the 2008 Dealer Expo Overview Recap

The 2008 Dealer Expo Overview Recap

By: Tiffany Tudyk

2008 has to be the best year for the Dealer Expo. Downtown Indianapolis was taken over by tens of thousands of ATV owners, dealers, distributors, buyers and anyone else who is attached to the industry. With more booths, companies, people, products, accessories and booth girls, it was an all-weekend event; four days didn’t even seem like enough time to see it all.

This was the place to meet and mingle, see who has the newest and greatest products, create new business partners and learn how to improve business techniques. “With over a thousand booths, this was the biggest show to date,” said an Advanstar Communications Representative. The 2008 Dealer Expo did not disappoint.

This year’s show had more ATV, MUV, UTV booths, displays and products– excluding the clothing lines- than they had Motorcycle booths. Due to the Midwest location it seemed that the UTV and MUV market was on fire. There was no shortage of awesome and tricked out vehicles. Here were some of the highlight companies for the show:

Warn Industries- Warn has come out with some new synthetic rope that is stronger, lighter and safer than the traditional steel lines. New and very popular was the Air-Power SPC. The SPC has air flow ratings of 1.5 CFM @ 0 PSI and 1.0 CFM @ 90 PSI, a 150 PSI maximum pressure rating, and will fill a 5 gallon tank in 5 minutes. The SPC also features a thermal protection device to prevent the motor from overheating, and it comes with 25′ of coiled nylon air hose and a dual air chuck.

Maxxis Tires- Maxxis had their new Razr on display and mounted on the winning Temecula Motorsports Team Honda 450R. (Baja 2006 and 2007 overall ATV winners) These tires provide superior traction in intermediate to loamy conditions, while the small knob design allows for customization to specific tracks.

Ogio- Ogio had one of the best ATV bags on the market, so good it won them the Top 10 Kickstart Winner’s Award. The ATV Front Bag is brand new from Ogio. It has lots of space for cargo and has a fold down construction for multiple storage uses. It is made of high quality nylon material and its water resistance will make this a fan favorite.

Fox Shocks- The innovative FLOAT™ X EVOL AirShox deliver an ultra–wide range of externally adjustable compression and rebound damping with infinite dual-stage air spring adjustability; springs are history. With the optional DSC, you can adjust the shock’s high and low speed compression by simply turning the external adjustments. With the supplied air pump, you can easily adjust the air pressure to achieve the perfect sag and gravity defying bottom-out resistance. Greater adjustability means a customized ride that can be dialed to the demands of the toughest track. The FLOAT X EVOL AirShox are the lightest, most advanced out there.

Impact Video Distribution- Impact had a full line of all video on display. The newest video for the ATV market is THE FALLOUT 3 and NATIONAL BORN KILLERS. Wes Miller, director of National Born Killers (National ATV racing coverage from across the country) was there to comment on his film and sign autographs. Come back later to get the full scoop and interview later.

Jet Moto USA- This is one of the larger upcoming ATV companies on the market. At the show Jet Moto USA unveiled their 350cc model. It has an all-new, powerful 350 engine and has some good suspension on it to boost comfort and stability. Looks like this is one company that has stepped in and done its homework. Look out big 4.

PIAA- PIAA’s new aluminum sports bracket does more than mount your favorite set of PIAA lights. These lightweight brackets provide a solid aluminum mounting for holding indicator lights and your ignition key. PIAA ATV Sport bracket mounts lights to your handlebar so light points in the direction you are steering. Easy to install in stock location using existing hardware. ATV Sport brackets are sold separately and do not include lights.

K& N Air Filers- K&N had some great new products for the Dealer Show. K&N has replacement filters for Arctic Cat models 400 4×4 ’06-‘08, the 500 4×4 ‘05-‘08 and Prowler 650 H1 ‘06-‘07. The Can Am replacement filter is for the DS450/X ‘08. For Kawasaki, replacement filters are available for the KFX450R ‘08.

Alpinestar- The new Alpinestar Tech 10 boot leads the way with its unique torsion bar ankle support. The new MX brace features a patented double-hinged assembly that protects the ankle. The interior has an inner boot that can be removed for cleaning and fine-tuning of the padding needed for each individual rider. These are the most comfortable boots that Alpinestar has ever made.

There were plenty of booths and products to check out so we will keep you updated and check out our coverage throughout the week.