Ducati delivered 12,803 bikes from January to March 2021, an increase in sales of +33% over Q1 2020 and +2% over Q1 2019. The company says it had a best-ever forward order book at the end of the quarter, with +93% growth over 2020 and +135% compared to 2019. Italy remained its strongest market (2,354 units), followed by USA (1,723) and Germany (1,275). The Ducati Scrambler 800 range were the best performers in Q1, with the Multistrada V4 the most delivered single model, followed by the V4 Streetfighter.
Honda has said that it is targeting 100% EV sales in North America by 2040 (battery-electric and fuel cell) having achieved 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2035. The company is aiming for carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050 and zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda automobiles and motorcycles globally by 2050.
Race legend Dick Mann has passed away, aged 86. The winner of two Grand National Championships, Mann was touted as one of the greatest to ever compete in various motorcycle racing disciplines. He is best known for being the first person to ever win all five types of circuit included in the AMA Grand National Championship: short track, TT, half-mile, mile and road race. Mann was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
Southern Thunder H-D in Southaven, Mississippi, has been sold by Bob Parsons (of Go Daddy fame) to Dale Rhoads, owner of DEFCON Powersports - owner of H-D locations in Tulsa, OK; St. Paul, MN; Eden Prairie, MN; Lakeville, MN; Blaine, MN and Wichita, KS. Parsons instead intends to focus on his Arizona-based operations, including GO-AZ and H-D of Scottsdale, which, at 150,000 sq ft, is said to be the world's largest H-D store by floor area. Parsons acquired STHD eight years ago from Lisa Rossmeyer-Wade. This is DEFCON's seventh Harley store and is expected to take group revenues to $120m a year.
Polaris has confirmed further donations of more than $80,000 to off-road and all-terrain vehicles (ATV) organizations across the United States as a part of its ongoing T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Program. Nine non-profit organizations were awarded spring 2021 T.R.A.I.L.S. grants ranging from $6,000 to $10,000. Since its inception in 2006, the program has supported 324 ATV, off-road and snowmobiling organizations with more than $2.7m in grants.
Industry veteran Greg Blackwell has been hired by Texas based UTV manufacturer HISUN Motor Corp., USA to help develop its dealer network. His 30-year career has included senior roles with Metzeler Tires, LeMans Corporation, KTM North America, Tucker Powersports and more. At HISUN, colleagues will include ex-Cardo Systems man Jamie Cheek, who he knew as a vendor in his distributor days, business development manager Tyler Houghton and former distributor Tim Calhoun as Director of Parts and Accessories.
Jörg Bucher, the newly elected President of Motosuisse, the motorcycle industry trade association in Switzerland, has announced that the Swiss Moto trade fair is to be rebranded and moved from its long-time home in Zurich to new facilities at the Swiss capital, Bern. The first edition of the new iteration of the show will take place at Bernexpo in February or March 2022. Motosuisse says that "in the future, the festival character is to be strengthened, making the event relevant for a younger target audience."
Loveland, Colorado based Thunder Mountain H-D, one of the largest destination H-D stores in USA, has a new ownership team: long-time senior employees Justin Lynch and Nick Hill, and their backers, Steve and Laura Tuchschmidt (former owners of Mid America H-D), their daughter Katie Tillitt as COO (a former H-D Field Sales Manager and F&I Consultant for HDFS), and long-time Tuchschmidt family friends Andrew and Tonya Lear. New ownership was sought after the former owner pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour sexual-assault charge last summer.
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter.com
