At the end of October Harley announced a recall affecting some 177,000 FL models from 2017 and 2018 on which there is a clutch fluid leak risk – if the clutch cannot be disengaged, it could result in loss of control. The secondary clutch actuator cylinder may leak fluid internally and the clutch master cylinder may lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch.
Popular International Sales Manager Ken Ciocci has left Spectro Oils after more than 30 years. The Brookfield, CT, based blender has announced Eric Christianson as its new Director of Global Business Development.
Google has enabled the motorcycle mode feature on Google Maps in Kenya, a first in Africa. The new routing mode offers turn-by-turn navigation, avoids restricted roads, suggests routes and shortcuts that are more efficient, and shows accurate arrival times. The feature was first introduced in India last year and is currently available in other Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, where motorcycle use is very widespread.
A big ‘shout out’ to Dr. Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick, an internationally respected academic, campaigner and fashion industry brand owner who, as a record-breaking superbiker, has travelled solo around the world to change attitudes towards women in her native Iran. Women there are banned from motorbike riding due to modesty laws, but she recently became the first Iranian woman to openly enter the country on a motorbike without being arrested.
Harley was in 6th place in market share terms in Germany for the year to October - taking a 10.14% share with 10,519 units sold there YTD for a +19.52 percent increase in market share compared to the first 10 months of 2017. Their top sellers were the Street Bob, Fat Bob 114 and Breakout 114.
The total motorcycle market in Germany is theoretically reported as being +7.67% for the year to October at 103,730 motorcycles sold. However, while the number of bikes sold may well be accurate, comparisons with 2017 are misleading and this year may well have been ‘flat’ throughout Europe – the December 2016 pre-registration of Euro 3 bikes actually sold in 2017, after the Euro 4 compliance deadline, mean that last year’s sales were higher than recorded in the official stats.
Motorcycle Live in the UK in November saw Norton unveil two prototypes of its planned Norton Atlas - the Nomad and the Ranger naked style Roadsters. The 84 hp twins are using the 1200 cc from the long-planned Norton V4, cut in half, and is targeting production of 2000 Atlas units a year from 2019.
EICMA saw KTM unveil a new electric mini-cycle, the SX-E 5, which combines “class-leading knowledge in youth motorcycling with years of development work in the e-sector and based on the incredibly popular 2-stroke KTM 50 SX with a high-end chassis powered by an electric motor - zero emissions, low noise and minimal maintenance, adjustable seat height and a KTM PowerPack that can provide more than two hours of riding for a beginner (25 minutes for faster junior racers).” An external worldwide charger can restore full power in around one hour.
It’s the end of an era at AIMExpo. Industry stalwarts Larry Little, a former MIC Chairman and Cycle World publisher, and ex Advanstar/Indy Dealer Expo executive Mike Webster are stepping aside from their present roles, with Webster starting his own consultancy and Little going part-time. Another former Advanstar/Indy Dealer Expo executive, Cinnamon Kernes, will report to MIC President/ CEO Tim Buche as MIC Events VP/GM, and with 2018 marketing hire Andre Albert stepping up to serve as Sales and Marketing Director.
The AMA has objected to an announcement that the U.S. EPA has raised the amount of ethanol to be blended into vehicle fuel next year by 630 million gallons. All of the proposed increase is in advanced biofuels - ethanol is made from non-food sources. "By forcing more ethanol into our fuel supply, year after year, the EPA is increasing the risk for motorcycle owners, all-terrain vehicle riders and others whose vehicles are not equipped to use fuels containing more than 10% ethanol. Higher ethanol mandates, coupled with proposals to sell E15 fuel year-round, will begin to push ethanol-free and E10 fuel out of the marketplace, much in the way E10 has marginalized E0, the fuel required for older and vintage machines."
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, B&B, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MNW