By Chester Dawson and Reed Stevenson from Bloomberg and https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com Even though Japan’s population is shrinking and economic growth is tepid, the archipelago is one of the top five markets for heavy bikes. Polaris is seeking to boost Indian’s single-digit market share to 10% by 2025. A century ago, Indian motorcycles were the brand of choice for Japan’s police. They were called “aka-bai” — or red bikes — because of their color. Now, the maker of big American two-wheelers is seeking to recapture some of that glory with a brand relaunch. Recreational vehicle maker Polaris Inc., which makes and sells Indian bikes, is betting that it can gain market share from entrenched foreign rivals such as BMW Motorrad and Harley-Davidson Inc. Instead of relying on a single distributor, the Medina, Minnesota-based company now has its own operations in Japan, with plans to double its store count to 30. Even though Japan’s population is shrinking and economic growth is tepid, the archipelago is one of the top five markets for heavy bikes. Polaris is seeking to boost Indian’s single-digit market share to 10% by 2025. It has taken direct control over local marketing, which it had outsourced after buying the Indian Motorcycle brand and relaunching it globally in 2011. “We weren’t doing the rational thing in Japan,” said Kintaro Izumida, general manager of Polaris in Japan. He works out of an office in Yokohama with about a half-dozen other employees. “Now we’re going to do that.” Harley provides a rich target as the longtime market leader among import brands, with a 44% share of the 20,385 bikes sold last year, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association. Japan’s domestic bike makers — Honda Motor Co., Kawasaki Motors Corp., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co. — specialize in smaller-engine mass market bikes, with relatively few high-end motorcycles with engine displacements of more than 1000cc. “They are very strong manufacturers with really strong brand, but we don’t really go head-to-head,” Steve Menneto, president of Polaris’s Indian motorcycle division, said in a phone interview. “For a small island, it’s amazing how much appreciation there is for motorcycles, and premium motorcycles at that.” The move comes as U.S. motorcycle sales face headwinds, which is prompting American brands to look abroad for growth. Last month, Harley-Davidson said it anticipates international sales to expand to half its business. Japan is a natural market because it has the type of well-heeled buyer who can splurge for bikes that start at $8,999 for the Indian Scout, and top $29,000 for the brand’s Touring model. Partly due to its international exposure, Polaris’s sales rose in the first six months and the company forecasts a full-year gain in the low to mid-teens over the segment’s 2018 revenue of $546 million. Indian’s retro-styling and long history in the U.S. and overseas is a selling point in Japan, where brand identity is a key differentiator. That extends beyond the bikes into lifestyle categories such as Indian-branded accessories and apparel, which account about a fifth of his division’s revenue. “The awareness of the Indian brand in Japan is pretty strong,” said Izumida, noting it was the favored brand of a famous sumo wrestler who became the father of pro wrestling in Japan.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. (October 1, 2019) – The upcoming 2020 racing season marks 27 years of winning for Kawasaki and Pro Circuit. This successful combination boasts an impressive resume of accolades including the most combined supercross/motocross wins in the 125/250 class and industry-leading 28 championships.

Returning to the Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team for 2020 aboard their new KX™250 motorcycles are long-time Team Green™ race team ambassadors Austin Forkner and Garrett Marchbanks. The duo will be accompanied by the fresh faces of Jordon Smith and Cameron McAdoo.

“We have a great team for the 2020 season,” said Mitch Payton, Pro Circuit owner. “It is a great balance of veterans, combined with youth and new talent to our team, and we will provide all the necessary tools to help them reach their full potential. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team has high expectations and I know they will all perform their best each weekend.”

Forkner will enter the new season as the most experienced rider on the team. The multi-race winner has high hopes of capturing multiple championships after his successful 2019 season was cut short due to injury. As a young gun, Marchbanks completed his first full year as a pro, earning the Monster Energy AMA Supercross “Rookie of the Year” award along with 14 top-10 finishes between both series. The team is excited about the added depth to their roster with class veteran Smith, while fellow newcomer McAdoo will return to the brand that he once found great success on as a Kawasaki Team Green rider throughout his amateur career.

The 2020 Pro Circuit squad will make their debut as the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM Championship drops the gate on Saturday, January 4th, 2020 at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California.

From http://www.autospies.com

More separates the worlds of Bimmers and Beamers than just the number of wheels.

The two Bavarian houses of BMW, which encompass Bimmers (cars) and Beamers (motorcycles), have had a long-standing wall dividing each other. Cracks, though, have been recently forming and it seems BMW’s ready to tear down that wall with three trademark applications that would unite the two via the brand’s M Division.

According to BMWBlog, which unearthed a score of recent trademark filings with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, BMW looks set to bring the “M” moniker to the company’s motorcycle division using three of its motorcycles.

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

JUDGE DISMISSES COUNTY AS DEFENDANT IN TWIN PEAKS LAWSUIT
A federal judge has dismissed McLennan County as a defendant in a civil rights lawsuit filed by three bikers arrested after the 2015 Twin Peaks shootout, but ruled the plaintiffs can pursue claims against the city of Waco and seven individual defendants.

The lawsuit, filed by the three bikers who were never indicted in the deadly shootout with law enforcement, is one of about 20 pending Twin Peaks civil lawsuits involving about 130 bikers with claims of unlawful arrest and conspiracy.

The plaintiffs allege former McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna was the final policymaker for McLennan County regarding the events at Twin Peaks, but U.S. District Judge Alan Albright ruled that a county sheriff, not the district attorney, is the final policymaker.

The lawsuit alleges Reyna was the county’s final policymaker because he “was responsible for devising the overall prosecutorial goals and strategies” of the county on the day of the shootout that left nine bikers dead and 20 injured in a hail of police gunfire, but the judge ruled that “regardless of Reyna’s involvement in helping to decide whether the arrests should be made, he did not have authority to make municipal policy.”

The judge denied the city’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The order leaves claims pending against D.A. Reyna, as well as the former Waco police chief, assistant chief and various named officers.

More than 200 bikers were jailed on identical arrest warrant allegations. Only one case went to trial, which ended in a hung jury favoring acquittal and a mistrial. District Attorney Barry Johnson, Reyna’s successor, dismissed the remaining charges against the bikers.

According to a report by Tommy Witherspoon in Insane Throttle Biker News (www.harleyliberty.com), the lawsuits allege the defendants violated the bikers’ Fourth Amendment rights by obtaining arrest warrants based on a fill-in-the-name affidavit that lacked probable cause. They also allege defendants violated their 14th Amendment due process right to be free from unlawful arrest.

Insane Throttle was recently awarded the Silver Spoke Award for Media at the 2019 National Coalition of Motorcyclists’ NCOM Convention in Orlando, Florida.

PROPOSED IOWA ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW ATVs ON COUNTY ROADS
A committee in Linn County, Iowa is working to pass a new ordinance that will allow ATVs to be driven on county roads, despite concerns about having off-road vehicles sharing the streets with regular vehicles.

County Supervisor Brent Oleson said a committee approached him about the ordinance, saying that “I’m all for not taking anything off the table, anything that gets people outdoors can only have positive benefits.”

But Sheriff Brian Gardner told TV9 that combining ATVs and regular vehicles on the same road is just too dangerous. “They’re off-road vehicles, and they’re designated as off-road vehicles for a reason.”

Oleson says they’re going to look at what works for ATV ordinances in other areas, and hopes to have something passed before spring.

Right now, unless a town or county passes an ordinance allowing it, ATVs can only be driven on one of Iowa’s eight riding parks or on private property. ATVs are also allowed to cross streets, with some restrictions.

VIRGINIA BECOMES 15TH STATE TO CREATE AN OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) has announced the creation of an Office of Outdoor Recreation to lead efforts to promote the outdoor recreation industry in Virginia and recruit new outdoor businesses to the Commonwealth.

The outdoor recreation industry contributes nearly $22 billion annually to the Virginia economy, and employs more than 197,000 Virginians. Virginia will be the 15th state in the nation to establish an office or task force dedicated to strengthening the outdoor industry, and the third on the East Coast.

“Every region of our Commonwealth is home to unique outdoor assets and recreation opportunities, which continue to earn national praise and are sought out by millions of travelers each year,” Gov. Northam said. “In establishing a statewide Office of Outdoor Recreation, we are taking significant steps to recognize the importance of this industry as a true driver of economic development in the Commonwealth, and demonstrate why Virginia is the natural fit for outdoor business. Outdoor recreation not only improves the growth potential of our communities, but it also aligns with our goals on land conservation, workforce development, and public health.”

The Office will lead an effort to grow the outdoor industry in Virginia through industry promotion, coordination, and recruitment.

NATIONWIDE MOTORCYCLE THEFTS DECREASING
While motorcycle theft has been a significant problem in the US, the latest National Insurance Crime Bureau report indicates that motorcycle thefts across the country went down in 2018, and in fact have been on a steady decline since 2016 after experiencing an uptick the previous two years.

A total of 41,674 motorcycles were reported stolen in 2018 compared with 44,268 reported stolen in 2017 — a decrease of six percent.

By manufacturer, Honda was the most stolen bike brand, followed by Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. Harley-Davidson rounded out the top five.

Unsurprisingly, motorcycle thefts in the US are at their peak during the summer months, with August, July, and September, in that order, seeing the highest number of thefts, and with about half as many bikes stolen in February 2018.

The report also gives a state-by-state breakdown, and notes that thefts are more common in large metropolitan areas as well. California leads the country in motorcycle thefts, with 7,035 occurring in 2018, followed by Florida with 4,279 thefts reported, then Texas (3,073), New York (1,777) and South Carolina (1,743). By city, New York City led the way with 1,310, then Los Angeles with 628, Miami (595), Las Vegas (540), and San Diego fifth with 527

A total of 16,261 bikes were recovered from thieves in 2018, or about 44% of those stolen.

STUDY SHOWS MOTORCYCLES MOST LIKELY VEHICLE TYPE IN U.K. TO BE STOLEN
One in every 46 registered motorcycles in the United Kingdom (UK) was stolen last year, according to new figures gained by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG). In London, one in every 12 bikes was reported stolen in 2018.

While the countrywide figure actually signals a modest 3.98% improvement over 2017, the national average of one in 46 still means that motorcycles are seven times more likely to be stolen than any other road vehicle!

“For a biker, the theft of their bike is definitely not a victimless crime,” said Colin Brown, MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement. “More so than for any other mode of transport, riders become emotionally attached to their bikes. For some, the loss of a bike is akin to the loss of a family member.”

With an average 500 bikes stolen a week in 2018 motorcycles remain the most commonly stolen vehicle in the UK, seven times more likely to be nicked than anything else, which is why security firms are coming up with ever-more sophisticated locks.

NEW HAMPSHIRE TO MODERNIZE DMV IN WAKE OF DEADLY JUNE CRASH
Following the deadly June 2019 crash that killed seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire, officials want to work with other states to prevent anything like this from happening ever again.

The truck driver currently facing seven charges of negligent homicide in those deaths — who had a Massachusetts-issued CDL — should not even have been driving, according to his combined driving record. The head of the Massachusetts DMV resigned and others at the agency were fired once this came to light.

Over the past few weeks, New Hampshire has also been conducting an internal review of its own DMV records and practices. On August 29, 2019, NH governor Chris Sununu gave a press conference with other top officials to share their findings. The results: nearly 4,000 drivers will have their licenses suspended following a review of over 13,000 out-of-state notices, as well as a backlog of 62 commercial license notices dating back to 2016.

One unintended and potentially good consequence of this terrible accident is that it’s led New Hampshire to modernize its DMV system and automate notices, so that paper backlogs like this can’t build up in the future. Additionally, the governor is now pushing the state legislature to allow the NH DMV to become part of a computerized state-to-state driver verification system using Real ID.

One of the biggest issues that the terrible crash brought to light is that truck driver Volodymyr Zhukovskyy had a number of driving offenses spread across multiple states — that obviously didn’t communicate effectively with one another. Creating processes that enhance communication of driving offenses across state lines seems like a logical step toward preventing catastrophes like this in the future.

EURO5 EMISSIONS RULES EXPECTED TO BRING TECH PROGRESS
The latest European emissions limits (Euro5) will be introduced from the start of next year on, and while many naysayers preach gloom about tightening emissions laws, others predict that they will spur development, creating bikes that are measurably better than their predecessors.

Euro5 is the fifth iteration of European emissions limits that have got steadily stricter since the original Euro1 came in 1999, and the newest limits represent an astounding improvement over the two decades since: compared to the current Euro4 limits, Euro5 levels are down by a third.

The big news is the introduction of a limit for ‘non- methane hydrocarbons’ (NMHC) — quite literally hydrocarbons that aren’t methane — which wasn’t measured before. NMHC makes up most of a bike’s HC emissions, so the 0.068g/km limit is a particular challenge. To reduce HC emissions in high-revving performance engines as well as at low revs, expect to see an explosion in the use of variable valve timing (VVT) as well as higher capacity engines to reduce reliance on higher revs; both of which will boost performance.

On the downside, as the bikes get more impressive, they’ll also be more complicated, making them more costly to produce, and making maintenance more expensive.

As before, Euro5’s introduction is staged. New models from January 1, 2020 must meet the limits but manufacturers have an extra 12 months to adapt existing designs.

Brexit won’t exclude the UK from compliance, as they’re already committed to remaining aligned with EU rules and other non-EU countries such as India and China are adopting similar standards.

FRENCH ROLL OUT ‘NOISE CAMERAS’
France has begun tackling loud motorcycle exhausts, by installing a ‘noise radar’ capable of identifying the offending vehicle, with the device linked to Police CCTV cameras in order to automatically issue fines.

In the UK, the Department for Transport has likewise announced that they will be trialing new ‘noise cameras’ in a bid to cut down on illegal exhausts.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Washington is a city surrounded on all four sides by reality.”
~ Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz

–Vintage Photos from the  Bob T. Collection–

Don’t forget to ask your pals to join the Cantina.–Bandit

Law Tigers is sponsoring the Hooligan Dirt Dash Races.

 

However I personally, for the first time in my career, am putting on my own ALL FEMALE BIKE SHOW at Vegas BikeFest on Sunday.  I am super excited about this.  I attached the artwork and if there is any way you could post it on Bandit’s Bikernet Facebook page, I would be so grateful.  I’m really excited because I got Marilyn Stemp and Sheila Cunningham as a few of my judges.  I’ve done so many of these shows for other companies, sponsorships, etc…I felt like it was a good time for me to do my own thing.

 

Thanks so much,

 

Candice Cooley Nevada Marketing Manager m: 702.600.8995 | candice@lawtigers.com lawtigers.com

 

Gun control advocates intended for Wednesday’s U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Protecting America from Assault Weapons” as a show trial exposing America’s favorite rifle and those own it. The effort failed like a wet firecracker.

The bitterly anti-gun committee chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York led the event intended to capture headlines nationwide. However, the Democrats’ latest chapter in the “impeachment” drama upstaged Nadler’s the made-for-media event. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore some important lessons from the Donkey Party’s farce.

In a nutshell, Nadler and his fellow gun-haters reiterated the same old tired talking points and sound bites from big gun control. And from the other side of the issue, patriots and liberty advocates dismantled the left’s talking points with vigor, some drama, and varying degrees of devastationn.

First off, we saw how Democrats would rather attack gun rights than the root causes of crime. In fact, we had seen this recently when Dems didn’t want to include gang members in their proposed red flag legislation, despite the fact that 80% of murders in America are committed by gang members.

At Wednesday’s hearing, for the handful who saw it, Dems probably succeeded in trying to make Republicans look uncaring and heartless though. Let’s face it: fear and emotion trump facts and logic for most low-information voters.

By John Boch

Truth about Guns

On this day 15 years ago (Sept 28th, 2004) Silvertide’s “Show and Tell” was released. It went on to sell close to 400,000 copies worldwide and spawned three Top 20 singles, one of which went Top 10. The album was comprised of songs I wrote with my high-school friends between the ages of 15-18.

I was 18 years old when we cut the record, and 20 when it came out. Brace yourself.. it cost one million dollars to make, and took 18 months. It was the tail end of an era of excess. Against all odds, 5 kids from northeast Philadelphia had broken into the music business in a big way. We rode the wave as long as we could, and we did a lifetime of partying in 6 short years.

We played well over a thousand shows, toured the world with all our heroes, performed in a major motion picture (by M Night Shyamalan), and became big in Japan. All the clichés! IT. WAS. AWESOME. But as the great poet Robert Frost wrote (and we paraphrased in our own song, and my personal favorite on the record) nothing gold can stay.

I will spare you the details but it ended almost as intensely and fast as it began. I was 22 and it was over. What’s really crazy is the whole experience happened prior to social media, so in some ways now it feels like it almost didn’t happen, but those who remember, remember. It was a hell of a ride. One day I’m going to write a book. Drums, bass, and guitars were cut analog to 2” tape, the rest to pro tools.

It was recorded at a variety of LA studios including Ocean in Burbank, Sunset Sound, Grandmaster, and “Ollywood”. It was produced by Oliver Leiber, mixed by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley, recorded by Bradley Cook, and additional engineering by Marc DeSisto and Bryan Golder. A&R was James Diener and label president was Clive Davis. Album photos were taken by Ross Halfin and artwork was done by the band’s own Mark Melchiorre Jr. Our booking agent was the great Jonny Podell.

A very special thanks to Brad A Rubens and David Ivory, without whom, none of this would have ever gotten off the ground. I’m very proud of the songs, the sounds, and the authenticity in which it was presented. Very few people gave a fuck about blues-based rock n roll at the time. And we got it on mainstream radio, which still makes me smile. I’d like to thank all who were a part of making this record a reality, including our families who had the difficult job of letting their kids go into the wild at such a young age.

Most of all I’d like to thank the fans who supported the band, bought the album, the merch, the concert tickets, and who still – unbelievably – share the record and keep it selling to this day. I’m so grateful!! To commemorate this 15 year anniversary I’ve decided to post 125 photos of the making of the record which took place between 2002 and 2003, most of which have never been seen before. The nice ones were taken by Mark Melchiorre on his DSLR, and the crappy ones by me, on an early digital camera. The photos share a glimpse of the joy and chaos, and absolute insanity of a bunch of kids with no parental guidance or limitations shooting for the moon. There are photos of my guitar rig, pedals, amp, and microphones used to record the album.

To my knowledge they have never been seen before, including an early 70’s 200 WATT Marshall Major (in orange!) I used for the lion’s share of the record. I rented it from Dave Friedman. If anyone reading this has never heard it, give it a spin today. It’s on Spotify. Happy Birthday “Show and Tell”!!

https://www.facebook.com/pg/nickperrimusic/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10157492778324929

Raffle Day is almost here.

With a little over one month to go, now is the time to get in our annual raffle. This month we have a special offering of $1,000 to one lucky winner that enters in at the “Better Deal” package or higher. All orders of the “Great Deal” package will receive the exclusive 1936 knucklehead print. Hit the button below to get tickets, Nov 9th is coming soon!

GET YOUR TICKETS – Click Here

The 2019 Raffle Bike

This 1936 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead Bobber is dressed in Harley-Davidson’s classic black and vermilion red with gold striping and features a first-year 61 c.i. OHV engine based around a genuine pair of new old stock replacement knucklehead engine cases.