3/14/2011-Indy Expo Digest

Big Dog Motorcycles Provides New Consumer Option
INDIANAPOLIS — How do you accommodate the V-twin consumer who may not have the retail credit score or down payment to purchase a new unit?
For Big Dog Motorcycles, the answer is providing them a means to slowly build their own unit.
Big Dog Motorcycles, the longtime Wichita, Kan., manufacturer, now is offering such consumers a chance to purchase the V-twin company’s frames.
“A lot of guys really like our product, but either can’t go afford the new bikes, which start at $22,500, or they want to start piecing it together if they can’t get the retail financing,” said Matt Moore, Big Dog Motorcycles’ director of sales.
The company’s frames start at under $4,000 and will include a variety of their models, including pro street and choppers.
Consumers also can decide whether to have Big Dog paint the frames and provide graphics before receiving it. Complete paint jobs retail at $1,200.
Big Dog Motorcycles has built more than 25,000 motorcycles in the past 15 years.
Scooter Distributor Sees Benefits From Relocation
INDIANAPOLIS — Partsforscooters.com, a national scooter product distributor, recently relocated to a new location that provides more useable space than its previous location.
Matt Maney, the company’s marketing manager, told Powersports Business the move about 7 miles north of their previous location in St. Petersburg, Fla., provides a number of benefits. First, the new location is much more accessible and provides more workable space.
The Florida-based distributor works with about 1,000 dealers from around the nation.
With the move, Maney says the company installed a new inventory and bin location system that has “made shipping substantially better. Efficiency is higher; accuracy (processing orders) is much higher.”
The distributor also has added a number of high-profile suppliers in recent months, including Ancra, Slipstreamer and Star Tron.
Techician Training, Career Placement Featured At Expo
INDIANAPOLIS—The PowerSport Institute (PSI), an industry technician training school, showcased its hands-on training programs and career placement services at Dealer Expo.
PSI, which annually trains 300 students as well as factory technicians to service Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat, Harley-Davidson, Victory and S&S, is focused on developing technicians who graduate with the skills and efficiency needed to work in today’s demanding service environments, according to a company press release.
In addition to classroom and hands-on technical training, PSI students train in the school’s mock shop settings that teach service environment technician functions, like working with service managers, repair orders, securing parts and handling customer service complaints.
In addition to training, PSI has made career placement a top priority at the school. Employment Services Director Kira Daczko attended Dealer Expo to discuss the school’s free Employment Services Benefits program.
Brembo Provides New Product For Custom Bike Market
INDIANAPOLIS—Brembo introduced a new .484 caliper at Dealer Expo. The caliper is designed for the cafe racer and custom bike markets. The caliper is made of billet stock and incorporates radial mounting technology. Its interchangeable with all Brembo calipers having a 100mm mount. Special guides machined into the body of the caliper assist the sliding action of the pads so no guide pins are required. PSB