Warr's Harley-Davidson

100 Years of Warr’s

In 1924, television was unheard of, the 'wireless' was for the privileged few, and, in Britain, Winston Churchill was Chancellor, Queen Elizabeth had yet to be born and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had been in the motorcycle business for a mere 21 years.

In that same year, Londoner and army veteran Captain Frederick James Warr opened a motorcycle and bicycle repair shop on London's Kings Road. Later that year he became an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer.

Fast forward 100 years to 2024, and Warr's Harley-Davidson, Europe's oldest Harley dealership and the world's oldest that is still owned and operated by the founding family, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

On Saturday July 6th this year, pretty much on the same spot where Capt. F. J. first opened his shop doors, thousands of Harley enthusiasts and well-wishers converged on 611 Kings Road in Chelsea, London - truly the birthplace and spiritual home of H-D in the UK - to celebrate the Warr family's achievement.

Harley enthusiasts from all over, including the USA, Canada, Europe and even the Middle East, were there to visit a famous showroom that is full of H-D history, curios and, of course, Harleys. 

On show inside were historic machines from as far back as 1912, mixed in with 1920s J Models, 1940s Knuckleheads, Flatheads, Panheads, Evos and, of course, the Warr collection of legendary Harley racers from across the decades.

VIP guest and global Harley ambassador Bill Davidson, who had come over especially for the 100th, presented Warr's boss John Warr with a beautifully handcrafted one-off award made from Rose Gold, recognizing the dealership's 100 years. 

MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers

Laguna Seca KOTB - Wyman Scoops Win and Second for H-D

Back where it all started at the legendary WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca at Salinas, California (Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2024 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers - July 12-14), H-D Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman took the series points lead with a dominating Double Header win on the Saturday and a second place finish the following day.

Aboard a race-prepared 2024 Road Glide motorcycle, Wyman also broke his own track record in qualifying and won the Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim won on Sunday as Harley-Davidson riders locked out the King Of The Baggers race podiums all weekend.

Wyman led all King Of The Baggers qualifiers with a time of 1:28.182, breaking the lap record he set in 2023. Wyman also won the three-lap Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge on Saturday. Starting from pole position on Saturday, Wyman led every lap of the nine-lap Mission King Of The Baggers feature race. In the opening laps, Wyman led a group that included Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider James Rispoli, RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson riders Hayden Gillim and Rocco Landers, Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss and SDI/Roland Sands Racing Indian rider Bobby Fong. 

Wyman gradually opened a gap of about 1 second on Gillim, with Landers and Herfoss trailing. Herfoss ran off the track on lap 8, and later that same lap Landers got by Gillim to take second place. Wyman crossed the finish line 2.666 seconds clear of Landers with Gillim in third place, followed by Fong and Rispoli. Herfoss finished 11th.

The following day, Wyman again led the King Of The Baggers off the start with Gillim and Fong in pursuit. Gillim executed a daring pass for the lead at the top of the infamous Corkscrew turn on lap 3, but Wyman took the lead back with a pass in turn 2 on lap 6. On lap 8, Gillim got past Wyman again in the Corkscrew, and Fong dropped out with a mechanical problem. Gillim crossed the finish line 0.188 seconds ahead of Wyman. Landers made a last lap pass of Herfoss to grab third place. Rispoli finished fifth.

Next Up: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, August 16-18; Circuit Of The Americas, Austin, Texas, September 13-15; New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 27-29.

www.motoamerica.com

Race One

1. Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing

2. Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson

3. Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson

4. Bobby Fong (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle

5. James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing

6. Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports

7. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle

8. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson

9. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson

10. Ruben Xaus (H-D) Feuling Parts

11. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle

12. Danny Spina (H-D) Ruthless Road Racing

Race Two

1. Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson

2. Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing

3. Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson

4. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle

5. James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing

6. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle

7. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson

8. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson

9. Danny Spina (H-D) Ruthless Road Racing

S&S Cycle

Charlie Hadayia Returns Home

After going on a 'career walkabout', Charlie Hadayia Jr. has returned to Viola, Wisconsin based S&S Cycle after a 14-year sabbatical, most recently at APG, where he was Senior Vice President of Supply Chain.

Charlie returns as Director of Business Development after an interregnum that had included a stint at Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice. Charlie was first with S&S from 1998 - 2010, where he worked his way from a tech position to Senior Manager of Racing and Customer Service, before finally becoming Director of Product Line.

"Charlie brings with him a proven track record of driving growth and expansion, a quality that will undoubtedly contribute to S&S Cycle's future success. During his tenure at Tucker/Biker’s Choice, Hadayia spearheaded numerous initiatives that significantly bolstered the company's market presence and profitability. 

"During his time at Tucker, Charlie was widely respected in the industry for his prior work at S&S and also for the job he did at Tucker under the most difficult of circumstances. He managed to expand the product lines at its 'Biker’s Choice' branded V-twin division, to improve customer satisfaction, and, remarkably, achieve growth - despite the corporate issues and debt headwinds that afflicted Tucker at the time.

"We are excited to welcome Charlie back to S&S Cycle," said President & CEO Paul Skarie. "His exceptional leadership and industry expertise are exactly what we need as we embark on the next chapter of our growth. Charlie's track record speaks for itself, and we are confident that his return will bring new opportunities and innovations to our company."

Hadayia is quoted as saying: "I am delighted to be able to rejoin S&S Cycle at this time and contribute to its future success. The motorcycle industry is evolving rapidly, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive growth and innovation at S&S. Together with the talented team here, we will explore new opportunities and build on the company's strong foundation."

www.sscycle.com

Indian Motorcycle

Rider Tyler O’Hara Takes S&S Indian FTR to Victory at Laguna Seca

Two-time defending SuperHooligan Champion Tyler O’Hara secured first and third place in the Mission SuperHooligan National Championship (SHNC) Double Header at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas, California, July 12-14, 2024.   

Featuring two race winners, multiple lap leaders and "bar-to-bar" action, the third stop of the SHNC proved nothing short of exhilarating. In the front of the pack was two-time defending SuperHooligan Champion Tyler O’Hara, who earned his first win of the 2024 season and maintained the series points lead following the weekend's action. 

"Race 1 featured fierce competition among multiple riders from start to finish. In a shortened six-lap race, O’Hara piloted his S&S Indian FTR to victory. In the final lap, O’Hara fell one spot as the pack of five riders made their way through the iconic Corkscrew, but he stayed on the gas and retook the lead, making one final pass through turn 11, racing his FTR down the final stretch and past the checkered flag." 

Through six races, O’Hara has 110 points and an eight-point lead in the championship standings. MotoAmerica’s SHNC will continue at Mid-Ohio on August 16-18 and conclude at Circuit of the Americas on September 13-15. 

Harley-Davidson

Pan America 1250 Riders Notch Two Super Hooligan Wins

KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Cody Wyman and Team Saddlemen/ Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis each rode race-prepared Pan America 1250 Specials to race victories in a Mission Super Hooligan Double Header weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington (June 28-30).

The Mission Super Hooligan road racing championship, held in conjunction with the MotoAmerica Superbike series, features 750 cc and up high-bar, race-prepared street bikes from the world’s premier motorcycle manufacturers.

Pouring rain created challenging race conditions on the Saturday of the Ridge Motorsports Park Double Header, causing the race distance to be shortened from eight to six laps of the 2.47-mile, 16-turn Ridge course. On the first lap, Wyman jumped from eighth position on the starting grid to second and took the lead on lap two with a pass of Team Saddlemen/ Harley-Davidson rider Cory West. 

Wyman was leading by 1.3 seconds when the race was red-flagged, and though West led briefly from the restart, he slid off in turn three and Wyman, managing the conditions expertly, sped away from the field. KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Schultz moved into second place. Wyman crossed the finish line 7.99 seconds clear of Schultz for a 1-2 finish for the KWR/Harley-Davidson team. S&S/Indian rider Tyler O’Hara finished in third place, more than 13 seconds behind Wyman.

On a dry track the following day, West, Lewis and O’Hara broke away from the field on lap 2, with Lewis passing West for the lead on lap 3 and, pulling away, had opened a gap of more than 4 seconds by lap 6 of the 8 - eventually taking the win 2.00 seconds ahead of O’Hara, second, with West third.

Race One

Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/H-D

Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/H-D

Tyler O'Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Mc

Hawk Mazzotta (IND) RSD

Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/H-D

Race Two

Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/H-D

Tyler O'Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Mc

Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/H-D

Troy Herfoss (IND) S&S/Indian Mc

Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/H-D

Italian motorcycle registrations

Italian Motorcycle and PTW Registrations at Record Highs

The latest available data from the Italian motorcycle industry association (ANCMA) show new motorcycle registrations in Italy for the first six months of 2024 up by a very healthy +7.75% at 96,411 units, having been positive for four out of the six months so far, and all three months of Q2.

This has meant another post 2013 record for the Italian market for the first half of the year. Total PTW registrations were +6.21% YTD at an unprecedented 203,874 units - also a post dawn of creation record for the first half of the year in Italy!

The top-selling motorcycle YTD was the Benelli TRK 702/X (4,344 units sold in H1). This was followed by the BMW 1300 GS with 3,394 units sold. Unusually, in a sea of scooters, this placed the leading two larger displacement motorcycles in 7th and 10th spot respectively in terms of all PTW sales in Italy YTD. Indeed, the Honda Africa Twin was in 16th spot with 2,677 units sold YTD.

Honda's SH 125, 150 and 350 were the top-sellers overall, followed by the KYMCO Agility 125 R16 in fourth, Piaggio Liberty 125 ABS and Honda X-ADV 750 in fifth and sixth spots. Maxi and ADV style scooters remain strong sellers in Italy - Honda's ADV 350 and 750, Yamaha's XMAX 300 and TMAX, Piaggio's Beverly 300, the BMW R 1300 GS and Honda Africa Twin among them. 

Total Scooter sales were 107,463 units (+4.87%) in Italy in the first half year.

For the record: 2023 motorcycle sales were 145,405 units in 2023 (+14.88%), with all months in positive territory - the best Italian annual market numbers since before the 2007/2008 financial crisis and the resulting Great Recession. In total PTW terms, the Italian market was +17.94% in 2023, with a massive 318,948 units registered. Scooters were up by +20.64% at 173,543 units. The top selling motorcycle was the Benelli TRK 502/X (4,075 units), followed by the Honda Africa Twin (3,880) in a market where Maxi Scooters and ADV/Enduro style machines continue to gain share. 

Baker Drivetrain

Baker F6R - Factory 6-Speed Reverse

Industry legend Bert Baker, the 'Gearhead' behind Michigan based Baker Drivetrain, says "designed, manufactured, tested, proven and beloved - the industry's leading reverse drive for Harley-Davidson is the easiest to use and most worry-free system available.

"Our non-invasive reverse gear system was designed to be out of the driveline picture when going forward. We did not want superfluous reverse gear mechanisms at play spinning, jarring and/or adding additional rotational weight where 99.9% of the riding direction is spent - namely going forwards. We did not want to compromise safety, performance and horsepower for the tiny moments when going backward is needed."

The Baker F6R kit includes the door, side cover, countershaft, reverse gears and shift system and related hardware and adds a reverse gear to any existing 2006-later factory Big Twin Cruise Drive 6-speed transmission. 

"The system is unlike any other on the market," says Bert. "It works off the stock shift lever - with a simple safety switch lever and a kick of the shift lever, you’re in reverse. It’s that simple. No reaching near hot pipes to put your bike in reverse by hand. With the Baker reverse system, you’ll be able to safely shift from first to reverse and back with no risk of engaging both gears at once. You’ll also find it’s much easier to find neutral than on a stock bike." 

Baker reverse gears are fully heat-treated, with diamond-ground tooth profiles and cut from gear grade 8620 steel. The gear ratios were chosen to make it easy to maneuver the bike in reverse. The overall 4.98:1 reverse gear ratio is essentially a creeper gear, which is 45% shorter than the stock 3.34:1 first gear; a redundant spring system on the safety lever assembly make it "the safest reverse system on the market today," and the included shift drum improves shift quality and the ability to find neutral.

Backed by a two-year limited warranty, it features a true ‘plug and play’ wiring harness - no need to use the starter motor for reverse maneuvers. No case modifications are necessary and there is no accidental shifting into reverse due to the safety lever mechanism that locks out reverse when it is not energized. It does not fit 2023 and later CVO models.

BAKER DRIVETRAIN 

www.bakerdrivetrain.com

Bikers Crown

TRILOBITE Parado Monolayer/AAA Jeans

Described as "the next generation of riding comfort and style," TRILOBITE Parado Monolayer/AAA jeans "represent a significant advancement in motorcycle apparel technology - representing a new generation of an already legendary riding jeans program."

Made from EN 17092 AAA certified Tri-Stretcher Pro 5.0 denim, they are a lightweight, breathable, single layer construction for men and women in blue and black editions.

For men

A brand owned by leading Czech motorcycle industry retailer and distributor Bikers Crown, CEO and Lead Designer Martin Solar told AMD: "Over the last two years, TRILOBITE invested a lot of time, energy and financial resources in textile engineering and development.

"We designed and developed many fabrics with our partners, some of them are being used in mass production, others ended up in a dead end - after all, you have to fail in order to learn how to succeed, right? We tested many different fabrics in different laboratories from different countries. 

"We are continuously looking for the uncompromising quality, affordable price and the highest level of safety in denim fabric in the world. We believe that the Parado Monolayer/ AAA jeans will be a 'game changer' for motorcycle enthusiasts, providing them with a level of comfort and protection they've never experienced before. 

For women

"With the 2024 collection, we aim to cater to the evolving needs of the riding community, and the Parado Monolayer/AAA jeans exemplify our dedication to innovation and excellence."

Safety and ergonomic features include CE level 2 protectors at the hips and knees, five pockets, stretch panels at the knees, back, waist and crotch, adjustable height of knee protectors, double belt loops in front and raised waist belt at the back.

One of the few riding jeans concept brands to additionally have paid attention to the needs for ventilation, with air vent pockets at the thighs and a breathable crotch panel.

BIKERS CROWN LTD

www.trilobitemoto.com