Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/657286
FOCUS PSB V-twin Motorcycle www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • April 4, 2016 • 19 a half-shell or three-quarter helmet. The Cheater .50 was a 2016 Powersports Business Nifty 50 Award winner because it's the small- est DOT-certified half shell helmet on the market and is priced at $99.95. (The Cheater .75 retails for $130.) "The manufacturer that we used to make them uses individual-sized shells, so a small helmet starts out small; an extra large is extra large. It's designed to fit the person," Kelly explained. "Instead of taking one shell and varying how much foam you put in it, we'll take five shells and make them fit. That's why we call them The Cheater because on your head they look so small, it's almost like you're cheating t h e [ F e d e r a l Motor Vehicle Safety Stan- dards]." T h o u g h t h e s t y l e , high-quality a n d v a r i e d price points s h o u l d b e e n o u g h t o d r a w a c u s - tomer to Black B r a n d , t h e group has also partnered with Homes for Our Troops, offering a donation to the organization for every jacket, vest and set of chaps sold. A patch inside the gear tells the consumer about the donation, serving as a daily reminder when they wear the apparel. "We wanted to do something for vets. The most loyal V-twin rider, loyal cruiser rider is always a vet, so why not do some- thing to give back for them?" Kelly said. "Of the charities that we looked at, Homes for Our Troops is one of the top-rated charities we've ever come across when it comes to getting the dollars back to the troops." H e a d d e d , "The idea is if we sell enough jackets, chaps and vests, we c a n b u i l d a h o u s e f o r s o m e b o d y, a m o rt g a g e - free home for someone that gave up their b o d y, s o w e can be stand- ing here having this conversa- tion. How cool would that be? So that's why we did that." Though Black Brand clearly had the con- sumer in mind when developing this line, the group also had dealer profitability front and center. The high-quality construction paired with a warranty give dealers the assurance that cus- tomers won't return with a product they're unhappy to have purchased. And price points were designed not only to appeal to a variety of consumers but also to allow for deep margins. Jackets, chaps, vests and helmets come with 40-point margins for dealers, while the gloves offer 50 points in margin. "Now a dealer can bring in actual money with that footage in his store," Kelly said. "What it was designed to do was to incentivize them to want to make money. The apparel busi- ness has fallen off, with nothing cool about it, nothing exciting, nothing new or better. Now there is." It was clear from the conversations over- heard at the V-Twin Expo that dealers were interested in the product and the opportuni- ties that carrying the line will deliver to their bottom line. Kelly said he was happy with the response he received during the weekend- long unveiling. "When I go over the three things that mat- ter to the dealers — margin, price point and warranty — everyone is like, 'That's great. I'm in.' Because we took away all the pain that the dealer has," he reported. PSB BLACK BRAND CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 The women's Mantra jacket from Black Brand includes an interior patch that features a motorcycle mantra written by a female rider. Part of the Platinum Series, the jacket retails for $571. The men's Cutthroat jacket retails for $300. Black Brand has teamed up with Homes for Our Troops and will donate money to the organization for each jacket, vest and set of chaps sold.