Top 10 products at the V-Twin Expo
2012
As always, the industry-only V-Twin Expo is almost as much fun as riding with a group of your best friends. It’s a veritable orgy of bitchin’ display bikes, hot vender-booth babes, and all the latest performance parts that no one else has had a chance to see yet. Proven as a launching pad for manufacturer’s new products; the Ohio, Cincinnati show’s12th year did not disappoint. The attendees at this year’s show were treated to over 230 exhibitors and more than 200,000 square feet of exhibits- easily more to see than any one man can in the short, two-and-a-half days that it lasted. Here’s a digested version of the products at the show, highlighting what we felt were the top 10 best parts.
Harley-Davidson CEO Wandell Named Chairman of the Bord
Harley-Davidson President and Chief Executive Officer Keith E. Wandell has been named chairman of the company’s Board of directors.
Wandell, who was named president and CEO in May 2009, takes over for Barry K. Allen who has served as a non-executive chairman for Harley-Davidson, also since 2009.
“I am grateful for the confidence the Board has placed in me, since I first came to Harley-Davidson, to work with everyone in this great organization to build a bright future for our company,” says Wandell.
Husqvarna‘s worldwide shipment totals were down 23% in 2011 but the numbers don’t tell the whole story for theBMW-owned brand, especially when it comes to the North American market.
According to BMW’s 2011 fiscal year report, Husqvarna delivered 9,286 units in 2011, compared to 12,066 units in 2010. What those figures do not explain is BMW intentionally reduced supply to dealerships to help clear excess inventory. BMW says actual deliveries to customers totaled 11,243 units.
News in the North American market were a bright spot on Husqvarna’s year-end numbers, with an increase of over 60% in retail registrations and the highest sales figures since BMW acquired Husqvarna in 2007.
The Crescent Suzuki race team unveiled its 2012 GSX-R1000 race bike for the upcoming World Superbike Championship season.
The team revealed the livery for the Superbike which will be ridden by American John Hopkins and Englishman Leon Camier for the 2012 campaign. The 2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000 racebikes are prepped by tuning company Yoshimura.
Avengers Assemble! Win a Harley-Davidson in
Comic Book Movie Promotion
Harley-Davidson is holding a contest to promote Marvel Comics‘ upcoming film The Avengers with four new motorcycles to be given away.
The Motor Company is giving away four grand prizes, including one reserved for active or veteran members of the U.S. military. Each winner will receive his or her choice of a new custom-designed Harley-Davidson motorcycle (excluding touring models, trikes, CVO models and valued up to $20,000). The winners will also have their likeness be drawn into a digital Avengers comic by Marvel.
Vespa and Kate Spade New York are giving away two custom Vespa LX50 scooters to promote the fashion brand’s Spring 2012 collection.
The two Vespa scooters feature customized graphics by Australian artist Florence Broadhurst whose designs inspired Kate Spade’s spring collection.
The LX50 scooters, one is white with orange floral graphics, the other black with white graphics, were produced for the collection’s unveiling in October 2011, and they will soon be given away along with $500 gift certificates to Kate Spade New York.
This is jorge Lorenzo's New Motorcycle:
Yamaha YBR250
You would figure a former MotoGP World Champion and one of the top motorcycle racers on the planet would have his pick for a streetbike.
Not if he doesn’t have a motorcycle license and is practicing for his riding test however. In 2010 MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo‘s case, his ride is the Yamaha YBR250.
Lorenzo, Yamaha's star factory rider only recently passed the theory portion of his motorcycle license exam and is now preparing for the practical part. Returning from Spain from last week’s Moto GP test in Malaysia ,Lorenzo picked up the keys to a YBR250 to practice on the roads of Mount Montjuic in Barce
Aprilia Inroducess 2012 World Superbike
Team of Biaggi,Laverty and the RSV4
Aprilia officially presented its 2012 World Superbike Championship team in Milan, Italy, showcasing its RSV4 superbikes as well as factory riders Max Biaggi and newcomer Eugene Laverty.
For Biaggi, the Roman Emperor says he feels motivated to rebound from a difficult 2011 season and regain the title he won in 2010.
“It doesn’t matter how many seasons we have under our belts and how many titles we’ve won. At the beginning of a new season I am always motivated to the maximum,” says Biaggi. “If anything, I must say that for 2012 I am even more motivated after what happened last year. More than one set of circumstances and a lot of hard luck kept us from defending the title down to the last round. And yet, in spite of a serious injury and having to sit out six races, I took third place in the overall standings. That says quite a lot about the effort we put in, but for the new season we’ll have to do better. ”
BMW Declares New January Sales Record
BMW announced global sales of 5,237 motorcycles in January, a new record for the first month and an 11.1% increase from the 4,714 units sold in January 2011.
The record month follows a banner year for BMW
“After a record year in 2011, the new year has started very pleasingly for BMW. Never before have we sold as many motorcycles in the first month of a year as in January 2012,” says Hendrik von Kuenheim, general director of BMW Motorrad.
Suzuki Forms Joint Venture for Develoing
Fuel Cell Technology
Suzuki announced it is partnering with U.K.-based Intelligent Energy Holdings to form a joint venture for developing fuel cell systems.The new joint venture, SMILE FC System Corporation, will work on developing fuel cell systems for both motorcycles and automobiles. Intelligent Energy, with its fuel cell expertise and Suzuki, with its mass production capabilities, will each have 50% share of SMILE FC.
“The joint venture will accelerate the number of our systems for mass manufacturing and it allows Suzuki to avoid the higher costs of in-house development,” Henri Winand, chief executive of Intelligent Energy, told Reuters.
