International Dealer News IDN 142 April/May 2018 | Page 20

AIMExpo 2018, Las Vegas, November 11-14 This year sees the Motorcycle Industry Association’s (MIC) AIMExpo move on from its 2017 Columbus, Ohio venue to drop anchor at the Mandalay Bay Casino, Resort and Convention Centre on the famed ‘Strip’ at Las Vegas, Nevada. Though theoretically packing a powerful punch in terms of its reputation as a trade show host city, with more entertainment and ‘curb appeal’ to attract exhibitors and visitors than almost any other convention city in North America, it is those factors that have also given it a questionable reputation as a convention city in the motorcycle and wider powersports industries. Those ‘entertainments’ are often seen as distractions. With an expo hinterland of Nevada desert and mountains, while a stunningly attractive part of the United States, many seasoned expo exhibitors in America doubt whether it will ever be suitable for the motorcycle industry - pointing to almost all other prior attempts to attract a viable audience there (trade or consumer) as having failed. No doubt the organiser’s rationale must at least in part have been to host the show in a region that features one of the few genuinely growing sectors of the industry - the ATV and UTV/Side-by-Side markets; though even Las Vegas isn’t as well profiled a venue for that market as somewhere like, say Phoenix, Arizona (albeit another city with dubious motorcycle industry trade/consumer expo credentials). The plan is to see the show return to Columbus in 2019 - the heartland of the Harley and custom V-twin industry and the centre of the greatest concentration of motorcycle dealers (on a 500-mile radius basis) of anywhere in America. However, beyond that, the organisers are not yet confirming future plans, and even a move back to where it all Staged in Columbus, Ohio, in September 2017, it remains to be seen if the one-year stop for the event at Las Vegas proves to have been a worthwhile experiment began for them at Orlando, Florida, hasn’t yet, as we understand it, been ruled out. That said, the project continues to pick up momentum in exhibitor terms (mainstream exhibitors at least) with most of the OEs (even Harley- Davidson and Indian Motorcycle remain committed) and the U.S. market’s two primary parts and accessory distributors also now signed up. The news that Janesville, Wisconsin based major Parts Unlimited and its Drag Specialties custom operation were booked to exhibit emerged late last year. The latest news is that Tucker Rocky (their Texas based primary competitor) is also now on-board. Critical mass in distributor terms has always been important to attracting viable dealer attendances to trade shows in America, so it is to be hoped that these “breakthrough” sign-ups will herald the start of a convincing and positive trend in trade attendance, wherever the show settles or moves on to. High performance sport bike clutch kit Californian clutch specialist Barnett Tool & Engineering is celebrating its 70th anniversary under the same family ownership this year. The company’s high- performance sport bike complete clutch kits feature Barnett’s race proven Carbon or Kevlar friction plates, tempered steel drive plates, and a set of heavy duty, high temp springs. Barnett says it was the first manufacturer to introduce the Kevlar material back in 1991 and that their ‘segmented’ friction plate design increases oil flow through the clutch and provides a smoother, more 20 consistent performance and longer clutch life. The tempered steel plates are put through a de-burring process that removes all sharp edges – this results in a finish that the company says is “superior to any other on the market”. Barnett heavy duty springs are made from chrome silicon, then shot-peened and heat-treated to prevent sag. All complete clutch kits are pre-measured for exact stack height prior to packaging for optimal performance. American made since 1948. www.barnettcables.com INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - APRIL/MAY 2018