most well attended webinar we've ever done. And the data points were truly worth the 60-minute investment. Scott Begovich of the Motorcycle Industry Council reported single-digit percentage growth in ATV, motorcycle and scooter sales through September. In addition, Begovich shared that more than 7.5 million households in the U.S. have at least one motorcycle, and that the average motor- cycle owner spends $671 per year on their bike? Meanwhile, Sameer Gaur from GE Capital's Com- mercial Distribution Finance division shared that GE's pre-owned inventory volumes are up 12 percent compared to a year-ago, a strong sign for the pre- owned market. To bolster the strength in the used market, Jim Woodruff of National Powersport Auctions said that NPA's volume has risen 11 percent and participation from dealers is up 2 percent from a year ago. Margins, however, are becoming a tough nut to crack. Noel Lais from Spader Business Management showed Spader 20 Group data that revealed that new powersports unit gross margins have decreased to an average of 11.4 percent, a concern for all. CAREFREE ARIZONA There was little to be concerned about, however, during my recent visit to Arizona for Bob's Biker Bash. The night before my visit, Go AZ Motorcycles had been selected as the No. 1 dealership in the Powersports Business Power 50. Alas, Go AZ had long ago selected the same weekend for their outstanding event, so they had to twist my arm a little to make a journey to Arizona in October to person- ally deliver the No. 1 dealer trophy myself. The next time you're in Scottsdale, be sure to pay a visit to Go AZ. From the location to the cleanliness to the hospitality, there's little not to like about Go AZ. You'll learn more about the bursting-at-the-seams Harley- Davidson of Scottsdale and Spooky Fast Customs, its sister stores, in future editions of Powersports Business. HARDWARE DELIVERY By now, you've figured out that the stories in Power- sports Business are kind of a big deal. Now our peers in the Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association are beginning to take notice. Managing editor Liz Keener's cover story on the launch of Honda Grom, titled, appropri- ately enough, "Grom-O-Mania," took the bronze medal during the MMPA's Excellence Awards. Liz won in the category of Editorial: Feature Article (Business/Trade Under 30,000 Circulation). That honor put PSB on the big screen for the first time since Liz and I have been on board. And, as we agreed after the award ceremony, they ain't seen nothing yet! In fact, it was also a big night for our sister publications at EPG Media. We're in serious need of some plaque space on the walls in Plymouth: OVERALL EXCELLENCE (SPECIAL INTEREST OVER 60,000) — Silver Rider EDITOR'S OR PUBLISHER'S EDITORIAL OR LETTER TO THE READERS (SPECIAL INTEREST OVER 60,000) — Gold Thunder Press: The Blue Dog Diaries: Taking Stock by Terry Roorda EDITORIAL: FEATURE ARTICLE (BUSINESS/ TRADE UNDER 30,000) — Bronze Powersports Business: Grom-O-Mania by Liz Keener HOW-TO ARTICLE (SPECIAL INTEREST OVER 60,000) — Silver SnowGoer: How to Rebuild An Arctic Cat Clutch by Andy Swanson PROFILE ARTICLE (SPECIAL INTEREST OVER 60,000) — Gold SnowGoer: The David Who Created A Goliath by John Prusak PROFILE ARTICLE (SPECIAL INTEREST OVER 60,000) — Bronze Thunder Press: Vision of Dreams: Running by Shadow SINGLE-TOPIC ISSUE, SPECIAL SECTION, OR SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT (BUSINESS/TRADE UNDER 30,000) — Bronze Boating Industry: Boating Industry 2013 Top 100 Commemorative Issue REGULAR COLUMN (SPECIAL INTEREST OVER 60,000) — Bronze Rider: Riding Well SINGLE PAGE OR SPREAD DESIGN (SPECIAL INTEREST) — Gold Rider: Born Again by Greg Drevenstedt PSB Dave McMahon is editor in chief of Powersports Busi- ness. Contact him at 763/383-4411 or dmcmahon@ powersportsbusiness.com. 1. Industry calls for action against side-by-side regulations 2. Judge issues ruling in case pitting dealership vs. Harley-Davidson 3. Western Power Sports acquires Marshall Distributing 4. Yamaha introduces 2015 YZF-R1M, FJ-09 5. Yamaha introduces new motorcycles, ATVs 6. Senators back UTV OEMs in regulation battle 7. "Strong retail demand/deposits" for Polaris products, analyst says 8. Polaris celebrates 60 years with NYSE closing bell ceremony 9. Accessory manufacturer hits a home run with video 10. RJ Anderson's XP1K2 video goes live 11. Husqvarna to unveil three street bikes at EICMA 12. Former Yamaha president joins ICON Aircraft board 13. Analyst: "Powersports industry outlook remains stable" 14. "On Any Sunday, The Next Chapter" set for movie theaters 15. Arctic Cat reports Q3 earnings The headlines above belong to the most frequently viewed articles from Powersports Business' twice weekly e-news during the Oct. 23-Nov. 12 period. The number is based on the percentage of e-news viewers who clicked on the article's headline. To subscribe to e-news, go to www.powersportsbusiness.com/newsletter-signup. WHAT'S THE HOTTEST INDUSTRY TOPIC? Powersports Business blog ONLINE WITH POWERSPORTSBUSINESS.COM Leading industry executives and dealer consultants are among the contributors to PSB's blog. See below for recent blogs. Do whatever you can to stop ROV mandate Visit powersportsbusiness.com/blogs PSB Twitter reaches 3,000 In early November, Powersports Business' Twitter page, @PSBMagazine, surpassed 3,000 followers. PSB has also sent about 3,000 Tweets, sharing news, information, retweets and event coverage. In fact, PSB had a peak of followers while using the #PSBI hashtag at the Powersports Business Insti- tute @ AIMExpo. Other recent tweets shared information from the PSB State of the Industry webinar and a photo from Liz showing off Minnesota's fresh snowfall. If you haven't yet, follow us @PSBMagazine. CHRIS CLOVIS Vice President, EagleRider Motorcycles Meet your Business Prevention Depart- ment, or BPD. Didn't know you had a BPD? Well you do. Every business has BPD Traffic Cops, lots of them. BPD staffers are invested in the status quo. They feel that their job is to save the company from itself. LESLIE PREVISH Founder, Prevish Marketing Yes, I'm a PANK — Professional Aunt, No Kids. And like 76 percent of PANKS, I spend an average of $500 on kids I never birthed — nieces, neph- ews and rugrats of friends. MARK MOONEY Director, Retail Performance, Pied Piper Management Company LLC Success does not happen by accident. It takes planning and a desire to attain what might not seem possible at times. It's about the commitments we make as individuals to doing things to the best of our abilities, and how we sustain those endeavors. AMANDA WHITE Account Manager, PowerSports Network This is the season for holiday cheer, which means the perfect time to pro- mote your dealership's holiday sales and events. As you identify your mar- keting channels, include social media sites to reach niche audiences. DAVE McMAHON Liz Keener (right) brought home an MMPA bronze award for her story in Powersports Business on the Honda Grom launch.