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Western Power Sports adds to snow lines

FLY, Triple 9 reveal new and updated products

Though the temperatures outside Western Power Sports’ Snow Showcase were in the 80s during the distributor’s August event in Minneapolis, inside the talk was all about cold weather.

FLY Racing has begun making serious headway with is snowmobile gear line, and dealers have been responding positively to each advancement, Ron Bentzinger, WPS snowmobile product manager, told Powersports Business.

“We’ve got such a complete, solid offering,” he said. “We don’t have 28 styles and 15 colors in each style, but we’ve got all the bases covered really nicely, and so people are looking at us as a viable product.”

FLY Racing and fellow WPS brand Triple 9 Optics have introduced new products and updated others to improve their snowmobile gear lines for the 2014-15 season.

Fly-SNX-Pro-JacketThe following are highlights of some of the products Bentzinger and Rich Kumm, WPS snowmobile and watercraft product manager, introduced at the show:

SNX Pro line

Though FLY Racing’s SNX Pro Jacket and Bib/Pant were a hit in 2013-14, the brand wanted to refine the popular gear. For this coming season, the jacket has been improved to include new abrasion-resistant poly-shell construction, updated intake and exhaust vents and fleece-lined hand pockets.

“A lot of the innovation for this generation of this product comes from Nathan [Titus] being on the Yamaha team and us sponsoring that whole team. They ran a lot of the prototype stuff, and we made a lot of nice improvements because of that,” Bentzinger said.

The SNX Pro Bib/Pant, which allows the user to remove the high-back suspenders, has been updated to feature new abrasion-resistant poly-shell material. FLY also added tall sizes and developed Lite (non-insulated) and Insulated versions.

“The SNX line really went well last year, but we really made some nice enhancements to it,” Bentzinger said. “It looks a lot the same as last year’s, but feature-wise — and at the same retail price — there’s a lot more value there.”

Fly-JCR-PantThe SNX Pro jacket comes in sizes small to 2XL, and it’s available for $219.95. The SNX Pro Bib/Pant comes in XS-2XL sizing, with MT, LT and XLT being the tall sizes. The MSRP on the Lite Bib/Pant is $189.95, while the insulated version is $199.95.

JCR Jacket and Pant

With fresh-off-the-production-line pieces in hand, Bentzinger was excited to show reps and dealers the new JCR Jacket and Pant developed by Johnny Campbell and FLY Racing. The gear is designed to be durable and high-performing, with FLY targeting snow bike riders with this line.

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Both the jacket and pant feature waterproof HydraGuard X10 construction with Three Thirty XD material, 3M Scotchlight Reflective Prints, anatomically precise fit and magnetic flaps over YKK AquaGuard zippers. The jacket also has seven intake vents, six exhaust vents, adjustable cuffs with printed high-grip silicone for use with gloves, an adjustable collar cinch, a neoprene stretched gusset on the collar, reinforced 1680D ballistic nylon panels on the elbows, CE-approved SAS-TEC elbow armor, side-expanding panels, a CoolMax mesh liner, a removable thermo-insulated vest, 10 pockets, and an integrated water bladder pocket with an internal hose management system. The jacket comes in sizes S-2XL at a price of $399.95.

The pant includes FLY Racing’s patented 2D buckle system, silicone print in the waist, two intake vents, two exhaust vents, reinforced 1680D ballistic nylon panels in wear zones, four pockets, an adjustable boot cuff with a Velcro side closure, a CoolMax mesh upper liner and leather inside leg panels. Available in sizes 30-38, the pant retails for $299.95.

Fly-Ignitor-Grey“You know what’s cool about this is all those guys riding snow bikes complain about moto gear being too cold and nylon snow pants melting on the pipe. This has got leather on the insides of both legs,” Bentzinger said.

Igniter Balaclava

Designed for cold weather snowmobile, off-road or street riding, the Igniter Balaclava has been elongated in response to feedback after last year’s debut. A grey and black colorway has also been added to the red and black offering, to appeal to the street riding crowd.

The balaclava includes a CoolMax upper and windproof lower construction, with reflective FLY logos.

“It’s got wind-stopper all the way around the face and on the chin, and the panel in front of the mouth is stitched all the way around, so you can cut that out if you want to,” Bentzinger explained.

Fly-Aurora-BootThe youth Igniter Balaclava has an MSRP of $25.95, while the adult model comes in small/medium and large/x-large for $29.95.

Aurora Boot

Though it sold through well last year, FLY Racing’s Aurora Snowmobile Boot has received some minor upgrades for 2014-15. The $109.95 boot includes oversized lace rings with a smooth finish, a moisture-wicking removable inner liner, a multi-layer footbed for added insulation and reflective piping. The boot comes in sizes 5-13.

Fly-Goggle-GarageGoggle Garage

Brand-new for this coming season is the FLY Racing Goggle Garage, which has five fully adjustable goggle storage slots and five lens storage pockets. The crush-resistant case also includes a pocket for accessories and lenses, YKK zippers, a 180-degree adjustable lid, a molded carrying handle and a hang loop for a wall hook. The MSRP for the 5.5-by-10.5-by-16-inch case is $39.95.

Priorities Tee

Fly-Priorities-TeeThough it isn’t new and hasn’t been updated, the Priorities Tee is a highlight because it was a top-seller for FLY’s casual line during the line’s 2013-14 debut season. Available in sizes S-2X, the $20.95 T-shirt has an image of an older car with a snowmobile tied down on top of it over the FLY Racing logo.

“That is our No. 1 snow shirt, and we always hear stories about it,” Kumm said. “We’ve had people tell us how they’ve been stopped by folks telling them they’ve seen that before. It’s something that although not regularly seen, has been seen and catches one’s eye.”

After the casual line of T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats performed well last year, FLY is hoping to see the same success in Year 2.

“Since the showing of the line at our sales meeting last year, we’ve had great success; and with the positive feedback from our sales meeting this year, we are anticipating another great season.”

Triple 9 Goggles

Looking to grow its goggle brand, Triple 9 Optics introduced the Saint and Switch goggles at the WPS Snow Show.

Both styles of CE-approved goggles include a large frame design for a snug fit, oversized face foam, plush multi-layer foam, custom molded foam around the nose, unique venting, an adjustable silicone-lined strap, a large nose beak, cut lines on the nose beak to allow for a custom fit and many different lens options. Each comes with a microfiber goggle bag. The Saint is also tear-off compatible for competition.

Triple9-Switch-Goggle-WhiteThe Saint Goggle comes in red, black, white, black/hi-vis and orange for $49.95. The Switch is available in black polarized, white, red/white/grey, Wild and black colorways for $59.95.

Triple 9 Optics recently introduced a new image-heavy website at www.Triple9Optics.com designed to be user-friendly and purpose-built for use on tablets. The brand is also looking to sponsor more riders to increase its visibility.

“Triple 9 Optics is still a relatively new company but is gaining traction and is continuing to grow,” Kumm said. “We have a very high quality goggle and see lots of top athletes wearing the goggles like Colten Moore and the Leighton Motorsports snocross team.  There was even an Iron Dog race team that ran the goggles with no issues, and that’s a long, tough race. The price point is also a huge selling point for the company, especially when you look at all the features incorporated in the goggles.”

 

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