Shango Rider Breaks Gerbings Million Dollar Sales Mark During Daytona Bike Week!

Shango Rider, one of the world’s largest dealers of Gerbings heated motorcycle clothing, has broken the $1,000,000.00 mark in retail sales. According to a statement issued today by Shango Rider’s owner Dan Allen, the “Million Dollar” sales threshold was crossed on March 12, 2012, the 4th day of Daytona Bike Week.

“My first customer on Monday, Michael Van Buren of Palm Coast, FL purchased Gerbings jacket liner, pushing sales beyond the magic ‘Million Dollar” mark.” In appreciation, Dan gave John a 100% discount, and John walked away with his jacket liner for free. John was so happy, he turned right around and bought a pair of pant liners!

Above: Shango Rider Owner Dan Allen (left) with Michael Van Buren, the customer who pushed the company's retail sales of Gerbings Heated Clothing past the $1,000,000 mark, on the 4th day of Daytona Bike Week. Photo submitted by Shango Rider.

Allen, who has spent the last seven years traveling the country vending at motorcycle events small and large, says “My stock in trade, the name Shango Rider, has come to represent value in sales, plus a reputation for quality products that stand up to the rigors of the road. I stand behind the products I sell 100%, and the manufacturers stand behind me.”

Allen’s motor home, trailer, and BMW R1100RT are familiar to thousands of riders, many of whom roll into a rally cold and shivering but ride out warm and cozy. “You’d be amazed at how many guys start out for an event 200 miles away in moderately nice weather, only to be caught in a prolonged cold snap or the last gasp of winter,” said Allen. “They know where to go on-site for the best selection of gear and for a face they’ll see year-after year.” Although he’s known in some circles as “The Heat Nazi”, underneath that gruff and sarcastic exterior is guy who knows the products he sells inside and out. “I use most everything I sell, and my sales are backed by a handshake and a friendship that’s renewed each time our paths cross... which is usually often.”

Above: Shango Rider — A familiar sight to riders at rallies and runs across the country. Photo by Dan Allen.

On the road more than 40 weeks out of the year, Allen’s RV is a familiar sight to riders of every marque sold in America. This includes Harley devotees, Goldwingers, the vintage crowd, cruiser aficionados, plus the metric specialists (like BMW, Moto Guzzi, and Ducati riders). “Sooner or later, everybody gets cold,” said Allen. “And there comes a time when you ride into a rally or a week-long run and say, ‘Enough of this.’ I love talking to a rider who is using a Microwire heated jacket liner or gloves for the first time. The look on their face is priceless when they realize what they’ve been missing all those years.”

According to Allen, even the hardest of hardened saddle veterans will admit that being toasty warm can easily extend a riding season by a month or two when temperatures drop into the low 30s (F) or below. “And then there are those mornings when the mercury lingers in the mid-forties, and a nice jolt of heat is a great way to carry the warmth of that last cup of coffee, at least until the sun is high and hot,” said Allen.

Shango Rider also carries the latest in motorcycle communications packages. “While bikers are often a solitary lot, a growing number of riders rely on Starcom1 communications packages to convey a change in plans, mechanical issues, or other contingencies - without having to pull over,” said Allen. “Hard core bikers aren’t likely to be chatty while on the road, but there are times when simply pointing to the gas tank or your groin might not cut it.” He referenced a story where two long distance riders equipped with Starcom1 systems had barely used them — except to discuss a tornado that was visible on the horizon. “The last thing they wanted to do was stop,” he added. And then there are those who just want to be able to listen to music or chat between rider and pillon.

Reaching Dan is best accomplished by phone at 720-839-0317, or e-mail at dan@shangorider.com. Or you can go to (http://www.shangorider.com/RallySchedule/RallySchedulepage.html) for a complete schedule of his rally circuit for 2012. His website also offers a unique perspective on gear and riding that borders on bizarre. It’s worth clicking in just to read a few entries of his blog “Life On The Road”, or his “industry announcements.”

Shango Rider
No Sweat... No Shivers... Just Ride!
http://www.shangorider.com

Twisted Roads would like to officially welcome Shango Rider as this blog's newest advertiser and sponsor. "Dan Allen has been a longtime Twisted Roads' reader and a warming influence for riders for nearly a decade. I am delighted to carry his ads, endorse his services, and recommend him as a preferred vendor," said Jack Riepe, Twisted Roads publisher. Look for Shango Rider "Show Reports" as a regular Twisted Roads feature.