December In Review
Although the first half of 2014 was relatively strong, Average Wholesale Pricing (AWP) declined further in December for most product categories.
Laugerman’s Harley-Davidson
Laugerman’s Harley-Davidson. Laugerman’s, the oldest Harley shop in Pennsylvania, has been in business since 1949, and has been run by the same family for as long.
Beat Your Revenue Goal in 2015 Without Winning the Lottery
Fifty thousand dollars. It’s not a huge sum. In fact, let’s be honest, if you heard yesterday’s state lottery was at $50,000, you wouldn’t even bother looking to see if your “lucky” numbers were in fact, lucky. But how about adding an additional $50,000 to your service department revenue in 2015? Worth considering? For most
Exit Or Entry… Classic Catch-22 Conundrum
It’s a peculiar time in America with “gray hairs” and “Millennials” vying for positions in the marketplace. Are you a mature company looking to sell and retire soon? Or are you a new company looking to make your “mark” on the American marketplace? The Baby Boomers want “out” and youth wants “in” – the problem is
Shifting Gears
Since December was MPN’s annual Buyer’s Guide we missed a month’s worth of lane changes and shifting job positions. Some of the biggies, such as Western Power Sports merging with Marshall Distributing and Italian moto apparel outfit Dainese being sold to Investcorp for $162 million may be old news to you, but it is the people that really make this industry, so bear with us while we get caught up!
Potato-Potato…
We like themes that tie everything together, so for this issue we’re focusing on V-twins – that quintessential American machine with the potato potato sound that most of us love, but drives your neighbors crazy. My brother-in-law Randy rode his Victory Jackpot to Sturgis from Eugene, Ore. last year for the first time and said
Custom Chrome: Focused on ‘World’s finest products for Harley-Davidsons’ for 45 Years
In 45 years, Custom Chrome has evolved from a small chrome plating and polishing shop in San Jose, Calif., to an international manufacturer and distributor of aftermarket Harley-Davidson parts and accessories serving more than 6,000 dealers throughout the U.S., Europe and beyond.
MPN 2014 Best of the Web Awards
Congratulations to all the companies that made the list and have represented the industry well with interesting and innovative new products.
Hail to the Chief: 2015 Indian Chief
You may have already noticed what Polaris has done with its acquisition of one of the most iconic brands in American motorcycling. By nearly all accounts, Indian is BACK, BABY (said with more emphasis if it’s in a George Costanza tone)!
Crashing Shoei’s Top Secret Hornet X2 Pre-Launch Party
A couple days before the North American premier of Shoei’s newest helmet at the International Motorcycle Show in Washington, DC, a “top-secret” pre-launch press event was held in the wilds of Southern California… literally.
Side-by-Side Stupidity: Are More Rules Required, Or Just More Responsibility Training?
The CPSC doesn’t, apparently, know how many injuries there have been on SxSs, nor does it know if there is even a reason to impose more safety requirements on these machines, but it is certain there must be a problem. Oh, and the CPSC doesn’t know how effective any safety regulations it might implement would be.
Building Community At Your Dealership
Building community is not a new concept for motorcycle dealers, yet very often it is overlooked as a way of increasing sales. While “community” itself is an intangible concept, for many successful dealerships it’s part and parcel of generating happy customers as well as a solid sales base.
