Feeding the buzz

It’s been a day since it was announced that Steve Jobs died and it’s hard to ignore the avalanche of accolades and odes to the Apple man appearing across the interwebs.

As was referenced in this space back in the June 2011 issue of Dealernews, I’m a diehard Apple acolyte, and I happen to agree with nearly everything that’s been written about Jobs and his impact on Life as We Know It. If you boiled down the many and various ways our lives intricately intertwine with technology, you’d end up with Jobs and his vision of what could be — which more than anything were dreams writ large by a man of unmatched vision.

Here was a guy with a drive to create products that excite people and worm their way into the everyday existence of their users. He took a once-floundering company and turned it into a cultural flashpoint.

So here we are, forever swirling around the bowl of the powersports market’s endless flushing. All this twirling around can leave a person dizzy and discombobulated: Dare we keep our eyes raised high to the light or cast down into the abyss? I choose to keep my sights set upward and onward. Never mind the glass half full, I’m looking at the toilet half flushed. We’re not down yet.

And we won’t be down. Motorcycles are way too fun to go away. Yes, it would be great for a moto-Jobs to come along and raise the entire industry out of the stink, but that’s not likely. And maybe not necessary.

Look around, there are two-wheel visionaries hard at work among us. Dreams are being wrought into reality everyday.

Take Roland Sands. For my money, he’s one of the most forward-looking and creative individuals working in the aftermarket. His eponymous company continues to devise, design and build products that quite simply are like nothing else out there — from their custom bikes to the new

Clarity Line of hard parts (see-through timing cover, anyone?) to its just-released lineup of high-end and stylish apparel. RSD seems to exist on a different plane.

And then there’s Tom Seymour and his team at Saddlemen, where nobody ever seems to sleep.

How else to explain the company’s release of 100 new seats for Harley-Davidson and metric applications? There’s also an expansive amount of new luggage and luggage accessories aimed at the popular touring market. A new overseas factory owned and managed directly by Saddlemen. Nobody at Saddlemen is hunkering down waiting for blue skies.

How about Brian Klock and his team at Klock Werks? Not only is the crew from South Dakota breaking records at Bonneville, it continues to design and develop new products and come up with killer retail solutions to help dealers sell said product. I had a good conversation with Klock at the recent Drag Specialties Rocky Mountain Run about his windshields, parts and dealer programs such as the “Try It Before You Buy It” demo ride offering. Seriously, contact these guys. Not only will Klock knock you down with his enthusiasm and good grace, you might even get a personal visit from one of the Klock Werks’ crew members.

Chris Carter and Motion Pro continually produce new gadgets, tools and equipment to help ease motorcycle operation and maintenance. Cobra Engineering. Icon. Spidi. Drayko. GoPro. Klim.

All have something to keep we riders enthusiastic about being enthusiasts.

And check out Victory Motorcycles, Ducati and Triumph. These OEMs, and a couple others, continue to build some of the best bikes in the history of motorcycling — that is until the next round of new models comes around.

It would be impossible to discuss forward-thinkers without mentioning Erik Buell. H-D? Who needs ‘em. Buell is well into the next chapter in his life and it involves a motorcycle that is as impressive looking in person as it is on paper. Saw and touched the 1190RS up close, and it was one of those moments where I thought, “Should I be getting this excited about a motorcycle?”

So while the industry has yet to find its singular Jobs, it has dozens — if not more — of inspiring innovators who keep us buzzing along on the strength of their creativity. Much like with Apple and its striving for something ever more cool, the world of motorcycling’s never ending search for better continues to astound. Onward and upward.

Dennis Johnson
Editor in Chief
dennis.johnson@dealernews.com

Tags: aftermarket, innovation, new, products