Thursday February 4th, 2010
Industry News: Interview with AB Powersports (Abpowersport.com)
 This month we had the chance to sit down with Athena and Shane from AB Powersports in Tempe, AZ to learn more about their business and how their strong core values of customer service and support go a long way in the "peaks and valleys" structure of today's powersports market. We were able to gain insight as to how a brick and mortar dealership can lend a helping hand to customers and transform their website into a scooter, atv and dirt bike parts store. By utilizing our drop ship program they are able to help service both a local and national community.
Can you tell us a little about your business and how you started? - My brother David Lankisch sold Shane and me the business February of 2008. The largest lesson we have learned from owning a business is faith and perseverance. Without the two we have just another business that passes in the night and is gone the next day. When you start a business you must expect a 5 year trial and tribulations period and boy have we been put through the ringer! We are in business to service our customers where no one else would. We answer the phones as well as give professional advice on product sales and service. We are a necessity because we give customers the service they can rely on. There are so many that have come and gone, but ABpowersport.com is here to stay.
Do you have a funny or interesting story you would like to share? - Yes, we work together with a company, Empire Tire, two doors down from us. When one of our vehicles had a flat tire they replaced it for free! When you have a plan and work it in a positive, ethical manner amazing things just start to happen. Other businesses start working with you in your area and B2B customer referrals start to happen.
What do you think some challenges are that your business faces? - Some of our challenges stem from State laws. A dealer's license is one of the most agonizing, patience teaching hoops to jump through. We personally landed on our faces 7 times. For small businesses the federal government 941 laws are ridiculous. I highly recommended an accountant efficient in Quickbooks before anybody even thinks about starting a business.
What is something unusual or unique about your company, in comparison to similar businesses? - We work hard to provide our customers with the products they need and we provide great customer service along with knowledgeable repair tips so the customer will be happy. In our city of Tucson, AZ, there are a large number of people without vehicles, so we build bicycles with motors on them to fill this niche. City law states that these vehicles can be ridden at 19 m.p.h. or under without a driver's license or registration. Again, giving great customer service and knowledgeable repair tips so the customer will be happy with the product. No one else in our current local market provides this except for us.
Have you seen an effect on your business from the economy in the last 2 years? - The 2009 year almost broke us but we hung in there. Both Shane and I work additional jobs to pay for living expenses and will continue until the business debts are paid and AB Powersports generates a profit.
In what ways has Partsforscooters.com benefited your company? - Partsforscooters.com is our little secret that we rely on to help our business and you definitely do. We have found items for sale that we would have otherwise lost hope on. One of the greatest things is that partsforscooters.com is always bringing in new items for dealers needs.
You have started the drop ship program with Partsforscooters.com, what are some of the features you like best? - The best part about the drop ship program is I can drop ship an item that I do not always have on my shelf or if I do and the customer is across country it's easier to have it shipped to them faster. Also, the different shipping options are great! USPS delivers priority mail across country faster than any other shipper.
Do you have any new products or services you would like to showcase? - We are currently working on making electric bicycles in-house and making sure the battery life lasts long enough to transport customers the distance they need.
Wow, awesome guys! We're definitely excited to hear more about those electric bikes as you work on them. We would like to extend a big thank you to Athena and Shane for sharing the stories and information about their company as they grow. It goes to show that customer service, positive attitudes and a no-nonsense approach to product expansion and diversification can make for a winning combination. It's a philosophy that should always be a cornerstone of any business and one that we certainly share.
We want to make sure that every dealer has a chance to expand their product line and boast an inventory of over 250,000 parts. One way to immediately provide customers with another level of service is by signing up with one of the most successful drop ship programs in the powersports industry through Partsforscooters.com! So please feel free to contact us with any questions and get signed up today!
- The "Ship From" address on packing slips displays Drop Shippers
company information, not ours
- Automated order processing through our web store for all Drop Shippers
- Customizable CSV import file with stock status
- Available weekly file updates
- Access and availability to sell our over 3,000+ parts inventory
- Our drop ship program is developed and fully managed in-house
- Free to sign up
We also have a great Affiliate Program, with one of the highest percentage payouts in the biz, so CLICK HERE to find out more and Sign Up Today!
You can also email marketing@partsforscooters.com to speak with one of our specialists to find the right program for you!
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Product Review: Scooter Stereo System, Part # 172-85
 
We are very proud to re-introduce our New and Improved Scooter Stereo Kit with a ton of upgrades and features at a New Lower Price! Here's a little history on how we got our scooter lovin' hands on it.
In the fall of '07 we stumbled across this stereo kit from an overseas supplier. It was one of those moments that produced excitement only elicited by true scooter geeks. We knew that we had something since we had never seen this type of kit on the market before, so we bought a sample lot thinking that we might see some sales from it. It was an immediate hit and we've been working on its evolution ever since.
Aside from the quality, the novelty of the kit is awesome with the mid-range speakers cleverly tucked away inside the mirror and the tweeters plugging right into the top of them. Having a sub-woofer mounted in the seat bucket is icing on the cake. Seriously, who ever thought you could roll down the street thumpin' on a scoot? There are a lot of stereo kits for scooters and motorcycles with speakers that clamp on to the handle bars. There's even some offered by our competition that you actually have to cut parts of your body panel out for. Some 150cc and 250cc cruiser scooters have factory installed stereo systems, but let's face it...who wants a bulky car stereo interface mounted in their dash?
 
Now let's talk about the improvements we've made in comparison to the first version.
Initially it came in only black and although that goes with just about everything, we knew that chrome was a color we had to add, so we have both color options available now. Next we worked on the adjustability of the mirrors. Because the mirrors on the first version could not be adjusted other than at the mounting point, we added fully adjustable hinged mounts which allow the rider to move the mirror front and back or side to side which is a huge safety advantage. Speaking of safety, we added super bright LED turn signals to the mirrors, convex mirror lenses and applied the same blue tint to the mirror face that is usually found only on luxury cars such as BMW or Mercedes. These features reduce headlight glare during night driving, sun glare in the day and make objects easier to see.
Improvements to the overall sound quality can be found with the new surround sound capabilities available on the fly with just the push of a button...and yes you heard that right, surround sound! There is a re-designed sub-woofer too. The first version had a rectangular sub-woofer box and although it provided deep bass...we wanted more! The kit now boasts a 6.25" sub with some nasty low bass that will make heads turn for sure. With these new features the actual audible range can be heard while driving up to 65 m.p.h! Finally we had an in-house technical expert of ours re-write the installation instructions.
Let's break down every new feature and then tell you the price.
That includes the convex mirror set with LED turn signals, internal mid-range Speakers, all weather tweeter set with mirror mounts, high efficiency 30 watt amp with MP3 hook-up, installation instructions and all of the mounting hardware including both 8mm and 10mm mounting bolts! How can they do this you might ask? It's simple...we wanted to have the coolest stereo system for scooters on the market at the best price. We made this a priority and here we are offering it to you just in time to stock in your shop for spring! A good promotion might even be to install on a new scooter as an added feature for the customer, Pick Some Up Today!
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Featured Products
Calling All Customers, do you want a quality inline fuel filter for less? Crazy question, of course you do...
So check out an all-time favorite, our Universal In-line Fuel Filter! It has a New Lower Price that's sure to make you do a double take. Pick up these little guys in any quantity you want and get the best price around. Why pay more somewhere else or have to buy minimum order quantities of 20, 50 or even 100? Add some to your order today and keep them in-stock for customer demand and repairs. It's Part #: 129-15.
  We're having a Promotional Sale on our Coocase brand scooter trunk! This top case is priced 20% less than comparable models from Givi and Shad! This is an amazing deal, so save some money and provide your customers with a quality trunk for less!
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Company News
Our Scooter Stereo System (Part #: 172-85) was chosen as one of Powersports Business Magazine's Nifty 50 products for the 2010 Indy Dealer Expo!
Partsforscooters.com will be exhibiting at the 2010 Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, IN. We'll be at (Booth # 5521) and we're handing out official Partsforscooters.com Hats to the first 1,000 visitors! Stop by and say hello to our crew, demo our New and Improved Scooter Stereo Kit and pick up a free hat along the way! Get the scoop on all the latest and greatest we're rolling out for 2010 and take advantage of our special show discounts and offers!
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Interesting Facts
-The name "Vespa" means wasp.
-The first Honda motorcycles were push bikes with generator engines for army field telephones which were bolted on.
-Yamaha makes swimming pools and unmanned helicopters.
-Slick tires offer more grip on wet surfaces than treaded tires up to the point at which they hydro-plane.
-The Fonz (aka Henry Winkler) couldn’t actually ride a motorcycle.
-One in five un-garaged bikes within inner cities gets stolen. Lock 'em up people!
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