10 • June 2026 • Powersports Business

FROM THE EDITOR INDUSTRY PODCASTS

Look, I’ m a gas guy through and through. I grew up wrenching on combustion engines, racing gas-powered vehicles, rebuilding carburetors, replacing timing chains, pistons and rings, and loving every second of my high-revving two-stroke kart engine. My garage

BRENDAN BAKER is full of gas-powered

equipment, and there will always be something emotional and mechanical about internal combustion that electric simply can’ t replicate.

But I’ ll admit something I probably wouldn’ t have said a few years ago: I’ m getting tired of the constant maintenance.

After breaking yet another lawnmower, I bought a cheap electric mower off Amazon just to get by. Surprisingly, it’ s been great. My weed-eaters are electric now, too. While I still have plenty of gas stuff in the garage, I don’ t use it nearly as much because the electric stuff is just easier. Push a button and go. No carburetor issues. No stale fuel. No pulling cords.

The same thing has happened with my power tools. I rarely buy corded power tools anymore because cordless technology has gotten so good. Although, now I’ ve created a different problem— piles of battery chargers and random cords everywhere because I keep buying whatever brand happens to be on sale.

Tools and lawnmowers are one thing, but can this transition happen in powersports as seamlessly?

Many enthusiasts are still going to prefer ICE products for years to come. I get that. There will absolutely continue to be a market for gas-powered motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs and snowmobiles. The sound, vibration, shifting feel and mechanical personality are deeply tied to powersports culture. But that could change.

Younger riders are entering the market with a completely different perspective. Kids learning to ride today are increasingly starting on products like STACYC electric balance bikes and youth electric minibikes. To them, instant torque, quiet operation and plug-in charging are normal. They’ re not emotionally attached to exhaust notes or carburetors because they didn’ t grow up around them the way many of us of a certain age did.

In the same way younger consumers naturally adapted to smartphones, streaming and AI-driven technology, they’ re likely going to adapt far more easily to EVs. My nephew, who just turned six this year, is likely going to be one. He hates the noise of engines but loves racing cars and motorcycles. For kids like him, electric powersports products won’ t feel futuristic. They’ ll just feel familiar.

And we’ re already starting to see that transition happening in the off-road market. Lightweight electric dirt bikes are carving out a legitimate niche, especially in riding areas where noise restrictions continue tightening. Companies like Zero Motorcycles and LiveWire are no longer viewed strictly as

novelty brands. Performance has improved dramatically in just the past few years.

Meanwhile, LiveWire’ s recent acquisition of Dust Moto shows that electric powersports companies are positioning themselves for the next phase of off-road growth. Instead of focusing only on urban commuter motorcycles, brands are now chasing lightweight adventure, trail and recreation segments where electric powertrains may actually offer unique advantages.

Quiet operation on trails. Simplified maintenance. Immediate torque delivery. Reduced heat. Fewer moving parts. Those are benefits that will resonate with many new riders entering the market in the next few years. Heck, it sounds good to me right now.

The momentum is becoming harder to ignore globally, too. India, in particular, is emerging as one of the world’ s biggest EV manufacturing and consumer hubs. Unlike the United States— where EV adoption often gets dragged into political or environmental debates— India’ s transition is being driven largely by economics and necessity.

For millions of consumers there, electric scooters and motorcycles cost less to operate than gasolinepowered alternatives. In heavily populated cities dealing with congestion and pollution, EVs are becoming the practical transportation choice. Indian manufacturers are also scaling battery and vehicle production rapidly, helping drive down component costs worldwide.

This matters to powersports because the same battery supply chains and manufacturing efficiencies being developed for urban mobility overseas could eventually impact recreational vehicles here in the U. S.

There are still legitimate concerns, of course. Battery range remains an issue for long-distance riding and rural consumers. The charging infrastructure is inconsistent in many areas. Higher vehicle costs remain a hurdle, especially in a market already facing affordability pressures.

Solid-state battery research, recycling programs and alternative chemistries are advancing faster than many people expected. Artificial intelligence is also beginning to improve battery management, predictive maintenance and energy efficiency. Powersports won’ t be isolated from these advancements.

The bigger question may no longer be whether electric becomes a meaningful part of powersports. The real question is how quickly consumer expectations begin changing once the technology becomes undeniably good and reasonably affordable.

And honestly, we may be closer to that tipping point than a lot of people think. But I will still keep my gas cans just in case.

None of this means dealers should suddenly dump their ICE inventory or bet the entire showroom on electric tomorrow morning. The market is still developing, and regional demand varies wildly.

But at this point, ignoring electrification entirely seems like a mistake. Because while parts of the industry are still debating whether electric matters, younger riders are already growing up with it.

Can electric become as popular in powersports as it has in outdoor power equipment and tools?

EP. 50: YOUNG POWERSPORTS’ RAD GLADFELDER SITS DOWN TO DISCUSS NEW ROLE WITH THE DEALERSHIP GROUP

On this episode of the PSB Power Hour, Brendan sits down with Rad Gladfelder, director of powersports at Young Powersports, one of the industry’ s fastest-growing dealership groups. Fresh off multiple PSB Honors awards— including a PSB Leadership Award— Gladfelder shares his journey from a family-run dealership to helping lead an 11-store operation, and how the group is expanding while others scale back.

EP. 49: USMCA’ S LINDSAY SCHELTEMA TALKS ABOUT WHY COACHING MATTERS MORE THAN EVER IN MOTORSPORTS

Coaching is emerging as a critical driver of growth and retention in motorsports, shifting the focus beyond equipment and competition to rider development, safety, and community. Insights from the USMCA highlight how certified coaching— built on standards, training, and accountability— helps new riders stay engaged, avoid injury, and build long-term confidence in the sport. For dealers, integrating coaching into the sales process isn’ t just an added value— it’ s a powerful way to strengthen customer relationships, improve retention, and support the future of the industry.

BOATING INDUSTRY INSIDER: INSIDE THE PLAYBOOK OF HIGH-PERFORMING MARINE DEALERSHIPS

In the marine market right now, the topperforming dealers aren’ t just doing a little better- they’ re doing a lot better. The gap between the best stores and everyone else is widening, and it’ s not about budget or market size. It comes down to a handful of operational habits that high performers execute consistently- and how smartly they spend their digital marketing dollars. The dealers winning right now aren’ t doing anything exotic. They’ ve built a foundation, layered the right tools on top, and run it with discipline. In this edition of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee is joined by Hayley Hollen, head of brand and client marketing at Dealer Spike, and Bill Koehn, director of digital marketing, to discuss the State of the Dealer Report and to get specific about what winning habits look like.

THE DEALER LAB PODCAST: STEVE RADT, NORTON MOTORCYCLES USA CEO

Ep. 27 of The Dealer Lab Podcast features Steve Radt, Norton Motorcycles USA’ s first hire and CEO, who discusses building Norton’ s U. S. subsidiary from scratch( LLC, licensing, homologation, facility, staffing, and dealer strategy) and Norton’ s plan to return to the U. S. market. He recounts his background in mechanical engineering, early roles at Ducati, turning around and later selling Ducati / Triumph New York, and his work growing Polestar’ s dealer network. Radt explains Norton’ s revival under TVS, including $ 300M invested, UK-based design / testing and manufacturing in Solihull for the V4 Manx R, with additional production planned in Hosur, India, and details TVS’ s scale, quality culture, and BMW contract manufacturing. He outlines a franchisedealer approach, a planned U. S. launch target of November, a threeyear / 36,000-mile warranty, and a focus on reducing purchase / service friction through technology to improve ownership experience.

THE DEALERSHIP FIXIT PODCAST: SEMA JUST ADDED A DEDICATED POWERSPORTS SECTION

SEMA just announced a dedicated powersports section at the 2026 SEMA Show— November 3- 6 in Las Vegas. 153,000 total attendees, 70,000 professional buyers, 2,600 accredited media and content creators. And now powersports has its own home inside the biggest specialty equipment trade show in the country. Host Jacob Berry sat down with Tom Gattuso, VP of events at SEMA, and Mike Ausec, SEMA’ s industry sales director for Powersports and Lifestyle, to break down what this actually means for dealers, OEMs, parts brands, and everyone in between. If you have ever thought of SEMA as only a car show, this episode will change that.