So it appears that Harley Davidson’s strike may not last much longer. According to the AMA, they have met a tentative agreement which has yet to be revealed. Tomorrow morning the union members are expected to hear the details, and then vote on the contract.
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There’s a great article about the 39th Annual Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo on AMA.com. In the U.S. this is the definite motorcycle show, with many dealers making the trip annually. I’ve been myself 2 times to Indy and 3 times when it was in Cincinnati before that. It’s quite odd going into the RCA dome as it’s a pressurized dome. The AMA article has just a small sampling of all the new products that were shown at the show this year. This is a dealer only show, and is run by Dealernews which is the voice of the powersports industry. Check out either one of these sites they have lots of info on the show and the products at it.
Press release from Triumph Motorcycles:
Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd. Sales Top 10,000 units in 2006.
NEWNAN, Georgia – January, 2, 2007 – Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., announced today that its dealers retailed 10,726 units in the US during 2006.
This is the first time Triumph’s retail sales have exceed 10,000 units in a single calendar year since Triumph’s return to the US in 1995. This is a significant milestone for the Hinckley, UK based Motorcycle manufacturer.
Triumph is one of the oldest and most famous names in motorcycling. The name dates back to 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann settled in Coventry and started selling bicycles. Triumph began building motorcycles in 1901, which makes it the oldest name in motorcycles.
Triumph was absent from the US market for a little over a decade after the company fell on hard times in the early 80’s. Entrepreneur John Bloor purchased the revered brand in 1983 and re-launched it to great acclaim in 1990.
Today, Triumph is a privately owned British company and it is the only British motorcycle brand still producing bikes today. Triumph’s main factory, located in Hinckley, Leicestershire, is the most modern motorcycle manufacturing facility in the world. This, together with its diverse model range and aggressive development program, places Triumph firmly at the forefront of motorcycling.
Triumph‘s growth in recent years has been driven by innovative new products that set the British manufacturer apart from the competition. With ground-breaking models like the 2,300cc Rocket III cruiser, the stylish Sprint ST sports tourer and the Daytona 675 sport bike, Triumph offers consumers a broader product line than any other European road bike manufacturer. The Rocket III played a special role in Triumph’s growth as its unique design and industry-leading capacity generated significant consumer awareness.
Triumph’s growth this year was led by the new Daytona 675. This “Incomparable” new bike reinvented the middleweight sports bike category with its distinctive triple-cylinder engine. The 675’s unique design combines light weight, compact dimensions, and class leading power and handling to deliver what many in the press are hailing as the best middleweight sports bike ever built.
Both “Cycle World” and “Motorcyclist”, the 2 leading motorcycle publications in the US, have awarded the 675 “Best Of..” honors. More recently, the Daytona 675 was named “International Bike of the Year” by the editors of 15 international motorcycle publications.
Triumph’s growth was also spurred by the introduction of the new Scrambler. As the original manufacturer of modern classics, Triumph continues to lead the industry with innovative new designs that hearken back to the classic bikes from the middle of the last century. The Scrambler embodies the true nature of a modern classic.
With styling that pays homage to the classic Meriden-era TR6 and a thoroughly modern engine and chassis, the Scrambler offers a unique mix of old and new. The Scrambler is an ideal bike for motorcyclists looking for a cool motorcycle that rides as well as it looks.
“All of us at Triumph are proud of achieving this important milestone.” said Mark Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer, Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd. “I’d like especially like to thank all of our dealers who pulled out all the stops to hit our numbers this year. Now we’re all going to focus on breaking Triumphs all-time US sales record of 28,500 units which was set in 1967 within the next 5 years.”
Triumph expects its strong growth to continue with the introduction of exciting new models like the Tiger 1050. This completely redesigned update of Triumph’s venerable Tiger is the ideal bike for riders who need a single motorcycle that can do virtually anything including carving corners, urban commuting or 2-up touring. Looking forward, Triumph has plans to introduce 2 new or redesigned models in each of the next several years.
Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triumph Motorcycles, Ltd, a manufacturer of Triumph motorcycles and accessories. Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., is located in Newnan, GA and services the Triumph dealer organization throughout the United States, and Canada.
So right now we’re in the process of transitioning to a new server. It looks like all is up and working however. Hopefully this one will be able to handle the load better than the previous one.
Check out these crazy custom wheels on this insanely customized chopper. Definitely a novel idea for a show bike. They give the bike a magical floating look. The Radurra (Italian for clear) wheels are made by the Italian company Forgiato. The company has roots in jewelry manufacturing, and expect to pay jewelry type prices with these wheels starting at $5,000 each.
So I received the March 2007 edition of Motorcyclist today, and on page 29 it mentions how Kawasaki is introducing the Vulcan 900 Custom. You can tell the writer, Andrew Cherney, seems to have a disdain for the Kawasaki Vulcan series when he says “C’mon, Kawasaki’s new Vulcan 900 Custom is practically a carbon copy of the phatter Vulcan 900 Classic“. Anyway he goes on to say that the 900 Custom is replacing the Vulcan 800 Custom….. What Vulcan 800 Custom? There was never a Vulcan 800 Custom. Kawasaki produced the VN800A model, the Vulcan 800 Classic (or B model) and the Vulcan 800 Drifters. The Vulcan 900 Custom in my opinion is trying to replace the Vulcan 800 A model’s chopperesque front end (although with mag wheels). What gives? Shouldn’t motorcycle journalists today at least put some effort into being correct? They are as close to an authoritative source as we have in this industry.
