Hey Patrick! I bet you're busy getting ready for Endurocross this weekend. What's your presence going to be like at the event?
We have invited our entire Rekluse staff to come out and enjoy the event; it's very exciting for us to share with our company the sponsorship relationships we have with EnduroCross and the factory teams and support riders. We also have several staffers who are registered to race in their respective support classes, so the smack talk has begun and we have heard of plans to see some special "riding gear" showcased! We will have our booth in the main pits and we will also have a display in the foyer area. All of Idaho is stoked to host Endurocross Round 5, it should be a great time.
Is there a lot more hype for this event for you since the race is basically in your backyard?
We've been a sponsor of EX since the very first round back in 2004, so our relationship with endurocross in general -- the riders, the sponsors, the promoters-- for the most part has been really longstanding. We're really excited to have the series come to Idaho. It allows the company to get involved, and it allows people who have never seen and endurocross come and spectate. We have a bunch of folks that are going to race. Joe is racing, Al Youngwerth the owner is racing, and I'm racing.
What are the events like for the sponsors? What do you have to do to get "race-ready?"
We have a lot of support riders, like Geoff Aaron and Kyle Redmond with JG Off Road. Endurocross is a very challenging sport, and our products are used very prolifically, even in the amateur ranks. We set up technical center and help prepare people for the event. Since it's just down the road this weekend we'll have our staff there. It's pretty cool for us as a company to have had such a long relationship with Endurocross and now we're working with the professional teams that are racing, like JG Off road. It's been really exciting to go to the events and support our athletes.
How/When did Rekluse begin?
Al Youngwerth founded the company in 2002, and early in 2004 Rekluse really found traction and began to sell z-Start successfully.
How did you get involved with Rekluse?
A close friend of mine starting working for Al and Danny and soon after they requested to borrow my XR650R for development. In a matter of weeks I was riding and auto clutch. At the time I was fairly new to the sport and the result was amazing, I learned I had more fun riding the big desert bike in the tougher and technical terrain. About a year later I applied for a position in sales and customer service; Al hired me about a month later to handle incoming calls and dealer set-ups, this was March 2004.
What's your favorite thing about your job?
I'd say developing relationships. That's probably my strong suit and what I enjoy the most. I like developing relationships with people so they know that our products are what they can trust even at higher competition.
How has the industry changed for you since you began? What changes have you seen?
For Rekluse, the industry has become more embracing of auto clutch technologies. Early on there was a stigma about our products and what they could do, or not do for a rider. We've come a long way since our first z-Start design and we feel the industry has come a long way toward acknowledging the performance and fun factor our products provide riders. Some of the changes we have seen are related to the boom and bust symptoms the motorsport market has incurred, how businesses react, and how we as a company focus on delivering innovation to the motorcycle market. The market has changed fairly aggressively these last 5 years, so we plan and invest accordingly to remain competitive.
What's new for Rekluse this year? Any big product news?
Rekluse will continue working to deliver a broader range of product applications to the trail bikes, dual sport, and street markets. We will also be developing new technologies for the street and Harley-Davidson markets over the next 12 months, and to help us with all this exciting work we will be moving to a new building this fall.
What does Rekluse provide to the off road rider?
With the JG Off Road Racing team in Endurocross and the GNCCs, we're basically responsible for the clutch components that the team uses. We started with JT at the beginning of the year, when they moved to Hondas, and they asked us about clutch performance. It depends on the rider, the series and select events to settle on a component. The rider chooses which clutch they want to race. Whether for GNCCs or endurocross, or the OMA series, they're arduous events, so the teams put premium on clutch performance and we're able to deliver.
When did Rekluse hook up with JG Off Road?
We started officially with the Honda program this year, but in the past we've done some special projects with JT and the 250F Yamaha. We went in for the whole team when they went to the GEICO Honda program this year. We also partnered with JT and Paul Whibley when they were on the Kawasaki. That was the first year we officially partnered with a rider.
If someone wanted to get sponsored by Rekluse- what would they need to do?
They would contact Rekluse, and contact our Rider Support costumer service agent. You basically contact us through the website and we supply them rider support application for them to complete and turn in?
Ok, Patrick! Anything you'd like to add?
What we would want to do is say thanks to all the racers and the teams and especially Gretchen and JT for basically trying out stuff and putting it to the test. We're thankful for the opportunity to get involved with the sport of off road racing at the level we have. Teams and riders invest a lot to get to races, so for them to trust their clutch components in our hands is just an honor.
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