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Motorcycle Safety and Awareness
Welcome to Think Bike, the podcast about all things motorcycle and the voice of motorcycle safety and awareness in Alberta. Your host is Liane Langlois.
Liane:Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Think Bike. This week, it is gonna be a very interesting conversation with the president of Moto Canada. I am welcoming Landon French to the show. Good day, sir.
Landon:Good morning, Liane. Great to talk to you.
Liane:It's nice to chat with you as well. So we're just gonna start really quickly with who is Landon French, and what brought you to Moto Canada?
Landon:Well, again, thanks for having me on the show. And, you know, I am the president and CEO of Motor Canada. And what brought me here was an opportunity, really, to to rebuild, retool an organization that had been around since the late sixties, early seventies in different forms under different names. And and, you know, I like I like the sport side of this from motorcycles, but also ATV side by sides and and scooters. I'd spent quite a bit of time in the snowmobile business here in Ontario and sports marketing with companies like Canadian Tire, TELUS, and other things like that.
Landon:So I've been back and forth across Canada in a variety of different capacities and jobs. And and when this one came up, I thought, well, this is kind of interesting because I love riding, and and I could see how some of the challenges that that exist across Canada can be tackled. And and I think it's it's a underutilized resource and opportunity for the industry. So those sorts of projects really excite me, and here I am almost four years in.
Liane:Perfect. And some of those names that it went through, I mean, the the previous name was Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council, also known as MMIC. Either way, it's a mouthful. You came in, as you said, four years ago, and one of the first things you did was the rebrand to Moto Canada. Why was that?
Landon:Well, it's pretty simple. We needed to communicate better and more. And when you have actually three organizations, three boards, three sets of acronyms in English and French, by the time I finished explaining who I worked for and what I did, we were not only out of the elevator, but down the hall and around the corner. Right? So so it just it you know, at the time when it was constructed and put together, it made sense.
Landon:But that was well before social media, well before the communication channels and capabilities that exist now. Websites didn't even exist at the time when it was first put together. So, you know, it's like any other thing. Hockey Canada used to be the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. It's now Hockey Canada.
Landon:Canada soccer used to be the Canadian Amateur Soccer Association. Right? That sort of thing. It's about being able to communicate and build a brand and and, you know, eventually build a following where people pay attention to what you do and what you're trying to get across. And I think we've made a lot of progress in that over the last two years, particularly since we relaunched the brand.
Landon:And there's a lot of work to do. No doubt. But we've got a good set of tools now under the Motorcycle Canada brand to work with, and and it works in Quebec and French and across the country. So so that's also a consideration and really important too.
Liane:Absolutely. I think the simplification of the name definitely gets to the point faster, which, like you said, you're not down the hall and around the corner by the time you're done explaining who you are. Because it was it was a lot, and, you know, and also people kinda go, Moped. But, I mean, it's part of part of motorsports. But Yeah.
Liane:Anyway, so now we're rebranded to Motor Canada. The who is represented by Motor Canada has never changed. So for those who may not understand
Landon:Sure.
Liane:Why Motor Canada exists, like, who do you represent, and what do you do for them?
Landon:Yeah. So we are what's called an industry association. So under the particular Competition Act regulations, industry associations exist to, advocate on behalf of the entire industry, that they represent. So we represent 16 different brands, across the country, and, those brands are all the ones that are sitting in people's driveways and garages now. So there are very, very few small brands that we don't represent.
Landon:And if I try to list them all, I'm sure I'm gonna forget somebody. But but, you know, any of the of the motorcycle sales that happen in Canada are are under our banner. So so what do we do for the organizations we represent? Well, one of the most important things we do is the advocacy part. So right now, in particular, we stand up on behalf of the industry and look at government policy regulation at the national, federal, provincial, or municipal level, and we say, hey.
Landon:That's great or not for riding in Canada. And our whole purpose is to exist so that Canadians can ride. We wanna protect and enhance and grow ridership on and off road across the country. So advocacy is a big part of what we do. And the other piece one other piece is is data.
Landon:So the knowledge and the data for politicians, for policymakers, for companies to be able to make accurate decisions about where to invest, what policies to bring forward, all depends on having reliable information. And so we make it our business to look at all kinds of different data points across the country and publish what we can. We also capture all the monthly sales data and share it internally with all the OEM manufacturers who are members. So they can see category by category, product by product, what market share they have, what's selling and what's in what province, and and, you know, the the amount of dollars that are are being sold both whole wholesale and retail. That information is not public.
Landon:It's proprietary to the OEMs themselves, but that's one of the things we do. And then the third thing that's really big for us is the motorcycle and power sports shows across Canada. So this year, they're coming up in Abbotsford, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal in January and February, and that's a big, big part of what we do and kind of our highlight of the year in the middle of winter when almost nobody's riding unless you're in the Lower Mainland and it's a good day. So, yeah, so those are the three big things we do with some other things that, you know, trying to help promote safety in riding is another element to the advocacy part. We want to be we want this industry and riders to be seen as something that is positive and safe, that's a contributor to communities across the country, and celebrate great things that happen and and great people who who do do, you know, keep this industry going.
Landon:So, you know, we also look out a little bit for dealers. We don't represent dealers specifically, but, you know, without the dealer network across the country, we wouldn't be able to buy these things. And and they're such an important part of the whole ecosystem of of, riding. So, we look out for them a little bit too.
Liane:Absolutely. So on like, with that, I know the report that we get as stakeholders at AMSS, outlining the numbers of ridership across the country broken down into motorcycles off road, on road, ATBs, female to male. It's I find that, information fascinating for the simple fact of, like, trends that are happening in Alberta specifically, and seeing where we level off against the rest of the country on sales and ridership and stuff. So from our standpoint, we do appreciate the effort put into those reports. And we also appreciate the efforts in supporting on road and off road safety through the grant programs that you guys provide that we've been, you know, recipient of for the few years.
Liane:It does help towards our goals, and that partnership's super important.
Landon:Yeah. And it it's it's important to us too. You know, the work that AMS does and others across the country is critical to keeping people riding, helping new riders get in to the industry. There are people who make poor choices out there from time to time, and it's and they make the news. But it's important to know that the vast majority of people who ride don't make those kinds of choices, don't ride like that.
Landon:And and that this is something that if you do it right, it's it's a enjoyable, safe part of our culture, really, as Canadians, and we try to make that point too. So the grant pro program is an important part of what we do, and and we really appreciate AMSS and and others who help keep people riding and and and foster the right sort of conversations across the country.
Liane:Perfect. So on the advocacy thing, there's three things I wrote down while you were talking that Sure. I kind of wanna dive a little bit into, and we'll go one by one. And so the first one is your background in sports. And, so my question is, I and and it's it for transparency's sake, and most people listen to the show know, I have some involvement with the Canadian Motorcycle Association, sit on a couple of committees.
Liane:And one of the things that we've been chatting about is recognizing motorcycling as a sport in Canada. And, with your sports background and understanding that those of us who are competing at an athletic level in motorcycle disciplines, Is there room for Motor Canada to support the CMA in the, you know, lobbying the government to get it recognized as a sport so maybe we get some funding to send athletes across the world to compete for Canada?
Landon:Yeah. I think it'd be tremendous for the athletes for the sport. You know, Canadians are world class riders. But without the support and the funding, it's difficult to, you know, train and travel, and our country's huge. So that doesn't that's another barrier you've gotta get across.
Landon:So I think, you know, I would be we haven't had many conversations about this. It's come up a couple of times, but I think it is worth exploring. A large driver of sports recognition is the Olympics. And if it becomes an Olympic sport, then Sport Canada will pick it up and be and make it a funded sport. If it's not an Olympic sport, then Sport Canada doesn't often, but can't never say never, pick it up and and support it.
Landon:I think the fact that it's motorized is one of the other you know, and there's a large mechanical cost to this. But, you know, you look at sailing and other things, and those vehicles, you call them vehicles if you like, boats, are super expensive to maintain and operate and and other things. And horseback riding is crazy expensive to maintain and travel and operate. So, you know, what we do, frankly, is really no different and worth consideration. I think getting it you know, working with Europeans in particular and Americans and others to try to get, you know, motocross or something into an Olympic venue as a trial sport would be a great start.
Landon:And then from there, the ball usually rolls. And you see things like baseball that's in or out or lacrosse has been in and out. It's in now. Flag football's come in, and it also has to do with the popularity of the sport and whether, frankly, the Olympic Committee can make money Yeah. Selling tickets for it and sponsorships and all that sort of stuff, which I think it can.
Landon:So I think there's but you really do need an international presence conversation, and maybe the FIM would be the starting point for that. But, you know, we we if it were to get some more support, I we would absolutely be in that conversation.
Liane:Absolutely. And that would be appreciated. I know there's about a 100 countries that recognize motorcycling as a sport, as someone who requires an FIM license every year for land speed racing, like like, it's just it's frustrating to see the lack of support for that. Not just on my discipline, but there's some amazing road racers and trails rider trails riders and stuff that But, are doing great again, this is, like, in my opinion, of the things to advocate for, not at the highest, which is why I wanted to start with that just to get it kind of out of the way. It's important, but it's not as important as something like, I'm gonna go insurance next.
Liane:You know, you you talk about doing national, provincial, municipal level type of things. In Alberta, we're facing a potential 37% increase on insurance just for motorcycle riders next year. How can Motor Canada kind of assist with this kind of pressure? Because it's happened in other provinces as well, where it's almost making it impossible for people to ensure a motorcycle to enjoy the sport.
Landon:If I could snap my fingers and do one thing, that would probably be it. Yeah. You know? And and it comes down to behavior. Right?
Landon:And, again, poor decisions that some a few riders make. I think the other part is that distracted driving is not helping our industry and our insurance rates either. It doesn't help drivers for that matter of cars. But when people aren't paying attention and make a left turn and don't look, man, that that's tough. So so all that is to say that it has been a topic for a long time for us.
Landon:We haven't found a a perfect sort of, you know, path to get that improved. It is different in every province, so you gotta break it down province by province. However, it is impacting our industry in a big way, and it is something that we are working on. We have some more assistance now in our office. We've hired some more help from an advocacy point of view and and and Elise Cantara who's going to be working on this and many other things with us.
Landon:And we've got some other issues that are pretty front and center right now that are kind of distracting us a little bit from some of these other things like insurance, but it is not an easy one to crack the government. I've talked to cabinet ministers in different provinces, and, you know, they all understand where we're coming from, but they also say, we just don't have the leverage over the insurance companies and their scale to to make these kinds of changes. And there's others changes that we'd like to make. But while they do have some regulatory authority, it's the kind of situation right now where if you were to if insurance companies were to agree to a change on our front, it would go up somewhere else. And I would you know?
Landon:So governments are wary about squeezing one end and having it come out the other end, if you like, and and and hurt somebody else. So I think I think the most important thing we can do in the meantime, and we will continue to work on this and and try to find some leverage, is to is to do what you're doing from a safety society point of view and and ride safe, promote safety, talk to the people who don't ride safe, and say, buddy, what are you doing? You're not helping your insurance, and you're certainly not helping my insurance when you, you know, do dumb things. And Yeah. There's examples across the country of people who, you know, just don't ride smart, and it it hurts us all.
Landon:So the more we can do to promote safety and riding smart, the more we're gonna be able to enjoy riding. And the the, you know, the the less likely that insurance are rates are gonna go up. Now there's many other factors on the insurance companies. Mhmm. Everything from, you know, climate change, wildfires, floods.
Landon:I was at an insurance conference this weekend talking about some of those impacts, which they're now having to cover, which means they've got to raise other rates, whether it's home, motorcycle, life, whatever. Yeah. So insurance is under pressure. They still make a lot of money. But if we ride better, ride safer, ride smarter, then that's a beginning of of the formula to try and get these things to level off.
Liane:I agree. And there's kinda like I see it from a double edged sword type of way on the one hand. It's if I'm wearing my gear, I'm riding responsibly, my machine is sound, I'm doing everything right, and someone hits me, why would my rates go up? I'm doing everything right. That's on that person.
Liane:But the other side of it is, and it's the reality, and it's a very unpopular opinion, and I get a lot of flack for saying it, but stats are stats, and I can't change statistics. And that is that since the start of COVID, about eighty five percent of fatalities in Alberta have been due to rider error. So how can I argue with the government when the statistics are showing that exact thing? And, you know, so yes, I'm getting affected by the poor choices of other people. So I understand it from both sides, but it's like, it's getting to be very difficult for affordability to ride, which brings us into the third point, which is those poor Harley and Indian people in this whole tariff war with this with the states right now.
Liane:Can you give us a little bit more information on how that's affecting our community and our dealers, our OEMs, and what maybe we can do, or what is being done to try and have our government rethink this tariff war a little bit?
Landon:Yeah. This is a very unfortunate outcome where our industry is sort of collateral damage to a much bigger conversation. And there's so many things I I I could say, but I'm just trying to keep it clean. But it's frustrating. Right?
Landon:It's really frustrating for riders. It's frustrating for the dealers. It's frustrating for the OEMs. And and we're get we get caught in the middle of all of this. So I was in Ottawa this week talking with some of the negotiators saying, look.
Landon:You know, what would it take to get these removed? And I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon. We are talking to government constantly to ensure that they understand. And by government, I I mean the federal government principally, but also the provincial governments to make sure everybody understands the impact this is this could have. Mhmm.
Landon:Now the the good news, I think, is that all the companies have different plans and different sourcing capabilities, different resources to put towards this and are in different positions. So I I can't speak on behalf of the two that are affected the most. Yeah. But but I I'd say that if this continues for a long period of time, and by that, I mean, you know, into spring, summer next year, it's gonna have a big impact on dealers and and what riders are gonna have access to from not just new vehicles and and rides, but parts and and other things. So service will also could also be impacted.
Landon:So I think that the government of Canada anyway understands the impact of what they're doing. We have made it very clear to them that you're risking jobs here in Canada and dealerships. And that if there is going to be a transition to a new deal, a new economy, maybe more trade with Europe or Asia, that you've gotta find a way to keep help Canadians, not just in our industry, but many through that transition period. In the meantime, the sooner you get back to negotiating with The United States, which we've built this huge economy around, the better everybody's going to be. And I've also made the point in The United States to say that this is ridiculous.
Landon:You're actually hurting yourselves. You're you're putting jobs at risk in places like Pennsylvania and Iowa and Wisconsin and wherever else, Minnesota. And so the sooner, you know, you get back to the table and and negotiate some sort of integrated economy again, the better everybody's gonna be. I'm not holding my breath for that right now. Obviously, we've got elections coming up in The United States, which I don't think is gonna make a big difference, but a lot of people are seeing as a as a possible turning point or, you know, inflection point in this conversation.
Landon:I think the most important thing Canadians can do, whether you're a rider, a dealer, an or an OEM, is to get in front of your local MP, a federal member of parliament, sit them down or invite them to your shop, invite them to your garage, and tell them exactly what's going on and how this is gonna impact you. You know, those shops employ 15 to 20 people in most cases. Some of the bigger ones have more. They are in rural communities across Canada. Some of them have more than one line of business, so they'll do snowmobiles, boats, other things.
Landon:Some of them don't. And it's the ones that have one line of business that are are, you know, are gonna have to be very creative in working through this. So the sooner anybody talks to their MP, the better this is gonna go. And the members of parliament come back to Ottawa next week. We will be on them there too continuing this conversation to push.
Landon:But I I think there's a lot of MPs that that don't understand the implications of this that need to take it back to caucus in Ottawa and say, look. I'm I'm gonna lose this dealership or these jobs. And when those mechanics go somewhere else, they're really hard to get back. And motorcycle mechanics are you know, we don't have an abundance of them. So I'm saying, you know, let's keep these mechanics.
Landon:Let's keep these parts people employed. Let's keep the service people employed. Figure out a way to get through this period so that, you know, we can continue to ride and continue to have access to the vehicles that we want and continue to have the parts we need and the service we need. Otherwise, it's it it's gonna be it's gonna be, you know, just just hard for everybody involved. So it is occupying a great deal of our time, and we've we've got more help on this, as I said.
Landon:And we are making sure that the government of Canada knows exactly what's going on from our perspective and and what needs to change.
Liane:That's good. I was in our local Indian dealership here in Edmonton just last week, And, I'm just chatting with our friend Jay Padilla, and he you know, that's that's his bread and butter is Indian. And so talking about the concern of the tariff wars and stuff like that, and that's the one side of it. The other side of it is BRP or Bombardier and them having a complete ban of being able to import into The US. So what's that side of it?
Landon:Well and they're part of our organization as well. And we don't have as much leverage with, you know, obviously, the American government. BRP is has got some great government relations people in Canada and The United States. And so they are making the point in Washington and with senators and congressmen and women to to say this is not helpful and not helpful because they employ thousands of Americans too in addition to the thousands of Canadians they have largely in in the Quebec Montreal area. So, you know, again, tariffs are taxes that get applied.
Landon:And the best analogy I've heard so far is, like, tariffs are like two people sit across from the table. Each has a hammer, and they smash themselves in the head. You know? It's you're only hurting yourself with them. And then you dare the other guy to smash himself in the head harder.
Landon:So Yeah. It's it's it is it is it unfortunate and disappointing, but we're in it, and we're trying to make the best of it. We also communicate with the Motorcycle Industry Council in The United States. Yep. We are members of that organization.
Landon:We work with them on ensuring they understand the Canadian impact of this. We talk to the Canadian embassy in Washington regularly and making sure they know. So I think the players and the people who are involved and engaged in the negotiations with The United States all understand our position and what's at stake here for Canadians. So we also have relationships through the International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association with organizations in Japan, India, Thailand, as well as Austria, Germany, France, you know, Italy. So we're connected around the world with our counterparts and watching what's going on, communicating the Canadian position, and trying to speak up on behalf of riders across the country.
Liane:Are there opportunities outside of The US that are coming up that you know, I I look at our prime minister now and trying to build different trade relations with different countries. In the motorcycling world, is there something similar to that to, like, where we can, if we're gonna find a silver lining on anything, build stronger relationships with, you know, the manufacturers of, like, Triumph or Kawasaki, Suzuki, you know, all of that stuff that comes from elsewhere.
Landon:Yeah. The good news is they're all already here. Right? We get products from fifteen, sixteen different countries. So a large majority of well, obviously, for Harley and Indian, they're mostly American, but everything else is coming from around the world.
Landon:ATVs, side by sides, all not all, but a majority of those come from either Mexico or The United States. So even some of the Japanese companies who make ATVs and side by sides are are producing those in places like, you know, Nebraska and Alabama and South Carolina and so on. So so those tariffs aren't being applied right now. We're working hard to make sure that they don't apply those tariffs. But if that happens, that's gonna hurt as well.
Landon:So, you know, it is a globally integrated industry on the motorcycle side. Even parts that go into American made motorcycles come from other countries. Raw materials come from Canada and other countries. So the supply chains just don't turn around on a dime, and, you know, it takes takes time for the factories to to make motorcycles for the Canadian market in particular. We have certain regulations that might be different from Europe, might be different from Australia or Asia, but they are generally in line with American made products.
Landon:So when they're rolling something off a line in The United States or Asia, for example, it's it's almost totally ready for Canada except for, you know, bilingual stickers on safety things and and other things like that. Yeah. But, generally, they're pretty close to being ready for Canada. So if that production is gonna go to another plant somewhere else that doesn't normally produce for Canada, then it's gonna take more time, plus the shipping and transportation costs and timing. So, yeah, it's tough.
Landon:It is difficult. I'd I feel for the manufacturers who are caught in this and really haven't been a problem. But beyond what BRP makes with their spiders, canyons, and so on, those are the only man those are the only motorcycles from Canada in The United States. We don't make ATVs or side by sides here either. So, you know, it's it's really tough.
Landon:So we're staying on top of it as best we can, monitoring this every day. And and where we can push back, we certainly are.
Liane:Perfect. So those are kinda like the in your face now things. Are there any types of strategic goals in mind to help improving motorcycling in Canada on, like, a long term scale once all this other dust settles?
Landon:Yeah. I think that one of the things we've been doing with Motor Canada and, you know, one of the things I've I've I saw at the beginning of my time here was that just getting policymakers across the country to understand the industry and who's riding, where they're riding, what's being purchased, ridden, and and to get those people to to have a better understanding of who we are and what we're all about so that when they make decisions around micro mobility, for example, that they understand what kind of impact that might have to the scooter market and and those sorts of things. Safety, road design, all kinds of different things get engaged in in public policy. And so we are on a mission to ensure that every ministry of transportation, ministry of economic development, ministry of tourism at any level understands who we are as a as a in as a a rider group across the country and the impact we have economically and the billions of dollars that are generated through our activities across the country. Even though we only ride for about half the year, give or take, you know, it's still a huge impact and a huge part of of Canada's industry, Canada's economy, Canada's culture.
Landon:And if you start playing with that, you're going to have outcomes that you might not have anticipated. So we are very much more in the face of politicians across the country. More to come on that. And I think the other part you'll see in the next little while is that we're gonna talk to riders more about what we do. Right?
Landon:And people don't necessarily always understand exactly what we do, but we are in the background talking to the policymakers and others trying to make sure that that the reputation of this industry is is protected because that then leads to policy decisions about road safety Yeah. Policies decisions about where we can ride a variety of things. So we are talking to health professionals, doctors, environment and climate change specialists, you name it. But we're we're trying to ensure that people understand our industry, our riders, and what they need to enjoy what they've been doing for a long time.
Liane:Absolutely. And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to have you in particular on the podcast is because then our listeners gain a better understanding because
Landon:Mhmm.
Liane:It's hard for me to keep explaining what Motorcycle does, and it's better coming straight from you. So, let's talk 2027 real quick. You had mentioned, more at the top of the show that we have the the four shows coming up in January, February of next year. I I would like to say as somebody who's been attending the show for, well, almost the entire time AMSS has been around and since we've come back from COVID, I appreciate, the Derek Rockels of the world who take feedback and, you know, and actually hears it and either applies or I don't think that can work, but is willing to have those discussions. I appreciate that from a from an exhibitor standpoint.
Liane:Is there anything that you can share that might be new? I understand there was a motocross event in Toronto, I think it was last year. Like, can we get something like that out west?
Landon:Well, we're working on those plans right now. I can't promise a motocross
Liane:event. Of course.
Landon:Some of our venues just we're not allowed to ride at all Yes. Indoors. But, you know, we wanna have something that is we wanna have two things really. You know, great product that you can see, that you can purchase, that you can think about for your riding season. But the other part is the community.
Landon:You know? You know, we want people to be able to come over and enjoy the show, stick around for a long time, and spend time with you, spend time with others, and and meet their friends who they don't get to see very often when they're not riding, talk about plans for the year and potential trips and rides, and and talk about the industry and talk about, you know, what's exciting and and what they enjoy. So it is meant to be a a not just a product showcase, but also a kind of a cultural community event as well. And and we could do better at that. We've had some help and improvement in that area, but these are, you know, works in progress every year.
Landon:And Yeah. And we're open to feedback as well and and wanna make sure that we get as much you know, you get as much value out of your admission as as you should, if not more. So so we're in the middle of just planning those now. We're getting commitments from different manufacturers and vendors, and so we're in the middle of that here in September, and we'll be announcing more as we get closer to the show.
Liane:So the one thing that I find myself defending the most on your behalf is and you could probably guess what it is. It's the why aren't these guys at the show? Like, it seems that the the Abbotsford and Calgary shows don't get all of the OEMs because, well, Western Canada often is like, well, it's not worth going out there. Aside from the obvious challenges for Indian and Harley right now, which may or may not affect their presence at the show, why do all of the OEMs not show up?
Landon:Yes. Great question. So since COVID, in particular, you know, the OEMs have had to put their dollar their marketing dollars into online digital communications and marketing. There is a opportunity with that to track, you know, leads and and send them directly to a dealer, for example, in a way that you just don't get within a a show experience. At the same time, a show gives you an opportunity to sit on something, talk to somebody in person, try things that you wouldn't normally see, talk to dealers perhaps that that aren't normally in your neighborhood.
Landon:And I think there's still a lot of value and a lot of room for in person experiential marketing. Okay. Some of the OEMs have made global decisions about experiential marketing, and that that has impacted us. The other thing is that it's getting more expensive since COVID to execute these shows, and those costs are have gone up quite a bit. So that's an impact on not just the OEMs, but everybody who participates.
Landon:The you know? So we're working through a lot of those different challenges, and, you know, we'll continue to to push and show the value in the shows, and and we'll see. The other thing is that these shows don't happen in any other country. There might be a national show in Germany or France or Tokyo or somewhere like that where it brings the whole industry together in one place, but those countries are the size of our provinces. And so when the decisions are made in other head offices around the world about where to spend their marketing dollars and they say, well, Canada's 40,000,000 people, and you want four shows or five shows or whatever, we spend that much on one show in Liane or Cologne or wherever the their national show might be.
Landon:So to get marketing dollars put into these shows, four shows in Canada to cover our market and our country for the volume, it's tricky. So some are still in, and we really appreciate it. The others, I think they'd love to be in, and they're working through different things. A lot of them have dealers that they Yeah. Support at the shows too.
Landon:So we're really happy to have that dealer support and represent the OEMs that way, and and we're trying to do more and more of that every year.
Liane:Yeah. I did see a little bit more of that at last year's show or, well, this year's show in 2026 with, one of the Calgary dealerships had brought out some brands that weren't, represented on a, like, a national scale, which was good to see. Last thing for 2027, collaboration. This year, 2026, we saw a Motor Canada CMA collaborative May as Motorcycle Awareness Month that we also took part in, with our own collaborative branded material, that we put out alongside both of those organizations. Will we see something like that again for 2027?
Liane:Because I think there's I think we're leaning on something pretty good for a united front on safety.
Landon:Yeah. Absolutely. So the the whole concept there was we all do different things or almost exactly the same thing rather, but separately at the same time. And we were just thinking, would we not get way more bang for our buck if we all worked together and produced the similar material, talk to the same people at the same time, and try and show that we're all working together towards a safer riding environment for everybody, both on road and then in June on off road. So that is the idea is to build on that, and, you know, we'll we will be coming shortly with more information on our thought, but it's a collaboration.
Landon:We're open to suggestions about how to make that more effective, how to reach more people, how to get more influencers and others involved, and to get the message out to to ride safe, particularly when people are getting back on their bikes in the spring. So I think it's been a great success for the year we've been doing it, and we wanna build on it and grow it and make it a real, you know, staple of the riding season with all of our friends.
Liane:Yeah. It definitely added to our annual campaign that we do on our own. It just gave us a lot more content and and having that co branded messaging with Motocana's CMA and our logo as well, just that unification on messaging, it really does help all of us kind of speak to a broader audience, which is great. Landon, I wanna thank you so much for taking so much time for you today. We covered a lot, and I hope that that gives our listeners and people in Canada a better understanding of what Motor Canada does.
Liane:Thank you so much. I appreciate your time.
Landon:My pleasure. And if anybody wants to follow-up, check us out at motorcanada.com, and send us a note, and we'll get back to you. But thanks, Liane, not just for the time, but for all that you and your friends do at AMSS. We really appreciate it.
Liane:Thank you, Landon. For everyone else, hang tight for the mixed bag. This week on our mailbag, as this is the last one for this season, we're putting a call out for season seven. But first, I'd like to thank all of our guests and listeners as this season has been simply amazing. Now, we are looking for guests with great stories of adventure or impactful stories as a result of collisions, stories that might be helpful and interesting to our listeners.
Liane:We're also looking for those quick answer questions for the mailbag. If you have something to share and feel our platform is a safe place to do so, reach out to info@ab-amss.org. We would love to hear from you. And that's it for another episode of Think Bike hosted by me, Liane Liane Liane, produced by Bryn Griffiths at Mighty Mouth Communications. If you have an idea or question for the show, reach out to info@ab-amss.org or find us on all the socials.
Liane:Always remember to ride smart, ride safe, and think bike. We'll see you out on the road.