Aftermarket Moto Design 280 November 2022 AMD280 November 2022 | Page 33

question that global compliance is efficient business , and efficient business is good business - especially in an era where compliance is ever more strictly enforced and where the movement of product between markets , especially via online sellers , is itself ever more difficult to control . " Compliance affects S & S ' traditional core business - from engine components to complete assemblies and engines . But the entry into the performance exhaust market inevitably places a big , fat target on your shipments . Your importers and their dealers have to know that in addition to all the traditional S & S brand characteristics of design , engineering and quality , the S & S logo on the box also means that the product can be sold legally in their jurisdiction . " The move into the exhaust business has been an important one for us . One that we intend to see become an ever increasingly important part of our revenue profile . It is ironic that because we have the R & D , engineering and resources , emissions compliance can actually be a big positive for S & S . Not only because it gives us a competitive edge , especially in international markets , but also because if you can get it right , it opens up massive opportunities for a brand to offer an enhanced experience over the stock OEM product . As the home of ' Proven Performance ', that is right in the crosshairs of what the S & S brand has always meant . " Of the many investments that had taken place at S & S Cycle in the past decade or more , few are as important as the in-house emissions laboratory . Not only does it give us a huge advantage over our competitors , but on a consultancy basis , it is a major revenue stream for us . The third party work that we can do there for our customers more than pays for the investment ." Which brings us to the third party manufacturing work that S & S does for a wide range of customers - inside and outside of the motorcycle industry . That was a development at S & S that was largely born out of the recession in the United States at the end of the 1970s , and while its long-standing relationship with Kawasaki has been a well known credential that S & S has been able to wear with pride , that is not the only such relationship - either inside or outside the motorcycle industry . " A lot of the production equipment we have is not unlike that which many manufacturers have these days . Some of it is market leading , bespoke and proprietary , but in principal processes are processes . What puts us ahead of the curve though is our people . I always find myself going back to them as our primary competitive advantage . If we were to be judged simply as a machine shop , then we are very , very good . But it is the skill sets , experience , training and craftsmanship of our men and women that are the magic ingredient that elevates us from the good to the exceptional . " The same has become apparent in recent years with management of our supply chain . Of course , we have faced the same materials , logistics and pricing issues as everyone else , but our teams have proven themselves at least as adept at managing and handling those issues as anyone else . While we cannot guarantee to have been able to entirely mitigate the impacts , we have managed to minimize the problems caused ." Our final line of discussion revolved around diversification , not just in terms of contract manufacturing , but of the new markets that have been opening up to S & S and other manufacturers . " One classic example is what was achieved with Indian Motorcycle - both AFT racing and King Of The Baggers . The FTR relationship with Indian has been fantastic for us , for Indian , for the racers and for the rebirth of flat track as a premier motorcycle sport in the United States . " When Paul Langley came into the business , he did a great job of stabilizing it and sowing the seeds , doing the hard yards , the groundwork to give S & S a solid foundation for growth , and we are now able to benefit from that , as we are with his work with Royal Enfield . " While AFT is exciting and fun to watch , the difference with ' Bagger ' racing is that riders - whether it ’ s a Challenger or a Road Glide - can go home and realize that they too can do some of that with their own bikes . We are benefiting hugely from

' the respect and reputation that the S & S brand gives us '

that , and so too is the market - the manufacturers and their dealers . " Our latest move has been our well-publicised move into the UTV / SxS performance exhaust market . With the growth in that sector showing no sign of slowing down any time soon , we see a great future for S & S in that market . " In entering a new segment like that , we do have a great advantage in the respect and reputation that the S & S brand gives us - we are back to that again . But that would be quickly voided if we weren ' t delivering . So , we have taken our time about it , been very careful and deliberate to make sure that the product offer lives up to the ' Proven Performance ' reputation and , so far , I ' m pleased to report that it is doing so and that our entry into that segment has been well received . It is going well for us ." www . sscycle . com

M-8 Big Bore Kits - 107 ci to 129 and 114 ci to 132 , 4.32 " bore .

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