Victory Motorcycles and actor, avid Victory rider and retired U.S. Marine R. Lee Ermey have declared their participation in Rolling Thunder XXVI, the Memorial Day weekend motorcycle ride honoring U.S. military personnel who have sacrificed much for our freedom. The annual Rolling Thunder event will take place Sunday, May 26, in Washington, D.C.

Motorcycling has always been a popular activity in Pennsylvania, and it's been getting more so lately; the Keystone State reports that the number of registered motorcycles climbed to more than 400,000 in 2012. Unfortunately, there has also been a corresponding increase in crashes and fatalities, which is a big part of why last week, Governor Tom Corbett signed a proclamation commemorating May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

Medina, Minn. -- Indian Motorcycle today announced some more details about the completely new 2014 model it'll be unveiling at the Sturgis Rally this summer.

May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month (we forgot too), and contributing to the cause is Allstate Insurance Company, who says it will continue to donate standardized warning signs for motorcycle safety with its "Once is Never Enough" (ONE) program. ONE is an awareness campaign that encourages people to look for motorcycles at intersections and aims to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes at intersections with installations of warning signs. 20 U.S. cities are scheduled to get them this year. Additionally, a new Allstate Motorcycle Facebook mapping application was created in response to the numerous requests from the rider community to help bring awareness to other hazardous road conditions.

Earlier this week, the National Safety Council released findings from a recent analysis of national statistics on fatal motor vehicle crashes. The report, titled, "Crashes Involving Cell Phones: Challenges of Collecting and Reporting Reliable Crash Data," was funded in part by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, and reviewed 180 fatal crashes from 2009 to 2011, where evidence indicated driver cell phone use. Of these fatal crashes, in 2011 only 52% were coded in the national data as involving cell phone use.

It's a global thing. The Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) is inviting Harley-Davidson riders around the world to join its members in celebrating the 110th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and the 30th Anniversary of H.O.G. during the 2013 Harley-Davidson World Ride on June 23-24.

I should have known something was up. Last time we had a Moto Guzzi in the mag's test fleet (just a few months ago), I ended up being pretty impressed with the overall competence of the thing, especially considering its user-friendly price point. Sure, the V7 Stone's fueling was glitchy and suspension iffy, but I had to admire the Italians' progress with the venerable brand in a relatively short time (with lots of help - and $54 million in cash infusions -- it should be noted, from parent firm Piaggio, who took over the reins in 2004). But we hadn't ridden a California model since 2006, when we took the Vintage model for a spin out to Americade.

These are tough times we're going through; they will punish man and biker alike. Like everyone else, motorcyclists have been suffering the woes of a sputtering economy. But this does not mean we have to cry like a bunch of leathery babies, moaning about the good ol' days, when we could afford gas and food. We just need to be a little more creative, tighten our chains and use our brains. There are ways, my broke friend, to stretch nothing into something.

With the prime riding season looming around the corner, now's the time to get your machine set up right. Participating Harley dealers and Dunlop Tires have teamed up to offer a $40 consumer mail-in rebate on a set of Harley-Davidson-branded Dunlop tires purchased May 1 through June 15. The offer applies to a set of two new H-D/Dunlop tires (excluding Police tires) and comes to you in the form of a $40 Harley-Davidson Gift Card which can be used at any authorized Harley-Davidson dealership or h-d.com/store. Dunlop tires are made in the USA and have been mounted as original equipment on Harley-Davidson motorcycles since 1984.

Already well known for its vast selection of saddles for most cruisers on the market since 1980, Mustang has now expanded its offerings for the "other American motorcycle." That's right, the firm has recently introduced saddles for the Victory Cross Roads, Cross Country and Hard-Ball baggers.

Cardo Systems, Inc., a leader in wireless Bluetooth communications for motorcycle helmets, has announced two all-new additions to its scala rider product line: the rider-to-passenger Q1 TeamSet and the bike-to-bike capable Q3 MultiSet and Q3 Single.

Nearly a decade ago, Nolan broke new ground by becoming the first company to introduce Bluetooth wireless technology into its line of touring helmets. At that time, nobody was quite sure of Bluetooth's potential, but today, being able to communicate while on your motorcycle has become an expected amenity for many riders.

Consumers buying a new cover for their motorcycle are always left to wonder, "How big is the cover when I remove it from the bike to pack it down?"

Harley's financial report for the first quarter of 2013 has just been released, and it's a doozy, according to The Motor Company. Diluted earnings per share for the period increased 33.8% on higher motorcycle shipments and improvement in operating efficiencies, says Harley, compared to the year-ago period. The firm also said first-quarter net income was $224.1 million on revenue of $1.57 billion, compared to net income of $172.0 million in the year-ago period on consolidated revenue of $1.43 billion. First-quarter 2013 diluted earnings per share were $0.99, compared to $0.74 a year ago.

Washington, April 2013 -- In a new report released earlier this week, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is projecting an increase in motorcyclist fatalities of approximately 9 percent in 2012, or more than 5,000 lives lost. The number is larger than the overall traffic fatality increase projected by the federal government and would be the 14th out of the last 15 years in which motorcyclist deaths increased (though to be fair, several of the yearly increases were minute).

According to Polk data, in 2012, Harley-Davidson was the number one seller of new street motorcycles (all engine sizes) in the United States to young adults ages 18-34, women, African-Americans and Hispanics, as well as Caucasian men ages 35 plus. The newly available data shows that Harley-Davidson experienced a double-digit market share gain from 2008 to 2012 in the U.S. with these customer groups. Of course, the news came from Harley-Davidson itself.

It seems that half of U.S. adults consider gas prices to be "too high" when the price for a gallon reaches $3.44. This potential breaking point on gas prices was determined via a new consumer price index developed by AAA. Roughly two-thirds of the Americans surveyed (62 percent) said they were offsetting the higher price for fuel by changing their driving habits or lifestyle.

" I think it's right up here."
" Are you sure? That sign says 'Pavement Ends 500 ft."
"Uh... Let me check the tablet."

WASHINGTON -- The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in August 2012 that dismissed challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) partial approval of E15. The EPA decision at issue authorized a 50 percent increase in the amount of ethanol in gasoline for newer-model year motor vehicles, while maintaining a prohibition on the mid-level ethanol blend use in older vehicles, marine engines, motorcycles and gasoline-powered equipment.

The Sturgis Buffalo Chip has just announced that the award winning Student Build Challenge™motorcycle has won two more awards during the 25th Annual Black Hills Motorcycle Show in Rapid City, SD. The Sturgis Brown High School Students who worked to customize the stock Harley-Davidson Road King took home first place in the Full Custom Bagger category and Best Paint Overall at the Black Hills Motorcycle Show. The already recognizable motorcycle previously won first place for the Full Custom Bagger Open Class classification and Overall Best Display at the 26th annual Donnie Smith Show.

Moto Guzzi is serious about its new California flagship -- and who can blame them? To get the word out about the bike, Guzzi has enlisted actor Ewan McGregor to appear in a testimonial for the new Moto Guzzi California 1400. Guzzi says it's the first time that a Hollywood star of this caliber has lent his face to a motorcycle manufacturer for an advertising campaign.

Moto Guzzi USA, the North American branch of the Piaggio Group's iconic Moto Guzzi motorcycle brand, recently announced that the all-new 2014 California 1400 models will arrive at U.S. dealerships this week (April 15-22). The Cali 14 comes in two versions, the Custom and the Touring. MSRP of the 2014 California 1400 Custom ABS is $14,990, while the 1400 Touring ABS will run you $17,990.

There will be plenty of 110th Anniversary Celebration activities in Milwaukee this Labor Day, but don't forget one of the better stops (in our opinion) in town: The Harley-Davidson Museum, which will be doing its best to put on a show.

An eclectic mix of talent has been scheduled to rock the Milwaukee Lakefront with Harley-Davidson during the culmination of the company's year-long, global 110th Anniversary Celebration.

Harley-Davidson FL riders might like this bit of news: Dunlop claims that its new, second-generation American Elite tires now deliver even more mileage, resulting in better all-around performance.