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 26 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