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New top management at Norton Motorcycles announced

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from https://www.financialexpress.com TVS announces new top management at Norton Motorcycles: 2021 V4SS to launch soon. With TVS infusing multi-million-pound investments, the Solihull facility will be the most advanced and modern plant that Norton has operated out of in its 122-year-old history. TVS Motor Company (TVS), owner of The Norton Motorcycle Co Ltd (Norton), today announced that Dr Robert Hentschel has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Vittorio Urciuoli as its Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of the historic Solihull-based motorcycle brand. Hentschel and Urciuoli will take up their new positions as John Russell steps down from his role as Interim CEO. Dr Robert Hentschel joins Norton from Valmet Automotive Holding GmbH & Co KG, where he has served as Managing Director since 2017. Before that, he headed Ricardo Deutschland and Hentschel System and was also Director of Lotus Engineering. Vittorio Urciuoli’s former key roles within the global automotive industry include Director of URVI LTD, Head of Powertrain at Lotus Cars and Project Leader at Ferrari and Aprilia Racing. TVS has created a plan for Norton to transform into the future. Along with the entire TVS team, I look forward to working together with them for the revitalisation of one of the world’s most storied brands. Under John’s tenure, with investment and support from TVS, Norton has returned to a firm footing and made marked improvements to engineering and product quality, which will be seen in the updated V4SS that will be launched soon. In addition, we have established a new, state-of-the-art global design, engineering, manufacturing and sales and marketing HQ in Solihull, Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director of TVS Motors, said. In January this year, Norton announced it would get back to work in full swing by March at its new facility at Solihull, Birmingham in the UK. […]

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Peter Fonda’s motorcycle from ‘Easy Rider’ is heading to auction

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from https://www.malaymail.com ‘Captain America,’ the motorcycle that had a starring role in ‘Easy Rider’ should easily find a buyer at an auction held in Texas on June 5, 2021. ― Picture courtesy of Cord & Kruse Auctions via ETX Studio. LOS ANGELES, May 15 ― The iconic “Captain America”, the motorcycle that Peter Fonda rode in the movie Easy Rider, will be auctioned off in Texas on June 5, 2021. Famous for the star-spangled banner painted on its gas tank, the motorcycle is currently estimated at between US$ 300,000 and US$ 500,000. The motorcycle in question, symbol of freedom and the hippie movement of the era, will be sold without a reserve price. This exceptional model, famous across the world, was built from an old 1952 Harley-Davidson bike bought for a pittance at the time. In 1996, the bike’s owner at the time, collector Gary Graham, sold the Captain America bike at the Dan Kruse Classic Car Productions auction to Gordon Granger. Since then, the bike has resided in Austin, Texas, where it even survived a fire in December 2010. For anyone who needs a reminder, the film Easy Rider was directed by Dennis Hopper and released in 1969. The movie is a cult road movie about two bikers leaving California to reach Louisiana. The authenticity of this model for sale is nevertheless debated among some aficionados. For the record, two bikes were used for the shoot. In 2014, one of them was sold for 1.3 million dollars. In addition to Captain America, about 20 other vehicles from Gordon Granger’s collection will also be offered at auction on June 5, all without reserve prices. This selection includes, for example, several Rolls-Royces from the 1920s and 1930s, a 1954 Jaguar XK120 Roadster and a 1964 Ford Mustang convertible. Also noteworthy in

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Historical Perspective Progressive Laconia Motorcycle Week

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June 12th-20th, 2021 – New Hampshire – home to America’s Original Riding Rally After a COVID-hobbled rally in 2020, Progressive Laconia Motorcycle Week® returns to New Hampshire for its 98th year, June 12 – 20. Ninety-eight years is a long time, longer than most of us have been alive, so you can imagine there are stories to tell about the world’s oldest motorcycle rally. If you’re doing the math, you’ll have to take into account the 7 years the rally wasn’t held to come up with 1916. This was the year a few hundred motorcyclists, organized by central and southern New England motorcycle dealers, traveled north for a “gypsy tour” to Weirs Beach. Who would have known this would mark the beginnings of a tradition that would span a century? The tour was first sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists in 1917 and when the FAM disbanded in 1919, the Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association (M&ATA) took over the sanction until 1924, when the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) was formed. Back then, the weekend event centered around races and hill climbs. The number of participants grew each year as did the event’s duration. Over time, the rally blossomed into a week-long event, eventually suffering in attendance and popularity after getting wrapped up in the upheavals of the 60’s. The rally reverted to a 3-day weekend and would remain so until 1991, when organizers revived the week-long event after seeing the success of Sturgis’ 50th Anniversary Rally in 1990. Laconia Motorcycle Week reclaimed the support of local businesses and the AMA as a week-long rally and the oldest gypsy tour in the country. Today, Laconia Motorcycle Week® is a much-expanded version of the early “gypsy tour” years, offering attendees lots of fun, food, music and, of course, countless miles of

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Historic Off-Road Show at the Harley-Davidson Museum

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by Skyler Chun from https://www.milwaukeemag.com Preview: A Historic Show at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Learn all about the history of off-road motorcycling at the Harley-Davidson Museum. A new exhibit – about the storied past of off-road motorcycles and the people who rode them – has rolled into the Harley-Davidson Museum. “There’s a deep history here with this type of riding,” exhibits curator David Kreidler says, adding that the company has long made special motorcycles designed to be ridden across difficult terrain. After all, when the company was founded in 1903, roads weren’t widely paved, and riders needed to be able to maneuver their bikes across rutted earth, or dodge fallen logs and debris. The “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” exhibit was created to coincide with the introduction of the Pan America adventure-touring motorcycle. One of the highlights of the exhibit, “Off-Road Harley-Davidson,” is the LiveWire, the company’s first all-electric motorcycle. The bike was featured prominently in the Apple TV+ show “Long Way Up,” which followed Ewan McGregor and his friend motorbiking from South America to Los Angeles. Older bikes are also on display. While the museum is open to the public, it’s planning virtual events as well. To replicate the experience of walking through the galleries, Kridler will lead tours of the exhibit space that viewers can access online if they’d rather not visit in person. “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” looks back at Harley’s history of all-terrain motorcycles. Visit the Harley-Davidson webpage for more information. “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” exhibit celebrates the company’s past by Mark Gardiner from https://www.revzilla.com To celebrate the launch of its Pan America adventure bike, The Motor Company recently mounted a lovely exhibit called “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” at its museum in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, just as the exhibit was due to open to the public, a surge in COVID cases forced Milwaukee County to close museums!

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Free Youth Leadership Program in Driver Education in Canada

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Teens in Ontario can now apply for new Vision Zero Youth Network Program. The Vision Zero Youth Network (VZYN) by Teens Learn to Drive Inc. allows teens in Ontario ages 15-19 to gain experience and help make their communities safe. ONTARIO, CANADA – Non-profit organization, Teens Learn to Drive Inc. (TL2D) is inviting media partners for the launch of its new leadership program for Ontario high school students called the Vision Zero Youth Network (VZYN). In Ontario’s worst case scenario, a 16-year old could: • Pass the G1 written test after taking 10 to 12 practice tests online. (This test concentrates on sign recognition of the rules of the road, and both are largely forgotten afterwards.) • Drive back and forth to the grocery store for a year while parents are unaware of what their child is doing on the road. • Practise the route of a road test a few times before taking the actual assessment – (perhaps in a much less busy region than where they live). NOTE: During this time, the parent cannot let them drive on 400-series highways. • On their 17th birthday, pass the 17-minute road test. • Then pile their friends into the car and head out on the 401 – North America’s busiest road – while driving at high speeds alongside other cars, trucks, motorcycles and emergency vehicles. If that sounds far-fetched, 62% of new drivers in Ontario do not take formal driver education (2019, MTO data). Instead, they learn from friends and family members who may have bad habits or outdated information. Vision Zero is an idea that was developed in Sweden during the late 1990s. It aims to eliminate deaths on roads by using systems and infrastructure to lessen the damage when drivers make mistakes. Sweden also strengthened their mandatory driver

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Harley-Davidson Hometown Rally in Milwaukee Labor Day weekend

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Harley-Davidson hosting a Hometown Rally in Milwaukee Labor Day weekend by Sarah Hauer from https://www.jsonline.com/ Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders are being invited back to Milwaukee this summer for a Hometown Rally during Labor Day weekend. Harley-Davidson, Inc. announced Wednesday it would host the Hometown Rally from Sept. 2 to 6 after stepping back from large events in Milwaukee last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harley-Davidson said the company’s museum at 400 W. Canal St., will serve as the central rally point with six nearby dealerships offering additional events. The Harley-Davidson Museum will have free live concerts, food and beverage sites, stunt exhibitions and skills demonstrations across its 20-acre campus during the rally. The museum will also show off 2021 motorcycles. Born Free and V-Twin Visionary will host motorcycle showcases. The museum will be open for general admission. “The Hometown Rally is an event no Harley-Davidson fan will want to miss,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, in a news release. “It will be a celebration of all things Harley, a chance to re-connect with other riders who share the desire for adventure, freedom and community that is the real heart of the Harley-Davidson experience.” Around 100,000 people attend the company’s Milwaukee events in anniversary years and the crowd is smaller in off years like this one — the company’s 118th anniversary. Hometown Rally schedules will be finalized throughout the summer with updates at H-D.com/hometownrally. Participating dealerships include House of Harley-Davidson in Greenfield, Milwaukee Harley-Davidson, Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson in Thiensville, Uke’s Harley-Davidson in Kenosha, West Bend Harley-Davidson and Wisconsin Harley-Davidson in Oconomowoc. The Milwaukee Rally was one of the few events that weren’t canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local dealerships took the lead in planning the annual celebration. The motorcycle company did not host any

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‘Hands-on’ motorcycle exhibit opens this weekend at Discovery Center

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by Brandon Peoples from https://1350kman.com KANSAS – A new traveling exhibit opens this weekend at the Flint Hills Discovery Center aimed at motorcycle enthusiasts. Hands-On Harley-Davidson includes a kid-sized Harley-Davidson dealership with two customizable Road-King inspired motorcycles. Event Coordinator Jonathan Mertz says it’s geared toward children through three sections — Dream it, Build It and Ride It. For the bigger kids, the exhibit includes real vintage motorcycles including a commemorative Evel Knievel Harley, a 1913 Board Track motorcycle and an XR-750 Harley. The exhibit opens Saturday and is on display through Sept. 12 in the Tallgrass Gallery on the second floor of the Flint Hills Discovery Center. Members of the Flint Hills Discovery Center will have an opportunity to get a sneak peek of the exhibit from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday.

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Norton Motorcycles Head Of Design Takes Aim At Ducati

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by Bryan Campbell from https://www.forbes.com Norton Motorcycles Head of Design Simon Skinner thinks the British brand has what it takes to go head-to-head with Ducati. Admittedly, Norton taking aim at Ducati is a very, very bold aspiration. Considering the Norton name is just as synonymous with bankruptcy and financial turbulence as it is with beautiful motorcycles, you’d be forgiven for taking the current brand revival with a handful of salt. I spoke with a refreshingly candid Norton Motorcycles Head of Design Simon Skinner via video call, who said this time will be different. While there is an incredible amount of bias in that claim, this time around there’s evidence elsewhere to back it up. Back in January 2020, Norton entered the UK equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The following April, the British brand was purchased by the third-largest Indian motorcycle manufacturer, TVS Motors. Now Norton has a new temporary factory in Birmingham, UK, is on a hiring spree and as Skinner puts it, ”the shackles have come off, in terms of design and innovation.” If this sounds at all familiar, there are similar plotlines going on at Jaguar Land Rover with Tata and Volvo and Lotus via Geely. Success isn’t guaranteed, but having a potent resource like TVS certainly helps. Speaking with Skinner, I wanted to hear just how Norton plans to not just take on Ducati and become its British equal. Bryan Campbell: Is Norton looking to follow Ducati’s lead on creating an accessible entry point with a Scrambler-esque model paired with top-tier sportbikes? Simon Skinner: Absolutely. We’ve already designed the 650cc parallel-twin range of motorcycles — the Atlas Nomad and the Ranger — and they are comparable to the Ducati Scrambler. Ours is probably a bit more modern, a bit more capable in terms of the geometry and

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Bikers Inside the Beltway – Making it Happen!!

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With false starts, uncertainties and a host of doubters put aside by a legion of freedom fighters, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is once again bringing our legislative endeavors to Washington, D.C., and Capitol Hill.  Bikers Inside the Beltway — Making it Happen!! As Willie Nelson sung… “It’s been rough and rocky travelin’ but I’m finally standin’ upright on the ground…” The MRF has never stood any way but upright in the advocacy for motorcyclists’ rights.  Thanks to you, the MRF is making Bikers Inside the Beltway happen! Thank you for your contribution to making our voices heard. FYI and add the following to your travel itinerary to make things smoother when you get to the hotel:  703-684-5900 — Embassy Suites by Hilton Alexandria, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Briefing Session: Monday, May 17, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., Mason Room. Briefing packets & handout material for your members of Congress will be available before the briefing session. Special appearance:  Congressman Troy Balderson from Ohio is scheduled for a short appearance from 4:45 -5:45 p.m. for a Q&A with attendees. Zoom meeting locations:  To be announced at the briefing session. De-Briefing Session – a recap of the day’s successes:  Tuesday, May 18, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., snacks and cash bar available, Mason Room. “… After takin’ several readings I’m surprised to find my mind’s still fairly sound…”  The briefing session on Monday evening will reinforce what you’ve always known about the nation’s premier bikers’ rights organization – the MRF is sound, strong, and focused.  The de-briefing session will demonstrate just how well we are taking our message to members of Congress. Thank you for your attendance.  Thank you for your support.  And thank you for helping the Motorcycle Riders Foundation protect the rights of all motorcyclists! Yours in Freedom, Fredric Harrell

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