Powersports Dealer Expo 2004
 A Dozen
Northwest Companies Participate, Anti-Monkey Butt Powder Steals the Show
Indianapolis in the winter isn’t exactly a riders
paradise, but for your dealer it’s when and where they find out about all the
latest and greatest in product offerings, ranging from helmets and boots to
sunglasses and batteries.
The major bike manufacturers don’t have booths at this
event. It’s made up of hundreds of vendors who have something you can wear or
use with your motorcycle while riding. Tire pumps, alarms, light kits, huggers,
chrome billets, luggage, gloves, suspension and more make up this toy store of
goodies.
We saw some great new innovations during the event and
bumped into no less than a dozen companies from the Northwest evangelizing their
goods. Let’s look at the local participants and then I’ll switch gears and tell
you about some of the more intriguing new products I saw.
Buy Anti Monkey Butt now!
From the Northwest
Avon Tyres
Larry Hoppe and staff were on hand again this year to show
off their line of tires. The Azaro series the company came to market with some
years back are still a favorite around the Sound RIDER! offices. These are Sport
Touring tires preferred over Michelins and Dunlops any day of the week. But the
latest and greatest is the huge Venom X that’s a shoe-in for the custom cruiser
market. You need big? You’ll get it with the X.
Baker Fullbody Products
Scott Baker was on hand to once again show his line of
hang dry ventilator hangers that allow clothes to dry and air out while holding
their shape hanging in the closet. You may have seen this at their booth
locally during the International Motorcycle show the last few years in Seattle.
Bardahl Oil
Bardahl was showing off new packaging for their line of
motorcycle specific motoroils. Get out your calculators kids, the sizes are
moving from quarts to liters. Bardahl has been busy the last few years
formulating various oils and synthetics for the motorcycle world.
 BBR
Motorsports
All three Brown Brothers were on hand (Brent, Chris and
Duane - at left) to show off their ever expanding line of aftermarket goodies
for current model off-road Japanese bikes. This was their first year with a
booth at the show, which precluded with a rocky start when their trailer flipped
en route to the expo. Somehow their booth popped up without a scratch.
Classic Motorcycles and Sidecars
Tom Lynott and company came out to show off their current
line of TN’G scooters (Twist n’ Go). The biggest news from CMSI is the upcoming
re-introduction of the Lambretta scooter line.
Cyberspeed Technologies
Marc Barros and a crew from Seattle manned a booth to show
off the MotoCam and respective accessories, an onboard camera line which
originated in Seattle about a year ago. We used the MotoCam successfully last
summer to film parts of our 3 Pass Blast and Sportbike Northwest documentaries.
The latest innovation is a much needed microphone add-in which can be utilized
when rigging the system to a hand held video recorder.
 Gerbing’s
Heated Clothing
In the last few years Gerbing’s Heated Clothing of Union
Washington has grown from a mail-order and internet based seller of their heated
apparel, to building a dealer network of more than 70 motorcycle shops around
the US. The company has also developed products for the golf and sports markets
too. The latest unit is a heated bag you can slip your hands into while hunting,
shooting golf, or doing any other outdoor activity that require steady warm
hands. And even better, the unit can run off its own battery pack.
MotoComm
MotoComm of Redmond Washington produces two way
communications units that combines the simplicity of existing two way radio
technology and a single unit. More elaborate offerings include a unit that
will manage a cell phone, radar detector, CD/MP3 unit and two way radio
communication. A direct competitor to Chatter Box, MotoComm’s line provides high
quality at a low price.
Nikwax
Now in their 3rd year at the expo, Nikwax was
once again letting dealers know about the products they have to keep their
customers dry. This year they scooped up an interview for the line featuring
yours truly discussing the various products with Speed’s Two Wheel Tuesday
host, Greg White.
Renton Coil Spring
It’s a small world. We had to go all the way to
Indianapolis to find out there’s a manufacturer of off-road titanium springs
located in Renton. The springs are far lighter than standard springs, durable
and cost less than you might think.
Ural
The new URAL team was out showing off their Russian made
three-wheelers. URAL has also come forth with a two wheel cruiser model for
2004. All the bikes in the line are up to DOT specs and feature disc brakes
including their classic retro models. URAL recently moved it’s headquarters to
Redmond, WA. See accompanying story.
Vega Helmets
Jeanne DeMund and the staff from Tukwila showed off a
number of new helmets, but have also expanded the line to include street jackets
and boots. Watch for a future test article.
Innovations and otherwise
The following products will be added to the Sound RIDER!
store by the time you read this article
Anti Monkey Butt Powder
Sounds like a funny name, but if you like to ride long or
hard, then you know the kind of wear and tear you can put on your epidermis
below the belt – and that’s not funny. The guys who invented Anti Monkey Butt
Powder are riders themselves, competing in events like the Baja 500. The powder
is formulated to put on BEFORE you ride to cut the friction on your skin
from the start and allow it to absorb the poisons your skin releases through
sweat that otherwise can cause irritation. At $6 a bottle, a little goes a long
way. During recent testing the results were excellent with the powder performing
as promised. And because it’s made with talc, not cornstarch, it’s safe
for ladies too (most foot powders, which people attempt to use for the same
results, are not).
Visit the Sound RIDER! store for more details.
 CruzTools
CruzTools makes a great line of tools for the common man.
Since many used bikes are sold without tools, the CruzTools line is the perfect
addition to any bike purchase – and that goes for new bike purchases too. The
tools are all forged steel (while many manufacturers are providing sub par
sandcast tools that break with minimal force). CT makes tools for both Metric
and American bikes that are compact and travel well.
Visit the Sound RIDER! store for more details.
Eyewear
We’ve added two lines of eyewear to the store, including
sunglasses, goggles and prescription options (see accompanying feature). Wiley X
manufactures a high end line of eyewear, while Global Vision provides a low cost
alternative and a number of polarized models. We think there’s a market for
interchangeable lenses and have added a number of models that offer just that.
Clear for nighttime riding with a half or three-quarter helmet, yellow for
overcast and hazy conditions, and a myriad of other colors to suit your
Technicolor appetite. Yum.
Visit the Sound RIDER! store for more details.
PT/Winter04
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