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Vendors pleased with consumer turnout, interest level BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR The 2017 edition of High Lifter Mud Nationals did not disappoint, especially for the aftermarket parts vendors on hand. The 15th annual event drew a large crowd to Mud Creek Off-Road Park in Jacksonville, Texas, for a full lineup of races, friends and a whole lot of mud. "We saw an increase in attendance this year over last year and more attendees came earlier in the week than ever before," said Kelly Roberts, sales and marketing manager for High Lifter. PSB FOCUS CAN'T HIDE 12 • May 1, 2017• Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com This issue: ATV Next issue: Executive of the Year THE VARIETY OF OPTIONS CAN'T HIDE THE VARIETY OF OPTIONS Data shows camouflage ATVs were in abundance in the 2016 model year VIEW CAMO CHARTS ON PAGE 20 w w w . p o w e r s p o r t s b u s i n e s s . c o m NEWS: Polaris issues ORV recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 3 FINANCE: ARGO launches financing offer . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 9 CYCLE: Piaggio Group's 130th anniversary . . . . . . PAGE 27 AFTERMARKET: Yuasa Battery renews sponsorship . . . . . . PAGE 37 After hearing from multiple sources that several Arctic Cat C-suite employees were no longer with the company, Powersports Business reached out to Textron Specialized Vehicles for comment. Kevin Holleran, president and CEO of Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., sent the following statement: "As we integrate Arctic Cat into Textron Specialized Vehicles, we have realigned our leadership team accordingly so that we can operate as a single, cohesive organization. As a result, many of the members of the leadership team of the former Arctic Cat Inc. have moved on from the company. The circumstances of each departure were different — in some cases, we eliminated duplicate roles across our organization, while in INSPIRING SUCCESS THROUGH MARKET INTELLIGENCE Dealer awarded Cycle Center of Denton, awarded the inaugural Ray Price Community Service Award, continues to give back. SEE PAGE 38 HOTNEWS American-made Alabama-based Motus continues to add to its dealer base in its third model year. SEE PAGE 25 All in one The annual One Moto Show in Portland, Oregon, saw increased traffic and OEM presence in 2017. SEE PAGE 28 Students, dealers benefit from Harley-Davidson's Riding Academy training program BY LIZ KEENER SENIOR EDITOR During Harley-Davidson's fourth quarter con- ference call in late January, CEO Matt Levatich announced that The Motor Company had trained more than 65,000 new riders through its Riding Academy in 2016. But during the Q&A at the end, analyst Craig Kennison of Robert W. Baird & Co. asked about conversion. He wondered what Harley-Davidson was doing to convert those students into buyers. As part of his response, Levatich said, "There's a good half a dozen things that are going on that the teams are working on, on that very point. And it's probably one of the higher leverage opportu- nities that we have to identify the right type of people coming in, make sure they're nurtured through the process." The median age of a motorcycle owner was 47 in 2014, up from 32 in 1990, according to Motorcycle Industry Council data. In fact, 46 percent of motorcyclists were over age 50 in 2014, that study found. It's well known those stats show that many riders are getting to the age where they feel they can no longer safely operate a motorcycle, or they're passing away. Harley-Davidson has made it clear for years that it wants to increase motorcycle ridership. Of course, more motorcyclists on the road mean there's more of an opportunity to sell Harleys, but also, more motorcyclists mean the sport lives on into the future. To that end, Harley-Davidson has made several efforts to reach non-riders, one of the most important of which is its in-house Riding Academy. Riding Academy motorcycle training classes are hosted at 235 dealerships throughout the U.S., as well as at dealerships in Canada, Mexico, Brazil and China. The courses consist of classroom work, along with several hours aboard a motorcycle. And while the classes have been successful at turning non-riders into rid- ers, Harley-Davidson's new focus is expanding the Riding Academy program to include more See Harley, Page 6 PSB: FOCUS ATV SEE PAGE 12 Mud Nationals brings ready-to-spend consumers See Mud Nationals, Page 5 See Hot News, Page 3 May 1, 2017 • Volume 20, Number 6 • $3.99 For Harley dealers, school is cool Riverside Harley-Davidson in Riverside, California, taught 1,226 students to ride in 2016. Harley-Davidson's Riding Academy requires classroom work, as well as time on a motorcycle. Arctic Cat execs move on after Textron acquisition Competitors were not afraid to get muddy. With several events and races, participants stayed entertained all day. Competitors were not afraid to get muddy. With several events and races, participants stayed entertained all day.