The Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties Spring NVP Product Expo at Louisville, Kentucky, again proved to be the biggest Expo ever put on by LeMans Corporation with "record dealer attendance for the second year in a row."
The Expo took place February 15th and 16th at the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), and not only hit its highest attendee numbers of any previous Expo, it also exceeded all other U.S. distributor shows by spanning over 88,000 sq. feet with more than 330 booths, including 10 new brands to the Expo. "The expanded show space allowed for larger displays to showcase the newest products and accommodate the record number of attendees."
Jeff Derge, Vice President of Sales, said: "Year two was an absolute success. Thank you to the dealers, vendors and our team for working the weekend with us. Our industry needs to provide an unmatched shopping experience. One key to that is product knowledge, and we feel it's our responsibility to deliver a mechanism for that to occur. Last year we talked about how important product knowledge is to the shopping experience, and this year's show saw a significant increase of attendees per dealer. It was wonderful to see the dealers finding the value and engaging more of their staff."
The Expo weekend kicked off on Thursday with training for the Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties sales reps, which extended into Saturday and also included dealer training from Custom Dynamics, Legend Suspensions, Metzeler and S&S. Dealers also had ample time to visit exhibitors and see the newest products due to the expanded Expo hours on both Saturday and Sunday.
"Friday night the stars came out as the Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited sales force were recognized for their 2019 achievements at the Night of the Stars Award Banquet.
"Saturday evening brought the industry together for the iconic Meet & Greet that took place at the Sports & Social Club in the heart of downtown Louisville's 4th Street Live Entertainment District. Food, drinks, games, live entertainment and the Tampa Supercross viewed on over 60 TVs was the perfect way to wrap up the day. The Expo energy carried over into Sunday where trips to the Drag Specialties and the Parts Unlimited Rides were awarded."
Mike Collins, President of LeMans Corporation, is quoted as saying: "2020 is going to be a great year if this show is any indication. We need only to carry this enthusiasm and optimism into the rest of the year."
Drag Seats: Recent additions to the extensive Drag Seats range include Predator III seats for '82-'94 and '99-'00 FXR models. Constructed with high-quality automotive-grade vinyl covers and molded polyurethane foam for maximum comfort and styling, the unique design features a 6 1/2" tall driver support that gently slopes down to the passenger seat area and is narrower at the front for better leg clearance. The 3/16" thermoformed ABS seat base gives the perfect fit while the carpeted bottom and rubber bumpers protect the bike's paint. Available in smooth, double-diamond stitch or classic stitch. The overall length is 29 1/2", with 13 3/4" long by 11" wide front seat and 10 1/2" long by 7" wide rear; seat.dragspecialties.com
Barnett Clutches & Cables: Recent new products from the Californian specialist include a complete Kevlar kit for the 2019-20 FTR1200 that features Barnett's exclusive proprietary Kevlar segmented friction plates, a set of tempered steel plates and a set of heat-treated, heavy duty coil springs as a direct fit upgrade to the stock clutch, and newly available hydraulic brake and clutch lines as genuine Barnett matches for Barnett's popular cables in classic stainless braid, Platinum Series bright silver, black with chrome fittings and stealth 'black on black' in stock and full custom lengths to fit Harley-Davidson, Victory and Indian models through 2020 (ABS lines also available); www.barnettcables.com
Memphis Shades: New products from the windshield specialist include Road Warrior, Memphis Fats and Memphis Slim and a range of styles of Sportshield fitments for the 2020 FXLRS Low Rider S and new shades of black tint (Black Smoke, with 40% visible light transmission and Dark Black with 25%) for most of the company's most popular windshield designs, in a range of heights from as low as 13" to as high as 21" for some styles; www.memphisshades.com
Arlen Ness: The new 'Anodized' collection features air cleaners, serrated MX style billet driver and passenger floorboards, mirrors, wheels and more in striking custom colors such as red, gold and blue; www.arlenness.com
Vance & Hines: The big news from the Californian exhaust manufacturer is of its 4.5" Torquer 450 slip-ons for M-8 Touring applications. "The result of a two-year search for the ultimate sound," said Head of Sales & Marketing John Potts, "they deliver superior sound, improved horsepower and torque and are economical - the lowest MRSP 4.5 inchers on the market and designed to be used with stock exhaust headers." Torquers are 50-state compliant with a new LS-275 patent-pending, free-flowing muffler developed specifically to address the concerns of owners of M-8 powered Harleys; www.vanceandhines.com
