American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 250 May 2020 | Page 20

SHOW New Owner in Easyriders
ZONE Relaunch Bid
World Ducati Week
Postponed to 2021
Fuel Cleveland
Cleveland, OH, USA • July 25
Bike and Music Weekend
Geiselwind, Germany • July 30-Aug 2
Polish Bike Week
Karpacz, Poland • July 30-Aug 2
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Sturgis, SD, USA • Aug 7-16
Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials
Bonneville, UT, USA • Aug 29-Sep 3
Wharf Rat Rally
Digby, Canada • Sep 2-6
Glemseck 101
Leonberg, Germany • September 4-6
Bike & Art Moto Brasil
Postponed from May
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil • September 4-7
European Bike Week
Faaker See, Austria • Sep 8-13
Cherokee Blue Ridge Run
NC, USA • Sep 11-13
New Order Chopper Show
Kobe, Japan • Sep 20
Mondial de la Moto
Paris, France • Oct 1-11
AIMExpo
Columbus, OH, USA • Oct 1-4
Artistry in Iron
Las Vegas, NV, USA • Oct 1-4
INTERMOT & AMD World Champs
Cologne, Germany • October 8-11
Biketoberfest
Daytona Beach, FL, USA • Oct 15-18
Motorcycle Trade Expo
Stoneleigh Park, UK • Oct 18-20
Motorcycle Taiwan
Postponed from April
Taipei, Taiwan • Oct 21-24
This year marks the 50th anniversary
of Joe Teresi's launch of Easyriders
magazine, and now the iconic
magazine lives again. Kind of.
Under the recent new ownership of
apparel/fashion industry entrepreneur
and "brandmaker" Pepper Foster (of
identical twins Chip and Pepper Foster
denim clothing and Cartoon Madness
fame) there are plans "to advance the
iconic label in the global market."
Some 10,000 copies of a first re-
launch edition were printed and sold
out online in just three days in January.
The debut issue featured Norman
Reedus on the cover, photographed by
Brian Bowen Smith, supermodel Erin
Wasson and the band Wild Belle.
A company release states that "under
new leadership, Easyriders will expand
the vision of what it means to be a
motorcycle enthusiast in the 21st
century."
"I'm so proud and excited to introduce
the iconic Easyriders brand to a new
generation and to expand this
powerhouse label to partners
worldwide through licensing our
brand with likeminded partners," said
Pepper Foster, co-founder of the
pioneering fashion label Chip and
Pepper.
"We see endless opportunities to
expand the Easyriders branded
products to the apparel, lifestyle and
home markets." The company release
goes on to state that "in addition to
the brand's new iteration, Easyriders
has revised and reimagined its
celebrated print product as of January
2020. The niche monthly will
transform to a quarterly publication,
expanding coverage to include travel,
art, design, style and entertainment
alongside its mainstay features on the
movers and shakers of the moto world.
Oslo Motor Show
Oslo, Norway • Oct 23-25
SEMA
Las Vegas, NV, USA • Nov 3-6
EICMA
Milan, Italy • Nov 3-8
Bigtwin Bikeshow & Expo*
Houten, Netherlands • Nov 5-8
Handbuilt
Postponed from April
Austin, TX, USA • Nov 13-15
Salao Duas Rodas
Sao Paulo, Brazil • Nov 23-28
Custombike
Bad Salzuflen, Germany • Dec 4-6
Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show
Yokohama, Japan • Dec 6
20
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - MAY 2020
Easyriders will add to its event and
major-label product collaborations."
In an interview published by fashion,
beauty and business website WWD,
Foster is quoted as stating: "We've
taken it [Easyriders] from what was,
well, more trashy, to now being almost
like a GQ for bikers. It's more lifestyle
now, with a different style of shots,
higher quality of photos [don't say that
to Michael Lichter!]. Women are
shooting women even," he added,
alluding to the magazine's earlier
look, [which was] something along the
lines of a Playboy-meets-gearhead
fantasy, according to WWD.
"One of the reasons I wanted the
brand, it's so iconic, but was never
really, properly nurtured," Foster said.
He purchased his first motorcycle in
1989, a time he remembers fondly for
being able to ride without a helmet
and growing up with the magazine.
While the purchase price of Easyriders
is being kept confidential, Foster said
this year he's looking to get to around
$8 million in revenue and said in three
years' time, he's expecting revenue to
hit around $50 million. "This is a
meeting year," he said, "I want to
grow this the right way and hit the
right customer."
A social media overhaul was followed
by a 140-page first new edition, with
Foster's wife Vanessa as the creative
director. Foster states that his goal isn't
to merely operate a niche quarterly
magazine for the fun of it, saying that
he sees significant business potential
in licensing the Easyriders name as
well as the earlier art that appeared in
the magazine "like that of the late
artist David Mann, who painted the
biker lifestyle." Foster is apparently
already looking at licensing Mann's
work for socks and underwear and is
thinking about other brands like Vans,
a popular shoe for West Coast riders.
Easyriders new Chief Executive Officer
is Charles Perez, a veteran apparel
manufacturer in L.A., and Foster says
he sees potential in an events business
and has hired Chris Breed, an L.A.
restaurateur and consultant known for
the Roxbury and Pig & Whistle. WWD
reported that Easyriders is looking to
host six events this year, which Foster
(who WWD describes as "naturally
excitable") foresees as a kind of "biker
Coachella," offering a mix of camping,
riding and music performances. Foster
is already said to be looking at TV deals
for the brand and WWD states that
more acquisitions of troubled but
quality assets are likely, although
Foster is not looking in his 'native'
apparel market.
"This is just the start," he said. "I'm
building a really boutique company
that can reposition or reset some
beloved brands."
www.easyriders.com
www.AMDchampionship.com