(February, 2010) - Polaris Industries Inc. has announced its acquisition of swissauto Powersports, a firm based in Burgdorf, Switzerland. swissauto is known for its expertise in designing and developing high-performance and high-efficiency engines and innovative vehicles. The acquisition will likely strengthen Polaris' engine and vehicle design capability across the globe, while also reinforcing the company's European presence.

Harley-Davidson announced it will donate 28 new Buell and Harley-Davidson motorcycles to assist with earthquake disaster relief and stabilization efforts in Haiti. The motorcycles are being shipped from Motor Company facilities to the Dominican Republic, where Harley-Davidson dealership organization MagnaMotors will facilitate direct delivery to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.inline_mediumwraptextright32208522/newsandupdates/1002_crup_harley_davidson_to_donate_motorcycles_for_haiti_relief_efforts1002_crup_01_z+harley_davidson_to_donate_motorcycles_for_haiti_relief_efforts+motorcycle.jpgTrue

The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) reports that a significant new motorcycle crash causation study will soon get under way at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Announced last October by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the study claims it will give motorcyclists a better picture of how motorcycles fit into today's traffic mix, a deeper understanding of what causes crashes, and insights into strategies to prevent these crashes. The FHWA said researchers would evaluate data from hundreds of motorcycle crashes to help identify common factors, including road configurations, environmental conditions and rider experience.

Perhaps inspired by the packs of enthusiasts perusing its booth at the International Motorcycle Show series these past few months, Victory Motorcycles has seen fit to introduce yet another new model for its 2010 lineup. As Victory puts it, "the Vegas Limited Edition motorcycle represents the leanest and meanest Victory ever offered." That's because the LE is equipped with Victory's powerful Freedom 106/6 powertrain, made all the more gnarly with the addition of Stage 2 cams. Victory says the combo conspires to pump out 97 horsepower and 113 ft/lb of torque on the Vegas LE. The bike also features a Bonneville Salt Flats-inspired paint scheme, because "we wanted to honor racers that have brought Victory Motorcycles to the Bonneville Salt Flats," according to Victory Product Manager Gary Gray. "We started with our lightest bike and our largest most powerful engine and added a Limited Edition paint scheme to create a unique motorcycle."

(January 25, 2010) - Harley has announced yet another Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) model for 2010, the Ultra Classic Electra Glide. This version eschews the now-de rigueur mega-bling piled onto most CVO machines, opting instead for a toned-down, nearly monochromatic ebony effect.

Just when you thought all the new metal was out of the box, comes this surprising bit of news from Harley Davidson. The Motor Company has announced a new 2010 Sportster model called the Forty-Eight, a shadow-splashed factory custom powered by a fuel-injected, rubber-mounted 1200cc Evolution V-twin.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe 2010 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight brings its low profile and blacked-out components to Harley's Dark Custom family.26667482/newsandupdates/1001_crup_new_2010_harley_davidson_forty_eight_released1002_crup_01_z+new_2010_harley_davidson_forty_eight_released+side_front_view.jpgTrue

Over the years, the Bonneville Salt Flats have become a Mecca for speedfreaks of all kinds, and naturally, motorcycle pilots are right up there in the mix. BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials has been timing the measured mile for motorcycles on the salt exclusively since 2004. The BUB meet has classes for just about anything with two wheels and even a "Run wha-cha Brung" (RWB) class. This year over 300 competitors took their shot at a record, and it wasn't just sportbikes.

In fact, there were cruisers galore on the Salt Flats this past September, and among them were a good number of Victory machines. Gregor Moe set a new national speed run record of 165.8 mph on a Victory Kingpin at the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials. Moe's first timed mile run clocked in at 166.004 mph. At Bonneville though, once isn't good enough, as records are determined by averaging two runs. Moe backed it up with a second run of 165.6 mph, giving him the average of 165.8 mph for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) record books. Moe's Kingpin ran in the 2000-M-AG class which includes bikes of up to 2000cc with modified frames that are gas-powered without turbos or superchargers. The Kingpin was running a 110-cubic inch Victory Freedom engine prepped by Lloydz Motorworkz, from Pine Bush, N.Y., Modifications include a Lloydz cam package, intake and fuel mapping.inline_mediumwraptextrightGregor Moe's Kingpin practically melted the salt with a 165.8 mph average run time32071005/newsandupdates/1002_crup_victory_at_bonneville1002_crup_01_z+gregor_moes_kingpin+.jpgTrue

Dealers Who Follow Up after a Sale May Positively Impact Overall Satisfaction with the Sales Experience

NEW DELHI (January 5, 2010) - Today at the 2010 New Delhi Auto Expo, Harley-Davidson India announced it will bring 12 motorcycles from its 2010 model portfolio to India. The broad selection, with bikes from each of its five model families, will give riders in India maximum choice and opportunity to join millions of Harley-Davidson owners worldwide in pursuit of adventure, freedom and self-expression.

Harley-Davidson is offering customers extended warranty coverage on new, previously untitled 2009 and 2010 model year Harley-Davidson motorcycles purchased and delivered between November 20, 2009 and March 16, 2010. The offer extends coverage through April 2, 2012, and allows customers to gain additional time and benefits of the warranty, especially for motorcycles purchased in colder weather areas.

Tis the season for manufacturers to unveil models for the upcoming new year, and the hoopla of annual motorcycle showcases is now in full swing. At the top of the circuit is the usually scintillating Tokyo Motor Show, though apparently, this year's edition proved to be very lean due to economic doldrums gripping the industry. None of the European brands were in attendance at the bi-annual motorcycle and auto show, and even Kawasaki skipped it entirely.

The race was on in late November between two motorcycle daredevils on opposite sides of the world competing to be the first to backflip a Harley Davidson XR1200 motorcycle. Australia's Kain Saul beat American Chuck Carothers to the punch when he accomplished the feat in Sydney on November 27, just a day ahead of Carothers' successful jump in Prague. Saul's jump is believed to be the first ever successful backflip for any fullsize street motorcycle (non-motocross or dirt bike).

The motorcycle grapevine is a small network, so when big news unfolds, the info travels fast. This past weekend, the lines were buzzing all over the country; one of motorcycling's biggest champions passed away. Sources close to the family say Dr. Hugh H. ("Harry") Hurt, Jr. died Sunday, November 29th -from what is being reported as a heart attack. Dr. Hurt had recently undergone major back surgery. He had back problems since being rear-ended years ago in his automobile.inline_mediumwraptextrightHarry Hurt photographing the scene of a CHP motorcycle crash, 1977: Courtesy Jim Ouellet26203481/newsandupdates/0912_crup_motorcycle_safety_pioneer_harry_hurt_dies0912_crup_01+harry_hurt_photographing_crash_scene+.jpgTrue

You might notice the new Honda Shadow Phantom's blacked-out bobber looks first, but beauty is only skin deep and the real news is in the fuel system. Yes, fuel injection is finally coming to Honda's popular Shadow line by way of their Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) which incorporates a single 34mm-diameter throttle body. Fuel injection means optimal fuel delivery, improved performance and better fuel economy. The PGM-FI's automatic enrichment circuit ensures trouble-free startups allowing you hassle-free cruising no matter the conditions.

The Rocket III had a problem. On some counts, it was a problem with perception. Straddling the line between cruiser and musclebike, it was a little schizoid in its approach, not as refined as a cruiser, yet utilizing forward controls and such alien to more sporting riders. The more sedate and refined RIII Touring shifted the bike in a more cruiserly direction, and to take care of the other side of its personality, is the new Roadster.inline_mediumwraptextright31161321/newsandupdates/0912_crup_2010_triumph_rocket_3_roadster0912_crup_12_z+2010_triumph_rocket_3_roaster+rear.jpgTrue

As we went to press with our February 2010 issue 2 weeks ago (on sale 12/15), we got wind of some late releases Honda would be announcing for its 2010 lineup. Alas, deadlines being what they are, we could only speculate on the specs of each model; even though we pressed the company for particulars, Honda remained tightlipped. All we could say in print was that 3 new machines were coming and leave it at that.

Chinese bikes have gotten a bit of a bad reputation. Perhaps it's not entirely undeserved, but Johnny "Pag" Paganini would like to change all that. "The China hurdle, some people can't go with it, but it's getting better, " says Pag. To beat the rap, Johnny Pag Motorcycles (JPM) went with a single, proven liquid-cooled 300cc parallel twin to power all of their American-Designed bikes. This made stocking parts far easier than if there had been a variety of power plants. And stock parts they do, with every part for each of the bikes sitting on the shelf at their Irvine, CA stockroom.inline_mediumwraptextright26954395/newsandupdates/0912_crup_johnny_pag_motorcycles0912_crup_20_z+johnny_pag_motorcycles+bikes.jpgTrue

(November 5, 2009) - Harley-Davidson announced plans to commemorate the 2nd Annual Women Riders Month in May 2010 by hosting women riders in its hometown of Milwaukee, Wis., on May 22 and 23, 2010. Women Riders Month is designed to celebrate the millions of women who have already grabbed life by the handlebars, as well as inspire more women to experience the freedom of the open road.

Shoei has always been at the forefront of helmet design and utilizing their 50 years of helmet-building experience, they are introducing an all-new helmet--the RF-1100. Driven by extensive research, the next generation RF-1100 features a new shell construction, ventilation and visor mounting system.

2010 Stratoliner Deluxe
Star is introducing a new bagger, the 2010 Stratoliner Deluxe. Powered by Star's 113 cubic-inch (1854cc) air-cooled, pushrod V-twin, it's certainly no slouch in the power department. Featuring a full front fairing and large color-matched locking hard sidebags you'll be set for the long haul. Making the trip even more pleasant is an audio system with high fidelity speakers, handlebar mounted controls and an iPod jack.

When Triumph launched its 2300cc Rocket III in 2004, the biggest challenge it faced was marketing. How do you position the largest production motorcycle engine on the planet? Over the years Triumph has tried to squeeze the Rocket into different niches, morphing the original Rocket into the more relaxed, floorboard-ed Classic, and most recently, into the touring-biased Rocket III Touring, complete with windscreen and hard bags as standard equipment.inline_mediumwraptextright31066671/newsandupdates/0910_crup_2010_triumph_rocket_iii_roadster0910_crup_01_z+2010_triumph_rocket_iii_roadster+right_side_view.jpgTrue

Back for 2010 is Star's pure evil VMAX. Similar to its re-introduction last year, the 2010 'Max is a limited-edition model available only by special pre-order from August 4th to November 30th, 2009. The 2010 VMAX has not been updated mechanically, but just read our Magnificent Muscle test

With lackluster financial results looming, Harley-Davidson has announced plans to discontinue the Buell motorcycle line and is actively seeking buyers for the recently acquired MV Agusta unit.

The heart of the motorcycle market these days is bikes like this. Suzuki's new M50 is a continuation of the lineup that started out four years ago with the M109 and continued with the Motorcycle Cruiser shootout-winning M90, now appears in a 805cc version. Many of the familiar lines of the M-series will be readily apparent, from the controversial headlight cowl, to the flowing tank, and the wide boat-style rear. Like its big brothers, the M sports an inverted front end, sleek multi-function display, LED taillight, and a respectably wide rear end with a 170-series tire beneath the fender.

The GoldWing is back for another go-round. Seemingly limiteless options on the legendary luxo-tourer include GPS navigation, an airbag, XM radio (with NavTraffic and NavWeather). New colors for 2010 Metallic Red and Metallic Black join Metallic Titanium and Pearl Yellow. Check out our next issue for a roundup test of all the luxury tourers including the GoldWing, Star Venture, 2010 Kawasaki Voyager, Victory's Vision, and something called a 2010 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited that we haven't even seen yet.