Tucker Rocky Issues Letter to Dealers About Bankruptcy Status

Kenan Ikels, vice president of sales for Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice, recently issued a letter to dealers regarding their Chapter 11 status as they plan to emerge from it in Q1. The company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November and has been working with vendors and creditors to restructure their debt. Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG), owners of TR/Biker’s Choice, said at the time of the filing that it was implementing a plan to eliminate approximately $300 million in debt through a debt for equity exchange.

To All Valued Tucker Rocky Dealers:

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to the 2018 riding season. I want to kick off the year by sharing some very good news. Wednesday, January 10th, Tucker Rocky filed its Disclosure Statement and Plan for restructuring our debt with the bankruptcy court—this is a major milestone. These documents outline the legal structure of MAG and Tucker Rocky upon emergence from Chapter 11. Our goal was to move through this process in 4 to 6 months while conducting “business as usual”. We are very much on target to accomplish that. Soon, we will emerge from chapter 11 a much stronger company. I want to take a moment to address our vendor relationships. I know there has been some “noise” in the industry and I want to ensure you are getting the facts. As you would expect, the Chapter 11 filing caused concern for many of our vendors, and rightly so. But it’s important that you know that we have been working very hard to get our vendors paid in full. We are in the final stage of securing ongoing commitments with our vendors that represent 99% of our revenue. Our business is built on a platform of strong, personal relationships that we have every intention of maintaining. Just like you, our vendors are valued partners.

Looking Forward:

• The Tucker Rocky Dealer and Brand Expo is taking place February 8-9, and we are already seeing an increase in registrations over last year. Now is the time to register if you haven’t already done so. The registration link is https://expo.tuckerrocky.com.

• We are working closely with our Expo vendors to finalize special programs designed to help you prepare for the upcoming season.

• We have and will continue to take aggressive actions to make sure we have the inventory ready to fill your orders.

• There will also be education seminars designed to help you expand and grow your business, from LightSpeed to visual merchandising and social media marketing.

• Upon conclusion of the Expo, Friday night we will be hosting our Dealer Appreciation celebration. Our way of thanking you for your partnership. In closing, thank you for your support as we’ve been working through this process. It is greatly appreciated. We are looking forward to returning that support by helping you to expand and grow your business in 2018.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.