from https://www.limaohio.com May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and the Ohio State Highway Patrol reminds motorcyclists to ride trained and sober. As summer approaches, motorists should be aware of an increase in motorcycles on the roadways. There were 3,585 traffic crashes involving motorcycles in 2019 that resulted in 165 deaths and 3,245 injuries. Overall, 79 percent of motorcycle-involved crashes resulted in at least one injury or death. The patrol issued 1,552 citations to motorcyclists last year; 65% included a speed violation, 21% were for operating a motorcycle without a proper license and 6% were for OVI. “Being trained and wearing the proper equipment are two ways motorcyclists can be responsible when riding this summer,” said Lt. Jonathon Gray, commander of the Van Wert patrol post. “All motorists should share the road and be aware of their surroundings, as well as other vehicles using the roadway.” Ohio law requires helmets for riders under 18 and drivers with less than one year of motorcycle experience. Passengers on motorcycles must wear helmets when the driver is required to do so.

by Abhilasha Singh from https://www.financialexpress.com

Today’s custom-build feature comes from Zillers Garage in Russia and there are more than one reasons why it needs everybody’s attention. For one, it looks rather otherworldly with a mix of retro but futuristic bodywork. Dmitry Golubchikov of Zillers Garage was commissioned by BMW Motorrad Russia and the inspiration from aviation. (Source: Bikeexif)

It’s based on a 2016-model R nineT, but all that remains from the original motorcycle is the engine, final drive arm and part of the frame. Everything else has been created in-house and it took a total of 10 months to put together. The entire motorcycle is wrapped in hand-formed aluminium with the boxer’s cylinder heads still poking out the bodywork.

The big arch is the highlight of the design and it also is a functional cockpit complete with a Motogadget Motoscope Mini Speedo and a set of push buttons. The head and tail lamps have been integrated in the bodywork and there’s even slide-out storage compartment in the tail which has a phone charging port and a socket to plug a battery charger into.

Now, about what we were on about in the beginning how this bike doesn’t need a stand of any kind to stay upright. It is designed to rest on its bellypan. A couple of buttons on top control the pneumatic system that raises to the bike when its time to set off.

The 18” wheels are fully custom and have been machined of aluminum to resemble turbines. Dmitry also fabricated a stainless steel two-into-one exhaust system, which snakes into the bodywork before emerging in a single muffler on the left. The bulges on each side of the main fuselage hide twin 3D-printed air boxes, kitted out with car air filters.

The extreme motorcycle design is complemented by a mute monochrome paint job. Everything wears the same shade of grey and accented only by subtle pin striping in light grey. Sure, a side stand is simple and cheaper mechanism to work out but that’s the point. This build is meant to be outlandish. Frankly speaking these are all the shades of grey we’re interested in.

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

Simple, low, naked metallic skeleton. That’s all you need to describe the custom bike build that goes by the name of Flawless 3, assembled in Germany by a group called Thunderbike.

The Germans have been a solid group of bike builders since the 1980s, when they came into being as a repair shop for Japanese bikes, mostly. They kept doing that well until the early 2000s, when sales dropped in the motorcycle industry in general.

Among the few last standing in those troubled times was Harley-Davidson, so Thunderbike made a turn in its business mode and decided to focus on customizing the American-made machines. And we’re glad they did.

After the Softail-based Black Star 110 we showed you yesterday, it’s time to have a look at another build Thunderbike was responsible for. We’re not talking about another Harley conversion, but an original frame.

The garage calls this build Flawless 3, because it has been constructed on an existing platform that goes by the same name. And it’s a stunner.

The flowing frame of the bike seems to have been cast upright, made of melted metal that was instantly frozen in place when the desired, complete shape was achieved. The paint job chosen for the frame and fuel tank helps maintain the cold look of the motorcycle.

The frame rides very low to the ground, supported by a full air-suspension. Thanks to it, the ride height can be increased by up to 10 cm (4 inches) in times of need so no harm is done to the underside.

It holds a 110ci Harley-Davidson engine from CVO models, and rides on differently-sized wheels made out of solid aluminum blocks: 26 inches front and 21 inches rear.

Thunderbike’s frame line includes more insane builds, that sell either as kits or are one-offs. You can have a look at them all at this link.

BMW R1250RS conversion by Hornig – Sports tourer on a new level

What do you expect from a sports tourer like the BMW R1250RS? Overall, a coherent and perfect combination of tour comfort and sporty influences. Due to our conversion, the motorcycle reaches a new level when travelling as well as during race track training.

BMW R1250RS conversion by Hornig
(press release and printable pictures)
http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=432

Handlebar Risers with Offset for BMW F900R & F900XR

Raising the handlebar by 30mm results in a more upright, much more relaxed seating position. Moreover, the handlebar is brought 25mm closer to the rider which additionally improves driving comfort. The handlebar riser also makes riding while standing less tiring, which is of tremendous benefit to taller riders in particular. The overall result is a noticeable increase in stamina and concentration. Long stretches on the motorway are less nerve-racking, and even fast, difficult off-road sections are easier to handle.
Easy to fit in minutes. No need for long cables or brake cables! Fits on original handlebar.

Handlebar Risers with Offset for BMW F900R & F900XR
99,90 Euro up (incl. VAT) plus shipping
(press release and printable pictures)
http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=433

—

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Motorcycleparts.Hornig

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrHornig

Instagram: hornig.motorcycle.parts
https://www.instagram.com/hornig.motorcycle.parts/

—

Your readers could also be interested in:

BMW R1250R conversion by Hornig – amazingly different
http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=430

GPS Mount for BMW F900XR
http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=429

Side stand foot enlargement for BMW F900R & F900XR
http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=428

Lithium battery and battery charger for BMW motorcycles
http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=427

Kind regards,

Motorcycle Accessory Hornig GmbH
Gewerbepark Chammünster Nord C 5
D93413 Cham

Germany

http://www.motorcycleparts-hornig.com

CEO: Hornig Helmut
Regensburg HRB 10330
Ust.Id.Nr. DE251397246
Fon: 0049 9971 99 66 10
Fax: 0049 9971 99 66 110

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Motorcycleparts.Hornig
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MrHornig

Thanks to Barry Green and Bikernet readers everywhere, I was reminded of Cinco De Mayo and Taco Tuesday. Find a Taco somewhere and eat the son of a bitch! Celebrate something, everything from chrome, to metalflake, to choppers, freedom and broads.

Soon we will all be back in the Wind!

Ride fast and free, forever!

–Bandit

In their own way, each of them is outrageous. But some are more so than others.

To make this list, the resulting car-hearted bike needs to have been a streetable production model, although some were series production and some were conversions or customs built in bulk. There are plenty of one-offs out there with even wilder engines than these, but we’re using this criteria to pare things down.

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

There’s no official data on the number of custom shops around the world in the business of remaking Harleys, but rest assured there’s plenty of them. Some spit out new models several years apart, but there are others, far fewer, that work around the clock on making the already incredible machines even better.

Germany-based Thuderbike is part of the latter category. Having started life in the 1980s as a repair shop for mainly Japanese bikes, Thunderbike turned its sights on products of American behemoth Harley-Davidson, and spat out the first custom bike based on a Milwaukee-made machine in 2003.

Since then, many others have hit the roads, most of them customized at the request of the owners. The latest project Thunderbike was involved in is the Black Star 110, a build that started life as a Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S, transitioned to a custom form the company calls Black Apple, and then settled into the shape you see in the gallery above.

The bike was commissioned by a customer about nine months ago, and was ready for a photoshoot at the end of April. The result is according to Thunderbike “one of the most radical bikes in our 18-series Softail Collection.”

It rides on differently-sized wheels (21-inch front, 23-inch rear) and, with the exception of the fuel tank and the fork, which received only minor upgrades, features extensive modifications. The front and rear fenders are new, as are the swingwarm and the turn signals. There are other handlebars than the ones you would see on the stock Harley, new footpegs, and new mirrors.

The paint job on the motorcycle is unique as well and comes with Harley lettering on the fuel tank and the Black Star 110 name beneath the saddle.

There is no word on whether modifications were made to the bike’s engine, the Screamin’ Eagle 110.

 

from https://www.oaoa.com

Associated Press |

MONTEREY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 4, 2020–

Harley-Davidson dealerships ranked highest in the 2020 Pied Piper PSI ® Internet Lead Effectiveness ® (ILE ® ) Industry Study, which answers the question, “What happens when motorcycle or UTV customers visit a dealer website and inquire about a vehicle?” Dealerships selling Indian motorcycles were ranked second.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200503005001/en/

2020 Pied Piper PSI – Motorcycle / UTV Internet Lead Effectiveness Industry Study (USA) – Ranking by Brand (Graphic: Pied Piper)

The study was completed before the appearance of the coronavirus pandemic, but in the aftermath of the pandemic dealer response to website customers has become even more critical.

Pied Piper submitted customer inquiries through the individual websites of 6,012 dealerships between July 2019 and February 2020, asking a question about a vehicle in inventory, and providing a customer name, email address and local telephone number. Pied Piper then evaluated how the dealerships responded by email, telephone and text message over the next 24 hours. Twenty different measurements generate dealership Internet Lead Effectiveness ® (ILE ® ) scores, which range from zero to 100. 13% of dealerships nationwide scored above 70, demonstrating an extensive and effective website-response process, while 36% of dealerships scored below 30, showing failure to personally respond in any way to their website customers.

The study found widespread industrywide improvement from 2019 to 2020, with the industry average ILE score increasing from 33 to 42. Brands which led the industry in improvement over the past year were Indian, Harley-Davidson, Polaris and Yamaha. Only three of thirty-three brands failed to increase their score from 2019: Club Car (Ingersoll Rand), Cub Cadet (MTD Products) and Arctic Cat (Textron).

Nearly all of today’s customers first use their smart phone to shop before ever visiting a dealership in person. Pied Piper finds that most dealers today understand that responding to web customers is critical to sales success, but there is still plenty of variation in dealership behaviors. “The key to driving improvement in both web-response behaviors and sales,” said Fran O’Hagan, President and CEO of Pied Piper, “is to show dealers what their web customers are really experiencing. It’s often a surprise.”

PSI ® Internet Lead Effectiveness ® (ILE ® ) Industry Studies have been conducted annually since 2011. The 2020 Pied Piper PSI-ILE Industry Study (U.S.A. Motorcycle/UTV) was conducted between July 2019 and February 2020 by submitting customer internet inquiries directly to a sample of 6,012 dealerships nationwide representing all major brands. Examples of other recent Pied Piper PSI studies are the 2020 PSI-ILE U.S. Auto Industry Study (Toyota brand was ranked first), and the 2019 “PSI for EVs” U.S. Auto Industry Study (Tesla brand was ranked first for selling in-person). Complete Pied Piper PSI industry study results are provided to vehicle manufacturers and national dealer groups. Manufacturers, national dealer groups and individual dealerships also order PSI evaluations—in-person, internet or telephone—as tools to measure and improve the sales effectiveness of their dealerships. For more information about the fact-based Prospect Satisfaction Index ® process, go to www.piedpiperpsi.com.

by Justin Hughes from https://www.rideapart.com

Why refocus the brand on capturing a rapidly shrinking demographic?

Earlier this week we reported on Harley-Davidson’s latest change in direction: to abandon some of their more ambitious ideas and focus on growing the core brand, with their core bikes, in the US. While models like the LiveWire, Bronx, and Pan America are already far enough down the pipeline to continue, beyond that we can expect nothing more than cruisers, baggers, and tourers from Harley for the foreseeable future. That’s too bad.

As an amateur radio operator, I have often heard the derogatory joke that the average age of one who participates in the hobby is “dead.” Sadly, that is beginning to apply more and more to the average age of a typical Harley rider. There are always exceptions. I’ve had my radio license since I was 15, and I’m actually considering an 80s or 90s Harley for a future project bike. But even I have a bit of gray in my hair and beard, something you will see in the vast majority of Harley enthusiasts. We’re only getting older.

From the investors’ perspective, I get it. They’re not in it for the bikes or the culture. They’re in it for the money, and especially these days the money isn’t there. Shareholder Impala Asset Management has been arguing for a while that a change in direction is needed, and chose to act during the recent management shakeup at Harley. While we hoped this might be good for Harley, it looks like they have chosen to take what it sees as the safe path, prioritizing short term profit over the long term survival of the company.

Given the crazy economic condition of the world right now, maybe that’s the right choice for now. It’s not like there will be any long term plans if the company doesn’t survive the next year, for example. Its existing models won’t save the company, though. While used Harleys are cheap, new ones are still expensive. Harley is essentially competing with itself, with all the used bikes out there that are may not be quite as good as the latest and greatest, but are certainly far less expensive. Harley tried some entry-level bikes with the Street series, but hasn’t seen the success they had hoped for.

Of course, there’s also the fact that there are other types of motorcycles in the world than cruisers, and that’s what most younger riders want. We like the LiveWire. We’re genuinely excited about the Bronx and Pan America. Even here, though, I’m worried. For example, while Harley has not yet announced pricing for the Pan America, some suspect it could be in the ballpark of $19,000. Why would the serious adventure rider spend that much on a new, untested Harley when they can pick up the tried and true BMW R 1250 GS for $17,895? Again, we don’t know that the Harley will cost more than the BMW, but if it does, it will essentially doom its sales to failure before it even gets into the showroom. The same goes for the Bronx, where riders would be more likely to go with a Yamaha MT-09 or even a smaller Triumph Street Triple.

It’s possible that the intention of the Harley Rewire is damage control for the current economic situation. Cutting research and development of new models is a natural choice in these circumstances. I just hope this is a temporary step until the world stabilizes again, and that we’ll eventually see some of the new models that Harley has put the brakes on. I want to see Harley survive as much as the next American motorcycle rider.

Our final Tiny Strider Custom Bike will be hitting the virtual auction block tomorrow and you DON’T want to miss it! This incredibly unique Custom Strider Bike was built by our friends at Motorcycle Missions and will only be available for a 72-hour period. 100% of the proceeds will support getting children across the nation on bikes as part of the Strider Education Foundation’s All Kids Bike movement.

RIDE ON!

 

#StrideOn   Breiane Williams Strider Sports Int’l, Inc. Rapid City, SD 57702 605-342-0266 www.StriderBikes.com

 

Check out this plan to get every kid in America on a bike before 1^st grade!

www.AllKidsBike.org