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Is Harley-Davidson About To Head Back Down Sportbike Alley?

Sabrina Giacomini from https://www.rideapart.com/ The clues were there all along. If you think of Harley-Davidson in 2019, it’s hard to think of anything else than cruisers and baggers. It is, after all, the segments the manufacturer has developed the most over the years and pretty much the only one it serves nowadays. That’s not to say that the company didn’t try its hand at different things over the past century. One of the company’s most notable attempts at breaking the mold happened in the 90s with the introduction of the VR1000 race bike. Now, a patent filing suggesting that the Motor Company could be working on a VR1000-inspired bubble-fairing sportbike piqued our interest. Following Harley’s AMF Dark Age and painstaking restructuring, the company started getting back on track as the 80s rolled in. With the new cash flow, it was now allowed a few frivolities, including dreams of motorsport. As early as 1986, Harley started toying with the idea of producing a sportbike to enter in the AMA Superbike series. That’s when early ideas about the VR1000 emerged. It took almost a decade for the bike to see the light of day and to roll off the production line. Ultimately, only 50 units of the VR1000 were ever produced—half of which were outfitted for the street. Sadly, the company took too long to execute and finalize the project. By the time the VR1000 was put on the track in 1994, competitors were already lightyears ahead. The company and the factory team never truly managed to make up for the lost time, continuously plagued by never-ending issues and bad luck. Harley ultimately discontinued funding to the racing program in 2001. And Today… In the hopes of refreshing its image, Harley-Davidson released a five-year timeline that includes the introduction of a variety […]

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Harley Davidson: The Road Only Goes Downhill

General Posts / By Wayfarer

Harley-Davidson delays its first $30,000 electric motorcycle after unexpected findings during final quality checks The company delayed the motorcycle after ‘non-standard conditions’ were discvoered during final quality checks Dealers had begun selling pre-orders of the bike in January Harley-Davidson had forecast shipping 1,600 bikes Harley-Davidson has delayed production on its first electric motorcycle, called LiveWire. In an email sent to dealers last week, the company announced it had found a ‘non-standard condition’ in its final quality checks but didn’t elaborate further. The LiveWire was officially announced for commercial release last fall with a planned price of $29,799. ‘We recently discovered a non-standard condition during a final quality check; stopped production and deliveries; and began additional testing and analysis, which is progressing well,’ the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that the decision came after a problem with the vehicle’s battery charging was discovered. The manufacturer did not say when they planned to resume production. The company had already begun delivering models of LiveWire to dealers in September. The company had expected to ship around 1,600 bikes, or an estimated 1 percent of the company’s total big shipments. The LiveWire is said to go from 0-60 mph in three seconds and reach top speeds of 110 mph. Harley-Davidson recommends users go to dealers to charge the vehicle rather than trying to use standard electrical outlets in their homes. It is powered by a 15.5 kWh battery and has a 105 horsepower magnetic engine and a range of 146 miles city driving on a single charge. Harley-Davidson had told potential customers to charge the bike only at registered dealers and not in their homes. The bike was first shown in The Avengers: Age of Ultron as a sleek prototype ridden by Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character. The LiveWire

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Honda at 40: Company, original employee grew together

General Posts / By Wayfarer

By Jim Weiker from The Columbus Dispatch at https://www.cantonrep.com When Honda celebrated its 40th anniversary in Ohio this week, the milestone carried special meaning for employee Neil Vining. Vining was 22 in 1979 when he landed a job at a new motorcycle factory Honda was opening in Marysville. Today, Vining is a chief engineer at Honda. He is one of two employees still at Honda who were there when Honda of America opened its first U.S. operation in Ohio. Vining’s journey with Honda is an illustration of the company’s journey. Like many Americans, Vining didn’t know what to expect from the company. By the 1970s, Japanese cars and motorcycles were well-established among consumers, but not among employees. Vining worked at Tecumseh’s Marion factory but was weary of the laid-off, back-to-work cycle of the plant. (Tecumseh closed the factory in 1984.) He was curious about Honda, which he had followed in the newspaper since the manufacturer announced in October 1977 that it would build a factory in Ohio. “Every week I watched the paper looking for that final notice about when I could send my application,” said Vining, who had bought his first Honda motorcycle when he was 16. In March, 1979, he had his chance and interviewed for a position, not knowing what to expect. After all, there was no track record of Japanese automotive manufacturers in the U.S. “Remember that the Japanese automotive industry was initially considered a curiosity. They made econoboxes no one wanted,” said Giorgio Rizzoni, director of the Center for Automotive Research at Ohio State University. “Then they became real competitors to Detroit. For a long time, there was quite a bit of resentment in regard to Japanese automakers in the U.S. But Honda managed this transition in an extremely elegant way.” Three months after he

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Harley Davidson recalls more than 12k bikes over potential safety issue

General Posts / By Wayfarer

Columbia, SC (WOLO) —Harley-Davidson recalled more than 12 thousand motorcycles over a potential safety issue the company says could impact the visibility of affected bikes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the potential issue involves the reflector placement on some motorcycles. NHTSA says both the Touring and CVO Touring motorcycles made between years 2016 through 2019 are affected by this recall. Officials say these bikes were equipped with a Harley-Davidson Detachable Tour-Pak Conversion Kit, but however, only some of the bikes in question that were fitted with this kit are affected by the current recall. If you own one of these bikes and have additional questions, contact Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Inc. for immediate assistance at 1-800-258-2464.

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Harley-Davidson Acquires Company That Makes Electric Bikes for Kids

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Harley-Davidson is trying to attract a new generation of riders at a very young age. The iconic motorcycle company announced Tuesday that it was buying StaCyc, which makes two-wheel electric bikes for kids. StaCyc has two models — the 12eDrive and 16eDrive — that the company describes as “the perfect choice for little rippers” between the ages of 3 and 7. The bikes have a top speed of about 10 miles per hour and sell for a range of $649 to $699. Harley-Davidson said in a statement that Harley-Davidson branded versions of StaCyc’s two models will be available at select Harley-Davidson dealers in the United States in the third quarter of 2019. “The StaCyc team shares the same vision we have for building the next generation of riders globally and we believe that together, we will have a significant impact in bringing the fun and enjoyment of riding to kids everywhere,” said Heather Malenshek, Harley-Davidson senior vice president of marketing and brand, in the statement. Harley-Davidson is increasing its bets on electric vehicles as sales of traditional bikes slow. The company has already announced plans to launch the LiveWire premium electric motorcycle this fall. It is also developing other electric bikes that it plans to start selling in 2021. Harley-Davidson needs new growth opportunities as the company struggles to deal with tariffs from the Trump administration that have hurt earnings. Sales and profits are expected to fall this year and revenue is only expected to rebound slightly in 2020. Shares of Harley-Davidson have rallied this year with the rest of the market, rising 10% so far in 2019. But the stock is trading nearly 20% below its 52-week high.

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