K&N Engineering

Bolt-in horsepower with K&N replacement M-8 filter

K&N has introduced an all new OE replacement high-flow air filter for the 2017 model Harley- Davidson Milwaukee-Eight engine packages.  
The K&N HD-1717 is a direct replacement for the HD OE#29400212, designed to fit directly into the stock air intake assembly without any cutting or fitting required, but also to improve usable surface area over the stock unit.  The increased surface area over the OEM part provides very low restriction and improved airflow to the throttle body, resulting in an increase in horsepower and torque. 
The K&N injection molded top plate and base plate incorporate stock vent tube inlets as well as a velocity style entry radius for a smooth delivery of airflow. K&N’s pleated filter media is said to provide a large filtration area, offering long service intervals. Their multi-layers of woven cotton gauze media are noted for their excellent filtration.
The new unit fits directly into the OEM air filter assembly with OE style mounting tabs to ensure a precise fit; fuel management modifications are not required for increased performance. K&N filters are made by them in California and washable, reusable, pre-oiled and include K&N’s unique 10-year/million-mile limited warranty.

K&N ENGINEERING INC
www.knfilters.com

Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited

‘Indy is Back’ Part II

LeMans has announced February 10-11 2018 as the date for its Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited Spring Premier NVP Product Expo at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis – the venue for many years for the now closed Advanstar Dealer Expo.

“The move from the Lucas Oil Stadium to the remodelled Indiana Convention Center allows for a 50 percent increase in show floor space.
“Each day will begin with exclusive dealer product training directly from industry professionals, and dealers are invited to our Meet & Greet/Bike Show on the Saturday evening”

Following a highly successful ‘Indy is Back’ trial event earlier this year at the Indiana Colts Lucas Oil Stadium just down the road from the remodelled convention center, “the expanded format of the expo will see some 300 or more exhibitors taking advantage of the 50 percent increase in show floor space to show more of their newest products and industry leading brands.”

www.dragspecialties.com

Comment by Editor-in-Chief, Robin Bradley

“Useful is the new cool”

Well, that was quite a relief. The reaction to my comment last month (“Hey, Harley – leave Ducati alone”) has, I am pleased to say, been both larger than usual and universally positive.
I haven’t had any single person (so far) call me out over any aspect of it. Which is reassuring, since by the end of it I wasn’t so much going out on a limb as tip-toeing on twigs!
Since I wrote that piece there has been radio silence about the Ducati issue, but meanwhile, the issues of change within our own industry, like time, are waiting for no man or woman. The motorcycle industry was forced to rise to Black Belt standard where prudence is concerned and that, hopefully, will see us through whatever does lie ahead – Harley take note – why risk throwing it all away?
The change that does, of course, simultaneously threaten to draw time on the business opportunities of the past as well as raise the curtain on sunlit uplands anew. At its heart is the change we are seeing in terms of “New Gen” attitudes to the ownership and riding experience.
The foundation for optimism is that, unlike their predecessors, the ‘Millennials’ appear to be born with one foot on a footpeg in terms of how the characteristics of riding fit with their stated life-experience ambitions.
If you buy into the theory that ‘Millennials’ place a premium on opportunities to express their individuality in a social setting, and I do, then I found some interesting demographic statistics the other day that I find kind of reassuring – for the time being at least!
Like all generalizations, what follows can’t be taken to the bank, but one theory of social change doing the rounds currently is that demographics are not in fact exactly generational in nature. They may well have been the case in the past, but with technology driving ever greater diversification and ever faster change, and with self-images becoming ever more complex and fluid, the piece I read started by describing those born before 1945 as the “Silent Generation”.
Well, while they might be now, they certainly weren’t “back in their day”, but nonetheless, their life experiences and expectations were as different to those of the 21st century as it is possible for them to be.

 “fastest base of meaningful consumer growth”

The theory then goes on to suggest that the Boomers can be described as those born between 1946 and 1964 – well, give or take a couple of years either way, that sounds about right to me.
However, “we” Boomers begat trouble – Generation X, a relatively short-lived group said to have been born between 1965 and 1976. As most “generations” do, they were quick to eschew the characteristics of their parents and grandparents (well, maybe a little less so where the grandparents are concerned) and, famously, whether right or not, ‘Gen Exers’ garnered a reputation for being sultry, sullen, anti-social and apathetic – which left motorcycling and a myriad of leisure pursuits well out in the cold.
Well, if this theory has any validity at all, at least we can be grateful that they were followed by the ‘Xennials’ – a shortest of all groups (a “micro-generation”, if they exist at all!), being those born between 1977 and 1983, and who demonstrate a tough to pin down combination between the pessimism of the ‘Gen Exers’ and the optimism of the “Millennials” (aka Gen Y) – the group born between 1997 or 1984 (depending on whether you accept the existence of Generation X and 1996 (or 2000-ish, depending on who you read).
Either way, this is the group which is now our fastest base of meaningful consumer growth and our greatest hope for the future of our (albeit changed) industry.
A few tasty ‘Millennial’ factoids for you – they are currently estimated to make up 25 percent of the entire U.S. population, and already make up 21 percent of consumer discretionary spending – which is estimated to be over a trillion dollars in direct buying power in the U.S. alone and a huge influence on older generations.
Some 37 percent of Millennials say they are willing to purchase a product or service to support a cause they believe in, even if it means paying a bit more, and are 2.5 times more likely to be early adopters of technology than other generations.
For Millennials “Useful is the new Cool” and they value brands that enhance their lives, with 80 percent wanting brands that “entertain them” (motorcycles anyone?), 40 percent wanting to participate in the co-creation of products and brands (personalization no less!), and 70 percent feeling a “responsibility” to share feedback with companies after a good or bad experience (tell us what you want to ride and we’ll build it for you!).
Finally, 79 percent say they would like to visit all 50 U.S. states, 75 percent would like to travel abroad and 69 percent say they “crave adventure”. Yay!
However, inevitably, what goes around can come around. The ‘Millennials’ are, apparently, destined to be followed by ‘Generation Z’ (aka Centennials, Post-Millennials, Plurals, or the Homeland Generation), and while there is no clear consensus either on start date for this cohort (the year 2000 is widely expected to be some kind of demographic watershed) nor any consensus about their characteristics as proto-consumers, a significant aspect of this generation is the widespread usage of the internet from a young age, so for them it is not new technology, which gives them, or will give them, an unprecedented comfort level with technologies of all kinds. Automatic transmissions, heads-up displays, V2V technology – just throwing a few out there!
The bad news is that some commentators are already suggesting that growing up through the ‘Great Long Dark Night’ has given the cohort a feeling of unsettlement and insecurity. Damn…just as it was getting interesting there’s that long shadow and lost decade thing again!

MAG Accessories Group

MAG Accessories Group hires new VP Sales

MAG Accessories Group, the Motorsports Aftermarket Group’s combined Kuryakyn and Mustang Motorcycle Products (Seats) division, has hired Chris Hayes as its VP Sales.

“I look forward to leveraging my experience to contribute to the Kuryakyn and Mustang Sales teams. Both companies employ very talented and passionate people, and I look forward to working and riding with them.”

Hayes’ background includes time as Director of Sales for H-D Footwear at Wolverine World Wide Inc., being one of the founders and CEO of Specialty Sports Limited (which specializes in the design, manufacturing and marketing of riding gear and apparel) and time at Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.
Reporting directly to MAG Accessories Group President Holger Mohr, Hayes will be based in Somerset, Wisconsin, and will oversee all retail, dealer and distributor sales operations while leading the development and implementation of strategic processes, working directly with Kuryakyn and Mustang Sales’ marketing and events teams.

News Briefs

 

Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative, has told a congressional committee that while he is “sympathetic” to American motorcyclists, dealerships and others in the “Beef for Bikes” controversy, he will not, at this stage, intervene and remove small displacement European motorcycles from a proposed import tariff on motorcycles of 500cc and less while negotiations continue in a dispute with the European Union over U.S. beef imports.

America’s top Ohlins suspension dealer Daniel Laine Kyle of Carmel-by-the-sea, California, is likely looking at some serious goal time and major league fines after pleading guilty to tax fraud by hiding cash transactions – he is estimated to have defrauded the US government of anywhere between $500,000 and $1.5m in taxes over a six year period.

A Suzuki Motor America employee is being taken to court by U.S. authorities over claims he knowingly lied for his employer in an application for a Certificate of Conformity under the Clean Air Act – altering documents to show the company would not be over its allotted emissions for the 2012 model year.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has settled a dispute with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which saw it hit with a $5.2m fine over alleged failure to report an ROV defect that could have created a “substantial product hazard.”

Swiss oil blender Bucher AG is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its formation this year. It started out as a leather and floor care products business called REX in 1917 and evolved to become the Motorex motorcycle lubricant and oil brand in 1947.

MTA Distributing has added U.S. availability of Thai made Vee Rubber tires for V-twin applications.

Slingshot

New SLR LE headlines expanded 2018 Slingshot model year line-up

Polaris’ Slingshot three-wheeled, open air cockpit roadster was first launched in 2014, and despite poor sales and recall issues, with more states opening up to registration of Slingshots as motorcycles or autocycles, Polaris CEO Scott Wine reaffirmed their determination to stick with the program when talking to investors, the media and analysts when the company unveiled their second quarter fiscals in July.

The 2018 model line-up sees four models, three of which now feature the 7” touch screen Ride Command infotainment system seen on select Indian Motorcycle models. Headlining the 2018 models is the all-new Slingshot SLR LE. 
Said to represent “the biggest improvements since its introduction, the new Slingshot line-up takes style, performance and technology to a whole new level,” according to Polaris’ Motorcycle Division, which manages the product line.
The 2018 Slingshot line-up consists of Slingshot S, SL, SLR and SLR LE.    

The new top of the range of four Slingshot three-wheeled, open air cockpit roadster starts at $30,999

The “ultra-premium” SLR LE “packs a suite of offerings, including Bilstein 10-way adjustable suspension, 200w Rockford Fosgate audio, premium sport seats with color-matched side bolsters, two-tone Ghost Gray with Lime Squeeze painted accents, and special edition graphics.”
Kevin Reilly, VP Marketing for Slingshot, says: “The introduction of Ride Command merges the conveniences of today’s latest technology with Slingshot’s high-adrenaline riding experience. The addition of the SLR LE rounds out our vehicle offerings with a premium model for those who demand the absolute best.”
The entry level Slingshot S starts at $19,999, with the SL selling at $25,499, the SLR starting at $28,999, and the new SLR LE will be available starting at $30,999.

KB Performance Pistons

KB “zero clearance” coated ‘SuperDuty’ pistons for Twin Cams

The result of a collaboration with Line2Line Coatings, a specialist in patented abradable coatings for clearance control, United Engine & Machine’s new KB ‘Super Duty’ piston series for Harley Twin Cams feature an abradable coating applied to the thickness of the piston to wall clearance for a zero-install clearance.

The coating, a polymer based formulation, abrades in on start-up to hone “for the perfect fit” in the cylinder, eliminating piston rock for the best possible ring seal and no piston slap noise.
By reducing the clearance, engine efficiency is improved, lowering friction, maintaining an even oil film and protecting against scuffs and excess wear.
KB Performance pistons are offered in hypereutectic 390 alloy and forged 4032 low expansion alloy for high-performance, high-compression applications. They offer offset wrist pins for a quiet engine, and most have coated skirts. The low expansion alloy allows for a tighter piston to wall running clearance. KB Performance pistons are available for Knuckle, Shovelhead, Evo, Twin Cam, Sportster Harleys and selected Indians in a variety of different engine sizes and compression ratios.

KB PERFORMANCE PISTONS
www.uempistons.com

Motorcycle Storehouse

MCS with added Cobra and Lang Tools

Netherlands based Motorcycle Storehouse has added these chrome Cobra 4” slip-ons with Race Pro end caps for 2017 Touring models.

These RPTs (Race Pro Tips) are 4” diameter and expand to 4 1/2”. Featuring a 3” core technology that is described as “far beyond louvered metal tubes,” Cobra has been able to engineer and use a “high frequency, sound chattering technique in the high-flow core to enhance the lower mellow tones. The result is a muffler system that offers great sound quality without mid-range distortion or raspy irritation,” according to Motorcycle Storehouse.
Also new at Motorcycle Storehouse is this Lang Tools leak down tester for checking and measuring cylinder leakage on 4-stroke motorcycles. 

It works on an air compressor and comes with dual gauges, a 35 PSI pressure gauge and a 0-100% percentage gauge. It fits spark plug holes of 14mm standard, 14mm long and includes 12mm and 10mm adapters. It comes packed in a sturdy blow-molded carrying case.

MOTORCYCLE STOREHOUSE BV
www.motorcyclestorehouse.com