As per http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=48296:

DENVER, Colo. – The first 750 fans to arrive to Road Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday for last month’s Triumph Big Kahuna Atlanta presented by Dunlop Tire and LeoVince received a copy of the limited-run Roadracing World Magazine/event program combination. This free offering gave fans access to the latest in AMA Pro Road Racing news along with detailed event-specific information and was produced by Roadracing World, America’s leading authority on motorcycle road racing and technology.

“We were thrilled with how the event program turned out,” said Cameron Gray, CEO of M1 PowerSports. “The staff at Roadracing World puts out a first-rate product month after month and we can’t thank them enough for working so hard on this first-time initiative.”

The co-op program between M1 PowerSports and Roadracing World was one of the most talked about features of the event weekend and principals of the two companies are currently discussing the expansion of the program for the remaining two rounds of this year’s Triumph Big Kahuna Triple Crown.

“We’ve got a few months to build on this,” Gray continued. “And we’re hoping to deliver even more insider information to the fans that attend the Triumph Big Kahuna Miami and the Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans.”

For tickets and information about the Big Kahuna Miami, scheduled for September 21 – 23, 2012 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., visit http://www.m1powersports.com/big-kahuna-miami/. For tickets and information about the Big Kahuna New Orleans, scheduled for October 5 – 7, 2012 as the first professional motorsports event at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, La., visit http://www.m1powersports.com/big-kahuna-new-orleans/.

About M1 PowerSports, formerly M1 Entertainment: A Denver-based company, M1 PowerSports has been working in motorsports for over 16 years. Originally spawned from Daniels Corporation under the name FAST, the fledgling company was heavily involved in television production for car and motorcycle racing. With the birth of Speedvision, FAST morphed into Race Promotion Management (RPM) and is now operating as M1 PowerSports with many of the same staff still in place. We still sell advertising for Speed, sell merchandise under the brand Moto 1 and promote our own events, keeping us busy year-round! For more information, please call 303-377-3278 or email info@m1powersports.com.

As per http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=48163:

May 02, 2012, ©Copyright 2012, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

From a press release issued by Advanstar Communications:

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – May 1, 2012 – Danny Phillips, Executive Vice President of Advanstar Communications; Powersports Division, announced today that Mo Murray, former General Manager; Customer Support Group at Yamaha and former Senior Vice President, Brand Development at Global MotorSport Group, has joined its Powersports Division as Brand Director. In this capacity, he will be responsible for product and content development for Dealer Expo, the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows and Dealernews-branded properties. Murray replaces Kerry Graeber who recently left the company to pursue other opportunities.

Phillips feels Murray will add real strength to Advanstar’s Powersports management team. “Mo is an innovative professional with the energy and intelligence to develop our brands, our events, our content and add value for our customers,” stated Phillips. “He is a creative, strategic thinker with strong ties to the Powersport community and I’m looking forward to working closely with him.”

Murray added, “This is an exciting opportunity to shape the Powersports Division across a range of businesses and to a variety of audiences. With the help of our operations, sales and marketing teams, I plan to develop integrated positioning strategies and exciting and educational content, unique to the Advanstar properties, in order to ensure maximum brand exposure for the division and our customers. As a lifelong powersports enthusiast and having spent my career in this industry, I am very excited to join the Advanstar team at this time. As our industry recovers from a very challenging few years, the needs of its retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers are rapidly evolving to address new opportunities and deliver new customers. Advanstar is poised to lead this evolution, and I am proud to be given this opportunity to help shape the next great growth period in the powersports industry.”

Murray brings to Advanstar, more than 25 years in the Motorcycle and broader Powersports industry and has a unique viewpoint of market trends. Murray will be based out of Advanstar’s Santa Monica headquarters. He resides in Mission Viejo, California with his wife and two children.

About Progressive International Motorcycle Shows®

From New York to California, the 12-city nationwide tour of the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows® offers more than 500,000 consumers and 900 exhibitors from all powersports lifestyle interests an all access pass to the world of motorcycling. With hundreds of the latest street bikes, dirt bikes, cruisers, scooters and ATVs for both new and experienced riders, the world’s largest traveling powersports event gives enthusiasts of all ages the opportunity to check out the latest gear and aftermarket accessories. The show also offers hours of entertainment including a thrilling trials stunt show from The Smage Bros, made famous by their Top 10 finish in a nationally televised talent competition; a custom bike competition offering over $90,000 in prize money and featuring $20 million worth of motorcycle machinery; an all-new exclusive Kawasaki Design-A-Bike digital light painting experience; information tailored for women riders; learning experiences; and more. Show attendees are nine times more likely than the average motorcyclist to purchase a new powersports vehicle and related parts, products, and accessories, offering exhibitors exclusive access to the largest audience of potential buyers. For more information, visit: www.motorcycleshows.com.

About Dealer Expo

The 2013 Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo is the largest powersports business event in the world, bringing together dealers, distributors, aftermarket parts and accessory companies and original equipment manufacturers in one place at one time each year for a “buying, learning and networking” experience. The event provides a valuable and efficient show experience for its customers, including nine segmented marketplaces on the show floor, in one trade show hall, and learning, networking and entertainment opportunities centered on distinct product and lifestyle categories.

About Advanstar Communications

Advanstar Communications Inc. (www.advanstar.com) is a leading worldwide media company providing integrated marketing solutions for the Fashion, Life Sciences and Powersports Industries. Advanstar serves business professionals and consumers in these industries with its portfolio of 147 events, 68 publications and directories, 267 electronic products and Web sites, as well as educational and direct marketing products and services. Market leading brands and a commitment to delivering innovative, quality products and services enables Advanstar to “Connect Our Customers with Theirs.”

 As per http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/apr/16/tig-boats-builds-wave-innovation/:

A man from Iowa traveled to Abilene during his spring break in March for one reason – to tour Tigé Boats, Inc.

Such visitors – in this case a six-time customer of Tigé watercraft – are common for the builder of high-end inboard motor boats, said Jean Wagner, Tigé corporate relations manager.

Tigé specializes in boats for water sports enthusiasts, especially in wakeboarding, wakesurfing and wakeskating. (Visit tige.com for video of such activities.)

Company officials tout their boats’ innovative engineering and premium accessories. Tigé holds two U.S. patents on its unique hull design that, along with other boat components, allows customers to create custom wakes specific for rider and water conditions.

The 10 models currently in the Tigé lineup range from $40,000 to $110,000.

“We build and sell dreams. People work their entire lives to put this boat in their driveway and drive it to the lake on the weekends,” said Rick Correll, Tigé president. “We try to honor that dream.”

Tigé makes that dream a reality worldwide with dealers in Canada, France, Australia, South Africa, Russia, Japan, China and other countries. International sales currently account for 30 percent of all business.

But, many potential customers put that dream on hold during the economic downturn that started in 2008.

“We are acutely aware that we are in an industry that no one needs,” Correll said.

Marine industry sales plummeted 70 percent. Some manufacturers filed bankruptcy. Several dealers shuttered their doors.

Tigé boat production went from a peak of seven a day to two, and employment from a high of 279 to 50-plus, Correll said. There also was at least one month-long furlough and pay cuts, he said.

But, the company protected its brand by buying back boats from dealers going out of business rather than letting them be slashed in value. And, they paid their vendors on time, fostering a relationship that is beneficial when supplies are needed quickly, Correll said.

The practice of not building a boat until it is purchased also kept Tigé from overextending itself. During the lull, Tigé pushed innovation.

In the last three years, three new-and-improved models have rolled out, based in part on customer and dealer feedback, said Tony Fussell, director of sales.

For example, Tigé introduced touch-screen controls in 2010, the first in the industry. In 2011 Tigé celebrated its 20th anniversary with a Platinum edition that was so popular it is being continued in 2012, Fussell said.

“We made it our focus and our goal that when the turnaround happened, we would be prepared to leap frog everyone else,” Correll said.

Tigé is now ranked fifth in market share in the industry, having risen at least three spots since the recession began, Correll said.

Production has grown to three boats a day, and there are now 125 people on payroll, he said. The expectation is that four to five boats will roll out each weekday in 2013.

“We hope in the next three to five years to be back to seven,” Correll said.

Fostering relationships with customers long after the sale is part of the process of building Tigé brand loyalty. Many dealers host reunions for Tigé owners to foster camaraderie and sharing of tips and tricks. Tigé also hosts an online forum for owners, welcomes them on factory tours and sponsors events worldwide.

This year the company is hosting a new competition for amateurs and professionals called Tigé MyWake Global Challenge. Participants submit a video of their wake sport ride, and a panel of judges will select the top riders for a live pro-am finals competition in September in Orlando.

For 30 years Correll has been in the boating industry, which he said usually goes through 10-year cycles of expansion to contraction and back. He believes Tigé is positioned to capitalize on the next economic upspring.

“I’ve been with this company six years, and I’ve never been with a finer company,” Correll said.

Genesis of Tigé Boats

To appreciate the entrepreneurial success of Tigé Boats, President Rick Correll tells the story of an aspiring competitor.

In the mid-1990s, Toyota launched Epic ski boats. Despite investing significant capital and hiring leading engineers and designers, Epic folded a few years later because of production and marketing miscues, according to epicmarine.com.

Charlie Pigeon of California started Tigé with a lot less fanfare. He had $85,000 and a passion for building a better slalom ski boat. The company name is a European-inspired derivative of Pigeon’s childhood nickname Tiger.

The initial prototype was started in a rented barn, and the first boat was made in leased excess space in a manufacturing facility. In 1991, Pigeon sold his first Tigé boat, the 2000slm Comp that was named “1992 Rookie of the Year” by WaterSki magazine.

“Charlie would build a boat, hitch it on the back of a truck and drive it across the country to sell it. Once it sold, he would then build another one,” Correll said.

In 1995, Tigé relocated to Abilene because of an incentives package from the Development Corporation of Abilene. Manufacturing took place in six buildings off U.S. Highway 277 north of town.

Pigeon continued to respond to trends in family boating, such as designing boats whose drag and ballast could be adjusted easily for emerging extreme water sports.

The DCOA later extended another incentives package of $4.6 million that enabled Tigé to build a 130,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and headquarters that streamlined production and doubled capacity. The second package included a 25-year, no-interest $4 million loan. The state-of-the-art facility opened in 2006 on State Highway 36 north of Abilene Regional Airport.

Although Pigeon now resides in Austin, he serves as CEO and remains active in company operations. His sons also are in the business. Sam Pigeon is a regional sales manager, and Blake Pigeon is a project manager, Correll said.

Laura Gutschke is an Abilene freelance writer.

 

As reported by: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-17/audi-said-poised-to-buy-motorcycle-maker-ducati-for-1-dot-1-billion

By Chad Thomas on April 17, 2012

Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s Audi is poised to purchase Italian motorcycle maker Ducati Motor Holding SpA from owner Investindustrial SpA for about 860 million euros ($1.1 billion) including debt, a person familiar with the matter said.

Audi has reached an agreement with Investindustrial to buy the Bologna, Italy-based maker of luxury motorbikes, with VW’s supervisory board set to approve the deal tomorrow, said the person, who declined to be identified discussing the private negotiations. Audi and Investindustrial declined to comment.

The deal, minus debt, would value Ducati at about seven times last year’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Ducati’s total liabilities are less than 200 million euros, buyout firm Investindustrial said last month.

Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who turned 75 today, has long coveted the brand, publicly expressing interest in buying Ducati in April 2008 before eventually losing out to Investindustrial. The purchase will make Ducati the 11th brand in VW’s portfolio, alongside super-car marques Lamborghini and Bugatti and heavy-duty truck manufacturers Scania AB and MAN SE. (MAN)

“Ducati is one of the finest machines you can buy but strategically it’s insignificant for Volkswagen,” said Christoph Stuermer, a Frankfurt-based analyst with IHS Automotive. “Its revenue is more than Lamborghini’s and Bugatti’s combined, but to the automotive operations, it’s a mere accessory.”

BMW Competition

Ducati would complement Audi’s luxury-car lineup with products such as the $28,000 Superbike 1199 Panigale S Tricolore and expand the brand’s competition with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), which makes BMW and Husqvarna motorcycles. Ducati, which last year sold about 42,000 motor bikes, had revenue for 2011 of 480 million euros.

For Volkswagen, the deal would mean an entry into the motorcycle business and gaining another asset in Italy after buying super-car brand Lamborghini and Italdesign Giugiaro SpA. Piech has also expressed interest in the past in Fiat SpA (F)’s Alfa Romeo brand.

Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (HMCL), India’s biggest motorcycle maker, had also expressed interest in Ducati after Milan-based Investindustrial made it known in February that it planned to sell the company. Daimler AG (DAI), which makes Mercedes-Benz cars, reiterated today that it’s not interested in acquiring Ducati.

Ducati, which was founded in 1926, sells the Superbike, Monster, Streetfighter, Hypermotard, Multistrada and the new Diavel models in 65 countries.

To contact the reporter on this story: Chad Thomas in Berlin at cthomas16@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chris Reiter at creiter2@bloomberg.net.

As reported from:http://www.mlive.com/opinion/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/04/motorcycle_helmets_and_seat_be.html

By Rob Clark 

Gov. Rick Snyder signed the motorcycle helmet repeal into law last week, which made for an interesting conversation about freedom at Friday’s Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon.
I had the honor of serving as the moderator during the event’s question-and-answer session. That meant I got to sit at the speaker’s table with state Sen. Mike Green and state Reps. Charles Brunner, Jim Stamas and Joel Johnson.
The topic of the helmet repeal came up and each legislator mentioned how they voted on that bill. The three Republicans — Green, Stamas and Johnson — voted for the bill, while Brunner, a Democrat, opposed it.
We talked a bit about why the lawmakers voted as they did, and in the course of conversation, Brunner said he originally supported the repeal, but changed his mind after hearing from those opposed, like insurance companies and safety advocates who are warning of higher premiums for all motorists, as well as more fatalities and serious injuries.
For Stamas, his support of the repeal was for a simple reason: he doesn’t believe the government should be in the business of taking away people’s liberties. Several others nodded in agreement.

Telling an adult they must wear a motorcycle helmet when riding does just that in the minds of many.

I then posed this question: Should we also repeal the law that requires the use of seat belts?
For many at the table, the answer was yes.
That got me to thinking about laws and freedom and how I personally feel about those times when the two seem to intersect. I certainly respect the idea that adults should get to choose for themselves whether or not to wear a helmet or to buckle up. But I also know that, as human beings, we often don’t make the most wise decisions, even if we are equipped with enough facts to do so.
In those cases, I have no problem with laws that take liberty out of the equation, often for the greater good.
I pressed the issue further.
So, should we repeal laws that require parents to place their young children in car seats?
The answer was a chorus of “No’s.”
Why? I asked.
The lawmakers explained that children don’t have the ability to make informed decisions for themselves and thus, that law is different.
OK. So we must protect the children. I get that.
Then, should we pass a law that makes it illegal for parents to smoke cigarettes while riding in a vehicle with their children? Should it be illegal to smoke in your own home if you have children? Certainly that would be an infringement on a person’s freedom. But if we must protect the children, then we must. Right?
The point is, freedom is tricky.
It’s more complicated, to me, than a blanket belief that government shouldn’t be in the business of standing in the way of it. Sometimes government should make rules that, like it or not, lead to behaviors that are beneficial to all concerned.
In the interest of full disclosure, I didn’t always wear a seat belt and it wasn’t a law that changed my mind. It took a girl who knew what was best for me. I ended up marrying her.
Still, I certainly see the benefit of a law that requires me to click-it or ticket.
I see the sensibility of a law that requires motorcycle riders to wear helmets.
And, I would have no problem supporting a law that hands down strict punishment for people who smoke around children.
Looking for approval of my opinions, I asked my wife how she felt about all this. Her answer surprised me. She agrees with those who believe our government shouldn’t make laws that take away a person’s liberties.
So, let me get this straight: she’s against government officials telling me I have to wear a seat belt, but should I fail to buckle up, the love of my life will furiously become the long arm of the law.
See? I told you. Freedom is tricky.