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Aug. 18, 2003 – SmarTire plans for aggressive expansion

SmarTire Systems Inc. (SMTR: OTCBB), Richmond, BC, Canada, says it is aggressively pursuing worldwide opportunities for its tire monitoring products in new fiscal year, which started Aug. 1.
“Despite the challenges experienced during the past twelve months, I am extremely pleased with the company’s current position as we enter our new fiscal year,” Robert Rudman, president and CEO of SmarTire, said last month.
“We are also very pleased to have arranged a $15 million equity line of credit to assure our partners, suppliers and potential customers that we have the resources to aggressively pursue opportunities in the passenger car, motorcycle, industrial, commercial and recreational vehicle markets worldwide.”
SmarTire uses a pair of sensors, permanently mounted with one on each rim, that send a timed stream of data to a processing unit located under the motorcycle seat. Should tire pressure drop to 5 psi below recommended inflation, the Smartire system alerts the rider via a dash-mounted warning light and single audible alert. Should tire pressure dip to 10 psi below recommended inflation, the display will emit a flashing warning light as well as a more urgent audible alert.
As the exclusive North American importer for SmarTire, National Cycle’s ZTechnik division, Maywood, Ill., sells and distributes the product directly to franchised as well as non-franchised motorcycle retailers.
“We have seen a steady increase in customer awareness and interest in the SmarTire,” National Cycle’s Brett Ratner tells Powersports Business. Ratner says National Cycle recently added 50 names to a list of retailers interested in carrying the product. A dozen telephone queries per day, he says, is commonplace.
“We are confident that once riders see the benefit and value of the SmarTire system, particularly on high-end touring and adventure touring bikes, a ‘snowball’ effect will ensue and, eventually, electronic tire pressure monitoring will be as commonplace on motorcycles as fuel gauges,” Ratner said.
IFW Lawsuits Settled
IFW, Inc.,
Tustin, Calif., a purveyor of gear sold under the Hein Gericke and Firstgear trademarks, says it has amicably settled patent infringement suits it brought against River Road, Roadgear, Triumph Motorcycles of America and Unik International. Additional suits against First Manufacturing Company and Specialty Sports Ltd. are in the process of settling.
Terms of the settlements, attained independently, were not disclosed. Another suit, against Marco Distributing, Inc., maker of the Joe Rocket line of jackets, remains unsettled.
“The patent pertains to our ventilation system, which is something we innovated in the 1980s and has been a part and parcel to a lot of the Hein Gericke and Firstgear product line,” IFW’s Denis LaBonge told Powersports Business.
IFW holds five U.S. technical patents related to motorcycle riding apparel, and says it intends to continue to enforce its patent rights.
Global Picks Up Kendon
Kendon’s
line of Stand-Up Transport trailers is now available to dealers through Custom Chrome and Motorcycle Stuff, both a part of Global Motorsport Group, Inc.
New Moose Gear
Parts Unlimited’s Moose Utility Division
has released its 2004 product catalog, 52 pages of parts, garments and accessories divided into six sections: Snow Plows, Hunting, Racks, Unit Accessories, Engine/Drivetrain and Merchandising. The 2004 Moose line consists of over 150 products and 1,000 part numbers – storage racks and bags, gun racks, plows, bumpers, winches, etc. New products include riding gloves, several Mossy Oak packs, and accessories for Kawasaki’s Mule and the Polaris Ranger.

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