|
|
| People in the Industry
Dealer
|
|
DEALER: RICK FAIRLESS, STROKERS DALLAS
Rick Fairless remembered that when he was a kid his father and all of his father’s friends had motorcycles, so by age five Rick knew that he wanted one of his own and by age seven Fairless was riding his uncle’s Honda around his 600 acre property in East Texas. “I would ride that thing ‘til the wheels fell off and then keep going!” he told us, adding, “I rode dirt bikes until I was old enough to get my motorcycle license and then quickly changed to the road.” Rick said he has always loved the exhilaration and excitement one gets from riding motorcycles. “The adrenaline rush and the way it makes your heart pump gives you that ‘can’t touch me’ feeling that you can’t get anywhere else,” he added.
After 20 years of working in the paint industry, Fairless said he retired from Glidden and opened Strokers Dallas in 1996. I wanted to start my own business and I knew it had to be with motorcycles,” he explained. Since then he has also opened up Strokers Ice House Bar & Grill and Strokers Ink Tattoo & Piercing Parlor. “I arrive at 6am every day to do all of the paperwork for the businesses and I stay until the store closes at 7pm. I am here eight days a week running and overseeing every aspect of all three businesses, although the custom building is still my passion,” he told us, adding, “My favorite part of the business is designing custom bikes and working with the build team to make them a reality.”
|
|
Fairless told us he loves the passion the people have for this industry and no other industry has the energy level and excitement like this one. “People in this industry love what they do,” he explained, adding, “I enjoy coming to work every day, being my own boss, making my own decisions and doing what I love.” He said his favorite moments happen all of the time. “It’s seeing the look on a person’s face when they buy a motorcycle from our company, whether it’s off the showroom floor or a custom built design. I love being able to pass on that excitement I have for motorcycles to another person and really make them happy. It’s different when someone gets a new motorcycle versus getting a new car. Everyone gets a car, but you don’t get a motorcycle everyday. It’s an exciting thing for a lot of people and I’m happy to be able to give that to others.” Fairless said he rides his custom bikes regularly on trips and around town with his wife and friends. He added, “I also ride my dirt bikes on the weekends with my buddies. I just enjoy the ride no matter where I am or what I’m on.”
Those competitors who enter the industry without fully understanding what they’re getting into is what Fairless said he considers to be the biggest threat facing the powersports industry. “They come in, try to make a quick buck, basically give their services away and then go out of business. In the end they just muddy the water for the rest of us and leave us with a black eye,” Rick explained.
On the other hand, companies like Big Dog, Big Bear and Victory have continuously come out with newer and better models and people are starting to take to the American non-Harley-Davidson brands more seriously, he continued. “I think they will continue to build great products, grow and take more market share,” Rick added.
Fairless had only one piece of advice to give to others in this industry: “Get up early, work hard all day and good things will happen.” |
 |
|
Distributor
|
|
DISTRIBUTOR: HAL
SANGUINETTI, TNT DISTRIBUTING
One of the older kids who lived down the block owned a
step-through Honda and he would occasionally allow a
young Hal Sanguinetti to drive it around the
neighborhood, he told us. It was around 1963 or so and
Hal said he loved the freedom it gave him as well as the
whole ‘wind in the hair’ experience. “But if my
mom had found out, I would have been in serious
trouble,” he laughed, adding, “She was terrified at
the thought of me riding motorcycles!”
|
At some point
around 1967 Sanguinetti and a friend of his opened a
little “speed shop” called Western Performance
Center & Cycle, in South Pasadena, CA, he told us.
“Because dirt bikes were becoming increasingly popular
in the area, we started adding motorcycle accessories
and oils,” Hal explained. He added, “Oddly enough,
the main brand I sold was Torco, which is the product I
warehouse in Arizona today.” The store only lasted
about a year, Sanguinetti said, due to some vandalism on
the buildings, which the property owner wrongly blamed
them for. “It was a great learning experience and I
met a lot of people who would go on to remain good
friends today,” he explained.
In 1971 Sanguinetti formed a partnership with Ron Sexton
– father of Jeff and Rod Sexton, well-known Southern
California Scramblers and Speedway racers – to pen
Track ‘N Travel in Chino, CA, he continued, and five
months after that he opened his own shop under the same
name in Pasadena, CA. Sanguinetti stated, “We sold
Maico as our primary brand and added Puch, Can-Am and
KTM motorcycles. The Chino store didn’t last long, but
Pasadena did well over the 14 years we were in business,
closing some time in 1984.”
Sanguinetti said he then went to work as a road rep in
the mid-1970s for a Southern California based
distributor called Jerry Bases Distributing, out of
North Hollywood. Hal told us his first trip for the
company was to Las Vegas, where he used clippings from
other company’s catalogs in place of his own, because
they didn’t have one at the time. “Several of the
people there are still in business today and remain good
friends, such as Tom Scales and Casey Folkes at
Sportsman Cycle Sales, now separate businesses,” he
recalled. Sanguinetti added, “Working for Jerry was a
huge learning experience because it was a very small
firm and I would help put inventory away, work on the
catalog and work the trade shows Jerry participated in
as well.”
Then Jerry hired an ex-liquor salesman as sales manager
and the guy fired Sanguinetti, who immediately went to
work for Flanders Company in Pasadena, located about
five minutes from his house, he told us. Hal said he
worked in the same position for Flanders, covering much
of the same territory as before. “That was a big step
up, as Flanders had already been in business for many
years and was a well-oiled machine compared to Bases,”
he explained, adding, “Back then I really enjoyed
driving and the road rep deal was a lot of fun. Of
course, gas was cheap, too! I had opened my shop about
the same time and after a while, realized I couldn’t
do both, so I left Flanders on great terms and did TNT
full time, which lasted until early 1984.”
Shortly after closing the shop, Sanguinetti explained he
then went to work as the sales manager at Circle
Industries, a big sprocket manufacturer in Southern
California. “It was my initiation into the
manufacturing side of the industry and a real eye-opener
and a great experience, he told us. Almost a year later,
Hal took a similar position with Graydon-Proline, the
quad parts distributor in Paramount. Around 1985 or
1986, he moved on to work as the national sales manager
and race team coordinator for White Brothers, where he
stayed until 1989.
“I started announcing races in 1973 at Irwindale
Raceway, hired by the late Steve Evans and mentored by
Bruce Flanders,” he explained. Sanguinetti said he’s
done motocross (local, outdoor nationals and SX),
motorcycle road racing and offroad racing, kart road
racing, offroad car racing (desert and stadium), plus
Arenacross, Micky Thompson Grand Prixs, R/C car racing
and more. He continued by saying, “Currently, I’m
the main announcer at Speedworld Raceway Park in
Surprise, AZ, both for the NHRA dragstrip and the
motocross.”
“After leaving WB, but continuing to put on Tom’s
races, I kicked back for a while, finally moving to
Arizona in June of 1993, where I started TNT
Distributing and remain today,” Hal added. The owner
and operator of TNT Distributing, a Phoenix based
regional warehouse distributor for the automotive
performance and powersports industry, Sanguinetti said
the company had started out with 25 lines, but dropped
most of them and now sells Torco Performance Oils, Baja
ATV whips and a few other small lines. “It’s a
one-man operation and I prefer it that way,” stated
Sanguinetti.
Hal told us he enjoys both the products and selling them
to dealers, as well as the freedom motorcycle and quad
riding affords for those involved in this industry.
“Selling a product has always been fun to me and I
enjoy the relationships between both the WD and the
dealers and the dealers and the consumers,” he
explained. Some of his favorite moments, he said, would
probably involve the great times he’s had while
announcing races. His best race would be either the
Mammoth MX when Donnie Hansen and Ricky Johnson dueled
for 45 minutes, or the Anaheim SX with Ricky Johnson and
David Bailey, recalled Sanguinetti.
As his friends can attest, Sanguinetti is not shy when
asked to give his opinion on what he believes are big
threats to the industry. Hal told us he believes there
are three threats facing the powersports market today.
The first, he said, is the influx of cheap mainland
Chinese products into the US without any regulation as
to quality and customer support. “The Chinese
Communists have one goal – to take over this country
economically and the powersports market is one area they
are accomplishing that goal very well,” he explained.
The second threat he said he has noticed is the erosion
of the traditional three part distribution system and
the heavy discounting used by distributors to get
business. He continued by saying, “Big stores and
store chains are now buying direct at WD prices from
manufacturers who are too greedy and short sighted to
see the affect this has on the smaller shops, which are
still the backbone of the industry.”
He added, “Finally, the affect that online outfits
like Sponsorhouse.com and MXsponsor.com are having on
the dealers. Here in Arizona our trackside parts dealer
has stopped going to the track because every Tom, Dick
and beginner buys direct from the manufacturer and
bypasses him. Racer sponsorship is NOT for the masses
– you must earn the right to have a sponsor and under
no circumstances is it for any beginner riders.” These
online programs are driving many dealers out of the
accessory business and have convinced these riders that
it is cheaper to buy the parts direct from the
manufacturer rather than through their local dealers,
which is killing the industry, Sanguinetti continued,
“Some dealers are now refusing to purchase parts from
companies that use these online programs, but
unfortunately, it hasn’t been enough to stop the
problem.”
On the other hand quads are a strong trend that he said
he believes will continue to be so, since they can be
used for more activities than a dirt or street bike.
“However, government interference in the quad market
is always looming over our shoulders, so the OEMs and
dealers need to be very careful how these machines are
marketed,” explained Sanguinetti. With offroad and
motocross race attendance down across the country,
promoters and dealers need to work together to increase
turnouts and participation, Hal suggested. He added,
“I feel the industry should realize that a good,
medium-displacement, entry-level line of street bikes
– properly marketed – could attract a lot of new
people to our sport.”
For those people looking to make their start in this
industry, Sanguinetti advised, they shouldn’t work if
its just another job to them. “Get in it because
you’re an enthusiast who loves motorcycles and quads,
rides on a regular basis and really enjoys what
powersports has to offer,” he said, adding, “If you
already have a powersports business, hire enthusiasts
first, not necessarily racers, but enthusiasts –
people who love the sport – and reap the benefits of
having dedicated, enthusiastic employees working for you
and making you money instead of time clock-punchers who
surf the Internet all day.” Powersports is a lifestyle
and the industry has many rewards for those who really
believe in it, he continued. Sanguinetti concluded by
saying, “Hire your people carefully, right down to the
lowest, entry-level position – they represent you and
can make or break your business.” |
Manufacturer
|
|
MANUFACTURER: RON BOYD & HOWARD CLARKSON, CYCLESMITHS
“One of my very first memories was of going out on camping trips to the desert to pre-run race courses,” recalled Ron Boyd. He said he was too young to ride a motorcycle or be around actual races, but for pre-run or layout trips things were a lot more casual and safe. “I would get to ride on motorcycles and dune buggies when someone had time and the rest of the time I would wander around and explore the desert,” Boyd told us, adding, “It was all very exciting, the noise, shinny motorcycles, lizards, snakes, rocks and dirt, plus I didn’t have to take a bath for a few days.”
Howard Clarkson’s first experience with motorcycles came much later in life. “When I was approximately 40 years old [my family and I] began to go camping with several friends and some of them had motorcycles,” said Clarkson. He told us after he bought his first bike he, his wife and his sons all became addicted to riding. “Most of our riding was in the desert. We spent many family holidays going camping and riding our dirt bikes,” Howard added.
|
Boyd’s passion for motorcycles continued through high school and college, where he said he hung out with a lot of motocross riders who paid him to work on their bikes. He said he’s always worked in the transportation field and for about 15 years he held a variety of positions in the vehicle and equipment leasing business. “During that time I managed an entertainment services division in Hollywood that was very interesting but extremely challenging as it is so specialized,” Boyd continued.
Both Clarkson and Boyd credit their work at Cyclesmiths as their first real involvement with the powersports industry. The company was founded in 1993 by Clarkson, his son Doug and a friend of his and it manufactures fine quality handlebars and accessories for the V-Twin market. Later Doug accepted a position with Harley-Davidson and Clarkson bought the company and with the help of Boyd, who joined Cyclesmiths in 2000, they “are constantly watching the industry in order to stay current with the new trends in accessories, etc., within the industry,” described Clarkson. Boyd added, “I have a lot of experience in sales, customer service, logistics and mechanics, but now the focus is strictly on the V-Twin market.” |
|
“We are a pretty small company, artisans if you will, so being general manager really means generally doing anything that needs to be done,” Boyd continued. “It’s all about the possibilities. Our segment of the industry has made such great advances in both sales and public exposure in recent years that it is a perfectly reasonable expectation to hit it big,” he explained. Ron said he uses Arlen Ness as his inspiration for working in this industry. “You reach a certain age and you have some money in the bank, command the respect of the entire industry and have a huge portfolio of works and products that are literally a fusion of art and engineering. That’s the dream,” he added.
Clarkson told us he enjoys working with all of the people and all the beautiful bikes. “My favorite moment was when I received my first letter from a buyer saying that dealing with Cyclesmiths was a pleasure and that they would continue to deal with us,” Howard explained. Ron, on the other hand, said he enjoys being on the road and attending the different shows the most. “It’s a lot of work and costs too much money, but how could a person not love motorcycle shows?” he asked, adding, “I always come home with a renewed energy and fresh ideas.” |
 |
Boyd said he feels that the government is the single biggest threat to this industry. “I have always been amazed to see a person who wins a popularity contest suddenly become an expert in so many subjects so as to be qualified to regulate our business,” he explained, adding, “I believe that government officials at most levels are accountable, for the most part, to special interest groups. In that arena, the group with the most money wins.” Ron continued by saying that one of the best things the government could do is currently being overlooked. “That is education and enforcement of driving rules. I have no problem going far beyond our current education and license systems. Just imagine if everyone who rode offroad knew advanced first aid and CPR; I would go for that,” stated Boyd. He added, “I just think that we owe the youth of America better education and skills before the catalytic converters and OHV fees.”
Clarkson cited the flood of less expensive parts from foreign countries as the single biggest threat to his business, he told us, adding, he will only buy and sell products that are made in the US. Howard also said he believes that the industry’s greatest potential for growth lies in its continued ability to produce innovative ideas and designs.
Boyd, on the other hand, said he believes the potential for growth lies in the expansion of the metric market to take the sole focus off of Harley-Davidson. “People are paying more attention to metrics, Victory and Indian’s comeback. If those manufacturers can produce highly customizable products, I can see a time when Harley is no longer the center of the universe in the V-Twin market,” he explained. Ron added, “I hit the road on a bad ass Indian Chief that gets worse mileage than my truck and makes lots of thunder. That makes me very happy!”
Now in his 70s, Clarkson said he no longer rides, but instead, enjoys traveling to the various trade shows and listening to the bikers and other vendors from the industry. “Always have an open ear,” Boyd advised, with Clarskon adding, everyone in the powersports industry should support their local dealers, jobbers, retailers and distributors and the United States of America. |
|
|
|
 |
