American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 220 November 2017 | Page 22

was down, but there were increased
requests for immediate information
from media outlets not attending. The
MIC’s communication arm,
Motorcycles.org, hosted a number of
mainstream media outlets with stories
appearing in a variety of non-
enthusiast media as a result.”
The overall 2017 attendance -
including exhibitor personnel – is cited
as totaling 18,176 vs 18,399 in 2016.
MIC Events said that “it is important for
the Powersports industry to have an
annual gathering to showcase new
product, conduct business, network
and for the critically important reason
of coming together to address industry
challenges.
“Exhibitor feedback to the MIC Events
team focused on the need to attract
Matt Levatich, President and CEO
of Harley-Davidson, pointed to a
future in which “it’s all about the
software not the hardware, and
the software is the consumers
whose world is defined by
their screens”
more dealer attendees. ‘The Future
Starts Here’ spoke to uniting the
industry to find new riders, and that
AIMExpo presented by Nationwide
was the venue to have the
conversation about industry
challenges.
“Similarly, it is going to take a united
industry to get dealers to turn out for
the most important industry gathering
of the year. As an industry, we must
realize we’re not living in the days of
Dealer Expo in 2006 when there were
significantly more dealers in the U.S.,
and when it was much easier to get
them to attend. As exhibitors, we look
to you to join us in a variety of ways to
help get dealers to attend, and we’d
like to continue the discussion as we
look to next year’s show in Las Vegas.”
Well, MIC Events is certainly right
about the changed times, and I’d
actually go so far as to suggest that
representation at the show from some
1,000 or so dealerships is pretty good
in the context of it being a new event
for the region; in the context of these
being extraordinarily difficult times for
most shops; and in the context of the
dealer representation number not
being all that much more after four
years at (the rather more limited
hinterland of) Orlando.
Moreover, given the ridiculously
overestimated attendance numbers at
the ‘Indy’ Dealer Expo (and V-Twin
Expo for that matter) “back in the
day”, the 2017 Columbus dealerships
number is not so bad.
Is it enough for the nearly 500
New Product Showcase: Displayed prominently in the entrance lobby of
the Greater Columbus Convention Center, new products and innovations
were highlighted right up front and center, casting the “Future Starts Here”
theme in a practical context. New products from AIMExpo will be showcased
in this and subsequent AMD Magazine editions.
BELL POWERSPORTS UNVEILS
2018 STREET FULL FACE
HELMET LINE-UP
The Rosemont, Illionis based
helmet brand traces its history
back to 1952, when it was
founded in the garage of a
Southern Californian speed
shop by Roy Richter. The
past decade or more has
seen the brand traverse
difficult times, but with
the acquisition last year
by Utah based outdoor
products specialist Vista
Outdoor Inc., Bell has
the backing and resources
to leverage its storied past.
First integrated into Bell Powersports in 2016, MIPS (Multi-
Directional Impact Protection System) is now standard in the Bell
Star. MIPS is a leading slip-plane technology inside the helmet,
designed to reduce rotational forces that can result from certain
types of impacts. The helmet itself is said to be among the most
versatile premium helmets on the market and carries the same
racing-inspired pedigree of the Pro Star and Race Star.
It is described as extremely quiet and lightweight “with an
amazing fit and features Bell’s exclusive Panovision viewport for
a greater field of view.
“It’s not every day that you can take a best-in-class,
performance-driven helmet and make it even better, and we’ve
managed to do just that with the addition of MIPS to the Star
platform,” said Chris Sackett, Bell Helmets’ Vice President.
“Similarly, the RS-1 had been arguably the highest value
proposition on the market at its price point, and we’ve raised
the bar for that helmet with RS-2, and done so at a price point
that’s $100 lower than its predecessor.”
The fan favorite, tried and true RS-1 is back and reconfigured
with the second generation premium RS-2. The updated RS-2
features a lightweight fiberglass DOT/ECE design with a super
smooth direct drive internal sun shield. This helmet is quiet and
comfortable, with an optimized aerodynamic design to eliminate
noise from air turbulence. The helmet comes with an X-Static
comfort liner, exceptional ventilation, and is also communication
and eyewear compatible. The RS-2 is one of the most feature
packed and affordable helmets in the Bell line-up.
The 2018 street full-face category is bookended by the Pro Star
Flex and entry level Qualifier. This year, the Qualifier line has
expanded to include four offerings: Qualifier DLX MIPS
equipped, Qualifier DLX, Qualifier DLX Blackout and Qualifier. In
addition to the new helmets, the entire 2018 street full-face line
will also feature new graphics and colorway options.
www.bellhelmets.com
Nelson Rigg USA: The company says it “continues to create innovative
luggage, covers and rainwear with our newly designed tour trunk bag
and tail bags.” It also just introduced Defender extreme covers featuring
its new proprietary UltraMax material; www.nelsonrigg.com
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AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - NOVEMBER 2017
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