Industry Reports

Milwaukee’s “Other” Motorcycle Company

Milwaukee’s “Other” Motorcycle Company   Harley-Davidson has a neighbor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it’s older than the iconic American brand. Royal Enfield established their U.S. headquarters there about three years ago and has been rapidly growing their dealer network across North America. With dealerships now in 34 states and Puerto Rico, the brand has come a long way (literally) since first arriving stateside in 2015, from zero to nearly 90 dealerships in America and Canada, and more opening and/or joining the brand monthly. Celebrating their 115th anniversary this year as a motorcycle company, Royal Enfield established itself in England in…
continue reading

Harley-Davidson & Amazon

Harley-Davidson & Amazon Harley-Davidson announced earlier this month that the brand has begun selling select H-D riding gear and apparel via the online retail giant Amazon, widening their exposure to hundreds of millions of potential customers. The relationship is part of the company’s “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” initiative, an effort to meet customers through a more expansive, integrated retail experience. Harley-Davidson gear and apparel is now available on Amazon.com to buy online in the U.S., with 2-day shipping for Amazon Prime members. “We live in an on-demand, anywhere, anytime business environment where success depends on the ability to meet consumers…
continue reading

Annual Exotic Car and Charity Fashion Show to Take Place at Private Estate

Tampa, FL (October 2018) –The 8th Annual Cars & Couture event takes place on Saturday, November 10th at a Private Estate in Odessa, FL., home of Tom Frederick Owner of Sun Print Management. Cars & Couture benefits non-profit organization Autism Speaks and will be hosted by Julie Winetraub owner of the Gold & Diamond Source. Cars & Couture guests will experience a lavish reception featuring an exotic car display, catered cuisine by Dolce Speakeasy and Supper Club, premium open bar, cigar lounge by Ash House, a live jazz band, a fashion show featuring local designers, and a silent auction benefiting…
continue reading

High Tech Helmet

High Tech Helmet A Lid with AR Display and Alexa/Siri Support Numerous motorcycle helmet companies have been attempting to introduce built-in “smart tech” features in recent years, with limited success. Yet the trend is inevitable. The latest to debut a smart helmet is Jarvish, a Taiwan company known for cutting-edge, user-friendly technology for riders. Jarvish recently premiered two new models packed with rider aids, the X and X-AR motorcycle helmets, both of which will be available in 2019. The Jarvish X will include an integrated microphone and speakers, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant support, and a 2K, forward-facing built-in camera…
continue reading

American Flat Track Announces Provisional 2019 Schedule

Includes two all-new venues and a return to Southern California DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 11, 2018) – American Flat Track has announced its provisional 18-event schedule for the 2019 season, which once again features coast-to-coast action and launches anew at legendary Daytona International Speedway on March 14 with a bigger, better and even faster DAYTONA TT. It all finishes next fall with the Meadowlands Mile finale at the famed MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey (date to be announced shortly). There are two entirely new events for 2019 and one that’s returning to the schedule after a one-year…
continue reading

The American Motorcyclist Association and MotoAmerica Announce Extension

Sanctioning and promoting partnership to be extended for 10 additional years LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The American Motorcyclist Association and MotoAmerica announced this evening at the MotoAmerica Night of Champions that they have signed a Letter of Intent for the North American series to remain the home of the AMA Superbike Championship through the 2029 season. "Our first four years of MotoAmerica have been pretty amazing," said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. "And much of our success goes back to our relationship with the AMA. The first four years have gone by quickly and we're not where we want to be…
continue reading

Indian Debuts Flat Track-Inspired FTR 1200 for 2019

Indian Debuts Flat Track-Inspired FTR 1200 for 2019 Indian Motorcycle is shifting gears. Since reopening for business in 2013, the legendary brand has targeted the tourer, bagger and cruiser crowd with their array of Chief, Chieftain, and Scout models. But with the runaway success of their vaunted FTR 750 flat track championship-winning race machines, the motorcycle world has been begging for and anticipating a street legal version. The wait is over. Set for a 2019 release, Indian Motorcycle has introduced the flat-track inspired FTR 1200, a radical departure from their successful formula in recent years. The company had been hinting…
continue reading

Can-Am Unveils the Ryker

A Spyder for the Masses Can-Am debuted a new 2019 addition to their Spyder line this past week, a model targeted at younger, beginner, and women riders. Dubbed the Ryker, the new 3-wheeler is smaller, lighter, more affordable than ever before, and supremely approachable. Long perceived as a company building machines for older males with money to burn but who prefer the stability of a tripod stance, Can-Am takes a turn toward the younger generations with the Ryker. In two iterations, a 600cc twin and 900cc triple, plus an up-spec “Rally Edition” of the 900, all Rotax-powered, the Ryker models…
continue reading

Three-Wheeled Vehicle Classification

Three-Wheeled Vehicle Classification Three-wheeled vehicles such as the Slingshot and Can-Am Spider are becoming more popular, and thus more questions have arisen about classification, licensing, and helmets. In July 2018, the Dept. of Public Safety Legal Review sent out the following information: O.C.G.A. 40-1-1(29) defines a motorcycle as every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, excluding a tractor, all-terrain vehicle, and moped. Therefore, these vehicles are generally considered to be motorcycles. Despite the general classification of a Slingshot as…
continue reading

Race Like a Girl

Jamie Astudillo in MotoAmerica Not many females currently run professionally in motorcycle road racing, but those who do, have definitely earned their place. Here in the States, in MotoAmerica, there are only three—Caroline Olsen in Supersport 600, Melissa Paris in Stock 1000, and Jamie Astudillo in Liqui Moly Junior Cup. And of these, only one has rewritten the record books—Jamie Astudillo. We pointed out in our May issue that Jamie etched her name in the MotoAmerica/AMA Road Racing archives as the first woman to ever podium in an American professional motorcycle road racing event when she took third place in…
continue reading

HARLEY-DAVIDSON CREATES NEW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY R&D FACILITY IN SILICON VALLEY

Company is Recruiting Top EV Talent to Build its Capabilities for New Products and Segments   MILWAUKEE (Sept. 5, 2018) – Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) announced today it will establish a new research and development facility in Northern California to support its future product portfolio, including the company’s first complete line of electric vehicles. “Recently we shared with the world our accelerated plans to build the next generation of Harley-Davidson riders globally,” said Matt Levatich, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc. “This new R&D facility in the heart of Silicon Valley will help us deliver on those plans and demonstrate…
continue reading

Motus Motorcycles Closes Doors

In a move that saw another American motorcycle company go under, Motus Motorcycles in Birmingham, Alabama announced their closure via Facebook over the Labor Day weekend. The announcement began by stating that it “is forced to shut down operations, effective immediately.”   The vision of building the ultimate American sport-touring motorcycle was birthed in the minds and hearts of Lee Conn and Brian Case 10 years ago, and Motus was born. The uniquely American notion of building a bike around essentially half a Corvette engine (their vaunted “Baby Block” MV4 1650) captured the imagination of the American motorcycling world, if…
continue reading

Elias Bounces Back To Win PittRace Superbike Race

Elias Wins Last-Lap War With Beaubier WAMPUM, PA (August 26, 2018) – When it comes to last-lap battles, they don’t get much better than the final lap of today’s Motul Superbike race between Toni Elias and Cameron Beaubier in the Championship of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. The 18-lap Motul Superbike race came down to the very last lap of the 2.78-mile PittRace course and featured several close passes by both riders. In the end, though, victory went to Elias and his Yoshimura Suzuki – by just .046 of a second from Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Beaubier. It was…
continue reading

Herrin Wins Race One At PittRace

Debise, Dumas Take Supersport, Junior Cup Wins On Day One WAMPUM, CA (August 25, 2018) – Last year when MotoAmerica visited Pittsburgh International Race Complex for the first time, Josh Herrin was a spectator up on the hill after his team pulled out of the series. Well, what a difference a year makes. Today, Herrin won his first Superbike race in five years, the Attack Performance/Herrin Compound Yamaha rider mastering iffy wet/dry conditions to win the first of two Motul Superbike races of the Championship of Pittsburgh. Herrin, who won the AMA Superbike Championship in 2013 with four race wins,…
continue reading

HARLEY-DAVIDSON ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ELEVATES THE MOTORCYCLING EXPERIENCE

New Boom! Box GTS Infotainment System and Reflex Linked Brakes with Traction Control Highlight Tech Upgrades   MILWAUKEE (August 21, 2018) Less than a month after announcing plans for future product in new-to-the-brand categories and a commitment to advance its heavyweight Touring and Cruiser models, Harley-Davidson® introduces a number of technology advancements that elevate performance, function and style across the 2019 Harley-Davidson Touring and Trike motorcycle lines.   New Harley-Davidson Boom! Box GTS Infotainment System The new Boom! Box™ GTS infotainment system is an evolved interface experience for riders of select Harley-Davidson Touring and Trike motorcycles. The Boom! Box GTS system offers the contemporary…
continue reading

NEW HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDR 114 POURS ON PERFORMANCE

A Dynamic Power Cruiser Combines Milwaukee-Eight Muscle with Weight-Saving Aluminum and Composite Components   MILWAUKEE (August 21, 2018) The new Harley-Davidson® FXDR™ 114 motorcycle delivers moto-aggression with a technical edge. Like a drag racer crossed with a fighter jet, this unapologetic power cruiser brings a new level of all-out performance to the Harley-Davidson line-up. The FXDR 114 combines the unrelenting power of the Milwaukee-Eight® 114 engine with the liberal use of new weight-saving aluminum and composite components. Every aspect of handling and performance is amplified.   “This motorcycle is really a blast to ride,” said David Latz, Lead Product Manager at Harley-Davidson. “The FXDR 114…
continue reading