10 • March 2026 • Powersports Business

FROM THE EDITOR

INDUSTRY PODCASTS

Let’ s stop pretending artificial intelligence is some distant tech trend that hasn’ t reached powersports yet. It has … And the uncomfortable truth is, AI isn’ t going to replace dealerships— it’ s going to expose them for weaknesses such as slow follow-ups, poor inventory management, dys-

BRENDAN BAKER

functional websites, and poor sales preparation. Just to name a few.

While much of the industry debates tariffs, interest rates and shifting model mix, something far more disruptive is quietly happening: the buying journey is being rewritten in real time.

THE NON-HUMAN TOUCH Rollick’ s recent rollout of an AI Assistant embedded directly on OEM websites should be a wakeup call. Shoppers can now engage in real-time conversations, ask detailed product questions, compare models, search local inventory and even begin financing pre-qualification— before ever stepping into a dealership. It’ s not a chatbot. It’ s more like a digital gatekeeper. For many customers, that AI interaction will be the first meaningful touchpoint with your brand. And by the time they walk into your showroom— if they walk in at all— they may already know more about your inventory than some of your salespeople.

For decades, the dealership controlled the information flow. Now AI is democratizing it— instantly and at scale.

If your team isn’ t prepared to pick up that conversation seamlessly, you won’ t just look outdated. You’ ll look out of touch.

BUT AI KILLS JOBS There’ s a persistent myth that AI replaces humans. I don’ t think that’ s the right part to focus on for powersports dealers. AI will replace inefficiency. In retail environments outside powersports, AI is already predicting customer behavior, automating targeted marketing, optimizing staffing schedules, flagging fraud and forecasting demand with far greater precision than spreadsheets ever could.

Small retailers are being told that AI levels the playing field. It gives them access to insights once reserved for enterprise giants. That may be the secret sauce small businesses need.

But how does this affect me? If a predictive system tells you customers are shifting toward smaller, more affordable models— as recent industry sales data suggests— and your inventory strategy doesn’ t adjust, that’ s not a market problem. That’ s a management problem.

If AI-generated leads come in pre-qualified with detailed chat histories and your store responds three days later with a generic email, that’ s not a technology gap. It’ s more like complacency.

Bottom line is AI will not replace your people. But it will reveal which ones are adding value.

STATIC WEBSITES Dealers who still treat their website as a listing platform are already behind.

Nearly 60 % of shoppers now use AI tools to research and find products. That means they’ re asking conversational platforms such as ChatGPT what to buy, where to buy it, and what alternatives exist. I’ ve done it myself, and it is a game-changer from the customer side.

Traditional search engine optimization is evolving into AI optimization. AI experts say if your inventory data isn’ t structured cleanly, your pricing isn’ t transparent and your product descriptions aren’ t specific, you risk becoming invisible in AIdriven recommendations.

That’ s invisible, not outranked. In an AI-mediated shopping world, I believe that clarity and structure will matter more than slogans.

GUESSWORK REPLACED For years, seasoned dealers relied on instinct and habit to manage inventory. That worked in scarcitydriven markets. It even worked when margins were inflated by demand tailwinds( i. e, Covid). But most agree, those days are over.

AI predictive analytics can analyze seasonal trends, regional demand patterns, and historical sales data to forecast stocking needs with remarkable accuracy … All while you sip your coffee in the morning. That means smarter ordering, fewer aged units, and reduced floorplan pressure if you implement it correctly.

If your store is still guessing— still saying“ we’ ve always ordered this way”— you are choosing inefficiency in an era where data-driven precision is readily available.

Dealers who integrate AI into inventory planning will quietly outperform stores clinging to intuition alone.

TALENT RISK In my opinion, the biggest threat AI poses to powersports retail isn’ t automation. It will expose the skills gap. Remember those VCRs that you couldn’ t program? Yeah, this will be much bigger.

Implementing AI tools requires technological literacy. It will require managers who can interpret dashboards, question outputs and turn insights into action. Follow the KPIs.

Too many dealerships invest in platforms without investing in understanding. They buy software like they buy equipment— plug it in and hope it works.

That approach will most likely fail with the technology today. AI without training is just an expensive decoration.

The competitive advantage won’ t belong to the biggest dealer group. It will belong to the one that builds internal capability— the store that trains its managers to think in data, not anecdotes.

THE DIVIDE WILL MATTER Over the next few years, the defining line in powersports won’ t be single-line versus multiline. It won’ t be rural versus metro. It won’ t even be big versus small. It will be AI-literate versus anti-technology.

Which one will be more successful? The one that uses predictive tools to adjust inventory before shifts become obvious? The one that engages customers in intelligent digital conversations before competitors even know a shopper exists? Or the group that does it the way they always have?

AI is not a silver bullet. It won’ t fix bad culture, weak leadership, or inconsistent processes. But I think it will magnify strengths and accelerate weaknesses.

And once customers grow accustomed to AIassisted buying experiences, they won’ t tolerate clunky, uninformed retail interactions for long. The expectation bar is rising. The question is whether powersports retailers intend to rise with it.

EP. 45: MIKE KENNEDY, NEW CEO OF INDIAN MOTORCYCLE, TALKS TRANSITION FROM POLARIS

The ink was barely dry on the transaction from Polaris to Carolwood LP when we reached out to Mike Kennedy to join us on the Power Hour to talk about the transition and future of Indian Motorcycle, and why private equity is not a bad word.

EP. 44: YAMAHA’ S MIKE MARTINEZ TALKS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF THE RHINO AND THE BIG R WORD- RETIREMENT

Yamaha Motorsports President Mike Martinez, who’ s retiring after an amazing career, sat down with us at AIMExpo to talk about his retirement, transition, and plans for more( BDR) adventures.

DEALER LAB: NPA’ S TONY ALTIERI ON FIXING POWERSPORTS

Max Materne and Danny French interview Tony Altieri, vice president of business development at National Powersports Auction( NPA), about why many owner-operators stay stuck working in the business instead of on it, and how targeted technology can relieve key dealership pain points. Tony describes how NPA sits between OEMs, dealers, and lenders, why NPA’ s data is valuable but difficult to monetize without partners who can turn it into actionable tools, and how he’ s become a connector for newer, authentic industry innovators.

DEALER LAB: DANIEL WILLOUGHBY, FOUNDER OF STUDIO MOTO, TALKS ABOUT BUILDING FOR EXPERIENCE

In this episode of Dealer Lab, Max and Justin dive into an engaging conversation with Daniel Willoughby about crafting unique motorcycle dealership experiences. Daniel shares the inspiration behind Studio Moto, the challenges and joys of starting a small, boutique dealership, and the importance of maintaining culture and customer experience in business.

VIDEO: RIDER’ S 2026 INDIAN CHIEF VINTAGE REVIEW Kicking off Indian Motorcycle’ s 125th anniversary, the new 2026 Indian Chief Vintage pays homage to the iconic image of the 1940s-era Chiefs. It’ s distinguished from the standard Chief by classiccool features like valanced fenders, footboards, an illuminated headdress ornament, covers on the forks and rear shocks, a solo seat, and silverpainted pushrod rubes and cylinders heads to resemble the aluminum heads of early Chiefs. When Indian invited Rider to Los Angeles to ride one for a day, they couldn’ t say no.

THE DEALERSHIP FIXIT PODCAST: HOW SMART POWERSPORTS DEALERS WIN WITH USED INVENTORY IN 2026

In this episode, Jacob Berry, Mark Sheffield, and Kyle Reid break down the real strategies behind building, managing, and profiting from a strong used inventory department. This is not theory. This is operator-level insight from dealers and industry experts who see the data every day.

BOATING INDUSTRY INSIDER WITH MOVER AND SHAKER KEITH YUNGER

Here’ s a special episode recorded live at the Boating Industry Elevate Summit. Boating Industry Insider host David Gee sits down with Boating Industry’ s Mover and Shaker of the Year and Sea Ray President Keith Yunger for an honest, unscripted conversation about leadership, momentum, dealer relationships, and what it really takes to move a legacy brand forward in a changing market.