This Week in Powersports Business – The Week of May 15, 2022

Here are a couple of stories that came across my desk that I think are relevant and interesting to the powersports business community.

1 – Volcon’s all-electric Stag side-by-side reservations start July 1 – From Powersports Business

Volcon’s all-electric Stag side-by-side reservations start July 1

Does your dealership have plans to sell all-electric side-by-sides in the near future? Volcon’s all-new, all-electric 2023 Stag is ready to “redefine off-road performance” and has revealed a reservation date for consumers.

Consumers can begin reserving their unit on July 1.

2 – Dealership kicks off 50th anniversary celebration – From Powersports Business

There’s never a better time to celebrate a dealership’s success than when it hits the 50-year mark, which is what is happening this week in Missouri.

Tim Surdyke’s Gold Star Harley-Davidson and Outdoors, Gary Surdyke Motorcycle Inc., Surdyke Yamaha and Surdyke Harley-Davidson, located in Festus, Missouri, and all with roots and names dating to 1972, is hosting a 50^th anniversary celebration event from May 17-21.

3 – HUSQVARNA MOTORCYCLES UNVEILS ITS NEW GENERATION OF MOTOCROSS MACHINERY – From Husqvarna

Continuing to deliver true motocross performance, the all-new 2023 Husqvarna Motorcycles’ TC and FC models further enhance the on-track riding experiences of all riders. Highly capable of competing at the highest levels of racing as standard, technical advancements across the five-motorcycle-strong range include new engines, suspension, frames, swingarms, and bodywork. Each of the 2-stroke and 4-stroke machines receive tailored developments for maximum performance.

Strengthening their positions as the leading 2-strokes on the market, the TC 125 and TC 250 are now equipped with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and E-Start as standard. The throttle body fuel injection system ensures class-leading power and rideability, as well as enhancing reliability, and lowering overall running costs. Both machines are now easily started with the simple press of a button. These significant enhancements underline the continued evolution of these popular models, which set the benchmark for premium motocross machinery in the highly competitive 2-stroke sector.

The 2023 FC 250 and FC 350 are powered by all-new 4-stroke engines that are designed to be faster, lighter, and play a vital role in enhancing overall handling. Utilizing the latest technology and electronic rider aids, these models remain at the forefront of motocross machinery development alongside the FC 450, which features a revised and repositioned engine to improve mass centralization.

All machines in the motocross line-up are engineered to outperform the competition. Expertly assembled with high-quality components for enhanced performance, reliability, and customization, the FC and TC models are equipped with WP suspension for unsurpassed comfort and straight-line stability. The new WP XACT 48 mm front forks offer more progressive end-of-stroke damping thanks to an improved hydrostop. In addition, the WP XACT rear shock is designed with a refined main piston for improved comfort and features tool-free adjusters for fast setting changes. Complete with ProTaper handlebars, a Brembo clutch, and Dunlop tires, each model is equipped with a map select switch for selectable engine maps and a personalized riding experience.

What is new for 2023:

New bodywork with specifically tailored ergonomics for easier movement on the motorcycle
New hydro-formed chromium-molybdenum frames significantly improve anti-squat behavior
New topology-optimised die-cast aluminum swingarm provides optimal rigidity and low weight
New throttle body fuel injection on 2-stroke engines ensures class-leading power and rideability
New FC 250 and FC 350 DOHC engines deliver class-leading torque and peak power
New Quickshift sensor ensures seamless upshifting on all 4-stroke models
New electric start on both 2-stroke models
New aluminium-polyamide hybrid subframe construction provides specifically calculated rigidity and advanced durability
New WP XACT 48 mm front forks with AER technology offer more progressive end-of-stroke damping
New WP XACT rear shock design with CFD-optimised main piston and tool-free adjusters
New multifunctional Map Select Switch also activates the Quickshifter, Traction, and Launch Control
High-performance Brembo hydraulic clutch system
Premium-quality ProTaper handlebars
Electric start powered by a lightweight Li-Ion 2.0 Ah battery

A competition-focused range of Technical Accessories and Apparel accompanies the release of all 2023 TC and FC machines. Included within the collection of high-quality components designed to improve performance and reliability are wheels, triple clamps, an exhaust, as well as many protective parts. For comfort, safety, and style, the Apparel Collection ensures riders of all abilities are fully equipped for every ride. Offering a full head-to-toe range that includes protective equipment and riding gear for all racers, all designs truly compliment Husqvarna Motorcycles’ 2023 TC and FC models. The 2023 motocross range is available worldwide from now onwards at all authorised Husqvarna Motorcycles Dealers. Availability may differ from country to country. For details on pricing and availability, please refer to your national Husqvarna Motorcycles subsidiary or importer.

4 – Dealership owner grows footprint to four locations with acquisition – From Powersports Business

A former executive in management with Team Mancuso Powersports is off and running in his new role as a dealership owner, according to a press release from Powersports Listings Mergers & Acquisitions.

Powersports Listings Mergers & Acquisitions announced new ownership of three family-owned dealerships in the Houston area.

Big O Powersports LLC has acquired Texas Yamaha Inc. (locations Webster and Texas City) along with Texas Powersports of Pasadena, with its principal owner Phillip Orange of Houston Motorsports expanding his Houston market presence from one to four dealerships. The Pasadena, Webster, and Texas City acquisition represents a powerful brand lineup including Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, Club Car, Roxor, Husqvarna and Specialized Electric Bikes from three southeast Houston facilities.

5 – Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. reveals Q1 financial results – From Powersports Business

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has announced its consolidated business results for the first three months of the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2022.

Net sales for the period were 481.7 billion yen (an increase of 37.6 billion yen or 8.5% compared with the same period of the previous fiscal year) and operating income was 40.1 billion yen (a decrease of 8.2 billion yen or 16.9%). Ordinary income was 45.7 billion yen (a decrease of 7.1 billion yen or 13.5%) and net income attributable to owners of parent was 32.6 billion yen (a decrease of 9.2 billion yen or 21.9%). For the first three months of this consolidated accounting period, the U.S. dollar traded at 116 yen (a depreciation of 10 yen from the same period of the previous fiscal year) and the euro at 130 yen (a depreciation of 2 yen).

6 – LeMans Corp. announces promotion for new Dual Regional Sales Manager

Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited have announced the promotion of Greg Matter to Dual Regional Sales Manager for the Central region.

Matter has been a Drag Specialties sales rep in the West region, covering the Greater Phoenix area, for over 15 years and had previously been a general manager of H-D dealerships.

In his free time, he enjoys riding and spending time with his family.

7 – STATEMENT FROM HARLEY-DAVIDSON

MILWAUKEE, May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Yesterday, Harley-Davidson, Inc. (“Harley-Davidson”) (NYSE:HOG) took the decision to suspend all vehicle assembly and shipments (excluding LiveWire) for a two-week period. This decision, taken out of an abundance of caution, is based on information provided by a third-party supplier to Harley-Davidson late on Tuesday (5/17) concerning a regulatory compliance matter relating to the supplier’s component part.

8 – Drag Specialties adds Stofle as sales rep – From Powersports Business

Drag Specialties has added Nick Stofle to its sales team roster, covering the Phoenix/Tucson area.

Stofle comes to Drag Specialties with 22 years of experience at the dealership level managing parts and inventory for several Harley-Davidson locations in California. He grew up racing BMX and dirt bikes which transitioned to Harley riding.

In his free time, Stofle enjoys racing Nitro off-road 1/8 scale remote control cars.

9 – Octane partners with Indian, Slingshot – From Powersports Business

Octane and Joydrive have teamed up with Polaris to deliver a seamless, digital-to-retail shopping experience for the Indian Motorcycle and Polaris Slingshot brands.

Beginning today, customers can benefit from an easy, end-to-end experience when shopping for Indian Motorcycle or Polaris Slingshot vehicles from the comfort of their own homes; they can instantly prequalify for financing via a soft credit pull with Octane Prequal, value their trade, indicate interest in Finance and Insurance products and accessories, and more before visiting a nearby dealership to complete their purchase.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE – https://powersportsbusiness.com/top-stories/2022/05/19/octane-partners-with-indian-slingshot/

10 – Volcon ePowersports Continues Rapid Growth of North America Dealer Network, Signs 100th Dealer – From Volcon Inc

Volcon Inc. (NASDAQ: VLCN), (“Volcon”or the “Company”), an all-electric, off-road powersports company, has officially signed 100 dealers to sell its electric vehicles in North America. With an increasing focus on electric alternatives to transportation and recreational vehicle options, Volcon was quick to sign up a solid list of experienced dealerships in North America. Volcon dealers across the country are prepared and excited to sell Volcon products to their existing and growing customer bases. North America dealers will begin receiving Volcon Grunts for their sales floors as of the second week of May 2022 with every dealer in the network having placed orders as part of their onboarding process.

“We recently had the chance to ride and experience the Volcon Grunt and it blew us away. The more we dug into Volcon as a company and we discovered who works there and who is behind the brand and products, we just saw win after win and did not hesitate to sign up to sell Volcon products at our four locations in Texas and Louisiana,” explained Kyle Hughes, owner, and operator of H&W Powersports. “This past weekend we brought the Grunt to a bass fishing tournament. The response from the crowd and participants at the event was overwhelmingly positive. It’s been great to introduce them to Volcon’s electric products which they see as a great vehicle to support their various outdoor lifestyle activities like hunting and fishing.”

“It has been an incredibly rewarding and exciting time to be with Volcon,” describes Dave Auringer, National Sales Director at Volcon ePowersports. “I have been in the powersports industry for 40 years and seen many evolutions of powersports products and new product launches as well as emerging brands come and go. The quality and innovation that Volcon brings to its products make it a no-brainer for prospective dealers as we grew the dealer network from zero to 100 in just 6 months. We have been hearing that the future is electric for a while now, but the future is here with Volcon. It has been a pleasure building the dealer network starting off with some of the biggest and strongest powersports dealers in the country. We have a strong future and are looking forward to delivering these high-quality, high-performance products to our dealers now and in the future as the Volcon lineup grows. We couldn’t do it without the great work from our sales team; Ken Cook, Southeast Regional Sales manager, Johnny Hayes, South Regional Sales Manager, and Steve Christian, Northwest Regional Sales Manager”

A Dealer Locator Tool can be found on Volcon’s website which illustrates a dealer network as it expands across the country.

About Volcon Inc

Volcon Inc. is an all-electric powersports company producing high-quality off-road vehicles. Based in Round Rock, Texas, Volcon joins many major electric vehicle manufacturers near Austin, Texas, an area that is poised to become the electric vehicle capital of the world.

Volcon was founded with the mission to enhance the outdoor experience while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint so that adventurers and workers alike can enjoy the outdoors and preserve it for generations to come. Volcon produces all-electric, off-road vehicles designed to elevate the adventure experience and help people get things done at work and on the home front.

Volcon’s first product, the innovative Grunt, combines a fat tire physique with high-torque electric power and a near-silent drive train which started shipping in September of 2021. Future models may include the Runt, a youth-sized version of the groundbreaking Grunt and an eBike, the Brat. The Stag and Project X are expected to be Volcon’s venture into the rapidly expanding world of UTVs and coming in future years as the company expands.

Volcon Contacts

For Media: [email protected]

For Dealers: [email protected]

For Investors: [email protected]

For Marketing: [email protected]

For more information on Volcon or to learn more about its complete motorcycle and side-by-side line-up, visit: www.volcon.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ”believes,” ”estimates,” ”anticipates,” ”expects,” ”plans,” ”projects,” ”intends,” ”potential,” ”may,” ”could,” ”might,” ”will,” ”should,” ”approximately” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company is contained under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

11 – MIC Communications Promotes Rider Safety on National Television and Online Channels – From the MIC

MIC Director of Media Relations Andria Yu spoke with meteorologist Amy Freeze during four live national TV segments on the Fox Weather channel, focusing on tips for riders and drivers during May’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Coverage on the segments, recorded yesterday outside on Sixth Avenue in New York City, also ran on Fox’s and Freeze’s social media channels, from Twitter to Instagram, and also on the network’s app.

“We asked motorists to actively search for motorcyclists and asked riders to gear up every ride,” Yu said. “We talked about training, how classes such as the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse help you learn about smart street strategies, and we also talked about different types of bikes.”

On display, provided by MIC member companies, were a total of seven motorcycles from BMW, Honda, Indian, KTM, and Zero. A showcase of gear came from Arai, REV’IT!, RevZilla, Shoei, and Schuberth.

The MIC has a longstanding relationship with Freeze, who first learned how to ride a motorcycle years ago at one of the many rider training sessions hosted by the Communications Department for media and influencers in the New York area. She later earned her motorcycle license and frequently mentions motorcycling and safety tips on the air and with her social media posts.

12 – #SEEMOTORCYCLES Sharable Safety Messages Posted on MSF YouTube Page – From the MSF

For Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and beyond, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has a new playlist called #SeeMotorcycles on its YouTube page.

On the list are the two shorts, a 30-second public service announcement and another that’s just over one minute long, both with key share-the-road safety messages for riders and drivers.

“We ask everyone throughout the industry and across the safety community to share these videos and use #SeeMotorcycles on their social platforms,” said Corey Eastman, MSF director of rider education expansion. “We want to have the safest possible summer, and rest of the year, for motorcyclists all over the country.”

https://youtu.be/IS0G0mFPcrw

Lead image courtesy Husqvarna

Additional menu

About Volcon Inc

Volcon Contacts

Forward-Looking Statements