The Dealer Lab

AI-Edited Podcast, Claude’s “Fable 5,” and Building Agents That Run a TurnaroundMax, Danny, and Justin catch up after skipping an episode and explain a new format where the show is edited by an AI agent that cuts gaps, adds intro/outro, bleeps curses, and generates promo clips. They discuss Claude’s “Fable 5” model returning temporarily on subscription before moving to token-based pricing, and how...

Building AI Tools for Dealerships: Websites, Workflows, and Real-World WinsMax, Danny, and Justin catch up on what they’ve been building in their dealerships, including a new custom unit division (SCUD) and monthly tech nights where customers learn maintenance by rebuilding a CB450. They discuss using AI as an internal assistant—not customer-facing chatbots—to reduce busywork, standardize processe...

Bike Shed’s Arrick Maurice on Growing Motorcycle Culture, Brand Marketing, and What Dealers Can LearnArrick Maurice, Chief Growth Officer of Bike Shed and former marketing leader for Ducati North America, Ferrari North America, Rivian CX, and Harley-Davidson global brand marketing, joins The Dealer Lab Podcast with Max Materne and Danny French to discuss building motorcycle culture through content...

Adventure Specialty Agency on F&I Coaching, Retros vs Reinsurance, and Driving Dealer Profitability | Dealer Lab Podcast Max Materne and Justin Watson interview Haley Wright and Sarah Breen, founders of Adventure Specialty Agency, about helping powersports, RV, and marine dealers improve F&I performance. Haley and Sarah share their backgrounds at RPM One and Protective and how Adventure Sp...

Triumph North America’s Rod Lopusnak on Dealer-First Strategy, Community Events, and Growing New Riders Max Materne and Danny French interview Rod Lopusnak, President and General Manager of Triumph North America, about building a “dealer-first” culture and why dealerships must be community hubs rather than competing only on price. Rod discusses Triumph’s rapid impact in Supercross/MXGP and the bra...

Jayson Davis (NPDA Chairman) on Capitol Hill Advocacy, PFAS Rules, and Uniting the Powersports IndustryMax Materne and Danny French interview Jayson Davis, Chairman of the NPDA and Dealer Principal of PowerSports of Greenville, about how motorcycling creates common ground across people and politics and about his path from riding an XR80 as a kid to working his way up from grocery bagger to dealers...

Reimagining Dealerships with AI Agents | Jamie Dewar (Legend Boats) with Max Materne & Danny FrenchMax Materne and Danny French interview Jamie Dewar, co-CEO of Legend Boats, about how AI, vibe coding, and agents are reshaping dealerships and manufacturer-dealer operations. Dewar explains Legend’s unique model as a manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, and direct-to-consumer retailer with fou...

Norton Motorcycles USA CEO Steve Radt on Bringing Norton Back to America, TVS Backing, and the Future of Dealer ExperienceSteve Radt, Norton Motorcycles USA’s first hire and CEO, discusses building Norton’s U.S. subsidiary from scratch (LLC, licensing, homologation, facility, staffing, and dealer strategy) and Norton’s plan to return to the U.S. market. He recounts his background in mechanical eng...

Brendan Baker on Racing Roots, B2B Publishing, and the Future of Powersports Dealerships Max Materne and Danny French interview Brendan Baker, editor-in-chief of Power Sports Business, covering his publishing career that began after a family racing team ran out of money and his dad launched magazines, including Akron Business Magazine, to fund racing. Baker recounts early years in quarter midgets,...

Jason White on AI, One Dealer Lane, and Digitizing the Powersports Dealership ExperienceMax Materne and Danny French interview Jason White, managing partner of Fay Myers Motorcycle World in Denver and a VP within the fourth-generation Schomp Automotive Group, about why AI will reshape dealerships and why operators must engage or be left behind. White explains his role in automotive software A to Z...

From Marine to GM: Oz Osburn on Building a Powersports Dealership, Leading Teams, and Using AIOz Osburn discusses his career path from Marine Corps infantry to law enforcement, then into automotive service and management in Colorado, including managing a high-volume Ford service operation, before moving to Mississippi and briefly working at a Ford dealer in Metairie. He joined MotoHouse in early 2...

Inside Ownex’s DELV Dealership Analysis: Valuation, Loyalty Data, and a 90-Day RoadmapIn this episode of the Dealer Lab podcast, Justin visits the studio and the team explains how the set was built from an AI-generated image before diving into Ownex’s DELV dealership analysis. Max, Danny, and Justin walk through the report’s structure, including the five-star vitals executive summary across profit...

Dealerships, Community, and AI: Jacque Touzet on the Ownership ExperienceMax Materne and Danny French interview Jacque Touzet, the longtime dealership attorney, customer, and track-riding motorcycle enthusiast, about what made their former dealership feel like a family and community hub through events, problem-solving, and strong communication. Jacque explains how helping riders after crashes and...

How MotoHunt Started: Jacob Berry on Inventory Management, Used-Bike Strategy & the Future of DealershipsMax Materne and Danny French interview Jacob Berry, co-founder of MotoHunt, about his background from automotive master tech to RideNow’s internet director and how MotoHunt was born from tedious, multi-day Excel-based inventory meetings that required manually pulling JD Power, NPA, and netw...

Building the Dealership of the Future: Loyal Customers, Behavior Change, and AI Tools That ScaleIn this episode, Max Materne, Danny French and Justin Watson talk with partner Mark Jacobs about how industries scale through movements led by visionaries, shared language, and difficult behavior change supported by better tools. They revisit the “Inkwell” meetings where manufacturers, dealers, and vend...

How Motorcycle Lending Works: Tom Collins on Debt Ratios, Digital Buying, Fraud & Growing PowersportsIndustry veteran Tom Collins discusses his decades-long finance career, from banking and indirect auto lending to Harley-Davidson Financial Services and founding Freedom Road Financial in 2006–07, later acquired by Old Second Bank. He explains how Freedom Road grows by staying focused on motorc...

How Hattiesburg Cycles Built a High-Output Service Department: Tracking, Staffing, and Customer Experience with Martin RichMax and Danny interview Martin Rich, service manager at Hattiesburg Cycles, about building a profitable service department by treating time as the dealership’s most valuable inventory. Martin shares his path from Northern England to Mississippi and into powersports service man...

Jokey Froeming is interviewed by Max Materne about how service and the ownership experience drive customer loyalty and dealership profitability. Froeming shares her path from working in small, owner-operated snowmobile and motorcycle dealerships (parts, service, sales, and F&I) to joining Polaris, first training dealers across profit centers and later moving into corporate sales operations and...

How Stephen Kirkland Grows Two Harley-Davidson Dealerships: Loyalty, Training, and Smart AIMax and Danny interview Stephen Kirkland, General Manager for two Elite Dealer Group locations—New Orleans Harley-Davidson and Mobile Bay Harley-Davidson—plus the group’s third store, Rally Point Harley-Davidson in Columbus, Georgia. Kirkland discusses managing two stores three hours apart by relying on stro...

Tony Altieri on Fixing Powersports: Transparency, Data, and Small Tech Wins That Change Dealerships Max and Danny sit down with Tony Altieri (VP of Business Development at National Powersports Auctions) to talk about the biggest pain points in powersports dealerships and why many owner-operators are stuck working in the business instead of on it. Tony explains how his role at NPA connects him to O...

Mastering Dealership Insurance: Comprehensive Breakdown with Zach MaterneIn this episode, Zach Materne joins Max, Danny, and Justin to dive deep into the complexities of dealership insurance. From general liability to dealer inventory coverage, they cover every essential policy needed to keep your dealership protected. The discussion includes amusing anecdotes, enlightening insights, and crucial a...

In this episode of Dealer Lab, Max & Justin dive into an engaging conversation with Daniel Willoughby about crafting unique motorcycle dealership experiences. Daniel shares the inspiration behind Studio Moto, the challenges and joys of starting a small, boutique dealership, and the importance of maintaining culture and customer experience in business. Join us for an in-depth discussion on how...

In this insightful episode, the team discusses the impact of effective inventory management on dealership success. Learn how Justin navigated an inventory liquidation, managing to avoid a $40k hit with creative strategies. Explore the complexities of flooring costs, the balance of price adjustments, and unique selling strategies in the ever-evolving automotive industry. Join us as we dive into the...

Marketing Insights and Motorcycling Adventures: AIM Expo Recap with Lance IsaacsIn this episode, World Superbike racing legend and marketing professional Lance Isaacs joins Justin Watson and Max Materne to discuss the aftermath of AIM Expo 2026. They delve into key industry insights, trends in customer loyalty, and the evolution of marketing strategies in the motorcycling world. Tune in for an eng...

Dealership Turnaround: Billy Nicoll Shares Insights on Service and Inventory ManagementBilly Nicoll discusses the ongoing challenges and successes in turning around multiple dealership service departments. From hiring and training new service advisors to optimizing inventory management, Nicoll shares his strategies and experiences in revitalizing underperforming teams and processes. He details his...