MAG (J&P CYCLE, VANCE & HINES, KURYAKEN and MUSTANG SEATS) FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

Last Evening I was made aware that MAG (Motorsports Aftermarket Group) were in financial trouble. MAG also owns several other Motorsport performance and accessory brands (Renthal Americas, Tucker Rocky, Performance Machines, Roland Sands Designs, Vance & Hines, J&P Cycles, Kuryaken, Velocity Holdings Company, Velocity Pooling Vehicle, DFR Acquisition, Ed Tucker Distributor, MAG Creative Group, MAGNET Force, Motorcycle Superstore, Motorcycle USA, Mustang Motorcycle Products, Ralco Holdings and Tally Holdings)

The biggest disappointment with this news is the possibility that we (the motorcycling community) could loose Vance & Hines, Kuryaken, Roland Sands Designs and Mustang Motorcycle Seats. I personally have had Vance and Hines pipes on all my motorcycles, it'll be hard to replace that loyalty if the worst happens.

On November 15^th 2017 MAG and its subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy relief from creditors. Its Chapter 11 petition allows the group to reorganize under debtor-in-possession financing.

J&P Cycles is one of 19 individual brand names also filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of the plan. Motorsports Aftermarket Group purchased the iconic business more than a decade ago.

J&P Cycles was founded in by John and Jill Parham in 1979. John and Jill Parham handed over management of the company back in 2011 to their son Zach who was named Vice President and General Manager. This obviously hasn't worked out the family. 

The bankruptcy move allows MAG to eliminate about $300 million USD in debt.

MAG’s businesses will apparently continue to operate unaffected, and the company has sufficient liquidity to fund operations.

CEO Andrew Graves said. “Customer service and sales will continue; employees will receive wages and benefits as before; and vendors and suppliers will be paid in the ordinary course of business going forward.” “MAG is very appreciative of its employees who have remained committed and professional during what has been a challenging few years,” Graves said. “We are grateful to our valued vendors and suppliers who have remained our partner, and we thank our customers who continue to trust and rely on us.”

The company said it expects to re-emerge from bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2018. I guess time will tell if they can restructure and survive.

I personally avoid purchasing products from companies that are in bankruptcy protection. Companies in bankruptcy protection often change their return policies on a whim; they often have limited stock and fail to honour warranties. Why would you want to subject yourself to that when there are so many alternatives!

I should point out that in 2015 I visited J&P Cycles in Anamosa, Iowa before they moved to Kentucky and Texas. It was a huge facility with an even better motorcycle museum, a testament to a once very powerful and industry giant.

I really hope they can consolidate and pull themselves out of this mess. Good luck to MAG specifically J&P Cycles, Vance and Hines, Kuryaken and Mustang Seats.

Tank

Vice President

Roughnecks MC

Toronto Chapter

THAT TIME OF YEAR.....WINTERIZING YOUR MOTORCYCLE

Well it’s Saturday, November 18^th 2017 and winter has all but arrived here in Toronto, Ontario. It's that dreaded time of year: Motorcycle Hibernation Time.

It won’t be long until we are all suffering from PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome) but be strong fellow Bikers, spring is around the corner.

Come January if you need a motorcycle fix the North American International Motorcycle Show is running at the Toronto International Centre in Toronto on January 5th, 6th and 7th 2018.

Here are a few tips and basics to prepare your motorcycle for the long winter sleep.

Change Your Oil:

Head to your local dealership and have your oil and filter changed, this way you’re ready to go in the spring and the best part is you’ll miss the spring rush at your local dealership. You should not store your bike with oil that has anymore that 4000km on it.

Clean & Lubricate Your Motorcycle:

Dirt, sand and road grime will damage your paint, metal surfaces and chrome if left on during winter storage. We recommend giving your motorcycle a bath before putting it away for the winter. If applicable lubricate the chain and all moving parts such as cables and the seals of your front forks. NEVER use WD40 to accomplish this always use proper part specific motorcycle lubricants.

Stabilize Your Fuel:

High octane fuel only has a shelf life of about 90-100 days before it begins to deteriorate, lower octane fuel has an even shorter shelf life. Adding the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer can keep fuel fresh for upwards of 12 months. Our club Members recommended filling your motorcycle fuel tank to the brim with the highest octane gas available in your area then add your choice of fuel stabilizer. We don't have a preferred brand of stabilizer they all seem to do a great job. I personally use Motomaster fuel stabilizer which is available at all Canadian Tire stores. 

Adding fuel stabilizer will prevent the remaining fuel residue from oxidizing and turning to varnish. After adding the stabilizer let your motorcycle run for 10-15 minutes to circulate the stabilizer after which shut off your motorcycle. 

Your fuel system has now been primed and protected.

Preparing Your Battery:

Batteries should be kept under a constant charge in order to prolong their life. Attach a Battery Tender or specialized charger that won't overcharge your battery.  I personally have a lead installed from the battery that allows me to “plug the bike in” and saves me from removing the battery from the actual bike. There are a few different brands of smart chargers on the market. I’ve been using this one fromBattery Tender for years. If you have multiple motorcycles or other toys that need batteries attention I also use this larger version of the Battery Tender for my ATV and trailer batteries.

Checking Your Tires:

Make sure your tires are properly inflated before storing; while it’s a best practise to a use center stand not all motorcycles come equipped with one. You could always you a high quality lift; personally I don’t know if I would trust my Harley sitting on a lift all winter, lifts can fail especially in cold temperatures while under a prolonged load. Front and rear motorcycle stands are your best case scenario for protecting your motorcycle tires. That being said the most important part is making sure your tires have a barrier between them and the freezing concrete. The freezing concrete robs rubber of moisture, which cause your tires to prematurely age and crack. I use thick pile Berber carpet swatches which you can obtain from almost any carpet store for a nominal cost, sometimes they’ll even give them to you for free.

Cover Your Motorcycle:

Even if you store your motorcycle inside you should still cover it with a breathable motorcycle cover. You should NEVER use a plastic tarp; plastic tarps will trap moisture and in turn that could damage the paint and other finishes on your motorcycle.  If you are storing your motorcycle somewhere rural; ensure that you plug and\or cover over your exhaust pipe ends this will stop unwanted critters from making a winter home inside your motorcycle.

You’re Done:

With your bike nicely tucked away for the winter, now would be a perfect time to complete any off season upgrades that you’ve been eyeing. This year I plan on adding some blacked out parts to my Street Glide along with a quick detachable chopped trunk.

Do you have any other additional tips you’d like to add? Comment below and let us know!

Tank

Vice President

Roughnecks MC

Toronto Chapter

THE TORONTO CHAPTER OF THE ROUGHNECKS MC

The Roughnecks Motorcycle Club first came to Toronto in 2009. The founding president Todd "Hedley" Williamson remains memorialized on our webpage. 

You will see ‘THE 6IX’ patch on the cuts worn by current charter members, homage to a current Toronto nickname and the six charter members. Toronto is the home base we identify with but our membership includes those east of the city, west of the city, and as far north as Barrie. We have vowed to each other to keep our chapter drama free and our loyalty is never in question. To keep it that way we have decided to grow the right way, carefully vetting those who contact us.  There is a hang around period where we get to know a prospective member and they get to know us, to see if it’s a good fit. Then there is a prospect period where potential members have a chance to prove themselves. We don’t "sell" patches! 

Are you a Law Enforcement Officer, a Paramedic, a Firefighter or a member of the Canadian Armed Forces? Are you interested in joining a brotherhood of bikers? We are a collective who share a common bond of respect, loyalty, ethics, and integrity. Explore our site and links for more information.

This blog will serve to relate some road stories and maybe even a member profile or two. We ride annually to meet with our brothers across the four corners of the continent. We have proudly flown our colours with hundreds of our brothers from Virginia to Nevada to Tennessee to Iowa to South Carolina. (When the north gets cold, you might even see our colours in various spots throughout Florida!). Stay tuned!

Krypto

Road Captain

Roughnecks MC
Toronto Chapter

OUR NEW HOME & WEBSITE

Welcome to our new website. We hope to have more blogs, motorcycle tips and club insight posted here in the near future.

If you have any private inquiries please feel free to email us through the contact us section.

Thank you for visiting.





Tank

Vice President
Roughnecks MC
Toronto Chapter