Dec. 24, 2007 – Aftermarket Digest

Arctic Cat Names PG&A General Manager
A former 3M Company executive has been named as the general manager of Arctic Cat’s parts, garments and accessories business.
Mary Ellen Walker will lead the Minnesota manufacturer’s parts department, which nets more than $100 million annually in sales and represents approximately 13 percent of the company’s net sales, Arctic Cat reported in a press release.
Walker was most recently general manager of 3M’s Building Safety Solutions Division, where she grew a portfolio of the businesses’ revenues through increased market penetration, overseas expansion, repositioning key products and launching new products and programs. She also led the growth of 3M’s insulation business for the apparel industry, expanding internationally and entering new markets.
“As general manager of PG&A and companywide sales, Mary Ellen will play a key role in re-invigorating the growth of our business and further leveraging our efficiency,” Arctic Cat CEO Christopher Twomey said in the press release.
Two Key Executives Tapped By Spectro
Dave Miller, president of Spectro Oils of America, announced the hiring of two new executives.
Ken Coleman, who has an extensive background in marketing and management, has been appointed executive vice president.
Rollin Karoll, formerly with Mustang Motorcycle Products, has been named vice president of sales for Spectro.
“Both of these executives were selected for their proven abilities to develop and implement successful new strategies and directions within related industries, and we are looking forward to working with them to forge dynamic, aggressive growth at Spectro,” Miller said in a press release.
Coleman has previously served as president of the Bicycle and Auto Racing Groups of Bell Sports, chairman of Savage Arms, and director and advisor to several other sports industry companies.
Karoll was national sales manager at Mustang Motorcycle Products. Prior to Mustang, he managed technical service operations for Comcast Cable and A-Copy/IKON Office Solutions.
Companies Combine To Produce Exhaust and Tuning Product
D&D Performance Enterprises, manufacturers of the high-performance Fat Cat and Boarzilla exhaust pipes, has joined forces with Zipper’s Performance Products to provide motorcycle dealers with an exhaust and tuning performance solution for late-model Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The team at D&D Performance Enterprises is marketing Fat Cat and Boarzilla two into one exhaust systems with the latest ThunderMax Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Controller with the AutoTune Module, which marries a high-performance exhaust with a self learning wide-band closed-loop EFI system.
“Since our two firms have aggressively completed quality assurance testing and mapped the EFI system to the pipes and the V-twin engines, we have taken the guess work out,” said Dave Rash, president of D&D. “Time is money, and we are delivering a bullet-proof solution that will increase the turns in the service department.”
The ThunderMax Electronic Fuel Injection Controller is a replacement for the stock Harley-Davidson control module. It performs automatic tuning when coupled with the AutoTune Module. A company press release says riders will experience improved drivability, quicker throttle response, good fuel economy and better heat control.
Interested dealers should call 817/834-8961 or log on to www.danddexhaust.com for more information.
Manufacturer Expands UTV Offerings With RZR Cab
L.B. Manufacturing, a Canadian manufacturer, is expanding its product line with a new Beaver Pro Cab for the Polaris Ranger RZR vehicle.
The enclosure kit’s windshield, roof and rear panel are made from durable ABS plastic. The windshield is made from automobile safety glass, making it ideal for use with the optional electrical windshield wiper and washer kits.
A rear sliding window is also available as an option. This cab system is lightweight and installs in minutes with no modifications to the vehicle.
The doors are sold separately. Door kits and additional Beaver Pro RZR vehicle accessories will be offered in the near future, a company press release said.
Visit www.beaverpro.com or call 506/388-3335 for more information.
K&N Offers Air Filter For Triumph Daytona 675
K&N Engineering has released a new High-Flow Replacement Air Filter for 2006 models Triumph Daytona 675s.
The High-Flow Replacement Air Filter is engineered to fit securely into the Daytona’s Air Box using stock mounting points, without any cutting or fitting required. Use of the Stock OEM “O” Ring provides a factory seal for peace of mind. K&N says its unique pleated cotton design delivers an increase volume of airflow over the stock unit. This design offers better throttle response, added horsepower and longer service intervals. Being that it is a Replacement Air Filter, fuel-management changes are not necessary to receive optimum performance.
K&N High-Flow Filters are washable and a reusable lifetime air filter.
Cobra Introduces New Line of Chrome Sissy Bar Inserts
Cobra Engineering announced the release of six new sissy bar inserts that fit the hundreds of thousands of Cobra rectangular steel sissy bars already on the market.
At the same time Cobra introduced a line of round sissy bars similar in shape with the existing models, formed from solid steel.
The inserts are each made from steel, with a distinctive laser-cut design. The inserts are polished then chromed to match the sissy bars to which they mount. The six designs are: Tribal, Swept, Plain, Skull, Cross and Chevron. The inserts for the existing sissy bars come in two sizes, one for the Standard sissy bar and one for the Short and Mini.
“Sissy Bars and the items that go with them, such as our luggage racks, have always been some of our most popular items,” said Tim McCool of Cobra. Go to www.cobrausa.com for more information.
Bosski ATV Wagon Trailers Gets Military Business
The Naval Special Warefare Center has purchased a number of ATV Wagon trailers, manufacturer Bosski said in a press release Nov. 19. The military unit chose the 1600UT and the 1600AL, both tandem heavy haulers.
The Navy would not elaborate on how the ATV Wagon trailers would be used, but it is likely they will be mainly used for Navy SEAL training, Bosski says.
“We feel fortunate that our trailers are being so well received by the various government customers, specifically the elite SEALs,” said Bosski’s Keith Evans in the statement. Another defense contractor ordered ATV Wagon trailers for the Air Force earlier this year. psb