AFT

Halbert Holds Off Bauman for New York Short Track I

Mission SuperTwins Presented by S&S Cycle
Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) beat the odds to score an inspiring victory in the Mission Foods New York Short Track I presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle on August 13 at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York.
Riding wounded after suffering a broken foot and missing multiple rounds earlier this season, Halbert grabbed the lead away from double defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) two minutes into the 10-minute-plus-two-lap Main Event.

Bauman put up a fight, and briefly took the lead with less than 30 seconds on the clock, but Halbert had an answer and took the flag for a 15th career premier-class victory. Despite narrowly missing out on a third successive victory, Bauman's second meant he increased his title lead to 33 points, with seven races remaining.
Meanwhile, Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), the newly announced Springfield Mile promoter for 2022, beat a resurgent Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City FTR750) to the line by 0.307 seconds for third, with Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) fifth.

AFT Singles
Reigning AFT Singles king Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) scored a thrilling, last-lap victory over Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) to reignite his title defense.
Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) took third, with Trent Lowe (No. 48 WBR/Suzuki Motor of America RM-Z450) fourth and Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Roof Systems of Dallas TX/Bullet Strong Racing RM-Z450) fifth.

AFT Production Twins Presented by Vance & Hines
Breakaway Production Twins title leader Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) went wire-to-wire to notch up his fifth victory of the 2021 season.
He has a remarkable ability to bolt off the line and take the holeshot with regularity. He did so again in the first of the Short Track Doubleheader at Weedsport and leveraged the clear track to work up an immediate one-second gap. That ultimately proved vital in his efforts to hold off a hard-charging Cameron Smith (No. 44 Fredericktown Yamaha/Richie Reynolds Racing MT-07) in second.
Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) took third, with Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT) fourth and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) fifth.

Mission Super Twins Presented by S&S Cycle
1. Sammy Halbert - Indian FTR750, Coolbeth-Nila Racing, Roof Systems
2. Briar Bauman - Indian FTR750, Indian Motorcycle, Progressive Insurance, S&S Cycle
3. Jared Mees - Indian FTR750, Indian Motorcycle, Progressive Insurance, Mission Foods
4. Bronson Bauman - Indian FTR750, Indian Motorcycle, Indian Oklahoma
5. Jarod Vanderkooi - Indian FTR750, Mission Foods, Roof Systems

Singles
1. Dallas Daniels - Yamaha YZ450F, Estenson Racing/Yamaha Racing
2. Trevor Brunner - Honda CRF450R, American Honda/Progressive Insurance
3. Morgen Mischler - KTM 450 SX-F, Mission Foods/ Roof Systems
4. Trent Lowe - Suzuki RMZ 450, WBR/Suzuki Motor of America
5. Ferran Cardus - Suzuki RMZ 450, Roof Systems/Bullet Strong Racing

Production Twins Presented by Vance & Hines
1. Cory Texter - Yamaha MT-07, G&G Racing, Yamaha Racing
2. Cameron Smith - Yamaha MT-07, Fredricktown Yamaha, Richie Reynolds Racing
3. Dalton Gauthier - Harley-Davidson XG750R, D&D Cycles, Vance & Hines, Boswells H-D
4. Johnny Lewis - Royal Enfield 650, Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield
5. Dan Bromley - Yamaha MT-07, Memphis Shades, Vinson Construction


Mees Got His Mojo Back for New York Short Track II

Mission SuperTwins Presented by S&S Cycle
AFT legend Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) was at his best for the second of the New York Short Tracks, the multi-time Grand National Champion claiming a dominant victory.

After a battle for the all-important racing low line at the super-slick Weedsport Short Track, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) stole second by a 0.003-seconds from Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) in third - brake issues having ended the threat he appeared to pose to Mees at around half distance.
Race I winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) taking fourth this time, ahead of JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) in fifth, with defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) sixth.

AFT Singles
Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) earned his second-career AFT Singles victory - his first since 2018 - and did so starting from Row 3. Mischler ignored the deep pack of riders scraping down low and instead railed his way around the extreme high line. In just a matter of a couple of short laps, Mischler was in the lead and leaving the field in his wake en route to the checkered flag. Mischler had stacked up an incredible 16 podiums (including six this season) between victories.
Brandon Kitchen (No. 105 Husqvarna Motorcycles/Vance & Hines Husqvarna FC450) scored his first podium for 2021 in second, ahead of Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) third, Trent Lowe (No. 48 WBR/Suzuki Motor of America RM-Z450) fourth and pre-race title leader Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) fifth. Daniels now leads Whale by a narrow two-point margin (178-176).

AFT Production Twins Presented by Vance & Hines
It was several years in the making, but Cameron Smith (No. 44 Fredericktown Yamaha/Richie Reynolds Racing MT-07) is officially a Progressive American Flat Track Main Event winner at last.
Smith first showed the potential to run up front in AFT Singles competition as far back as the 2016 season, but he didn’t truly establish himself as a threat to claim the checkered flag until the switch to Production Twins. Following a pair of 2021 runner-up finishes - including second spot behind Cory Texter the previous evening - Smith at last broke through with a dominant 1.270-second victory.
Holeshot expert Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) didn’t get his usual fast start, which altered the complexion of the race completely. Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) took second, ahead of Texter in third, with Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) fourth and Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/Rausch Fuel Kawasaki Ninja 650) holding off Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) to complete the top five.
Next up will be the Mission Foods Peoria, Il. TT (August 21st); followed by the Memphis Shades Springfield Mile I & II (September 4th and 5th); the Sacramento Mile I & II (September 11th and 12th) and what is presently slated to be the final race of the season, the Charlotte Half-Mile on Friday October 8.


Mission Super Twins Presented by S&S Cycle
1. Jared Mees - Indian FTR750, Indian Motorcycle, Progressive Insurance, Mission Foods
2. Jarod Vanderkooi - Indian FTR750, Mission Foods, Roof Systems
3. Brandon Robinson - Indian FTR750, Mission Foods, Roof Systems
4. Sammy Halbert - Indian FTR750, Coolbeth-Nila Racing, Roof Systems
5. JD Beach - Yamaha MT-07, Estenson Racing, Yamaha Racing, Monster Energy

Singles
1. Morgen Mischler - KTM 450 SX-F, Mission Foods/ Roof Systems DFW
2. Brandon Kitchen - Husqvarna FC450, Husqvarna Motorcycles, Vance & Hines, TCD Racing
3. Dallas Daniels - Yamaha YZ450F, Estenson Racing/Yamaha Racing
4. Trent Lowe - Suzuki RMZ 450, WBR/Suzuki Motor of America
5. Max Whale - KTM 450 SX-FFE, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Production Twins Presented by Vance & Hines
1. Cameron Smith - Yamaha MT-07, Fredricktown Yamaha, Richie Reynolds Racing
2. Dalton Gauthier - Harley-Davidson XG750R, D&D Cycles, Vance & Hines, Boswells H-D
3. Cory Texter - Yamaha MT-07, G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing
4. Dan Bromley - Yamaha MT-07, Memphis Shades, Vinson Construction
5. Ryan Varnes - Kawasaki Ninja 650, RVR Rausch Fuel, Dick Ford Risbon Excavating

News Briefs

 

Dunlop is claiming "exceptional mileage performance" for its new Sportmax Roadsmart IV sport-touring tire - claiming +49% more performance than the Michelin Road 5 GT and up to a +26% increase in mileage over its own Roadsmart III. "The rear tire uses MT Multi-Tread technology with a long-wearing compound in the center of the tire and special lateral compounds on the shoulders for outstanding grip. Front and rear tire compounds contain Hi Silica X and Fine Carbon to increase wet grip and stopping performance. New sidewall construction improves wet and dry handling and comfort."

Harley-Davidson's Pan America is 'selling instantly' upon its arrival at dealerships in USA, according to an MBJ report.

H-D Victorville, Ca., has been renamed Death Valley H-D following a change in ownership. Sales director Matt Ensor is quoted as saying: "We are bringing more merchandise to the store, including additional pre-owned inventory and 180 new motorcycles. The name change was due to the national park being close to our area." The thinking, no doubt, will be that the new name could boost store traffic and make it a destination hub for riders touring the area.

Riders Share has announced that users can now rent adventure and dual-sport motorcycles on the peer-to-peer platform - with the newest models from BMW, Ducati, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM and Yamaha available for customers to choose from. Motorcycles can be rented on a one-off basis from the site or utilizing a Rider Pass subscription.

UK new motorcycle registrations (MCIA data) were +11.67% (13,981 units) for June and were running at +31.41% for the first six months of the year (54,405 units) as the industry lapped the worst of the 2020 Covid impact registration numbers. Total PTW registrations were +31.35% (57,614 units) YTD. The market share leader in the UK in June was Honda, followed by Yamaha, BMW, Triumph and Kawasaki.

Liberty Hill, Texas based Volcon ePowersports is expanding its operations to another state, with a new 1,500 sq ft storefront located in the RiNo Art District of Denver and a longer-term lease for about 6,000 sq ft elsewhere in the city.

After 16 years of ownership, Crouch Entity, Inc. sold Old Fort H-D in Arkansas to Todd Hickingbotham's dealership investment group - bringing his family of Harley dealership locations to a total of eight in central and the south-eastern U.S. The dealership will stay at its present location but be rebranded as Fort Smith H-D. It joins current Hickingbotham H-D locations Rock City (Little Rock, AR); Toad Suck H-D (Conway, AR); Boswell's H-D, Boswell's Ring of Fire H-D and Boswell's Country Roads H-D (Nashville, Madison and Cookeville, TN, respectively) and Iron Nation H-D (Edmond, OK).

Foxconn and Gogoro have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the expansion of Gogoro's Battery Swapping System and Smartscooters. The Taiwan based giants will accelerate Gogoro's global expansion by utilizing Foxconn expertise to "introduce new levels of manufacturing capabilities and scale for Gogoro." The Gogoro Network is a "hyper-efficient battery swapping platform" with nearly 400,000 riders and 2,100 battery swapping stations that hosts 270,000 daily battery swaps with nearly 200 million total battery swaps to date.

New motorcycle registrations in Spain (ANESDOR data) were down -11.59% for June (18,662 units) but +25.61% (81,900 units) for the first six months of 2021 as industry data lapped the worst of the year-ago Covid impact numbers. Total new PTW sales were +24.47% (90,639 units) YTD. The market share leader was Honda, followed by Yamaha, BMW, Piaggio and Kymco.

Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter.com

Harley-Davidson

H-D1 Marketplace

Described as the "ultimate destination for pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles in North America," Harley's new H-D1 Marketplace appears to be an integral part of the new production and pricing policy being driven by Project Hardwire.
H-D1 Marketplace will provide consumers with "the most comprehensive opportunity to search, experience, sell and purchase pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles across North America. Backed by the strength and scale of our dealer network and enhanced by the Harley-Davidson Certified program for extra peace of mind, H-D1 Marketplace will facilitate a seamless purchase experience.

"The launch of H-D1 Marketplace is the first step towards our ambitious transformation of H-D.com into the leading online destination for everything Harley-Davidson," said Zeitz.

"This is the first step towards our ambitious transformation of H-D.com into the leading online destination for everything Harley-Davidson," said Zeitz. "The H-D1 Marketplace platform will connect our customers, community and our strong dealer network with the goal to become the largest marketplace for pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the United States."
Launching first in USA, H-D1 Marketplace will "start with the entire selection of pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles from our participating dealer network, that will be available for our customers to browse and customize online. Powered by H-D Financial Services, customers will have access to innovative, industry-leading financing solutions, to make purchasing even easier." Through the 'Sell My Bike' feature, customers will also be able to sell their motorcycles directly into the Harley-Davidson dealer network.
"H-D1 Marketplace also fulfills our Hardwire objective to include riders of pre-owned Harley-Davidsons as an important part of the H-D customer base, recognizing their unique perspectives and contributions to the brand."
The H-D1 Marketplace will highlight motorcycles offered through the recently introduced and growing Harley-Davidson Certified program. All H-D Certified pre-owned motorcycles have been subjected to a comprehensive 110-point quality-assurance inspection by certified Harley-Davidson technicians, are sold with a 12-month factory-backed limited warranty on the engine and transmission and benefit from new motorcycle finance rates and terms.
H-D1 Marketplace launches in North America with the pre-owned inventories of all qualifying Harley-Davidson dealers.

 

"Let's Ride Challenge"

Timed to include Sturgis and the primary summer motorcycle rally and vacation season, Harley's second sweepstake of the year is designed to "celebrate the open road" and "unlock prizes as miles are ridden and tracked via the H-D.com app."

 

The "Let's Ride Challenge encourages riders to rack up miles and unlock bigger prizes as each milestone is reached," said Theo Keetell, VP Marketing.
The promotion runs From July 23 through September 30, for riders in the U.S. and Canada - but remember, that great big Bar 'n Shield in the sky is a watchin' ya!

Triumph

Triumph - Radical Expansion as British Brand Targets US Market
By Ben Purvis


It's been thirty years since the first Hinckley-built Triumphs rolled off the production line, and despite growth since then, the company has remained focused on much the same market segments ever since. So the announcement that Triumph is developing a whole range of motocross and enduro machines marks arguably the biggest shift in focus in the Bloor-owned era.
At the moment, the company isn't giving much away about the bikes themselves, saying only that it's developing a "comprehensive range of all-new competition motocross and enduro machines". In the process, Triumph has signed two huge names from those worlds - ex-racers Ricky Carmichael and Ivan Cervantes, with a vast array of off-road titles between them in Motocross, Supercross and Enduro - to help guide the bikes' development and the preparation of Triumph's entry into competition.

While the Triumph brand has a strong heritage in off-road competition, it all dates back to the post-war era rather than Bloor's ownership. The company has largely steered clear of open competition in recent years, often preferring one-make championships and involvement like the supply of Moto2 engines, where it's not in direct rivalry with other bike companies. From a marketing perspective it's a strong strategy: proving motorsport credentials without the risk of being defeated on track by a direct rival.
With the entry into what Triumph describes as "top tier championship racing in both Motocross and Enduro", it will be in direct competition with the likes of Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and KTM, all companies with decades of experience in off-road competition. Nick Bloor, Triumph's CEO, said the announcement "marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Triumph brand" and went on to explain "we are 100% committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders."
Why make the move into manufacturing a range of off-road machines now? The answer lies in the American market. In the States, the already large market for 'off-highway' motorcycles grew by 46.5% in 2020, and a further 45.4% in the first quarter of 2021. 

Ricky Carmichael

Triumph has eyed the US powersports market for several years and came within a whisker of entering it back in 2014. At that time, Triumph planned to create a range of four-wheeled off-road vehicles including a 4wd side-by-side powered by a three-cylinder engine. A number of engineers were employed for R&D and the company set up a sub-brand to market the vehicles under Trident Powersports, had its own trademarked logos and even a teaser website up and running, but shortly before it was due to be officially revealed, the project was canceled with no explanation.
With an official announcement now made, Triumph appears set to go the whole way this time with its motocross and enduro models. While no technical details have been revealed, the intention to compete at the highest level suggests the machines will include newly developed 450 cc four-stroke singles.
Triumph couldn't ask for more experience than that brought to the project by Ricky Carmichael, who is considered by many to be the greatest motocross rider the world has ever seen. He is quoted as saying: "This is an incredible opportunity for me to join this historic brand, and I am honored and humbled to be a part of the development and release of their off-road motorcycles. Building something from the ground up is something that is really intriguing to me at this stage of my career. What is impressive to me is Triumph's dedication and passion to develop a top of the class product. Everyone that I have been involved with on this project, from the engineers to design groups, R&D department etc., have shown extreme passion for what they are doing and that is a recipe for success and something that I love being a part of. We all share that same passion, and that is to be the best."

Drag Specialties

Drag Specialties Additions

Predator III Seat with Forward-Positioning for Indian

 

This Drag Specialties Predator III seat with forward-positioning brings the rider 1" forward and 1/2" lower compared to the factory seat, and 2" forward compared to the standard Drag Specialties Predator III seat. Designed for the rider with a narrow front for leg clearance and a 6 ½" tall driver support. Made out of molded polyurethane foam for maximum comfort and covered in high-quality automotive-grade vinyl, this seat has a 3/16" ABS thermoformed base and paint-saving carpeted bottom and rubber bumpers. It is available in Double Diamond stitch with black, silver or red thread for '14-'21 Chief, Chieftain, Chieftain Vintage, Chieftain Classic and Chieftain Limited. It will also fit the '16-'21 Dark Horse, the '17-'21 Springfield and the '15-'20 Roadmaster.

High-Performance 6" 'Dragtron' II Air Cleaner

With dynamometer-designed radius entry backing plate, Drag Specialties' high-performance 6" 'Dragtron' II air cleaner maximizes airflow to the engine to optimize your horsepower. It comes in a gloss black finish, with a heavy stainless steel mesh that protects the 2" filter. The filter is easily serviced, is washable, and replacement filters are available. Stainless steel hardware is included. Support brackets and breather kits are sold separately. It is available for '90-'06 Big Twin and '88-'06 XL models (CV carb).

Smooth Rear Dresser Fender

 

The steel constructed Drag Specialties smooth rear dresser fender has a smooth styling to draw the eye; paint-ready unfinished metal; not predrilled. It is available for '09-'13 FLHT, FLHR and FLTR models, excluding FLHX and FLTRX.

Rear Brake Pads

 
Drag Specialties rear brake pads are OEM-type replacement pads that come in both sintered metal and organic aramid. The sintered metal brake pads are made in the U.S.A, "providing second-to-none stopping ability and wear characteristics, while still providing excellent reduction in noise and dust. The organic aramid pads are the perfect choice for polished, chrome and aftermarket billet steel rotors." Both styles of pads fit the '18-'21 Softail (repl. OEM#41300197) and are asbestos, nickel and lead-free.

Alternator Stator

 

Drag Specialties precision-manufactured alternator stators meet or exceed OEM specifications. This uncoated stator works with '08-'17 FXS, FXST, FLS and FLST models, replacing OEM#30017-08.

DRAG SPECIALTIES
www.dragspecialties.com

AIM Corp (Advanced Innovational Machine)

High-Strength M-8 Variable Pressure Clutch

California based clutch specialist AIM Corp (Advanced Innovational Machine) has an all-new VP SDR V2 MAX variable pressure clutch design available for current Big Twin applications, stating that it is "the strongest bolt on variable pressure clutch we have ever produced for the M-8 platform. 

"Capable of handling well over 200 hp/tq, this clutch is for the diehard enthusiast that wants the ultimate in clutch performance. This new clutch offers 100% more clamping force vs the stock clutch. 

"The solid riveted construction means that no screws are used for assembly - making for a bullet- proof system that will never come apart, even under extreme use. With slim profile design in mind, this new SDR will fit and clear factory CVO derby covers - with no spacers required.
"This will be compatible with the new 2021 cable clutch models as well. It is Light Force V3 clutch slave cylinder compatible."
www.aim-tamachi.com

Barnett Extra Capacity Clutch Kit for Sportster S

Congratulations to Barnett Clutches & Cables, again! Having been the first American vendor out of the blocks with a product application for the Pan America (AMD August), the company has backed it up with the first new product application for the 1,250 cc Revolution Max engine Sportster S.

This new high performance extra capacity clutch kit includes Barnett's exclusive proprietary carbon fiber friction material, tempered steel drive plates and a set of three heavy duty springs.
All kits are pre-measured for proper stack height to ensure reliable fit and performance right out of the box. Like all Barnett clutches, this kit is made by Barnett in-house and in the USA.

BARNETT CLUTCHES & CABLES
www.barnettcables.com

EICMA 2021

More OEMs Confirm for EICMA

As the motorcycle industry worldwide continues to watch the COVID situation in Italy (especially), hoping that nothing will derail this year's EICMA (Milan, November 23 - 28), a slew of good news about preparations for the show includes confirmation by Yamaha, MV Agusta, Kymco, Motori Minarelli and Fantic that they are among the OEMs that they will exhibit.
The background to this, of course, being the 2020 announcements by both BMW and KTM that they were going to abandon the major international shows, and the pandemic-driven decision to cancel EICMA last year. 

Yamaha Motor Europe says it made this decision "thanks to the positive progression of the international and national vaccination programs and the steady easing of the restrictive measures against COVID-19 in Europe, and Italy in particular.
"The expectation is that by the end of November visiting large exhibitions will be possible again. Preventive safety measures to contain COVID-19 will still be implemented, in cooperation with the EICMA organization, to secure a pleasant and safe visit to the show. In that respect, the size of the Yamaha stand will be enlarged in comparison to 2019 to allow visitors more personal space."

Eric de Seynes, President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., is quoted as saying: "The decision to attend EICMA was not an easy one to make for obvious reasons. However, after having observed the trend related to the evolution of COVID-19 and being reassured by the EICMA organization that we can provide a safe environment for all visitors, we believe it is the right decision to support the return of such an event.
"With arguably the largest international reach, EICMA has great significance for our industry, being a unique moment and place where the motorcycle community can come together to feel the reaction from media and customers to the new products, keeping the connection with them alive and providing inspiration towards future trends. While we have yet to return to what most of us consider normality, this year's event provides the first opportunity for enthusiasts to come together and be connected again physically, rather than virtually."