| Non Harley Cruiser
Accessories
2008 NON-HARLEY CRUISER ACCESSORIES MARKET REPORT
For your metric cruiser customers, there are more accessories being made to enable them to customize their bikes to fit their individual styles. From windshields, to handlebars, even drink holders, the following companies want you to know what they offer. So read on for the latest accessories for those non-Harley metric cruisers.
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The Universal Bar Mount Air Wings with Uppers™ for most cruisers with engine guards (crash bars) are the latest from Baker Built Air Wings, informed spokesperson Bruce Baker. He told us, “Universal Bar Mount Air Wings with Uppers™ do a great job of deflecting away cold air and rain in cold and wet weather.” They also are designed to greatly reduce head, shoulder and helmet buffeting when used with a windshield, he continued, while also helping to cool the rider, their passenger and the engine in hot weather. “More accessories are continually being made available to give customers a much better choice in customizing their bikes to their individual tastes,” noted Baker. The Baker Built Air Wings™ are made to provide comfort to the rider and are the next best thing to having heating and air conditioning on their bikes, he said. Baker believes the main threat to the industry is the influx of cheap, poor quality accessories imported from Taiwan, China, Russia and India. “I am a strong proponent of buying American made products,” he stated, adding, “I feel that products that are geared towards rider comfort and enjoyment are a much better choice than accessories that are just for looks.” Baker’s sales are about the same when compared to the year prior, he divulged, however, there is still a great demand for high-quality American made products.
Baker Built Air Wings
11877 Walnut Grove Road
Ohio City, OH 45874
Phone: 800-451-9464
Fax: 419-965-2646
www.bakerbuilt.com |
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“We are taking our most popular handlebar styles and developing them as crossover bars that will work on most non-Harley motorcycles,” announced Cyclesmiths spokesperson Ron Boyd. These bars measure 1 1/4 inches in diameter, come with the addition of the appropriate riser and fit on Yamaha (Star), Honda, Suzuki, Victory and Kawasaki motorcycles, said Boyd. “We have two sizes of apehangars and a beach bar right now,” he added. Parts Unlimited will reportedly be carrying these handlebars later in the year and these bars make it easy for a multi-line dealer or repair shop to sell because they still have the great look of the 1 1/4 inch bar, but they are said to have the ability to mount on many different motorcycles, so stores only need to stock or order one item. He told us he hasn’t really noticed any trends in the non-Harley cruiser market. “When you think of the non-Harley market, it goes all the way from the Victory Vision to the Honda Rebel; that’s a lot of diversity. I am not sure an overall trend is present,” he explained. Right now the economy is threatening everything and things have slowed to a point where it is difficult for businesses to have the resources to develop and market new products, Boyd noted. He told us the biggest opportunity is for both bikes and riders to emulate the look of Harley-Davidsons. “We are a company rooted in Harley accessories, I get calls all the time from people trying to adapt a Harley part to a metric application. That tells me something,” said Boyd. It will take some time until the company’s non-Harley line picks up, he divulged, so sales are pretty much the same as last year’s. “I have done some side-by-side comparisons of metric and Harley models and there doesn’t seem to be many really big differences in price,” Boyd told stores. He added, “That indicates to me that metric customers may be willing to spend as much money on accessories as a typical Harley buyer.”
Cyclesmiths
8754 Helms Ave.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Phone: 909-987-3890
Fax: 909-987-3890
www.cyclesmiths.com |
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New from EMGO International is the Maltese LED deco marker light set, stated spokesperson Greg
Tysor. This is a great looking, heavy, die cast light with amber high output LED, he explained, adding the set also comes with amber/clear lenses. One trend Tysor told us he has noticed is the increase in customization of products that were previously aimed at the Harley-Davidson market. “The economy is every segment’s threat along with rising prices,” he explained, and this is affecting the customer’s ability to afford a new toy. “The Harley aftermarket opened the eyes of the metric cruiser market and showed dealers that customers were willing to spend money on their bikes that was previously considered extravagant,” Tysor said, and now they are building full-on customs and simple metric bobbers are gaining in popularity. Sales are about the same as last year, he divulged, adding his advice to dealer/retailers is to stock the product, show it off and be informed about the advantages of each item in order to sell them. “Every segment has opportunities, but you are going to have to work harder for it,” Tysor concluded.
EMGO International
5501 Collins Blvd.
Austell, GA 30126
Phone: 770-944-3532
Fax: 770-944-7672
www.emgo.com |
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Kuryakyn Director of Marketing Marc Wolfram said the lower fork skins (pictured in the opener) for the VTX 1800 have a retail price of $129.99. These skins offer riders lots of bang for their buck and are easy to put on, giving the bike a dramatically different look, described Wolfram. There are more metric riders interested in investing in aftermarket products in order to dress up the look of their bikes, he noted, adding the biggest opportunity the non-Harley cruiser market has is to keep up with fitments. Kuryakyn’s sales are up, he divulged, and, it is important for stores to make sure they carry the basics, like grips, pegs and mirrors that cover most bikes. “The next step would be adding chrome to the showroom – it always helps to have an example on the floor with aftermarket parts on it,” Wolfram stated.
Kuryakyn
P.O. Box 339
Somerset, WI 54025
Phone: 715-247-5007
Fax: 715-247-5007
www.kuryakyn.com |
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The new engine guard for the 2008 Yamaha Raider is easy to install and utilizes most of the stock hardware, noted MC Enterprises Chief Operating Officer Bill Nichols. “It’s a classic alternative to the design offered by the OEM,” he explained. Nichols also said the company has built a sissy bar and saddlebag support for metric cruisers. “Offshore manufacturers are knocking-off American ingenuity,” he stated, adding, “Tough times tend to thin out the herd, leaving a larger piece of the pie for stronger companies that have managed to stay in business and even develop new business in the face of economic headwinds.” Nichols said the company’s sales of metric cruiser accessories are about the same as they were this time last year. He stated, “Dealer/retailers should consider suggesting aftermarket accessories instead of OEM. They’re typically less expensive for the consumer and deliver comparable and very often, advanced, features.”
MC Enterprises
460 S. Lombard St.
Oxnard, CA 93030
Phone: 866-886-2368
Fax: 805-988-1006
www.mcenterprises.com |
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Ann Willey exclaimed, “National Cycle revolutionizes windscreen performance with its new line of VStreamÆ windshields for touring and sport touring motorcycles.” VStreamÆ windshields are constructed of 4 1/2 to 6 mm polycarbonate to make them over 20 times more impact resistant than other acrylic windshields, described Willey. She told us, “All VStream windshields are also hard-coated, making them many times more scratch resistant than acrylic windshields.” VStreamÆ windshields are reportedly available for most popular touring and sport touring bikes, including the Honda GL1800 Gold Wing, Yamaha FJR1300, Honda ST1300, BMW R1200RT and Suzuki M109, DL1000 and DL650 VStrom models. The biggest opportunities lay in providing practical accessories for the used bike market, she noted, adding, “There are a lot of older bikes being put back into service and riders want to fix them up.” National Cycle’s sales have gone up, she divulged, and the company offers a wide range of quality accessories it can use to fill the demands of the used bike market. “National Cycle protects the dealer’s profit by a price policy against deep discounting on Websites and in print,” she told stores. Willey added, “We have a price policy: no advertised discounts greater than 10 percent.”
National Cycle
2200 Maywood Drive
Maywood, IL 60153
Phone: 877-972-7336
Fax: 708-343-0625
www.nationalcycle.com |
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Slipstreamer spokesperson Bob Eggerichs reported the company’s latest metric cruiser accessories are the Bullet/B-Wing shields. These windshields feature inexpensive billet aluminum hardware, height adjustability and spread adjustment, noted
Eggerichs. “Mostly I am seeing a trend away from customization and more towards economical riding,” he told us. The biggest threat to the market is the current state of the economy, said
Eggerichs, who added, “People are just not spending money on anything that is a luxury.” However, the biggest opportunity lies in offering quality product at a fair price, such as the $50-$150 group, he explained. Slipstreamer’s sales are down, he divulged. Times are tough and so dealers should make their customer service efforts even more important, Eggerichs said. He concluded by saying, “People come to brick and mortar dealerships to see and touch. If they want to look at a catalog to order, they might as well do it online and price shop at the same time.”
Slipstreamer
10820 Mankato St., N.E.
Blaine, MN 55449
Phone: 763-780-9757
Fax: 763-780-9762
www.slipstreamer.com |
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Ultima has released its new forward controls, which come in standard sizes, or two inch extended versions, as well as the new Fat Link 19.2 mm diameter shift links, with chrome jam nuts included, informed Vice President of Engineering Ken Francis. “These stylish forward controls and shift links give the Yamaha V-Star owner great choices in custom styling for their metric cruiser,” he explained. The trend Francis said he has noticed is that metric riders are looking for the same, or even better, custom styling for their bike that the Harley-Davidson rider expects. “It would be a grievous missed opportunity to not see the opportunity in metric cruiser buyers and builders,” he told us, adding, “People welcome the challenge of fully customizing these bikes.” Francis said Ultima is working on developing a frame for builders with even more bolt-on customizing, but that will still keep the original power plant. Metric cruiser parts sales are up, divulged Francis, and the line is still expanding to include custom handlebars, custom aluminum wheels and Big Growl exhaust pipes. “Some attractive presentations in dealer showrooms would go a long way in attracting the metric rider to consider further customization of their cruisers,” he recommended to stores.
Ultima Products –
Midwest Motorcycle Supply
P.O. Box 669
Pevely, MO 63070
Phone: 880-325-3914
Fax: 636-931-3300
www.ultimametric.com |
Dealers want to keep their customers coming back for more and for those metric riders, the way to do that is to supply them with stylish accessories. It is always a good idea to keep samples of these items mounted on the bike and displayed on the showroom floor, in order to catch your customer’s eye the next time they walk into your store. We hope you’ve enjoyed this feature on non-Harley metric cruiser accessories and if you have any questions, feel free to seek out these companies using the contact list we’ve provided. |
