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Motorcycle manufacturer KTM expanding U.S. HQ in Murrieta

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by Samantha Gowen from https://www.sbsun.com KTM, an Austrian manufacturer of street and off-road motorcycles, is expanding its North American headquarters in Murrieta to a new campus. A groundbreaking is expected in August. KTM NA (North America) is building its campus at the northeast corner of Winchester and Borel roads. The company, led by CEO John Hinz, says it will span 20 acres and include at least three buildings with more than 150,000 square feet of technical, office, warehouse and racing departments. The development is one block south of KTM NA’s private motorsports facility, which is used for testing products and athlete training. It has two supercross-style dirt tracks, two extreme off-road courses and a trials competition section. The company sells its motorcycles and related gear through independent dealers across the U.S. We asked the company about its new HQ and what it’s bringing to the Temecula Valley. Tom Moen, KTM’s marketing manager, gave us an update. Q: Tell us more about the KTM brand and what it makes. A: We have three brands of motorcycles we build and distribute to our dealers, KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas. In those brands, we have an array of products from balance bikes for 3-year-old children up to 1290 Adventure motorcycles. Plus we have electric minibikes and a full-size, off-road electric bike. We also produce and sell parts and accessories to our dealers, everything from T-shirts to full riding suits and anything for protection and safety equipment, kids to adults sizes. Q: Where was KTM’s North American HQ previously? A: Our headquarters was back in Amherst, Ohio. We also had sales and marketing offices down in El Cajon. We moved to Temecula in 2004 and opened our current headquarters in Murrieta in 2009, which has grown to four buildings now (and we are outgrowing them). […]

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EagleRider Motorcycles Pensacola celebrates 5th anniversary

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by Kalyn Wolfe from https://www.pnj.com What is it like to be an American? Is there any truth to the negative stereotypes that surround Americans? These are the questions Claire Coleman and her husband, Nick, asked themselves as they left New Zealand more than 10 years ago. With a pickup truck and an RV, they spent a year meandering across the lower 48, learning about American culture with every dirt road, brewery and person they encountered. It was these experiences that inspired Claire Coleman to publish a book called “The Back Of Beyond: A North American Road Trip, Kiwi Style!” not long after. But the inspiration didn’t stop there. “It was this trip that inspired us to move to America,” she said. “We had positive experiences with every American we met.” The next step involved obtaining visas. “We needed to open a business in order to fulfill our visa requirements, and Nick spent years in the oil rig industry,” Coleman said. “I haven’t worked in the oil rig industry, so we had to figure out a business we could run together. Nick has worked on motorcycles since he could walk, so in 2016 we decided to open EagleRider Motorcycles Pensacola.” Five years and two locations later, EagleRider Motorcycles Pensacola has recently moved to its third location at 3305 North W St. and held a grand opening April 8 to mark the occasion. But Coleman would be the first to tell you that it was a celebration that almost didn’t happen. “COVID killed us,” she said. “Everyone was canceling. We lost all of our international customers and we had no forward bookings. The borders closed, we initially closed shop, sold up our house and most belongings and planned on returning home to New Zealand. Then we literally drove past our new building

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Sacrificing Good American Nuclear Jobs For Cheap Chinese Solar Panels

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by Michael Shellenberger Democrats Must Stop Sacrificing Good American Nuclear Jobs For Cheap Chinese Solar Panels China made solar panels cheap through coerced labor, not innovation. The Biden Administration is promoting the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping in a White House climate summit at a time when Congress is considering whether or not to halt the import of solar panels from China for human rights reasons. “China’s Solar Dominance Presents Biden With an Ugly Dilemma,” read the headline of a New York Times article published yesterday. “President Biden’s vow to work with China on issues like climate change is clashing with his promise to defend human rights.” The U.S. State Department in January 2021 called the Chinese government treatment of the Uyghurs “genocide.” The State Department says one million Uyghurs have been forced into concentration camps in Xinjiang province, or forced to work in factories, including ones that make solar panels, one of the region’s largest industries. “Shinta energy, East Hope Group, and GCL Poly-Energy Holdings have all been linked to a state-run employment program that,” reported Bloomberg earlier this week, “at times amount to forced labor.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington called claims of forced labor in Xinjiang “a rumor created by a few anti-China media and organizations,” and insisted that all workers in Xinjiang freely enter into contracts without coercion. “There is no such thing as ‘forced labor,’” insisted an Embassy representative. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken doubled-down on the genocide label in a statement last week, saying that the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang constituted “an effort to commit genocide.” And the U.S., Canada, and the European Union have already already banned imports of cotton and tomatoes and, according to Bloomberg, “The substance needed for solar panels could be next.” For years, renewable

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Harley-Davidson hit with 56% EU tariff effectively blocking it from the EU market

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by Rick Barrett from https://www.jsonline.com Harley-Davidson hit with 56% EU tariff, an ‘unprecedented situation’ that will block the motorcycle maker from the market, CEO says Harley-Davidson Inc. has been slapped with a 56% European Union tariff on all its motorcycles, the company said Monday, effectively blocking it from the EU market. Harley said it would appeal the ruling scheduled to go into effect in June. “This is an unprecedented situation and underscores the very real harm of an escalating trade war to our stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic. The potential impact of this decision on our manufacturing operations and overall ability to compete in Europe is significant,” Jochen Zeitz, Harley chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement. Europe is Harley’s second largest market after the United States. “Imposing an import tariff on all Harley-Davidson motorcycles goes against all notions of free trade and, if implemented, these increased tariffs will pose a targeted competitive disadvantage for our products, against those of our European competitors,” Zeitz added. In 2018, the European Union placed a 25% incremental tariff (31% total tariff) on motorcycles imported into the EU from the United States. Under the latest proposal, the EU would place a 50% incremental tariff on U.S. motorcycles for a total tariff of 56%. The ruling would even apply to Harleys manufactured in Thailand, where the company had set up operations to get around the 2018 EU tariff. Monday, Harley posted a quarterly profit of $259 million, or $1.68 a share, up from $70 million, or 45 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Revenue rose to $1.4 billion from $1.3 billion a year earlier. “The actions we have taken to reshape the business are having a positive impact on our results, especially for our most important North American region,” Zeitz said.

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Chain conversion kits for Harley Sportsters & Dynas

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Belts are for pants! Check Out Lowbrow Customs motorcycle parts and accessories at https://www.lowbrowcustoms.com/ We have been making chain conversion kits to replace the rear drive belt on ’94 & later Sportsters and Dynas for many years. Since then, other companies have started making kits as well… But not all chain conversion kits are created equal! Check out the reviews to see what customers think. Oh, did we mention our chain conversions are 100% USA-made? Check out our 1994-2003 Sportster chain conversion how-to (Click Here) or Rusty Butcher’s Lowbrow chain conversion install video (Click Here) and follow along at home! The process is straight-forward and pretty much the same across Sportster or Dyna and various year ranges. Never fear, if you have any questions, we are always here to offer motorcycle technical support! CLICK TO Shop Chain Conversion Kits. PS – In addition to chain conversion kits, we have a wide array of top-quality rear chains for your motorcycle! (Click Here) Spring has freakin’ sprung, get your bike dialed in and hit the road!

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Car and Motorcycle Companies Now Making Electric Bikes

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by Roy Furchgott from https://www.nytimes.com They see branding opportunities as the pandemic and a desire by cities to curb traffic propel e-bike sales to new heights. The transportation industry has seen the future, and the future is 1895. That was the year Ogden Bolton Jr. of Canton, Ohio, was awarded U.S. Patent 552,271 for an “electrical bicycle.” A century and change later, electric bikes have gained new currency as car and motorcycle companies like Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Yamaha have horned into the market with their own designs. While the pandemic has accelerated bike sales, the overriding attraction is that cities worldwide are beginning to restrict motor traffic. These companies are betting that e-bikes are the urban vehicles of tomorrow — or at least vehicles for good publicity today. “In the past 12 to 18 months, you have seen a lot of new brands come into the market,” said Andrew Engelmann, an e-bike sales and marketing manager at Yamaha, which has been in the electric bike business since 1993 and claims sales of two million worldwide. “We in the U.S. have not seen this new energy toward cycling since Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France.” Credit the coronavirus pandemic, which has ignited bike sales of all stripes, but none so much as e-bikes. While retail unit sales of bicycles from January to October last year were up 46 percent from a year earlier, electric bikes were up 140 percent. Measured in dollars, regular bikes were up 67 percent and e-bikes 158 percent — so don’t expect a discount. Those numbers, from the market researchers at NPD, do not include online-only retailers such as Rad Power Bikes, so sales may actually be higher still. Ogden Bolton aside, there is a historical connection between bicycles and motorcycles. Many early

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Moto Anatomy announces 2021 partnerships

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Johnny Lewis aligns with top brands for 2021 American Flat Track Season Milwaukee, Wis March 2, 2021: Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield rider Johnny Lewis is proud to announce his partners for the 2021 American Flat Track (AFT) season include]ing supporters from his 2020 AFT campaign, which saw Lewis capture Royal Enfield’s first-ever modern-day racing victory at the season finale in Daytona. 2020 marked the first year of development for the Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfield team, Lewis is looking to build upon the success his Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team earned at the conclusion of the year. To aid in his 2021 season, Lewis will receive support from multiple top brands in the motorcycling category including SENA, Rekluse and Beringer Brakes. Other notable partners involved in Lewis’ AFT program include Saddlemen, ODI, Lightshoe, Team Lawant and Cometic Gaskets. “It has been a busy off-season for the team testing and planning for the year ahead,” said Johnny Lewis, Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield racer. “We have continued the development of the Twins FT and have also aligned ourselves with a handful of world-class brands who are backing our 2021 efforts. On behalf of myself and Royal Enfield, we’re thrilled to have them on board and excited for the upcoming season.” Lewis will continue working on several programs for Royal Enfield such as Slide School presented by Moto Anatomy and the BUILD TRAIN RACE flat track program as a mentor. SENA, Rekluse and Beringer Brakes will support Lewis’ AFT program while Saddlemen, ODI, Lightshoe, Team Lawant and Cometic Gaskets will support the Lewis across all Royal Enfield programs. The 2021 Progressive American Flat Track season kicks off on March 12 for the Volusia Half-Mile in Barberville, Fla. Lewis will return to competition with the Royal Enfield Twins FT after extensive

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Automated Driving Systems and SMRO Visits

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RIDING FREE FROM DC: Your Weekly Biker Bulletin from Inside the Beltway ­Automated Driving Systems (AKA Autonomous Vehicles) Late last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a rulemaking process for developing a “Framework for Automated Driving System (ADS) Safety.” As part of the process public comments were solicited by NHTSA. This week the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) submitted a 6-page formal letter outlining our thoughts on the development, testing and deployment of ADS. Building on past submissions to both Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the MRF laid out important priorities that NHTSA should consider. Some of the main topics the MRF highlights include the need to account for the unique attributes and characteristics of motorcycles, cyber security concerns, liability provisions, the role of individual states, the need for public transparency, threats to the protected communication spectrum and the challenges of regulations keeping pace with this technology. While ADS has promising potential, the devil will be in the details. How this technology is developed, tested and deployed will impact all Americans. We at the MRF will continue to fight to ensure motorcyclists are included in these discussions. To read the full letter from the MRF to NHTSA click here. SMRO Meetings Around the Country January and February are traditionally the busy season for state motorcyclist rights organizations (SMRO) annual meetings. This year many of those meetings have been rescheduled, held virtually or have unfortunately been cancelled all together. While we know these are difficult times, the MRF remains committed to working with our state partners and participating in these events when possible. In January, MRF Vice President Jay Jackson travelled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to attend the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/Kentucky Bikers Association Freedom Fighters Forum. Also, that month MRF lobbyist Rocky Fox traveled to Austin, Texas

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Triumph Motorcycles America partners with Motorcycle Safety Foundation to offer Free Basic eCourse to new Riders

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Atlanta GA, USA, Jan. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Central to the values of Triumph Motorcycles is a passion for riding. To share this passion Triumph Motorcycles America has partnered with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) to make the MSF Basic eCourse available free of charge to prospective new riders, or former riders interested in riding again. The 3-hour eCourse, valued at $20, is a great introduction to riding. It is also a prerequisite for the hands-on MSF Basic RiderCourse, which in most states will make student eligible to obtain a motorcycle endorsement upon completion. “Triumph Motorcycles has always been ‘For The Ride’, so this is a very fitting partnership to help share that passion. Now more than ever, people are looking for new forms of recreation, so I couldn’t think of a better time to help them discover the joy of riding.” Rod Lopusnak – General Manager, Triumph Motorcycles America. “We’re excited to partner with Triumph and help people embark on their journey into motorcycling. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation believes in lifelong learning, and prospective riders will find the eCourse to be the best first step to becoming a lifelong rider.” Erik Pritchard – President and CEO of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. To facilitate the offer, Triumph has launched the website TriumphRider.com, where prospective riders may complete a form to be emailed a unique promo code, which can be applied when they register on the MSF website to redeem the Free Basic eCourse, compliments of Triumph.

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Royal Enfield is coming after Harley-Davidson

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In its last financial year before the pandemic struck, Enfield company sold about 824,000 bikes globally. Harley, by contrast, shipped about 218,000. Last year Enfield company doubled the size of one of its three factories, bringing overall production capacity to 1.2 million motorcycles a year. To build buzz Enfield company has tried marketing to American customizers and flat-track competitors, and in 2018 it put Cayla Rivas, a teenage motorcycle racer, on a souped-up Continental in pursuit of a speed record for its bike class—and compelling footage for YouTube. (She hit 157 mph on Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.) Although it may sound counterintuitive, “the U.S. and Europe are very important” to making Enfield the aspirational bike of choice for the developing world, he says. Lal wants to be as big a player in the West as possible, but he argues that Royal Enfield doesn’t necessarily have to sell that many bikes in developed countries for the strategy to be considered a success. What it does need to do is move enough to give them a patina of cool at home and in other emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia. Read the full article at Bloomberg. Click Here.

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