So I spent 40 mins on the phone since I was on the road with the local news talking about the roller-coaster of the Powersports Industry the last two years.

Gave them figures, talked about the MIC, explained the difference between a scooter and a moped. I even gave her Guido Eberts phone number a link to his chart on the MIC figures ( see below ) it's like all she wanted was her big story and I got misquoted "Local expert from MRP Racing Parts says scooter sales will double in 2011 thanks to $4 gas!" I mean seriously? she didn't mention what I said was important, misquoted the company name, and that's not what I said what I said was "Scooter Sales will rise and it will lead to higher prices and a host of problems such as the fly by night used car anything goes mentality again that we saw in 2007 and 2008. Eventually the glut of scooters at auction houses will evaporate and prices will rise because of shipping costs, the devaluation of the dollar, and the cost of materials as the Chinese raise the value of the Yuan to compensate for the lower dollar. My concern is that the industry is unprepared for a sharp rise in consumer demand in a short period of time since we are all in survival mode because the distributors are gone, cities like Miami have lost half the dealers, and consumers have continued to support online sales from the cheapest supplier at the cheapest quality and the cheapest stores."

Look Vanessa you're cool, but I was trying to relay a message as to why this industry needs a kickstart, why Americans should be happy gas is going up so people stop driving Hummers to get a gallon of milk, and why a city like Miami is unprepared for something like $5 gas since we lost half our dealers in the recession. Not everyone can start a scooter dealership overnight, it's not like selling gift cards or something.

"Local expert from MRP Scooter Parts says scooter sales will double in 2011 thanks to $4 gas!" Oh well that was the last plug for 2010 and it was a good year.

I want to thank everyone who made it possible, the loyal clients, our friends and family. The staff that stayed and put up with the unexpected rollercoaster. The people who showed us loyalty still exists in this world. You meant a lot.

Tomorrow I'll write my final thoughts for 2010 and bring in the new year.



MIC numbers on Guidos Blog
http://blog.guidoebert.com/2010/11/19/us-cycle--atv-sales-down-183-from-jan-sep.aspx

Two-wheeler and ATV sales registrations in the United States for the first nine months of 2010 totaled 555,440 units, down 18.3 percent compared to 679,806 units during the same nine-month period in 2009, says the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).

Jan.-Sep. 2010

2009 2010 %

Two-Wheeler 435,497 368,752 -15.3

ATV 244,309 186,688 -23.6

TOTAL 679,806 555,440 -18.3

Two-Wheelers

Scooter 26,288 23,432 -10.9

On-Hwy 309,422 265,095 -14.3

Dual 23,174 19,969 -13.8

Off-Hwy 76,613 60,256 -21.4

TOTAL 435,497 368,752 -15.3

Two-wheeler sales in 2009 compared to 2008 fell 40.8 percent to 520,502 units; ATV sales fell 29.3 percent to 321,181 units.

Scooter sales in 2009 fell 59 percent to 31,451 units, On-Hwy fell 41.5 percent 357,691 units, Dual fell 42 percent 26,257 units, and Off-Hwy fell 28.4 percent to 105,103 units.

Figures are based on the MIC Retail Sales Report, which includes sales registrations for Aprilia, Arctic Cat, BMW, Buell, Can-Am, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Husaberg, Kawasaki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, Polaris, Suzuki, Triumph, Vespa, Victory and Yamaha.

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Going into 2011 The US Scooter Market is about USED BIKES

As we go into 2011 I feel its my duty to point out that dealers keep neglecting the Used chart that is up 38% this year. Overall the industry is down, but used continues to go up. The used market for scooters is also about to blow up as gas continues to rise.

So the main question dealers sitting on a junkeyard need to ask themselves is not what they paid for the bikes, but how much they can get for them. What are you going to retail them for? Trade ins as we approach 2011 is a fast money maker for college based stores like Gainesville, Florida or Austin, Texas. In other markets like Miami Beach transient people who live on South Beach or Key West for a few months tend to buy a scooter and quickly sell it on Craigs List or back to the dealer. These bikes often just need a piston change or a new belt so they are quick money makers.

So my advice for 2011. GET AGGRESSIVE WITH USED SCOOTERS!

Part of being a good dealer is knowing where the market is headed and those bikes selling at the tow truck auction for $100 today will be going for $899 come April when gas hits $3.90 a few hours of work, maybe $150 in parts and you just doubled your money. Where do you get the parts for these unknown brands?

MRP - The one stop shop for scooter parts! We have it all for scooters from Aprilia to Zongshen we have the largest collection of parts in North America.

Remember many of these students on a budget or the retired guys from the RV park are trying to save money so they will want a used unit before looking at the new Chinese bike. Twenty five percent of all used buyers are new to the market, they have never owned a scooter before according to Dealer News so take advantage of this. Every year three used scooters sell for every single new scooter so that equals over 200,000 units being repaired and put back into the marketplace. Having so many opportunities out there its no wonder Honda dealers are focusing on a used unit where they can make 40% instead of the new scooters where they only make 7%. The numbers don't lie.

So if you're a smart dealership make 2011 the year of the used scooter before gas hits $4.

For more information on finding used scooter parts follow the link to the current issue of Scoot Magazine.

http://scootmagazine.com

MRP distributes OEM parts for TNG (CMSI) select models of CF Moto Daelim Motors Korea ( parts should appear on website by mid July) Malaguti of Italy (www.Malaguti.com) Keeway Southeast (Keeway Vento QJ Andretti Yamati models)
CPI Taiwan Powersports Factory Brands PSF Diamo Cubik (matches OEM Vento part numbers) as well as QJ and ZNEN (who manufacture bikes for a variety of scooter importers) such as FlyScooters Lance BMS Qlink models that were ZNEN corresponding to matching TNG parts. Every scooter is someone's first ride we help the dealers and consumers find those hard to find parts. Doesn't matter what brand it is we've been doing the Chinese scooter parts thing since 2004 so we can help you find the right part. Since January 2009 MRP has expanded by acquiring the QJ -- Keeway Southeast distribution parts warehouse the Diamo USA / LS Motorsports / Italjet USA parts warehouse CPI -- TAIWAN Distribution and TNG Scooters. The company has OEM parts for Malaguti scooters of Italy Benelli (acquired by QJ in 2006) the Italian brand now made in China and sold in the USA under the Andretti name MH Motorhispania of Spain RX Loncin Lifan Linhai Zongshen Wangye MS UTVs and CPI Taiwan.

MRP is the only source for UMGLOBAL United Motors of America scooter parts now that United Motors (www.UMGlobal.com) has closed in the USA. We also offer Hyosung parts as well Franco Morini kits for scooters.

In addition the company distributes performance parts from Athena Malossi Turbo Kit Innova Vee Rubber Duro Bando Gates Powerlink Posh Maxxis Namura Scooter Ninja Slipstreamer and MRP. Products carried by MRP can be obtain exclusively at select Motorcycle Dealerships and Repair Shops in the USA. MRP is the one stop wholesale ONLY scooter buggy and ATV parts distributor.

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As we go into 2011 I feel its my duty to point out that dealers keep neglecting the Used chart that is up 38% this year. Overall the industry is down, but used continues to go up. The used market for scooters is also about to blow up as gas continues to rise.

So the main question dealers sitting on a junkeyard need to ask themselves is not what they paid for the bikes, but how much they can get for them. What are you going to retail them for? Trade ins as we approach 2011 is a fast money maker for college based stores like Gainesville, Florida or Austin, Texas. In other markets like Miami Beach transient people who live on South Beach or Key West for a few months tend to buy a scooter and quickly sell it on Craigs List or back to the dealer. These bikes often just need a piston change or a new belt so they are quick money makers.

So my advice for 2011. GET AGGRESSIVE WITH USED SCOOTERS!

Part of being a good dealer is knowing where the market is headed and those bikes selling at the tow truck auction for $100 today will be going for $899 come April when gas hits $3.90 a few hours of work, maybe $150 in parts and you just doubled your money. Where do you get the parts for these unknown brands?

MRP - The one stop shop for scooter parts! We have it all for scooters from Aprilia to Zongshen we have the largest collection of parts in North America.

Remember many of these students on a budget or the retired guys from the RV park are trying to save money so they will want a used unit before looking at the new Chinese bike. Twenty five percent of all used buyers are new to the market, they have never owned a scooter before according to Dealer News so take advantage of this. Every year three used scooters sell for every single new scooter so that equals over 200,000 units being repaired and put back into the marketplace. Having so many opportunities out there its no wonder Honda dealers are focusing on a used unit where they can make 40% instead of the new scooters where they only make 7%. The numbers don't lie.

So if you're a smart dealership make 2011 the year of the used scooter before gas hits $4.

For more information on finding used scooter parts follow the link to the current issue of Scoot Magazine.

http://scootmagazine.zt02.net/zetanextpages/ScootMagazine_Dec_2010.html?currentState=32_S

the largest collection of scooter parts in North America. http://www.mrp-speed.com Manuals http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htm

Stocking Dealer locator http://www.martinracingdealer.com/locator/index.php

MRP distributes OEM parts for TNG (CMSI) select models of CF Moto Daelim Motors Korea ( parts should appear on website by mid July) Malaguti of Italy (www.Malaguti.com) Keeway Southeast (Keeway Vento QJ Andretti Yamati models)
CPI Taiwan Powersports Factory Brands PSF Diamo Cubik (matches OEM Vento part numbers) as well as QJ and ZNEN (who manufacture bikes for a variety of scooter importers) such as FlyScooters Lance BMS Qlink models that were ZNEN corresponding to matching TNG parts. Every scooter is someone's first ride we help the dealers and consumers find those hard to find parts. Doesn't matter what brand it is we've been doing the Chinese scooter parts thing since 2004 so we can help you find the right part. Since January 2009 MRP has expanded by acquiring the QJ -- Keeway Southeast distribution parts warehouse the Diamo USA / LS Motorsports / Italjet USA parts warehouse CPI -- TAIWAN Distribution and TNG Scooters. The company has OEM parts for Malaguti scooters of Italy Benelli (acquired by QJ in 2006) the Italian brand now made in China and sold in the USA under the Andretti name MH Motorhispania of Spain RX Loncin Lifan Linhai Zongshen Wangye MS UTVs and CPI Taiwan.

MRP is the only source for UMGLOBAL United Motors of America scooter parts now that United Motors (www.UMGlobal.com) has closed in the USA. We also offer Hyosung parts as well Franco Morini kits for scooters.

In addition the company distributes performance parts from Athena Malossi Turbo Kit Innova Vee Rubber Duro Bando Gates Powerlink Posh Maxxis Namura Scooter Ninja Slipstreamer and MRP. Products carried by MRP can be obtain exclusively at select Motorcycle Dealerships and Repair Shops in the USA. MRP is the one stop wholesale ONLY scooter buggy and ATV parts distributor.


For a list of retailers visit www.mrp-speed.com When it comes to parts we have it all: From Scooters to Chinese UTVs we got it:


Visit http://www.mrp-speed.com for more info on all the parts we sell:

* air filters
* axles
* batteries
* battery chargers
* bearings
* belts
* body parts
* brakes
* cables
* carburetors
* CDIs
* chains
* controllers (electric)
* electronics
* Engine Parts
* engines & motors
* frame parts
* gas caps and gas tanks
* handles, grips, controls
* lights
* mufflers
* sprockets
* tires and tubes
* wheels
We have parts for: GY6 QMI152/157 QMJ152/157 4-stroke engines.
250cc 4-stroke CN250 water-cooled 172mm engines.
50cc 4-stroke QMB139 engines.
50cc Franco Morini, Piaggio, Malaguti and more! http://www.mrp-speed.com

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Much of what is going on was bound to happen, or already happened and is now happening again. I was talking to my friends in Italy and they are paying three times as much as we pay in Miami for gasoline. I woke up this morning and it was at 3.27 at my local station.

America has always kept gasoline artificially low, but despite the run we had in 2008 this is a realistic ride since its about time gasoline goes up. Our country can't keep invading or forcing other countries to sell us gasoline. We need to secure our own sources of energy and at the same time cut back on what we use.

For the Motorcycle Industry this is the jolt we needed since consumers will be running to stores to buy new products and dealers will be scrambling to find parts for used bikes and scooters as they come out of the garage. That used CPI or TNG scooter just started looking a lot better when gasoline hit $4. So get ready, keep your accounts in good standing because you will be looking for parts come March.
What does it all mean? It will mean higher prices at the gas pump, at the supermarket, when you go buy anything with plastic or that requires gasoline. Chemicals, transportation, airline tickets everything in the world requires energy and the cost is going up again.

In other words, millions of average American families that are already being stretched to the limit are about to be stretched even more.

That is really bad news for those families and it is really bad news for the U.S. economy. What can we do to help? Save gas, buy a better car, and bust out with a scooter or Ebike so we stop sending money overseas.

The Powersports Industry needs gasoline to go up for the boost that isn't coming from consumer spending and the lack of consumer financing, but long term we should promote transportation. Scooters in most of the world are meant as transportation not toys or luxury items. A million Kymcos out there and most are used for business every day when you travel in Taiwan. Something to think about....

On Wall Street today crude for February delivery settled up 49 cents, or 0.5%, at $91.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude on the ICE futures rose 53 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $94.38 a barrel.

What does this all mean? See the current article of Fortune online:
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2010/12/28/bull-vs-bear-how-high-will-oil-go-in-2011/
The boom is coming. This time stores cannot focus on selling the $499 scooter, there are too many out there and the market is flooded. If you want to capitalize on this trend you will have to focus on repairs, service, and selling a quality vehicle. Too many stores made money off the boom only to pay the price later on cheap scooters. One bad lawsuit and the profits from 20 scooters is lost. That's the negative side, the positive side is that many of you who laid off your mechanics, who let go of employees you won't find scooter mechanics to fill all the service tickets when the boom comes so be ready.

Oil prices equal a 38% rise in scooter sales. Even if its a temporary fix to the powersports problem in America, it still means an increase in motorcycle sales. It might mean a drop in RV, ATV, UTV sales, but for scooters and bikes its Mana from the sky. It also affects the discount effect meaning the price and value of units goes up, but as sales rise so does the industry in general. So here we go another Time Warp.

The 13 SIGNS OF GASOLINE DOOM! or how I learned to stop worrying and love OPEC'S GASOLINE APOCALYPSE.

1. Today CNN reported the following:

The former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, says Americans could be paying $5 for a gallon of gasoline by 2012. In an interview with Platt's Energy Week television, Hofmeister predicted gasoline prices will spike as the global demand for oil increases. "I'm predicting actually the worst outcome over the next two years which takes us to 2012 with higher gasoline prices," he said.

Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with Oil Price Information Service says Americans will see gasoline prices hit the $5 a gallon mark in the next decade, but not by 2012.
Source CNN http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/27/markets/oil_commodities/index.htm
I mean he must know something I don't know right? The guy was the CEO of Shell. He must know something 99% of Americans don't know.

2. AAA is reporting gas will hit above the $3.10 mark nationwide in Jan. AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. It's already $3.26 in Miami and today it was 30 degrees which leads us to the next point.

3. Don't forget the Cold. This could be the coldest season of record further pushing the price of oil. Cold temperatures across the northern hemisphere and a winter snowstorm that socked the northeastern U.S. also helped prop up energy prices.

4. Asian Demand is back in full swing. What will a billion extra cars do to the planet? For about a hundred years the United States used more energy than anyone else, but now the biggest consumer of energy on the globe is China.
Source: Asia Times

5. We devalued the dollar. You might as well invest in Scooters and Electric vehicles. Yes our Federal Reserve just made your savings and everything you own worth a lot less. Blame the banks, blame the system, doesn't matter. The rest of the world has reacted very negatively to the quantitative easing program initiated by the Federal Reserve, and as the Fed continues to flood the financial system with dollars it is only inevitable that the price of just about everything, including oil, will continue to go up.

6. Despite new laws in place speculation is coming back. The speculators smell money and they are beginning to pour into the market. According to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, long positions in oil outnumbered short positions by 205,890 contracts at one point in mid-December. That should be a clear sign that investors do not expect the price of oil to go down any time soon.
Source: Market Oracle

7. Much of what we are seeing the price of oil do now is simply the continuation of a major upward trend that was interrupted by the financial crash of 2008. Asians have money again, game on!

8. According to Market Oracle the speculators smell money and they are beginning to pour into the market. According to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, long positions in oil outnumbered short positions by 205,890 contracts at one point in mid-December. That should be a clear sign that investors do not expect the price of oil to go down any time soon.


9. Goldman Sachs is projecting that the price of oil will reach 105 dollars a barrel next year, and JP Morgan is projecting that the price of oil will reach 120 dollars a barrel in 2012.

10. Joe Petrowski, the CEO of Gulf Oil and the Cumberland Gulf Group, recently told CNBC that "there’s 1 in 4 chance we’ll take out the $147 highs before Memorial Day." John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil, believes that American consumers could be shelling out 5 dollars for a gallon of gas by 2012.
Source: CNBC

11. Iran and Venezuela want $150 a barrel. Mohammad Ali Khatibi, Iran's representative to OPEC, said on Sunday that he expects to see 100 dollar oil very soon. No doubt since both Venezuela and Iran have publicly said they want gasoline to go up, its the only way their regimes can stay in power. Does Obama look like the type of guy to start a fight? He's not. If you were in high school he would be the guy to tell everyone to calm down. Bush might have kicked you first if he got Angry, but no way is Obama ever sending American troops into a Venezuelan jungle or stretchering our troops into Iran. Bush might have listened to the Saudis, but you can bet your bottom dollar Obama won't.

12. Over the last couple of months, a clear trend of rising oil prices has been established. This represents a 13 percent increase in just the last month.
Source: The Wall Street Journal

13. Venezuela is dumping its refineries in the USA and trying to unload CITGO at a loss to avoid paying for litigation damages. Chavez is bound to loose in US court billions for taking American property from companies without due compensation and when that happens he will unload CITGO and all its stations here. He's told everyone he is the leader of a communist socialist regime and doesn't plan on paying anyone he owes money to. Including the United States. When this happens you will see how that 5% of oil they are supplying us with affects things in the next two to three years.

Get ready, make sure your scooter store has the ability to deal with the service side and stay tuned http://www.mrp-speed.com

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It can be a scooter, medicine, or a toy - Asian companies have a long way to go when it comes to copyrights and trademarks. Remember ZYMCO Scooters? Not too far from Kymco on the alphabet and styling of the logo, it sucks to see poor Optimus Prime selling helicopters and tricycles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZYuwVTKjn0
Trademarks in Asia for Scooters and Motorcycles

Before we sell something we do our research that it's an original part. We might not be the OEM or an agent of the factory but when we buy out a Vespa store that closed or a distributor that went bankrupt like United Motors or Keeway Southeast rest assured we know they are real Keeway or UMGLOBAL parts. The boxes say Hyosung on them and "Made in Korea" the VINs match, heck in the warehouse we find the OEM invoices from Hyosung to United Motors so we know this is a real part. Some people in the industry have the used car mentality and sell people anything as long as they make a buck, which doesn't surprise me but remember we make sure to check stuff before we sell it.

Every day we have more and more dealers ask for the least expensive belt or part. We suggest you avoid all this and offer your clients good, safe, reliable brands. MRP only carries brand name belts like Gates, Polini, Malossi, Athena, Bando, Powerlink. When you see dealers trying to save $2 or $3 by selling unknowun Kupin? Powerspeed ( a copy of Powerlink ) or Sando these are just imitations, if you can't find a real belt contact us and we will give you a dealer that can sell you real brand names: http://www.mrp-speed.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZpbXxohnk8


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCEURsBZibE
Look at what we found here. I understand end users always want the best prices, but at MRP we carry legitimate brands like Gates, Slipstreamer, Two Brothers Racing, Scooter Ninja, Powerlink, Turbo Kit, NG Disk Brakes, Malossi, Airsal, but there are plenty of fake parts out there.

Even FAKE OEM Parts check out the QYMCO FAKE KYMCO parts on EBAY
QYMCO Fake Kymco parts I made a video check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUuVRh9zCNE

So Buyer beware when buying based on price. This applies to both stores and consumers. This often happens in Puerto Rico or Panama where a consumer walks into a store and asks for MRP and they are given a copy. Same with Koso or even Airsal in these markets sometimes even the stores dont know the goods are fake and sometimes its just a lack of ethics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUuVRh9zCNE
The Scooter Maven talks about Kymco Scooters the outlook on the brand, who they are, and why you should only buy OEM Kymco parts. For more info on Kymco visit www.mrp-speed.com for all our dealers where you can buy MRP KYMCO Racing parts and aftermarket products.

Fake Kymco parts is a huge problem in Asia. Take a look at what we uncovered.

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We had a special guest who stopped by all the way from Italy this week Mr. Massimo Tartarini of Italjet fame. Stay tuned for news.

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Stores need to be connected to make money in the Winter!

I heard from one of my clients today who was selling parts on facebook while trapped under 4 feet of snow. I could imagine what life was like before the internet much less facebook where a client could actually be productive in his shop, out in a small town, where he could drop ship parts from our warehouse thanks to this incredible technology which will one day hopefully lead to cylons and to operators not actually having to do anything. Before I get off-track let's get something straight I firmly believe every single dealership should have MSN, Facebook, and a website up on their screen all day long.

I have stores without fax machines out in Nebraska and Arkansas so I understand that some people aren't technically savy. I don't mind talking about them because they won't read this. Still every single store needs to have a website before they open. That's a fact of 2010 and for 2011 I say facebook is it.

If you have employees that can't control themselves fire them. That's the number one excuse I hear from older guys who say "I don't have computers because my employees get distracted they look at smut and porn." Honestly, if you have an employee looking at naked Thundercats all day fire him, eventually you will get the person that can actually control themselves and be productive. I like to think a scooter isn't dangerous nor anything else made by man, it's people with poor self control. It's like putting me inside a Cookie factory, I would all control. So if your employee isn't cut out to answer tech questions on facebook hire someone else.

Facebook business pages are easy to use, flexible and interactive -- all great reasons to justify setting one up for your store. All the money in the world spent on paper ads can't replace one on one communication with consumers or one or one communication with your suppliers. So get on MSN, Facebook, and online today.

Next up set up the links to buy your parts from your suppliers. I've been doing parts ten years and I'm kind of tired of the faxes already.

I'm hoping we'll just have holograms pretty soon.

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Great issue of Scoot Magazine just came out, make sure to check out the Armadillo Parka review as well as the Scooter Maven article http://scootmagazine.zt02.net/zetanextpages/ScootMagazine_Dec_2010.html?currentState=32_S#

It’s been a pretty crazy year in the scooter industry. Most readers of Scoot will know this simply from all the missing brands that were advertising two to three years ago. It’s a terrible thing because I know what its like to love a vehicle and to know there’s no parts out there for it. This is a nightmare compounded by the number of dealers that have closed. Some of you don’t have this trouble and if you ride a Japanese or Italian brand parts are always available. You can visit the local shop or try WorldofPowersports.com which is a great site for the average rider to find OEM parts for Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki scooters. The company owns 12 dealerships so they can ship you any OEM parts from these makers. Several dealers already sell Kymco OEM parts on their sites or Genuine OEM parts. Standarized brands are much easier to shop for such as Kymco, SYM, Peirspeed ( TGB ) , Genuine ( PGO ), you know these Taiwanese brands that are standardized will always be the same. Some brands are non-standard like CPI which has factories in both Taiwan and China.



However, a good 75% of current riders belong to another club called the second tier brand club and of those more than half now belong to the “Orphaned brand club,” this is not unexpected since you now have a market with half the distributors ( Tank, United Motors, CPI Taiwan, Cubik, Keeway Southeast, Diamo, Powersports Factory etc…) and half the dealers ( over a 300 scooter only dealers have closed since 2008 and Vespa is under 240 dealers ) So it’s much more complicated and you have to support the dealers that are out there. When looking for parts as a consumer or as a new store I will give you some helpful hints here.



First before contacting the store or a website write down the following info:

Brand, Model, Year, Engine type if known is it short or long case?



Second understand that a small shop is busy, they have limited staff. If you call or visit them and have half the information and are only asking prices they might not have the time to look something up that is complicated, be patient, bring the information or the bike, and be calm. Price checks over the phone or internet don’t usually get a good response so don’t tell them you can buy it elsewhere cheaper after they spent twenty minutes looking for the part for you.



If it’s a brand that you know is not for sale anymore make that known to the dealer. Some of them will have an alternative source even if the importer went bankrupt.



In the last few years several US websites have popped up selling generic Chinese parts to consumers for second tier brands that use very common engines. For the purposes of this article were not mentioning Scooter parts distributors that focus on racing or accessories just OEM. The best known of the Chinese parts distributors is www.Partsforscooters.com which is a retail direct operation and stock Chinese engine parts such as the QMB139, GY6, among others. It’s important to know a few things before calling them for example the brand name? Is it a KDU or GY6 air cooled, if its liquid cooled is it a CF-Moto? Partsforscooters.com is great for generic parts, but they won’t have a dashboard for a CFMOTO, Daelim cable, or even a Benelli OEM mirror so you have to shop around if you are looking for specifics and you will have to go to someone that was a dealer for these who will be familiar, the more popular of these companies is www.Scootertronics.com. Be it a plastic side panel for a Vento or an analog display for a Benelli they will have access to it. Most of these are dealerships which advertise in Scoot or are strong in the Scooter Industry.

Some dealers will go the extra step like www.Moxiescooters.com who will call several distributors from SYM Canada to MRP to find you a SYM part if they can’t get it from Carter so check first to see what brands they actually have OEM parts for if searching for brand specific non-generic Chinese parts.



In the interest of full disclosure we’ve acquired seven distributors exactly because of this situation where dealers and consumers were looking for brand specific models say a ZNEN or TNG model and many of these had brand specific parts such as CPI or Keeway where plastics or parts from other brands wouldn’t work on them. So on our site we have a repair manual section that has all the PDF files for all these models, by getting the original OEM part number you can check to see if your local dealer can order this part for you ( MRP does not sell direct but we will drop ship for any MRP dealer any of our 12,000 parts ) We find this is the best way to guarantee that the store gets a cut of every sale and stores stay in business. However, all the manuals are online so consumers can call the dealership and tell them what they need. So even if TNG scooters isn’t available, Malaguti, Diamo Linhai units, or CPI, you can contact the dealer with the part number from the manual and they can order it from MRP. There are over 100 repair manuals listed on the MRP site and every dealer can access this and help you find the parts you are looking for.



Best of luck and if you still can’t find the part feel free to email me info@mrp-speed.com and we will point you in the right direction.



The Scooter Maven aka Joel Martin is the owner and president of MRP. He is the former importer of Malaguti scooters, SYM scooters, and MH Motorcycles before starting MRP in 2005.

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New Gloves from Armadillo offer the best in water resistant, warm, comfy gloves for the Scooter Rider in America.

Also if you're in a really cold part of the country check out the VULCAN gloves. It has reflective 3M material, D30, water resistance, and its extremely comfy. So don't be cold, protect yourself from the elements with ARMADILLO SCOOTER WEAR.

In order to get more sales you have to display jackets, most scooter shops aren't into fashion, but much like the motorcycle shops you have to cater to every need of the rider including jackets, gloves, warmers, helmets etc.... so remember without a proper display you can't sell the goods. Armadillo does extremely well in shops where it is properly displayed. We're posting some of these videos to give you some ideas. Make sure to visit us at http://www.mrp-speed.com to find out more about Armadillo and all the products we carry.

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United Motors Manuals and OEM parts for Private Label Hyosung Motorcycles available from MRP

Consumer and Dealers can now use the MRP repair manual section to look up parts for all 40 models formerly imported by United Motors of America from the Moontrax 50cc kids Quad all the way to the Hyosung 250i Ms3 called the Xpeed 250i by UM. Included are the private label unit motorcycles including the 650cc Hyosung private label UM and 450cc ATVs. The manuals along with 150 other PDF files are available at the MRP website.


In addition MRP has OEM manuals available for stores for TNG – CMSI Scooters, QJ, Benelli, Andretti, Cubik K, Powersports Factory, Vento, Diamo LS Motorsports, Italjet America, Malaguti Italian Scooters, Linhai, Pit Motorsports, MH, Xtreme Scooters, CPI Taiwan, CF MOTO, Daelim, Hyosung, Zongshen, Keeway private label units. There are also engine repair manuals, charts, information on tire sizes, spark plugs, and much more.

http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htm

“Our intent is to provide dealers with an online source of OEM PDF files they can use to order the correct OEM parts from MRP and to have a resource for legitimate brands that left the market,” commented Kerwin Vega the MRP sales manager. He further went to comment “ Companies like United Motors were in the US market for over 15 years, Dealer Expo exhibitors for over 10 years, over 50,000 units on the road, plus GE sold over 2,500 United Motor motorcycles and scooters at the NPA auctions in 2010 meaning stores still have plenty of bikes on the floor.”

Privately held United Motors of America ceased its US operations in February 2010. United Motors was an importer of privately labeled motorcycles and scooters manufactured by Hyosung Motors of Korea. The United Motors, UMGlobal, UMAMERICA, and Hyosung "HMA" trademarks belong to their respective owners. Any original parts marked with these names or logos were manufactured by these companies and purchased at auction and were not manufactured by MRP. MRP does not represent nor is it affiliated with any of these companies.


MRP purchased the inventory and assets from the banking institutions that held the liens on the company, MRP is not responsible for any warranties, liabilities, or consumer issues. For any warranties, claims, product liability, legal issues, recalls, dealer payments, or consumer safety issues related to Hyosung or Hyosung private label scooters and motorcycles consumers are encouraged to

Dealers click to download these PDF manuals at: MRP / United Motors:


PARTS DISCLAIMER:
MRP is not an agent nor is it affiliated with the companies mentioned in its videos or website. The names of the brands are merely used to explain compatibility or the company that manufactured them. For example "for use on a Malaguti scooter or manufactured by Malaguti." That means the part is an original part made by Malaguti Spa of Italy and sold by MRP or is a part sold to be used on Malaguti vehicles made by another party, all Malaguti original parts come in the original Malaguti packaging and were not produced nor made by MRP. This applies to all the parts sold and distributed by MRP.

MRP is a third party solutions provider. All trademarks, logos, markings, are owned by their respective owners. Parts are sold as is where is and are manufactured by their respective OEM. MRP is not affiliated with Piaggio USA, Inc. or Piaggio & Co., S.p.A. Hyosung Motors America HMA, Diamo USA Inc, TNG Scooters CMSI, CPI Scooters, Malaguti Spa, United Motors of America, Keeway North America. All these names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Bertoni licensed "Vespa eyewear" is sold and distributed in the USA by MRP. MRP is not affiliated with Piaggio USA, Inc. or Piaggio & Co., S.p.A. Vespa is a Registered Trademark of Piaggio & Co., S.p.A.

MRP is an outside channel "non-affiliated" distributor or parts. We are not the original maker nor manufacturer of the parts, we are re-sellers of these parts to third party channels.

Stocking Dealer locator
http://www.martinracingdealer.com/locator/index.php

Since January 2009 MRP has expanded by acquiring the QJ – Keeway Southeast distribution parts warehouse the Diamo USA / LS Motorsports / Italjet USA parts warehouse CPI – TAIWAN Distribution and TNG Scooters.

The company has OEM parts for Malaguti scooters of Italy Benelli (acquired by QJ in 2006) the Italian brand now made in China and sold in the USA under the Andretti name MH Motorhispania of Spain RX Loncin Lifan Linhai Zongshen Wangye MS UTVs and CPI Taiwan. In addition the company distributes performance parts from Athena Malossi Turbo Kit Innova Vee Rubber Duro Bando Gates Powerlink Posh Maxxis Namura Scooter Ninja Slipstreamer and MRP.

Products carried by MRP can be obtain exclusively at select Motorcycle Dealerships and Repair Shops in the USA. MRP is the one stop wholesale ONLY scooter buggy and ATV parts distributor. For a list of retailers visit www.mrp-speed.com
When it comes to parts we have it all:

From Scooters to Chinese UTVs we got it:

* air filters
* axles
* batteries
* battery chargers
* bearings
* belts
* body parts
* brakes
* cables
* carburetors
* CDIs
* chains
* controllers (electric)
* electronics
* Engine Parts
* engines & motors
* frame parts
* gas caps and gas tanks
* handles grips controls
* lights
* mufflers
* sprockets
* tires and tubes
* wheels
Manuals
http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htm

Stocking Dealer locator
http://www.martinracingdealer.com/locator/index.php

MRP distributes OEM parts for TNG (CMSI) select models of CF Moto Daelim Motors Korea ( parts should appear on website by mid July) Malaguti of Italy (www.Malaguti.com) Keeway Southeast (Keeway Vento QJ Andretti Yamati models) CPI Taiwan Powersports Factory Brands PSF Diamo Cubik (matches OEM Vento part numbers) as well as QJ and ZNEN (who manufacture bikes for a variety of scooter importers) such as FlyScooters Lance BMS Qlink models that were ZNEN corresponding to matching TNG parts.

Every scooter is someone’s first ride we help the dealers and consumers find those hard to find parts. Doesn't matter what brand it is we've been doing the Chinese scooter parts thing since 2004 so we can help you find the right part.
We have a ton of stuff make sure to check it out on our site. Parts for: 125cc GY6 QMI152/157 QMJ152/157 4-stroke engines 250cc 4-stroke CN250 water-cooled 172mm engines 4-stroke QMB139 engines 50cc 2-stroke D1E41QMB02 D1E41QMB H1E41QMB and 1E41QMB model engines. This motor is used on many popular Chinese scooters including the Qingqi QMQT50-B2 50cc 2-stroke 1PE40QMB Minarelli based engine and more!

MRP has added more parts to its lineup to be the number one source of all scooters items. Some distributors carry Chinese or European scooter parts but MRP is the only company in the USA the covers the full range.

MRP earlier this year acquired parts from the now-closed QJ - Keeway warehouse and product from the defunct Diamo USA/LS Motorsports. The company also has OEM parts for Malaguti MH RX Loncin Lifan Linhai Zonshen MS UTVs and distributes aftermarket parts from Athena Malossi Turbo Kit Innova Vee Rubber Namura Scooter Ninja Slipstreamer and MRP's house brand.

MRP SELLS PARTS FOR: all 49cc/50cc 4-stroke Chinese and Taiwanese scooters. Baja SC50, Strada RX 50, Jalon JL50QT-21, falcon and JL50QT-15, JL50QT-16,Strada RX 50, Jalon JL50QT-21 falcon, JL50QT-15, JL50QT-16, JL50QT-18, Pantera Freedom, Fusion and Retro, Verucci VC50TS-3M, Sunl SL50QT-16, SL50QT-16, SL50QT-18, SL50QT-2, SL50QT-3, Roketa Bahama, Maui, Sicily, Tank, Baotian 50QT-9, Baotian, 50QT-11, Dotera 50QT-11, Jalon JL50QT-18, Sinski XSJ50QT-6, Sinski XSJ50QT-B, Taishan Commuter, Taishan Sport Zhong Hu 50cc 4t and many more 50cc units.

GY6 150cc Generic engines like United Motors Xpeed 150cc GY6 QMI152/157 QMJ152/157 4-stroke engines. This is the most popular 150cc automatic engine found in 150cc and 125cc Chinese and Asian made 4-stroke scooters. United Motors, Matrix 150, Verucci, TGB, Vento Phantom, SUNL, Various unlisted makes/models, Strada, Wildfire, Roketa.
Roketa, Bravo, Terminator, GY6 QMI/QMJ 152/157, Eton, Boreem (BMS), Kazuma, Tank Racer-150DE /150T-7A, Tank Racer-150DS/150T-7B, CFMoto, Redcat, SYM, Kymco, Bashan, Avanti, Dotera, Yamati , YongKang, Baotian, Tank Touring DE, Baja, Honda, Schwinn, ZNEN, Verucci Viper 150GTX, JM Star Tomahawk II, X-Treme, Lifan, United Motors, Matrix 150, Verucci, Qingqi, TGB, Vento, Vento Phantom, SUNL, Various unlisted makes/models, Tank, Strada, Wildfire, Baron, Diamo, Boss and more!

CN250cc Scooters and GoKarts! Avanti, Dotera, Yamati , YongKang, Baotian, Tank Touring DE, Baja, Honda, Schwinn, ZNEN, Verucci Viper 150GTX, JM Star Tomahawk II, X-Treme, Lifan, United Motors, Matrix 150, Verucci, Qingqi, TGB, Vento, Vento Phantom, SUNL, Various unlisted makes/models, Tank, Strada, Wildfire, Baron, Diamo, Boss and more!

CFMOTO 150cc and 250cc units and their particular engines.

MRP IS THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR DEALERSHIPS NATIONWIDE FOR PARTS please visit us at http://www.mrp-speed.com


PARTS DISCLAIMER
MRP is the largest third party scooter parts distributor in the USA many of our parts are made by OEMs but we are not the OEM. MRP is not affiliated with Piaggio USA, Inc. or Piaggio & Co., S.p.A. Hyosung Motors America HMA, S&T Motors, Hyosung, Diamo USA Inc, TNG Scooters CMSI, CPI Scooters, Malaguti Spa, United Motors of America, Keeway North America.

Any parts purchased at auction or bankruptcy are sold as liquidation items and in no way shape or form are sold as part of the original manufacturer network of sales. MRP is an aftermarket reseller, we are not an agent of any other company and sell compatible parts in many cases manufactured by OEMs as an outside channel.

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How OEM parts and suppliers work, a good example is checking out how United Motors works in their sourcing from Asia.

These parts are available from http://www.mrp-speed.com

If looking for parts please use these links;
Manuals
http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htm

Stocking Dealer locator
http://www.martinracingdealer.com/locator/index.php

Since January 2009 MRP has expanded by acquiring the QJ – Keeway Southeast distribution parts warehouse the Diamo USA / LS Motorsports / Italjet USA parts warehouse CPI – TAIWAN Distribution and TNG Scooters.

The company has OEM parts for Malaguti scooters of Italy Benelli (acquired by QJ in 2006) the Italian brand now made in China and sold in the USA under the Andretti name MH Motorhispania of Spain RX Loncin Lifan Linhai Zongshen Wangye MS UTVs and CPI Taiwan. In addition the company distributes performance parts from Athena Malossi Turbo Kit Innova Vee Rubber Duro Bando Gates Powerlink Posh Maxxis Namura Scooter Ninja Slipstreamer and MRP.

Products carried by MRP can be obtain exclusively at select Motorcycle Dealerships and Repair Shops in the USA. MRP is the one stop wholesale ONLY scooter buggy and ATV parts distributor. For a list of retailers visit www.mrp-speed.com
When it comes to parts we have it all:

From Scooters to Chinese UTVs we got it:

* air filters
* axles
* batteries
* battery chargers
* bearings
* belts
* body parts
* brakes
* cables
* carburetors
* CDIs
* chains
* controllers (electric)
* electronics
* Engine Parts
* engines & motors
* frame parts
* gas caps and gas tanks
* handles grips controls
* lights
* mufflers
* sprockets
* tires and tubes
* wheels
Manuals
http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htm

Stocking Dealer locator
http://www.martinracingdealer.com/locator/index.php

MRP distributes OEM parts for TNG (CMSI) select models of CF Moto Daelim Motors Korea ( parts should appear on website by mid July) Malaguti of Italy (www.Malaguti.com) Keeway Southeast (Keeway Vento QJ Andretti Yamati models) CPI Taiwan Powersports Factory Brands PSF Diamo Cubik (matches OEM Vento part numbers) as well as QJ and ZNEN (who manufacture bikes for a variety of scooter importers) such as FlyScooters Lance BMS Qlink models that were ZNEN corresponding to matching TNG parts.

Every scooter is someone’s first ride we help the dealers and consumers find those hard to find parts. Doesn't matter what brand it is we've been doing the Chinese scooter parts thing since 2004 so we can help you find the right part.
We have a ton of stuff make sure to check it out on our site. Parts for: 125cc GY6 QMI152/157 QMJ152/157 4-stroke engines 250cc 4-stroke CN250 water-cooled 172mm engines 4-stroke QMB139 engines 50cc 2-stroke D1E41QMB02 D1E41QMB H1E41QMB and 1E41QMB model engines. This motor is used on many popular Chinese scooters including the Qingqi QMQT50-B2 50cc 2-stroke 1PE40QMB Minarelli based engine and more!

MRP has added more parts to its lineup to be the number one source of all scooters items. Some distributors carry Chinese or European scooter parts but MRP is the only company in the USA the covers the full range.

MRP earlier this year acquired parts from the now-closed QJ - Keeway warehouse and product from the defunct Diamo USA/LS Motorsports. The company also has OEM parts for Malaguti MH RX Loncin Lifan Linhai Zonshen MS UTVs and distributes aftermarket parts from Athena Malossi Turbo Kit Innova Vee Rubber Namura Scooter Ninja Slipstreamer and MRP's house brand.

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MASSIVE ENGINE SALE THIS WEEK FROM MRP CHRISTMAS WEEK ONLY THESE ARE ALL THE ENGINES FROM THE UNITED MOTORS WAREHOUSE

ENGINES ON SALE $250 ON SALE
MINARELLI JOG
DIRT 125
DIRTBIKE 150cc
DIRTBIKE 250cc
ATV 110cc
ATV 90cc Moontrax
GY6 Short Scooter $250
GY6 ATV 150cc Short $250

ALL ON SALE!

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http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Free-Vespa-Sunglasses-Today-.html?soid=1101623327333&aid=Nh8yh-uGRgk

FREE SUNGLASSES TODAY FOR DEALERS!

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In addition to the gloves and new jackets Armadillo Scooter Wear now has the Comfy Neck wear. Make sure to check them out at your local scooter dealership or visit http://www.mrp-speed.com to find out more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNnOMjGMI1c

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Aqui tenemos piezas originales de United Motors de America que son iguales que UM GLOBAL basicamente hay que buscar la medida o con una foto de la pieza la podemos machar a su fabricante original en la China si la tienda nos envia el numero de pieza foto o informacion se lo encontramos. En este caso esta pieza esta hecha por QJ. Asi que cualquier tienda o distribuidor en Centro o Sur America puede ordenar piezas desde Miami de MRP todo lo de UM http://www.umglobal.com/ lo tenemos y a buenos precios escribanos al info@mrp-speed.com o visita nuestra pagina http://www.mrp-speed.com

Visit http://www.mrp-speed.com for more info and full list of dealers where you can buy this upgrade.
Information on scooter and buggy upgrades from MRP that’s http://www.mrp-speed.com the leading wholesale only distributor for the USA of Polini, Malossi, Turbo Kit Spain, Dr. Pulley, Scooter Ninja, Athena, Kevlar belts, Innova tires, CB racing, Italkit, DK, and many more performance parts for scooters, buggies and small displacement ATVs. The best upgrades and performance parts at the best prices. Parts for Scooters including Vespa, Aprilia, Benelli, Malaguti, Andretti, Yamati, Vento, Strada, QJ, Keeway, Kymco, SYM, PGO, Genuine, Diamo, Italjet, Daelim, Sundiro, Jonway, Joyner, Maitian, 150cc and 125cc, QMJ152 and QMJ157, GY6 including the best upgrades for Vento 150cc Phantom R4I, Strada RX150TE, Strada Chrome Edition RX150, Strada RX200HP, Strada 150CE, Primo Terminator 150cc, Primo "Strada" Streaker 150, Avanti Epsilon 150cc, Kinroad XT150T-8, Avanti Beta 150, Roketa Tahiti MC-03, Roketa Fiji MC-04, Verucci Viper 150GTX, Verucci Permier 150GTX SE, Tank Racer 150, RAD-10 150cc, Bemine 150 Touring, Racer 150 all 4 stroke Chinese 49cc scooter parts QMB 139 or QJ139 Strada RX 50, Jalon JL50QT-21, falcon and JL50QT-15, JL50QT-16,Strada RX 50, Jalon JL50QT-21 falcon, JL50QT-15, JL50QT-16, JL50QT-18, Pantera Freedom, Fusion and Retro, Verucci VC50TS-3M, Sunl SL50QT-16, SL50QT-16, SL50QT-18, SL50QT-2, SL50QT-3, Roketa Bahama, Maui, Sicily, Tank, Baotian 50QT-9, Baotian, 50QT-11, Dotera 50QT-11, Jalon JL50QT-18, Sinski XSJ50QT-6, Sinski XSJ50QT-B, Taishan Commuter, Taishan Sport Zhong Hu 50cc 4t and many more.....

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NEW VULCAN AND MOCKER SCOOTER GLOVES FROM ARMADILLO IN STOCK!

New Armadillo Gloves 2011 in stock now - check out some of the new pieces that have arrived in the collection available from MRP
http://www.mrp-speed.com

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The Scooter Scoop just called this one. http://networkedblogs.com/c9900

Seriously, the US Scooter Industry is going to have another roller coaster ride. So any dealer that survived 2009/2010 will hopefully be swimming in cash in the Spring. Gas is already $3.25 by my house and I'm in Miami where we can ride scooters all year long.

This country needs to wake up. We need alternative sources of energy and transportation because OPEC wants money.

There are some big things happening. First off OPEC wants money and as the world turns to other currencies oil is going up.

Demand is up for the first time in years and unless there is China real estate bubble that bursts ( Its being said the Chinese real estate bubble is a 1,000 times bigger than Dubai and when it happens it will be huge ) but if it doesn't happen then gas is going up because demand from China is up.

We have fewer refineries and Americans are starting to drive again. The airline industry is making a profit and using more gas. Plus we have problems in our backyard that somehow everyone seems to think are going to go away.

The guys name is Hugo Chavez and he owes American companies, Colombia, and pretty much everyone else millions of dollars. So in order not to pay people he starts conflicts on the border with Colombia and threatens to stop supplying the US with Oil. He's not stupid he knows he will loose in International court, but like a true communist when he takes your property he doesn't pay you.

Chavez in Venezuela is about to dump and liquidate Citgo ( All US drivers know this name it's owned by Venezuela so unless your name is Oliver Stone and you suck up to dictators then you know this isn't a good thing.) So back to Chavez he will be selling Citgo for a loss because he knows in 3 to 4 years he will be hit with multi-billion dollar judgments for all the American companies he's taken without due compensation. CNN is run by a bunch of communists in case nobody has noticed so we don't really get the news on Chavez or what has happened in Venezuela, but basically it comes down to the government is taking away all the supermarkets, food producers, as well as American oil companies properties. Then they run it and they run it into the ground like all failed communist countries. Venezuela used to be one of the largest food exporters and now they have to import food just to give a wide example of his great policies. Same with gasoline, they are importing gasoline and there are rolling blackouts in one of the greatest cities of South America. That's besides the point when he dumps Citgo there will be major distribution problems to the USA and since he's bound to fight the US companies in court it will disrupt exports to the USA. This is why the Obama administration doesn't want to confront him directly and our court system is slowing down the process for companies like Exxon to be compensated by getting judgments against Venezuelan owned assets in America. Does this remind anyone of all the Cuban assets frozen in American banks that even Clinton wouldn't touch?

When this happens and it will happen gas prices are going up in the next two to three years.



From Reuters:
With 2010 demand showing the biggest gains since 2004 and expectations of a modest increase in 2011, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries could be pressured to open the taps next year, another Reuters poll showed.

The poll of 12 top oil-tracking analysts showed that oil demand this year had recovered far faster than anyone predicted earlier in 2010, and while growth is expected to slow in 2011 it will still reach a new all-time high.

This year “turned out to be a year of recovery, with economic and oil demand growth clearly beating expectations”, David Wech at JBC Energy in Vienna said.

With non-OPEC supply expected to rise by only 200,000 barrels per day next year, OPEC could have to increase output by 800,000 bpd to keep pace with demand, the poll showed.

Ministers from the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), which includes OPEC members such as Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Kuwait, will meet for two days starting on Friday to see how they need to fix prices to get their 2011 diamond studded Benzes before Springtime.

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Armadillo Scooter Wear made the top Dealer News today pretty awesome, we are enjoying record sales this season.

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/New+Product+of+the+Day/Armadillo-releases-chic-scooter-apparel/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/700698?contextCategoryId=48473

New items have arrived from Armadillo and are in stock in the USA. Attached is our current stock as of today, many dealers are placing their winter orders. Again, if you order $1,000 from MRP before Dec 30th you can qualify for the 5% off for 2011 promotion which applies to Armadillo as well.


Use the new catalog http://www.martinracingdealer.com/REPAIR%20MANUALS/armadillo_A4sales_SEPT10_visual_artworkv3_lores.pdf you can add this to your websites!


For more info on carrying Armadillo call us 305-599-8993 or visit http://www.mrp-speed.com

For more info on Armadillo visit www.ArmadilloScooterWear.com

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Preview of the Next Scooter Adventure as the Scooter Maven rides scooters in the Caribbean!
http://www.mrp-speed.com

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http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Get-those-Xmas-Sales-with-Cool-Items-.html?soid=1101623327333&aid=ykfVG1zksro



NEED HOT ITEMS FOR CHRISTMAS SALES?



How about the fact that MRP has VESPA SUNGLASSES -




VESPA SUNGLASSES ARE A HOT GIFT ITEM


This is a must have for anyone looking to have some cool themed scooter sunglasses on the shelf




ARMADILLO SCOOTER WEAR

It's cold outside, but keep your clients warm.



A must have item during the winter, if you're not selling scooter jackets you're missing out on sales!


The only scooter clothing gear that features D30, by scooterists for scooterists with a European flare.





MRP also has a ton of items from ATV 700cc Covers for $15, to Scooter and ATV tires priced at only $15, we have Gloves and Messenger Bags all ready to add to your Scooter Store experience.



Plus buy $1,000 in the month of December and get 5% off all year long in 2011. Imagine how much you can save!



Buy $5,000 in the month of December and get 10% off all year long in 2011. That's off our already low prices and applies across the board!





MESSENGER BAGS, SADDLE BAGS, FOOD BAGS, SIDE BAGS, REAR BAGS AND MORE ALL ON SALE!

GET A FREE LUGGAGE BOX WITH ANY $100 ORDER

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So just wanted to welcome Texas only stocking Armadillo Dealership, if you need high tech clothing then this the place to go.

Moxiescooters
4117 Colleyville Blvd.
Colleyville, TX 76034
817-788-5333
info@moxiescooters.com

Moxie is a Kymco, Genuine, SYM stocking dealership and knows scooters better than anyone, for clothing make sure to give them a buzz if you need Armadillo Scooter Wear.

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Racing Exhaust by Turbo Kit for the Kymco 250cc series. If you want the best available exhaust for your Kymco Maxi Scooter go with TK available at mrp http://www.mrp-speed.com

TKC- M4T02-N: MOFLE RACING KYMCO Kymco 250cc/300cc

Hecho por Turbo Kit de España, el principal fabricante español de tubos de escape de carreras y algunas de las mejores piezas de carreras disponibles.

Dyno Probado en curva del flujo de aire utilizando tecnología y fabricación en la presión del agua de nstead el calor y la soldadura de los tubos de escape son de primera calidad de la línea hecha en España. Ajustable de montaje que sea sólida y fabricada con acero real, esta es una cualidad de escape para los pilotos que quieren mejor que mejor.

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Miami, FL - December 3, 2010

MRP has completed adding all the United Motors of America repair and part manuals to its dealer support section of the MRP website.

Dealers can now use the MRP repair manual section to look up parts for all 40 models formerly imported by United Motors of America from the Moontrax 50cc kids Quad all the way to the Hyosung 250i Ms3 called the Xpeed 250i by UM. Included are the private label unit motorcycles including the 650cc Hyosung and 450cc ATVs. The manuals along with 150 other PDF files are available at the MRP website http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htm

“Our intent is to provide dealers with an online source of OEM PDF files they can use to order the correct OEM parts from MRP and to have a resource for legitimate brands that left the market,” commented Kerwin Vega the MRP sales manager. He further went to comment “ Companies like United Motors were in the US market for over 15 years, Dealer Expo exhibitors for over 10 years, over 50,000 units on the road, plus GE sold over 2,500 United Motor motorcycles and scooters at the NPA auctions in 2010 meaning stores still have plenty of bikes on the floor.”

In addition MRP has OEM manuals available for stores for TNG – CMSI Scooters, QJ, Benelli, Andretti, Cubik K, Powersports Factory, Vento, Diamo LS Motorsports, Italjet America, Malaguti Italian Scooters, Linhai, Pit Motorsports, MH, Xtreme Scooters, CPI Taiwan, CF MOTO, Daelim, Hyosung, Zongshen, Keeway private label units. There are also engine repair manuals, charts, information on tire sizes, spark plugs, and much more.

Privately held United Motors of America ceased its US operations in February 2010. The company continues to operate in Colombia and other parts of Central and South America. MRP purchased the inventory and assets from the banking institutions that held the liens on the company, MRP is not responsible for any warranties, liabilities, or consumer issues.



Former United Motors dealers are encouraged to open an MRP account. No minimum to buy for jobber accounts.


MRP
1740 NW 93rd Ave.
Doral, FL 33172
305-599-8993

About MRP
MRP is a leading supplier of OEM and performance parts having over 30,000 SKUs for hard to find Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Japanese, and European scooters. It is the one and only source of OEM Malaguti ( Italy ), TNG – CMSI Scooters, Diamo – LS Motorsports, Italjet America, CPI Scooters and ATVs from Taiwan and more. The company also offers exclusive lines such as Bertoni sunglasses, Armadillo Clothing and Gear, Scooter Ninja Taiwan race accessories, NG Disk Brakes from Spain, and Turbo Kit exhausts. MRP since 2009 has acquired and merged over 8 US Distributors including well known industry distributors CPI – JAG, TNG, Diamo, Italjet America, Keeway Southeast, and United Motors of America.
For more information on MRP visit: http://www.mrp-speed.com

Dealers can check the manuals at: MRP / United Motors:
X-PEED50 JOG Minarelli Engine 12mm(UNITED MOTORS pre-2007 = QJ part numbers )
150cc UM Scooter P
Moontrax ATV 50 90
Xpeed 150 UM
2006 Xpeed 50R
AX 100cc
DIRT DEMON 90
DIRT DEMON atv
DIRT SQUIRT 50
Dirt Tracker 80cc
Dirtracker 125
DSF 200cc by ZOngshen and United Motors
dsr200cc
DTF 150
DTF 50
DTF 90cc 110cc
EARTHLANDER 200
EARTHLANDER 50cc 90cc
fastwind 220r
fastwind monoshock 180cc
GP1 125
GP1 150R
GP1 Powermax 150
Magnetic 125
MATRIX 150
MATRIX-2005 2010
MOONTRAX 90cc
MS3 250cc 250i scooter
POWERMAX 125
POWERMAX 150
PRIMA HYOSUNG AND NEW XPEED SF50R_Owner_Manual
Renegade 200
REPTILE 90
SMF DTF DSF 200cc
smf200
SPORTMOTO 200
United Motors XPEED-250i Hyosung MS3 250cc
V2S 250cc
V2S-250R
V2S650R 650R Hyosung United Motors
ZF2R



MRP piezas para United Motors y UMGLOBAL si necesitan piezas para United Motors, piezas para Hyosung, y motos Chinas somo el distribuidor mas grande de piezas de motos scooters y motonetas Chinas. http://www.mrp-speed.com

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Driving this morning to work I couldn't help but notice gas was at exactly $2.99. Everyone else is probably upset about that, but I'm of the opinion that's a good thing for many stores that are feeling a little more optimistic about the scooter market.

On top of that this holiday season we should see more shoppers since overall the economy is doing better. So those two factors should help scooter shops everywhere. My biggest concern is the lack of stocking requirements and dealers ability to expand beyond mere necessities.

This weekend I got one email in particular from a retailer "We showed a client your sample brochure for Armadillo and she would like to order a small jacket." We'll that clearly demonstrates there is demand, but it also shows me the dealer doesn't know how to sell jackets. So I had to call them and explain they need to stock several sizes to represent the line. This is true for many stores, our best performing jacket retailers stock 5 to 6 models and several sizes of each. How can you sell if you don't have inventory? Especially with clothing its something you have to have to sell.

As Consumers get a little more optimistic about their economic situations they are going to walk into the scooter shops and ask where is the merchandise? So now is the time to stock up before Christmas and get some nice Armadillo jackets or items you haven't thought about stocking in the past. They work hand in hand with the unit sales. That way if you don't sell 40 scooters before Christmas you might still sell 20 jackets.


According the CNN Money Consumer optimism is higher today that it was a year ago and early reports show that more money was spent this past Thanksgiving weekend than last year. So if the shoppers are back will your scooter store be ready? Holiday sales are crucial in 2010 for many retailers so its absolutely necessary to consumer accessories and goods besides vehicles to sell them. This includes everything from masks to key chains, the scooter shop needs to think like a consumer. If you don't stock any jackets what do you hope to sell them? another scooter? Most people walking into the shop will be looking for a gift item for someone who already owns a scooters.



I have some key points
=Stock gloves and jackets easy to sell items
=Stock heavy on the women's motorcycle and scooter jackets ( easy sell to the husbands and men who ride )
=Make sure to have accessories like scarves and headbands
=Winter Time means gifts so everything from key chains to toys
=The Save on Gas signs still work especially with gas at $3 it gets college students and parents to take a second look.

Get ready for Christmas and if you need ideas, email me.

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So another Holiday Season is upon us and small dealers are asking themselves what should I stock?

We'll be careful and let me tell you a few stories from the Scooter Maven's point of view.
I title this Holiday story "Too many suppliers and too many factories."

We made some head turns last month with our last acquisition of United Motors, the company was a staple of ATVs, Scooters, and bikes at the Dealer Expo the last twelve years so it came to a shock to many people. What smaller stores don't realize is how big UM was, they were bigger than TNG, CPI, Diamo, Italjet, Derbi, Daelim combined. They sold more units than better known names like Genuine or Carter while they were in the US market. In my honest opinion they did a great job importing Taiwanese and Chinese scooters before anyone else got into the industry and they will be missed. They were the first to import ATVs from Vietnam and the first to have an affordable 50cc unit back in 1998 with the Jincheng brand.

They over-expanded, they grew too quickly, and they made the mistake of importing a brand that was directly competing against them namely Hyosung. The same mistake the killed Alphasports back in the day and Kasea. You can't survive without the support of the factory that sells to you. Something that has become cliche in the importing business from Asia. That's an entirely different article, but back to UM. Too many models means you have to have better support and that's really what I'm getting at today.

The entire contents of the UM warehouse are slowly being integrated into the MRP parts selection. We are working around the clock this holiday season to add this to our already growing inventory of Scooter, ATV, UTV, and Motorcycle parts. I understand several big Hyosung dealers purchased large amounts of scooters and motorcycles at the NPA auctions since May of 2010. Many of them have been waiting on backordered Hyosung parts for several months and the fact that Hyosung North America does not cover any warranties on any UM branded Hyosung motorcycles opened the door to an increase in parts sales for everyone. So we are doing the best job we can, still it's like a needle in a haystack for some items. We have more than Hyosung USA in some parts and much less. That technical support aspect is what kills many companies if you overorder one product or underorder another. Logistics.

UM had too many suppliers and too many factories. Period.

The same is true of many dealers. I have said this over and over again. Many small shops are known for buying every single brand they can, locking territories, to only do a terrible job in representing any one brand. What's worse they can't support the brands they have.

I see Kymco dealers that are sub-par out there. If you're going to take on a line that has over 15 models you should have at least 5 of them in the shop, instead you see shops with one or two Kymcos and five Chinese brands in there. I'm not saying only have one or two lines like a Vespa boutique thats a death sentence in itself, but strike a balance between medium and high. This is the only way to give good support to the client and stock parts.

Back in 1999 it used to be a requirement for new dealers to stock a selection of OEM parts. If you wanted to get an Aprilia scooter dealership you had to have a minimum parts buy in. We've done away with that for "just buy some scooters" and in the end what we do is give bad service. Plus you have importers importing more models that aren't generic engines or generic plastics making the situation that much worse. Check your local junkyard and you will see what I mean.



Despite a US slowdown in sales and companies closing like FlyScooters ( another ZNEN Motors importer ) we continue to see new guys pop up. This new ZNEN Motor importer in Miami ( the factories are like a Hydra cut off one head and two more pop up ) we see models that are unsupported and are new to the market.

Worse some factories spent the last 5 years flooding the market with the same models under 10 different names ( CF MOTO was a good example a great product with too many importers )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rur7RGdB5L0



I know my advice falls on deaf ears but honestly why pickup unsupported units? We need to educate dealers at the next SEMA and Dealer Expo about this growing trend. The local importer brings in 10 new models, barely has 2 or 3 plastics in stock. Probably only gets the 2 to 3% free plastics the factory gives and never stocks all the colors they imported. - SEE VIDEO ABOVE

The ratio should be 10 to 1 per color for plastics per model. What ends up happening is consumers will never get the same color plastic if they ever have a problem. How do I know this? Because I use to be an importer and even with a very high end brand this is a considerable job to keep track of. So fly by night guys will never get it right.

My other concern is the ever increasing Walmart mentality among smaller dealers. When you buy at lower price points you think these things won't bite you in the butt later, but they will. One dealer we met as 40 United Motor ATVs sitting in a warehouse he purchased them at liquidation prices, but once they started having problems his problems started. You need to have a source ( fortunately for him we purchased United Motors in bankruptcy.)

Again these ratios are important for the aftermarket support in the industry since a dealer has to support what they sell and you can't do that when selling a lower end brand like SunL(Massimo) or Roketa its the whole Baja mentality at Pep Boys its cheaper to give you a new unit than to repair the one we sold you except that the small Chinese dealer isn't PEP BOYS or SEARS and cannot afford to give out new units. That's when the problems arise. You're better off buying a good Taiwanese brand from the start like Kymco, PGO, or TGB and not worrying about it. This is why both at the store and at the distributor level we have to be careful not to flood the market with items we can't support.

So this holiday season I know everyone is looking for a bargain, here at MRP we are giving away all sorts of promos and freebies to get dealers to buy, we are helping with gifts and discounts, free shipping, but the best gift I can give is advice. Think long term, think service, and as you stock up those 20 dirtbikes and ATVs or 30 scooters don't buy stuff you can't support. It's been killing distributors and its been killing dealers.

Support the brands that support the business and have parts like Kymco, CFMOTO, TGB, and you will have happy end users.

The Scooter Maven

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From Thursday until Cyber Monday! Any MRP dealer can qualify buy now any order over $400 of in stock items and get a free LED watch. Plenty of free stuff for the holiday season for the stores we have ALARMS FREE LUGGAGE BOXES FREE MESSENGER BAGS FREE STICKERS FREE SHIPPING FREE LED WATCHES OVER $100 VALUE

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SEMA 2010 Wrap Up Video
A quick glance at 7 days of adventures in 4 minutes, all the highlights from the floor, the booth, the drive on scooters along the strip, meeting the world's youngest Monster Truck Driver and more. If you didn't make it this year make sure to look for MRP in the Powersports Section for the Vegas 2011 Show. http://www.mrp-speed.com

Make sure to look for Martin Racing Performance and our awesome scooter parts display at the SEMA 2011 Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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A good friend of mine sent me an email talking about the death of the Garden Industry thanks to the Home Depots and all the OEMs selling direct online. You know what I'm talking about with those late night TV commercials on pro-tools and pro-lawnmowers.

He wrote me the story on the high school coach speaking to the new player:

"Are you ignorant or just totally apathetic?" screamed the perplexed coach.

"I don't know and I don't care," came the slacker's retort.

The death of the individual dealer in both the L&G and powersports industries is no laughing matter, but the sad joke is that the market will go away and the big boxes will have the last laugh!

The fact that Sears is now selling scooters is a clear sign of where the industry is headed. This is just another shot at killing the small mom and pop dealership where state laws should be there to protect them. By selling off-road vehicles in catalogs like Northern Tools, Pep Boys, and drop shipping hey I've even seen them on Delta planes lately.

The latest L & G figures indicate dealers are getting older and there are very few young techs and even fewer young dealers. So the older guys are left holding onto the repair work. Basically peanuts because Baja doesn't comply with most state laws. In WA state you have to PAY in warranty whatever the shop hourly rate is, do you think BajaMotorsports can comply with that? Obviously Sears and Pep Boys won't pay warranty they leave it up to the OEM, that just goes to show they think the powersports business is like selling a lamp. The companies have no knowledge whatsoever of motor vehicle sales. If you don't resist the majors like Baja next thing you know you will see SYM selling to Major Box Stores who are in direct competition with the MFGs sales & Service network set up by a company like say Carter, but the Box store has the best price breaks and the service industry is expected to be happy with the service dollar crumbs.

Look at this video from Italy where they sell Scooters in the Supermarkets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsaR7Vlnpik



Do you think a Supermarket can give you service? Nope didn't think so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGESEZNvJXM


I don't know when or if the dealer networks will ever wake up but if they do the MFGs are going to be in a world of hurt when the service dealers tell the MFGs we are no longer going to do warranty much less keep repair parts for units unless you stop giving all the gravy to the Box Stores. This is what happened in the lawn industry and its whats happening in the Powersports Industry. Pep Boy sells Kinroad Go Karts. Where is Kinroad USA today? The factory that makes Hammerhead also sells to Pep Boys - look at where the kart market is today with half the buggy dealers closing after 5 years of growth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e6EMQ_z36Y

What will happen to the US scooter industry 5 years from now if the trend continues? Will Pep Boys be doing the service for the mom and pop shops? or will they put more junk on the road in the states where they are allowed to without any recourse?

Something to think about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU-EePXBX8Q

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Over the next few weeks we will be reporting and testing on electric scooters, is there demand? what are the benefits of carrying these? Is it a consumer driven industry or is the industry pushing this without sales? Lots of questions we need to ask....

http://www.mrp-speed.com

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I just talked to one of my star dealers let's call him Smith, he's ok with me sharing his story, but he doesn't want the dealer across the street knowing how he's cashing in. Today he called me his first line was "Joey! You won't believe it I got me a 2007 ZUMA missing the tires and mirrors! for $100," I thought it was great. He's always happy, sold him two tires and he said he was going to paint it red.

He's focusing on USED Scooters. That's right. United Motors, Vento, TNG whatever he can get he has corned the market in his little college town. He's making insane amounts of money because he gets them cheap. He signed an exclusive deal with several towing companies, sent letters to all the apartment rental companies ( for scooters abandoned by students ) and is the only guy at the auction ever month. In September he purchased 36 scooters at auctions and towing sales. This October he did over 45 with an average price of $115, the paperwork averages $50 and he makes the new client pay for the new title $150. Average scooter sells for $699 to $899 nothing over $1,000 and he puts about $200 in parts and service into them.

Why do we know all this?

Because he calls us everyday single day to see what MRP has purchased and what company we acquired. He's starting his own virtual junkyard of bikes in his backyard and he's making money. He's averaging a $400 profit on most of them sometimes more than his competition does on the new scooters.

How does he find the parts? he uses the OEM manuals on our website and calls us with pictures or gives us the OEM numeber. http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkqavcHKXF0


Now does this sound crazy to you that he can make more money in this market selling used scooters? Nope it makes perfect sense when students and buyers can't qualify for new vehicles and are buying used. Use the same strategy. If nobody claims the scooter at the tow truck company they hold an auction and if you're the only one there like Peter is then you make the money. Better yet work it out with an auction company.

This is what I spoke about at the SEMA show and I got some weird looks from the Honda and Yamaha dealers, but the truth is a lot of them are alive because of used units. MIC numbers say sales of used units are up 18.5%.

Look at todays report from Powersports Business Magazine: These case studies couldn't come at a better time. Unlike with the new unit market where the late fall and winter were traditionally down times, just the opposite can be said for the preowned-focus dealership. Their buying decisions in the next couple of months will go a long way in determining their success next spring and summer.
CLICK HERE FOR THE POWERSPORTS BUSINESS REPORT
Click here to download this free case study
http://www.powersportsbusiness.com/output.cfm?ID=2683783&utm_source=cheetah&utm_medium=email

This proves everything I was saying.

So let MRP be your partner in repairing these bikes and taking advantage of the NEW "Used" market.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBeLquf9dlE

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