Vance & Hines Launches NHRA Motorcycle Race Team – Three-Time Champion Angelle Sampey to Campaign New Four-Valve Suzuki-Powered Bike Vance & Hines Signs on Mission Foods as Partner for NHRA Pro Stock Team February 8, 2021 – Santa Fe Springs CA – Vance & Hines announced today that the NHRA’s winningest female, Angelle Sampey, will ride the company’s new four-valve Suzuki-powered race bike in the 2021 NHRA Camping World series. The team’s quest for the championship in 2021 is a partnership between Vance & Hines and global food producer Mission Foods. A three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle (PSM) champion, Sampey’s 43 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle wins make her the NHRA’s top female athlete. She has the fourth most wins in NHRA PSM history. In 2019 and 2020 Sampey was a member of Vance & Hines’ Harley-Davidson-sponsored team. Sampey will be among the first to ride the recently announced Vance & Hines four-valve Suzuki-powered machine. The new engine features a modernized top-end which provides increased valve lift and reduced mass in the valve train. The 1850cc motor delivers nearly 400 horsepower and will be paired with a custom chassis developed using data from thousands of runs in NHRA competition. “I’m so excited to be part of the Vance & Hines team again this year,” said Sampey. “This is a first-class company that gives me the best bikes I’ve ever ridden. I’m feeling really good about what we can accomplish together this year. “ “We’re happy to be working with Angelle once again,” said Vance & Hines President & CEO, Mike Kennedy. “Vance & Hines is in a wonderful position right now. We’ve got one of the top riders in the sport aboard our outstanding new equipment and we have Mission Foods as our new Team Partner. I couldn’t have hoped for anything better as we go into the 2021 season.” Multi-billion-dollar company Mission Foods, the world’s largest manufacturer of best-selling tortillas and wraps, joins the effort as a sponsor of the new team. The food giant shows its passion for motorsports with sponsorships in IndyCar, AFT and GT3 racing and now enjoys relationships with both Arrow McLaren SP and Vance & Hines. “Terry Vance and I have talked about putting together a race team, and I was overjoyed to get his invitation to work with Angelle and the Vance & Hines crew,” said Juan Gonzalez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mission Foods. “NHRA has a great tradition and loyal fan base, we can’t wait to see our brand and products at this year’s NHRA races.” The team will feature the brilliant yellow and red Mission Foods logo on the race bikes, rider, crew and the team transporter at all scheduled Pro Stock Motorcycle events for the 2021 season. The NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season starts in mid-March at the Gator Nationals in Gainesville FL. ABOUT MISSION FOODS MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit www.missionfoods.com ABOUT VANCE & HINES About Vance & Hines: The Vance & Hines brand has always been about enhancing the exhilaration of the motorcycle ride. It started over 40 years ago, when Terry Vance and Byron Hines were two young enthusiasts in the fledgling Southern California motorcycle drag race scene. Terry always wanted to go faster and Byron knew how to make that happen. In short order, their on-track success and innovation drew the attention of other racers, riders and motorcycle manufacturers, which ultimately translated to commercial demand for their products and services. Today, the Company’s mission and activity is the same; make bikes go faster on the racetrack and take those learnings to make impactful products for riders around the world. Since the Company’s inception in 1979, it has run factory race programs in partnership with Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati and Harley-Davidson in drag racing, road racing and flat track. Vance & Hines is based in Santa Fe Springs CA and has its Racing Development Center is in Brownsville IN. Learn more about the company’s history and products at www.vanceandhines.com.

“Hey, America!

I’ve been kicked off every social media site on the
planet but then someone told me, ‘Donny?…..you think
you’ve hit rock bottom but there’s a whole nuther level of
Loser you ain’t even come close to yet, and that’s
Bikernet. You go on there, not only can you say whatever
the fuck you want, no one will ever EVER find out about it.

It’s that fuckin’ bleak.’ That’s what I was told.

So, I start doin’ some research and I get told by more
than one person, yep, there’s a place that exists that is so far deep into the subterranean muck of obscurity that even I could go there and the New York Times and it’s diapered clone, the Huffington, and not even Reuters-rhymes-withgoiters would ever find out about it.

So, I asked Jared what he thought of the idea and he
said ‘Mmmff-gllpkzzz-gmmmphllgll.’ I said Jared, move
your lips, make your jaw go up and down, TALK to me!
Haha, I kid Jared a lot but that’s because, well….ok,
here, take a look: that’s his picture.

Ok, now ya know.

But let’s get on to business.

I want to say it’s terrific that I’m here on Bikernet, I hear
there’s lots of terrific people connected to this entity……is
that a word? Entity? Must be. It must be a word: it’s got
titty in it. And anything with titties in it is fine with me.
Could be fakes though, right? Could be fakes. Yup. Could
be fakes. Could be fakes. Not that that’s bad, right? Fake
titties?….not a problem. Except at high altitudes. You know that, right?

You mile-highers, you know that, right? You
think you’re gonna get some gently-oozing milk and you
get detonated silicon emulsificated gel all over your face
instead. Yup, them fake titties. What’s that? What about
Ivanka’s titties? Let’s not go there, ok? Let’s try some
decorum. Is that word? Is decorum a word? I think it’s a
word. I don’t know. I don’t know. Let’s take a vote on it.
Just don’t have the Democrats COUNT the votes. Or we’ll never know the true outcome. We’ll never know the true outcome. We’ll never know the true outcome.
People ask me what I’m gonna do now that I’m not
President. I dunno. I guess just watch Joe Biden make
America a shithole again. He’s opened up the border
again, you notice. And if you haven’t noticed everyone in
Mexico, Ecuador, Cwairna-Vaca, Akkeh-PUL-co,
Honduras, Somalia, Nigeria, Iran, Iraq, Whatever
Palestine Is, Mozambique, Tanganyika, Peru, the Persian
Empire and probably Coruscant sure has. They’re already coming in from Tijuana to Tierra Del Fucking Fuego.

A ten thousand mile long line of welfare-addicts waiting for you to pay for their diseases and they’re young. But that’s ok because it’s “caring,” right? That’s the Democrats for ya: forcing people at gunpoint to be saintly. Meanwhile they’re on Epstein Island offering children to Moloch, right? Don’t know if it’s true. Don’t know if it’s true. I’m hearin’ things, don’t know if it’s true.

People ask me whattaya gonna do now that you’re not
President? Well, it’s not as though I am a Democrat and
went into politics after leaving mom’s basement at the age of 50. I do have an actual occupation. If I had been doing my real job while I was also President I would not have just been living in the White House, I would have been replacing the White House. Probably with a high rise. I mean, let’s face it, I took a big step down in living-quarters moving into that relic from Wuthering Heights. I mean, talk about dreary architecture. It’s not Frank Geary, right? It’s not something out of Blade Runner, is it. It’s something out of Tobacco Road. It’s like a museum with bad paintings.

You ever see the artwork in that place? It’s all men looking at you. Everywhere you go there’s some man….and he’s always a bureaucrat, right? Some fellow former officeholder up there on the wall checking you out.

You’re supposed to look at him looking at you. That’s your Art Experience in the White House: staring at Woodrow Wilson picking his nose. Wow. There’s an aesthetic interlude, right? You staring at Franklin Roosevelt staring back at you. Or Eleanor. Jesus. Talk about paperbagready. Jack Elam was cuter than that arachnid-faced horror. Who’s Jack Elam? Look him up. He’s that actor who was in a lot of westerns who had one eye that was looking sideways around a corner while the other eye was more or less looking at you. Great guy. But not a good looking man. And Eleanor Roosevelt was also not a good looking man.

How about that Pelosi, uh? Miss Rack. Well, she wasn’t
when that picture was taken but she sure is now. What’s
THAT all about. Have you seen that picture? Taken 100
years ago when she was 60. She was Miss Rack. A bunch of car mechanics voted her Miss Rack. She’s standing there in the middle of some guys and she is more like miss Level Surface than Miss Rack from what I can see. But you look at her now she’s got jugs so big they pull her forward like she’s the number 7 walkin’ around.

I need someone to find out if that Miss Rack yarn is actually factual (the photo is not, proportedly). If it is it’s the best thing she ever did ’cause her performance as a bureaucrat is a fuckin’ clownhouse of catastrophe.

You notice she’s always got Schumer
standing next to her when there’s cameras around. He’s
so fuckin’ ugly you’re actually forced to look at her. And
she knows that. Schumer thinks she just likes him. No,
she likes bein’ looked at, and that’s the only way she can
get anyone to do that is stand next to Schumer.
Then there KAH-mala. That’s how she insists her name
be pronounced. Not Kah-MA-la. No… KAH-mala. I just call her Kneepads Harris. Good name, right? I mean if you gotta be famous for something what she’s famous for is as good a thing as any.

She likes to think she’s forceful, right? No man can
withstand her verbal attacks. She’s a prosecutor. Trey
Gowdy could have her in tears if they went head-to-head,
and I really hate to use that word in a Harris-related
sentence because it immediately causes a multi-car
collision of confusion. So, if they went nose to nose. She’s supposed to be so tough, but I saw her on a stage once, sitting at some political swah-ray, and she’s got a mike and she’s talking into it all pleasant to a roomful of, ya know, her audience of strident warrior women who look like basset hounds and men with alternate life styles….and some deranged homeless loon runs up and snatches the mike out of her hands and starts yelling at the audience about injustice on the planet Venus….and Kah-MA-lah is sitting there with this shell-shocked grin on her face like, “Where am I?…..what is happening?……is this a scary thing?….or a HAPPY thing?……will I be hurt?…..is there candy at the end of all this?……is this a prank and part of the fun?……”

Here’s where this is going: she is about as ferocious as
Tweety Bird. You hit a piano key hard enough and she’s up on the ceiling with her hand-and-foot-talons deep into the lath and plaster and looking down with the scared look of a baby squirrel that just heard a thunderbolt. A clogged gurgling sink would scare the shit out of her and if it scared ALL the shit out of her she’d just be a pile of
clothes on the floor. Which is where her clothes usually
end up when she’s negotiating for a promotion. You ever
see her naked? No? Then you must not have a job in
government. WHOA!!! Good one.

People ask who writes your material? The Democrats do. The difference is they actually make you obey their jokes. I just make you laugh at them.

Hey, no, really, you’ve all been great, and next time I
show up here on Bikernet let’s hope that it’s actually me
and not the asshole who is at the moment pretending to
be me.

Good night! God bless America!!”

Sincerely, Donald J Trump as portrayed by John J Solari,
Thank you.

Honda extend MotoGP commitment: Most successful MotoGP team to compete until 2026

Honda will continue to add to their illustrious history in Grand Prix racing, having extended their contract for the next five years until 2026

from https://www.financialexpress.com

Honda will continue to expand their illustrious history in Grand Prix racing having signed an agreement with Dorna Sports S.L. to compete for the next five years, from 2022 to 2026. Honda started in 1954 when Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda, declared entry into the Isle of Man TT, the premier motorcycle racing event of the era, with the aim of becoming the best in the world. This journey has so far seen 100 different riders win on Honda machines and amass over 800 wins across all categories. In the premier class alone, Honda has claimed 850 podiums and 25 Rider World Championships, more than any other brand in history.

The journey will continue for at least five more years as Honda have agreed with commercial rights-holder and series-promoter Dorna Sports S.L. to guarantee their place on the grid until 2026.

Noriaki Abe, Managing Officer, Motorcycle Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.: “First, I would like to express my respect and gratitude to Carmelo Ezpeleta and everyone at Dorna Sports for their hard work in organizing races during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very pleased that we have renewed our contract to compete in MotoGP from 2022 to 2026.

“Honda has been competing in the FIM Grand Prix World Championship since 1959, and won its 800th grand prix last year. Honda believes MotoGP racing is vital to our motorsports activities. MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing – it allows us to develop various technologies, and through fierce competition, teach our engineers and nurture their skills. With these engineers working on the development of production vehicles, Honda can create better products for its customers. Honda will continue to bring dreams and joy to its customers worldwide through its motorsports activities, including MotoGP.”

From Oklahoma in the Rain, Women and Moving
Photos and text by Bill May

It was September 2010. I had 5 acres with a mobile home and a little shop out east of Norman Oklahoma. I had just got back from riding to Sturgis. It was my first time and I really enjoyed the ride.

Click Here to Read this Photo Feature Article on Bikernet.

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

Harley-Davidson has had a rough patch these past few years, and 2020 was the coronation of its problems, a time when it lost its CEO, a factory overseas, and gave up on its direct involvement in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle series.

Earlier this week, the Milwaukee-based company announced a plan for the next five years to turn things around, taking baby steps to make some profit, expand some segments, and reward its workforce. There’s even talk of getting back the public love, although given how not that many new models are planned for the next five years, it’s hard to tell how it could happen.

And that’s a shame because, after all, it was public love that kept the company afloat during the Depression years, right alongside Indian. Public love and the technological gambles the bike maker was not afraid of making.

Like taking the Flathead-engined VL motorcycle off the market in 1936, before the economic hardship was even over, and replacing it with what came to be known as the Knucklehead. It stayed in production for a little over a decade, right through the war years, and then the Panhead came along and kicked it away.

But that decade was enough for the Knucklehead to impress Americans and give birth to an army of followers that are still devoted to it to this day. Followers who keep restoring and then selling them to others who are alike.

One particularly fancy Knucklehead is going under the hammer in April, during the Mecum motorcycle auction in Las Vegas. The pre-war model, made in 1938, was the subject of restoration work that got it back in shape, so much so that the 61ci (1.0-liter) engine that gives it its name still spins the wheels. It has done so for the past 148 miles (238 km), since it left the garage where it was cared for.

by Andy Gray from https://www.tribtoday.com

Some people aren’t satisfied with a motorcycle straight off of the lot.

Collectors and motorcycle enthusiasts often modify those dealer purchases, restore damaged bikes that look like scrap metal to everyone else or build their own motorcycles from scratch.

The 21st Vintage Motorcycle Exhibit at the National Packard Museum celebrates those kinds of machines with “Roll Your Own,” which opens Saturday and runs through May 22.

“Last year when we were working on the exhibit ‘Two Wheels at the County Fair,’ we realize there were a lot of bikes that were highly modified, that guys got real crazy with,” museum Executive Director Mary Ann Porinchak said. “We decided to show off some of that creativity.

“The challenge was to find enough bikes, but once we started, they came out of the woodwork. It snowballed and had a life of its own, and there are some truly unique pieces that came about … One bike was built from the ground up from just a pile of parts. That shows a determination to ride and a fair amount of ingenuity.”

For the restorers, it’s a point of pride. Bruce Williams, a past organizer of the motorcycle show, has reconstructed several machines from most humble beginnings.

“People see you have half a motor (and ask), ‘What are you gonna do with that?’ I’ll build a bike,” Williams said. “They’ll say, ‘You’ll never do that,’ and a year and a half later, there it is.”

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. For one 1906 motorcycle he rebuilt, Williams had to hire a guy in Holland who could build the rims and back pulley he needed. Since that kind of rim was outlawed in the U.S. in the 1930s, the guy in Holland wouldn’t ship it to Williams directly. The parts were shipped to England and then to the U.S., and Williams had to pay duty fees on the parcel twice.

“I had $2,000 (invested) in two bare unfinished rims and a pulley, but it was the only guy I could find in the world who could make it for me,” Williams said.

For another restoration, he found a photograph of the motorcycle model when it was for sale in England. He knew the size of the rims, so he had the photo blown up to actual size and used it to create the bike’s frame and the other parts he needed.

A full list of the motorcycles usually is included with the preview story, but some of machines on display truly are one of a kind. One was built around 1922 Villiers frame. Another was assembled from parts from various Triumph motorcycles from the late 1960s and early ’70s and started with a single bolt.

Some of the motorcycles featured this year are a 1902 Sylvester & Jones, 1905 Riddle (with a Thor motor), 1908 Crouch, 1912 Indian Beltdrive, 1922 Agricycle, 1923 Douglas Model W, 1928 Indian Scout, 1949 Harley Panhead, 1951 Vincent black Shadow, 1954 BMW R-25/3, 1967 Triumph T-100R, 1968 Triumph T-100C, 1971 BSA Diesel 2 cylinder, 1971 BSA-A65 Lightning, 1974 Triumph T140V, 1974-75 Penton Custom, 1976 Yamaha TT 500 Hill Climber, 1976 GS750 Suzuki, 1984 BMW R80 RT and 1996 Buell ST Lightning.

Not all of the motorcycles are vintage. There are a few 21st century bikes in the show, including a 2021 Triumph Scrambler inspired by the motorcycle featured in the upcoming James Bond film “No Time to Die.”

William Dennis, president of the Packard board, has his 2015 California Custom show bike on display.

“Every piece of bling on there is an accessory that’s in their catalog,” Dennis said. “It has every accessory they make except for the fringe seat. Every piece of chrome on there is an add-on. The paint is a custom color. It emulates a Harley-Davidson paint scheme from years and years ago.”

Dennis said he and his son bonded over their mutual love of motorcycles and they’ve restored several bikes over the years.

The annual motorcycle show is popular attraction, and it’s earned the National Packard Museum several awards, including the Antique Motorcycle Foundation’s highest honor, the Award for Excellence, as well as three consecutive first place awards in the Interpretive Exhibits Category from the National Association of Automobile Museums.

Dennis is one of the people who became involved with the museum because of the motorcycle show, and he said he would like its success to guide the museum’s future programming by preserving the Packard history but also exploring other areas.

“I would like for this museum to be a mecca for transportation,” he said. “The people who own Packards are older … You ask young folks today about a Packard, they think you’re talking about Hewlett Packard.

“My thought is looking backward to move forward. What did we do in the past that worked and what can do in the future to keep going?”

One new challenge in organizing this year’s motorcycle show was the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept the committee members from being able to meet and interact the way they normally do.

“With the motorcycle guys, their excitement and enthusiasm feeds off each other,” Porinchak said.

As a result, there aren’t as many supplemental items accompanying the motorcycles compared to past shows, but one addition for 2021 is a piece by Youngstown artist Guy Shively that is part of the permanent collection of the Butler Institute of American Art.

“It’s a black-and-white piece, a pile of just motorcycle parts,” Porinchak said. “One of our committee members remembered seeing it there and said let’s see if we can borrow that piece and hang it up here. It’s the epitome of what we’re doing with this show. It’s a nice partnership, collaboration with them.”

If you go …

WHAT: 21st Vintage Motorcycle Exhibit — “Roll Your Own”

WHEN: Saturday through May 22. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

WHERE: National Packard Museum, 1899 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren

HOW MUCH: $8 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and children ages 7 to 12 and free for children 6 and younger. For more information, go to www.packardmuseum.org or call 330-394-1899.

by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com

Of all the models mentioned in the company’s recent announcement, the 2021 PCX takes the cake for being the most innovative.

Given the abundance of exciting announcements made by motorcycle manufacturers as of late, we’re inclined to believe that 2021 is becoming a promising year for the two-wheeler realm. The latest statement to support that claim was made by none other than the almighty Honda, which revealed details on as many as four new entry-level machines for the 2021 and 2022 model years.

First and foremost, the company’s scooter lineup will have the honor of welcoming an updated PCX that boasts a 157cc single-cylinder powerplant. Back in 2009, this bad boy was unleashed on the U.S. market as PCX125, gaining an array of steady upgrades ever since. Besides a modest displacement boost, the newcomer prides itself with a modified chassis that offers “reduced weight and improved cornering performance.”

Additionally, the 2021 Honda PCX comes equipped with a 30-liter storage unit below the seat and Honda’s state-of-the-art Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) setup. In addition, each and every lighting component is an LED item. This tasty piece of Japanese machinery will hit dealerships as early as March, with an MSRP of $3,799 for the base model. On the other hand, the ABS variant will cost you an extra 200 bucks, which is what you might refer to as a bargain.

As we move down the scooter range, we’ll come across a fresh Metropolitan hosting a generous amount of storage space for your convenience, including in-dash and under-seat compartments. Should you be looking for a “European-style scooter engineered to embody American practicality,” you’ll be able to get your hands on a 2022 Metropolitan in April, for just $2,499.

Next up, the manufacturer’s insanely customizable Ruckus will also make an appearance for the 2022 model-year. The 49cc superstar retains the unmistakable design language that made it special in the first place, as well as the vast majority of its main characteristics. At the end of the day, why would you change a recipe that works so well? This rugged little thing will be priced at $2,799, and we should expect it to hit dealerships during the same month as its Metropolitan sibling.

Last but not least, the final entry from Honda’s 2021 small-displacement goodness is none other than the revered CBR300R – “a single-cylinder machine capable of conquering tight city streets or twisting back roads.” Customers may opt for the base variant, which can be purchased in April for a mere $4,799, while its ABS counterpart could be yours for $4,999.

In terms of paintwork options, the PCX will be clad solely in Pearl White, while the Metropolitan will be available in Pearl Soft Beige or Coastal Blue. Furthermore, Honda’s Ruckus wears either White/Pearl Blue, Gray or Midnight Blue/Tan from the producer’s color palette. Finally, the beloved CBR300R comes dressed in Grand Prix Red or Matte Gray Metallic.

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

Ever since 1999, the world’s roads have been a playing field for a Suzuki motorcycle that was very quick to become the fastest production two-wheeler in the world: the Hayabusa. As we are still getting our bearings in the new year, the Japanese upped the ante even more by launching the model’s third generation.

Playing in a category it pretty much defined, hypersport, the new Hayabusa brings to the table an incredible amount of changes, with over 550 new parts being fitted on it according to the Japanese compnay. You can get a sense of what that really means.

But let’s take it slow, starting with the looks of the thing. Historically, the Hayabusa distinguished itself by being low, long, and wide, in many instances much more so than anything before it. Those three attributes have been retained for the new generation but modernized with the help of nip and tucks performed here and there.

At the front, there are new vertically stacked LED headlights, new angular air intakes, and equally-as-new position lights, while at the rear, the bike ends in straight-edged exhaust and mufflers. In between the handlebars, there are redesigned gauges, which are now located left and right of a new TFT display.

Engine-wise, the bike retains the powerplant deployed on the second generation but improves it to such a degree that it makes the third Hayabusa the fastest-launching one yet. Sadly, Suzuki does not back that claim up with numbers, at least for now.

We have no reason to doubt it, though, given how it would appear a good chunk of the 550 new parts have gone into remaking the 1,340cc powerplant and the chassis that supports it. It’s got new pistons, camshaft, cam chain tensioner, crankshaft, crankcases, and even new gears and clutch assembly, just to name a few.

Although these changes have made the motorcycle quicker at launch, they will not help it go faster than a certain limit. Just like before, its top speed is electronically limited to 299 kph (186 mph).

The new interpretation of the hypersport bike will be available in British dealerships in March, with prices starting at £16,499 (the equivalent of about $22,600). Availability and pricing for the other markets have not yet been announced.

from https://www.rttnews.com

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) on Tuesday unveiled ‘The Hardwire’, its 2021-2025 strategic plan that targets long-term profitable growth and shareholder value, and also aims to enhance its position in the strongest motorcycle segments.

The motorcycle maker targets increased profitability and low double-digit earnings per share growth through 2025. It also projects single-digit revenue growth in the Motorcycles segment, with solid growth expectations across all businesses.

Harley-Davidson said it will invest in the core segments of Touring, large Cruiser and Trike to strengthen and grow its position. The company will expand into Adventure Touring and increase profitability within the Cruiser segment to unlock untapped volume and margin.

The company noted that Pan America, its first Adventure Touring motorcycle, is an example of the company’s selective expansion into a high-potential segment that has untapped potential in the U.S.

As part of expanding its Financial Services offerings, the company will launch Harley-Davidson Certified, a pre-owned motorcycle program supporting growth expected across all complementary businesses.

The company said it will strengthen its commitment to electric motorcycles with the creation of a dedicated division focused exclusively on leading the future of electric motorcycles, following the success of its LiveWire motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson also said it will extend employee ownership to all employees by offering an equity grant to about 4,500 employees, aligning with its new approach to Inclusive Stakeholder Management.

from https://www.bennetts.co.uk

Harley-Davidson outlines vision for the future

Back in July 2018 Harley-Davidson unveiled an incredibly ambitious and detailed plan for its future – confirming 16 new water-cooled models from 500cc to 1250cc in an array of styles, a new small-capacity machine, huge electric bike expansion plans and a reinvented shopping experience. It was a multi-year, multi-pronged onslaught that was intended to expand the firm’s reach away from its cruiser comfort zone and bring huge new opportunities.

Now virtually all those ideas have been dropped with the unveiling of Harley-Davidson’s new ‘Hardwire’ strategy, which replaces the previous ideas of bold expansion into uncharted territories with a renewed focus on the firm’s core touring, cruiser and trike segments and established, wealthy markets.

The change isn’t unexpected. Harley CEO Jochen Zeitz has been taking the firm in this direction with his interim ‘Rewire’ strategy since last year when he replaced Matt Levatich at the firm’s helm. The ambitious 2018 strategy, which had been dubbed ‘More Roads to Harley-Davidson’ and intended to see the firm through to at least 2022, was Levatich’s brainchild and Zeitz immediately reversed course on taking over.

Harley’s new plan isn’t as attention-grabbing as the ‘More Roads’ strategy but it’s a play-it-safe route that’s intended to bring the firm back to growth and sustained profitability after a few tough years culminating in the coronavirus pandemic that saw sales volumes and incomes slashed in 2020.

On the surface it’s easy to see the Hardwire as a step backwards. After all, in an ideal world the ‘More Roads’ plan, which would have brought Harley into completely new fields including adventure bikes, naked roadsters, even sports bikes, could have transformed the company’s image. However, that might be a rose-tinted view to take.

Sure, expansion is a good thing, but the risks were at least as big as the potential gains. After all, every one of the new markets that ‘More Roads’ proposed to enter was already populated by other manufacturers, all with years of experience and product development focussed on those fields. Just as firms like Honda or BMW have always struggled to get a foothold in Harley’s cruiser territory, the chances are that H-D would have hit rocks in its efforts to muscle in on markets dominated by others. Worse, the focus on new goals brought the risk of Harley taking its eye off the ball in the US cruiser market that it dominates, opening the door to rivals who’d be only too happy to take a slice of that pie.

So what are the ‘Hardwire’ ideas? According to the firm, the first priority is profit. Not something that customers might want to hear – after all, it’s their money that goes into those profits – but shareholders will no doubt be happy.

The route to more profit is, according to the plan, strengthening Harley’s position in the touring, large cruiser and trike segments. In other words, focussing on the bikes that the company already sells rather than putting all its hope into potential future products.

Next up comes ‘selective expansion’, with the focus on the headline model from 2018’s plan that has survived the cull – the Pan America adventure bike. Virtually every bike firm on the planet has looked on with envy as BMW romps from sales record to sales record with successive generations of the R1250GS, and it’s a market that Harley believes it can take a bite from. The bike’s full reveal will come later this month along with more news of another survivor of the ‘More Roads’ plan, the as-yet-nameless cruiser that bears the same water-cooled Revolution Max engine that debuts in the Pan America.

Electric bikes – a field that Harley has become an unlikely leader in after the development efforts that went into the LiveWire – will also play a part in the firm’s future. Harley is creating a separate division to focus on electric products, separating them from its main R&D efforts. During a conference call when the plans were announced, Zeitz suggested that the near-term future for electric motorcycles remained urban transport, perhaps a hint that the planned Harley electric scooter that’s been in development for a couple of years will be the next move in that direction.

Elsewhere, Harley wants to grow its non-motorcycle business, the parts and accessories, merchandise and financial services arms of the company that have long provided a reliable back-up income stream. As part of this, the firm plans to create a used bike resale scheme – Harley-Davidson Certified – for customers who want a factory-approved second-hand Harley.

During the announcement of the Hardwire plan, Zeitz mentioned more than once that the firm is going to be staying quiet about upcoming models until their launches – a significant reversal from the ‘More Roads’ plan which set out a detailed roadmap of several years’ of planned model introductions and one that means in future the firm isn’t going to be in the uncomfortable position of cancelling bikes that it had previously announced. That’s exactly what happened with the Bronx streetfighter, which was pulled from the firm’s plans just months before it was due to go on sale, having again been part of the ‘More Roads’ expansion strategy.

It’s worth noting, however, that despite a renewed focus on the US market and established product areas, Harley’s extensive footnotes to its plan reveal it still intends to ‘develop and maintain’ a relationship with Chinese firm Qianjiang, which is developing the proposed Harley 338R small-capacity parallel twin, and a relationship with Hero MotoCorp in India, which will be distributing Harleys there and also using the brand’s name on Indian-developed products in the future.

The rest of Harley’s announcements today related to the firm’s financial performance in 2020, which was understandably deeply impacted by the COVID pandemic.

For the full year, the firm’s overall revenue was down 24%. In 2020 the firm shipped 145,246 bikes, down 32% on 2019’s total, with ‘touring’ and ‘cruiser’ models making up more than 76% of those machines, while the smaller ‘Street’ and ‘Sportster’ ranges combined added up to less than 24%.

RIDING FREE FROM DC: Your Weekly Biker Bulletin from Inside the Beltway

­Automated Driving Systems (AKA Autonomous Vehicles)

Late last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a rulemaking process for developing a “Framework for Automated Driving System (ADS) Safety.” As part of the process public comments were solicited by NHTSA. This week the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) submitted a 6-page formal letter outlining our thoughts on the development, testing and deployment of ADS.

Building on past submissions to both Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the MRF laid out important priorities that NHTSA should consider. Some of the main topics the MRF highlights include the need to account for the unique attributes and characteristics of motorcycles, cyber security concerns, liability provisions, the role of individual states, the need for public transparency, threats to the protected communication spectrum and the challenges of regulations keeping pace with this technology.

While ADS has promising potential, the devil will be in the details. How this technology is developed, tested and deployed will impact all Americans. We at the MRF will continue to fight to ensure motorcyclists are included in these discussions.

To read the full letter from the MRF to NHTSA click here.

SMRO Meetings Around the Country

January and February are traditionally the busy season for state motorcyclist rights organizations (SMRO) annual meetings. This year many of those meetings have been rescheduled, held virtually or have unfortunately been cancelled all together. While we know these are difficult times, the MRF remains committed to working with our state partners and participating in these events when possible.

In January, MRF Vice President Jay Jackson travelled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to attend the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/Kentucky Bikers Association Freedom Fighters Forum. Also, that month MRF lobbyist Rocky Fox traveled to Austin, Texas for Texas Bikers Legislative Weekend. This event was sponsored by the Texas Council of Clubs and Independents, Region 1 Texas Defenders and hosted at the Veterans Collective facility.

Both events included a number of speakers and elected officials discussing issues important to all motorcyclists. Elected officials from Kentucky included, Secretary of State Michael Adams, State Senator Jimmy Higdon, staff from U.S. Senator Rand Paul’s office and via video message Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Slider Gilmore from Iowa even made a presentation in Kentucky! The Texas event included a townhall style question and answer with State Senator Drew Springer. Texas also welcomed leaders in the motorcycle rights movement from California, Illinois, New Mexico, New York and Pennsylvania to Austin. Thank you again to the riders in Kentucky and Texas for including the MRF in these events and working hard to deliver results for riders in those states.

If your SMRO has hosted an event in 2021 please submit your pictures and details to communications@mrf.org so we can share them with your fellow riders across the country!