Anger often spawns action. A friend”™s damaged motorcycle and a $700 repair bill ”“ caused by forgetting to take one of the locks off ”“ found Adam and Eric Xavier looking for a better solution to keep motorcycles locked, but safe for users.
“That”™s what started it,” said Adam in the fraternal twins”™ office and garage in Middletown. Tinkering to find the solution to keep bikes from being stolen or from someone trying to start to ride and forgetting to take off a lock has found them on the path to success with a product now becoming a standard, not an after-market addition, in the world of motorcycling.
The market is strong: In the U.S. alone, there are nearly 6 million registered motorcycles.
These twins are no fly-by-night bikers who accidentally stumbled onto a technology. Both graduated from college at the top of their classes, lured from upstate New York to Orange County because of their interest in Orange County Choppers and the raucous Tuetel clan, who gained national celebrity with their reality TV show.
“We wanted to be in the area,” recalled Eric, “so we chose Middletown because it was in the ”˜middle.”™” The brothers weren”™t sure what kind of business they wanted to start, but they knew they wanted to be where the action was.
When HVBiz visited the brothers in February 2007, they were working with the Orange County Capital Development Corp.”™s former Managing Director Robert Hannon, developing the system and looking for capital ”“ even writing to Warren Buffett for advice. (He responded.)
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“Bob was great,” said Adam of Hannon. “We worked on several ideas and found the solution, but what we didn”™t have was the financial backing.”
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Through Hannon, the brothers met John Galanti, president and co-founder of Hudson Valley Data Net. From there on, the brothers have been on a roll, keeping both “angel investors” and riders happy with RoadLoK, which was patented in 2008.
The brothers are now talking to companies around the globe. An exclusive partnership with Geico has also helped build national recognition for the product. From their personal perspective, they are proud the product is safe, effective, affordable (priced at approximately $300) and 100 percent American made.
“With a traditional lock, it”™s not problem for a professional to get it off in a matter of minutes,” said Eric. “With our system, which is built into the bike”™s caliper, it makes it immovable. Since most thefts are rollaways, nobody is going to be able to go anywhere if the bike has our locking system on it. At the same time, it does no harm if the rider forgets to unlock it; they just don”™t move at all. Unlike other locks on the market, we have 1.5 million combinations so that each bike”™s key is unique.”
Anyone who buys a bike with a RoadLoK must register their bike with Geico. While not obliged to take insurance with the company, the company can give them a quote. “Many times Geico will offer a better rate, so it”™s a great way for them to introduce their product and it also allowed people who have a RoadLok system on their bike to keep it safe,” Eric said. “That”™s important to insurers””but more important to the owners, who don”™t want to discover that while they were eating dinner, someone rolled their bike away.”
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Right now, the Xaviers are focusing on building their new relationship with Yamaha, which will include the RoadLoK system as part of its motorcycles”™ standard equipment in every dealership across the nation. “Obviously, we”™re very excited,” said the Xaviers, “and we”™re looking to build on to our relationship with the company. It”™s an important acceptance phase, where a product has come out of obscurity and is now becoming a mainstream product.”
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The Xaviers haven”™t left out an important part of the RoadLok equation ”“ a “brake bolt” that guarantees the system will never accidentally lock while the rider is operating the vehicle. And, as with all RoadLoK systems, the brothers said, “customers are eligible for an insurance discount when they lock their Yamaha with a RoadLoK system.” It”™s a success story the Xaviers are working to duplicate with BMW, Harley Davidson, Ducati and other motorcycle manufacturers.
The goal, say the brothers, is to make RoadLok a standard in the industry, not an aftermarket accessory. “Each caliper on each bike is different,” they said. “We have the technology and ability to create a locking system for every type of bike which is safe. And for those who worry about someone picking the lock, Texas-based Abloy manufactures the cylinders, so they are pick-proof.”
The brothers”™ success will also lead them to taking a bigger space in Middletown, combining their manufacturing operation with their administrative offices. “We”™re looking for the best fit for us,” said Eric. “We”™d like to be able to create more jobs in the process, although most of the actual production of RoadloK is done with automated equipment.”
