money

Warren Buffett loaned $300 million to Harley-Davidson during the financial crisis

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by Theron Mohamed from https://www.yahoo.com Warren Buffett loaned about $300 million to Harley-Davidson during the financial crisis. “It was the bridge we needed to get us through a rough time,” the motorcycle maker’s finance chief said in 2014. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway probably netted about $150 million in profit from the five-year loan, but could have made more than $1 billion if it had invested $300 million in Harley-Davidson stock over the same period. “I knew enough to lend them money; I didn’t know enough to buy the equity,” Buffett later explained. Warren Buffett loaned a little over $300 million to Harley-Davidson in February 2009, when the famous motorcycle maker was reeling from a one-two punch of weaker demand and a cash crunch during the financial crisis. A few weeks earlier, Harley-Davidson unveiled a three-part plan to weather the downturn: invest in its brand, cut costs, and find the money to cover its financing division’s roughly $1 billion in yearly costs. The first two elements translated into targeting younger and more diverse riders; closing plants, combining operations, and outsourcing some distribution; and laying off about 1,100 employees or about 12% of its workforce. However, paralyzed credit markets made it tricky to fulfill the third part of the plan. The company ultimately decided to borrow from its largest shareholder, Davis Selected Advisers, as well as Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. The pair effectively loaned it a combined $600 million for five years at a hefty 15% annual interest rate. “It was the bridge we needed to get us through a rough time,” Harley-Davidson’s finance chief, John Olin, told Fortune magazine in 2014. The group needed the cash to continue offering financing to motorcycle dealerships and retail customers, and to keep its production lines humming, Olin continued. The high-interest loan was its only option to […]

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How Hamba motorcycles are empowering women in Zimbabwe

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by Faith Ikade from http://venturesafrica.com/ Mobility for Africa is empowering women in rural Zimbabwe with new electric powered motorcycles that can be used as a source of income generation. The electric motorbikes known as “Hamba” gives women the opportunity to transport and sell their goods, while saving time and effort usually spent walking to pick up household goods for their families around the district of Wedza. Shantha Bloemen, Mobility for Africa Director said the initiative is centred on women, following research done by the organization which shows that men always get priority on transport. “These are women that never thought they would drive anything. The whole intent was to focus on where the burden is greatest, but also the lowest rural women are on the lowest peg of the pyramid,” she said. Assembled in Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare with parts made in China, Hamba is powered by a solar-charged lithium-ion battery and can travel up to around 60 miles per ride. Mobility for Africa is now in the second phase of the pilot project before it can go commercial. The project was an adaptation to a similar bike used in China and was an important tool used to reduce poverty in the country. Several households and women could use the bike to transport items from their farm to a local market. Hamba will be sold for $1,500 USD and changing the batteries at a solar-powered station costs between 50 cents and $1. However, Mobility for Africa is currently leasing the bikes to groups of up to five women for the equivalent of $15 a month, thereby making it affordable for poor women in Zimbabwe. Women in Zimbabwe can now carry farm produce to markets further away from home, offer transportation services to villagers and use the motorcycle for domestic

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Harley-Davidson Cosmic Starship Is Now World’s Most Expensive Bike

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by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com Like with everything else in this world, there are bikes and then there are… bikes. The Harley-Davidson we’re going to talk about today falls in the latter category, of machines that are so expensive they are more like objects of art than actual rides. Whereas most luxury cars and motorcycles remain practical, this one is less much so. Many rides cost a fortune either because of one-off customizations or the fact that they’re limited edition, or simply just that awesome. This Harley-Davidson is pretty much the same as it was when it left the factory, but coated with a new layer of paint. Make that more than 37 of them. This is the Harley-Davidson Cosmic Starship, also known as the Million Dollar Harley-Davidson or artists Jack Armstrong’s bike. It’s actually a 2002 V-Rod that has been painted in Armstrong’s Cosmic Extensionalism style. In other words, this Hog is a rolling, roaring piece of art, a painting on the move. If you can afford to risk damaging it by actually taking it on the road, that is. As of the time of writing, the Cosmic Starship is back on the market, with an asking price between $15 million and $30 million, since it’s a one-off. It’s been listed for sale by its current owner since 2017 and, should it ever find a buyer, it will go down in history, officially, as the world’s most expensive motorcycle. Even if it doesn’t, based on the last price it changed hands for, it is still among the top five most expensive bikes in the world: $3 million. So what’s the deal with it? Why is it so pricey? As noted above, there is nothing outstanding about the bike itself. It’s a V-Rod without any modifications, chosen because Armstrong, a

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Harley-Davidson T-Shirt Quilt Sells for $11,500, Money Goes to Charity

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For more than a century, the Harley-Davidson name has grown so large that now it far exceeds the confines of just motorcycle manufacturer moniker. For some people – and they are not few – Harley has become a way of life. For true fans of the brand there are few things that cannot be associated with this famous American name. From motorcycle-related hardware to less-so items, there are countless ways in which the brand is honored. One strange, yet apparently very satisfying way the Harley name is used around the world is quilts. There is an entire industry dedicated to them, and the Internet is flooded with people bragging or trying to sell their quilts. You can generally buy a Harley-Davidson quilt for sums that start from around $100 for a twin-sized U.S. bed. But this one here, pictured above, was sold at the end of February for $11,500. It went for so much because there’s a story behind it. It was made by a British Columbia quilter named Bobbi Pardy to help Adaura Cayford, a 9-year-old currently undergoing treatment for an inoperable brain cancer. Pardy spent around 60 hours assembling the quilt from donated T-shirt wearing the Harley-Davidson name and logos, sent to her from places as far as Saudi Arabia and Ecuador. Once ready, the quilt was sold at the end of a 10-day auction event for $11,500. And even if that seems a lot, just think Adaura’s medication costs $5,000 per month, according to Alaska Highway News. “I had to do something,” the creator of the quilt said according to the source. “I thought this was something I could do. It’s my time and that’s it. It’s a really cool T-shirt quilt.” Despite the effort made by these people from British Columbia, Adaura’s fight continues. For those

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Jasmine Cain Releases Official Lyric Video for “Money,”

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JASMINE CAIN Releases Official Lyric Video for “Money,” Out 12/20, Pre-Order NOW! Download / Stream New Christmas Single, “Fairytale of New York” NOW! December 16, 2019 – Nashville based Alternative Pop / Rock artist JASMINE CAIN, named Musician of the Year by All That Shreds Magazine, has released the official lyrix video for her newest single, “Money.” Created by Jordan Roepke, “Money” is the second single off of her upcoming LP, SEVEN (due out February 2020), and can be pre-ordered for 12/20 release via The Label Group / INgrooves. “Have you ever found yourself working for free or doing favors that just never seem to be returned? If you said YES, this song is for YOU!” – JASMINE CAIN Track List: 1. Burnout 2. Do it for you 3. Be Brave 4. Are you ready 5. Let it go 6. Money 7. Ghost 8. Real World 9. Powers 10. Long Shot Download / Stream JASMINE CAIN Online JASMINE CAIN has also released her uplifting new Christmas single, “Fairytale of New York,” available now via The Label Group / INgrooves. Click to Download https://ffm.to/fairytaleofnewyork Multi-Award winning, Sturgis, SD, native, Jasmine Cain moved to Nashville in 2003 and went to work paving the way for female fronted rock in the motorcycle events industry. Jasmine covers everything from Classic and Modern Rock to revved up Pop and Metal. But that isn’t all she is known for. Jasmine has 6 studio albums of award winning original music with her 7th titled Seven slated for release in February 2020. Jasmine has won more than 30 awards for her music and performances including: JPF Female Artist of the Year, (MCMA) 4-time Female Rock Vocalist, and NIMA Artist of the Year and 2 time Alt-Rock band of the year to name a few. Her performances (over 120

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Paris Harley-Davidson, Adam Sandoval set new world record

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by Macon Atkinson from http://theparisnews.com Paris Harley-Davidson and philanthropist Adam Sandoval have set a new Guinness World Record for continuous Harley-Davidson motorcycles on parade. In an event dubbed Bring it Home 2019, 3,497 motorcyclists from across the country rode their Harley Davidson bikes through Paris on a 3.5 mile ride, the Guinness official announced. The record has been taken from Hellas Motorcycle Club of Patras, Greece, which previously held the record set May 22, 2010, with 2,404 Harley-Davidsons making a 2.8-mile trip. Paris’s parade raised money for Motorcycle Missions, a nonprofit that helps first responders with PTSD. The $15 per bike registration fee was donated entirely to the nonprofit, with over 3,400 pre-registrations, said event organizer Molly Beaudin, who is also a dealer development manager for Paris Harley-Davidson. “I don’t even know what to say. Let’s hear it for America. We officially brought it home,” Sandoval said. See Sunday’s edition of The Paris News for more coverage of the parade.

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Longhaulpaul Raises $18,500 for MS Charity on Yamaha Star Venture

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Paul Pelland Sets World Record by Riding on a Dynamometer for 24 Straight Hours MARIETTA, Ga. – April 25, 2019 – Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, congratulates Paul Pelland, also known as Longhaulpaul, for setting his third world record by riding a 2018 Yamaha Star Venture for 24 straight hours on a dynamometer, while raising $18,500 for Multiple Sclerosis charity, MS Views and News, Inc. The Longhaulpaul “Nonstop to Nowhere” event was broadcast live on Facebook in a telethon-style fundraiser as Pelland rode his 2018 Yamaha Star Venture motorcycle at freeway speeds on a dynamometer for 24 straight hours with no rest breaks or stops, traveling an estimated 1,674 miles. The event offered a variety of entertainment including Pelland playing guitar, eating bugs and raffling $3,600 worth of prizes, all while seated on the Star Venture. Thousands of viewers from around the world tuned in throughout the broadcast, with hundreds of donors contributing $18,500 to MS Views and News, funding educational programs for people living with Multiple Sclerosis. After being diagnosed with MS himself, Paul began a million-mile journey raising awareness and funds as he toured the country on his Yamaha motorcycle. After 6 years, he has ridden 350,000 miles, raised $150K for charity and has shared his inspirational story with over 250 audiences across the country. Donations for this event are still being collected at https://www.longhaulpaul.com/nonstop-to-nowhere/donate-live. For more about Longhaulpaul, his fundraisers, or this event, visit https://www.longhaulpaul.com. Follow his journey on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram @LONGHAULPAUL.

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Prairieland ABATE of Illinois

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If you have never been part of a benefit ride you should know at least this. Bikers PAY to ride. Something they could do for free. But they choose to pay to ride ,the fee can be anywhere between $10 to $20 or $30 per person. Not only do they pay to ride, they usually drop a lot of cash for the extras. Raffles, 50/50, and silent auction. When you see a group ride by, they are probably riding for charity! Instead of getting upset because they blocked traffic or caused you a slight delay, please remember this. They are very generous people. Give them space and your patience. It sometimes helps to have a little reminder about things. So please be patient and smile when you see them because they are doing something good for someone you may know, or a good cause. Please feel free to copy and share with friends.

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Motorcycles Stolen at Daytona Bike Week in Florida

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Someone stole the 26” wheel off this motorcycle in Daytona. Complete motorcycles were also stolen. John Rogue is going to try and find out how many motorcycles were stolen this year if he can. The Motorcycle Task Force is usually in town supposedly looking for stolen motorcycles, wonder if they found any. How much tax payer money is spent sending the task force to motorcycle events and what is their success rate if anything?

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Science Is Not Objective Because It Is A Product Like Anything Else

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In my view, climate change is an issue concocted to distract from the larger issue of ecocide which is a direct result of human expansion. People recognize that science is a product like any other media. People with degrees do research, which anyone who has fudged a lab report can testify can be slanted through variations in technique, and then publish that research. They do this through grants, employment, or in anticipation of selling lots of books, magazines, movies, or other products. Academia has the same problem and this is why we are continually discovering that their theories were over-hyped, two decades later. Usually these take a detail and amplify it into a theory of everything, and then it turns out, it was just a detail that cannot tell us much of significance, but at the time it was sold, it seemed to justify and exalt the lifestyles of those who bought the product. READ the Story at Bikernet.com by Clicking here

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