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Motorcycle Industry

Bandit’s First Bike Feature in Easyriders

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by Bandit with photos from the late Pete Chiodo

I was working in a bike shop on Imperial Highway, US Choppers in 1970 to support going to Long Beach City College. I was into my first Shovelhead after I sold my 1969 XLCH, and perhaps my fourth bike build after the Sportster, a bent Triump 650 and a 45 trike ground up.

Through Andy Hansen and Bob George I started to rebuild engines. I met Andy on the USS Maddox, DD731, which was my last duty station in the service.

I started to work for Easyriders on the third issue in 1971. That puts me at about 52 years in the motorcycle industry.

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Magnificent Bikernet Weekly News for April 30, 2020

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Life is Amazing, but a lot of Events are Cancelled

Hey,

Is life wonderful or not. As we roll into May, more bored folks are coming up with wild conspiracy theories regarding the Covid attack, from political twists to Chinese takeovers.

I’m too busy repairing the Salt Torpedo, working on the expanding headquarters in Deadwood, building Dr. Hamster’s Pandemic Panhead and hammering away on the second chapter of my third Chance Hogan book. A friend from Simon and Shusters recommended, years ago, that I write a series. I spoke to the recently passed, Clive Cussler, from Phoenix, who wrote one series after another. He agreed.

Just be thankful for what you got–William De Vaughn 

See, life is amazing from the plants blooming in the Bikernet patio, to the lines on Christian’s bike, to the scalloped paint job Deny 925 is creating, to another magnificent sunset over the harbor and the thoughts of building another shop in Deadwood surrounded by rolling pine covered hills.

We will deal with this punk virus and keep riding towards the light. It’s an interesting news, hang on.

 

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Going electric could help revive the motorcycle industry

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by Peter Valdes-Dapena from https://edition.cnn.com/

Motorcycle sales, particularly in the United States, have been struggling ever since the Great Recession. As older riders lose interest, or simply become unable to ride any longer, the younger generation hasn’t been showing the same kind of enthusiasm.

But the industry is hoping that electric motorcycles — with a quieter, simpler experience — might be the key to attracting new riders.

For one thing, electric motorcycles are easier to ride. With an electric motor, there’s no need to shift gears. To experienced riders, that’s no big deal, but most Americans today have become accustomed to automatic transmissions and don’t know how to shift gears.

“It’s just a lot easier learning curve,” said Susan Carpenter, a writer and radio host specializing in motorcycles. “You just hop on and twist the throttle. If you can balance, you can go.”

Another benefit is that electric motorcycles are much less noisy than gasoline-powered motorcycles. To many veteran riders, the roar of the engine is part of the excitement. But a lot of other people would prefer to enjoy their surroundings much more peacefully. The bikes also don’t have hot engines and exhaust pipes that can become burn hazards, especially when parked around kids.

Electric motorcycles also qualify for federal and state tax credits, similar to those for electric cars, although in smaller amounts.

There are tradeoffs, of course. Electric motorcycles have the same disadvantages as electric cars, namely cost and range. Motorcycles can only accommodate small batteries so they have a lot less range than gas-powered bikes. And that range diminishes greatly during high-speed highway riding because the bike’s electric motor has to compensate for increased wind resistance pressing against the rider’s not-so-aerodynamic body.

Hoping to get the attention of a new generation of riders, Harley-Davidson introduced the LiveWire electric motorcycle earlier this year.

But with a starting price of nearly $30,000 — more than three times the cost of an entry level motorcycle — it’s unlikely to attract many novice riders. With its extreme performance capabilities — it can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds — the LiveWire doesn’t appear to be for first-time riders. (The bike does have selectable performance modes so it can be set up for less aggressive riding.)

“LiveWire sets the stage and sets the tone and is designed and priced to be a halo vehicle,” said Harley-Davidson spokesman Paul James, explaining that the LiveWire is aimed at establishing an image for the brand’s electric offerings rather than being a big seller. “And we’ll quickly follow that up with other form factors and other electric two-wheelers that will be in various price points and aimed at different customers.”

Harley-Davidson (HOG) wanted this bike to get people used to the idea of a motorcycle that doesn’t have the brand’s signature engine burble, said James. The LiveWire does make its own distinct sound, though. It comes from the gears that carry power from the electric motor to the belt that spins the back wheel. Harley-Davidson engineers spent time specifically tuning the naturally occurring whirring sound, much as they would the rumble of a gasoline engine.

For the real novices, Harley-Davidson offers the IronE, which targets tiny riders aged three to seven. The teeny off-road bike is powered by a small detachable battery similar to ones used for electric power tools and starts at around $650. Harley-Davidson has also shown pedaled e-bikes and scooters as concepts.

California-based Zero offers electric motorcycles like the Zero FX ZF3.6 for around $9,000. That bike has an estimated 27 miles of riding range from a small battery that can be easily changed for a fully charged one when it runs low on power. For about twice that amount, or around $20,000, bikes like the Zero SR/F can get about 123 miles in combined city and highway riding. (That compares to the 95 miles Harley-Davidson estimates for the LiveWire.) Buyers can also add battery power using a “Power Tank” accessory.

Zero’s bikes are used in a program called Discover the Ride, which introduces novice riders to motorcycle riding and takes place at Progressive International Motorcycle Shows across the United States. Riders demonstrate their basic two-wheeler skills on an electrically-assisted bicycle, then they are offered a ride on a Zero electric motorcycle.

Cake, a Swedish company, has models starting at a slightly more affordable $8,500. For that price, a buyer can get Cake’s ultra-minimalist Ösa+ model. Its design was inspired by a workbench and it looks like it. With detachable clamps, the owner can quickly customize the bike with cargo racks or an additional seat. The Ösa+ has a top speed of just 60 miles an hour. It’s intended as an urban workhorse.

Cake also makes the slightly faster and pricier Kalk& with a more traditional, but still distinctively spare, design.

With their emphasis on light weight and simplicity, Cake bikes take the idea that electric motorcycling should be different from riding a gas-powered bike to an extreme. The models are particularly popular with new riders, according to a company spokesman. After being available in the US for a little over a year, there’s a three-month waiting list for the bikes, Cake claims.

ROR Brands To Debut At Laughlin River Run

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A former President of the Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG), Rod Derifield is launching ROR Brands. ROR’s initial products will focus on seats and related accessories with imminent plans to expand into other arenas. The first look at the business will be at the Laughlin River Run.
“ROR Brands is founded on strength of passion for the powersports industry and our commitment to elevate the riding experience,” says Derifield. After managing five MAG brands with more than $50 million in sales in the U.S. and the U.K., Derifield has seen the loyalty and passion that riders have, and it is a vision he shares. “We want every rider to enjoy every ride in comfort… for as long as they want.”
Prior to the powersports industry, Derifield pioneered advancements in the life sciences field. “There are many design technologies and materials used in the medical device industry that are a natural fit for a motorcycle, ATV or UTV,” he explains. “After building various brands in the motorcycle industry since 2012, I could clearly visualize the road to synergy of materials, design, and technology from medical device and life science industries with the need to alleviate some of the ‘pain in the butt’ aspects of being in the saddle all day.”
Analysis, planning and strategy clarified some of the industry needs. However, it was the passion, strength, and loyalty of the powersports community and the opportunity to acquire Royal Riding that convinced Rod the time was right to launch ROR Brands. “We are only getting started… the powersports industry will be hearing more from ROR,” concludes Derifield.

For more information on ROR BRANDS and its products, e-mail rod@rorbrands.com, call (714) 325-5572 or go to https://royalriding.com/pages/ror-brands-inc

Industry News — Rick Walters is MAG’s new CFO

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RickWalters-smThe Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG) , parent company to a host of aftermarket industry leading brands, including DragonFire, Küryakyn, Mustang Seats, Performance Machine, Progressive Suspension, Renthal, Roland Sands Design and Vance & Hines, recently relocated headquarters from Irvine, California, to Irving, Texas. Now MAG is staffing up, starting with the addition of a new CFO, Rick Walters.

“I’m pleased to announce that Rick Walters will be joining the MAG leadership team as Chief Financial Officer,” stated MAG President & CEO Andy Graves. “Rick is based at our new MAG headquarters in Irving, and is reporting to me.” Most recently the CFO of the $1 billion auto collision repair company Service King, Walters brings a wealth of financial experience to the MAG role. Prior to Service King, Rick served as a Group CFO at Sun Capital Partners in southern Florida, where he supported multiple portfolio companies, including work in auto supply and electronic components companies, as well as retail (furniture, restaurants, and department stores).

“His breadth of business experience across multiple industries, and businesses faced with diverse challenges, will serve him well at MAG,” noted Graves. “He brings a strong strategic perspective, extensive experience in process and profit improvement, and a passion to drive long-term value creation.”

Walters replaces Bill Himebrook, who has been MAG’s interim CFO since the merger of MAG/Tucker Rocky under the LDI umbrella in May, 2014. “We are grateful to Bill for stepping into this role at such a critical time for our new company,” added Graves. “And thankful for his insights, support and many contributions over the past 16 months. We look forward to continued support and dialog with Bill, as he transitions back into his full-time CFO role at LDI in Indianapolis.”

Originally from Wausau, Wisconsin, Walters has lived and worked across the U.S. He currently lives in McKinney, TX, a northern suburb of Dallas, with his wife and two daughters.