More from from the 2005 Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana – February 19-21, 2005.
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Feb. 20, 2005 – 20:46: Next to final posting. I’ll probably add another page tomorrow.
My feet and legs are killing me! So much to see, as always. But it seems easier this year, I just don’t think it’s as crowded.
I found some other areas that I hadn’t seen before. I can’t believe how many scooters and ATVs there are, mostly all from China and other Far Eastern countries.
Literally more displays than I could count, with way too many people thinking they’ll make a quick buck by purchasing a container load of cheap scooters and dumping them on unwitting dealers.
I’d sure like to know who’s going to stock all those replacement parts…. No one, is the answer. There’s absolutely, positively, without a doubt going to be a big shakeout in the scooter and ATV sector.
Those dealers who invest anything in the unheard of brands, just because the products are cheap, are shooting themselves in the foot. Their customers will be screaming when the thing breaks in about the first hour of use.
Only those companies who are really committed, who are in it for the long term, and who invest the time, effort and big bucks in the U.S.A. to stock parts and develop the necessary logistics for a dealer support network will survive.
Companies, that is, like Piaggio, Aprilia and others from Europe and Kymco and a few others from the East.
Anyway, back to the show…
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Our friends at REV’IT! are at it again. I know of no other motorcycle clothing manufacturer who is so aggressive about continuously improving and upgrading their products. They seem to come out with a completely new clothing about once every 6 months. The magic of it is that each version is better than the one before, with more features than you ever thought possible. The REV’IT! catalog is getting huge, and I lust after every single item.The new Monza jacket (left) is a lighter-weight retro styled jacket (all the rage in Europe right now) that would be perfect for you scooter riders. It has a removable liner and removable Knox armor, and it’s waterproof and breathable. REV’IT!’s Steve is a BMW GS owner and is modeling the new Cayenne adventure jacket. It has the “works” – REV’IT!’s best waterproofing, removable liners, armor, etc., etc. It has fold-up venting on the upper chest (the snaps are visible in the photo on the right) and get this – see that black vinyl square on Steve’s upper left chest? it’s a pass-through to a built-in hydrator pocket! It can also be used to feed earphone wires through. This jacket also has a detachable back fanny pack! Very cool, I’ll see if we can get one for a review soon.
Crash Pads are new to the Dealer Expo. The owners have been manufacturing these in the U.S.A. for over 14 years, and they’re a favorite of skateboarders, inline skaters, bicyclists, snowboarders and others. The designer has studied human movement and ergonomics for many years, and was a dancer and teaches movement.
The padding on each item is pieced together to move with the wearer. There are thermal, breathable underwear tops and bottoms with padding built in, and some that are cut very specifically for motorcycle racing. These folks really seem to have made a science of this. They’re going to send some over for a review.
These really caught my eye as I walked by the Master Lock display. Master Lock is getting into motorcycle security big time. The “Street Cuff” on the left looks like a huge pair of handcuffs. Very cool! They’d look great on a leather clad model in an S&M bar…but I’m sure that’s not quite what Master Lock has in mind for them!
The “Python” cable and lock on the right comes in 6, 12 and 30 foot lengths. The cable is fed through the lock, and with the key turned it can be fed through one way but not back the other. Turn the key again and the whole thing locks up. Great for threading through your jacket and helmet when leaving it with the bike, or for scooterists. It rolls up into a fairly small and light package also. We’ll be getting some for a review.
Does the photo on the left look familiar? It’s the Scorpion Helmets scorpion! A big, metal robot-like thing that is actually a very nice piece of work. You can’t tell by the photo, but it’s about 5-6 feet long!
The photo on the right is the leopard skin liner we originally had on order for our Scorpion EX-700 review. It has finally been released and they’re supposed to send us one right after the show. The liner is available in leopard skin (faux, of course!), zebra (ditto), and an “op art” pattern.
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