April 23, 2007 – Aftermarket Digest

swadminApril 23, 2007

SuperForm, Rucker Tanks Unveiled
Rucker Performance has partnered with a major supplier of aluminum to introduce a patented process and distribute aluminum gas tanks to the motorcycle industry.
Rucker’s partner in this project, Superform USA, is a leading supplier of aluminum and composite superformed components, supplying products worldwide to companies such as Boeing, Airbus Industries, British Aerospace, Siemens and Aston Martin.
Superform USA, which has been manufacturing aluminum products for more than 25 years, has patented a new aluminum tank used in the Rucker Performance Assassin production model. The superplastic forming process of the aluminum can be tailored to particular shapes and formed in a range of alloys. The companies involved in the project say that this process and the tanks do not exist anywhere else in the V-twin industry.
The companies also said smaller manufacturers can have production tanks without the large volume, eliminating the high costs of tooling or the need to purchase standard tanks that require hours of fabrication labor hours.
To learn more about the tanks, contact Bill Rucker at 817/838-3200.
Forge-Tec, Big Bear Choppers Join Forces
Forge-Tec Motorcycle Wheels and Accessories will now be the exclusive wheel manufacturer for Big Bear Choppers, a V-twin manufacturer based out of Big Bear Lake, Calif.
Kevin Alsop, CEO of Big Bear Choppers, said he and Mark Finnie, Forge-Tec’s GM, “discussed what constitutes the manufacturing of a great product and we saw eye-to-eye on everything that we talked about…manufacturing, equipment, engineering, delivery times, materials, employees, styles and the market in general. Once I saw several of the samples that he brought to me, I knew right then and there that we found a home for our wheel business.”
Alsop said Big Bear Choppers is also working with Forge-Tec on some nonwheel-related parts and accessories that will be announced at a later date.
Big Bear Choppers currently has 12 different motorcycle designs.
Parts Unlimited Announces Hirings
Parts Unlimited announced new hirings in several of their brand companies.
The new hirings include:

Korrin Koonce as the new Alpinestars product specialist. Korrin most recently worked at Cycle Barn Motorsports Group in Arlington, Wa. Some of Korrin’s main responsibilities were overseeing merchandising within the showroom as well as apparel lead for two and a half years.

Rob Bevins has become the newest member of Icon as its Northeast regional product specialist. In 2004, Bevins made a move across country to California to work with Thor Motocross as its rider support. Bevins’ stepfather, Rick Pence, is a longtime Parts Unlimited rep in the Northeast region.

Icon also hired Bill Maye as the new Southwest regional product specialist. Maye entered the powersports industry five years ago. His most recent stint in the industry came from Pro Italia Motor’s in Glendale, Calif., where he was the parts manager for a year-and-a-half. Some of his duties included overseeing purchase orders, inventory levels and merchandising the showroom.

Thor added Ryan Kessinger as a regional marketing specialist in the Southwest region. A former motocross racer, Kessinger worked at FMF International as an inside salesman on the apparel side.
S&S?Names New Manufacturing Engineering Manager
S&S Cycle Inc. named a new manufacturing engineering manager, promoting its own Jeremy Gilbert to the position.
Gilbert began his career with S&S Cycle in October 2004 as a manufacturing engineer. In 2006 he was promoted to manufacturing engineering manager and liaison to product development and sales.
“Jeremy is going to be an excellent addition to this team,” said Mike Alexander, S&S’ vice president of manufacturing. “He has great industry experience and manufacturing knowledge.”
“Jeremy is what I would call a ‘workhorse’ and on top of that he is a real enthusiast,” said S&S president, Brett Smith. “The combination of those two character traits puts Jeremy in a unique position to serve manufacturing as liaison to both sales and marketing and product development.”
The La Crosse, Wis., company also promoted Michael Scaletta to director of business development.
Scaletta was previously employed at Lockheed-Martin Aerospace as a systems engineer on the F/A-22 Raptor program.
American Motorcycle Co. 1902 Unveils New Licensing Program
American Motorcycle Co. 1902 recently introduced its latest licensing program — a line of trailers manufactured by ROXX Tec Inc.
The “AMC2 Signature Series” trailers include:

The AMC2 Traveler: The trailer is built to load the lowest customs, is pre-wired for GPS Security system, has air-conditioning/heat, front entry for easy access to wheel chocks and storage, electric ramp doors, LED lighting.

The AMC2 Alpha Star: Has all the features of the Traveler, but leaves the custom features to the buyer to select.

The AMC2 Merchant: This program will design and build a custom trailer for mobile marketing, vending and related activities.
For more information, go to www.amc1902.com/trailer. psb

swadminApril 23, 2007