How much do you really know about that helmet you’re putting on your head each, and every time you go for a ride?  What you don’t know could hurt you! Motorcycle helmets (aka “ skid lids” or “brain buckets”) are made to do one thing and that is to protect the brain from any kind of hematoma. A hematoma is a localized mass of blood contained within an organ, tissue, or space that has escaped from an artery or vein. Since the brain is contained in the skull, a hemorrhage can’t escape which increases the pressure on the brain and can lead to death if a large enough area of tissue is affected. A fall on the head from a height of 6 feet can prove to be fatal without a helmet; this would result in an impact speed of 13.4 mph, ouch!

So here are some helmet facts you should know before you go riding. Replace your helmet if it was involved in a crash; it probably absorbed some impact shock.

Some helmet manufacturers will inspect and, when possible, repair a damaged helmet. If you drop your helmet and think it might be damaged, take advantage of this service. Most helmet manufacturers recommend replacing your helmet every

two to four years. If you notice any signs of damage before then,

replace it sooner. Why replace your helmet every few years if it doesn’t appear

damaged? Its protective qualities may deteriorate with time and

wear. The chin strap may fray or loosen at its attaching points; the

shell could be chipped or damaged. The best reason is that helmets

keep improving. Chances are that the helmet you buy in a couple of

years will be better – stronger, lighter, and more comfortable – than

the one you own now. It might even cost less!

It is not wise to store helmets near gasoline, cleaning fluids, exhaust

fumes, or excessive heat. These factors can result in the degradation of

helmet materials, and often the damage goes unnoticed by the

wearer. Read the information that comes with the helmet so you

know how to care for it.

Definitely read the instructions about painting, decorating,

pinstriping, or applying decals to your helmet.

Never hang your helmet on the motorcycle’s mirrors, turn signals, or

backrest. The inner liner can easily be damaged from such handling.

In fact, avoid carrying a spare helmet on your motorcycle, unless it’s

well protected or on your passenger’s head. Even the bumps and

jarring from normal riding can damage a spare. If it is strapped near

hot engine parts or exhaust pipes, the inner liner may distort or melt

at the hot spot. The outer shell may not show the damage, but if

you’ve seen the effects of a foam drink cup placed too near excessive

heat, you can understand what happens.

When you take your helmet off, find a flat, secure place for it. You could

set it on the ground, secure it on a rack, or stow it on a shelf. On some

bikes, putting it on the fuel tank may expose it to fumes. If you place it on the seat, make sure it won’t fall off.

 

 

 

 

For more information about helmets check out the Motorcycle Safety Foundations web site at www.msf-usa.org or contact helmet manufactures and read their literature.

Bill Miko is the Host of the Motorcycle Radio Network and President of American Motorcycle Forensics, and technical writer for Ultimate Motorcycling Magazine.

Buy a new motorcycle now and you can save BIG money!

Edward Banks said, “Those who fail to learn history are condemned to repeat it.”  While he may have been creating a pun about his high school Social Studies class at the time, his words accurately describe the current new motorcycle market in the United States.

In the late 1970’s and early ‘80’s, motorcycle manufacturers noticed an alarming trend in the United States.  Sales were falling dramatically, so they shortened their product development cycles and brought out many new models, each released with the same fanfare as previous successful launches.  Unfortunately, demand remained very soft and many companies soon ended up with enormous backlogs of motorcycles in their warehouses.  When someone who began riding in 1984 tells you that they purchased their first motorcycle, a leftover 2-year-old Yamaha Vision 550 brand new for less than $600 (including tax!), don’t cock your eye and look at them funny.  They aren’t kidding.  Some new models were still available 5 years after their original launch date! (Honda CX Turbo…)

The glut of “leftovers” did more than just create great deals for buyers, it changed the motorcycle market as we know it.  Harley-Davidson complained to Congress that the Japanese manufacturers were “dumping” motorcycles in the United States in an attempt to drive The Motor Company out of business, and the US Government agreed.  They slapped a tariff on imported motorcycles sold in the America that displaced more than 700cc.  (Did you ever wonder why the VF750F, KZ750, GS750 and FZ750 all became the VF700F, KZ700, GS700 and FZ700?  It was to get around the trade tariff.)  Harley famously turned the company around, successfully petitioned the government to end the tariff early, and roared ahead into many years of exceptional growth.

Former Harley-Davidson CEO Jeff Bluestein famously stated that The Motor Company’s goal during its growth period was to build “one less motorcycle than we have a buyer for.”  While this may have been based on simple Economics 101 supply and demand principles, this task proved far more difficult to put in practice.  Dealerships in Texas, Florida, Arizona and California were begging for motorcycles while other dealers in New England, the Midwest and the Northern Plains were tripping over excess inventory.  Unlike its simplistic explanation, the slowdown began unevenly and made it very difficult for manufacturers to gauge the actual demand for new models.  Fast forward a few short years and the United States slid into a worldwide recession, turning off not only much of consumers’ desire for new motorcycles, but the ability of those remaining buyers to obtain credit for the motorcycles they wanted.

Recognizing this dramatic change, manufacturers limited their production in 2009 and scaled it back even more in 2010-one taking the dramatic step to not even release some 2010 street models!  Having learned from their previous experiences, manufacturers are limiting availability of new models until they sell off stocks of previous machines that are still sitting in warehouses.  So where does this leave you when you consider purchasing a new motorcycle this year?  Frankly, you are on the seat with your hands on the grips and your feet on the pegs.  Economists would look at the excessive supply of product and the wary consumers and confidently state that we are currently in a classic buyers’ market! 

Bill and Mike, Ultimate MotorCycling’s Online Director and our special guest this week, decided to support the economy by going shopping.  A trip to Orange County Harley-Davidson in California proved fruitful as the guys left with a pair of heavily-discounted Buell motorcycles.  (Buell, formerly owned by Harley-Davidson, was dissolved last year as Harley struggled to right itself.)  While researching the spectacular deals they obtained for themselves, they found that almost every major manufacturer is offering significant incentives to buyers.  Buyers will find deeply discounted monthly payments, low-interest financing, free extended service plans, large rebates, terrific accessory and gear packages and even 1-on-1 riding instruction with world champion Doug Polen!  (Listen to the Bill and Mike work their way through the entire list on the podcast here.)

 It has been 25 years since we last saw this type of market, so don’t miss your chance to ride away on a spectacular new bike for a fraction of what you might have paid two or three years ago.  If you wait too long, you’ll miss the savings and be left having people stare at you funny when you tell them that you could have bought a brand new top-of-the-line sportbike for less than $8,000 in back in 2010.

Here are links to some manufacturers’ sites that will point you to some of the incentives available:

BMW – Click on the “Promotions” tab

Ducati

Harley-Davidson

Honda

Kawasaki

KTM

Suzuki

Triumph

Yamaha

Yamaha’s Star has its own offer here

 

Also this week, Bill revisits a previous Tool of the Week award winner as she heads to court, and Todd B tries to keep from using his barf bag in the studio…  Thanks for checking us out, and we’ll be back next week with Bazzo Miguel and a Real Time Road Test on the Motorcycle Radio Network.

 

Although all appears normal for Harley-Davidson riders, it doesn’t appear that things are even remotely so back in Harley’s corporate headquarters at 3700 W. Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee.  The past 12 months have been disastrous for the once-proud icon.  Declining numbers and poor stock performance have been the rule.  The sudden outright closing of Buell Motorcycle Company, one of H-D’s smaller divisions, has left sportbike enthusiasts frustrated and angry.  Possible plant relocation and layoffs continue to wreak havoc on The Motor Company’s passionate workforce, the same workforce who recently had to swallow the bitter pill of finding that its new company CEO didn’t own a motorcycle.

Ironically, all these issues appear to be minor compared to the latest scuttlebutt about America’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer.  A couple of days ago different news outlets printed stories that Harley-Davidson may be subject to a leveraged buyout, and sources pointed to Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts (KKR) Company’s Private Equity Group as the possible purchaser.  Although they have neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, KKR’s own website touts the fact that they have secured $59.3 billion in funding to support their acquisitions over the last three decades.  KKR’s holdings are exceptionally diverse in both location and business scope, so much so that I wouldn’t feel comfortable simply dismissing the rumor as wild speculation – like I did in 2007 when the rumor of a Harley takeover by Honda was making the news. I will, however, go on record to state that I think there might be more than a bit of misguided truth to the rumor this time.

Truth?  I think so.  It’s no secret that Harley-Davidson is struggling.  Demand for the company’s heavyweight cruiser motorcycles began waning in 2003. Management continued to grow production and push dealers to build monstrous new facilities by spouting a rearward-facing rationale that looked at past growth instead of current demand.  Harley-Davidson company leaders appeared to pay more attention to the trading value of The Motor Company’s stock price than former CEO Jeff Bluestein’s goal of “making one less motorcycle than customers want.”  Today, production of motorcycles is roughly half of what it was less than 5 years ago, dealerships across the country are closing their doors and last year company made news by taking out a pair of $300 million loans (at 15% interest!) to keep operating Harley-Davidson Financial Services, its consumer finance subdivision.

These loans (or more specifically, one of the loans) are what is causing me to use the word “misguided” above.  One of the sources of funding is none other than investment guru Warren Buffet, the famously-frugal billionaire that is reportedly one of the three richest men in the world.  Through Berkshire Hathaway, the company Buffet controls, H-D secured a 5-year loan in exchange for $300 million in senior unsecured notes issued by the Milwaukee icon.  (The other $300 million loan came from Davis Selected Advisers, LP.)  Instead of KKR, I think Berkshire Hathaway might be the true suitor. 

Berkshire Hathaway is well-known for the staggering stock price of its class A stock (I just checked and found it at $123,458 per single share) and the fact that Warren Buffet, its CEO, has an annual salary of only $100,000.  The company is exceptionally successful and its growth is often attributed to the Buffet’s broad understanding of business.  Although Berkshire Hathaway is known for its investment in companies like Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, and American Express, this has little to do with the Harley situation.  A lesser known (but far more important) side of Berkshire Hathaway is the “private” side of the company that owns many of America’s best known brands.  GEICO, Dairy Queen, Benjamin Moore, and Fruit of the Loom are just some of the almost 40 companies that are wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway.  Last year, Berkshire Hathaway began acquisitions of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (yes, the entire railroad!) and it completed the process last month.

I may be wrong, but my guess is that Buffet and his staff began looking at the financials of Harley-Davidson as part of their research into the viability of making the $300 million loan.  Once the motorcycle manufacturer’s financials were on the Nebraska-based firm’s radar, more studying took place.  While Harley-Davidson cut its costs and secured labor concessions, capital markets loosened up a bit and suddenly the company looks like an appealing investment.

I strongly support this acquisition.  I believe that the once-strong Harley-Davidson would further diversify Berkshire Hathaway’s amazing portfolio, strengthening both organizations. Having Harley-Davidson leaders manage the motorcycle business instead of their stock price would provide a much-needed focus on the 4^th floor of Juneau Avenue, hopefully pushing Harley toward shorter new model development times and updated traditional styling that remains true to The Motor Company’s roots but gives riders a fresh reason to go into dealers’ showrooms (look no further than the new Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger).   Taking the company private would remove the enormous distraction of dealing with quarterly public reports, financial media presentations that are more scrutinized than Harley’s new model presentations, and future shareholder lawsuits brought by lawyers with nothing better to do.  The only downside?  That would be for Harley’s CEO Keith Wandell, who reportedly was paid $6.4 million dollars for 8 months of work in 2009. Could 2010 be the year of the $6.3 million pay cut so he isn’t paid more than his boss?

 

 
   As a co-host on the Motorcycle Radio Network I’m often approached by listeners of the show to answer a multitude of motorcycle related questions. Most of the time these questions deal with the V-Twin industry and more specifically Harley-Davidson; our savvy listeners know I’m an ex-Harley dealer with a unique if not sometimes offbeat insight into the American motorcycle manufacturer.

   Recently, I pulled into my local Starbucks Coffee drive thru for my morning brew and gave my order to Bruce, a very pleasant guy in his fifties and proud owner of a Heritage Softail. I then drove up to the window and a young lady in her twenties hands me my drink and asked if I found her a motorcycle yet? “Are you ready for a Harley?” I asked, and her response was, “No way! Harleys aren’t cool!” That got me thinking, “Has H-D lost its cool factor?” That one is a definite “Maybe.” Bruce and I are close in age, and we both are at the tail end of the Baby Boomer generation – the generation that was responsible for the huge amount of growth in the V-Twin industry and the generation that catapulted Harley-Davidson from a mediocre motorcycle manufacturer in the late 1980s to the most successful and fastest growing motorcycle producer of the 1990s.

   Owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle became a status symbol to the Boomer generation, but what was cool for one generation might not be considered cool for another, which accurately sums up Harley-Davidson’s problem today. How do they attract the next generation of riders? It is my own opinion that new and innovative models drive customers to the brand. Harley’s own history backs up my thoughts – in 1981 it was the FLT-80 Tour Glide, 1984 saw the introduction of the FXST Softail, 1986 the FLST Heritage, 1990 the FLSTF Fat Boy, and in 2002 the VRSCA V-Rod. These revolutionary models were all exceptionally successful motorcycles for the Milwaukee manufacturer. The pattern is clear and it is definitely time for a new innovative model to be unveiled to the next generation of riders.

   Harley-Davidson is having some success selling to a new counterculture of riders with its line of Dark Custom motorcycles like the 883 Iron and the hot new Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight introduced last month. According to Mark-Hans Richer, Harley-Davidson Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer “we now sell more to this generation of riders than to the young adult generation before them.”

   I’m not sure what else Harley has on the drawing board, but if I could make a recommendation in what might be the next cool bike to roll down the assembly line it would be a true chopper. Choppers are timeless and considered cool by most of the younger generation. Honda, the most unlikely company to build a chopper, did just that with the 2010 model year introduction of the Fury. Don’t think for one minute that some at Harley-Davidson felt a little slighted by our Japanese friends. Honda beat America’s oldest manufacturer to the punch and built a very nice classically styled chopper, but now it is Harley’s turn to show the next generation (and the rest of the world) what a true chopper should look like. Choppers were born of the American culture of the 1960s and were brought to prominence in the 90s by numerous new motorcycle companies who have since disappeared, not because the chopper model wasn’t cool, but instead due to poor service, inferior parts and a tough economy.

   In my 46 year old mind I’m 26 so Harleys are still cool, but to some of the younger generation of riders I do think Harley-Davidson has lost its cool image and needs to find a way to get it back. I can’t think of a better way to do it than too build a really cool chopper. I’ll even lend a hand with its design if asked.

 

Stepping off the plane in Ohio, I was greeted by a cold and snowy Cincinnati when I arrived to attend the 10^th Anniversary Easyriders Magazine V-Twin Expo.  What?  You’ve never heard of it?  Well… that’s because you weren’t invited – it is only for dealership and industry personnel. Hundreds of manufactures display their products at the V-Twin expo and I got the feeling from most attendees that 2010 will be a better year for the sale of new bikes and accessories.  In spite of monster snowstorm battering the country, I beat the weather so the Motorcycle Radio Network was there to bring all the good stuff back to you!  I was expecting a light turn out jointly because of the weather and our continuing-to-struggle economy; but after spending a few days on the show floor I can tell you that the V-Twin industry is alive and well with tremendous innovation and enthusiasm!  

 

Let’s get right into it.  Speaking of innovation, I really liked Glenndyne Design’s internal brake forged wheels, and the Roland Sands Design Mission Wheel that is machined twice, covered with speed dots and then double pin striped. Roland is rapidly becoming one of my favorite custom bike builders because his background as a road racer deeply influences his designs and sets him apart from rest of the bike building crowd.

 

S&S Cycle had their new Easy Start Cams on display; when installed these cams let any engine, regardless of displacement, start easily.

The Expo is full of high performance parts for your American V-Twin and there are some Metric manufactures are represented as well. I spent some time with Jason from Speed’s Performance Plus talking about their complete line of engine components that will make your Harley go fast. They’ve got this performance engine thing down to a science – The crew from Speed’s supplied all the parts that we used to unleash 118 horsepower from our big bore chopper project bike! (Click here to read the Twin Cam Buildup article at UltimateMotorCycling.com.)  Jason told me that they have been busy during the winter and are looking forward to bringing their mobile shop and dyno service to Daytona Beach for Bike Week in March.  Take the time to stop at their truck in Florida and you’ll leave with a big smile on your face too…

 

Another neat part about attending the expo is you get to see some beautiful custom bikes built by the top custom builders like Arlen Ness and Dave Perewitz.

 

I want to send thanks out to all of the hardworking people at Easyriders Magazine for making this show happen, as it lets us push the V-Twin custom industry forward and gives innovators a place to show off fantastic new products and ideas. I also want to send a special thanks out for letting the Motorcycle Radio Network cover the event for our listeners.

Bill Miko

It’s official; the last episode of Orange County Choppers will air Feb 7th 2010. I feel a special connection with the crew at OCC and not for the reasons you might think. As the co-host of the Motorcycle Radio Network and a former Harley-Davidson dealer from 1975-2006 I worked in a similar environment as Paul Jr and Mikey. I worked with my farther, which made Paul Sr look like a pussy cat and my brother for some 30 years in what I would describe as the original dysfunctional bike family.

In 2003 when the show first aired many of my customers came into the shop that following day and said that we should have been you on the Discovery Channel because we were so well known for our family antics. The biggest difference between OCC and HDCC (Harley-Davidson Cycle Center) our old company name was that most of our family meetings would end in a fist fight.

There are many in the motorcycle industrie that are happy to see an end to OCC 8 year run on TV. They will tell you that their antics were foolish and that the bikes were poorly built. To me, they’re just jealous of the success that OCC has enjoyed. Think of how many lives they have touched and all that they have given to charity over the years. They have built a brand name that is known all over the world and that is something to be very proud of.

I always knew that the OCC family would fall apart just like ours did. You cannot work in that type of environment for long before things start to unravel internally. For me, it was more than just watching the cool looking bikes being built; it was watching the interaction between Paul Sr and Paul Jr. I think Paul Jr was never fully appreciated by his dad and when he left the show that was the beginning of the end.

Nobody really knows what is going on behind the scenes with the OCC family, but if I can give them any advice it would be to try and put their TV lives behind them and try and repair the family. I haven’t spoken to my family since we sold our dealership in 06 and that’s pretty sad. We fought just as OCC did because we were passionate about our business, we were one of the largest volume H-D dealerships in the country, and I attained a Master of Technology rating as a Harley Technician, you don’t attain these milestones in business, unless love what you do.

So you can see why I feel this special connection for the OCC family, and I wish them the best of luck going forward with their non-TV life.

BMW's incredible new S1000RR in Motorsport Trim

Speaking of screaming for mercy, BMW has put a world of hurt on all other Superbike manufacturers with their spectacular new S1000RR. No fewer than 3 examples of the lightest-in-class literbike are on display-a silver model decked out with enough accessories that it makes its own little dent in the US Trade Deficit, a virtually indescribable color BMW marketing accurately refer to as “Acid Green” (obviously referring to the stylist’s recreational pursuits), and a drop-dead gorgeous Motorsport red white and blue version.  Missing somewhere is a model with a dark gray color scheme, which is probably out being tested by our buddy Pazzo Miguel at Ultimate MotorCycling.com.  After all, who could resist the opportunity to ride a motorcycle that tips the scales at 404 pounds dry (with ABS!) and spins the dyno rollers up to the tune of 193 horsepower?  That’s the kind of music that belongs in everybody’s iPod!  Listen to the podcast of the show here, and see if you can hear Todd B starting to hyperventilate as he gets to swing his leg over the seat while he describes this fully street-legal race bike.

Anybody up for a True American Road Trip?

 

From there, TB headed over to the Victory Motorcycles booth for two major announcements from a company that truly listens to its very passionate customer base!  Victory’s experience has taught them that motorcycle riders are a bold, adventurous bunch who have very unique ideas about what makes a great road trip, so they are asking riders to submit a short video to them telling them YOUR definition of the True American Road Trip.  The Victory crew will judge all the entries and choose the top 10 submissions.  EVERY one of those top 10 will be given the use of a new Victory Cross Roads or Victory Cross Country motorcycle for a year so they can record their True American Road Trip for everyone to see on a variety of different online sites.  Entries must be received no later than March 31, 2010, so get busy with your video camera for what is undoubtedly one of the coolest prizes ever given to a group of 10 lucky riders!  Here’s a link to the contest info…

The high performance Vegas LE breaks cover at the NY IMS

 

Also at the Victory booth, the wraps were pulled off of the Victory’s new version of the classic American hot rod formula.  They have taken their lightest chassis, the Vegas, and stuffed their biggest engine into it and then given the resulting bike a racing-inspired paint scheme that pays homage to hot rods everywhere and named it the Vegas LE.  That’s LE as in Limited Edition because Victory is only going to take the first 100 orders, and they are cutting off the sales on February 15, 2010 at the latest.   Ordering your very own LE is simple, but choosing between the Fireball Red, Competition Yellow, Pearl White or Turbo Silver is going to be a struggle as all of the colors will do this motorcycle justice.  Here is a link with all the details about the Victory Vegas LE at Ultimate MotorCycling.com’s website.

The new Honda VFR1200F lives up to the worldwide hype

 

Honda showed off 13 new street-legal vehicles for this year ranging from scooters all the way up to the spectacular new VFR1200F.  We recently spoke with Ultimate MotorCycling Magazine’s publisher Arthur Coldwells about Honda’s new technical tour de force on the Motorcycle Radio Network and he told us to hold judgment on the look of the motorcycle until we saw it in person.  As usual, Arthur’s comments were spot on – American Honda showed both the manual model ($15,995) and the revolutionary Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) versions and the motorcycles are so beautiful in person that I found myself drawn back to them several times.  Also on display was a full set of accessories including color-matched 29 liter saddlebags that mount without additional brackets, a nicely sized (33 liter) color-matched rear trunk, an adjustable windscreen deflector and wind deflectors, a set of heated grips that Honda custom-designed to put more heat in the area where your palm and fingers are, and a centerstand.  There are additional accessories available, including a lower (.8”) seat, nylon inner bags for the hard luggage, a ballistic nylon waterproof tank bag and a rear fender hugger that should keep some of the road gunk off this beautiful motorcycle. 

VFR1200F with Honda accessories

 

During the press launch for this model, it was interesting to hear the reactions of people to the DCT.  Although Honda was up front in telling us that the transmission answered a question that wasn’t yet asked, many of the journalists were asking why no other manufacturers have taken the step in this direction as they realized how nice this enhancement will be in the urban atmosphere they battle every day.  Now after seeing the new VFR in person, we are certain that 40 years from now we will look back at this model and consider it to be as significant a step in the evolution of the motorcycle as the CB750K was in 1969.

 

Nicky Hayden showing off the new Ducati Multistrada

 

Ducati went all-out this year with the full model line on display including the stunning new Multistrada 1200 positioned on a podium in the center of their expansive booth.  Starting with a fashion show starring models so thin you could fit 6 of them on the seat of a Hypermotard, Italy’s best-known manufacturer backed up all their Italian style with a solid showing of the reason they draw the passion from owners worldwide. 

This is the kind of Monster TB wants to dream about

 

From decked out Monsters to the eye candy 1198S, from the leaned in a corner Streetfighter to the still-show-stopping Hypermotard family, and all the way to the Desmosedici MotoGP bike and its Kentucky Kid pilot Nicky Hayden, Ducati went all out for the New York City stop of the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show.  We’re probably fortunate Bareback Bill was stuck in Phoenix this week, because he would have missed the entire show just to spend quality time with the models instead of the bikes.

 

Harley-Davidson Motor Company drifted in from Milwaukee with a truck full of attitude, and the attendance in the booth showed that nobody appreciates attitude more than New Yorkers.  America’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer not only had examples of each bike situated for people to try, but they also uncorked a very special vintage of Sportster – the new Forty-Eight. 

The HOT new Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster Forty-Eight

 

Cued around the iconic peanut tank that first appeared on Harley middleweights in 1948, the Motor Company’s stylists and design team took a 1200 Sportster and went wild.  The latest member of H-D’s “Dark Custom” line is easily distinguished by an enormous 16” front wheel – a wheel so big that it screams Bad Ass from the moment you first lay eyes on the bike.  Backing this aggressiveness up is a pair of bobbed black fenders, black fork legs, black handlebars, headlight and offset taillights and even the black and polished engine.  A new retro seat (made possible by a relocated ECM) and some tone-on-tone graphics on the fuel tank finish up what is sure to become the a tremendous addition to the Sportster family – especially at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $10,699!

Can-Am shows off the best way to tour on a motorcycle, the Spyder RT

 

Can-Am made the trek down from the Great White North to display their infamous Spyder RS and its new made for touring big brother, the Spyder RT.  These well-integrated machines are loaded with state of the art electronics, cavernous integrated saddlebags, rear box and front trunk, and an available trailer that is so large it will change the way motorcyclists travel.  It’s probably only a matter of time before someone makes an attachment for the trailer that allows Todd B to put his beloved Golden Retriever in a spiffy set of CanineStars leathers and take him along wherever he goes.  In addition to the RT models, the updated for 2010 Spyder RS was shown in its new white paint scheme and we have to say that this may be the most dramatic makeover to ever come from just a graphics change.  The bike is stunning!

 

The sexy new Can-Am Spyder RS in Pearl White

 

Thanks for listening this week, and catch up with us next week for another show that rides right into the heart of the motorcycle industry in America.

 

Much has been written already about Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s stunning press release earlier this week announcing that they are ceasing production of Buell-brand motorcycles. Some in the industry have gone as far as stating that this action was long-rumored or even expected for quite some time. I guess I missed the invitation to drink the Kool Aid and eat the Oscar Mayer wieners and bologna being served by Harley-Davidson, so I’m not convinced that the death certificate has been signed yet.

Buell Motorcycle Company has long been known (by those who truly understand the motorcycle industry) as an overachiever. They have done more with less than any other motorcycle company around, yet their step-parent (Harley-Davidson) never acknowledged the contributions made by the East Troy, WI-based staff. Most of the folks at Harley’s Juneau Avenue facility knew little about Buell other than the fact that some (not all) of the motorcycles manufactured there used a Harley-based engine.

In spite of this, Buell continued to grow. It grew because of its incredibly passionate staff and the ideas they fearlessly brought to the table. It grew because its products struck a nerve to those fanatical motorcyclists who care more about the ride than how they look on the way. And it grew because Buell’s philosophy put the passionate staff members in touch with the fanatical riders and that interaction drove constant improvement. Is Buell a worthwhile brand? Unless you are a product of the American automobile industry, you know the answer is a resounding “YES!” So why pull the plug on the company? And more than that, why pull the plug on this company while offering MV Agusta for sale? Hmmm.

Have you seen Erik Buell’s video message announcing Harley-Davidson’s decision?  As you can expect, Erik is almost in tears making this announcement. I know Erik, and I have worked side by side with him. I’ve sat in his office and had heart-to-heart talks with him, including the one where I told him I was leaving The Motor Company to move back home to upstate New York so I could be close to my family. I will tell you first-hand two things that you need to understand now. The first is that Erik is an incredibly passionate man. Whether it is the motorcycles that bear his name, the guitars that are never far from his grasp, or the people he surrounds himself with, each stirs a feeling within this incredible man that goes to a depth many of us will never understand. When you hear Erik’s voice crack during the announcement, you are witnessing what is happening within his heart. That is the first thing you need to know.

The unknowing might watch the video and think they’ve just watched a beaten man deliver his last message. Harley has pulled the plug. It’s over. Even Erik told us so. Right? RIGHT?

Well, maybe not. The second thing that you need to know is that Erik Buell has the heart and soul of a prize fighter. Let’s look at history… The first Buell, the RW750. He risks it all, quits his job, invests his life savings and builds a motorcycle only to have the AMA eliminate the one racing class where the motorcycle can be ridden in the United States. The entire investment value plummets to zero, and the one motorcycle he is building is now useless. Even THAT wasn’t the end of Buell. Compared to that, this is just another obstacle they face. Erik and his team have overcome insurmountable odds before, so unlike most observers, I’m not ready to give up. If there is any team in the industry that can use this obstacle as a stepping stone, the free-thinkers from East Troy are the ones I’d pick to do it.

I may be the only person in the motorcycle media who is saying it, but I just get a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of Erik Buell and his band of believers. Erik mentions in the video “I personally look forward to exploring how I can continue to work with Harley-Davidson to bring advanced product technology to riders.” Erik is a much better man than I, because I could never work for the company that slashed projects and research budgets to the point that there was no room to develop new products, then went and spent $179 million (a 109 million dollar purchase price and H-D assumed 70 million dollars in corporate debt) on MV Agusta only to spin it off 16 months later. (How far would 10 or 20 million dollars in development money have taken Buell? We’ll never know.)

Obviously, Harley’s new CEO is worried enough about the future of his company that he wants to focus on it and only it. (And on getting his company’s stock price back where it was a few years ago.)

On one of our previous shows Bill, my ever-direct co-host, stated that Buell would probably be better without Harley-Davidson. He pointed out that Harley’s finances allowed Buell to live, but The Motor Company’s control kept Buell Motor Company from expanding its wings. Could it be that Harley-Davidson doesn’t want Buell out there competing against it, so it is simply shutting the company down?

Never fear folks, because we’re chasing the answers to these and many more questions regarding this horrible turn of events. We might even be able to make sense of it for you before this whole thing is over. Tune in next week as Bill and Todd B throw away the chrome and get to the frame of this issue.