Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/485263
w w w . p o w e r s p o r t s b u s i n e s s . c o m NEWS: Thor expects high 2016 sales . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 8 FINANCE: McGraw sponsors Team21Motorsport . . . . PAGE 17 FOCUS: Progressive Suspension adds options . . . . PAGE 30 POWER 50: H-D paints a dealership red . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 50 Registrations of new PWC in the U.S. in 2014 increased by 21.1 percent compared to 2013, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Personal watercraft led overall powerboat registration growth of 8.7 percent over 2013, the third consecu- tive yearly increase. Jet drive boat reg- istrations were up 15.7 percent, and ski boats increased 14.7 percent, but it was PWC that led the charge for the year. RICKY CARMICHAEL AMATEUR RACES DRAW 1,400 ENTRIES Need another sign that families and their dirt-bike loving children and spouses are as passionate as ever about the sport? The 6th Annual Ricky INSPIRING SUCCESS THROUGH MARKET INTELLIGENCE Tripled sales Maverick Motorsports moved to a new location and tripled its overall sales within its first year. SEE PAGE 40 HOTNEWS Man with a plan Harley-Davidson salesman increases off-season sales with his own Facebook page. SEE PAGE 8 It's in the bag American Kargo designs powersports-specific bags, extreme-tested and rider approved. SEE PAGE 10 After 2014 launch, in-house program is already seeing updates for 2015 BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR For more than a decade, Polaris Industries offered extended service contacts as many OEMs do — Polaris worked with third-party providers as a sponsor of their ESCs, leaving the claims decisions and administration to the third-party company. However, recently Polaris decided that it wanted to stop sending customers away to another company and instead wanted to be more involved in the buyer's new vehicle life cycle. "It just got to a point where our dealers kept asking and actually, our customers wanted, the company experience, or a factory experience, so we made the decision about two years ago to take the business in-house to be administered by Polaris," Tony Poll, extended warranty manager for Polaris Protection, told Powersports Business. "So using some of the same synergies of how we handle our standard factory warranty, we're able now to offer all of those same benefits and that same customer experience throughout that whole extended warranty period as well." Polaris didn't go into its own ESC administra- tion on wishful thinking, however. The OEM conducted extensive consumer research that con- firmed its reasons for wanting to bring the service in house. "We found through our consumer research that 82 percent of consumers want factory-backed coverage; they want factory-administered cover- age, so it was really an easy decision once our ducks were lined up," reported Chris Splan, Polaris Protection marketing analyst. "Our dealers are asking for this; we know our consumers want this, so why don't we marry the two together? We're already partnering with our dealers; let's Montana mall welcomes powersports dealers for a weekend event BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR A trip to the mall can mean a new wardrobe and money well spent, and for some Montana pow- ersports enthusiasts, the option to take home a new bike was temptation enough. Southgate Mall of Missoula, Mont., hosted its first motorsports event in February to rave reviews by dealers who were exhibiting at the three-day event. Trisha Piedalue, Southgate Mall's mar- keting director, said that for years the mall hosted a boat show, but she wanted to expand the show to accommodate a larger range of hobbies. "I ride myself, so there's an interest for me there. So I wanted to incorporate a bunch of different elements in addition to the boats, whether it was street, dirt, water or snow riding," she said. Southgate invited several local dealerships to the motorsports event, including Anchor Marine, Five Valley Honda Yamaha, Gull Boats, Kurt's Polaris, Murdoch's and Maverick Motorsports. Piedalue added that even the day before the event, powersports companies called and wanted to join the show. But they were told they had to wait until next year to join. The motorsports show was Southgate's first such event that included snowmobiles, side- PSB: FOCUS V-twin SEE PAGE 20 See Mallrats, Page 12 See Hot News, Page 3 April 6, 2015 • Volume 18, Number 5 • $3.99 Polaris takes over extended service contracts See Polaris, Page 4 New PWC registrations on the rise in 2014 Main: Maverick Motorsports of Missoula, Mont., brought 12 units to the well-attended mall event that featured local dealer- ships. Inset: The Motorsports Show was Southgate Mall's first such event that included snowmobiles, side-by-sides, motor- cycles, boats and ATVs. Kurt's Polaris of Missoula, Mont., was one of the original six powersports dealers to exhibit. Mall's motorsports show features LOCAL DEALERS