www . PowersportsBusiness . com

Powersports Business • September 2023 • 2

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame has announced the passing of Earl Bowlby , a 10−time AMA national hillclimb champion . Bowlby passed away August 5 at the age of 90 .

He was born on October 27 , 1933 , in Hocking County , Ohio . His love for motorcycles began as a teenager as he rode his paper route aboard a Whizzer motorbike . His racing career got started in the late 1950s when he first dabbled in drag racing .

In 1960 , Bowlby established his own motorcycle dealership in Logan , Ohio , and

Bowlby dominated the national hillclimb scene , claiming 10 national titles across his 25 years of professional racing , a record that stood until 2021 . began to ramp up his racing activities . He tried a variety of disciplines , spanning from enduros to hare scrambles , but ultimately found hillclimbing to be his true calling .

Earning his pro license at 32 in 1966 , it took only two years for Bowlby to claim his first national victory with a win in Muskegon , Michigan , in 1968 . From that point forward , Bowlby dominated the national hillclimb scene , claiming 10 national titles across his 25 years of professional racing , a record that stood until 2021 .

Tucker Powersports recently announced that its business will be acquired by Turn 14 Distribution , one of the largest automotive aftermarket distributors in the United States . The purchase includes certain assets of Tucker and all of its private label brands , which include well-known brands such as Kuryakyn , Answer Racing , Pro Taper , and QuadBoss .

“ The change in ownership will provide a huge injection of resources to better serve Tucker dealers around the country ,” says Marc McAllister , president and CEO of Tucker Powersports . “ I am confident that Turn 14 will have a significant impact on the powersports industry with its approach to inventory and its high-quality customer service .”

Turn 14 Distribution is noted for its customer-first approach , proprietary technology , and logistics efficiency in the automotive industry . Turn 14 Distribution is a sixteen-yearold , national , B2B-only distributor based outside of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . It operates facilities in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Texas , and Nevada , and has over five hundred employees across three distribution centers and two office locations . It is not confirmed at press time which , if any , Tucker warehouses will remain open or be reintegrated into Turn 14 .

The company , named after the 14th turn in the legendary Road America racecourse , was awarded SEMA ’ s Warehouse Distributor of the Year in 2016 , 2018 , and 2021 . In 2022 it was awarded SEMA Channel Partner of the Year , previously the Warehouse Distributor of the Year award , for excellence in distribution . It will apply to the powersports industry many of the principles the company was founded upon and is known for , including building favorable relationships with partners and employees and leveraging the company ’ s strengths in operations , technology , and customer service .

“ We understand the importance of the dealer in the motorcycle and UTV owner experience ,” says Jon Pulli , CEO of Turn 14 Distribution . “ We are confident that powersports dealers will benefit from working with us , and we are excited to continue the legacy of Ed Tucker and others who have played an important role in this company ’ s history .”

Chris Candido is co-founder and chief technology officer of Turn 14 Distribution . While attending Franklin & Marshall College , Candido joined with Pulli to found JSC Speed , an e-commerce retailer . Building that business provided Candido with many insights into the challenges of e-commerce in the early 2000s . After the sale of JSC Speed in 2007 and the subsequent founding of Turn 14 Distribution , Candido worked to design

Turn 14 Distribution is a 16-year-old , national , B2Bonly distributor based outside of Philadelphia .

In addition to his 10 national titles on the AMA hillclimb circuit , Bowlby also added six Canadian national championships to his trophy case during his career . In 1984 , he became the first competitor to complete the triple crown of hillclimb by winning the national invitational at Muskegon while claiming the AMA and Canadian national titles .

As a result of his illustrious racing career , in which he captured more than 80 AMA national hillclimb wins , Bowlby was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and remained a steadfast supporter from that point forward . In February 2023 , Bowlby donated his 1967 BSA 650 to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame collection .

JON PULLI

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Earl Bowlby was a 10-time AMA national hillclimb champion . Photo courtesy of the AMA

CHRIS CANDIDO

new applications , automations , and integrations to make Turn 14 Distribution a leader to its customers and suppliers .

PSB had an exclusive interview with CEO Jon Pulli in late August and will be covering that in a later issue . But Pulli did tell us that he is continuing the Tucker name as the marketing arm and holding company for the powersports segment and Turn 14 will handle the distribution of powersports products . Furthermore , the company remains committed to the dealer model and will end all directto-consumer business immediately .

Financial details of the sale were not revealed and Turn 14 is privately owned and does not have private equity stakeholders . Stay tuned for the interview with the CEO in an upcoming issue .

4 Can-Am joins Powersports Super Show

4 California dealership sold after 30 years of same ownership 6 Honda celebrates 25 years of production in SC 10 Why F & I should be a top priority

12 Same store sales report 13 Preparing your dealership for sale : Part 2 13 Solution selling versus problem finding

14 Planes , Ubers and powersports 14 Insta tips

16 Tiaga celebrates deliveries in California 16 Liqui Moly USA partners with Florida

Ski Riders

18 Dealership remodels to Honda

Powerhouse requirements 20 Polaris unveils 2024 off-road models 22 Yamaha reveals 2024 ATV and UTV lineup

24 Dealership owners take on three locations in four years

26 GasGas unveils 2024 dirtbikes 26 Kawasaki reveals returning Ninja models 27 BMW Motorrad Days Americas to be held with Barber Vintage Festival 28 Dealership offers museum with 100 years of motorcycling history 29 Yamaha reveals 2024 Tracer 9 GT +

30 BMW reveals electric urban scooter 31 Greenger to launch promotion

32 Fun facts about snowmobiling

33 Digest 34 Hot Products