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NEWS
BRIEFS
Santa Cruz, California based
Zero Motorcycles has
announced a 'Cash for Carbon'
motorcycle trade-in program.
Consumers trading gas
motorcycles towards the
purchase of new electric
motorcycles from Zero get an
additional $1,500 in value.
Warren Buffett (of Berkshire
Hathaway/BH fame) loaned some
$300m to Harley during the 2007/9
financial crisis. "It was the bridge we
needed to get us through a rough
time," then H-D CFO John Olin said
in 2014. BH is said to have made
around $150m in profit from the
five-year loan. H-D is said to have
tried to renegotiate the terms of the
loan at one stage - the 'Sage of
Omaha' is said to have declined the
kind invitation to do so. However, he
could have made more than $1bn if
he'd invested $300m in H-D stock
over the same period: "I knew
enough to lend them money, I didn't
know enough to buy the equity,"
said Buffett.
Brembo, both directly and
through its parent company
Nuova FourB, has completed the
acquisition of a "long-term"
4.99% stake in Milan based tire
maker Pirelli S.p.A. Taken over
by China in 2015, a 2017 IPO
saw 40% of Pirelli's equity
refloated on the Milan Bourse.
Brembo revenues for the first
half of 2020 amounted to
€ 951.1m (-28.2%) at an EBITDA
margin of 15.1%/€ 143.3m; EBIT
margin was 4.1%/€ 38.8m. Net
investments for the period
amounted to € 73.4m; net
financial debt was € 597.5m.
As at August 3rd, PRI President Dr.
Jamie Meyer said that the
organization was still committed to
seeing the 2020 PRI Trade Show go
ahead. However, slated for December
10-12 at the Indiana Convention
Center, at the time of writing, a final,
formal approval from the Marion
County Health Department was still
required and pending. Meyer stated
that PRI "is committed to helping the
racing community get through the
challenges it currently faces due to
the coronavirus pandemic. Providing
the racing industry with a venue
where they can conduct business
safely, efficiently and productively is
PRI’s top priority."
OptiMate Battery-
Saving 'Insurance'
The COVID-19 pandemic is changing
everyone's daily habits, except for at
least one - that 'bad' habit of
forgetting to charge and maintain a
motorcycle battery.
It is only once riders find out the
battery is dead that they realize they
need a solution that will save their
riding plans. TecMate's range of
OptiMate battery saving chargers "are
able to save dead-flat batteries other
chargers can't - it's battery 'insurance'
for rider and dealer alike."
In the past, dealers may have been
tempted to think, "why sell battery
chargers able to save riders' batteries
when instead I could be selling more
batteries?" Well, that kind of thinking
just doesn't sit well with consumers
these days and, besides, there are two
solid business reasons for carrying
OptiMate battery saving chargers.
If a battery is still within the warranty
period, there's almost always a dispute
with the customer about who is at
fault, and telling a customer he's been
foolish never ends well. It almost
always ends with the dealer having to
eat the claim just to maintain
goodwill.
Customers come back because of
good service, so a dead battery is a
golden opportunity to retail their
loyalty if it is handled creatively. "My
tip is to use an OptiMate PRO battery
charger to bring that battery back to
France based purchasing portal
provider, distributor, buying consortium
and vendor representation specialist
MAG Connection has been adding
voraciously to the brands that it is able
to make available to its dealers in
Europe.
Additions from the United States and
Europe include American
Suspensions; Arrow Exhausts
life and then sell a single-user
OptiMate to the rider as an 'insurance
policy'. You can also upsell each
battery sale with an OptiMate to add
value to the sale and make a customer
into a friend you help to never have
battery issues," says TecMate's Martin
Human.
"When it comes to saving batteries,
OptiMate knows how to save AGM,
GEL and STD lead-acid batteries as
well as Lithium (LiFePO4) batteries -
we have been doing it since 1994 and
the OptiMate 3 is the most trusted
battery charger for riders and
motorcycle OEMs alike, able to save a
12V lead-acid battery from as low as
2 volt, with the OptiMate 4 dual
program going lower still to 0.5 volt
and offering even more
comprehensive recovery methods.
"When it comes to 12.8V
Lithium/LiFePO4 batteries, they do
need special care when voltage has
OptiMate 4 dual
programme
(Italy); Campbell, California based
custom bike builder essentials
specialist Bung King; Corbin
Saddles; Dead Center Cycles
(Lacey, Washington); D&D Exhausts
(Texas); Dirty Bird Concept - John
Shope's Phoenix, Arizona based
bagger parts emporium; Dougz
Custom (LaCrosse, Wisconsin, custom
parts); ODC Suspensions (Italy);
OptiMate lithium 4S 5 amp
dropped below 8 volt.
"The OptiMate Lithium 4s0.8A,
known as the rider's charger, and
OptiMate Lithium 4s5A, the
PRO/dealer level charger, are able to
save a Lithium battery from as low as
0.5 volt, or it will warn if that battery
has suffered fatal damage.
"OptiMate's propriety 'test and save'
recovery technology continuously
measures the battery's reaction as it
applies gentle pulsed current and, if
normal, it continues charging, if not, it
stops and warns that the battery is
unserviceable. That's why OptiMate
Lithium chargers are globally
recommended by Honda, Yamaha,
Kawasaki and KTM, and Husqvarna
have their own co-branded OptiMate
Lithium.
"If an OptiMate battery saving charger
cannot successfully bring a 'dead'
battery back to life, nothing can," says
Martin.
www.optimate1.com
MAG Connection Connects its
Dealers with More Vendors
Platinum Air Suspensions (Mike
Ferris, Fullerton, California); RWD
(Russ Wernimont); Speed Merchant;
TAB Performance (exhausts, Lincoln,
Nebraska); TBR Racing Exhausts
(California) and Zippers Racing
performance products.
Look for product line news in upcoming
editions of AMD Magazine.
www.mag-connection.com
14 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - SEPTEMBER 2020 www.AMDchampionship.com