Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/711372
MOTORCYCLE National Cycle treats employees to American Supercamp BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR Over Memorial Day weekend, 31 employees of National Cycle gathered to celebrate. But they weren't barbequing at the pool; instead they were tackling a grueling riding camp. National Cycle hosted its sixth employee event with American Supercamp at the Illi- nois State Fairground Coliseum in Springfield. National Cycle invited 31 of its employees, from non-riders to veteran motorcyclists, to participate in the camp, all expenses paid. The camp consists of two days, running 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The participants are divided into three groups — beginner, intermediate and advanced. The first day of the course, riders spend time learning skills on a dirt oval track, while they move to a TT course, minus the jump, on Day 2. The camp is offered as one of a few perks that encourage employees of the Maywood, Illinois-based windshield company to ride. "We're a motorcycle company and have been for almost 80 years. We have always been a passionate promoter of motorcycling and continuous improvement of motorcycling skills," said Ann Willey, sales and marketing manager for National Cycle. "We particularly like the American Supercamp technique. It can be a bit like boot camp, and it is certainly is not PC, but American Supercamp has a proven way to break bad habits, learn correct ones and have a lot of fun doing it. It's not easy to unlearn bad habits. Mentally you need to let go and learn new ways of doing things. By the end of camp your muscles are aching, but your auto responses in a panic situation are going to be more on target in keeping the motorcycle under control." The company offers the camp to any employee in any department, and each year there's a race to get to the signup sheet. This year there were participants from the sales, engineering, punch press, screw machine, silk screening, forming and shipping departments, as well as Ann Willey and company president Barry Willey. "The camp is open to any employee, whether they are a seasoned motorcyclists or non-riders. A vast range of age and skill levels sign on for this all-expenses paid camp. Partici- pating in the camp, we have trained motorcycle racers such as Peter Bernacchi, 2014 CCS GTU Rookies Cup champion, and Derek Willey, motocross racer, to non-riders with little or no motorcycling experience. In final qualification before the camp, all we ask of the non-riders is to prove they can control, shift and brake a small dirt bike," Ann Willey said. American Supercamp principals Danny Walker and Chris Carr, along with Derek A company that rides together, sticks together 32 • August 15, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Steve Maltba of Fayetteville Powersports wins U.S. Grand Prix Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A.'s Customer Support Group announced that Steve Maltba of Fayetteville Powersports in Fayetteville, North Carolina, won the 2016 U.S. Technician Grand Prix (USTGP). Maltba will represent the U.S. at Yamaha's World Technician Grand Prix (WTGP), a head-to-head competition of inter- national Yamaha-trained technicians to be held in October at Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., world headquarters in Iwata, Japan. Maltba and five other Yamaha Technical Academy (YTA) Gold Level training graduates earned invitations to this year's U.S. competi- tion by achieving the highest scores in YTA Gold classes conducted between fall 2013 and spring 2016. Joshua Fugate of CC Powersports in Lou- isville, Kentucky, took second, with Bryan Harner of Wild West Yamaha Camp Hill in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, third. "Each of the USTGP contestants performed exceptionally well under extreme pressure and thorough cri- tique of our expert judges. We are very proud Yamaha's training pro- grams prepared the contestants to quickly diagnose and address the competition's technical challenges," said Colin Haugh, national service manager of Yamaha Motor Corpo- ration U.S.A.'s Customer Support Group. "This training and competi- tion ultimately refines each partici- pant's skills and abilities to handle everyday customer issues, which is the most important test of all." Yamaha's Technician Grand Prix competitions are more than contests of tech- nical skills. They showcase how service train- ing is a vital spoke in the wheel of Yamaha's success as the technicians and dealership ser- vice departments are crucial customer points of contact. A guiding principle for Yamaha's Customer Support Group is a commitment to excellent service for Yamaha owners, aiming to build outstanding relationships with each customer at the dealer level. The company's YTA training programs are designed to reinforce this prin- ciple by continuously honing Yamaha techni- cians' skills to help ensure service excellence at authorized Yamaha dealers nationwide. Today, there are more than 30,000 YTA-trained tech- nicians worldwide. PSB North Carolina tech moves on to Yamaha Worlds See National Cycle, Page 36 Thirty-one National Cycle employees were treated to a weekend of American Supercamp at the Illinois State Fairground Coliseum in Springfield. (Left) David Trombley, Yamaha's Motorsports training manager, presents Steve Maltba, 2016 U.S. Technician Grand Prix (USTGP) champion, with his award. Maltba is a service technician at Fayetteville Powersports in North Carolina. With the victory, Maltba moves on to the Yamaha World Technician Grand Prix in Iwata, Japan. Yamaha's Customer Support Group spearheads the annual Technician Grand Prix via its Yamaha Technical Academy.