The sport bike market has exploded over the last few years, and some after-market companies that make bolt-on products report annual sales soaring 100-400 percent year over year. While Florida and California are the hotbed of the fledgling sport, it is increasingly making its way north. After-market manufacturers attest to it.

Supertrapp Industries Inc.
American-based Supertrapp Industries Inc.'s latest sport bike performance exhaust systems, the Kerker Meg and Kerker K series, are gaining a reputation among enthusiasts for their race-proven technology and their usable torque and horsepower gains in everyday riding situations, says Gina Patuszynski, marketing manager. "Our Canadian distributor [Parts Canada] is doing an exceptional job with all of our product lines."

The Kerker Meg is a classic 4 into 1 megaphone system providing crisp throttle response and increased performance throughout the power curve, says Patuszynski. They come in black painted, brushed stainless steel and show chrome finishes with optional performance cores.

The Kerker K series, available in a 4 into 1 system and slipons with S-bends, features a brushed aluminum canister, with 4 into 1 black painted stainless steel or chrome plated steel head pipes. Both products, geared to Honda and Kawasaki sport bikes, offer optional performance cores, weight savings over stock and improved cornering clearance.

She says performance exhaust systems are selling well in North America because riders are tired of brands that don't hold up to abuse or last more than a season.

The future looks bright in Canada, the marketing manager adds. "The Canadian market is very strong. The Canadian customer is very well educated in the products that they purchase and install on their vehicles. They are not easily tempted by the hype or fancy sales pitch. They want high quality products that have a proven reputation."

"We see the Canadian market as continuing to grow for us," she adds. Those are words that sum up the observations of a lot of after-market manufacturers.

Watsen Design Ltd.
Calgary-based Watsen Design Ltd. started making LED front turn sugnals as a high-end add-on item for owners of Japanese sport bikes who were tired of the look of OEM signal lights. Roger Watson, president of the company, says he was surprised at how quickly the product took off through online sales when it was launched in 2003. Watsen's market was primarily in the US in the early days, but to day 25 percent of its sales are in Canada - mainly in BC and Alberta. "We see more enthusiasts up here now, says Watson."

Bike dealers have taken notice of the trend, he says, noting that they represent 80 percent of his sales now, up sharply from a couple of years ago when end users were his bread and butter.

The company's LED front turn signals are made of machined blocks of aluminum fitted with LED lamps. The lights have stock connectors attached so they simply require plugging in, says Watson, adding most products made by competitors only come with a pair of wires to splice.

Priced at $143 a pair, the fanciful signal lights are airbrushed to match as many colours of bikes as possible. "That's fairly unique in this business." Another strong point of the signal indicators is that they "point forward," rather than sideways, making them more functional than some after-market indicators.

Watson's two-man shop produces about 50 sets of the signal lights weekly - barely enough to keep up with the growing demand. The market for high-quality bolt-on products, such as the LED front turn signals, will continue to thrive, he says. "However, niche markets can come and go as OEMs update their designs every two years and bigger after-market manufacturers provide competition."

Team Luimoto
Team Luimoto started producing seat covers a few years ago for major manufacturers such as Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki. The US and to a lesser extent Canada, was ready for something new so the company developed it says company president Will Leung. Last year heads turned when Team Luimoto designed special seat covers for Yamaha's anniversary edition line and tailored a Repsol seat cover for Honda's special edition bike.

"Seats are one of the most overlooked aspects of a bike and yet they have a big visual impact on its looks," says Leung.

Team Luimoto spares no detail in the development of its seat covers. Each cover is tailored to the graphics of the bike model and the shape of its seat, says Leung. Designs are done on CAD and precision cutting is completed with a CNC cutter to ensure consistency. All seats are form-fitting and made of marine grade vinyl with rot-proof polyester thread. Prices start at $35 US for baseline coloured seats; high-end covers sell for as much as $130. Installation can be done through an upholstery shop for about $10-$15 or by competent do-it-yourselfers with staple guns.

Leung, who co-owns Vancouver-based Team Luimoto with Patrick Lui, says though Canada represents only a small segment of its market, it is a growing market. "We're increasingly seeing people here spend the money and time to modify their bikes, following on trends in the US."

While online sales have been its mainstay, Team Luimoto recently signed an agreement with CTS Moto a major distributor in the California that "will open up a lot of sales channels for us."

Carrozzeria USA Inc.
Bike rims are a big part of the sport bike phenomenon these days and Carrozzeria USA Inc. is capitalizing on the trend. Its main line, the Carrozzeria Vstar Forged Aluminum Wheel, is made for all modern sport bikes, explains Mark Ito, marketing manager of the California-based company. The wheel is made from wrought 6151 T6 aluminum. "We basically take a forged aluminum blank and we CNC it out, which makes a wheel four times stronger than an OEM cast wheel."

Ito says the product can be anywhere from five to 20 pounds lighter than OEM cast wheels, depending on the application. Designed for street and track use, the wheels can take on potholes and speed bumps in the city while still being light enough to perform in tight turns and allow for improved acceleration and braking. The line comes in a 3-1/2-inch front and 6 to 6-1/4-inch widths. Wheel sets start at $1,640 US while most of the competition (primarily from overseas) start at about $3,000.

He says the after-market products industry is exploding, largely to keep up with the annual redesign of bikes themselves. While the major markets are in California and Florida, the demand for the aluminum wheels is growing in Canada where Carrozzeria has recently signed agreements with three dealers. "Last year we had none," he says.

While Carrozzeria continues to develop new wheel lines that are lighter and stronger - this will continue to be its mainstay - it is poised to launch a line of brake rotors that will garner a lot of interest in the sport bike world, says Ito.

Pazzo Racing
Pazzo Racing is making international headway with its extensive line-up of after-market levers. Newest on the roster are dog-leg designed, solid billet aluminum brake and clutch levers for the Yamaha FZ1, Moto Gruzzi Breva and Griso models and pre-1998 Ducatis, with those for the Kawasaki ZX14 and BMW 1200R series coming soon.

Markus Selje, owner, says while the first noticeable difference between Pazzo levers and others is visual, once put to use, the product proves functionally superior.

Markus Selje, owner, says while the first noticeable difference between Pazzo levers and others is visual, once put to use, the product proves functionally superior.

"The adjuster tab function allows the rider to adjust the lever span width in seconds on the fly for both the brake and clutch lever, compensating for different hand sizes and riding styles," says Selje.

Pazzo levers are already selling to 45 Canadian dealers, and with international distribution the company's primary focus, a Canadian distributor would be a welcomed addition.

"Considering the population and length of the riding season, the response in Canada has been good," says Selje. Orders ship within one to five business days whether it be for one or 500 pairs, just one part of an exceptional customer service policy Selje attributes as part of the company's success.

"In the next few years we expect steady growth in all markets," he says. "We explore new markets slowly and only take on as much as we can deliver in a timely manner."