Category: Motorcycle Business

5580a64850ff9-image

Enjoying the ride: the motorcycle company celebrates its 50th anniversary | Jackson County Chronicle

Motorcycle Business

Cassandra Colson Reporter

The late Al Muth’s passion for motorcycles was so strong that he couldn’t understand why others didn’t feel the same.

“He just could never understand why everyone in the world didn’t have a motorcycle,†said Muth’s wife Jeri. “He just enjoyed this endless bike.”

Muth’s love for motorcycles – and especially the iconic Harley-Davidson models – is what paved the way for a successful Jackson County business that is known across the country. Al Muth Harley-Davidson marks its half century this year after operating in the city of Adams for just over 50 years.

“The people of Black River have always accepted motorcycles,†said Mark Muth, one of Al’s sons who currently runs the business with his wife, son and 15 employees. “We love it here.

“It was a lot of work, but it was also very rewarding. We have a lot of clients who are good friends – really.

Al got his first motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson, at age 17 after his father sold a cow to pay for the motorcycle, which at the time cost around $ 65. Al eventually went to work as a cycle mechanic, performed at fairs, and traveled across the country on his bicycle before returning to his parents’ farm in Adams town in 1958 with Jeri to milk the cows.

This is what the couple did exclusively until 1960, when they started a chainsaw dealership on the property and began exploring launching a local Harley-Davidson franchise in 1964.

But it wasn’t as easy as approaching the motorcycle company and getting the green light.

Harley-Davidson officials did not want a franchise in the Black River Falls area due to anticipated sales potential: Geographic analysis indicated the Muths could only sell one or two motorcycles from their farm property rural on Snow Creek Road.

“They said no to daddy. He said, ‘That’s good, but I’m going to sell motorcycles, so if it’s not Harley, it will be something else,’ â€said Mark.

Al Muth Harley-Davidson has proven the projection to be wrong. The company sold 10 motorcycles in the first year and 38 years later, in 2003, the franchise sold 199 new motorcycles – the most new cycles in operating history.

The company, which moved to its current location on Highway A in 2000, continues to thrive as it sells new and used motorcycles, Harley-Davidson merchandise, and has a very active after-sales service.

Customers come from near and far to visit the Muths’ business, Mark said.

“That’s the good thing is we’ve been here long enough that the word covers the whole country with t-shirts and different things that we’ve done for people,” he said. . “We’ve been here long enough that people know where we are in the motorcycle business – all over the country, that’s my feeling.”

Dave Holcomb, the company’s service manager, said he was drawn to working at Al Muth Harley-Davidson because of his own passion for motorcycles. He then graduated in agriculture after high school, but jumped at the opportunity to work as a mechanic in the Muth service department when he saw the opening.

He said he was fortunate to work with Al, former mechanic Neil Knudson, and play a role in the motorcycle business which continues to evolve as technology advances.

Motorcycles make people feel like part of a family, he said.

“My heart was in bikes and snowmobiles and there was an opening,†said Holcomb. “It seems (riding a motorcycle) is like joining a family.

“It’s so easy to go to a cycle rally and find good people.

The business has always been a family business, with Al operating it until his death 27 years ago. Jeri worked as an accountant over the years and Mark eventually took over the business. One of Mark’s earliest memories is riding in the sidecar of his parents’ motorcycle, and he would also love rides and races.

“(Getting into the sidecar) was fun – it was exciting,†he said. “I grew up with (motorcycles). That’s why I’m doing it. I’ve grown up with this my whole life. “

Jeri said she had fond memories of the trips she and Al had taken with the motorcycle club they helped found, and she remembers one in particular they took in Nashville that was particularly hot.

“I’m telling you, I think that year we had the very first new air-conditioned car. It was so hot there and when we got to the motel, I said to Al, we were almost toast, and I said, “You know, we have our first new air conditioned car and where is it?” He’s sitting in the garage at home, â€she laughed.

“We had a lot of fun on the bike.

Al Muth Harley-Davidson is planning a 50th anniversary celebration July 8-11 at its N6630 Highway A location with live music, a show with well-known stuntman Bubba Blackwell, a vintage bike tent and other shows from ‘horse riding. For more information visit www.almuth-harleydavidson.com or call (715) 284-4725.

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Polaris Acquires Brammo Electric Motorcycle Business

Motorcycle Business

Big news coming from the electric motorcycle camp today, as Polaris announced that it has acquired the electric motorcycle business from Brammo Inc. In addition, Polaris is acting as a leading investor in a Brammo recapitalization that allows the company to focus exclusively on the design, development and integration of electric vehicle powertrains.

Going forward, the two companies will leverage Polaris’ leadership position in the global powersports industry to market a variety of electric vehicles using Brammo’s lithium-ion electric transmission technology. In the meantime, this will allow Brammo to continue developing its electric vehicle powertrains. Brammo supplies these products, including the Brammo Power battery pack and Brammo Power vehicle management systems, worldwide to a wide variety of OEMs. As part of this transaction, Polaris will use the acquired assets to begin manufacturing electric motorcycles in the second half of 2015 at its plant in Spirit Lake, IA.

“We have enjoyed our involvement with Brammo Motorcycles over the past three years, and our enthusiasm for their advanced lithium-ion electric drivetrain technology has grown with their improvements in cost and performance. Polaris and Brammo share a goal of adding the most advanced, high-performance electric solutions to Polaris’ powersports product portfolio, â€said Scott Wine, President and CEO of Polaris.

The deal allows both companies to be more agile during the development cycle with a clear responsibility for selling products that exemplify Polaris’ standard for delivering world-class vehicles.

Polaris has been a strategic investor and partner of Brammo since 2011. During this time, the companies have collaborated on a number of projects in motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and on-road.

“Today’s announcement not only reinforces Polaris’ commitment to providing lithium-ion electrical solutions to our consumers, but also the ability of this partnership to continue to innovate and develop power transmission technology of tip, â€Wine said. “We anticipate a return on these investments and believe the new alignment brings us much closer to providing world-class electrical solutions for all of our products. “

Considering Polaris’ stake in Victory and Indian Motorcycles, the experience, resources and capital that Polaris brings to the table can only be seen as positive in the e-bike landscape.

While we don’t know about Polaris’ long term plans with Brammo, a more immediate prediction is of Polaris / Brammo / Victory / Indian beating rival Harley-Davidson and Project Livewire to the punch of the electric motorcycle. Either way, Polaris is clearly positioning itself to become a major player in the e-bike / alternative energy game.

Klock Werks Kustom Cycles Saw Revenue Increase 650%

Motorcycle Business

Laura and Brian Klock at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.

Crosswinds of 50 to 60 miles per hour can appear out of nowhere, even on a sunny day, and this is especially dangerous when trying to overtake a much larger vehicle, such as a semi-truck.

“A motorcycle has an elevator,†said Brian. “And the faster you go, the more it lifts, which creates a dangerous wobble.”

Klock Werks Kustom Cycles set out to resolve this issue.

Brian Klock started Klock Werks in 1997 as a one-car garage in the city of about 15,000 people. He offered motorcycle customization, which was a natural consequence of what he had been doing for years. In 2004, he and his wife Laura also began to design and sell their own pieces.

“It was a lot of buddy trading and sweat equity,†he said. “I was driving from Chicago to California to test an exhaust or other part; a magazine editor got wind of it, took a picture of the bike and put it on the cover. It has helped publicize our name. ”

Related: Hot Business to Start Now

Klock said he made a profit during those years, with annual sales of around $ 350,000, much of which was spent on developing new parts.

But it wasn’t until he created the Flare Windshield that the business really exploded.

Klock had the idea for a custom shield when he and his family were driving home from the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed ​​Trials in 2006. Laura had set records of 137 and 146 miles per hour on a Harley Davidson intended for the cruise. But even though the bike was customized for high speed, it wobbled when it hit around 125 miles per hour.

“On the way back I had my hand out the window, and it made me think, ‘How do we tilt the windshield so we can add downforce?’†Said Brian.

Upon his return to Mitchell, he began to design the prototype of a curved windshield, which would essentially act as a spoiler and prevent heaving.

“There had been a lot of crashes on those bikes at 80 or 90 miles per hour,†he said. “It was dangerous and the bike was basically floating.”

Related: Renaissance of America’s Dead Factories

With the materials they had in store, Klock designed the Flare Windshield, a curved polycarbonate shield that makes the front of the bike more aerodynamic and much more stable.

In December 2007, Klock introduced it to its biggest distributor, who thought they could sell 500 a year.

“I went in front of their fifty national sales reps and said ‘I’m going to sell 20,000,’” Klock said. “I had a year to prove it.

Six years later, the Flare Windshield – which sells for between $ 179 and $ 199 – is the best-selling part for Klock Werks, accounting for around 80% of the company’s revenue.

“We sold 18,500 in the first year,†Klock said. “We’ve caught the attention of every powersports magazine. And we’ve sold about 20,000 every year since.”

He said revenue had grown 650% since 2006. Sales have been strong even during the recent downturn: they made $ 2.5 million in sales in 2008, largely because of the Flare.

Related: The Craft Beer Craze Is Finally Hitting The South

What started out as a store with seven employees selling eight pieces now has 17 employees and 485 pieces. The boutique – and the Flare – has always been a family affair.

“This windshield is my baby,†said Laura Klock, who is in charge of marketing for the company. “And our philosophy is that people buy from people. That’s why we have a ‘try it before you buy’ guarantee.”

The Klocks and their daughters Erika, 23, and Karlee, 20, who also hold land speed records, regularly go to motorbike shows and races where they sell directly to customers, helping to install windshields. broken.

The Flare is made in Minnesota, and all of Klock Werks’ products except one are made in America. Klock emphasized how important it is for him to keep it that way.

“Everyone told me I couldn’t do it since Mitchell, SD,†Klock said. “Even though I distribute worldwide, I feel like it’s a moral obligation for me to do it at home and try to make someone else’s dream come true.”

CNNMoney (New York) First published on May 22, 2014: 7:03 AM ET