American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 225 April 2018 | Page 14

NEWS
Veterans pull off $20k Ultimate Builder win
BRIEFS
Indian Motorcycle has issued a
recall for certain 2015-2017
Roadmaster motorcycles. Water
may enter the trunk wiring
harness, potentially causing the
brake light to remain
illuminated even when the
brakes are not applied.
Yoshimura R&D of America has a
new CEO/CFO – he is Yusaku
Yoshimura, grandson of legendary
founder and race guru Hideo
“Pops” Yoshimura, who founded the
company 64 years ago in Japan.
After 38 years with the company
current CEO Don Sakakura will
move into an advisory role for the
company. Yusaku Yoshimura had
previously been heading up their
internationally respected R&D
department.
After 23 years Parts Unlimited
decided to end its formal
sponsorship support for AMA
Supercross effective the end of
the 2018 season. “It’s time for
Parts Unlimited to take a
different direction to Support
the Sport,” reported Hylton
Beattie, Global Motorsport
Director of LeMans
Corporation, parent company
of Parts Unlimited and Drag
Specialties. The company will
remain involved in Supercross
through its team and rider
sponsorships.
Days after the Parts Unlimited
Supercross announcement, Boise,
Idaho based distributor Western
Powersports (WPS, owner of the fast
growing HardDrive V-twin parts and
accessory distribution program)
revealed that it had stepped in to
take over as the “official and
exclusive Powersports parts and
accessories distributor” of the 2019
Monster Energy Supercross series.
Indian conglomerate Mahindra
signed an impressive 215
domestic U.S. dealers in just 4
months for the new ROXOR off-
highway vehicle that they will
be manufacturing at their new
Auburn Hills, Michigan facility –
headed up by Rick Haas as
President and CEO, Mahindra
Automotive North America –
where, if all goes to plan,
Mahindra will have revealed
the ROXOR in early March.
Italian apparel major Dainese
(owner of AGV helmets and itself 80
percent owned by Bharain’s
Investcorp) has completed the
redesign and re-location downtown
of its Chicago flagship store.
It re-opened in early March and in
the hands of architect Renato
Montagner is a minimalist “room
within a room” homage to
everything gorgeously Italian and
Dainese, from its racing heritage to
the latest iteration of its integrated
D-Air race suit air bag technology.
14
Freestyle winner and 2018 ‘King of the Builders’, Motorcycle Missions Veterans
The 2017/2018 J&P Cycles
Ultimate Builder Custom Bike
Show competition series came
to a crescendo at the
penultimate Progressive
International Motorcycle Show
(IMS) on February 9 - 11 at the
Donald E. Stephens Convention
Center, Chicago, Illinois.
Described by owner UBM
(United Business Media) as “the
world’s largest elite-level
custom motorcycle building
competition,” this year’s
competition is said to have
featured over 350 custom
motorcycles and $100,000 in
cash and prizes across every
stop on the IMS tour, with
$70,000 of that awarded at the
Chicago championship round.
Jeff Najar, manager, J&P Cycles
Ultimate Builder Custom Bike
Show, said: “We had an
amazing championship round in
Chicago this year that featured
many breathtaking custom
motorcycles. We were very
excited to be able to crown
Motorcycle Missions Veterans
as the official 2018 ‘King of the
Builders.’
“Founded by Krystal Hess, Texas
based Motorcycle Missions is a
non-profit corporation helping
veterans and first responders
who deal with PTSD and
suicidal ideation find hope and
healing through motorcycles.
Eight veterans of Motorcycle
Missions built the winning
motorcycle as part of
Motorcycle Missions’ build
mentorship program.”
The winners were selected by a
panel of expert judges
including Chris Callen, editor,
Cycle Source Magazine; Chris
Theis, custom builder and
stuntman; Evan Favaro, custom
builder; George Stinsman,
Chaos Cycle (top 15 at the 2016
AMD World Championship);
Max Ness of Arlen Ness
Motorcycles; and Nick Beaulieu,
custom builder and 2017
champion. Judging was based
upon creativity, craftsmanship
and building ability.
www. motorcycleshows.com
Freestyle runner up: Chris Moose
Modified Harley winner: Jesse Srpan of Raw Iron Choppers
Modified Retro winner: Darrel Johnson
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - APRIL 2018
Custom Street winner: Dale Crawford