The Powersports Industry & M/C Roadracing

Yosh liked to sell direct and at big discounts so I hope they are cutting that out with having one distributor. I wish we still had them but it did suck getting calls from shops asking why their customers could buy pipes from Yosh cheaper than we sold them to the dealer for.

 

Yeah it seemed like a big mess dealing with the previous distributor and their lack of ability to bring in product. I certainly hope we can turn the ship around for Arai when the product starts rolling in.

 

And now, to no one’s surprise, Arai announces PU will be handling their business. Is there room for that with AGV in the catalog?

 

Does anyone buy AGV helmets? Haven’t seen one on the street in years.

Yeah, yeah, Icon and other shit brands rule the roads but you see an Arai, shoei and higher dollar HJC now and again.

 

Also curious if the powers and suits at PU will have something in place to prevent Arai from selling direct ?
Say if Comoto / Revzilla / Cycle Gear group ( insert mega power dealer here ) offers to write another huge check and PO.

 

Honestly the support from AGV is pretty bad and supply is always really tough. They make a great product but there’s a lot of things that make it tough to be successful.

 

What’s that? Dealing with an Italian company that isn’t easy?

 

Me. They fit me well and I like their interiors over pretty much anything else I've tried. Definitely my fav brand at the moment.

 

PREACH !!!! Try 3 of 'em....

 

Its stuff like little warranty stuff that they will take forever to handle and they are always on some sort of holiday or something haha! Its just frustrating and makes you not want to push their product. They make a fantastic helmet though.

 

Anyone reading between the lines here the Buffalo boys add WPS as a distributor? Arai and Tucker part ways after 40 plus years? Yosh hooks up with WPS. Metzeler tires no longer at Tucker? Big house brands like Answer, Malcom Smith Racing, First Gear, Fieldsheer, and Silkolene are not relevant, popular, or gone?

 

I worked at TR in the 90s and there was never enough inventory because nobody would order enough!

 

Industries across the board better get use to the idea that continued growth is a thing of the past. And that globalization is ending.


Read the book The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter zeihan

 

Parts has always been famous for buying inventory and stocking a bunch so I don't see a problem here. Dealers would complain to me in the previous life that TR is cheaper than PU by 4 bucks. I'd say great buy it, then they would always say but TR doesn't have it and Parts does. I'd ask what's the problem then?

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2022

As of October 1, Yoshimura is dissolving its distribution partnership with Tucker Powersports. After a 20-year relationship we find ourselves at a difficult crossroads and have made the decision to part ways with Tucker Powersports as a distribution partner. Tucker will continue to fill backorders through the end of 2022 as their final orders are filled. Please contact your local Tucker Representative for any questions regarding any outstanding Yoshimura orders with them. We would like to thank Tucker Powersports for an amazing 20 years and wish them nothing but success in the future.

 

Another PR from 9-30-2022

Ending weeks of speculation, Arai Helmet and LeMans Corporation have announced a new distribution deal. This partnership will provide Arai’s hand-crafted helmets and genuine parts and accessories to dealers across the country through Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties distribution operations.

“As I consider the long-term future of Arai, I believe we have found a strong partner in LeMans Corporation,” says Akihito Arai, Vice President, Arai Helmet, Ltd. and grandson of the founder of Arai Helmet, Ltd. “The strength of Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties, combined with their focus on dealer service, is what Arai needs to reach more consumers looking for the opportunity to experience the Arai difference firsthand.”

“We are very excited to announce this new partnership with LeMans for distribution in the U.S.,” adds Brian Weston, Managing Director for Arai Helmet, Inc. “This new partnership will allow Arai and LeMans to continue to grow the Arai business and provide Arai’s unique helmets to many more customers across the United States.”

“Our two companies share two very important attributes: family-owned and enthusiast driven,” claims Mike Collins, President of LeMans. “Combine this with Arai’s commitment to premium quality helmets and our commitment to premium quality service to our dealers, creates the perfect synergy for a great partnership.”

Arai is a small, family-owned company driven by the same mission through three generations—three generations of riders. The staff at Arai are motorcycle enthusiasts. They ride and build each Arai helmet as if they were creating it for themselves or one of their own family. Arai’s mission has always been the protection and comfort of every person who chooses an Arai helmet. “Our foundational principles of protection first, exceptional quality, and rider comfort have never been forgotten in over seven decades of helmet design and manufacturing,” explains Michio Arai, Owner and CEO, Arai Helmet, Ltd. and son of the founder of Arai Helmet, Ltd.

“In the early 1950s, there was a rider who made the first motorcycle helmet in Japan for his own protection. During this time, not only were there no helmet standards, but there were also no motorcycle helmets in the market yet. Over time, others recognized the value of this man’s creation and asked him to make helmets for them, and thus the ARAI company was founded. As it has been owned by the same family ever since, the protection still means more for Arai than the requirements by the standards.

“The helmets we make have many benefits and features riders can see and enjoy, but the true value of Arai is hidden in the complex internal construction invisible to the naked eye,” Arai concludes. “This requires ongoing education and support to convey the Arai difference. I believe that the focus Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties have on dealer service is what Arai dealers and customers need.”

Limited stock of Arai Helmet products will be arriving at LeMans warehouses in November, with more stock arriving in January and onward.

 

quite a few of them around here. Not many Icon the past few years. Maybe it's just where I see them (when I stop by two wheels in north GA) but a decent mix of nicer brands of helmets (and Bilt/Sedici). Love my AGV helmets but understand the supply issues.

 

All my helmet purchased are AGV... sporting the Corsa R Miller replica as my current unit.

 

https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-news/ktm-and-mv-agusta-partnership-announcement/

Soooo, this is an interesting development. I have a strange feeling that this might be a move to combine. But, overall I'm curious to see where this will go.

 

And yet another company drops Tucker, Rossville Tennessee-based Memphis Shades (windshields) has dissolved its distribution agreement with Tucker.