[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of my favorite songs by Social Distortion, which is one of my favorite bands, is called Winners and Losers. In it they sing, “Which one will you be today.” We all have a choice of what we’re going to do when we wake up each day. We’re not locked into the same old trap if we let ourselves. That is one way I interpret the song. Another is that some moves are winners while others are not so much.
A sure fire winning move in my book is the recent announcement by the American International Motorcycle Expo, or AIMExpo, as we all refer to it today. In its third year it has already accomplished more than other shows have in decades. With this issue being our AIMExpo Preview, we are excited for what is to come. One of those things came early, however, as the AIMExpo announced as we went to press that it had been acquired by the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) to form a new division called MIC Events. We think this will be a winner for several reasons, although, our Editor-At-Large Robin Hartfiel has broken down the top reasons why dealers should attend the show this October (see page 50), we think this adds the icing on the cake.
After a call with AIMExpo’s Larry Little and Mike Webster, they have assured us that the No. 1 industry show will be in good hands under its new ownership. Larry, Mike and the rest of the crew at AIMExpo’s Marketplace Events office in Irvine, Calif. will not be going far. They will be moving down the road less than a mile away to the MIC offices. And this year’s show, they say, will be “business as usual.” As an industry association, we think the MIC can take the show to a new level, one that will continue to give dealers a shot in the arm at the end of the year and prep the industry for the road ahead. It sounds like a big win for everyone. Stay tuned for more on the acquisition in our October issue.
Another winner we have to mention is Tread Lightly!. This month marks its 25th anniversary, but a lot of dealers don’t really know about the organization or how it can help the cause. With nearly 25 percent of all new motorcycles sold being off-road or dual purpose, the stakes are high for dealers and manufacturers to keep riding trails open for OHVs in a responsible way. Land use is a big issue these days, as government agencies that manage the trails and recreation areas are losing funding and facing pressure from environmental groups that want to shut down access to our sport. We spoke to Lori McCullough, Tread Lightly!’s CEO, who says they are planning a big meeting in Washington D.C. for their 25th and that there are many ways dealers can step up to help the organization as a volunteer or an advocate. MPN has been a supporter since the beginning and we encourage you to visit treadlightly.org/join/small-business-organization to join in.
And finally, an important cause that I want to plug is the Cycle World Joeseph C. Parkhurst Education Fund Auction that is being run by National Powersport Auctions at AIMExpo on Oct. 15th from 6-7 pm, which benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. NPA’s Ryan Keefe says that they are still looking for unique memorabilia donations, so if you can help, please contact Sara Spohr at (858) 413-1138 or at [email protected].
As for the losers, we all have a choice to make, which one will you be today?
