Baker kicked off a new program recently, and it’s a program that can be delivered to a shop near you. It’s their Whistle Stop Tour seminar series. They come to a shop near you and afford local riders and mechanics the opportunity to discuss anything from gearing and overdrive transmissions, to new Baker Products.
In case you didn’t know Bert and Lisa were successful GM Engineers, but unfortunately Bert was also a biker, and you know how the sordid story goes. He convinced Lisa in 1998 to toss hotshot careers to the wind and work on custom motorcycles.
So why would Bert run around the country showing off his products at H-D dealers and shops? Because he wanted to get outta dodge and see the country, natch. Or after all those bullshit years with Bert, Lisa said, “Hit the road pal, and don’t come back without taking care of biz.”
The Baker staff also did their homework and discovered that today’s Harley rider is more educated than ever before, and since there are constantly expanding choices available in the industry, they needed to reach the customer directly. Baker’s products don’t void the factory warranty, they have a world wide dealer network to make parts and service available to anyone, anywhere. Plus all Baker components come with a 5-year/50,000 hassle-free warranty.
So we asked Bert, James, and Trish a handful of helpful questions about their Whistle Stop Tour and what makes it click or tick. The Baker Crew is headed to Canada this weekend in July of 2011 for their final seminar of this year. Then it’s off to the Badlands to perform installs. “We will be at 9th and Lazelle on Lawayne from Mystery Design Trikes lot,” James Simonelli said. “It is closer to the interstate than we usually are. Looking forward to
seeing you there.” If you have questions, don’t hesitate to drop by their booth.
See a list of their past and current Whistle Stop Tour Locations at the end of the questions. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Baker if you know of a shop that needs to be added and keep Bert on the road and outta the shop.
What’s the most asked question?
Probably the most asked question is “Why do I need a six speed or how easy is one to install.” Our easy litmus test for anyone considering a 6-speed is this. Have you every gotten onto the highway, accelerate up to speed, and you go to shift into 5th. But you find you are already in 5th. This means you were looking for that next gear.
Which Baker Product draws the most attention?
Hands down the reverse kits draw the most attention, especially when demo-ed. We bring a 1999 Road King along and show the easy ergonomics to operating our reverse system. Guys are just slack-jawed seeing a bike go backwards under its own power.
When our demonstration audience is a bunch seasoned bikers or hard core Bandit types, we usually do a reverse burnout to demonstrate that our reverse system is robust.
Did one Whistle Stop location stand out for well-read performance attendees with sharp well thought out questions? Why do you think this group was more on the ball?
The best questions came from the folks at Dudley Perkins H-D in San Francisco CA; they were a very performance oriented group. Other standouts are Hal’s H-D in New Berlin WI, and Rolling Thunder Cycle in Hempstead NY.
But performance-minded attendees are not our only target with the tour. Seminar attendees also include people who ride their American bike but never read the magazines, Blogs, or go to major rallies; we call them recreational enthusiasts. They are difficult to reach through conventional advertising means but the tour brings our company and products directly to them.
Do you ever feel that you might be giving the customer too many gearing or overdrive options?
There’s no such thing as “too many options”; it allows us to get things really dialed in. Between the options available and our tech support, we can custom tailor a ratio combination to the specific needs of the bike and rider. But it definitely involves a 1-on-1 consultation to determine the right combination.
Have you created a road map for gearing options for various models and performance packages such as:
Stock Evo
Performance Evo
Stock Twin Cam
Performance Twin cam
There is no established road map because there are many qualitative and quantitative variables to get gearing right for a given application. In general, for stock to mild Evo and Twin Cam we recommend the DD6 (Direct Drive 6-speed). It’s our smoothest shifting and quietest 6-speed. For Performance Evo and Twin Cam, we generally recommend the OD6 (overdrive 6-speed) because it stands up to abuse a little better.
The best combo for 80% of the riders out there is a DD6 or OD6 with stock 1st gear and standard 6th gear. This will yield a bike that feels just like stock in 1st through 5th gear, and gives a 400-500 rpm reduction in 6th gear.
For lighter sportier bikes (FXRs and Dynas, rigid customs & some Softails) with higher horsepower than stock, I recommend a 2.94 first gear with standard overdrive. This allows more mph in first gear and takes advantage of the increased horsepower and torque. It also works well on very high hp (120+) dressers. I caution dresser riders that tow a trailer or ride heavily loaded and 2 up against using the taller first gear. It will decrease low speed maneuverability.
And the same group with the goals altered:
Street racing or Touring
High hp street racers will really appreciate the R ratio gears. The combination of a taller first and second (2.82 / 2.08) can keep a big high output engine in the “happy zone” where it can make peak torque. This yields the best E.T. in the quarter mile. When the R ratio is combined with a .80 “deep” overdrive, you can gear the bike to pull like a bear in the lower gears, and still have a cruising gear for the highway.
Lots of guys with touring bikes think they want the .80 overdrive, but we caution them. It takes a LOT hp to push a fairing through the wind at high speeds with a deep overdrive. This is best suited to “Cannonball Run” type situations or specially prepped bikes. Please consult our tech support before ordering this.
What’s the most asked question about the Oil Pan upgrade?
How much will it lower my oil temperature?
How hard is it to install?
When will the 09-later pan be available?
Answer is this (scoop for BikerNet!!!). In ’09 the FL oil pan changed due to the cross over pipe that runs below the rear of the frame. The new +1.5 quart oil pan for 09-later FL will be available in August.
What’s the most significant benefit to the oil pan?
The BAKER pan has a 5 quart capacity; 1 more quart than stock. Engine oil temperature reduction is the benefit for sure; it reduces engine oil temperature by 15-30 degrees. However, some people with 110 C.I. or bigger motors use our oil pan and keep the stock 4 quart fill to allow a bigger air volume inside the pan area (versus stock). The increased air volume in the pan reduces oil blow-by into the air cleaner and therefore reduces that oily mess on the right side of the motor and the right pant leg.
How many guys ask about Kicker systems? What do they ask?
The techs at the shops usually hit us up hard on kickers. Kickers are more popular amongst the cool kids who do this for a living rather than retail customers. The most common question is what else needs to be changed and will it work with my existing pipes.
Will you add locations to the Whistle Stop tour next year?
Yes. We encourage dealerships, with strong technically minded customers, to contact us now about our fall seminar schedule. Our tour destination has some flexibility at this point but within a month our schedule will be booked.
The Spring Tour finished out on June 11. This spring we visited Chicago, Michigan, Pittsburg, L.A., Texas, NY five boroughs area and places in between.
This country is so huge we could run around touring for the next 10 years and not visit all the significant shop.
How will the presentation change?
The seminar presentation format is pretty well dialed. The seminar, which lasts for about an hour, only addresses a fraction of our available drivetrain offerings. But we answer questions on all of our products, and other manufacturer’s products, in the Q&A at the end of the seminar.
If we talked about our whole line of components, the seminar would run on for 4 hours and we would have to serve cocktails. Future presentations will include newly developed components which are the foundation of BAKER Drivetrain.
If you could reach riders who plan to attend a Whistle Stop presentation, what would you tell them about the tour or about being prepared?
I would tell them to have their questions ready and never be afraid to ask anything. There is no such thing as a “dumb question.” Transmissions and drivetrains are mysterious ‘black boxes’ to many people but we own the mysterious keys to the big twin drivetrain and we have answers.
BAKER Drivetrain is traveling anywhere and everywhere that a participating dealer will host us, to provide educational seminars pertaining to the BAKER product line and Drivetrain FAQ’s and Mythbusting answers directly from Bert Baker and his team of knowledgeable sales and tech folks. Who better to get your drivetrain info from, other than the Drivetrain Authority!?
Seminar Dates:
4/9/2011
Wildfire Harley Davidson
Villa Park, Illinois
4/23/2011
Kegel Harley-Davidson
Rockford, Illinois
4/30/2011
Hal’s H-D
1925 S. Moorland Rd
New Berlin, WI. 53151
262-860-2060
Whistle Stop Tour 2011- East Coast Edition:
Beginning of May – Stay tuned for times, locations and Participating Dealers!
5/07/2011
Indian Motorcycle of New Jersey
5/28/2011
Classy Chassis & Cycles
Test Ride Day
6/04/2011
Hammond H-D
01/15/11
Calumet Harley-Davidson
10350 Calumet
Munser IN 46321
219-934-6366
Chicago Harley-Davidson Glenview
2929 Patroit Blvd
Glenview IL 60026
847-418-2929
01/29/11
Hal’s H-D
1925 S. Moorland Rd
New Berlin, WI. 53151
262-860-2060
Suburban H-D
139 North Main Street
Theinsville, WI. 53092
262-242-2464
02/05/11
BAKER Backs You Up
Lisa Baker leads a seminar about dealer connections, and our widely successful Try It Before You Buy It Program
Cincinnati V-Twin Expo
Drivetrain Mythbusters
Sit in with the Drivetrain Authority himself, Bert Baker for a seminar on common Drivetrain FAQ’s, Myths, Facts and otherwise useful Tranny Trivia
Three Rivers H-D
Glenshaw, PA
Hot Metal H-D
Pittsburgh, PA
02/17/11
City Limits H-D
Palatine, IL – Free Performance Seminar
02/26/11
Conrad’s H-D
Seminole H-D
Sanford, FL
03/07/11
Miller’s
Daytona, FL
Whistle Stop Tour 2011 West Coast Edition:
Check out the list of tour dates and locations on the Baker Web Site to find out when the BAKER Crew will be in a town near you!
