American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 176 March 2014 | Seite 20

<<< Continued from page 19
track record of shows on the
West Coast and in the
Southwest, then the reality is
that our industry is better off
sticking with the devil it
knows than allowing itself to
march blindfold into other
potential difficulties (seen and
unseen!), V-Twin Expo ain't
broke, and by all means
continue to improve it, but it
doesn't need a fix as such.
The motorcycle industry has
been gathering in Cincinnati in
February one way or another
for way more than 30 years
now, and if that is a formula
that worked, and worked well,
in the late 80s when
motorcycle sales, including
those being achieved by
Harley-Davidson, were a
fraction of even what they
bottomed-out at in the recent
recession, then there is no
reason to call into question the
venue now.
It’s not as if bad weather in
Ohio in February is something
new.
It will only be in the context of
what we see in market terms
in the next few years that we
will know whether or not 2014
has marked a turning point for
the show, but given that there
were almost as many returnee
and first time exhibitors as
there were additional
absences, then I think the 2014
experience can be regarded as
a positive one, and may well
now prove to be something

JIMS USA: if it’s big inches that you’re after there’s only one place
to shop. Founded by Jim Theissen in 1967, the Camarillo,
California based manufacturer offers complete engines,
transmissions (including their Fat 5 Overdrive), tools and the 2013
‘Accessory of the Year’ patent-pending ForceFlow Cylinder Head
Cooler. The engine seen here is their flagship 135” Twin Cam
motor that fits all Twin Cam frames – and there is an Evo mount
version available. Their new big-hitters this year are their
Powerglide SteadyRoll tappets – which incorporate a bushing
instead of needle bearings, illuminating the dangers inherent in
tappet failures as well as a unique Damage-Control System that
can help identify if there is something wrong with the motor long
before a failure would occur; www.jimsusa.com

‘a reaonably steady flow
of visitors at most times
of the day’

CUSTOM CYCLE ENGINEERING: winner of this year’s Value Product of the Year award, CCE’s parallel steering damper for
Dressers up to 2007 (with stock crash bars and a non-fixed/Batwing-style fairing) positions a Shindy Steering Stabilizer
“in the optimum location so the damper can be installed with minimum effort” says company owner Rick Whitehead.
“The installation of the Steering Damper stabilizes the front fork and helps with front end wobble. The damper is
mounted parallel to the frame”; www.customcycleengineering.com

Continued on page 30 >>>

K&P ENGINEERING: said by company owner Dave
Fisher to be the "word's finest oil filter," K&P use
medical grade, type 304 stainless steel micronic
filter cloth to "provide unmatched protection
against oil contamination and resultant engine
damage, and deliver up to 7 times more oil flow
than paper filters"; www.kandpengineering.com

20

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - MARCH 2014

BAD DAD: the Fort Wayne, Indiana based family business continues to engineer and
manufacture well-received Bagger parts and accessory designs – the company says that all
their front fenders are now available for 2014 touring models. Last year saw them introduce
their ‘Long Strokes’ chrome slip on mufflers, stretched to show the angled cut out – at the
back of stretched saddlebags. The company has also introduce its ‘Competition Series’ which
features more radical versions of some of their existing products (such as tank and
saddlebags) which are “accented with custom body lines for builders who want a more
distinctive design”; www.baddad.com

www.AMDchampionship.com