Motorcycle & Powersports News, 11.2012

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

No

v. 2012

V

OL. 38 N

O. 11

11.2012

Team Winnebagoland’s Erin Eake & Karra Marg

SchuberthSuperior by Design

>

4 November 2012 | Motorcycle & Powersports News

Volume 38 Number 11

EDITORIAL

Editor – Colleen Brousil [email protected]

Associate Editor – Gina [email protected]

Senior Editor – Brendan [email protected]

Columnists & Contributors

Ricky BeggsHeather BlessingtonC.R. GittereRobin HartfielSteve JonesMark RodgersMargie SiegalD. J. Stringer

ART

Sr. Graphic Designer –Tammy House

[email protected]

ON THE COVERJeane Morgan catches up with the2012 Dealership Superstars.

34

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com

Product Focus

Superior By DesignSchuberth Takes on North America | BY ROBIN HARTFIEL

Dealership Operations

Honoring An Old Friend ........................................................................................................6The Road Ahead by Colleen Brousil

Service Department Performance .......................................................12Best Operators Club by Steve Jones

Unexpected Market Shifts ........................................................................................14Black Book Market Watch by Ricky Beggs

The Seven Deadly Sins of F&I...........................................................................16Finance & Insurance by D.J. Stringer

Winter Storage Guide ...........................................................................................................18Tech Tips by Cyclepedia Press

Is the Customer Always Right? ....................................................................20The Service Manager by C.R. Gittere

Social Media Intelligence............................................................................................22Web Savvy by Heather Blessington

37 High Voltage Sales Practices........................................................................24Peak Dealership Performance by Mark Rodgers

Kawasaki Unveils 2013 Jet Ski Models.....................................26PWC Update

BMW of San Francisco .......................................................................................................28Destination Dealership by Margie Siegal

Dealership Superstars Revealed

Team Winnebagoland’s Erin Eake and Karra Marg

Consider your

customers’ stockings

stuffed. 40


This column is bittersweet for me. I get the honor of wishing longtimeMPN associate publisher Dean Kelly congratulations upon his retire-

ment, but at the same time, I’m saying at least a partial goodbye to mylongtime co-worker and friend.

I have had the pleasure of working with Dean for the last 10 years.Over that time, Dean’s helped me to understand everything from carbu-retion to dealership operations. He’s also taught me a lot more aboutbusiness and life than basic fundamentals and for that, I’ll be forevergrateful.

After a long and fruitful career, Dean is well-deserving of the nextstage of his adventure.

“My 28-year run in the powersports industry has allowed me to meetgreat people, visit incredible places, and see new innovative products,which continue to fuel my passion,” said Dean in a letter to his clients an-nouncing his retirement. “My decision to embark on my next adventure isdriven by that passion. After a long and fulfilling career, I’ve decided it’stime to retire and take on a full-time position as a powersports enthusiast.As I take to the road, I’ll continue to be in touch with my friends in the in-dustry to share my adventures and keep up with yours. The powersportscommunity is my extended family, and I will forever be grateful for theopportunity to work with such dedicated enthusiasts over the years.”

I’ve reached out to some of Dean’s colleagues, industry connections,riding buddies and pals to share their thoughts upon Dean’s retirement.Flip to page 50 to read some of the well wishes.

Have a note you’d like to pass to Dean? He can be reached [email protected] or give him a ring at (608) 523-4271.

Dean, you will be dearly missed. See you on the road ahead! t

Congratulations Dean!

AHEADTHERoad

ADVERTISING SALES

Publisher - Greg Cira [email protected](330) 670-1234 ext. 203

Associate Publishers Dean Kelly [email protected]

(608) 523-4271

Sean Donohue [email protected](330) 670-1234 ext. 206

Display Advertising Sales

Roberto Almenar [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 233

Tom Staab [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 224

Bobbie Adams [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 238

Doug Basford [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 255

Dean Martin [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 225

Jim Merle [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 280

Glenn Warner [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 212

Dave Wooldridge [email protected](330) 670-1234, ext. 214

John Zick [email protected] (949) 756-8835

Don Hemming [email protected] (330) 670-1234, ext. 286

ADVERTISING SERVICES

Advertising Services Director –Cindy Ott [email protected]

(330) 670-1234 ext. 209

CIRCULATION SERVICES

Circulation Manager –Pat Robinson [email protected]

(330) 670-1234, ext. 276

Circulation Specialist –Star Mackey [email protected]

(330) 670-1234, ext. 242

AFTERMARKET MEDIA NETWORKBabcox Media Headquarters3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333(330) 670-1234 Fax (330) 670-0874

Babcox Media California18004 Skypark Circle, Suite 260, Irvine, CA 92614(949) 756-8835 Fax (949) 756-8836

CORPORATE

Bill Babcox, PresidentGreg Cira, Vice President, Chief Financial OfficerJeff Stankard, Vice PresidentBeth Scheetz, Controller

Copyright 2012, Babcox Media, Inc.

MPN (ISSN 0164-8349) is published monthly by Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 Embassy

Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, Fax (330) 670-0874. Peri-

odical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMAS-

TER: Send address changes to MPN, P.O. Box 13260, Akron, OH 44334-8660. A

limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who

meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 242, to speak to a

subscription services representative. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-

qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69 for one year. (OH residents

add 5.75% sales tax) Canada/Mexico: $89 for one year. Canadian rates include

GST. Other foreign rates: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds.

Mail payment to MPN - Circulation, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755.

By Colleen Brousil

> CycleTrader.com Names ARI

Official Inventory Feed Provider

ARI Network Services Inc. has announcedthat it has been named an official inventoryfeed provider for CycleTrader.com. Cycle-Trader.com is one of the nation’s most pop-ular classified sites to buy and sell new andused motorcycles.

The integration with CycleTrader is anoptional add-on to ARI’s WebsiteSmart so-lution. Dealers can now easily synchronizeinventory listings between their ARI websiteand CycleTrader. The integration also in-cludes the ability to upload inventoryto ATVTrader.com, PWCTrader.com andSnowmobileTraderonline.com.

“We’re excited to provide our Web-siteSmart customers with the ability to auto-matically upload inventory to CycleTrader,”said Brad Smith, director of product man-agement at ARI. “The integration will helpARI customers save valuable time and sellmore products. We’re confident that deal-ers will welcome this addition and quicklysee direct bottom line results.”

“We had been uploading our bike in-ventory to CycleTrader manually. When ARIpresented us the option to integrate ourwebsite with CycleTrader, we jumped at theopportunity,” said Matt Mechling, owner ofInterstate Cycle Inc., Cornelius, N.C. “Web-siteSmart’s new integration has not only im-

proved the accuracy of our listings and ouroverall efficiency, but has also saved us agreat deal of time and effort. That meansthat our bikes hit CycleTrader faster, andthat translates into quicker sales.” t

> Ducati Newport Beach Wins

Manufacturer’s ‘North America’s

Top Motorcycle Sales’ Award for

Second Consecutive Year

Ducati Newport Beach has announcedthat it has earned Ducati North America’sTop MotorcycleSales award for thesecond year in arow.

Located in the heart of Southern Califor-nia, the shop posted a 25 percent year-over-year increase in new bike sales from2011 to 2012. This fueled its leading role asDucati’s strongest dealership in NorthAmerica, where the exclusive Italian brandhas 149 authorized retailers. Also, for thesecond consecutive year, the shop ledDucati’s Southwest region in new unitsales.

The award was presented at the com-pany’s recent dealer meeting in San Diegoby Ducati North America CEO CristianoSilei, General Manager Dominique Cherakiand Regional Business Manager DaveWood.

Ducati Newport Beach’s first accoladescame soon after opening in 2009, when itwon Ducati’s Best New Dealer award. Thefollowing year, the shop was runner-up inSouthwest region sales. Building on thismomentum, the dealership sold moreDucatis than any other in North Americaand topped the Southwest sales chartsagain last year.

Ducati Newport Beach’s 8,400-square-foot dealership has 30 Ducati motorcycleson its showroom floor at all times, as well asa comprehensive selection of Ducati acces-sories and apparel. Its currently expandingservice department has six bays and em-ploys five mechanics, three of whom aremaster-trained Ducati technicians.

Fostering an inclusive environment forenthusiasts and those new to the sport, thispopular destination holds live race screen-ings, owner’s clinics, bike nights, suspensionseminars, fashion shows, barbecues and ex-clusive events. In May, Ducati Newport


IndustryInside the

> NPA Launches Mobile Site

National Powersport Auctions has launched NPA Mobile, the auction company’snewest online service, offering powersport dealers a wide variety of auction servicesincluding the ability to preview and bid from any smartphone or tablet.

NPA Mobile allows dealers’ access to more than 5,000 pre-owned powersportsmonthly. When preparing for live auctions, dealers can utilize NPA Mobile to previewauction units, add items to their watch list and place proxy bids. For NPA’s online plat-forms, dealers are able to place bids and accept last chance offers right from theirsmartphone or tablet. Dealers can also manage their account and access trusted NPAresources such as the NPA Value Guide through NPA Mobile.

“We are extremely pleased with NPA Mobile and its quick adoption by power-sport dealers,” said Jim Woodruff, NPA’s chief operating officer. “We realize we play asignificant role in the growth and profitability of allour customers, and we are committed to providingthem with the tools and first-class service they needto be successful.”

NPA reports that over the last three years, theironline utilization has grown more than 300 percent.“It is a testament to the quality of our condition re-ports and the trust our dealers and lenders have inour auction process,” said Woodruff. “We have seenthe most growth in our 24/7 online auction platform,NPA eSale. It is essentially our fifth auction, locatedconveniently wherever our dealers happen to be.”

NPA eSale offers more than 1,000 powersportunits monthly and runs 24 hours a day, seven days week. “Dealers often treat NPAeSale like a virtual showroom, and now with NPA Mobile, they will be able to bid any-where,” said Woodruff.

NPA Mobile offers more than just being able to preview or bid on auction items. Itlaunches with a wide variety of the auction services including access to the NPA ValueGuide, offering real-time wholesale market values on more than 26,000 powersportmodels. NPA Mobile includes the essential and most used features of NPA’s websitein a simple and clean format, making it easier and quicker for dealers to buy and sellthrough National Powersport Auctions.

NPA Mobile is available now and can be accessed byvisiting http://m.npauctions.com. For a full list of NPA Mobile features,visit http://www.npauctions.com. t

MotorcyclePowersportsNews.com 9

Beach held the national dealer launch forthe manufacturer’s groundbreaking Pani-gale superbike, a motorcycle that ac-counted for many of the shop’s 200-plussales.

“Our third year in business has been anamazing one for us,” said dealership princi-pal Michael Guerin. “We’re honored to beDucati’s top shop the second time around,but we’re not focused on awards. Top rac-ers always say they are focused solely onwinning one race at a time and let thechampionship’s chips fall where they do.Every day, we’ve focused on our mission ofmaximizing the customer experience.We’ve kept our momentum rolling and did-n’t back off the throttle all year. If this leadsto national titles, we’ll collect the trophiesand get back to work.” t

> Mustang Promotes Matt

Kulman to Product Manager

Mustang MotorcycleProducts LLC has an-nounced that Matt Kul-man has been promotedto product manager forthe brand. Effective im-mediately, Kulman will

oversee every aspect of bringing new seat

designs to the market.“Matt is absolutely the perfect person

for this new position,” says MustangVP/general manager Mike Panasci. “He hasbeen an integral part of both the sales andtechnical sides of Mustang for more than20 years. Matt’s new role will have a signifi-cant and positive impact on the Mustangbrand.”

Kulman will continue to serve as Mus-tang’s technical adviser, but his responsibili-ties have now expanded to oversee allprocesses and communication between thedesign, manufacturing, sales and marketingteams. His role is to ensure the seamless re-lease of new products as well as monitor allexisting products.

The creation of this new position coin-cides with Mustang’s physical expansion ofits R&D department at its Three Rivers,Mass.-based factory. t

> JohnDow Industries Launches

Fuel Chief ‘Caddy for a Cause’

Fundraiser

In honor of Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth in October, JohnDow Industries haslaunched its Fuel Chief brand’s “Caddy fora Cause” fundraising campaign. Proceedsfrom the campaign go toward breast can-

cer research.Introduced in mid-2011, JDI began con-

tributing $10 to this research for every FuelChief FC-25GC 25-gallon Steel Gas Caddysold. The original program for 2011 was ex-tended through December of 2012. John-Dow has communicated the campaign withvisibility through product packaging, JDIshirts, trade show exposures, sales flyers,the JDI website, email blasts, media re-leases, and distributor and sales rep com-munications.

“The Fuel Chief products (portable fuelstorage and handling) are about safety andsaving lives, so it is a natural partnership.We want to give back to this very worthycause,” stated JDI management.

Fuel Chief’s FC-25GC Gas Caddy hasachieved UL Listing status while also com-plying with OSHA guidelines. JohnDow isthe only manufacturer with these safety cre-dentials and is the largest manufacturer ofgas caddies in North America. t

Instead of the traditional two-step distribution model, manymanufacturers are now eliminating the middleman and utilizingtechnology to reach their dealers directly. To facilitate thisprocess, D2M is offering manufacturers an alternative to accessdealers via an interactive B2B site, complete with “live” catalogsand a host of technological advancements to keep their busi-nesses on track in this rapidly changing environment.

“We believe it’s time manufacturers took control of their prod-ucts, particularly when it comes to distribution,” says D2M’s chiefof marketing, Josh Whitaker. “We have created a simple, truly ef-fective interface for the dealers. Now that we have beenadopted by the dealers, we feel it is time to show manufacturersjust how effective D2M can be for them ... we’re inviting manu-facturers to consider the advantages of D2M, and start workingdirectly with their customers.”

Whitaker notes that the new business model is not limited tobrands that sell dealer-direct. “It can be equally beneficial forbrands that are currently sold through standard distribution chan-nels as well. Less cost equals more margin for the brand, whichcan help the dealer and ultimately even the end customer.”

To sweeten the deal, D2M is offering access to its B2B sitewith a fully automated ordering system, interactive catalogs that

are updated 24/7, accounts receivable management and vastlyimproved functionality, for zero up front costs. “We are happy topost sales programs, price sheets, catalog updates, inventory re-ports and anything else that a manufacturer may need to com-municate to their dealer network,” explains Whitaker. “We havevirtually eliminated the need for inventory checks or trackingnumber requests.”

D2M’s technological advancements making news recently in-clude the launch of a live-chat feature for real-time assistance anda partnership with the world’s largest digital publisher, PixelMags,which ensures industry-leading product catalog access and en-hances user interaction. “Our D2M acronym stands for ‘Direct 2Manufacturer,’ and we are remaining focused on providing a con-duit between dealers and their manufacturers,” adds co-founderTim Pritchard.

“This means orders are shipped straight from the manufactur-ers directly to the dealerships, which reduces ordering time andincreases dealer margin,” says Pritchard. “Best of all, the serviceis provided to the manufacturers at an incredibly low cost - asmall fraction of what the two-step distributors charge. Infact, several of the services we provide are free to themanufacturers, so dealers win!” t

D2M Creates Platform For Manufacturers To Manage Dealer-Direct Sales


Becky was well-known and respected for her contributions to the industry and made many friendsamong aftermarket professionals during her years of service.

MPN parent company Babcox Media is saddened to announce the passing of Mary Rebecca“Becky” Babcox, a longtime automotive aftermarket industry veteran. Becky died peacefully on Oct.15, 2012, in Akron, Ohio, after a long battle with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). She was 60 years old.

For many years, Becky was co-owner of Babcox Media, along with her brother, Bill Babcox. To-gether, they were the third generation of the Babcox family to run the company founded by theirgrandfather, Edward S. Babcox, in 1920. Becky retired from the company in 2006, after nearly 30 yearsin the business. She was named “Woman of the Year” by the Car Care Council Women’s Board thatsame year.

In addition to serving as Corporate Secretary of Babcox, Becky was Publisher of Automotive Re-builder magazine, known today as Engine Builder magazine. She was an active participant in the re-building industry, serving as a board member of the Production Engine Remanufacturers Association(PERA) and numerous other aftermarket associations, including the Engine Builders Association (AERA),the Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association (APRA) and the Car Care Council Women’s Board.

Becky was well-known and respected for her contributions to the industry and made many friendsamong aftermarket professionals during her years of service. With her warm and friendly nature, Beckycouldn’t walk down the aisles at trade shows without receiving abundant hellos from admiring industrypeers. All those who knew her would say her generosity was unmatched. She lived life with a positiveattitude and even in the end stages of life never relinquished her characteristic grace and humility.

In addition to her significant career accomplishments, Becky served her beloved Akron, Ohio, com-munity by giving time and energy to Goodwill Industries, Planned Parenthood, Junior League ofAkron, The Akron Garden Club, Old Trail School, and many others.

Becky was a graduate of Emory University and received her MBA from The Ohio State University.She is survived by her son, Rob. t

Longtime Babcox Media ExecutiveBecky Babcox Passes Away

In Memoriam

(Act of August 12, 1970; Section 3685. Title 39. UnitedStates Code.)

MPN is published monthly at 3550 Embassy Parkway,Akron, Ohio 44333-8318, Summit County. Headquartersand general business offices are also located at 3550Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333-8318, SummitCounty. Publication no. is 0164-8349. Filing date is9/30/11. Issue frequency is monthly with 12 issues pub-lished annually. Annual subscription price is $69.MPN’s publisher is Greg Cira. The editor is ColleenBrousil, and the senior editor is Brendan Baker. All are lo-cated at 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333-8318, Summit County. MPN is owned by Babcox Media, Inc., located at 3550Embassy Pkwy., Akron, Ohio 44333. Known bondhold-ers, mortgagees and other security holders owning orholding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mort-gages or other securities: none.MPN’s Extent and Nature of Circulation are: (Issuedate for circulation data at right is August 2012.)

Statement of Ownership, Management and CirculationAverage no. copies each Actual no. copies ofissue during preceding single issue nearest

12 months to filing dateA. Total No. Copies (net press run) 17,564 17,560B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested

Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) 1. Individual Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions

Stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internetrequests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, advertisers’ proof copies and exchange copies) 16,960 17,084

C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 16,960 17,084D. Nonrequested Distribution

(By Mail and Outside the Mail) 101 136E. Total Nonrequested Distribution

(Sum of 15d (1), (2) and (3) 170 10F. Total Distribution (sum of 15c and e) 17,231 17,230G. Copies not Distributed 333 330H. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 17,564 17,560I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 98.4 99.2I certify that all above statements made by me are correct and complete. Pat Robinson, Circulation Manager

Inside the Industry

> Manheim Specialty Auctions

Changes Specialty Online Event

Sale to Weekly Occurrence

Manheim Specialty Auctions has in-creased the frequency of its Specialty On-line Event Sale from monthly to weekly.The sales start each Friday at 3 p.m. ESTand end on Mondays at 3 p.m. EST.

To get the inside track on the spe-cialty inventory, visit www.manheimspe-cialtyauctions.com. t

> Jan Plessner Joins

Lonski and Associates

Former Kawasaki PRManager Jan Plessner hasjoined the Lonski and Associ-ates team. A 23-year power-sports executive, Plessner’sexperience includes key mar-keting, public relations andcommunications positionswith Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA., the Mo-torcycle Industry Council, Freeman/McCuePublic Relations and JVH Media Group (AllAboutBikes.com and LadyMoto.com).

“I absolutely love the powersports in-dustry. I have three motorcycles in mygarage right now, and I can’t wait for off-road desert riding season to start,” Plessnertold MPN. “I’m also very fortunate that Ihad the chance to work with organizationslike Kawasaki and the Motorcycle IndustryCouncil. But over the past two decades,like many of my colleagues, I experiencedmy share of frustration when it came to op-portunities for career growth. As a job re-cruiter with a fairly extensive network, I canhelp our partner companies improve thequality of their workforce and help peoplegrow their careers. I’ve always enjoyedmentoring and career coaching, so thisfeels like a natural place for me to be.”

Plessner will focus her recruiting effortsto support client partners in the WesternUnited States and within select marketswest of the Mississippi. A long-time advo-cate for women in motorcycling, Plessnerwill continue her role as editor atwww.LadyMoto.com.

“I’ve known Henry [Lonski] since ourpersonal watercraft days back in the ‘90s.During a recent conversation, I was sur-prised to learn that so many great posi-tions go unfilled on a day-to-day basis,”said Plessner.

“An abundance of talented individualsin the powersports industry would welcomethe opportunity to advance their careers,but due to a variety of factors, upward mo-bility is not always possible without a move.I also know what it’s like to be short-staffed,especially when you are looking to build ateam of quality people. I know I can helpour clients fill positions in less time, withtop-shelf industry pros.”

During her tenure with Japanese motor-cycle powerhouse Kawasaki, Plessner man-

aged all aspectsof corporate PRfor the U.S. con-sumer marketincluding pro-fessional racing,motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles,Jet Ski water-craft, utility vehi-

cles, RUVs and accessories/apparel. From2009 to 2011, Kawasaki’s U.S. motorcyclemarket share increased from fourth to first

place among the Japanese OEMs.“[Jan] is an ‘industry icon’ and held in

high regard by fellow powersports mem-bers. Her credibility and reputation are welldeserved. Her location in the heart ofSouthern California is a huge advantage,too,” said Lonski.

“Having access to a comprehensivedatabase of over 13,000 industry profes-sionals is quite an advantage,” said Pless-ner. “Many confidential candidates areavailable, however, not necessarily lookingat industry positions on a daily or weeklybasis. Experienced candidates for all pow-ersports and motorcycle industry positionsare within our scope.

“For me it’s all about motorcycles, recre-ational vehicles and increasing the size ofour consumer market. I want to do every-thing I can to strengthen and grow our in-dustry.”

Hiring managers, powersports industryprofessionals or anyone looking to transi-tion into or within the industry may contactJan at [email protected]. t


This month we’ll review 2012 servicedepartment performance data. We’ll

compare a good-performing metric 20-group with the National Norm (NN) num-bers and the averages for the Top 5dealers in each category.

The total store statistics are includedas a reference point for the performanceof the service department. This helps putthe numbers in context with the trendingof the market overall.

We can see from the total store saleschange from prior year that the Top 5performing dealers are slowing in theirgrowth in comparison to the group andNN dealer averages. Total store grossmargins are holding pretty steady com-pared with last year, but the group andNN dealers are struggling to get to thattarget benchmark of 25 percent.

Door swings continue to increase – avery good sign that traffic is still strongcompared with last year. This is particu-larly significant since the numbers tendto slow as fall approaches. It is interest-ing to note that the Top 5 dealers con-tinue to spend more money onadvertising and promotions to get cus-tomers in the door. However, their ROIfor this is very good. This would not nec-essarily be the case if they were not hold-ing good margins.

In the service department, gross mar-gins continue to increase as dealers con-trol their expenses better. Labor marginsare significantly stronger than in pastyears. It is important to get at least a 70percent margin (revenue less tech com-pensation + sublet labor) or you are un-likely to cover the expenses for thisdepartment and end up with a profit.

Repair order volume is up for most

dealers, but not nearly as much as for theTop 5. My take on this is that these deal-ers are running service specials anddoing awareness advertising whereverpossible. They are using media such astheir websites, email blasts and even so-cial media to promote and grow theirservice business.

Personnel expense (anyone who isnon-tech) seems high, but I can’t arguewith the results. They are making money.If you have more gross margin, you canafford to pay more for a quality servicemanager and skilled service writers.

These folks tend to make you moremoney.

The target for the parts sold to repairorder labor ratio is 1:1. All these dealersare close to that mark.

As might be expected, billed hoursare up. The “billed hours per repairorder” reflects the service writers’ abilityto sell service. The target is to averagetwo hours per repair order, but only theTop 5 dealers are hitting the mark. Serv-ice writer training is very important. Evena slight increase here can make a big dif-


AUGUST 2012 P&A DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE

Total Store Sales YTD (millions) $6.1 $10 $6.8

Total Store Sales Change from Prior Year +13.0% +1.4% +6.5%

Total Store Gross Margin 24.7% 27.6% 24.6%

Gross Margin Prior Year 24.8% 27.8% 25.3%

Contribution to Gross Profit: Service 18.3% 22.3% 18.2%

Door Swings: Change from Prior Year 47.6% 51.0% 42.6%

Cost per Door Swing $26.36 $42.24 $20.10

Total Store Stats

CHART 2Service Dept Stats for September 2012– part 1

GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM

Gross Profit Change from Prior Year 19.2% 42.1% 5.5%

Labor Margin 73.8% 80.2% 71.5%

Dept Margin Change from Prior Year 3.5% 8.6% 1.1%

Dept Operating Profit Change from Prior Year 0.4% 2.3% 0.1%

Repair Order Volume Change from Prior Year 10.8% 26.6% 3.2%

Personnel Expense as a Percent of

Dealership Gross Profit 46.2% 36.1% 39.8%

Parts Sold to Repair Order Ratio 0.85 1.06 0.98

By Steve Jones

BESTOperators

CLUB

CHART 1GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM


ference in the overall profits of the de-partment. Labor sales per repair orderare obviously directly connected to this.

The targets for proficiency (billedhours divided by available hours) andproductivity (actual hours on the repairorders divided by available hours) are 85percent. Only the Top 5 are on targethere. These measure the overall perform-ance of the department. It is not easy tohit this number, but it is important to tryhard to get there. The technician’s abilityis measured by efficiency (billed hours di-vided by actual hours on ROs). The tar-get is 100 percent, but can be muchhigher if they can beat flat rate consis-tently. The Top 5 number indicates thatthey are focusing on increasing the per-centage of tune-ups and interval servicesand other quick-turn jobs where beatingflat rate is very possible.

Again, the dollars sold per employeeis a very important measurement of theeffectiveness and productivity of yourstaff. Monitor this closely. Divide thenumber shown by the number of months(nine in this case) to get a monthly aver-

age. You may need to actually increasestaff to hit the kind of returns you shouldget. I’ve seen instances where a lack ofservice writers or techs stifled productionand resulted in service business going toother dealerships.

Have questions? Feel free to contactme for information, explanation or to dis-cuss how GSA can help you grow yourbusiness profitably. t

Steve Jones, GSA senior projects man-ager, outlines dealerships’ best business

practices to boost margins, increase prof-

itability and retain employees. His monthlycolumn recaps critical measurements usedby the leading 20-group dealers. GSA isrecognized as the industry’s No. 1 author-ity on dealer profitability.

Access to the new Voyager 5 data re-porting and analysis system is available toany dealership for a nominal fee.

For more information on GSA’s datareporting system, dealer 20-groups, on-site consulting or training, [email protected] or visit www.gart-sutton.com.

CHART 3Service Dept Stats for September 2012 –part 2

GROUP TOP 5 NATIONALNORM DEALERS NORM

Billed Hours Change from Prior Year 8.4% 24.3% 2.4%

Billed Hours per Repair Order 1.69 2.11 1.6

Labor Sales per Repair Order $142 $179 $139

Department Productivity 75.9% 92.1% 74.1%

Tech Efficiency 99.7% 110.4% 99.9%

Department Proficiency 75.3% 91.6% 73.6%

Aver Number of Service Staff, YTD 5.9 9.0 6.1

Gross Profit per Service Employee, YTD $44,184 $50,391 $47,103

By Ricky Beggs

Unexpected Market Shifts

MarketWatchBlack Book

Percent August September Change

ATV $3,593 $3,643 0.50%

Cruiser $8,447 $8,816 -0.90%

Jet Boat $19,393 $18,130 -6.50%

Off Road $2,314 $2,626 -1.50%

On/Off Road $5,017 $5,021 -0.90%

Scooter $1,904 $1,983 -1.60%

Snowmobile $4,410 $4,528 2.30%

Street $6,985 $7,160 -0.90%

Utility $6,513 $6,836 0.70%

Watercraft $5,861 $5,498 -6.20%Av

era

ge

Us

ed

Va

lue

s


Sales results fromthe auctions indicatethat the market haspaused on its waydown this month,with on-road motor-cycles only droppingby .9 percent andscooters dropping1.6 percent.

ATVs and utility vehicles have seen aslight increase in value, but not to thelevels we normally see at this time ofyear. Prices are up by only .5 percent forATVs and .7 percent for utility vehicles,not the usual 3 to 5 percent increase wegenerally see as fall arrives and hunters,farmers and outdoorsmen put these unitsto heavy use.

Snowmobiles are continuing to inchup in value as winter approaches, increas-ing by 2.3 percent this month.

Personal watercraft and jet boats, onthe other hand, have seen the bottom fallout as far as auction values are con-cerned. These segments are down 6.2percent and 6.5 percent this month.Combined with last month’s 2.8 percentdrop in value, these units are currentlymore than 9 percent lower in value thanjust two months ago. t

ATV Cruiser Jet Boats Off Road 0n/Off Road Scooter Snowmobile Street Utility Watercraft

August to September Used Unit Value Change

With the arrival of fall weather aroundmuch of the country, prices have

once again decreased for most segmentsin the powersports market. The changesare much smaller than what we saw lastmonth, where values declined moresteeply than usual.


Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envyand gluttony — these seven

deadly sins are a pretty serious matter.Fortunately, there is nothing you can doin the F&I office that could lead to eter-nal condemnation, but there are manythings that you can do or not do that cancondemn your paycheck. If these seventhings happen in your dealership, youshould be scared.

Sin #1: Failing to perform a propercustomer interview. Would you marrysomeone you had never had a conversa-tion with? Would you allow a stranger todate your teenage daughter withoutmeeting them? Would you leave yourkids with a babysitter you did not know?Why not? You have to establish somesort of a relationship to build trust. It iseasier to build value in the F&I officeonce you know what is important tothe customer.

Sin #2: Failing to use a menu forthe presentation of product andpayment options. There are somany reasons to use a menu. Compli-ance is a big one. A menu is the easi-est way to show that all productswere explained and offered to thecustomer. As important as thecompliance feature, statistics alsoshow that dealers that use a menupresentation sell more productsper vehicle and have higherPVRs. Use the declination formsas a back-up to the menu andanother swing.

Sin #3: Failing to takemore than a few swings atovercoming objections. Youonly get one shot at having the cus-tomer’s full attention, so come to the boxready to swing away. Be prepared withlogical reasons that the products are

valuable to the customer. Don’t be shy.Hint: it is easier to time your swings ifyou do the interview.

Sin #4: Assuming that a cash customeris not going to buy any products. Twoout of every three customers’ biggestfear is the fear of loss, regardless of theirability to write a check. Take the time tofind out about the customer’s motiva-tions to buy. Hint: It all comes back tothe interview.

Sin #5: Failing to assume the cus-tomer is going to finance with your deal-ership. How many times a day do youhear the salesman ask the customer ifthey are going to pay with cash or fi-

nance? Why does it matter to thesalesman? Are they discountingthe first pencil if the customer isfinancing? Not in a smart store!Are they raising the price if the

customer is paying cash? Fat chance! Theonly thing that question does beforeusing a four-square is remind the cus-tomer to call their credit union and checkthe rates. Dealerships that assume the fi-nancing get more deals.

Sin #6: Allowing the salespeople todiscuss financing or protection options.The salesperson has enough to worryabout. They have to worry about makinga friend out of the customer and findingthe right unit to meet the customers’needs. Let them do that, and you canworry about the details of F&I. We will allmake more money that way.

Sin #7: Failing to teach the salespeo-ple what to say when F&I questionscome up. We can’t expect the sales staffto be F&I experts. Make their jobs aseasy as you can and maybe they will re-turn the favor. Whatever your choice forthe salesperson’s involvement in F&I, youneed to train them on what to say andhow to say it. This training is not a one-time thing, it will need to go on and onand on.

F&I doesn’t have to be scary, but youshould be scared of the opportunitiesyou are missing by committing any ofthese deadly F&I sins. t

RPMOne is a leading provider of F&I prod-ucts and dealer development services ded-icated to serving the powersports market.Due to its comprehensive experience withdealerships, lenders and insurance compa-nies, RPMOne has created top-tier F&I pro-grams, Web-based tools, trainingprograms, and sales and marketing sys-tems to meet the unique demands of the

industry. RPMOne’s mission is to increaseclient profit to its fullest potential.

By D.J. Stringer

Finance&Insurance

The Seven Deadly Sins of Finance & Insurance

Riders blessed with a warm year-round climate tend to rideall winter — and who could blame them? Even in the cold

Northeast, there are riders who keep their bikes running all win-ter and go out every day. Sadly, the majority of riders are forcedto put their machines away for the winter months, and exactlyhow they do that is going to determine how long it might takethem to get back on the road when the weather warms up.

A good motorcycle needs to be treated well when it’s put tobed in the fall. The two most common critical items to addressare the fuel system and the battery. A marginal battery left outin the cold can easily freeze and fail to ever hold a chargeagain, and an improperly treated fuel system can gum up andfoul injectors and carburetor parts.

Here at Cyclepedia, we recommend two easy winter storagesteps for our customers. First, treat the fuel system right whenyou shut your machine off for the final time. At the very least,add a good fuel stabilizer to the remaining fuel in the tank, andrun the engine long enough to ensure that the stabilizer hasworked its way through the fuel system. Better yet, add fuel sta-bilizer and fill the tank to the top. A full tank has less air spaceto allow condensation to occur when the machine is subjectedto the repeated freeze-thaw cycles in the typical garage (or,God forbid, under the average backyard blue tarp). Condensa-tion will cause spots of rust to form inside a steel fuel tank, andthe resulting water will settle to the bottom of the tank andeventually eat holes in the steel.

Alcohol-laced E-10 fuel creates its own problems in fuel sys-tems, especially on older machines. We’ve been very surprisedand pleased by the results we get adding Star-Tron fuel additiveto our bikes, and recommend Star-Tron for storage as well aseveryday running. Still, for a classic machine like a mid-’70sHonda CB or the like, we would caution the owner to drain alltraces of E-10 fuel from the petcock down — and then we’d keepan eye on that petcock, too. Old, classic motorcycles were notdesigned for E-10 fuel and its common additives, and many vin-tage carburetor parts will degenerate if left soaking in E-10 for thewinter. We would still recommend filling the tank to the top, sinceolder steel tanks seem to attract rust in even the best climates.


Winter Storage Guide

TipsTECH

The fuel system components can be destroyed by improper storage.

Taking care of the fuel system is a priority.

Ethanol fuel will degrade seals in older machines.


If the bike is to be left out in the cold, the battery shouldbe removed and brought inside. The average basementtemperature is fine for a battery, and it should spend at leastpart of its time on a battery charger. The better computer-controlled “smart” battery chargers can be left hooked up toa battery indefinitely. If all your customer has is a cheaptrickle charger, we’d recommend putting the charger on fora couple of days every two or three weeks. The object is tokeep the battery near the peak of its charge all the time.

But can a battery survive the winter out in the cold? Yes— if it’s in good shape to start with, and if it’s connected to a“smart” battery charger all the time. Again, repeated freeze-thaw cycles don’t do a battery any good at all. It’s so mucheasier on the battery to bring it into a stable climate for afew months.

Knowing what to do and where to do it is the job of agood shop, and if you have the room to offer winter storagefor a fee, you can save your customer many headaches, in-cluding the possibility of a pair of skis or a snow shovel dent-ing a fuel tank!

If your dealership is offering cold storage, move batteriesto a central storage area, convenient to a bank of batterychargers and label each battery so its spring destination isclear. It’s common in the motorcycle shop for rushed servicepersonnel to mix up batteries. This can be time consumingand expensive, and easy to avoid with a paint marker or atag. Also, cold-stored machines should be examined closelyfor water in the fuel tank before being put away. If there’sany doubt, draining the fuel system is the best way to avoidmore headaches in the spring.

One other often-overlooked storage item is tires. Makesure the tire pressure is correctly set before the bike is putaway. To avoid possible flat spots in the tire carcass, get astand under the bike to get the weight off the tires. This isespecially important if the machine is a sport bike with high-dollar performance tires.

Have your parts and service staff ready to sell battery ten-ders, fuel treatments, tires and storage to your customers. Thiswould be a great time to upsell regularly scheduled mainte-nance and items worn out over the summer, like chain andsprockets, brakes, fluids, fork seals, air filters, batteries, state in-spections (where required) and tires. The object of the best win-ter storage plan is to be ready for riding in the spring, and if allrequired maintenance is done and all high-wear parts are ad-dressed before the snow falls, your customers can be ready toride as soon as the last ice-dam melts out of the gutters. t

Remove batteries and make appropriate storage arrangements.

Set tire pressures prior to storage.

The winter is a great time to complete regular maintenance.

CYCLEPEDIA PRESS LLC has been publishing interactive, Web-

based service manuals for ATVs, motorcycles and scooters since

2006. Every CYCLEPEDIA manual includes step-by-step repair pro-

cedures, color photos and videos, specifications, diagnostic data

and tech support. Mobile device-friendly and easy to use. Browse

the full library at: WWW.CYCLEPEDIA.COM or call 828-645-0017.


When I get called in to help a dealership service depart-ment, one of the biggest concerns is always its reputa-

tion. Many times I find that the reputation is somewhatmarginal. That being said, once I dig into it a little more andfind out why customers are upset, it generally boils down tomiscommunication between these employees and the cus-tomers. Service is a tough department because service writersand mechanics just want to help the customer, fix the bike andmake the customer happy. Well, some customers will never behappy!

About 10 years ago, I had a superbike engine built by a re-spected shop in the Charlotte area. The shop strongly sug-gested I install a billet clutch basket because of the increase in

power. This little addition cost approximately $600. It was fairlypricey, but I figured it was good insurance — after all, they werethe experts. I took their advice and had no problems.

I took the bike to the drag strip, and the team pitted next tome made a pass and destroyed their engine. They were livid attheir engine builder because they had only made four passesbefore the engine failure. I asked who built the engine and sureenough, it was the same shop that built my superbike. I askedwhat mods were done, and it was the identical recipe as mine.The difference? They didn’t install the billet clutch basket.

Ten years later, I’m standing in a service department and amechanic brings me a carb. Someone actually cut and filed asmall screwdriver shaft, bent the shaft so it would fit into thecarb bowl and then drilled out the float bowl holder becausethey were too cheap to purchase a carb rebuild kit. After look-ing over the unit, we started to notice that there were many lit-tle intricacies about the maintenance of the unit.

I know that there are hundreds of stories about units likethis, and sometimes it’s fun for mechanics to sit around and talkshop about what they see. Because, by and large, mechanicsand service writers just want to help the folks that are stuck withless than logical abilities to fix their own units. The real questionis: can you help these customers and make them happy?

Sometimes the answer is that you will never make the cus-tomer happy. I firmly believe you have two choices in situationslike this. Fix the unit right with good parts and a good repair, orrefuse to fix the unit. Yup, I said it. I am suggesting you have aclear and concise conversation with your customer about howtheir unit is going to get fixed or not get fixed by your facility.

Now, diplomacy and word tracts can be very critical whentalking with a minimalist (cheap) customer. If it is a running ormoving issue, lean on safety first. Say, “We have to fix it thisway for safety reasons. We must do a good, solid repair so thatwe know you are safe on the unit.” This type of word tract hintsat insurance liability without actually addressing the issue di-rectly and putting future thoughts into their head.

They will probably complain about the price and ask you fora cheaper alternative. Here is where the selling begins. It is theservice writer’s job to sell the repair at a fair price for the cus-tomer and the dealership. Many people teach feature and ben-efits selling in parts and unit sales. Well, I think service can dofeature and benefit selling, too.

What I mean by feature and benefit service selling is quiteeasy. If there are aftermarket upgrade parts that can be in-

MANAGERService

By C.R. Gittere

THE

Is The Customer Always Right?Service Department Reputation Management


cluded in the repair, sell the features andbenefits of the better parts. If an incom-plete repair might cause future damageor accelerate wear on another part, thenexplain that to the customer. Explain tothe customer how the benefits of doing acomplete repair now will save themmoney in the long run.

If you have been reading my articles,you might recall my check-in procedureand how I think it is a good idea to askopen-ended questions and find out howa customer is using the unit. The reasonwhy I push getting that information isthat I use it to close the sale.

I set up a close at the time of check-in. If you know the customer is a hunter,and he is going to take his ATV into thebackwoods for that big buck, use that tosell him a complete repair. “Mr. Smith, Iagree there might be a cheaper way todo this, but if you are out in the woods,and you just downed that monster buck,do you really want to struggle with yourunit, hoping it will drag that deer out?”

I have also used the guilty close. If Iknow that a customer rides with a group,I say, “Do you want to be the personeveryone has to wait on?” There are hun-dreds of little word tracts like these thatyou can use to close the sale.

If none of the close techniques work

and the customer will not pay you to fixthe unit right, I think you should declinethe work. Yup, I said it again. Send thework away. Sometimes it’s better to de-cline work than get your department intoa customer that will complain that theslap stick comedy repair did not work.

These types of customers will tarnishyour reputation and bring the unit backto you expecting you to fix it a secondtime for free because it didn’t work thefirst time. It’s just like unit sales. There aretimes where customers try to buy a biketoo cheap, and the sales manager saysno. Why should service be any different?Tell the customer, “I’m sorry, but ulti-mately we do not feel comfortable doinga repair like this.” Charge them a diag-nostic fee, wish them well and ask themfor a shot at fixing anything else theymight have. t

C.R. Gittere and the Service ManagerPro team specialize in service depart-ment efficiency, elevating customer serv-ice and increasing departmentprofitability. His monthly column focuseson best practices and unique ways to getthe most out of your service department.More information about Service Man-ager Pro can be found at www.servicem-anagerpro.com.


Word of mouth is the most powerfulstamp of approval for any business.

If a company goes out of its way to serveyou, you sing their praises. If a companybombs in your view, you scream it from therooftops.

Our personal opinions can be ex-pressed on a global scale or on a micro-local scale, reaching hundreds if notthousands of people with a click of a but-ton. This is scary and exciting, but if youeducate yourself about our social drivenculture and invest in it heavily, you willcome out on top.

This is not a new phenomenon. The“new” aspect is how connected we are andhow fast the information moves along whatare now referred to as social and interestgraphs. For example, when a new vehiclehits the market, those first purchasers are

texting their opinions before the OEM evenhas a chance to kick their marketing effortsinto full gear. The early adopters “like” it, ornot, which sets the tone for the entirelaunch of the product.

The interest graph

The interest graph consists of the networkof people who share interests, but don’tnecessarily know each other personally. Itoffers powerful insight into who someone isas a person and allows others to instantlyconnect based on exactly the same inter-ests, regardless of knowing them or not. Ipersonally have very strong friendshipsacross the Web with individuals I have metthrough my blogs, but that I’ve never metin “real life.” The strength of these relation-ships is rooted by our common interestsand mutual life passions.

The ability to graph peoples’ interestsallows them to tap into potential relation-ships that they might never have been ex-posed to. Before, a person could be in aroom with five other people who love thesame bikes as they do, but they’d neverknow. By mapping and connecting people’sinterests, however, people can immediatelyidentify those connections. As more com-panies begin to take advantage of the inter-est graph, people are more capable ofconnecting with like-minded people.

The social graph

The social graph is the representation ofour relationships defining our personal,family or business communities on socialchannels; all of which are intertwined likenever before. It is about people discoveringand inventing new ways to share relevantknowledge about brands they care aboutand relate to in their personal lives.

A social graph allows us to see visuallyhow our business’ social world is con-nected, which spurs conversation about us

and with us at blinding speed. Vendors aretalking to employees, customers are talkingto bloggers and one another. Journalistshave Twitter feeds and Facebook pageswhere they ask questions openly and di-rectly. Are you listening?

How to utilize these graphs for your

marketing efforts

Businesses can utilize the concept of socialand interest graphs in a number of verypowerful ways:Specials and discounts: Develop promo-tions on your most popular products to gar-ner attention and expand your customerbase.Targeted advertisements: Launch ads di-rected at particular customer group(s) togreatly increase the success rate whencompared to general advertising.Product development: Interest graph datacan be useful when it comes to developingnew features or offerings for your cus-tomers; you will know precisely what yourcustomers want and need.Email campaigns: You can turn wide andgeneral email campaigns on smaller, moreprecise ones, increasing conversion rates.

All of these ideas are within your reach ifyou make a commitment to invest the timeand budget into planning campaigns de-signed specifically for your customers. Thedays of spraying ads out there and seeingwhat sticks is over — it’s lazy marketing thatproduces lackluster results. If you want ROI— drive it yourself. t

Award-winning blogger and CEO of DuoWeb Solutions, Heather Blessington is anationally-renowned speaker on socialmedia marketing and a digital marketingveteran. Her company provides MPNmonthly columns focused on best practicesin Web marketing for powersports dealers.

By Heather Blessington

Social Media Intelligence

SAVV

YW

eb



Stanley Milgram was a Yale professorperhaps best known for his electric

shock experiments testing just how farthe ordinary person would go when de-ferring to authority figures. The number37 comes from the number of partici-pants who delivered the maximum shock,immortalized in the Peter Gabriel song,Milgram’s 37.

I couldn’t resist the parallel. The fol-lowing are my 37 showroom floor bestpractices assured to deliver high voltageresults to your showroom floor sales ef-forts. Some might even shock you.

Be able to create and articulateyour inimitable marketplace su-

periority. When the customer goes toseveral stores before buying, understandthat the customer is primarily shoppingyou. How can you differentiate yourselffrom others? If you don’t know why Ishould do business with you, neither willyour customer. You need to create yourinimitable marketplace superiority. Andby the way, statements like “we havegreat selection, a great facility and terrificstaff” don’t cut it.

You sell the bike, first. No excep-tions. You don’t go visit F&I to

explore interest rates, you don’t go talkto the accessory guys to see if you canmake it lower/louder/bluer, you sell thebike, first.

To “accsellerate” your sales,you should sell out of stock

(SOS). Do not end your product conver-sations by saying things like, “… and Ithink it’s available in blue and red andcosmic orange.” The bike you should sellis the bike you can see.

Understand the power of thepresent moment. Now is all that

matters. Be present with your customers.If you’re not, things called “micro expres-sions” give you away. You can’t tellyou’re communicating this way, but un-consciously, the customer knows. Andwhat you’re really communicating is thatthey’re not important enough for your at-tention.

Adopt the “good deal” mental-ity. Customers need to be

treated well, and you need to be wellcompensated. Otherwise, the relation-ship doesn’t work.

When business is not coming toyou like “manna from heaven,”

there are two areas to increase your ac-tivities: prospecting and referrals.

Arrange your showroom floor tohelp you sell. Leverage your

store’s traffic zones. You have a deadspot. Put your fast-moving motorcyclesthere. You have an active spot. Put slow-moving bikes there. And face the attrac-tive side of the motorcycle to the trafficpatterns (hint: it’s the right).

Use two-for questions as an al-ternative to the awful, “May I

help you?” Rather ,“Day off?” “Runningerrands?” “Lunch break?” “Come far?”

Use an “amazing fact” to startthe conversation off right. “Did

you know this drive system has the low-est parasitic drag of any manufacturedtoday?”

Step one of any sales progres-sion is to get the person’s name

and contact information.

It’s imperative to find out wherethe customer is in terms of buy-

ing cycle. “Are you looking to ride thismonth?” or “Are you hopeful to be burn-ing gas by Sturgis?”

Today’s customer is better re-searched than ever before. Find

out how well. “Sounds like you knowwhat you’re talking about! May I askwhere have you done your research?”

You need product knowledgehorsepower. Be able to cite five

significant technical aspects of the mo-torcycle not found in the brochure, andknowledge-wise, you’ll be in the top fivepercent in the county. Anyone can look ina brochure. Prove how they can be betteroff by spending time with you!

Do me a favor, involve the cus-tomer. “Please do me a favor

and throw a leg over this motorcycle.”Or ,“Do me a favor, tell me what youthink about this clutch effort.”

Get great at test rides. Get theback issues of MPN with our test

rides articles in them.

Set the stage for referrals upfront. “We’re planning on doing

such a great job for you that when we’redone, you’re going to want to tell yourfriends and family about your experi-ence. Fair enough?”

Take your customer’s picturewith your camera or phone, then

email it to them. It’s a great way to cap-ture their contact information and stay intouch. Plus, you can put in your CRM sys-tem and recognize them when theycome in again.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

By Mark Rodgers

Mark’s 37 High VoltageShowroom Floor BestPractices

PEAKDealership

PERFORMANCE

MotorcycleAndPowersportsNews 25

Be able to handle the big fiveobjections: no need, no money,

no hurry, no desire and no trust.

Be able to answer this question:“Why should I do business with

you?”

And this question: “The guydown the road is cheaper, why

should I do business with you?”

Leverage the principle of ingrati-ation and the rule of three.

“Great question! There are really threereasons you should do business with us.”

Use the ART of communication:Acknowledge the customer’s ob-

jection. Respond in a convincing, com-pelling and conversational way. ThenTransition to what’s next.

Don’t let customization ques-tions throw you off track. Answer

and then get back to selling the bike. “Ifyou can dream it, we can do it. Here’swhat I recommend. First, let’s make sureyou’re on the bike that’s right for you.Then we’ll introduce you to our acces-sory expert who will make your dreams areality. Which bike were you looking at?”Sell the bike, first.

Don’t let financing questionsthrow you off track. Sell the bike,

first. Having no answer here makes themsuspicious of you or will have them ques-tioning your competency. Bad answerscould legally expose you and the dealer-ship to “unjust enrichment” or “paymentpacking” claims (see your attorney fordetails). Good answers position you welland move you back to talking about thebike.

Ask for the permission to moveforward with a trial close. “What

do you think?”

If the response is affirmative, askfor the business. “Should we

write it up?”

Have a strategy for price negoti-ation. Whether you’re a pre-

mium price and premium experienceretailer or your approach is “Don’t walk,let’s talk!” you still need an overall strat-

egy for customers who ask for price con-cessions. (Sometimes it’s best to walkaway from business.)

Never give a price concessionwithout getting something in re-

turn. Use a quid pro quo. “Ok, we’ll in-clude the freight and set-up, but there’s aquid pro quo. We’ll include the freightand set-up in the selling price, and youagree to bring two of your friends downto the store for a ‘behind the scenes’tour. We’ll show them around and maybeget you a few new riding buddies. Fairenough?”

Pour cement on the deal imme-diately. “Congratulations! You’ve

just purchased a great motorcycle. Here’swhat’s going to happen next …” My fa-vorite way to pour cement on a newlyformed decision is to let the customerwrite their name on the sold tag andthen hang it on the motorcycle.

Write up the deal using an effec-tive tool like a deal worksheet. A

credit application isn’t the right tool,here. Purchase orders sell the bike.Credit applications sell financing.

Overview purchase agreementdocuments and ask for the cus-

tomer’s signature. If they are not burninggas that day, require a significant goodfaith deposit — $50 doesn’t cut it.

Have the customer relax and pe-ruse accessory options for a few

moments while you get management ap-provals. This does not mean leaving yourcustomer unattended for half an hour toreconsider their decisions.

Create dealership synergy. Havean off-line conversation with

your business manager about strengths,weaknesses, interests and personalitytypes. Just like a volleyball player sets upthe ball for their partner to return, youtoo should set each other up for success.

Practice systematic sales infor-mality. Accidentally, on purpose

bump into your customer on the show-room floor. If your business managermeets the customer there, use our“name – frame – same of” introductionand the time tested FORM model (family,

occupation, recreation, motivation) forconversations. Skip the clipboard and 21personal financial questions. Leave thosefor the business office.

Don’t deliver motorcycles onSaturday. “We’re delivering

bikes this week on Wednesday andThursday, which night works for you?”This will minimize your Saturday deliver-ies by approximately 85 percent. Will youhave to do some on Saturday? Sure, butleave some room for walk-in, sponta-neous purchasers.

Learn how to rock. Sales and F&I(and really all your departments)

should work together like a great rockband. Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford alwaysknows where Joe Perry is going. Becausethey’ve worked at it and played togetherso long. It should be like with your salesand F&I crew.

Involve your service departmentin the final delivery of the motor-

cycle. It gets the service relationship offon the right foot and gets your salespeople out selling more motorcycles.

Get plugged into these 37 best prac-tices and watch your sales power peg themeter. t

An award-winning author, top-ratedtrainer and founder of Peak DealershipPerformance, Mark Rodgers holds a mas-ter’s degree in adult education and theNational Speakers Association CertifiedSpeaking Professional designation —only 500 people in the world have thiscoveted recognition. [email protected] improve your performance.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.


Kawasaki generated plenty of buzz forits recent new model reveal in New

York’s Times Square, but while the manu-facturer’s Ninja motorcycles were stealingthe spotlight, its Jet Ski watercraft line re-ceived surprisingly little fanfare. Perhapsmuch of the reason for the low-key treat-ment is the fact that Kawasaki, like itsPWC industry competitors Sea-Doo andYamaha, chose not to introduce anythingnew for the coming year. Instead, thecompany chose to stick with a provenline of models carried over from 2012.

Unlike the voluminous choice of mod-els from its aforementioned competition,that lineup for Kawasaki is simple andstraightforward. It consists of four mod-els, three of which are based on thebrand’s successful Ultra platform. Thefourth, the longstanding STX-15F, re-mains the brand’s entry-level offering.

Kawasaki’s last truly “big” Jet Ski in-troduction was for the Ultra 300X in2011, and that craft remains the basis oftwo marquee boats in ’13. Its primaryselling points center around the craft’s in-dustry-leading 300 horsepower and ahull that has been proven in open-oceanracing. The 1,498cc engine features aRoots-style supercharger that promisesto generate steady powerthroughout the power-band, rather than producethat power in waves. In2011, the ski also got some ofthe features its competitors formerly heldover its head. Cruise control, no-wakemode and a better reverse operationwere all introduced. They remain thecraft’s hallmarks.

The same basic platform is at the coreof the Ultra 300LX. A touring-orientedmodel, the LX adds a cruiser-type seat tothe 300, with a stepped profile that offerspassengers comfortable support and a

clearer, less-obstructed view forward. Italso includes a cutout in the craft’s han-dlebar pad built to accommodate ahandheld GPS. The combination of amore fuel-efficient engine and the Ultra’salready class-leading capacities make theboat a good match for the touringcrowd. Fuel capacity is 20 gallons, whilestorage capacity is listed at nearly 60 gal-lons. Both are industry-leading statistics.

A nearly identical package, with theexception of the engine superchargerand intercooler, is found in the Ultra LX.The deletion of the supercharger obvi-ously lowers the horsepower, but alsomeans the engine won’t burn fuel at suchan aggressive rate. It also arguablymakes the boat a tamer choice for tows-ports, where participants may not carefor the supercharged engine’s hair-triggerperformance.

Kawasaki rounds out the line with thefamiliar STX-15F. Once the brand’s flag-ship model, it now returns once again asthe introductory choice, although thecraft does hold a horsepower edge oversimilar models from Sea-Doo andYamaha. Its engine is estimated to pro-duce about 160 hp.

Actual physicalchanges for 2013 aremostly limited to graph-ics and colors. The300X is the only modeloffered in two colorchoices, an ebony/limegreen combo and an

ebony/metallic white with minimal yellowaccents. The 300LX is offered in a metal-lic titanium, a luxury-car look that shouldappeal to the boat’s target audience.White and silver are reserved for boththe Ultra LX and STX-15F.

The lone remaining change is in price.Manufacturer MSRPs have increased $200-300 across the board on all four 2013models. Some interesting deals, however,are available through the Kawasaki “Es-cape the Ordinary” Sales Event. Modelyear 2010 STX-15Fs are currently listed at$8,999 with 5.95 percent financing, whilezero percent financing is offered on ’11and ’12 versions retailing at $9,199 and$9,499 respectively, and 3.95 percent fi-nancing on the 2013 version at $9,699.Model year 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013Ultra 300X, Ultra LX and Ultra 300LX mod-els are also being offered at similar sav-ings, with $600 customer incentives beingoffered on many of the prior model yearboats. Individual deals can be found atwww.kawasaki.com/currentdeals. t

Away From Spotlight,Kawasaki Unveils 2013 Jet Ski Models

PWCUPDATE

Owners Steve and Eric Wight are justi-fiably proud of their dealership.

BMW Motorcycles of San Francisco is notonly popular with customers in the SanFrancisco Bay Area, but it was also nameda BMW Dealer of Excellence for 2011, andit gets very high marks from online con-sumer ratings services. Not bad for onlyfour years of ownership! But none of thiswould have happened if it weren’t for theMini Cooper.

BMW motorcycles have been sold inSan Francisco for many years. Most re-cently, the franchise was owned by thesame organization that sells BMW auto-mobiles in San Francisco, and the BMWmotorcycle dealership was housed in thesame facility as the car dealership. Al-though there was some crossover from thecar section to the motorcycle section ofthe dealership, the arrangement was neverthe best fit. When sales of Mini Coopersheated up, the car franchise made the de-cision to spin off the motorcycle franchise.

Steve Wight and his son, Eric, boughtthe BMW motorcycle franchise in 2008after spending more than a year locatingand renovating a facility to house it. SanFrancisco is not the easiest city to getaround. Believing that a location with easyaccess to major freeways was key to at-tracting customers from outside the citylimits, they chose a location on the cornerof Sixth and Bryant that met that require-ment while remaining close to the citycenter.

However, sometimes the best-laidplans go a bit astray. Eric Wight explains,“Our location was chosen for its easy ac-cess to both the East Bay and the penin-sula, south of the city, where we believedthat most of our customers would comefrom. Then the BMW dealer in Marinclosed, and we started getting customers

BMW Motorcycles of San FranciscoInternet Savvy & City Centered


DealershipDESTINATION

By Margie Siegal

from the North Bay, which is difficult to getto from where we are. Thankfully, many ofour North Bay customers are willing tobattle traffic to get to us.”

Selling motorcycles in a big city such asSan Francisco can be a bit different thanselling bikes in a rural area. Eric ticks offwhat he considers the “challenges” and“advantages” of doing business in a met-ropolitan area. The store’s success is dueto their ability to use the advantages tohelp overcome the challenges.

“One major challenge is that we don’thave any excess space. We don’t have aparking lot. People come from out of thearea, expect a lot, and are a little discon-

certed when all they find is street parking.Another is the cost of living in San Fran-cisco. The pay scale for our employees hasto reflect what it costs to live here. Wehave to balance covering our costs with alabor rate that is competitive for the area.

“We do have a lot of advantages,being based here in downtown San Fran-cisco, and one of them is the availability ofmass transit. Due to the significant costs ofmanaging and maintaining a fleet ofloaner motorcycles, we don’t offer serviceloaners, but our customers who leave theirbikes are not stranded — they can gethome on the bus or Cal Trans [passengerrailway] or BART [subway].”

The San Francisco Bay area has year-round riding on challenging roads for thesport rider. Motorcycles are a recognizedmode of transport, and many people com-mute on their bikes. “It’s a motorcyclefriendly environment, for the most part,”Eric continues. “Unfortunately, the city ofSan Francisco has increased charges formotorcycle parking downtown in the last

few years, which has discouraged somecommuters from riding motorcycles. Thereis a lot of motorcycle and BMW-specificawareness, which helps. Another chal-lenge for us is the increased level of busi-ness regulation in the city, but in general,city agencies are willing to work with us.Once we establish communication, SanFrancisco tries to be helpful.”

One very significant advantage notedby Eric is the high level of Internet sophis-tication in his locality. One important itemthat was acquired with the motorcyclefranchise was the domain name for thebusiness: www.bmwmotorcycle.com. ThisWeb address helps the dealership attract alarge online audience and as Eric explains,“We try to leverage our natural visibility.”

Since many motorcyclists in the BayArea are Internet-savvy, Eric can spend aminimal amount of money on conven-tional advertising. “We tried doing ads inlocal lifestyle publications, but gave it up.”he says. Instead, BMW of San Franciscofocuses its time and energy on improvingthe easy to browse website and monitor-ing online consumer rating services, suchas Yelp.

“With positive reviews, we try to iden-tify what worked so that we can encourageand promote similar experiences for futurecustomers,” says Eric. “Of course, differentpeople want different things, which is whywe always try to be sensitive to what ourcustomers want. When appropriate, wefollow up on negative reviews from cus-tomers to correct any outstanding issues.In the service department, we have struc-tural requirements that prevent us from al-ways offering the least expensive laborrate, but we believe we can provide a con-

sistently positive repair experience. Ourgoal is to provide a professional service,and to achieve that goal we make surethat delivering on promises is a numberone priority.”

The store’s website also helps conservetheir limited brick and mortar space. Newmotorcycles can be stored elsewhere anddisplayed on the website. A full line ofWunderlich motorcycle accessories areavailable for purchase from an associatedwebsite, while the store’s primary e-com-merce site offers online shopping for prod-ucts by BMW, Touratech, Kriega and otheraftermarket suppliers.

One last advantage has been the closeproximity to the San Francisco City Col-lege motorcycle repair course, which hashad unexpected benefits for the dealer-ship. “We were putting together a day fo-cused on women riders, and found thatCity College had a motorcycle repaircourse, with a woman instructor. Sincethen, we have referred a lot of our cus-tomers who want to learn to wrench there.We find that people who take the coursehave more enthusiasm for riding, and agreater appreciation for what our mechan-ics do on a daily basis.”

Eric is looking forward to a new year ofno surprises and incremental growth. “Weare always looking for ways to lean costs,but I don’t want to replace people — I amlooking for creative ways to use technol-ogy to make people more efficient. Wehad good growth in 2011, and incrementalgrowth in 2012. I expect 2013 to be moreof the same. Even with a slow economicrecovery, we expect to be here for thelong run and are planning our business ac-cordingly.” t


SCHUBERTH, SUPERIOR BY German Head Protection Technology Company Builds


A lready top of mind with BMW riders aroundthe world, Schuberth GmbH has been mak-

ing helmets for more than 70 years. However, itstill remains a pleasant surprise for many riders inthe U.S. who have recently “discovered” thebrand. With the advent of a topflight new S2 fullface helmet and some of the best communication-enabled equipment in the world, look for morebrand recognition coming soon … a LOT more!

The German manufacturer brought in power-sports industry veteran Randy Northrup to workwith Belgian businessman Marcel Lejeune back in2010, and in two short years, the brand has reallybranched out. “Starting from ground zero, wehave developed a sales team, created a thrivingdealer network and initiated a robust marketingcampaign,” explains Schuberth North America VPRandy Northrup. As head of Schuberth NorthAmerica, the former No Fear, Icon and Scorpionexec has had his work cut out for him, but he saysthe product’s quality speaks for itself.

“Schuberth is not just another helmet com-pany,” emphasizes Northrup. “We are a ‘HeadProtection Technology’ company.” In fact, Schu-berth engineers superior head protection solutionsfor fields ranging from firefighting and riot controlto auto racing and the motorcycle market. “Fromthe beginning, the corporate philosophy has al-ways been to be innovators rather than followersand to produce top quality products.”

This philosophy works, since Schuberth isthe choice of leading law enforcement agenciesaround the world and is Scuderia Ferrari’s exclu-sive development partner on the automotiveside. Since the original Aero 1, Schuberth’s firstmotorcycle helmet, was introduced in 1954, animpressive number of powersports industryfirsts have stemmed from the Magdeburg-based manufacturer, including the first compos-ite helmet (1976), the first helmet with anintegrated internal sunvisor (1984), the first flip-up helmet (1994) and the first fully integrated

DESIGN

Schuberth North America VPRandy Northrup

North American Dealer Network


By Robin Hartfiel


Bluetooth-based communications system(2010), among others.

In 2008, the C3 came out, winningawards around the world as the lightest,quietest, most compact flip-up on the mar-ket, while in 2011, Schuberth unveiled theSR1 “Sport Racing” model, touted as thelightest (1390 grams) helmet to passECE/DOT testing and still meet mostroadracing organizations’ standards.

“The latest Schuberth products tomake headlines are our S2 full face helmetand the integrated antennae for the SRC

communications system. Like I said, Schu-berth is an innovator, not a ‘me too’ hel-met company trying to make a name foritself,” says Northrup. “We are so confi-dent in the quality of our products thatSchuberth offers a full five-year warranty,backed by a three-year service program.”These special customer service programsapply to any new DOT/ECE-compliantC3/C3W, S2 and SR1 helmets purchasedin North America (Canada and Mexicocount, too).

“Our three-year service program pro-


vides customers with a free inspection andadjustment service on a pre-registered C3,C3W, S2 and SR1 helmet within threeyears of purchase,” Northrup adds. Cus-tomers simply present their email registra-tion and original proof of purchase whenbringing a helmet in for service at an au-thorized Schuberth Service Center. If dam-age or wear is noticed during inspection,retail customers are advised of any partsthat should be replaced.

As F1 champ/motorcycle racer MichaelSchumacher said when he was assisting inthe design of Schuberth’s SR1 racing hel-met: “We want to make the best helmetsin the world for the best riders in theworld.” Pretty tall order, but the resultinghelmet has exceeded all expectations!

Celebrating its second successful yearin North America, Schuberth continues atthe top of its game with the release of itscrowning achievement, the SR1 “SportRacing” helmet. “Response to our award-winning C3 flip-up helmet was way be-yond expectation, but we have also haddemand for a full face,” Northrup explains.“We listened to our customers and ourdealers and are proud to offer our pre-mium full face helmet that sets a new stan-dard in the application of aerodynamicsand aeroacoustics in helmet technology.”

Northrup has to use terms like “aeroa-coustics” and “turbolators” in order to de-scribe some of the German helmetcompany’s ingenious design elements.What are aeroacoustics? It seems thatSchuberth GmbH is the only helmet com-pany in the world to utilize both a windtunnel and an acoustic chamber as keycomponents of their R&D process. The re-sult is a helmet where only 88 dB reachesthe rider’s ear at 60 mph!

Technical skill, superior engineering andprecision are at the root of Schuberth’s suc-cess, claims Northrup. “Every Schuberthhelmet is individually crafted rather thancranked out on an automated assemblyline.” For example, the new SR1 takes a fullweek to be assembled from the raw fiber-glass matting to the finished product, by ateam of 35 highly skilled technicians.

“Made in Germany” really meanssomething, notes Northrup. “Germanquality standards in helmet productionare … and will remain … the key to Schu-berth’s success.” Given their global push,Schuberth helmets are now exported to55 countries, but North America remains

a key target. “We have room for a fewgood dealers,” Randy readily admits. Al-ready a hit with BMW dealers, Northrupnotes, “we’re expanding into Ducatistores. We added Newport Ducati earlierthis year and they have been havinggreat success.”

Harley dealers have also found theSchuberth technology works well forsome of their customers. “We have seena great deal of interest and sales to theHarley touring rider looking to get a ‘real’helmet … not some novelty beanie with

a H-D logo slapped on it.” In fact,Northrup was headed out to pick up acouple of Harleys to use for future adsright after this interview.

“The factory will always remain totallycommitted to quality and innovation, andI am personally committed to bringingthe helmets to the best dealers in NorthAmerica.” If you have what it takes todeal with the best of the best in theNorth American marketplace, Northrupwants you. Learn more at www.schuberthnorthamerica.com. t

In 2012, the team at Western Power Sports hasjoined Dealership Superstar program founders

MPN and Peak Dealership Performance in recogniz-ing dealership employees who show innovation intheir field, great compassion for their dealershipand its customers, and remarkable salesmanship.

As in years past, a panel of judges narrowed theentries down to five finalists, but this year’s nomina-tions offered up a bit of a twist. Tom Van Zeeland ofTeam Winnebagoland in Oshkosh, Wis., nominateda duo of his employees for the prize. “After readingabout the Dealership Superstar competition and re-calling the article of the previous winner, I felt thatas general manager at Team Winnebagoland, Icould not help but feel that I have a staff full of Su-perstars,” wrote Van Zeeland in his nomination. “Icannot separate either one of my nominees, so Imust nominate both of them as a pair. Having ErinEake and Karra Marg on my staff makes my jobeasy.”

His nomination of the team resonated with thevoters, and Erin and Karra won this year’s competi-tion by a landslide, receiving 1,412 of the total2,099 votes cast.

You can read the full nomination as well as pro-files of our other Dealership Superstar finalists atwww.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com.

On the following pages, we’ve asked both of ourwinners to share what being named 2012 Dealer-ship Superstar means to them.


Team Winnebagoland’s Erin Eake & Karra Marg

What does it mean to you towin?

A. For Erin and me to winmeans our customers are awesome! With-out them, we would not be here! Beingnominated was a shock as we didn’t evenknow our boss, Tom Van Zeeland, had nom-inated us until we became a finalist and hecame up and showed us the email. Evenbetter was when he found out we won. Thatwas awesome news for a Monday! Workingin this profession for six years and lovingevery minute of it, you don’t realize how youaffect the customers who come in to TeamWinnebagoland. I am at the front desk, and

I’m the “face” of the dealership, becauseI’m the first person they see. Being upbeatand smiling all the time puts them in a goodmood, even if they just blew the engine intheir machine! Honestly, for us to win is an

awesome feeling and know-ing that without our cus-tomers voting for us, wewould not be here today.

Why do you think Tom nomi-nated you?

A. First, I would like to thankTom for nominating us even with all the craphe has to put up with us “girls.” BetweenErin and me, we work really hard at our job.It doesn’t matter if it is the job that nobodywants to do, we do it with enthusiasm andshow that if you put your mind to it, it canbe done. We are also the cheerleaders ofthe store. If we are slow or have a contest,we are both egging on everyone to com-pete and try their hardest. Lastly, withoutour customers, there would be no TeamWinnebagoland. We have a different ap-proach when it comes to our customers, be-cause we are girls and can relate differentlythan the guys. I can’t count how many times

a customer comes in asking for Erin or mebecause they have so much fun workingwith us.

Can you tell a specific customerservice story in detail thatshows why you’ve earned thetitle of Dealership Superstar?

A. I honestly can’t recall one story thatstands out more then others, but it is acombined effort that is put forth to get thecustomers taken care of no matter what. Iremember numerous accounts of runningparts to customers’ houses after hours be-cause they can’t make it in, or they are leav-ing for a trip before we open. My favorite iswhen a new rider comes in, and you get toshare their enthusiasm and excitement ofgetting a new machine. It is my job to makesure they have all the proper riding gearand to help make the machine unique totheir personality. There is something aboutengaging with them to learn about whattheir favorite things are that make themwho they are. Then, being able to find ahelmet, jacket and anything else they mightneed that describes them on the inside andlets it show through their gear and acces-

Q.Q.

Q.


Karra Marg


sories is a great feeling. So, whether it becruisin’ the street with their friends or find-ing the biggest mud hole with their family,they can show their personality.

What does it mean for you towin?

A. First off, I just want to say itwas not only a surprise to be nominated,but to win is just a compliment from all our

loyal customers, friends and family thatvoted for us. Without them, we wouldn’t behere or in the industry we love so much. Wewould answer the phone and people wedidn’t even personally know would tell us

how they voted for us or come in the storetelling us how their reminder comes up

every day to vote! The support was trulyhumbling.

Why do you think that Tomnominated you?

A. Tom’s nomination was com-pletely unknown to Karra and myself untilwe were named one of the top five finalists.He’s not the type of boss to blow smoke upyour butt to fill your ego, so when he doescompliment you, it’s usually a complete sur-prise. Tom really truly values us in his de-partment because of all the great feedbackhe gets from our customers. He stands be-hind us with new ideas for the store andhelps us make them a complete success.

Can you tell a specific customerservice story in detail thatshows why you’ve earned thetitle of Dealership Superstar?

A. When I started at Team, I was asgreen as green could be. I had never beeninvolved in this industry before. I knew howto talk to people, find out what they werelooking for, and it was a learning processnot only for me, but also my customers. Thefirst fall I started, we had an open house.This family came in on a Thursday night withtheir 4-year-old daughter and 1-and-a-half-year-old son, trying to find snow apparel forthe family. The little girl was attached to meat the hip. While Mom and Dad were tryingon jackets, we were playing with balloons,counting pumpkins around the store, givingher parents time and space to try a fewthings I suggested. Little did I know that thisfamily would become customers for life.Every year they stop back to update gear orbuy parts for the sleds or motorcycle. Whenthey do stop in, it is a family affair becauseeveryone wants to come in and tell me whatis going on with the latest game, dance per-formance or how school is going. It hasbeen a complete pleasure knowing that Ihave taken care of this family looking backover the last seven years. It’s hard for me toshow how I’m a Superstar, because to me Ifeel like I’m just doing my job.

Q.

Q.

Q.

Erin Eake


Why does she deserve to be theDealership Superstar?

A. Karra loves the industry and valuesher customers as much as I do. Our storeis non-commissioned based, but she stilltreats every customer as they are a No. 1client. Her great attitude and smile reallysets the tone for the whole store!

What are her strengths?A. Karra is always eager for new

challenges,and always strives to givefriendly service to give customers com-plete customer satisfaction!

Tell a specific story where yousaw her acting as a Superstar inthe dealership?

A. Not only does Karra give great cus-tomer service, but she is an overall teamplayer. As a store, we have started with amonthly event/promo each month. Karra

is always trying to come up with newways to help implement our salesprocess with parts. One month, she tookthe initiative to set up a customer rewardfor our spotlight units that particularmonth, and it went off without a hitch!

Why do you like working withher?

A. At Team Winnebagoland, I’m knownfor coming up with different rides andpromotions going on in our store. She’susually the first one that I start bouncingmy ideas off of. She helps me think ofways to make it work, gain team supportand the first one to jump on board withme. If either one of us is having a bad day,we lean on each other to remind our-selves, “In retail, you’re not allowed tohave a bad day. We need to give our cus-tomers the greatest show on Earth!”

Q.

Q.

Q.

Q.

Erin on Karra


Why does she deserve to be theDealership Superstar?

A. Erin works very hard at her job,constantly proving why the dealershipneeds females to work here. She can re-late to the female customers that comein that are intimidated by all the testos-terone surrounding them. She puts onpromotions for our customers, which in-clude weekly rides, Christmas in July andeven an annual women’s ride. Erin has anupbeat personality that can put anyonein a good mood.

What are her strengths?A. Erin’s self-confidence and ef-

forts show through every day. Whethershe is working with customers on productknowledge or introducing a new promo-tion to the higher ups, she does it withconfidence. She puts forth effort with en-thusiasm at everything she does, fromthe simplest task of taking out the mail to

helping a new customer learn how todrive with a clutch on a new machine.

Tell a specific story where yousaw her acting as a Superstar inthe dealership?

A. Erin is always looking for ways toincorporate women in the world of rid-ing, and one year she put on a “Women’sWeek.” She planned everything from thegoody bags to the seminars. It is some-thing that everyone has talked about,and it was great getting so many womenfrom the community to be involved. Sheworked her butt off to make sure every-thing was perfect and when the weekcame, she was prepared and the Super-star of the show!

Why do you like working withher?

A. As everyone puts it here, I am Erin’slittle sister. We bounce ideas off each

other and make them better. Customersget us confused, so we are known as the“blonde” or “brunette” that works there,which works for us! We like to gang upon the guys in contests that we have andnormally one of us comes out on top. Wehave fun picking out the new trends andproducts for the upcoming year, and set-ting up the floor with new displays anddesigns as the seasons change. t

Q.

Q.

Q.

Q.

Karra on Erin


SM10 Stereo TransmitterSenaThe SM10 is a dual stream Bluetooth stereo transmitterthat allows motorcycle riders to connect audio devicessuch as mobile phones or MP3 players so that both the

rider and passenger may listen to the same source atthe same time. It also supports onboard audio sys-tems of specific brands by using optional audio ca-bles. The SM10 has an aux audio input that enablesthe rider to connect additional non-Bluetooth audio

devices such as a radar/laser detector or a GPS navi-gator. It comes with a holder so the unit can be at-tached to handlebars, or can be placed in a rider’spocket. It retails for $149. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.senabluetooth.com

Instead of candy canesand sugarplums, MPN isputting a slew of appareland accessories underyour tree. Whether yourcustomers need that per-fect gift or some simple stocking stuffers, we’ve goteverything you need tohelp your patrons and theirloved ones play Santa thisholiday season.

Motorcycle Octane BoostAMSOILThe new AMSOIL Motorcycle Octane Boost is a fuel additive formulated to increase octane levels in fuel formore powerful and efficient engine operation. It also cleans combustion chamber deposits for increased per-formance at startup, helping to eliminate engine ping or knock and providing more power at low RPM accelera-tion. This product typically responds better in lower octane fuel and in fuel that contains ethanol. AMSOILMotorcycle Octane Boost is primarily formulated for use in four-stroke air or liquid cooled motorcycles manufac-tured by Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, BMW, Triumph and all other four-stroke applications. Thisstreet legal formulation meets the requirements for registration with the Environmental Protection Agency.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.amsoil.com

Exhaust Sealing TapeHelix Racing ProductsThis woven silica tape has been tested to withstandsustained operating temperatures of 1,800 degreesFahrenheit. It’s designed to seal exhaust joints on themuffler when repacking or where the muffler attachesto the header pipe. This thin tape effectively sealsthe exhaust system against vapor and engine residueleaks at couplings. There are two pieces of 8-inchtape per package. The MSRP is $15.50. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.helixracingproducts.com


Cycle WashOriginal Bike SpiritsCycle Wash is formulated to easily clean motorcycles or ATVs in minutes. The fast-actingfoam quickly attacks grease, oil, dirt, bugs and other contaminants with little to noscrubbing. Simply spray on, wipe off and rinse. This product is safe to use on paint,chrome, powdercoat, plexiglass, plastic, rubber and alloys. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.originalbikespirits.com

Lifestyle ClothingBel-RayAll of the pieces in this new linefeature the authentic Bel-Ray de-sign with a vintage look and feel.The company offers thermals,tees and pit shirts for both menand women, as well as children’sand junior’s apparel. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.belray.com/lifestyle

Chemical Line for PowersportsPit PosseThis full line of products includes no-fling ChainLube, Air Filter Cleaner, Air Filter Oil, Oil FilterCleaner, Carb Cleaner, Parts Cleaner and BodyRenew. Each product retails for less than $10, soyour rider can keep their bike in top shape with-out breaking bank. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.pitposse.com

Valor Neck BraceFLY RacingThis CE-certified neck brace features four-way adjustability for great comfort and

fit. A new lower front section provides improved helmet clearance for looking downand sideways, while the engineered collarbone cutout helps keep your rider’s helmetand brace away from their fragile collarbone. This product comes in four color combi-nations and sizes small/medium or large/extra-large. It retails at $359.95.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.flyracing.com


Filter/Cooler for Harley-DavidsonsPerf-form ProductsThe new Perf-form Filter/Cooler is designed to stayattached to the engine, making filter changes a quickand easy task. Instead of oil running down the front ofthe engine after removing a stock filter, the new Perf-form HD-C2 drains the filter oil out the end of the unitlocated by the left floorboard or foot peg where it iseasily routed to a drain pan. Just remove the canisterend cap, slide out the old filter element, slide in anew one and replace the cap. This product is CNCmachined from billet 6061 T-6 aluminum with U.S.-made seals and a 5-micron filter element. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.perf-form.com

Speedmaster 2.0Joe RocketThe Speedmaster 2.0 back pro-tector achieves maximum protec-tion without sacrificing the rider’snatural flexion or extension formaximum mobility and comfort.It’s made of an articulated systemof polymeric-infused, high densitysculpted shell backed by comfort-able, medium density impact-ab-sorbing foam padding, resultingin C.E.’s highest “level 2” rating.High velocity honeycomb meshprovides maximum heat and humidity dissipation. A slim sculpturedesign minimizes weight, and a dual pivot shoulder harness offersflexibility. Twin extra-wide hook-and-loop closures ensure security. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.joerocket.com

Manta XL Tank BagJoe RocketThe Manta XL offers anarray of features specificallydesigned to keep your rider’sgear organized and safe fromthe elements. Protection against theoutdoors starts with a wind- andwater-resistant RockTex chassis backedby an included 100 percent waterproofrain cover, while a “swept wing” magneticmount design, with an integrated beltbuckle guard, keeps everything secure. In ad-dition to the generous internal storage, theManta XL also includes a quick access externalstorage pocket, quick-view smartphone pocketand integrated audio port. Other details include aconvenient removable shoulder strap and amplereflective striping. This bag measures 15-by-8-by-4.5 inches and retails at $84.99. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.joerocket.com

Dakota Waterproof GlovePower Trip Expand your season without sacrificing thecomfort and security of a premium drum-dyed all-leather chassis. Waterproofingcomes in the form of a Drytech mid-linerwith added Thermolite insulation forwarmth. Comfort is further enhanced witha vibration-reducing gel palm, expansiongussets at each knuckle and a large articulatedpanel at the upper knuckles for maximum mobility.There’s even an integrated rain wiper on the thumbto help clear the shield. A large hook and loop clo-sure with an adjustable wrist strap keeps everythingsecure. This black glove comes in both men’s andwomen’s sizes and retails at $69.99.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.power-trip.com


Boondock L.E.D. Light BarsFreyMotoThese off-road light bars feature custom mountingbracket systems for ATVs, dirt bikes, snowmobiles andUTVs. The dirt bike/ATV mounting bracket system is aninnovative design that creates at least 100 differentmounting positions to fit any handle bar. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.freymoto.com

Echo Plug & GoVegaThe Echo Plug & Go is a convenient handlebar-mounted mobile device holder and charger. De-signed to accommodate a variety of handheldelectronics up to 4.25 inches wide or tall, the Plug& Go securely holds in place your phone, GPS orMP3 player while charging it at the same time.The system keeps your device safe with an inter-nal resistor for surge protection and a waterproofcharger. The mounting clamp fits most bikes andadjusts to different size handlebars from 7/8 to1.25 inches in diameter. The connector to thebike battery post is included. Echo Plug & Gocomes with iPhone mini-USB and 3.5-millimeterround charging tips. The MSRP is $64.99.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.vegahelmet.com

Spicy RiderBiker EssentialsThis cast motorcycle features removable salt and pepper shakers in thesaddlebags. It measures almost 8 inches in length and retails at $14.99. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.bikeressentials.com

Sun Top Canvas RoofDragonFireDragonFire's new line of SunTop canvas roofs are de-signed with the Polaris UTV owner in mind. Available inboth "shorty" and full-length models for the RZR 4, theroof features a strong yet lightweight canvas materialthat's double-stitched for increased durability. Multiplemounting points, and a rubber-coated steel band clampwith supporting Velcro straps prevent the roof from flap-ping and ballooning while riders are on the road. Withthree color options to choose from, the MSRPs are$115.99 (shorty) and $149.99 (full-length).- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.dragonfireracing.com

Biker Bull MotorsportsSamplerLeather TherapyEach Leather Therapy samplerpack contains one 2 oz. plasticbottle of restorer, wash, finishand water repellant, alltopped with a tack spongeand brochure.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.leathertherapy.com

Leather Therapy T-ShirtLeather TherapyThis T-shirt was designed to pro-mote the brand and emphasizethe company’s American-madeleather products. It comes in uni-sex sizes.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.leathertherapy.com

CB2-PCrampbuster

The CrampBuster is the simplest cruise control out there. It wraps aroundthe twist grip, allowing riders to maintain throttle with the palm of theirhand. This permits the relaxation of otherwise tensed forearm and wristmuscles. Made of a durable polymer, this device is installed in a few sec-onds with no tools, and comes in standard 1-1/8 inch and oversized 1-5/16 inch versions for cruisers with narrow and wide paddle styles tosuite various needs. The price of this product is $11. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.crampbuster.com


RF-1100ShoeiThe RF-1100 is the latest release from Shoei as part of its2013 lineup. Features include a quick-release self adjust-ing base plate system, CW-1 shield, shell-integratedspoiler, variable ventilation system, dual-layer EPS liner,breath guard and chin curtain. The AMI+ shell construc-tion is lightweight yet strong and Snell M2010-approved.This helmet comes in five shell sizes with a five-year war-ranty and retails at $551.99. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.shoei-helmets.com


RPHA X SeriesHJC HelmetsThe RPHA X Series from HJC Helmets offers a strong yetlightweight and aerodynamic performance shell. Fifteenvents promote maximum airflow, while a double-layer linerhelps keep your rider cool. Other features include a large eyeport and a self-cooling, moisture-wicking, antibacterial interior.These DOT- and Snell-approved helmets are race-tested and devel-oped alongside AMA pro supercross and motocross competition. TheRPHA X series is offered in three shell sizes and comes with a five-yearlimited warranty.- - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info: www.hjchelmets.comCascade Snowmobile JacketCortechThis jacket features a 600-denier Car-bolex outer shell and a 1,680-denier bal-listic overlay in the shoulders andelbows. A removable neck gaiter sealsthe neck area from wind and cold. Otherfeatures include a fleece-lined collar,Aqua Barrier fleece under the helmethood, a 100 percent waterproof andbreathable membrane, Phoslite reflec-tive material and an insulated zip-outliner with snow cuffs at the wrists. Thisjacket is available in a variety of colorsfor $179.99. - - - - - - - - - - - -

For More Info:

www.helmethouse.com

MarketPlace Find out more about the classified advertisers in this issue

Cash For Slow Moving & Obsolete Inventory!

Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki,Kawasaki parts bulk lots.Also buying aftermarket accessories bulk lots!

What do you have to offer?

www.speedandsportinc.com [email protected]

570-784-6831 Fax 570-784-6835

Speed and Sport Inc.


YOUR

AD HE

RE!


Ad IndexFREE

ONLINE RESOURCE

CENTERFind out more about

advertisers in this issueonline at

www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/resourcecenter

online at www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/resourcecenter.

Same Day Shipping • Huge Inventorywww.sammytanner.com

909-350-2727 888-258-0369

Allwin Powersports Corp.............38

Amrep Inc ....................................21

Amsoil Inc ....................................15

Automatic Distributors ........Cover 3

Bel-Ray Co. Inc. ...........................35

Continental Tire ...........................33

Freymoto Industries ....................13

Helix Company, The .....................47

K&L Supply Co. ..............................3

KK Motorcycle Supply ..................39

Leather Therapy ..........................21

MBA Insurance.............................37

MTA Distributing ..........................23

nizeX, Incorporated......................38

Parts District ...............................36

Perf-form Products .....................47

Pit Posse Motorsports .................32

Service Manager Pro ...................20

Short Block Technologies ............27

Sudco International

Corp..................................Cover 4

Sullivan's Inc. .........................17, 41

Vee Rubber America ....................11

Western Power

Sports Inc.................Cover 2, 7, 45

XY Powersports .............................5

TO ADVERTISE

IN CLASSIFIED

MARKETPLACECALL

Roberto Almenar

330-670-1234 ext 233

[email protected]

ww

w.m

otor

cycl

epow

ersp

orts

new

s.co

m/r

esou

rcec

ente

r


Congratulations Dean!

AHEADLife

To celebrate the retirement of long-time MPN associate publisher Dean Kelly,we’ve reached out to a few friends to get their take on our dear friend. There’s

not enough space to share all the well wishes here! If you’d like to wish Dean well as he rides into his next adventure, drop him at

line at [email protected].

“Oh,no, say it ain’t so! I’ve

had the pleasure of working withMr. Kelly for decades and he will be

sorely missed indeed. Yes, he deservesto retire and enjoy much more time ridingbut what will the rest of us do without our

weekly email smiles from the ‘Dean’ ofFriday Funnies?” — Marilyn Sim-

mons, Mustang Motorcycle

Seats

“Dean’s many contributions, not only to MPN Magazine but also to the industry ingeneral over many years, are countless and are appreciated. As a publishingcompany, we have been fortunate to have someone so fully dedicated to our pub-lication from a business perspective. Dean’s personal admiration for the motor-cycle industry has also been a plus, as his overall passion for both the peopleand the products in this market was evident in everything he did.”— Greg Cira, Motorcycle & Powersports News

“Aside from the words of wisdom about the in-dustry Dean always seems to have to share withus ‘younger’ folks, Dean without trying, andcertainly without knowing, has also shown meas well as many others how to sit back and lookat what’s going on before reacting, how to relaxand not take ourselves too seriously, how toenjoy what is right in front of us that we maysometimes have overlooked. Dean is a rarebreed of individual that if and when you arelucky enough to meet, they will leave a lastingimpression that you will carry with you the restof your life. I will miss seeing Dean on the road,but he better keep up with the Friday Funnies!”— Jeff Wells, SuperTrapp Industries

“Dean’s one of the most honest and sincere people I know. He’s alwayshappy, always smiling, always has a positive outlook on every subject,and always eager to help out. He’s a wealth of knowledge on the motor-cycle industry and his many years of dealer and media experience allowshim to see issues from multiple angles. Dean is a true motorcyclist withmany, many years of riding experience and a true enthusiast who lovesanything on two wheels. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Dean for about12-plus years and have been privileged enough to ride with him on morethan one occasion. Dean will often tell you, with a twinkle in his eye,‘we’ll take it easy on this ride.’ A few miles later as you look down at yourspeedo, you’ll notice that you’re doing well over legal speed and whenyou look up again you’ll notice Dean’s tail light getting smaller andsmaller.” – Greg Reich, Continental Tire

Deanaka "Skippy" rides with

"The Freeloaders" in southernIllinois. Thanks to Greg Reich

at left for these greatsnapshots!

Documents

Motorcycle & Powersports News, 11.2012