APR 2017
NOW IN OUR 25th
YEAR
™
T H E # 1 B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E A M E R I C A N V- T W I N A N D C U S T O M M O T O R C Y C L E PA RT S I N D U S T RY
AIMExpo Columbus 2017 dealer registration now open FREE
Moving from Orlando , Florida , to Columbus , Ohio , this year , the 5th annual AIMExpo ( American International Motorcycle Expo , September 21-24 ) has announced that dealer registration is now open through the event website , and that Nationwide Insurance has become the event ’ s Presenting Sponsor . Now owned by the MIC ( the California headquartered domestic U . S . motorcycle industry trade association ), AIMExpo last month announced strategic partnerships with two leading Columbus area dealerships - Iron Pony Motorsports and Harley dealer A . D . Farrow Co ., as a new phase for the 2013 founded Expo sees it move closer to the heartland of the Harley- Davidson aftermarket and custom V-twin parts and accessory market . In making the announcement of the change of host city for the event , last year the organizers said that “ geographically , Columbus is ideally placed , with 41 percent of both franchised and independent dealerships in the U . S . located within a 500-mile radius of Columbus - a catchment that includes major markets like Atlanta , Charlotte , Chicago , New York , Philadelphia , Washington , D . C ., St . Louis , and more . “ Ohio ’ s state capital is the 15th largest city in the country , and consistently ranks among the top cities for business growth .” The move continues the US powersports industry ’ s tradition of staging its most popular trade events
in the Mid-West , with the now closed Dealer News International Powersports Expo having been held at Cincinnati , Ohio , for many years before it moved to Indianapolis , and Easyrider ’ s Events ’ V-Twin Expo being staged at Cincinnati since its inception . Being staged at the Greater Columbus Convention Centre ( GCCC ), the show continues to offer a “ European Style ” formula , similar to that seen at INTERMOT / Cologne and EICMA / Milan , with the first two days for trade / dealer only ( September 21-22 ) and the weekend also allowing public admission . As this edition of AMD Magazine went to press , public tickets had already been on sale for a week or two , with early bird incentives . A spokesperson for AIMExpo described demand so far as “ robust ” and ahead for the time in the cycle of that seen for the show when it was being staged in Florida . The show will again feature the ‘ Custom Culture ’ show-within-show initiative being headed up by Bob Kay , the event ’ s V-Twin Market Director , and will again play host to the Championship of the Americas ( COTA ) – the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building Official Affiliate event for the United States , from which the winner will scoop bike freight and travel expenses to go forward to compete at ‘ AMD XIII ’ at INTERMOT ‘ Customized ’ in October 2018 . The 2016 Champion of the Americas , Jordan Dickinson ( Union Speed & Style Cycle , Monticello , Minnesota ) will be representing the United States at the 2018 AMD World Championship as a result of his win in the Freestyle class at Orlando last October . www . aimexpousa . com
WITH THIS ISSUE
APR 2017
ISSUE # 213
ANDY GRAVES CEO MAG SEE PAGES 19-27
Including
TR / BC EXPO REVIEW
FRED " KRUGGER " BERTRAND ' S
' LADD '
INTERMOT
3rd Place
MEES WINS DAYTONA TT
His fourth 3rd place finish in the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building – see pages 32-33