I love to tell Ben Franklin "for want of a nail" stories
The picture of me on the right (for the last week or so) is me at Sturgis in 2005. I just got back tonight from a quick run to Cincinnati, Ohio to the 7th annual VTwin Expo. Mecca for VTwin dealers and bike builders. Always a good time to grab some Skyline Chili too...
The story
So, back a few years ago, I see this Red Horse motorcycle in American Iron magazine. Write in Purple Curve Effect about my desire to build one or more customs. Mention my love of the Red Horse brand. That their salesman, Brad, is on top of his game. End up meeting the owner and going to work for Red Horse as the Director of Manufacturing. Apply Constraints Management and reduce inventory by 50% while doubling throughput of completed bikes. In 90 days.
Which leads me to meeting Joe D. Who puts together a wheel program for me and Red Horse that allows us in part to hit those breakthroughs mentioned above. When I left Red Horse, I opened a dealership, and had that black beauty built to my specs. Pro Street with Harley Twin Cam 88" with a fat front tire (only 19", not the standand 21"), right side drive with hydraulic clutch and chrome V-Rod hand controls, 250mm rear tire. To mention a few of the highlights.
Through Joe, I end up working a booth at Sturgis, and had the bike shipped out for sale. Got to cruise downtown Sturgis on it, and the photo was taken. Another dream, come true. Well today, again in large part due to Joe's efforts, I helped man a booth in Cincy.
Joe is the absolute "go to guy" for the bike builder or dealer in this industry. His marketing group, Pro Riders Marketing based in Lee's Summit, Missouri represents a number of top shelf vendors. In fact, I got to chat with a number of them today:
- Forge – Tec Motorcycle Wheels – Booth# 270
- Kerr Leathers (Leather Apparel & Helmets) – Booth# 2440
- ACCEL Motorcycle Products – Booth# 913
- B’ Cool Products (Fenders & Rollers) – Booth# 377
- Maximum Metal Works (Frames & Rollers) – Booth# 2325
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com
P.S. Speaking of wheels, Forge-Tec introduced a number of new styles today.
P.P.S. Disclaimer: I actually consult with Joe on a number of projects. So although 100% accurate, my praise for these vendors might be coloured by my relationship with Pro Riders Marketing. I do not think so. I tend to favor the facts. For example, a large number of custom builders were sporting Forge-Tec wheels and Maximum Metal Works frames... again, my reason for this post was to encourage any "local" builders or dealers to make the trek. There are 100s of vendors on display.
tag: VTwin Expo, Joe Distefano