American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 220 November 2017 | Page 26
Harley executive/s who had the vision
to “go for it” (take a bow Anoop
Prakash?), because in partnership with
MIC Events and the custom/V-twin
exhibitor community, we all now have
the opportunity to work together to
build a massive new forward facing
platform that speaks the new language
of “new gen” consumers.
Harley-Davidson has a brand-new
generation of communication
opportunity within touching distance
in its grasp – one that will allow it to
add an important dimension to the raft
of initiatives it is already seeking to
embrace.
The Rallies are great, but they are what
they are. H.O.G. events keep the faithful
on the straight and narrow, and
presumably there’s no reason why
AIMExpo couldn’t become a pin stop in
the future. Social media outreach,
broadcast and print media all have
their role to play - any media or
marketing person who claims they
have all the answers has none of them!
But, it famously has always all been
about the mix (ask Henry Ford – a tad
difficult but you get my meaning I’m
sure!) – and it is all about achieving
balance and about exploiting as many
different opportunities as possible,
finding as many different pathways
into the target market’s psyche (and
wallet book) as possible.
In Europe the value that the multi-
purpose major national and
international shows bring to the table
has been an established part of that
mix for generations. Now, as we seek
to prepare ourselves to sell to new
generations, seeing Harley respond to
the inspirational thinking, vision and
opportunity that Mike Webster and
Larry Little have worked so hard to
create, and that the MIC now backs,
has got to be understood as a new kind
of long-term initiative with opportunity
stamped all over it.
Antigravity Batteries: More than just a battery manufacturer, the Los
Angeles, California based manufacturer is a purveyor of advanced power
solutions, with the top-of-the-range American made, ultra-lightweight
YTX12 24-cell lithium ion motorcycle battery said to be the “highest
power lithium nano-phosphate motorsport battery ever made.” At just 5
lbs it is said to deliver a weight saving of up to 14 lbs in motorcycles, and
despite its compact 5.82” x 3.4” x 5.12” design, it can produce a massive
720 cranking amps. It features all-brass terminals and comes with a 3-
year warranty. Also check out the company’s 6-volt 8-cell lithium-ion
battery - lightweight and small enough to fit all horseshoe type oil tanks
or early battery boxes – and the small but powerful MicroStart jump
starter and portable power solution; www.antigravitybatteries.com
Kibblewhite Precision Machining: The leading Californian valvetrain
manufacturer has brought a slew of product design updates to the
market for Harley’s Milwaukee-Eight Touring model engines. Wound from
a blend of chrome silicon wire designed specifically for performance
valvetrain, KPMI high-performance replacement and high-lift beehive
spring kits allow the choice of aggressive cam profiles, with lifts of up to
.550” for performance builds that the stock springs wouldn’t be able to
cope with reliably. KPMI ‘Black Diamond’ intake and exhaust valves are
said to offer combined weight savings of approximately 6.8 g over the
OEM components, reducing wear and tear on the rest of the valvetrain
and allowing the engine to rev higher. KPMI also offers ‘White Diamond’
Inconel exhaust valves for extreme duty applications with high exhaust
gas temperatures; www.kpmi.us
Motion Pro: Founded in 1984 by 6-day ISDT gold medal winner Chris
Carter, his Loomis, California based specialty tools and accessory
enterprise marked the reboot of the AFT Twins Presented by Vance &
Hines series this year by being the official cable, tool and controls vendor
and brand for the series. Under the guidance of V-Twin Product Planner
Joe Fratis, the company continues to grow its specialty V-twin program of
tools, cables, throttles and accessories; www.motionpro.com
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AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - NOVEMBER 2017
Design Engineering Inc:
Recent new products from the
Avon Lake, Ohio based thermal
and acoustic barrier specialist
include ‘Titanium’ exhaust wrap
in a sleeve and Generation III
exhaust heat shields;
www.deipowersports.com
Ride Wright Wheels: The
Anaheim, California based spoke
wheel manufacturer describes its
premium “Fat 30-Round-02s” 30-
spoke custom motorcycle wheels
as a “solid investment that now
come as standard with our real
steel Omega rims. The steel
format is intended for
professional builders and for
those who want to customize
their motorcycle using the
strength and reliability of
American steel”;
www.ridewrightwheels.com
Cardo Systems: The “global market leader in communication systems
for motorcyclists” recently launched the Q-solo – a Bluetooth headset for
single riders who are primarily in the market for an easy-to-use and
highly reliable communicator equipped with a high quality, noise-
cancelling microphone for optimal phone communications;
www.cardosystems.com
www.AMDchampionship.com