Published: June 26, 2008 11:24 pm      

As fuel costs crimp profits, vendors aim to: Rally business

Michael Rubin’s first trip to Johnstown’s Thunder in the Valley is going better than he expected.

Rubin – owner of Wing Bling, which provides custom paint jobs for motorcycles – came to town without a hotel reservation.

But it only took one call for the rally vendor to find a cancellation in Richland Township.

If the rest of the weekend goes as well, he may finally have some reason to celebrate after a summer vending tour that has proven costly.

High fuel prices have slowed business at motorcycle rallies across the country. Rubin said his Florida-based business grew by more than 2,000 percent last year but is on the backslide this year.

“We’ve already canceled on three events this year,” Rubin said. “We have three trailers on the road right now, and we’re pulling one of them off after July 4 and parking it for the rest of the year.

“No one has any money to spend. We have lost money at pretty much all of the shows we’ve been at this year.”

Workers at the Cycle Solutions Inc. trailer along Washington Street said they haven’t canceled a show this year. But the company’s profit margin has taken a hit.

The Hartford City, Ind., company has not only seen a jump in fuel expenditures – it paid more than $3,000 in gas to make a recent trip to Austin, Texas – but the number of potential customers has shrunk significantly this summer.

“Attendance is down at all of the shows – all of them,” said Chris Waddell, president of Cycle Solutions. “The fuel prices are hurting everything associated with these rallies.”

Tony Sparacino’s viewpoint was quite different on fuel prices. His company, Virginia-based California Sidecar Inc., has actually added new shows to its regular tour this year to take advantage of the favorable atmosphere.

As the name suggests, the company manufactures sidecars for motorcycles and can convert certain motorcycles into trikes, creating more room for passengers while maintaining an average of about 40 miles per gallon.

“It’s affecting our business in a good way,” Sparacino said. “Instead of going out and buying a new car, a lot of people are turning to three-wheel cycles and trikes as a way to save on fuel costs.”

Rubin, too, thinks he can leave town with a good story to tell.

He said friends who have sold here in the past found the town to be very rally friendly.

Rubin said he has found that to be true.

Those same friends told him this is the type of rally where he may find more customers seeking his services.

“I hope they’re right on that one,” Rubin said. “In any event, it’s not all doom and gloom.

“I love what I do, and this has been a really nice trip. The people here are probably the most friendly and welcoming I have seen at any rally across the country.”