Organized by Delicate Promotions, the FIM sanctioned AMA Land Speed Grand Championship returns to the Bonneville Speedway near Wendover, Utah, on Aug. 25-30. Also known as the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, the event features both American and international amateur land speed racing competitors vying for AMA and FIM records.
Hamburg based German retail multiple Detlev Louis is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Bought by U.S. investor Warren Buffett’s Omaha, Nebraska headquartered Berkshire Hathway investment conglomerate in 2015, Louis started out as a motorcycle enthusiasts’ shop in Hamburg in 1938 and today has more than 80 stores in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with online retail operations throughout Europe.
The German Institute for Service Quality examined 1,145 brands and companies from 53 industries for consumer satisfaction levels, and Harley-Davidson was the winner in the Mobility category – ahead of the likes of BMW and Yamaha.
Taiwan has announced that it is to phase out gasoline powered motorcycles by 2035 – five years earlier than gasoline powered cars. With a population of just 23 million people, Taiwan is reported to have some 14 million motorcycles.
British three-wheel sports tourer manufacturer Morgan Motor Company, which uses U.S. made S&S X-Wedge 60-degree V-twin engines in its core models, is thought to be close to production of an all-electric Roadster in partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems, owner of the legendary British Bristol Cars marque.
Polaris is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the introduction of its popular Ranger SxS vehicle series. The company has produced more than 1 m UTVs since 1998 at its Huntsville, Alabama factory.
Ducati has opened a new flagship store in New York City. The new dealership, with a renovated showroom of more than 700 sq m, is strategically located at 155 6th Avenue in SoHo in New York and opened its doors on April 19. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said: “This new Monobrand Ducati Store represents a further step forward in the process of continuous improvement of the quality of our network internationally.”
B&B reports that data from the KBA in Germany shows the number of motorcycles registered in Germany as of 1 January 2018 reached 4,372,978 units – a record high number. Said to have increased by 1.4 percent in the prior 12 months, 79.9 percent are over 125cc, with 13.3 percent owned by women. Bavaria records the most (926,882), followed by North Rhine-Westphalia (833,009), Baden-Württemberg (675,708), Lower Saxony (418,922) and Hessen (330,822).
