Thanks to everyone who registered for our "Guess the Bid. Get the Prize" contest we hosted in conjunction with Dealer Expo. We met many of you at our booth and enjoyed spending time with you. Others registered after seeing ads from our partners at Dealernews, who put on yet another fantastic Dealer Expo event.
We'll know the Grand Prize winner who came closest to guessing .jpg)
the winning auction bid for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide after our March Indianapolis sale. We'll announce all our winners here on our blog in mid-March.
We appreciate all the interest in our contest, and please reach out to us if you'd like to receive our monthly newsletter and market report with auction prices from recent Manheim sales. We're not only here to help you win contests, as you'll find lots of helpful info whether you're looking to buy or sell at auctions.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
I am attending the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) Annual Meeting at Dealer Expo on Friday to hear about the U.S. Economic 
Outlook by Dr. Martin A. Regalia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Martin A. Regalia is senior vice president for economic and tax policy and chief economist at the United States Chamber of Commerce. He is presenting his outlook Friday morning at a MIC member-only meeting along with other speakers that will discuss, among others, these topics: Accelerate Your Influence and Accelerate Your Business. MIC membership is open to manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, parts and accessories, as well as allied trades such as publishing, insurance and consultants. To become a MIC member, visit http://www.mic.org/ and learn how to promote and preserve motorcycling and the U.S. motorcycle industry.
Kim Miskotten is the National Motorcycle/PowerSports Manager for Manheim Specialty Auctions
So...are you pretty good at guessing motorcycle auction prices? Or are you just interested in winning free stuff like race tickets and Flip cameras? Then try your hand at Manheim Specialty's "Guess the Bid. Get the Prize." contest, which we're hosting in conjunction with DealerExpo February 12-15 in Indianapolis.
To enter, just guess the sale price on a 2008 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide with approximately 3,000 miles. The closest guess will win a trip for two to the "Big Race" in Indianapolis on July 25, and all entries are eligible for one of three Flip cameras and one of 10 Manheim Specialty transportation assistance vouchers.
We'll auction the motorcycle in March, and if you're looking for some help check out Manheim PowerSearch, which lists all vehicles for sale including some 'buy it now' prices on OVE.com, or email us to receive our monthly market report.
Hurry, the contest ends February 15. Good luck!
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
My wife came over and handed me the latest version of HOG Magazine, and said we should do this for your 50th birthday. So I picked up the magazine and started to read about a quest to ride 
in 50 states in 50 days on your 50th birthday. What a great idea for a ride, my instant reaction was I need a new touring bike before I turn 50. I would never make it with my current bike.
My mind started racing about the possibilities where would I start what would I want to see. I few minutes into this dream, I started thinking practically. Would I be able to take that much time off from work? The concept of taking that much time off or leaving a 
business alone for that long is really unheard of. It would take an exceptional management team to make me feel comfortable to take that much time off from a business that I owned.
I would like to hear from the dealer community and see who has put in place an exceptional management team, and who feels that they could take an extended amount of time away from their business. Where would you go? Who would you take with you? Please share your stories, and who knows we could be headed out on a journey soon.
Joe Weinstein is the National Product Manager, Manheim Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment Auctions
I really enjoy looking at the posts from Neil Pascale and Karin Gelschus from PowerSports Business, particularly this post on BMW. I was actually going to take a flying leap and go for BMW on this one and then I just didn't. I've been kicking myself ever since.
This one was a surprise to quite a few people. I'm glad for BMW, although a 22% loss isn't anything to celebrate in a normal economy. But this isn't a normal economy. There are several new roll-outs for 2010 across the board, but production will be down for most manufacturers. How do you think the new S 1000 RR Superbike will fare for BMW in the coming months? I know delivery started this week on 600 pre-paid units, and with the new versions of the R 1200 GS, R 1200 Adventure & R 1200 RT's still to come, it will behoove the industry to keep an eye on the Motorrad for 2010. What impact do you think the future has in store for BMW?
Karla Ausonio is the Customer Service Representive - Motorcycles/PowerSports for Manheim Specialty Auctions
I was reading an article in RV Executive Today written by Jeff Sellers that reminded me of my first experience of buying a motorcycle. The article talked about the sales, F&I, Service and parts profit centers and how they should function as a team in the overall success of the organization.
When we finally decided on our bike, our sales person personally walked us through the entire dealership. First we met the customization manager, where we found out what our options were available to personalize our bike and make it feel like our own bike. Then we walked over to the motor clothes manager, and he made sure we had the right gear to enjoy our new toy. Our next stop on the tour was the service department, where we met the person who would personally take care of us if we needed help. Our tour ended with the last stop the F&I department, where the deal was finalized and the sale complete.
Each stop added value to our experience and added profit to theirs, and it was done in a friendly and non overbearing way. What does your dealership do to make itself stand out? I would love to hear your stories about successful teamwork that have worked for you.
Joe Weinstein is the National Product Manager, Manheim Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment Auctions
Manheim Specialty locations began to dedicate themselves to booking out all of the Specialty units (RVs, Boats, Motorcycles, PowerSports) we offered for sale in 2009. The data we collected over the past year became another tool to help us track and understand wholesale trends and market conditions. We will continue this effort in the years to come which will allow us to look even closer at the trends as we gather and analyze more data.
Here are a few key points about our Manheim Specialty NADA performance for Motorcycles/PowerSports in 2009. For reference, we track our Motorcycle/PowerSports performance against the Clean Trade-In/Wholesale NADA value. (Future blog entries will cover our RV NADA performance and our Boat NADA performance.)
Are you interested in receiving our monthly market report for Motorcycles/PowerSports? The market report shows unit information, NADA value and auction sale price for recent Manheim sales. Email us to request to be included on the Motorcycle/PowerSports market report mailing list.
Kelly Miller is the Business Manager at Manheim Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment Auctions