American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 174 January 2014 | Page 23

S&S appoints Viola V-Twin Brand Manager
with extensions to both the breadth and the depth of
the VVT offer. The program is intended to “fill a gap”
for dealers by providing one-stop-shop access to the
kind of service parts and items that are needed most
frequently, but for which availability is either
scattered across a number of vendors and resources,
and is simply scarce.
“VVT is not a custom parts program, and neither
is it a performance line,” explained Kevin. “The
mission is simple. To bring together top quality
branded service products that we here at S&S are
comfortable associating our own brand and
heritage with.
“One of the most important factors in being able
to make profit from workshop activity is time
management. I know from my own experience just
how frustrating it can be when a customer’s work
has to be left incomplete for days while a specific
part or an unforeseen requirement is sourced.
“That is frustrating for the dealer, but of course it
is also frustrating for the rider, and despite ours being
a mature industry characterized by a wide range of
vendor sourcing options, sometimes the simplest of
workshop requirements prove to be the toughest.
“The Viola V-Twin program takes the complexity
out of sourcing service parts. Our experience here at
S&S is unmatched in the industry both in terms of
understanding what works and what is needed.
“What we are now doing is turning that
experience into a sourcing handbook and one-call
opportunity to keep the workshop moving along.”
The Viola V-Twin program is aimed at work on
stock or near-stock engines - all air'cooled
American v-twins and that is absolutely what the
program is designed to cater to.

Kevin Boarts has become brand manager and
product line analyst for the Viola V-Twin program
and brings dealership and S&S customer service
experience with him

“The remanufacturing and reconditioning work
that we do here at S&S has taught us more than
anyone else where the product supply issues are to
be found, and what are the kinds of product that
busy workshops need.
“In the course of the coming weeks and months
we will be announcing further additions to the VVT
program, all based on customer feedback and our
own combined experience. After the hugely positive
reaction to the debut of the program in the past 24
to 36 months it is clear that there is a need for the
VVT program’s philosophy and we are excited about
the prospects for seeing it develop into the ‘go-to’
workshop sourcing resource in the years ahead.”
www.sscycle.com
www.violavtwin.com

Mac Motorcycles displays prototype
MAC Motorcycles, the British company set up to build small production run
motorcycles based around Buell Blast engines, exhibited a prototype ‘Spud’
model at the ‘Autosport International’ show at the NEC, Birmingham, UK, in
early January.
Speaking about the concept behind the bike, company founder, Ellis Pitt, said:
“We wanted to take something from the simplicity and non-conformity that
unites the chopper builders with the philosophy of the Italian singles
manufacturers from the 1950s and 1960s and the spirit of competition
specials… that of taking something standard and improving it. Uniting all this
in a belief that the riding experience and the stories that go with motorcycle
journeys seem to have been sanitized by technology and plastic. We took all
this, wrote the design brief and started Mac Motorcycles
www.mac-motorcycles.com
www.AMDchampionship.com

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JANUARY 2014

23

Sources: The Bradley Report, AMD Magazine, Big Bike Europe, MIC, AMA, PSB, Dealernews

T

WO years on from the launch of
what was to become the Viola
V-Twin (VVT) service parts concept,
S&S Cycle continues to invest in
the long term development of the
program – the latest step being the
appointment of Kevin Boarts as the new
brand manager and product line analyst at
the company’s legendary Viola, Wisconsin
headquarters.
Speaking following his appointment, Kevin said
“my personal experience and background combines
dealership time with working on the customer
services and tech line desks here at S&S, and as such
you could say that ‘I get it’ when it comes to the aims
and ambitions of VVT and the valuable role it plays
for workshop and parts department personnel.”
This year will see an expanded catalog unveiled