April 5, 2010: Aftermarket Digest

Western Power Sports upgrades its dealer Web site

Western Power Sports (WPS) has launched a new and improved dealer Web site. The new version includes upgrades that allow WPS dealers to place orders more efficiently, quickly browse products and product catalogs, and manage account details easier.

“With so many orders now placed through our dealer Web site, we decided it was time for a new version that built upon the simplicity and ease of use of our previous Web site,” stated Rody Cummings, director of IT at WPS. “Our goal with this latest version was to streamline the user experience through increased speed and a simplified user interface, while at the same time we made it easier for our dealers to place orders in an efficient manner.”

Highlights of the new WPS dealer Web site include:

• Redesigned user interface with simple navigation;

• Improved cart and item entry experience;

• New quick order tab;

• New display dealer costs toggle option;

• New express item list;

• Segmented new and closeout items.

For more information, visit www.wps-inc.com.

Custom Chrome’s v-twin Dealer Show returns

National V-twin distributor Custom Chrome marked its 40th anniversary by doing something it had done in the past — a dealer show.

The California-based distributor brought together an international group of vendors and dealers in mid-March for the show, which was held at Hayes Mansion in San Jose, Calif.

Custom Chrome CEO Holger Mohr, in a press release, said, “I have been asked many times when we were going to bring back the dealer show and quite frankly, we were not going to do that until we could do it right. We are now in a position to do the show the way it should be done.”

The event included an exhibit that showed artifacts of the company’s history, including separate timeline walls that were covered in catalog covers, calendars, print ads, photos and more.

Guests also took tours of the company’s headquarters in nearby Morgan Hill.

“We really couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout, the amount of business written this weekend and the positive dealer feedback from the weekend,”?Steve Veltri, Custom Chrome’s vice president of sales and marketing, said in the press release.

Veltri also said the company plans on returning the dealer show to an annual event.

East Coast distributor picks up Big Gun Exhaust

J&M ATV Supply will be carrying inventory for all the exhaust lines manufactured by Big Gun, stated Big Gun Exhaust in a press release.

J&M ATV Supply, an East Coast distributor, will begin stocking and selling Big Gun exhaust immediately. Their 2010 catalog is due out in a few months.

Drag Specialties Announce New northwest Sales Rep

Drag Specialties announced Benny Harwell has transferred to the Pacific Northwest to become a regional sales representative.

Harwell previously worked for Drag Specialties for more than 4 years in the San Francisco Bay area.

Nitrogen Tire Inflation Wand Now Available to industry

Parker Hannifin Corp., a global provider of motion and control technologies, has introduced a manual nitrogen tire inflator.

The TireSaver TS018-Wand is a robust, lightweight, portable nitrogen tire inflator that can be used to inflate the tires on a variety of vehicles, including motorcycles, powersports and trailers. The company says when the product is connected to an existing compressed air line, it will continuously produce an on-demand nitrogen supply. The exchangeable membrane cartridge technology, developed by Parker Hannifin and patent pending, is designed to inflate more than 5,000 tires (1,000 vehicles) with nitrogen, or top-off more than 25,000 nitrogen-filled tires.

The Tiresaver TS018-Wand will improve the availability of nitrogen for tire filling, allowing more consumers to realize the benefits of proper tire inflation. 

2010 PARTS UNLIMITED ATV/UTV CATALOG now available

For 2010, Parts Unlimited has added more product and technical information to its ATV?catalog, which this year will include the fast-growing UTV?segment as well.

Gone is the single section for UTV. Now with more than 850 full-color pages, you can find every part and accessory you need for your ATV and UTV in each of the catalog sections you have become familiar with.

Also be sure to check out the 2010 Helmet & Apparel catalog for all your soft-good needs.

VP’S NEW fuel MAXIMIZES POWER FOR four-STROKES

VP Racing Fuels’ search for more power has resulted in a new racing fuel, MR12.

“MR12 is engineered to generate maximum horsepower in four-stroke applications and it really delivers,” said Bruce Hendel, VP’s Western Regional manager. “While VP’s MR9 previously made more power than any other motorcycle fuel on the market, dyno tests show MR12 ups the ante by another 5 percent.

“The new technology used in MR12 was built on the technological foundation laid with MR9,” Hendel continued. “Given that MR9 provided the power for numerous champions in all AMA Superbike classes, as well as AMA Motocross, customers can be assured of world-class performance with MR12.”

Although currently not legal in AMA Pro Racing, MR12 passes fuel rules for AMA Pro/Am, CCS, WERA, AFM, NMA, WORCS, SCORE and Best in the Desert as well as club level racing and more.

The ‘next generation of cigarette lighter sockets’

Plug-in style cigarette lighters have long been a staple in the auto industry as the power source for everything from radar detectors and GPS navigation systems. Now motorcyclists can enjoy the same level of convenience with the new Handlebar Power Outlet conversion kit.

“This is the next generation of handlebar-mounted cigarette lighter sockets,” explains Powerlet marketing manager Adam Bonislawski. “Intended for bars from 1 1/8 inch up to 1 1/4 inch diameter, this socket set-up is CNC-machined from billet aluminum and packaged with a 60-inch wire harness … and unlike other auxiliary wiring sets, ours even includes an actual cigarette lighter.”

Built to meet or exceed OEM specs of any powersports product, including motorcycles, ATVs and PWC, the AKT model Handlebar Power Outlet is fabricated from marine-grade materials and designed to function even while the rider is wearing gloves.

Odyssey Renews Partnership with Richard Childress Racing

Odyssey Battery by EnerSys has renewed its partnership with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as an official technical partner of RCR for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Additionally, it has expanded its relationship to highlight the partnership with RCR’s No. 29 Sprint Cup Team and driver Kevin Harvick.

As an official technical partner, Odyssey Battery will continue to provide batteries and engineering support to all of the RCR teams in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. The Odyssey Battery logo will be shown on all the team haulers and pit equipment. Additionally, the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala driven by Harvick will display the Odyssey logo on the lower front quarter panels of the race car.

WILEY X LAUNCHES ONLINE SALES TRAINING PROGRAM

Vision protection innovator Wiley X Inc. has a new online sales training program designed to help sales associates at approved retailers learn everything there is to know about Wiley X’s history, military tradition and full line of products.

More importantly, this self-guided program is designed to make it easy for salespeople to log on and quickly become “Wiley X-Perts.”

The new Wiley X Online Sales Training Program is offered through sales education leaders 3Point5.com, a company that provides training services to a number of recognized brands. This Web-based training program was developed by Wiley X to make it easy for retail sales associates to broaden their understanding and knowledge of Wiley X at their own pace.