American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 169 August 2013 | Page 21
Kansas Motorcycle Works
When bike builders became TV stars there was a surge in the number of companies offering production-custom bikes; everything from small operations with only one or two staff to large-scale operations with hundreds of employees building thousands of bikes each year. Then the recession hit and the market collapsed, taking down the vast majority of those new operations. Now, as the economy is stabilizing, signs of growth are starting to show, and among them is an American/European collaboration - Kansas Motorcycle Works
ANSAS Motorcycle Works (KMW) is a new name to the world of production custom bikes, having officially launched its first model – The Regulator– at Big Bike Europe, in Essen, in May. However, the background of the company goes back many years. The two men behind Kansas Motorcycle Works are Matt Moore and Ivan Dewit, and both have a history with Big Dog Motorcycles; the Kansas-based, production-custom business that built over 25,000 motorcycles before its closure in 2011. Matt started his career in the American V-twin industry at Big Dog in 2005 as the OEM’s Western Regional Sales Manager. He then began a steady career development to become Director of the company’s global sales force. It was during this time that Matt met Ivan, who founded Legend Motorcycle Group, a Belgium-based importer and distributor of American-made motor ?X?\?[?]\??K???]\??Y???[?Y?[?[???X?H??\ ?[YY H]\??X[?X\??] X?H?? ?YK]\?H[Y\?X?[? ? ?Y]XX?[?\?[ ?Y? H [Z[?? ?\???? ? [?K?\? ?[\? ?\?H?[X?[??[?]\??K ^H ?\?HX?[?[??[? HT?8?'Y?\? YX\??[? H ?[??\?8?'HX] ?^\?8?'?Y???[???X?\? ?X??[X?Y ? H?[ \?[??T?X???^K??'HY?\? H??\[?x?&\????\?H[? ?YH ? Z\?]??[? ? Z\??\??Y\??X] [?]?[? ???? ??\? ?]?H\???X[??H ?? X? ?[??\? ?[??? ? ?\ H ?\X?[Y[? \? ?[?X??\???Y\? ? ??H ?]?Y????[??\?[Y\?X?[??] ?[???\??[? H? H ??Y ???]?\???Y[? ?[?Y ????\??H ?? X?[??\?[?\?? \?[?? \? [YHX] [?]?[? ?[XZ[?Y[????H??X? ?X] ??[Y[? ?8?'?[H H[? \? ?H ?\? X??[??] ?[? \?? H???????B??]?]?H \? [YH ? ?Y?X???\?^ \?Y[??\?]?[?[?H ?X???^?Y H ?[?X[??H ??\? KY\?Y?Y?SK \?X?[\? H[? H]\??X[?X\??] X?K??'HH[\?[??H? H]\??X[?X\??]?[??H ?Y[?[? H??\[?x?&\?X?\?[? ???X?X[ H][?? H?Y?[]?
[?\??Y] H?[YY8?&P???x?&JH]?Y??Z?H]\??K[[?\??[??\?X[?K[?X^K?] ?\? \?[?? \?]?[? ]]?[? ?SQ?8?'?H\?H \?[???Y??Z?H]\??H[? HSQ???[\[??\??\??H?Z?H?Z[[?? ? ?YH?? [?H ?[ ?XX? ??\??Z?x?&\?][?? ??'H\?] \????] ] ?\? ?\?H ??]]?[ H ?]??\?^H?Z?\??Z[?? ???Y??H H ??? ?\??\??] [?]?[??Y?[?]?[ X][??Y??\?[??\?[?\??[?[ ?[? ?X\??? H8?& ?Y? ??][x?&H\?X] ?^\?8?']?[? ?\?Z[?[?[ \\??X\??]??][???'H?]\???? ]?[?? H?HX\??Y???H Z\??SH^ \?Y[??KX] [?]?[??Y[???Y[?[? Z\??]??\?[?\??[?[ ?8?'?[??\?[???X?H???? ?\?]?[?Y???H H??[? \ ??\?]H\?[?[?\??][?[??\[?K8?'H ?^\?X] 8?' ?] ?X?Y?X? ?? X? Y\?Y?[??\?[?\??\?Y? ? ?]Y?Y\? ?]??Y H ]?[ ?[???[?\?Y?H?\? ?YX?\?????'H?H^[\H??U??&\? ?? X?\?Y? ? ?]Y?H\????Y\?\?X??? H?Y???[???X?x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x?&H?Z[ ?[? \???[?? H ?[YK??] ?H?\? ??YHH ]??H???H ?X? H?\??Y\??[??[?K] [?H H?[?\?Y ?? X? ??H?\? ?] ^H ?[? ?? ?] H?Z[\? [??? ^H ?[? ?\? ?[[?? ??]?H [K?][ ???]?\? H?\??Y\?H[?H[? ?[?????SQT?P?S?S???P?HPST? HUQ?T? ? L???B??