The American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) is taking North America’s largest powersports tradeshow back to where it all started 13 years ago, and Powersports Business is excited to be coming along for the ride.
Since its inception in 2013, AIMExpo has aimed to be North America’s first combined consumer, trade, and media event. Now with 12 shows under its belt, the show is heading back to Orlando, Florida, only this time with an added element — Powersports Business’ Accelerate Conference and PSB Honors awards.
At AIMExpo, PSB will be front and center for two days at the Dealer Accelerate Stage, where it will hold its annual Accelerate Conference. The dealer-focused event brings together dealers and industry leaders to focus on key issues, business growth, and future planning with workshops, seminars, case studies, and keynotes. A unique experience filled with networking discussions, receptions, and thought leadership.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Powersports Business’ Dealer Accelerate to AIMExpo. Collaborations like this strengthen AIMExpo’s position as the industry’s must-attend event, giving powersports dealers greater access to education, connections, and business opportunities — all in one place, at one time,” says Cinnamon Kernes, vice president of market expansion for the Motorcycle Industry Council. “When respected industry events choose to join us, it reinforces that AIMExpo is delivering real value and building meaningful momentum across the powersports community.”
Led by PSB editor-in-chief and Power Hour podcast host Brendan Baker, sessions will feature industry experts, solution providers and panels covering topics like leadership development, succession planning and the challenges and opportunities shaping the powersports industry.
“We’re excited to bring our decades of experience delivering live dealer education seminars to AIMExpo,” says Powersports Business Senior Vice President Jeremy Nedelka. “Dealers in attendance should expect the same informative discussions and actionable intelligence Powersports Business provided at our former Accelerate Conference, and continues to provide through our magazine, podcast and newsletters.”
Also coming to AIMExpo is PSB Honors, where the publication celebrates the best and brightest in the industry. Recipients of Powersports Business’ Rising Stars, Best in Class Dealership and Women with Spark awards will be celebrated on stage and invited to an exclusive cocktail reception.
As AIMExpo continues to build momentum, more of the industry’s leading brands, dealers, media and events are coming together to give dealers greater access to the resources, insights and connections they need to succeed — without requiring them to travel to multiple events throughout the year. This consolidation creates a unique opportunity for dealers to fully immerse themselves in the business of powersports through a concentrated period of education, networking and industry engagement.
Both the Accelerate Conference and AIMExpo have experimented with different locations and venues throughout their history. After being in Orlando for its first four years, the AIMExpo also held its show in Columbus, Ohio, and Las Vegas, and its 2026 event took place in Anaheim, California. PSB Accelerate started in Orlando in 2022 and has since been held in Dallas, Atlanta, and Charlotte before returning to Orlando in 2026.
Performance Brokerage Services has announced the sale of Four Rivers Harley-Davidson in Paducah, Kentucky, from owners Eddy Soberon and Eric Sternberg to Harley-Davidson dealer Steven Towers.
The acquisition expands Towers’ dealership portfolio to seven Harley-Davidson locations and marks his first dealership in Kentucky. Following the transaction, the dealership will be renamed Towers’ Bourbon Barrel Harley-Davidson and will remain at its current location.
Four Rivers Harley-Davidson is among the nation’s largest Harley-Davidson dealerships and has earned 15 Bar & Shield Awards from Harley-Davidson Motor Co. recognizing dealership performance and customer service. Performance Brokerage Services also represented Soberon and Sternberg when they acquired the dealership in 2017.
“Eric and I have had the privilege of working with George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services for nearly 20 years,” Soberon said in the July 22 announcement. “When it came time to sell Four Rivers Harley-Davidson, we exclusively engaged George Chaconas, Juan Pardo and the team at Performance Brokerage Services to represent us. They navigated us through a very complex transaction.”
George Chaconas and Juan Pardo, partners in the Harley-Davidson & Powersports Division at Performance Brokerage Services, served as the exclusive sell-side advisors for the transaction.
“This marks our seventh deal with Steven, who has entrusted my partner, Juan Pardo, to represent him in each of his acquisitions,” Chaconas says. “Congratulations to Steven on his new flagship dealership, Towers’ Bourbon Barrel Harley-Davidson.”
Towers entered the Harley-Davidson dealer network in 2023 with the acquisition of Boneyard Harley-Davidson in Winterville, North Carolina. He expanded his holdings with the purchases of Frontier Harley-Davidson in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2024 and Historic Harley-Davidson in Topeka, Kansas, in 2025. According to Performance Brokerage Services, the Paducah acquisition brings his dealership portfolio to seven locations.
“One of the first Harley-Davidson motorcycles I ever bought was at Four Rivers Harley-Davidson in Paducah,” Towers says. “Since that time, I have become a six-rooftop Harley-Davidson dealer and have now been able to acquire that same dealership as my seventh. I continue to be passionate and bullish about Harley-Davidson, and I am excited to make this dealership my flagship store.”
Performance Brokerage Services says it has advised on the sale of nearly 450 dealerships over the past five years across North America.
Online qualification tests for the 2027 Honda National Technician Contest is now live, the manufacturer announced in an Aug. 11 press release.
Just like the first two editions, the 75-question, multiple-choice test will determine eight U.S. finalists — four in the Two-Wheel Division, four in the Four-Wheel Division — who will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Honda’s Alpharetta, Georgia, Training Center for a weeklong, in-person competition.
The Honda National Technician Contest, scheduled for Jan. 25-29, 2027, is designed to recognize technical excellence and promote Honda’s Powersports technical training programs. Contestants face off in both on- and off-road vehicle competitions and are judged based on their technical knowledge, technique, procedures, precision and speed. Each of the two national champions will earn a prize package worth $8,000.
The technician rivalry won’t end with the U.S competition. In the spring of 2027, the six national champions from the first three editions will compete to determine the two technicians who will represent Team USA at the Honda Global Technician Contest, scheduled for October 2027 in Japan.
“The first two editions of the Honda National Technician Contest have successfully showcased the impressive capabilities and know-how of technicians at Honda Powersports dealerships from coast to coast,” says Jeremy McGuire, director of PS&P sales operations. “The level of competition is sure to ratchet up even higher for year three, as we’ll not only declare two new national champions, but also finalize the six contestants who will compete for a chance to represent Team USA in the Honda Global Technician Contest.”
Technicians from Honda dealerships across the U.S. — excluding previous national champions — are eligible to take the Honda National Technician Contest qualification test. For information, please email myhondatrainingsupport@ahm.honda.com.
By Brendan Baker | Editor in Chief
Canada’s powersports industry remained resilient in 2025, with motorcycle registrations reaching a five-year high even as new-vehicle sales eased from the record levels seen in recent years, according to Moto Canada’s 2025 Annual Industry Statistics Report.
Moto Canada reported 61,623 new motorcycles and scooters sold in Canada during 2025, along with 48,994 ATVs and 37,918 side-by-side/recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs).
The association characterized 2025 as a year of “normalization” following several years of exceptional industry growth. While new motorcycle retail sales declined modestly from recent highs, Moto Canada said the market remains significantly stronger than it was before the pandemic.
The installed base of powersports vehicles also continued to grow. More than 915,000 on-road motorcycles were registered across Canada in 2025, representing the highest registration level in five years. Moto Canada’s annual industry snapshot lists 919,313 registered on-road motorcycles.
Off-road powersports also continued to represent a significant portion of the Canadian market. Nearly 49,000 ATVs were sold during the year, while ROV/SxS sales totaled nearly 38,000 units.
Moto Canada noted that ATV unit sales softened slightly in 2025, but retail dollar sales increased, pointing to continued consumer investment in higher-value and premium products. ROV sales, meanwhile, reached a five-year high, highlighting continued interest in trail-based recreation and outdoor powersports activities.
For dealers and manufacturers, the results point to a market that has moved beyond the extraordinary sales volumes experienced during the pandemic but continues to benefit from a larger and more engaged rider base.
“The industry entered a period of normalization in 2025,” Moto Canada President and CEO Landon French said in the report. “While new motorcycle retail sales declined modestly from recent record levels, the market remains significantly stronger than it was before the pandemic.”
French also pointed to vehicle registrations as an important indicator of the industry’s long-term health.
“Canadians are not only buying motorcycles — they are continuing to ride,” he added.
Moto Canada said the 2025 results also reinforce the importance of access, trail infrastructure and safety as the powersports market continues to develop. The association said it will remain focused on advocacy, trail stewardship, rider safety and providing industry research and data.
The organization’s annual report provides additional data on motorcycle and powersports sales, registrations and licensing trends across Canada, offering manufacturers, dealers and other industry stakeholders a broader view of the market.
For the Canadian powersports industry, the 2025 numbers suggest that while the post-pandemic sales boom has cooled, the underlying market remains considerably larger than it was before 2020 — with a growing base of registered vehicles and continued consumer interest in motorcycles, ATVs and ROVs. Check out the full report on Moto Canada’s website at motocanada.com.
Republic Powersports has acquired Kent Powersports, taking ownership of the three-store dealership group serving the Austin, San Antonio and New Braunfels markets in Texas.
The transaction was announced Aug. 5 and marks the launch of Republic Powersports, a new dealership group led by industry veterans Shane Talbert, Andre Lecompte and Gerald Lindenmuth.
Kent Powersports was previously owned by former Major League Baseball All-Star and Hall of Famer Jeff Kent and Operating Partner Matt Goulais. The acquisition gives Republic Powersports an established retail footprint across Central Texas, one of the country’s fastest-growing regions.
The dealerships will continue operating with their existing sales, service, parts and financing operations, with Republic Powersports saying the transition is expected to be seamless for customers and employees.
“This acquisition represents more than a change in ownership — it’s the launch of Republic Powersports and a long-term commitment to growth throughout Texas,” Lecompte said.
The transaction was brokered by Lecompte through Rockmoor Consulting. The acquisition adds three established dealership locations to Republic Powersports as the new group begins operations under its own name.